Not so long ago almost any student who successfully completed a university degree could find a good career quite easily．Companies toured the academic institutions, competing with each other to select graduates．However, those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs．

Most careers organizations highlight three stages for graduates to follow in the process of securing a suitable career：recognizing abilities, matching these to available jobs and presenting them well to possible employers．

Job seekers have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities．One area of assessment should be of their academic qualifications, which would include special skills within their subject area．Graduates should also consider their own personal values and attitudes．An honest assessment of personal interests and abilities such as creative skills, or skills acquired from work experience, should also be given careful thought．

The second stage is to study the opportunities available for employment and to think about how the general employment situation is likely to develop in the future．To do this, graduates can study job and position information in newspapers, or they can visit a careers office, write to possible employers for information or contact friends or relatives who may already be involved in a particular profession．After studying all the various options, they should be in a position to make informed comparisons between various careers．

Good personal presentation is essential in the search for a good career．Job application forms and letters should, of course, be filled in carefully and correctly, without grammar or spelling errors．Where additional information is asked for, job seekers should describe their abilities and work experience in more depth, with examples if possible．They should try to balance their own abilities with the employer’s needs, explain why they are interested in a career with the particular company and try to show that they already know something about the company and its activities．

When graduates go to an interview, they should prepare properly by finding out all they can about the possible employer．Dressing suitably and arriving for the interview on time are also important．Interviewees should try to give positive and helpful answers and should not be afraid to ask questions about anything they are unsure about．This is much better than pretending to understand a question and giving an unsuitable answer．

“Those days are gone, even in Hong Kong” in Paragraph 1 suggests that__________．

       A．finding a good career used to be easier in Hong Kong than elsewhere

    B．now everyone in Hong Kong has an equal chance of finding a good job

　　C．graduates now face stronger competition in Hong Kong than elsewhere

    D．even in Hong Kong companies tour universities trying to select graduates

It is implied in Paragraph 3 that graduates should_____________．

    A．aim to give a balanced account of what the employer needs

    B．consider careers which suit their values, interests and abilities

    C．stress their personal attitudes and values in job applications

    D．recognize their own abilities regardless of what the employer looks for

According to Paragraph 4, graduates should______________．

    A．find a good position and then compare it with other careers

    B．ask friends or relatives to secure them a good job

    C．get information about a number of careers before making comparisons

    D．study the opportunities and the kinds of training that will be available

In the last paragraph, the writer seems to suggest that ________________．

    A．interviewees should appear humble if they can’t give an answer

    B．dressing properly is more important than being able to give an answer

    C．it is better for interviewees to be honest than to pretend to understand

D．it is a good idea for interviewees to be boastful in their answers

　　In the northeast of the USA there are six small states. Together they are called New England. The most important state of New England is Massachusetts. Its capital city is Boston, with a population of just over half a million, which is the biggest city in New England. Greater Boston is make up of 78 cities and towns. It has a population of nearly 3 million, which is half the population of Massachusetts.

　　Boston was founded in 1630. The American Revolution began here when the people of Boston took up their arms to fight their English rulers.

　　The Boston tea is famous in America. Americans were very fond of tea, and much tea was brought to the port of Boston. The British government was looking for more ways to get money out of America. So it put a big tax on tea. They made the Bostonians angry. They rushed to the port and then onto a ship there. They threw all the tea into sea. This led to a war between the people of Boston and the British soldiers.

　　Thus the American Revolution began.

(1) What do you think Greater Boston is?

[　　]

A．Another name for Boston City.

B．Another city in Massachusetts.

C．An area in Massachusetts where Boston is.

D．A city that is greater than the city of Boston.

(2) The state of Massachusetts has a population of ________.

[　　]

(3) The British government put a big tax on tea because ________.

[　　]

A．it could greatly benefit from it

B．the American people liked tea very much

C．the people of Boston often drank tea

D．tea was too expensive at that time

(4) The American Revolution began when ________.

[　　]

A．Boston was founded in 1630

B．the Bostonians did not take their fate lying down

C．the people of Boston had no tea to drink

D．tea was first brought to the pert of Boston

　　Forests have always been useful and important to man who makes use of them in many ways. Every day trees are serving man everywhere. Trees supply man with fruits and building materials in the form of wood. Without trees it would be impossible to build houses, boats, bridges and so on. Furniture such as desks, chairs and beds is made of wood. Trees can stop man from terrible heat. They're also useful in preventing good and rich top soil from being washed away during heavy rains.

　　If there were no trees, heavy rains would wash away the rich top soil that is so important to plants. The result is that the land will become a desert. There are plenty of desert areas in the world. A long time ago these desert areas used to be very rich areas, but man in the past had no enough knowledge about science of nature, they cut down too many trees in the area where they lived and never planted new ones. By and by the rich top soil was blown and washed away by strong winds and heavy rains. In the end the rich land changed into useless deserts where nothing could grow.

According to the passage, ______.

　　　　A. a long time ago, man didn't know how to make use of wood

　　　　B. trees are not as useful as they were in the past

　　　　C. trees were more found in the past than they are today

　　　　D. people have always found trees useful

　　If there were no trees, ______.

　　　　A. the land would become better　　　　B. heavy rains would be very clean

　　　　C. the rich soil couldn't be kept　　　　 D. there wouldn't be any plants

　From the passage, we know that man must ______.

　　　　A. do nothing to keep the balance（平衡）of nature

　　　　B. take his best to keep the balance of nature

　　　　C. try his best to keep the balance of nature

　　　　D. do his best to stop the balance of nature

Hiking
If you like to hike during the warm months, you’ll probably like to hike in the winter. The landscape changes completely from summer to fall to winter, and the snow can make for some really beautiful photos. Be sure to bring your camera with you to capture all the awesome scenery. Because it’s cold out, you also have the added benefit of not sweating too much through your clothes, and it’s a great excuse to grab some hot chocolate when you finish your hike.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is great exercise and a great way to see the winter scenery at the same time. If you’ve never done cross-country skiing before, be sure to check with an expert before trying it yourself. Knowing what to expect can keep you safe and prevent an injury.
Snowball fighting
Everyone remembers going outside, building a snow fort(城堡),and having snowball fights when they were kids. The fun doesn’t have to stop when you’re an adult! Go outside with your friends, build a fort and start throwing snowballs at each other. If you have kids, get them in on the action. Throwing snowballs is a great way to use some extra energy and can be really fun for the whole family.
Bird-watching
Lots of birds migrate during the winter months, and these quiet, cold hours can be a great time to see them like never before. Eagles, for example, migrate through central Illinois in February, and watching them fly through Starved Rock State Park is a breathtaking sight. Check your local parks to find out what birds you can see in your area and get out there to see them.
【小题1】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Outdoor winter activities

B．Popular winter sports around the world

C．Fun winter activities for children

D．Best ways to enjoy winter scenery.

【小题2】As for cross-country skiing, the author suggests people_______.

A．try to do it on their own

B．ask an expert for advice

C．take a camera with them

D．take a rest whenever possible

【小题3】Which of the following does the author suggest for those with kids?

A．Hiking	B．Cross-country skiing
C．Snowball fighting	D．Bird-watching

【小题4】What can we know about Starved Rock State Park from the passage?

A．It’s the largest natural park in Illinois.

B．It’s a good place for bird-watching.

C．It’s well-known for its strange animals.

D．It is home to a lot of birds.