During the fall months at high school guidance counseling programs, juniors run to the stage to participate in an exercise to help them understand that it is not “where you go” that matters. They hold posters with the names and faces of famous people while their peers (同龄人) and parents shout out with confidence the names of elite (精英) colleges they assume the celebrities attended. The “oohs” and “aahs” follow when they learn that Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates dropped out of college, that Oprah Winfrey is a graduate of Tennessee State and that Ken Burns graduated from Hampshire College. If even a few stressed students and their anxious parents benefit from this information, it is a worthwhile exercise.

Even better is giving the students a task to identify the happy, successful people in their own circle of family, friends, co-workers and neighbors and challenging them to go and ask “if or where they went to college” as a means of broadening the conversation in their search for a life after high school.

The key to success in college and beyond has more to do with what students do with their time during college than where they choose to attend. A long-term study of 6,335 college graduates published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that graduating from a college where entering students have higher SAT scores -- one marker of elite colleges --- didn’t pay off in higher post-graduation income. Researchers found that students who applied to several elite schools but didn’t attend them --- either because of rejection or by their own choice --- are more likely to earn high incomes later than students who actually attended elite schools.

In a summary of the findings, the bureau says that “evidently, students’ motivation, ambition and desire to learn have a much stronger effect on their future success than average academic ability of their classmates.”

The late author Loren Pope, who wrote Looking Beyond the Ivy League and Colleges That Change Lives, noted that the greater the opportunity for engagement and critical, creative and cooperative learning with staff, peers and community, the more likely the chance for future success.

59. The purpose of the guidance counseling programs is to help students _________.

A.apply for suitable colleges

B. learn about college life

C. choose the most famous colleges

D. know about famous graduates

60. Ken Burns’ example shows that the successful people _________.

A. don’t need support from their friends　　　　　　　　

B. have their own circle of family

C. don’t necessarily graduate from a famous college

D. graduate from a famous college　

61. What contributes most to students’ success in college and after graduation is _________.

A. whether they enter the elite college or not

B. whether they have spared no effort in college or not

C. whether they possess a higher SAT scores or not

D. whether they have famous schoolmates or not

62. According to Loren Pope, future success depends more on _________.

A. staff, peers and community

B. motivation, ambition and desire to succeed

C. average academic ability of the classmates

D. creation, cooperation and opportunity

（山西省太原五中2010届高三下学期五月月考）

Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s 　36 filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so 　37 that I decided to write an article about her.

I 　38 Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She 　39 and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of my mind. I 　40 I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.

I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there 　41 , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…” I soon realized that 　42 Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The 　43 was almost unbearable. I struggled for days 　44 draft after draft. Finally I put my manuscript (手稿) into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.

It didn’t take long. My manuscript 　45 . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I 　46 in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t 　47 the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.

Five years later, I was moving to California. While 　48 my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in 　49 :

Ms Profit,

Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some 　50 materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to 　51 your story soon.

Shocked, it took me a long time to 　52 . Fear of rejection cost me 高考资源网ly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of 　53 writing. Today, I have become a full – time writer. Looking back on this 　54 , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t 　55 to doubt yourself.

36．A．joy　　　　　　　　　　 B．voice　　　　　　　　　 C．speech　　　　　　　 D．smile

37．A．proud　　　　　　　　 B．active　　　　　　　　 C．satisfied　　　　　　 D．moved

38．A．visited　　　　　　　　 B．emailed　　　　　　　 C．phoned　　　　　　　 D．interviewed

39．A．agreed　　　　　　　　 B．refused　　　　　　　 C．hesitated　　　　　　 D．paused

40．A．replied　　　　　　　　 B．discovered　　　　　 C．explained　　　　　　 D．knew

41．A．seriously　　　　　　 B．patiently　　　　　　 C．nervously　　　　　 D．quietly

42．A．blaming　　　　　　　 B．fooling　　　　　　　 C．inviting　　　　　　　 D．urging

43．A．hardship　　　　　　 B．failure　　　　　　　　 C．comment　　　　　　 D．pressure

44．A．with　　　　　　　　　 B．by　　　　　　　　　　　 C．on　　　　　　　　　　 D．in

45．A．disappeared　　　　 B．returned　　　　　　 C．spread　　　　　　　　 D．improved

46．A．compare　　　　　　 B．struggle　　　　　　　 C．survive　　　　　　　 D．compete

47．A．ignore　　　　　　　　 B．deliver　　　　　　　　 C．face　　　　　　　　　 D．receive

48．A．decorating　　　　　 B．repairing　　　　　　 C．cleaning　　　　　　 D．leaving

49．A．disbelief　　　　　　 B．anxiety　　　　　　　 C．horror　　　　　　　　 D．trouble

50．A．subjective　　　　　 B．relevant　　　　　　　 C．private　　　　　　　 D．reliable

51．A．broadcast　　　　　 B．create　　　　　　　　 C．publish　　　　　　　 D．assess

52．A．recover　　　　　　　 B．prepare　　　　　　　 C．escape　　　　　　　 D．concentrate

53．A．energetic　　　　　　 B．endless　　　　　　　 C．typical　　　　　　　　 D．enjoyable

54．A．experience　　　　　 B．success　　　　　　　 C．benefit　　　　　　　 D．accident

55．A．attempt　　　　　　　 B．afford　　　　　　　　 C．expect　　　　　　　　 D．pretend

Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s 　21 filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so 　22 that I decided to write an article about her.

I 　23 Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She 　24 and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of my mind. I 　25 I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.

I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there 　26 , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…” I soon realized that 　27 Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The 　28 was almost unbearable. I struggled for days 　29 draft after draft. Finally I put my manuscript (手稿) into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.

It didn’t take long. My manuscript 　30 . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I 　31 in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t 　32 the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.

Five years later, I was moving to California. While 　33 my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in 　34　 :

Ms Profit,

Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some 　35 materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to 　36 your story soon.

Shocked, it took me a long time to 　37 . Fear of rejection cost me dearly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of 　38 writing. Today, I have become a full – time writer. Looking back on this 　39 , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t 　40 to doubt yourself.

21．A．joy　　　　　　　　　　 B．voice　　　　　　　　　 C．speech　　　　　　　 D．smile

22．A．proud　　　　　　　　 B．active　　　　　　　　 C．satisfied　　　　　　 D．moved

23．A．visited　　　　　　　　 B．emailed　　　　　　　 C．phoned　　　　　　　 D．interviewed

24．A．agreed　　　　　　　　 B．refused　　　　　　　 C．hesitated　　　　　　 D．paused

25．A．replied　　　　　　　　 B．discovered　　　　　 C．explained　　　　　　 D．knew

26．A．seriously　　　　　　 B．patiently　　　　　　 C．nervously　　　　　 D．quietly

27．A．blaming　　　　　　　 B．fooling　　　　　　　 C．inviting　　　　　　　 D．urging

28．A．hardship　　　　　　 B．failure　　　　　　　　 C．comment　　　　　　 D．pressure

29．A．with　　　　　　　　　 B．by　　　　　　　　　　　 C．on　　　　　　　　　　 D．in

30．A．disappeared　　　　 B．returned　　　　　　 C．spread　　　　　　　　 D．improved

31．A．compare　　　　　　 B．struggle　　　　　　　 C．survive　　　　　　　 D．compete

32．A．ignore　　　　　　　　 B．deliver　　　　　　　　 C．face　　　　　　　　　 D．receive

33．A．decorating　　　　　 B．repairing　　　　　　 C．cleaning　　　　　　 D．leaving

34．A．disbelief　　　　　　 B．anxiety　　　　　　　 C．horror　　　　　　　　 D．trouble

35．A．subjective　　　　　 B．relevant　　　　　　　 C．private　　　　　　　 D．reliable

36．A．broadcast　　　　　 B．create　　　　　　　　 C．publish　　　　　　　 D．assess

37．A．recover　　　　　　　 B．prepare　　　　　　　 C．escape　　　　　　　 D．concentrate

38．A．energetic　　　　　　 B．endless　　　　　　　 C．typical　　　　　　　　 D．enjoyable

39．A．experience　　　　　 B．success　　　　　　　 C．benefit　　　　　　　 D．accident

40．A．attempt　　　　　　　 B．afford　　　　　　　　 C．expect　　　　　　　　 D．pretend