When I graduated from high school, I wanted to major in comparative literature. But, once I found out my friends were going into “real” majors, like marketing, nursing, and engineering, I figured I needed to do the same to ensure a good career. So I changed my mind and chose Business Management as my major. I forced myself to believe that I would enjoy it and succeed in the future, but eventually I exhausted myself understanding the economy and trying new marketing techniques. Coming out of this experience, I realize it is ok to be different from others and to study things like classcs, art history and other majors offered in the College of Humanities（人文学科）!
The worries most people have about a Humanitie degree and finding a career afterwards are that the majors are too abstract, and one will not obtain any applicable skills. Actually ideas discussed in Humanities classes, which are occasionally different from what people commonly believe, offer a broad perspective（视角）. How could one effectively be an unbiased（无偏见的）writer with only a knowledge of the popular opinion of society? How could one speak persuasively ith closed minds? Only seeing the world through a single perspective leads to missed learning, missed friendships, and missed growth! With a broader perspective, we wl be more free, more open-minded, and less limited in what we can become!
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) graduates learn actual skills in their studie, while humanities majors learn “soft skills” like communicating effectively through writing critically and speaking persuasively, synthesizing（综合）ideas through gathering and interpreting information, and developing cultural awareness. Do those soft skills sound useless and inapplicable to you? Think of it. How often do you communicate with others? Produce ideas? Encounter people from other cultures? Every day. Every SECOND of every day. So why not master these skills?
If you choose a major in the College of Humanities, you will be needed. The job market is quietly creating thousands of openings a week for people who can bring a humanist’s grace to our rapidly evolving high-tech future. Your skills will be valuable to any workplace you hope to be in. Chase after your dream major with all your energy, no matter what other people think.
1.Why did the author choose Business Management as his major at first?
A. He was tired of learning comparative literature.
B. He came to enjoy learning marketing techniques.
C. He wanted to go to the same university as his friends.
D. He believed Business Management was more practical.
2.According to the author, what is a possible way to gain a broad perspective?
A. Making more friends and learning from them.
B. Exchanging ideas in a philosophy seminar.
C. Opening your mind to future possibilities.
D. Getting to know the popular opinion of society.
3.In which of the following situations do soft skills play the most important role?
A. Writing a software program.
B. Performing a heart operation.
C. Playing a musical instrument.
D. Negotiating with a business partner.
4.The author believes the job market for Humanities graduates is .
A. recovering
B. depressing
C. promising
D. challenging
5.What could be the best title for the passage?
A. Stick to Your Desired major
B. Broaden Your Perspective
C. How to Acquire Soft Skills
D. Humanities vs. STEM
Essentially, everyone has two ages: a chronological（按时间计算的）age, how old the calendar says you are, and a biological age, basically the age at which your body functions as it compares to average fitness or health levels.
“Chronological age isn’t how old we really are. It’s merely a number,” said Professor David Sinclair at Harvard University. “It is biological age that determines our health and ultimately our lifespan. We all age biologically at different rates according to our genes, what we eat, how much we exercise, and what environment we live in. Biological age is the number of candles we really should be blowing out. In the future, with advances in our ability to control biological age, we may have even fewer candles on our birthday cake than the previous one.”
To calculate biological age, Professor Levine at Yale University identified nine biomarker（生物标志）that seemed to be the most influential on lifespan by a simple blood test. The numbers of those markers, such as blood sugar and immune（免疫的）measures, can be put into the computer, and the algorithm（算式，算法）does the rest.
Perhaps what’s most important here is that these measures can be changed. Doctors can take this information and help patients make changes to lifestyle, and hopefully take steps to improve their biological conditions. “I think the most exciting thing about this research is that these things aren’t set in stone,” Levine said. “People can be given the information earlier and take steps to improve their health before it’s too late.”
Levine even entered her own numbers into the algorithm. She was surprised by the results. “I always considered myself a very healthy person. I’m physically active; I eat what I consider a fairly healthy diet. But I did not find my results to be as good as I had hoped they would be. It was a wake-up call,” she said.
Levine is working with a group to provide access to the algorithm online so that anyone can calculate their biological age, identify potential risks and take steps to improve their own health in the long run. “No one wants to live an extremely long life with a lot of chronic（慢性的）diseases,” Levine said. “By delaying the development of mental and physical functioning problems, people can still be engaged in society in their senior years. That is the ideal we should be pursuing.”
1.Biological age depends on .
A. whether we can adapt ourselves to the environment
B. how well our body works compared with our peers’
C. when we start to take outdoor exercise
D. what the calendar says about our age
2.By saying “we may have even fewer candles on our birthday cake than the previous one” in Para. 2, the author means _______.
A. we don’t have to celebrate our birthday every year
B. we are chronologically older than last year
C. we might be less happy than the previous year
D. we may be biologically younger than the year before
3.According to Prof. Levine, what is the most exciting thing about her research?
A. The measures are not fixed.
B. Health services can be set up.
C. The problems are not that serious.
D. The research results are written in stone.
4.What does the author want to tell us by Levine’s example in Para. 5?
A. It is necessary to change our diet regularly.
B. The test results may give us wrong information.
C. Waking up early in the morning is good for our fitness.
D. The algorithm can reveal our potential health problems.
5.The ultimate goal of Levine’s research is to .
A. free people from chronic diseases
B. work out a solution to genetic problems
C. keep people socially active even in old age
D. provide people with access to scientific theory
An unpleasant smell floated into my nose as the bowl of fried stinky tofu（臭豆腐） settled onto my grandmother’s dinner table. I immediately sat back. The smell ruined my appetite, and I pushed the dish away.
“It’s supposed to stink. Just give it a try!” my grandmother said.
Holding my breath, I unwillingly took a bite. To my surprise, the tofu beneath the fried skin was warm, soft, and mouthwatering. Since then, whenever I visited my grandmother’s house, I would rush to the kitchen for the stinky tofu with excitement. Thus, stinky tofu became more than a household tradition. It became my favorite dish.
Along with the stinky tofu, I would meet my Uncle Chan on every visit. As an immature boy, I never understood my uncle’s condition of Down syndrome（唐氏综合征）.
He was an unfriendly and terrible creature in my eyes. He constantly walked around the house, talking to himself. Whenever he was within view, I would run away in fear.
However, one day, my view of my uncle suddenly changed. I was just getting out of my bed when I heard soft steps approaching. It was my uncle. My muscles froze. He slowly sat next to me and touched my face gently, as a mother would stroke （抚摸）a baby.
A wide smile emerged from his blank expression. How beautiful his smile was! I could not help but smile back. My fear disappeared gradually, and my muscles relaxed. For the first time, I could see softness and warmth in his eyes.
My uncle very much resembles stinky tofu. Stinky tofu smells unpleasant on the outside, yet feels warm and soft in the inside. Like stinky tofu, my uncle’s Down syndrome made me keep my distance at first. Yet, I learned that deep inside, he is harmless and has a loving nature.
Some people tend to look down upon disabled people and regard them as unfit for a regular life. As I was able to see through the outer surface of the tofu, these people are unable to see through the surface of prejudice（偏见）. As a result, they judge the disabled with one glance.
The outside and inside of the stinky tofu exist as two extremely different worlds. Perhaps that is what makes it such a tasty dish. Not only is it delicious, stinky tofu offers a valuable lesson: never judge people at first glance, for true beauty comes from the inside.
1.Why did stinky tofu become the author’s favorite dish?
A. It was related to family tradition.
B. It turned out to be quite delicious.
C. Grandma encouraged him to try it.
D. His appetite for food had increased.
2.What did the author think of his uncle at first?
A. He was a quiet person.
B. He was an energetic guy.
C. He was an immature man.
D. He was a strange creature.
3.The author’s attitude towards Uncle Chan changed when .
A. Chan’s footsteps woke up the author
B. Chan showed his friendliness to the author
C. Chan displayed his love towards his mother
D. Chan’s blank expression made the author smile
4.The comparison between stinky tofu and the author’s uncle serves to _.
A. highlight the nature of Uncle Chan
B. analyze the family relationship
C. describe a childhood memory
D. introduce a traditional Chinese food
5.What does the author mainly want to tell us in the passage?
A. We shouldn’t judge by appearances.
B. A person’s taste changes over time.
C. Blood is thicker than water.
D. You are what you eat.
Welcome to University of Waikato. Our mission is to create a welcoming environment in which residents feel comfortable, safe and a sense of belonging.
Student Village and Waikato Apartments
Waikato Accommodation Services offers two types of residential accommodation: Student Village and Waikato Apartments.
Student Village consists of fifteen independent units. Each contains five bedrooms, toilet facilities, and a shared kitchen with a fridge and cupboard. There is also a games room and a TV room.
Waikato Apartments are situated in a three-level apartment building. Each level has four apartments containing six bedrooms, toilet facilities, and a kitchen. Each level has a shared area with a TV, a study desk and easy chairs.
Security and Safety
Campus Security is available to assist 24 hours, 7 days a week. If you see anything suspicious, please call Campus Security on 0800863800.
Please ensure that you have your own insurance for your personal belongings as Waikato Accommodation Services takes no responsibility for any theft or damage to personal belongings.
Housekeeping and Maintenance
Housekeeping staff service all shared areas. Residents are responsible for keeping their rooms, kitchens and shower rooms clean and tidy.
Maintenance staff ensure necessary repairs to facilities are made. If your room or other shared area needs maintenance, please inform the Accommodation Office. Maintenance staff may be required to enter your room to tend to a maintenance request—this will be prearranged.
Termination（终止）of Residence and Checking Out
You are required to pay accommodation fees for the full period of the residency contract. At the end of your contract you must arrange a time with the office staff to check out. A room inspection will take place and you will be responsible for payment for any damage or missing items. If you fail to check out in this manner, the staff will hold an inspection in your absence and assess whether any payment is required.
1.What facilities are available in both Student Village and Waikato Apartments?
A. Kitchen and TV.
B. Study desk and fridge.
C. Cupboard and study room.
D. Games room and toilet facilities.
2.What should you do when you suspect that someone is destroying school facilities?
A. Report to the insurance company.
B. Contact Campus Security.
C. Inform the assistant teacher.
D. Call Waikato Accommodation Services.
3.The responsibility of the maintenance staff includes .
A. making plans for Accommodation Office
B. monitoring these of kitchen facilities
C. fixing a broken window
D. cleaning shower rooms
4.If you can’t check out in the required way, the staff will .
A. ask you to pay higher accommodation fees
B. assess whether an inspection is necessary
C. still carry out the room inspection
D. wait until you can arrange a time
5.Which of the following is the passage probably taken from?
A. A technical instruction book.
B. A university newspaper.
C. A residency contract.
D. A student guide.
In the summer before I entered middle school, I read the book They Cage the Animals at Night. It’s a story about Jennings, a boy living in various orphanages（孤儿院）with only his stuffed animal（毛绒玩具）, Doggie, for companionship. It’s a fascinating book, but little did I know how it would _______ my life and the lives of others.
One day, as I looked across my room at the pile of stuffed animals, a(n) _________ came to me. I would _________ stuffed animals for children like Jennings. _________ , I contacted agencies that support those children and they said the stuffed animals would certainly _________ children’s spirits.
I named my project “Cuddle Buddies”. I wrote articles for the local and school newspapers, _________ donations of the “buddies”— stuffed animals. My phone _________ ringing; schools, families, and toy factories all wanted to help. Much to my _________ , by the second week my living room looked like a zoo. Whenever Mom and I _________ the “buddies” to the agencies, the kids would be waiting there with their eyes down, too ____________ to look but shaking with excitement.
Six years after its launch, Cuddle Buddies continues to ____________ . Now over 25,000 stuffed animals have been ____________ to agencies worldwide. Simon, a seven-year-old boy in an African Children’s Home, couldn’t sleep at night after he lost his parents. When asked to choose his “buddies”, Simon ____________ a panda and soon after was sleeping through the night. I never dreamed Cuddle Buddies would ____________ this way.
Upon graduating from high school, I designed a website, www.cuddlebuddies.net, to ____________ the project. The response was ____________ . More and more people joined me and two dozen Cuddle Buddies ____________ were established across the nation.
This has been a great experience. I’ve learned how to follow through on an idea and how to ____________ impact a life. I will go to college with these ____________ in mind and continue my work with Cuddle Buddies, even when I ____________ a whole new set of exciting academic and nonacademic pursuits.
1.A. touch B. risk C. lead D. save
2.A. chance B. idea C. explanation D. word
3.A. display B. repair C. purchase D. collect
4.A. Previously B. Occasionally C. Immediately D. Gradually
5.A. capture B. reflect C. lift D. record
6.A. putting aside B. turning down C. asking for D. getting back
7.A. delayed B. kept C. stopped D. meant
8.A. knowledge B. taste C. regret D. delight
9.A. delivered B. applied C. rented D. returned
10.A. shy B. content C. weak D. eager
11.A. reform B. expand C. dominate D. divide
12.A. produced B. adopted C. sold D. donated
13.A. picked out B. came across C. showed off D. brought up
14.A. decline B. work C. increase D. react
15.A. promote B. start C. evaluate D. examine
16.A. confusing B. amusing C. automatic D. enthusiastic
17.A. companies B. committees C. branches D. institutes
18.A. financially B. positively C. socially D. physically
19.A. plans B. images C. lessons D. motives
20.A. work out B. keep off C. rely on D. engage in
Mary’s description of the party was so vivid that I felt as if I there.
A. would be B. might have been
C. would have been D. had been
