If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech “Information Age” demands people who are flexible and who have good communication skills.
There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example, a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature(特点) of the kind of high-speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.
Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as “very important”, by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.
Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don’t regret their choice of study.
1.By saying that “you may have had the last laugh” in the first paragraph, the author means that you may have ____________.
A. shared the jokes with computer majors B. earned as much as computer majors
C. stopped joking about computer majors D. found jobs more easily than computer majors
2.Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates ____________.
A. are ready to change when situations change B. are better able to deal with difficulties
C. are equally good at computer skills D. are likely to give others pressure
3.The underlined word “land” in the last paragraph probably means ____________.
A. keep for some time B. successfully get C. immediately start D. lose regretfully
4.According to the text, what has made it easy for social science graduates to find jobs?
A. Willingness to take low-paid jobs. B. Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge.
C. Skills in expressing themselves. D. Part-time work experience.
I travel a lot in my work, and what I dislike about my job is eating alone. It always makes me feel lonely to see others laughing and talking. So, room service for several nights was a better choice for me.
After having room service three nights at a hotel in Houston, however, I needed to get out of my room. Although the restaurant opened at 6:30, I arrived at 6:25. The waiter at the front desk made a comment about my “being there really early”. I explained my dislike of eating alone in restaurants. He then seated me at a lovely table and asked me whether I would mind if he sat down with me for a while.
I was glad! He sat and talked with me about his career goals and the difficulty of being at work on nights, weekends and holidays. He said he hadn’t enough time to be with his family. After 15 minutes, he saw some customers at the front desk and excused himself. I noticed that before he went to the front desk, he stopped in the kitchen for a moment.
Then another waiter came out of the kitchen and had a wonderful chat with me. Before I left that night, some other waiters, even the cook, had come out of the kitchen and sat with me!
When I asked for my bill about one hour later, all the people who had sat down with me came over in a big group to my table, and presented me with a red rose. And I cried! What had begun as a lonely night ended as a beautiful experience.
1.The reason why the author hated to eat in the hotel restaurant is that the author didn’t like ____________.
A. the discomfort caused by eating alone
B. being disturbed by the noises around
C. meeting strangers in the restaurant
D. being pointed at or laughed at
2.How did the waiter feel when he saw the author come in at 6:25?
A. Dissatisfied. B. Pleased. C. Surprised. D. Angry.
3.From the third paragraph, we can learn that the waiter at the front desk ____________.
A. knew how to attract more customers to his restaurant
B. found it hard to balance his work and his family
C. was getting tired of his present job
D. had never had such a chance to talk about his worries
4.The author wants to tell us that ____________ .
A. people can get help for their loneliness
B. restaurants should put the need of customers first
C. the kindness of strangers can make you less lonely
D. restaurants are full of surprises
Welcome to the State Park, where fun, fitness, and education come together!
Don’t miss our new summer classes, which are available during May 23---Aug 5!
● Swimming lessons: Age 4 - adult. Cost: $5 per class or $15 for one month.
● Hiking: Have a park keeper hike with you through our paths and teach you about the park’s wildlife and plants. The park is a perfect spot for hiking.
● Soccer: Our youth soccer program is unusual and non-competitive. Different teams are formed every day. The focus is on each player learning to work as a team, not on one team winning it at all.
● Boating: These classes are only for 20-year-olds and above. Fishing is only allowed with a permit.
● Bicycling: We have special paths built for bicyclists. Signs are posted for self-guided tours of our park.
Group cycling is also available with a park guide. Paths range from easy to challenging.
A message from the director:
Hiking paths! Sports fields! Playgrounds! Campgrounds! Fun activities! The State Park offers something for everyone. We have a number of plants and animals, which are in danger of dying out, being protected in our park. Sign up for one of our new summer community classes, or take a camping trip with your friends or family. All the facilities here are set up with modern systems, so you don’t have to suffer while enjoying yourself—unless you want to!
Glen Harwood, Park Director
Experience being a park keeper:
Are you 13-17 years old? Ever wonder what it would be like to be a park keeper? It’s a competitive field, but you can get ahead by volunteering with our Teen Keeper Program. Depending on your age and responsibilities, you can even earn college credits for certain universities!
1.If you plan to swim regularly in the park in June and July, you should pay _______.
A. $5 B. $15 C. $25 D. $30
2.Which can we infer according to the passage?
A. We can see Chinese pandas in the park.
B. Special paths will soon be built for bicyclists.
C. There are many volunteer programs in the park.
D. You needn’t experience a hard time when hiking there.
3.Where can we most probably read this passage?
A. CNN: Current News. B. Fox sports: Special Events.
C. MSN: Recreation & Entertainment. D. USA today: Focus Reports.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who does the speaker talk to?
A. A friend of his. B. A group of new students. C. A group of visitors.
2.What is the total number of departments in the college?
A. Six. B. Five. C. Four.
3.Where do the teachers in the English department mainly come from?
A. England and America. B. America and Australia. C. America and Canada.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. In a library. B. In a classroom. C. In a bookstore.
2.What is the man doing?
A. Returning some books. B. Looking for a book. C. Writing a research paper.
3.What does the woman tell the man to do?
A. To return the due books. B. To refer to the card list. C. To make use of the computer.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does this conversation take place?
A. At school. B. In the street. C. On the phone.
2.Why is the woman going to borrow some old exam papers?
A. She wants to look through them.
B. Hers are missing.
C. She wants to check them.
3.Why is the girl worried about her physics exam?
A. Because she hasn't prepared well.
B. Because she has lost her physics book.
C. Because she has no old exam papers.
