It’s high time someone spoke up for today’s college students.  They’re probably the most hardworking, ambitious people in America and their problems are not properly appreciated.

   People like the Secretary of Education simply don’t know what they’re talking about when they knock students.  Nor do those who complain about falling academic standards.

   The vast majority of the nation’s 12 million students are struggling to pay for their educations.  They are part of the invisible workforce.  Many hold down full-time jobs.  They’re frying hamburgers, photographing weddings, working in construction, and waiting on tables.  The fact that they even show up for classes is a wonderful event.

   The financial situation of most students explains a lot about what is happening in schools.  Why are the traditional courses so unpopular?  Why are students flocking to accounting and computer science and any professional programs that seem to lead to careers?

   Answer: Today’s working student has been forced into a kind of premature matter-of-fact way of viewing things.  Romance is gone.  The notion of transforming one’s self through study alone has disappeared.  Today’s students seek freedom from manual labor, and the status conferred by a good job.

   There are other consequences.  Today’s students don’t have much time or energy to be devoted, and carry out independent research or even do serious homework.  That’s the secret behind falling academic standards.  Students have become consumers.  They want grades and certifications.  Their professors can’t be expected to give a grade of failure to students who are clearly tired from the effort to pay their bills.

   There’s a lot wrong with this situation.  It’s twisting the definition of education out of shape.  Worse, it’s creating a generation that is totally unpleasant.  The brightest students turn out to be yuppies (雅皮士).  The vast majority are, at least, good-natured semi-literates.

   The time has run out for philosophical debates about fixed courses of study.  What this country needs is someone to stand up and say that being a full-time student during one’s formative years is an honorable calling worthy of support.  If families can’t or won’t give it to their children, then the government should.

1.The author’s purpose in writing this article is to __________.

awaken the whole society to the problems today’s college students face

warn Americans that academic standards are falling

advise college students to study hard

provide a suggestion that only full-time students be enrolled

2.The most suitable word to describe the author’s feelings about today’s college students  is _________.

   A. criticize            B. sympathize                   C. complain                D. urge

3.Which of the following cannot be learned from the passage?

Many students are often absent from classes.

Traditional courses are not popular.

Students commit crimes with computers.

Students don’t devote much time and energy to their homework.

4.By saying “Romance is gone” in paragraph 5, the author means ____________.

today’s students do not believe in love stories any more

today’s students become more practical in dealing with things

students think there is no affection any more and break up with their lovers

today’s students hold matter-of-fact opinions on love

5.Which of the following suggestions will the author not agree with?

We should encourage students to give up full-time jobs.

Families should offer their children more help financially.

We should stand up and say something for today’s college students.

D．We should make more strict regulations to force students to study hard.

After the quake hit northeast Japan on March 11, many moving stories that I saw with my own eyes happened around me.
I had to walk home since all the  41  had stopped after the earthquake. On my way home I  42  an old lady at a bakery shop who was giving out free bread, which made my heart  43 . A man was holding a sign that said, “Please use our  44 .” He was  45  his house for people to go to the restroom.
My friend wanted to  46  others. He stood in the cold with a sign “If you’re okay with a motorcycle, I will  47  you to your house.” And then I saw him take one gentleman home, all the way to a faraway place! 
Then next day I drove to  48  my car with gas. There is a lack (缺乏) of  49  now and many gas stations are either closed or have very  50  lines. I got  51 , since I was behind 15 cars. Finally, when it was my  52 , the man smiled and said, “ 53  this situation, we are only giving $30 worth gas per person. Is that alright?” “ 54 . I’m just glad that we are all able to  55 ,” I said. His smile gave me so much comfort.
I saw a man at the evacuation (疏散) center  56 when people brought food to him. It was the first time in three days that food was brought to their center. However, after he wiped the tears, his next  57  surprised me. “I am very  58  that we are provided with food. But people in the city next to us haven’t  59  any food at all. Please go to that center as well.” And when hearing that, I realized there is a bright future on the other side of this  60 .

The traditional tent cities at festivals such as Glastonbury may never be the same again. In a victory of green business that is certain to appeal to environmentally-aware music-lovers, a design student is to receive financial support to produce eco-friendly tens made of cardboard that can be recycled after the bands and the crowds have gone home.

Major festivals such as Glastonbury throw away some 10,000 abandoned tents at the end of events each year. For his final year project at the University of the West of England, James Dunlop came up with a material that can be recycled. And to cope with the British summer, the cardboard has been made waterproof.

Taking inspiration from a Japanese architect, who has used cardboard to make big buildings including churches, Mr. Dunlop used cardboard material for his tents, which he called Myhabs.

The design won an award at the annual New Designers Exhibition after Mr. Dunlop Graduated from his product design degree and he decided to try to turn it into a business.

To raise money for the idea, he toured the City’s private companies which fund new businesses and found a supporter in the finance group Mint. He introduced his idea to four of Mint’s directors and won their support. Mint has committed around ￡500,000 to MyHab and taken a share of 30 per cent in Mr. Dunlop’s business. The first Myhabs should be tested at festivals this summer, before being marketed fully next year.

Mr. Dunlop said that the design, which accommodates two people, could have other uses, such as for disaster relief and housing for the London Olympics.

For music events, the cardboard houses will be ordered online and put up at the sites by the Myhab team before the festival-goers arrive and removed by the company afterwards, They can be Personalized and the company will offer reductions on the expense if people agree to sell exterior（外部的） advertising space.

The biggest festivals attract tens of thousands of participants, with Glastonbury having some 150,000 each year. Altogether there are around 100 annual music festivals where people camp in the UK. The events are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious.

76．“Eco-friendly tents” in paragraph 1 refer to tents              .

A．economically desirable

B．favorable to the environment

C．for holding music performances

D．designed for disaster relief

77．Mr. Dunlop established his business              .

A．independently with an interest-free loan from Mint

B．with the approval of the City’s administration

C．in partnership with a finance group

D．with the help of a Japanese architect

78．It is implied in the passage that               .

A．the weather in the UK. Is changeable in summer

B．most performances at British festivals are given in the open air

C．the cardboard tents produced by Mr. Dunlop can be user-tailored

D．cardboard tents can be easily put up and removed by users

79．The passage is mainly concerned with              .

A．an attempt at developing recyclable tents

B．some efforts at making full use of cardboards

C．an unusual success of a graduation project

D．the effects of using cardboard tents on music festivals

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime (一角银币) left. He was hungry so he decided to 　 1　 for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. 　 2　 a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked 　 3　 so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I　 4　 you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied, “Mother has taught me never to accept 　 5　 for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger 　 6　 , but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and 　 7　 before this point. Years later the young woman became critically ill. The 　 8　 doctors were baffled (阻挡). They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her 　 9　 disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now 　 10 was called in for the consultation (会诊). When he heard the name of the town she came from, a(an) 　 11 light filled his eyes. 　 12 , he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He 　 13 her at once. He went back to the 　 14 room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special 　 15 to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was 　 16 . Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then 　 17 something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was 　 18 to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill 　 19 her attention. She read these words…

“Paid in full with a glass of 　 20 .”

(Singed) Dr. Howard Kelly

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”

46.A. ask B. beg　　 C. wait　 D. look

47. A. Because of　 B. In front of C. In case of　 D. Instead of

48. A. upset　 B. thirsty C. hungry　　　 D. sad

49. A. owe　　 B. cost　 C. lend　 D. own

50. A. offer　　 B. pay　　 C. help　 D. thanks

51. A. quickly B. mentally　　 C. physically　 D. warmly

52. A. quit　　 B. continue　　 C. retire　 D. surrender

53. A. local　　 B. poor　 C. kind　 D. cruel

54. A. common　　 B. ordinary　　 C. rare　 D. scarce

55. A. old　　　 B. famous　　　 C. unknown　 D. retired

56. A. strange B. special C. poor　 D. angry

57. A. Suddenly　　 B. Generally　 C. Unfortunately　　 D. Immediately

58. A. called　　　　 B. recognized C. remembered　　 D. found

59. A. waiting B. treating　　　 C. information D. consultation

60. A. interest B. food　 C. attention　　　　　 D. effort

61. A. defeated　　　 B. won　 C. lost　　 D. completed

62. A. changed　　　 B. read　 C. crossed　　 D. wrote

63. A. excited B. afraid C. nervous　　 D. surprised

64. A. caught B. called C. paid　 D. caused

65. A. water　　　　　　　　 B. coffee　　　　　　　　　　 C. milk　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. ice cream

So much of interest ______that most visitors simply run out of time before seeing it all.