December is the t_________ month of the year.

　 The holiday shopping season is once again upon us.The super malls and smaller shopping centers will all be packed as hurried Americans search for the perfect gift.The crooks and thieves that prey upon innocent shoppers are well aware of this fact.

　 Even if you don’t involve yourself with holiday gift buying，you could end up a victim of theft.Thieves do not distinguish the holiday shopper from the everyday shopper.Thieves only know that there are more potential targets of opportunity at this time of year.

　 They also know that many people are complacent (不以为然的) about personal safety issues year round.They’ll factor in the belief that many people take on added stress this time of year while running from store to store with so much to do and so little time to do it.Shoppers who might normally consider personal safety an afterthought push it back even further as they try to negotiate their way through the month of December.College students are not an exception to the rule!

　 As a member of our university community，you’re also easily influenced by the dangers of mall shopping this time of year.Take a minute and picture any of the local area malls.Close your eyes and think about the overflowing parking lots and the crowds moving around.The sights，sounds and distractions all can lull you into a state of personal safety complacency.

　 Aside from the shoplifters who steal merchandise from store shelves are the thieves who perpetrate (犯) snatch and grab crimes.And this is the sort of crime that you’re most vulnerable to，especially when you find yourself carrying a large number of shopping bags and packages.However，as is the case with most other types of criminal behavior，there are a number of crime prevention measures you can take to lessen or stop your chances of becoming a victim.So take the time to read and then put into practice the following holiday shopping tips.

1.The author is most probably　　　　 .

　 A.a newspaper reporter

　 B.a novelist

　 C.a member of university community

　 D.a police spokesman

2.What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

　 A.Shoppers. 　　　　　　　　　 B.Thieves.

　 C.Personal safety issues.　　　　　　 D.College students.

3.Why is a person more likely to become a victim of theft during holiday shopping?

　 A.Because he often has much to buy.

　 B.Because he often does shopping in a hurry.

　 C.Because there are crowds of shoppers.

　 D.All of the above.

4.What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

　 A.To tell readers different kinds of crimes.

　 B.To make readers aware of holiday shopping dangers.

　 C.To give advice on selecting the perfect gift.

　 D.To introduce American public security situation.

5.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

　 A.Holiday Shopping Safety

　 B.Suitable Shopping Places

　 C.Personal Safety During Holidays

　 D.How to Identify a Thief

III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A,B,C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
It’s December again. In addition to the excitement about   50   down to the holidays and parties. This month is also about long study hours for thousands of senior college students in China.
According to the Ministry of Education, the number of postgraduate   51   has risen again this year. The ministry has even   52   the enrollment dates to allow for the   53  applicants. However. I do not see the point of enrolling in postgraduate study  54  after college.
Postgraduate programs are  55 on specific fields and on advanced research and study. They also require   56   knowledge you can only gain from the workplace. If your goal is to gain more skills, you should try harder to find a job. Employers want   57  . not more qualifications. Otherwise, postgraduate study straight is a   58   of time and money.
Job applicants with a master’s degree often find that their competitors hold   59  qualifications.
Ten years ago, graduates with bachelor degrees had no problem finding employment, but authorities   60   the number of university places in 1999 and now where are millions of graduates without work.
It appears that postgraduate education will   61 this history of undergraduate education.
62  , the human resources staff faced with the choice between two applicants with masters degrees will usually choose the graduate from the more 63  undergraduate school. A bachelor’s degree from a key university is more helpful than a master’s degree sometimes.
If you don’t have working experience when you graduate, you will have the same problem even though you go on to   64  a master’s degree immediately.
50．A．taking                    B．counting                 C．casting             D．tracking
51．A．achievements          B．admissions              C．accusations       D．applications
52．A．expanded                B．expected                 C．stretched          D．shortened
53．A．national                  B．additional               C．visible             D．desperate
54．A．suddenly                 B．curly                      C．straight            D．far
55．A．focused                  B．depended                C．fed                  D．impressed
56．A．book                      B．abstract                   C．rich                 D．practical
57．A．elegance                 B．excitement              C．experiment       D．experience
58．A．memory                 B．waste                      C．cement            D．symbol
59．A．different                 B．various                   C．similar             D．adequate
60．A．increased                B．eliminated               C．abandoned              D．enlarged
61．A．shape                     B．polish                     C．promote           D．shadow
62．A．However                B．Subsequently           C．Meanwhile       D．Originally
63．A．well-built               B．prepared                 C．well-known      D．newly-opened
64．A．hold                       B．earn                       C．evaluate           D．Deposit