A

A month after Hurricane Katrina,I returned home in New Orleans.There lay my house,reduced to waist-high rains,smelly and dirty. Before the trip,I’d had my car fixed.When the office employee of the garage was writing up the bill.she noticed my Louisiana license plate.“You from New Orleans? ”she asked.I said l was,

“No charge.”She said,and firmly shook her head when I reached for my wallet.The next day I went for a haircut,and the same thing happened.

As my wife was studying in Florid,we decided to move there and tried to find a rental house that we could afford while also paying off a mortgage(抵押贷款)on our ruined house.We looked at many places,but none was satisfactory.We’d begun to accept that we’d have to live in extremely reduced circumstances for a while,when I got a very curious e-mail from a James Kennedy in California.He’d read some pieces I’d written about our sufferings for State,an online

magazine and wanted to give us (“no conditions attached”)a new house across the lake from New Orleans.It sounded too good to be true,but I replied,thanking him for his exceptional generosity,that we had no plans to go back.Then a poet of the University of Florida offered to let his house to me while he went to England on his one-year-paid leave.The rent was rather reasonable.Imentioned the poet’s offer to James Kennedy,and the next day he sent a check covering our entire rent for eight months.

Throughout this painful experience,the kindness of strangers backs my faith in humanity.It’s almost worth losing you worldly possessions to be reminded that people really want to be kind when given a channel.

1.Which one shows the right time order?

①James Kennedy sent us a check.

②A poet offered his house to us.

③Our home was reduced to ruins.

④The garage employee charged us nothing.

⑤We came back to New Orleans.

A.④③⑤①② B.③④⑤②①

C.④③⑤②① D.③④⑤①②

2.What do you know about James Kennedy?

A.He was a friend of the writer.

B.He offered the writer a house in California.

C.He worked for an online magazine.

D.He was concerned about the writer’s sufferings.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that

A.The mortgage on the ruined house didn’t need to be paid off

B.The house rents in New Orleans were reasonable after the hurricane

C.The writer rebuilt his faith in humanity by losing his worldly possessions

D.The writer made it through the painful period with people's kindness

4.How is the passage developed?

A.By showing contrasting facts.

B.By making classification

C.By giving examples.

D.By analyzing causes and effects.

E

Is there clear boundary between science and the liberal arts as a major for college students? The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education is not an either / or proposition (命题), although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) -related fields can make it seem that way.

The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also stresses that the study of the humanities (人文学科) and social sciences must remain central elements of America’s educational system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative (创新的) leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.

Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’ job prospects (前景) as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under this circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical” way out of the problem. “Major in a subject designed to get you a job” seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.

Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there is little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight - picked up from science, arts, and technology - to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.

1.What does the latest congressional report suggest?

A. Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.

B. The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students’ spiritual life.

C. STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.

D. The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance.

2.What does the author say about the so called soft subjects?

A. They are essential to students’ healthy growth.

B. They improve students’ communication skills.

C. They broaden students’ range of interests.

D. They benefit students in their future life.

3.What is the main concern of students when they choose a major?

A. The academic value of the courses.

B. Their interest in relevant subjects.

C. Their chances of getting a good job.

D. The quality of education to receive.

4.What advice does the author give to college students?

A. Try to take a variety of practical courses.

B. Prepare themselves for different job options.

C. Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems.

D. Seize opportunities to tap their potential.

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