Question

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.

Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.

“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”

At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall! It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.

No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.

1.We can know from the passage that the author works as ______.

A. a doctor              B. a model              C. a teacher             D. a reporter

2.Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to______.

A. marry a better man\woman

B. become a model

C. get an advantage over others in job-hunt

D. attract more admirers

3.According to the passage, the author believes that ______.

A. everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost

B. it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs

C. media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery

D. it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career

4. What does the author think of his height?

A. He hates to be called a short man.

B. He tries to increase his height through surgery.

C. He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.

D. He just accepts it as it is

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：如今电影、杂志等各种媒体以及美容、瘦身的各类广告充斥着人们的生活，给人们一种误导：美是值得花费任何代价都要追求的。甚至于作者在和学生谈论毕业打算的时候都吃惊的发现，学生们都想通过整形来获得外表上的优势，以期望在工作面试时靠出众的外表而脱颖而出。

1.C细节理解题。根据文章第二段Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors可以判断作者是个老师，所以C选项正确。

2.C推理判断题。根据文章第二、三段内容可知现在很多年轻人都想通过整形手术来获得超过别人的资本，所以答案选C。

3.C推理判断题。根据文章末段No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm.可知作者对媒体广告大肆宣传整形减肥等持批判态度，认为是它们误导了人们，所以答案选C。

4.D推理判断题。文章第四段I am short, I can’t deny …. I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!可知作者坦然接受自己矮的事实，所以D选项正确。

考点：考查社会百态类短文阅读。