My oldest child, Emma, just returned to campus after a long holiday break to finish up her last period of college. These days, friends and family have begun flooding me with one question: What is she going to do after graduation?

The job market is, after all, awfully tough. Just this month the Federal Reserve Bank published a study showing that “recent graduates are increasingly working in low-paid jobs or working part-time.” The bright spot, according to the study, is for students who majored(主修) in STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — areas in which recent graduates “have tended to do relatively well”.

But Emma is a student of the humanities(人文) at a small college. She’s an American Studies major with a focus on the politics and culture of food. For quite a while, I think her field of study is so fashionable right now that I’m not the least bit worried she will find a good job. Yet the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve decided to be honest. “I’m not sure what Emma is going to do,” I now say. “But she’s gotten a great education and has really found her interest. — and I know those things will serve her well over the course of her life.”

Nowadays, more and more universities and colleges are being measured by the salaries of their recent graduates. In this climate, encouraging your kid to study the humanities, seems, at best, unwise or, at worst, unconcerned with earning a living. But a college is not a vocational(职业) school. And promoting STEM subjects should not be society’s only answer to helping the next generation grow in a competitive world.

From the beginning, we never urged Emma to pick a college or a major with an eye on its expected return on money, as more and more families are doing. To Emma, what really matters will be something that we may not be able to measure for quite a long time: Emma’s contribution to the world and how happy she is in it.

1.The author’s friends and family_________.

A. are worried about Emma’s safety

B. have been worrying about the flood

C. are concerned about Emma’s future?????????????

D. are worried about the job market

2.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A. The number of the graduates is increasing.

B. STEM graduates can be better employees.

C. STEM graduates are in relatively greater demand.

D. More and more graduates like to do a part-time job.

3.Why did Emma choose a major in the humanities?

A. Because she is interested in it.

B. Because her mother told her to.

C. Because it is increasingly popular.

D. Because she wants further education.

4.According to the author, what matters most in choosing a major is that_________.

A. it should be among the STEM

B. it should be fashionable and interesting

C. it should allow a good job and a high salary

D. it should bring achievements and happiness

Paul was dealing with a crisis. The new girl Linda in class really liked him a lot. Paul was not happy about it.

    Paul's good friend, Sam, tried to comfort him.  "What's the big deal? I think Linda is kind of cute and nice enough."

    Paul glared at Sam. "Then why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. Go there and ask her to be your honey!"

    "She's crazy about you, not me," Sam replied.

    "Well, I don't want any girlfriend, especially not a girl like her! "Paul growled.

    Sam wouldn't give up.  "The only thing pesky about her is that she keeps writing you those notes ."

    "I don't like notes at all!" Paul interrupted. He took another sip of milk.

"Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why aren't they normal red or pink?"

    Sam took another look at Linda. "I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, she's very gentle and that's what really matters."

    Paul stuck out his tongue. "I think I'm going to be sick!  I'd better save my dessert for later." He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket.  "The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves!  "

    Sam followed Paul’s example and decided to save his dessert for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box.  "Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?" Tremor asked.

    "I'm going to be mean and rude to her," Paul announced.  "I'll call her names and make ugly faces at her."

    "That's how you treat everyone," Sam reminded his friend.

Paul nodded. "It's time that Linda got to know the real Paul !"

1. What does the underlined part "a crisis" in Paragraph 1 refer to?

    A. how to get away from Linda             B. how to win Linda over

    C. how to get Sam's help                  D. how to save money

2.How did Linda feel about Paul ?

    A. She didn't like him because he was rude.       B. She was annoyed by his strange appearance.

    C. She didn't have any strong feelings about him.   D. She fell in love with him.

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

    A. Paul pretended to be rude in order to make Linda stop liking him.

    B. Sam thought that looks were more important than personality.

    C. Sam thought that Linda was cute.

    D. Paul offered his dessert to Linda to make her sick.

4. Sam appreciate Linda in the following aspects EXCEPT         

    A. her eyes         B. her hair           C. her face          D. her character

5.What is implied from this passage?

A. Linda will be Sam's girlfriend.       B. Paul has fallen in love with another girl.

C. Paul and Linda are classmates.      D. Paul and Linda are colleges students.

Trogmire Troll was dealing with a crisis. The new girl in class really liked him a lot. Trogmire was not happy about it.

Trogmire’s good friend, Tremor Troll, tried to comfort him.“What’s the big deal? I think Treasure Troll is kind of cute. And she seems to be nice enough.”

Trogmire swallowed his last bite of salad and glared at Tremor.“Then why don’t you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. March over there and ask her to be your sweetie-poo!”

 “She’s crazy about you, not me,”Tremor replied.

 “Well, I don’t want any girlfriend, especially not a weird（古怪的）,annoying one like her!”Trogmire growled（to make a sound to show anger）.

Tremor wouldn’t give up.“The only thing annoying about her is that she keeps writing you those notes and she stares.”

 “Annoying love notes!”Trogmire interrupted. He took another sip of milk.“Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why aren’t they normal red or pink?”

Tremor took another look at Treasure.“I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, she’s very sweet and that’s what really matters.”

Trogmire stuck out his tongue.“I think I’m going to be sick! I’d better save my apple pies for later.”He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket. “The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves!”

Tremor followed Trogmire’s example and decided to save his apple pies for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box.“Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?”Tremor asked.

 “I’m going to be mean and rude to her,”Trogmire announced.“I’ll call her names and make ugly faces at her.”

 “That’s how you treat everyone,”Tremor reminded his friend.

Trogmire nodded.“It’s time that Treasure got to know the real Trogmire Troll!”

41.How did Treasure Troll feel about Trogmire Troll?

A. She didn’t like him because he was rude.

B. She was annoyed by his strange appearance.

C. She didn’t have any strong feeling about him.

D. She liked him a lot.

42 .How did Trogmire feel about Treasure?

A. He felt annoyed.                  B. He enjoyed the attention.

C. He didn’t realize that she existed.     D. He was crazy about her.

43.Who did Trogmire want for a girlfriend?

A. No one.   B. Tremor’s sister.    C. Treasure Troll.   D. Weird girl from another class.

44.Which statement is true?

A. Trogmire pretended to be rude in order to make Treasure stop liking him.

B. Tremor thought that looks were more important than personality.

C. Tremor thought that Treasure was cute.

D. Trogmire offered his apple pies to Treasure to make her sick.

A Chilean(智利)soap-opera star, a beauty from Ancient Pompeii and a freckled (雀斑的)boyish girl hardly make an average beauty show line-up.

The first world-wide digital beauty contest to the surprise of many online fans was won by a woman who is virtually(虚拟) real flesh and bones. "Virtual models are not the anti-real, they are a different representation of reality," said Franz Cerami, the organizer of Miss Digital World (数字世界小姐).

Each of the contestants had to provide the charming photo of high degrees, with date of birth and body measurements.

Chilean Rodolfo Perez Ayala decided that no figure of his imagination could beat the beauty of his wife, Katty Kowaleczko, so he hired artist Flavio Parra to recreate her. Kowaleczko, who plays Paula Sandoval in the popular Latin American soap opera Tentacion, was transformed into Katty-ko and won the digital contest with more than 17,000 online votes.

"I'm so happy Katty-ko won. I think her strength is her similarity to a real woman - not too luxurious or exposed", Kowaleczko, 40, told reporters. "Her beauty is in her simplicity." Kowaleczko was not afraid of being replaced by her 3D clone in movies or theatres, but hoped she would become "a sort of ambassador(使者) of Chilean beauty".

Cerami said Latin American interest in Miss Digital World had greatly increased since Katty-ko joined the contest, which attracted about 3600 entries from countries from Iran to Australia and even from the ancient Roman empire.

"Pompea" was the digital reconstruction of a young woman killed by the outbreak of Vesuvius in 79 AD．"She was a slave, but also a rich man's lover. When her body was discovered, many jewels and a bangle(手镯) with the writing 'from the master to his servant girl' were found" said Genny Tortora, a professor at the University of Salerno who led Pompea's creative team.

Other contestants included Kaya, the most realistic model with digital freckles, pouty (噘起的) lips and upturned nose.

Now, Cerami's dream is to manage a form of virtual beauties, introducing them for calendars, games, ads, and movies. One is even reported to be heading for Playboy's front page.

The winner in the first Miss Digital World contest was ______.

       A．a star who performed in some soap operas

       B．a beauty who came from Chilean

       C．a beauty who was from the ancient Roman empire

       D．a made-up beauty based on a real woman.

Which group of the following are the names for the digital beauties mentioned in the passage?

       A．Katty-ko, Pompea, Kaya.

       B．Katty Kowaleczko, Pompea, Playboy.

       C．Flavio Parra, Genny Tortora, Franz Cerami.

       D．Rodolfo Perez Ayala, Pompea, Franz Cerami

The digital beauty “Pompea” was created by ______.

       A．Genny Tortora         B．a group of people 

       C．by a young woman        D．a rich man

What the organizer of Miss Digital World wants to do next is ______.

       A．sell pictures of beauties for calendars  B．hold another contest

       C．put the digital beauties into practical use. D．start an ads company

Paul was dealing with a crisis. The new girl Linda in class really liked him a lot. Paul was not happy about it.
Paul's good friend, Sam, tried to comfort him.  "What's the big deal? I think Linda is kind of cute and nice enough."
Paul glared at Sam. "Then why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. Go there and ask her to be your honey!"
"She's crazy about you, not me," Sam replied.
"Well, I don't want any girlfriend, especially not a girl like her! "Paul growled.
Sam wouldn't give up.  "The only thing pesky about her is that she keeps writing you those notes ."
"I don't like notes at all!" Paul interrupted. He took another sip of milk.
"Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why aren't they normal red or pink?"
Sam took another look at Linda. "I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, she's very gentle and that's what really matters."
Paul stuck out his tongue. "I think I'm going to be sick!  I'd better save my dessert for later." He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket.  "The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves!  "
Sam followed Paul’s example and decided to save his dessert for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box.  "Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?" Tremor asked.
"I'm going to be mean and rude to her," Paul announced.  "I'll call her names and make ugly faces at her."
"That's how you treat everyone," Sam reminded his friend.
Paul nodded. "It's time that Linda got to know the real Paul !"
【小题1】 What does the underlined part "a crisis" in Paragraph 1 refer to?