It was a party. I was 18 and it was fresher(大一新生) week. I was at the beginning of a course in English Literature and full of enthusiasm for my subject. She was also 18 and enrolled in a course in physics.
“Your major is of no use to society. What will you do with it when you graduate, other than teach? Plus, you’re going to be poor your whole life,” she said. “You have no soul and your degree is boring. I don’t care how much money you’re going to earn. I’d rather be poor and don’t mind being a teacher. If I love my work I’ll have something far more meaningful than a big bank account!” came the reply.
And so it went, back and forth, neither of us giving the other an inch, each of us stubbornly committed to our prejudice. We were both ignorant, but our ignorance was also society’s ignorance. It had always been that way. Scientists mocked(嘲笑) humanists; humanists laughed at scientists. Back in the 1960s, the physicist-turned novelist C. P. Snow labeled the sciences-humanities divide “a problem of ‘the two cultures’” . He said it was bad for society. The modern world needed well-rounded people.
I think I know better now, but it would have helped if we had been encouraged to think a little more outside our science and arts “boxes”.
That’s why I believe it is healthy that China is beginning a debate on whether it’s wise for young people to have to choose which direction their careers – and lives – will take at such an early age. At the moment, in their second year of high school, students must choose either the sciences or the humanities. After making the choice, they focus their energies on passing the appropriate college entrance exam.
But now, people in China are asking: Is this forced, early decision good for young people or society? Young people need time to explore, to discover where their real talents and interests lie. There are more than just a few middle-aged people out there, stuck in jobs they hate because they made the wrong choice at the wrong time.
And from the point of view of society, isn’t it better for students to delay a while before they decide what to study? Scientists can benefit from learning to develop the critical skills associated with the humanities; students in the humanities, surely, only stand to gain by finding out a little more about science and technology, which are so important to the future of a developing country like China.
With any luck, in the future young people fresh to college will be better informed about the possibilities of education than people of my generation.
【小题1】The author describes what happened at a fresher party to ________.

What kind of life do you want? And what would you do if you were born with an illness like Cystic Fibrosis (囊胞性纤维症)?Charley was such a man．He was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a serious disease of the muscles．Without properly functioning muscles, eventually you’re unable to breathe．However, Charley was fortunate to have many care- givers, including his wife who helped him a lot．He became an engineer and helped plan structures that would allow streets and buildings to give better access to the disabled．Charley couldn’t live without a wheelchair, and could only use one hand to move it．His speech was also difficult to understand．However, Charley had a sharp mind．He could see, hear, use a few fingers and think, and that was enough to allow him to make an important contribution to his city．He made those around him more aware of their physical health．

In the movie JackandJillvs．theWorld, Jill is a 25-year-old girl who has just arrived in New York City．She has Cystic Fibrosis, but she doesn’t let it control her life．She’s happy, in fact! She meets a young man, Jack, and changes his life forever．One day she has to tell him about her illness．He’s angry and disappointed, but later he realizes that it’s their relationship that matters．They decide to be together, and live as happily as possible．

Charley’s story is true．Jack and Jill’s story is made up．How do you want to live your life? Use your imagination, and enjoy your life and all its wonders．Create your picture of a happy life．

1．The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to _____．

     A．test the readers’ attitude about life

     B．draw the readers’ attention to the topic

     C．invite the readers to answer them

     D．tell readers how to make a living

2．About Charley, which of the following is TRUE?

     A．He is a father of two boys．

     B．He can live well without wheelchair．

     C．He is a lucky because many people give him care．

     D．He can speak as others do．

3．From the passage, we can infer that _____．

     A．health is the origin of happiness

     B．the attitude to life decides your happiness

     C．Cystic Fibrosis a serious disease of the muscles

     D．Charley’s story is made up

4．The film JackandJill vs．theWorld is set in _____．

     A．three young people       B．New York City

   C．Paris                      D．a place that we don’t know

Parents are often amazed at how fast their child grows and develops. New research has determined that the ability to quantify may develop much sooner than most parents realize.
Kristy vanMarle, professor of the University of Missouri, has determined that contrary to what previous studies have shown, infants（婴儿）are able to quantify substances（物质）—like sand or water—as early as 10 months. As long as the difference between the two substances is large enough, infants will choose the larger amount, especially when it comes to food.
With the assistance of her team researchers, vanMarle tested the quantifying skills of babies by presenting them with two cups: one containing a small amount of food, and one containing a larger amount. Consistently, the babies chose the larger amount.
“Several studies throughout the last 15 years have shown that infants are very good at telling how many objects they see; however, infants don’t seem to count things like water or sand,” vanMarle said. “What we’re saying is that they can quantify substances; it’s just much harder. The infants can see how much food goes into each cup and compare that in their memories. They decide which amount is larger, and they almost always select the larger one.”
This information further refutes（驳斥）the long-held idea that babies “know nothing of the world,” vanMarle said.
“Since psychologists have begun studying infants with sensitive measures, we’ve discovered a lot of early abilities. I think for parents, it should be exciting to know that there’s somebody in there that has some fundamental and basic knowledge of the world, and that knowledge is guiding their development,” vanMarle said.
In the future, vanMarle says this kind of study could be linked to a child’s progress in math-related skills, although programs marketed to increase those abilities, such as “Baby Einstein,” still have mixed reviews when it comes to academic study.
【小题1】The quantifying ability refers to the ability to     .

A．by saying numbers	B．with the help of parents
C．on personal preference	D．through their natural abilities

   Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. __71  just letting life happen to you, goals allow you

to make your life happen.

Successful people __72  how their life should be and set lots of  goals. By setting goals you are __73  your life. It's like having a__74  to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are __75  drivers. One has a destination (目的地) in mind (her goal) which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there without any __76  time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, __77   she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just __78  gas. Which driver do you want to be?

Winners in life set goals and follow through on them. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making __79   and setting goals. __80  people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren't difficult to set—and they aren't difficult to reach. It's up to you to find out what your goals really are. You are the one who must __81  what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more __82  to achieve it. Written goals can be __83 regularly, and have more power. Like a contract(合同) with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also __84   you write your goals in a particular way you are able to make yourself continuously __85  situations that will bring you nearer to your goal.

71. A. Because of      B. Instead of      C. In spite of       D. In addition to

72. A. imagine         B. discuss         C. experience        D. show

73. A. going on with                      B. taking control of

C. getting along with                 D. taking advantage of 

74. A. guide           B. friend          C. map               D. sign

75. A. two             B. such            C. some              D. goal

76. A. free            B. dull            C. fixed             D. wasted

77. A. or              B. for            C. but                D. so

78. A. thinking of     B. using up       C. turning off        D. paying for

79. A. plans           B. money          C. friends            D. maps

80. A. Lucky           B. Young          C. Ordinary           D. Unsuccessful

81. A. practise        B. change         C. admit              D. decide

82. A. willing         B. anxious        C. likely             D. clever

83. A. improved        B. achieved       C. set                D. reached

84. A. although        B. until          C. when               D. unless

85. A. aware of        B. worried about    C. familiar with        D. accustomed to

Parents are often amazed at how fast their child grows and develops. New research has determined that the ability to quantify may develop much sooner than most parents realize.
Kristy Vanmarle, professor of the University of Missouri, has determined that contrary to what previous studies have shown, infants（婴儿）are able to quantify substances（物质）—like sand or water—as early as 10 months. As long as the difference between the two substances is large enough, infants will choose the larger amount, especially when it comes to food.
With the assistance of her team researchers, Vanmarle tested the quantifying skills of babies by presenting them with two cups: one containing a small amount of food, and one containing a larger amount. Consistently, the babies chose the larger amount.
“Several studies throughout the last 15 years have shown that infants are very good at telling how many objects they see; however, infants don’t seem to count things like water or sand,” Vanmarle said. “What we’re saying is that they can quantify substances; it’s just much harder. The infants can see how much food goes into each cup and compare that in their memories. They decide which amount is larger, and they almost always select the larger one.”
“This information further refutes（驳斥）the long-held idea that babies know nothing of the world,” Vanmarle said.
“Since psychologists have begun studying infants with sensitive measures, we’ve discovered a lot of early abilities. I think for parents, it should be exciting to know that there’s somebody in there that has some fundamental and basic knowledge of the world, and that knowledge is guiding their development,” Vanmarle said.
In the future, Vanmarle says this kind of study could be linked to a child’s progress in math-related skills, although programs marketed to increase those abilities, such as “Baby Einstein,” still have mixed reviews when it comes to academic study.
【小题1】 The quantifying ability refers to the ability to     .