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

Everyone has got two personalities-the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their position. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.

If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to upset people, so you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't very confident.

If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive（不外露） person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You're very stubborn（顽固）, but you aren't very ambitious. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.

If you sleep curled up， you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive. You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt.

If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You're usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get depressed. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.

According to the writer, you naturally show your secret and real personality _______.

  A. only in a normal night                             

B. only when you go to sleep 

  C. only when you refuse to show yourself to the world.

  D. only when you change sleeping position

Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person’s personality?

  A. He or she is always open with others.

  B. He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others.

  C. He or she is always easily upset.                

D. He or she tends to believe in others.

Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping on his or her stomach.

  A. He or she is careful not to offend others.

  B. He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion.

  C. He or she always wants to get ahead.         

D. He or she likes to have a good time.

Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up. Why?

  A. He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you.

  B. He or she is rarely ready to help you.

  C. He or she prefers staying at home to going out.

  D. He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you.

It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because ________.

  A. He or she always shows sympathy for people.

  B. He or she is confident, but not stubborn.

  C. He or she has more strengths than weaknesses.

  D. He or she often considers annoying people.

It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.
Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M＆S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M＆S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive（独家的）Christmas designs — starting from￡1. 99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.
In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.
To claim your two-for-one on M＆S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page.  This code is available for two days.  
TERMS AND CONDITIONS：M＆S PERSONALISED CARDS
1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.
2. Payment of postage is required.
3. Marks ＆ Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior（预先）notice.
64. What does the underlined part “two-for-one”（in Paragraph 3）mean in the ad？
A. Two paid cards and one free card.
B. One paid card and two free cards.
C. Your name and a message on one card.
D. Your photo and the receiver’s on one card.
65. From the ad we can know that M＆S is most probably           .
A. a website selling Christmas cards only
B. an agency of the newspaper Times
C. a company promoting the sales of cards
D. an advertising agency of card producers
66. To order the product for your friends now, you should           .
A. enter a code on the payment page of M＆S’ website
B. always order it before two o’clock in the afternoon
C. put into the card your own date of birth and address
D. spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter
67. According to the ad, if you order the Christmas cards,          .
A. they can be delivered free of charge
B. you can enjoy the special offer all the year round
C. their value may be lower than that of a free card
D. you can get a favor of at least ￡1. 99

One of the biggest challenges facing students and their families is what career they should enter and what is the best path for them to take.

I was talking to someone the other day who told me he first studied accounting because that was what everyone was studying several years ago. It was and some say still is a reliable career. However, then he told me that he was now studying financial investment because again--- that’s what everyone was studying now and it was needed if he wanted to get ahead in the company.

And I asked him what he was actually interested in and then— well the conversation kind of died. So I asked why he had bothered studying accounting in the first place and he explained that it was his parents’ idea. Finally I asked what his passion was and he wasn’t too sure because he never thought about it.

And so it is— lifelong learning— or the continual need to make ourselves marketable in a world that appears to be more competitive as time goes by. Is there a secret to help us so we can live a life of quality?

Regardless or not at this stage in world history with increasing connection between people,

ideas and markets — the ability to match the needs and desires of the day with your own skills and products is a tremendous and vigorous challenge.

Many have gone into English or foreign language study because it was encouraged at the time when China was entering the WTO. Or maybe they were interested in international affairs or working abroad. Upon graduation they then faced the reality that there was a limit to how many jobs they could apply for.

Perhaps some then studied further doing courses for work such as a tour guide or translator/ interpreter. Many may have decided that going into teaching was more rewarding or stable. Others would have gone into media or advertising or conference management and acquired new skills along the way.

This constant quest to remain ahead of the game makes many upset and exhausted. Some futurists who examine technology have even predicted that people should expect to change careers six or seven times during their lifetime!

So if you are concerned by the nature of change, why not start spending more time looking at the most modern leading economies, institutions and their publications. A whole lot of changes are starting to happen yet there is no reason why this cannot be enjoyable, exciting and also rewarding. Our attitude, approach and willingness to continually learn and update our skills must remain strong.

My tip is to track the work that our government is setting about to achieve. In particular, look at the people who have been chosen as the key support team and try to read behind the light surface news and look at their career development and examine the recent reports that they are now recommending the government move towards. Key industry development, new ways of dealing with information and new demands are creating opportunities for the students and workers of tomorrow — if we stay prepared.

1.Who is this article intended for?

A．Government administrators.

B．Students planning their careers.

C．Foreign language learners.

D．Professors designing courses.

2.The case of the student who first studied accounting and then financial investment shows ______.

A．many people decide their majors without knowing their own interest

B．parents’ decisions are always blind and will result in a life of low quality

C．accounting and financial investment are necessary to ensure a reliable career.

D．people never have a chance to think about their own interest in choosing career.

3.In the writer’s opinion, to make yourself competitive in the changing world today is _____.

A．exhausting        B．disappointing       C．unbelievable       D．necessary

4.According to the writer, lifetime learning can be exciting if ______.

A．we are prepared for the changes

B．we know who President has on his support team

C．we read the publications of advanced institutions

D．we learn English or some other foreign languages

5.Whoever has been chosen as the key support team of the government _______.

A．shows the government’s interest in new information

B．enables you to find out how hard-working these people are

C．indicates the direction the economy is developing

D．reveals the government encourages creative young people