Do you have any idea what you would like to be and do after graduation? A lot of people don’t begin thinking about careers until they reach junior or senior year, which, in my opinion, is too late.

When people are trying to decide what they want to do, it helps to know something they love. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been doing someone’s hair, make-up or nails, starting with Barbie dolls and progressing to humans. Over the years my family has really inspired me to do this and now I fix friends’ and family members’ hair for weddings, dances and other big events.

I have been thinking about what I would like to do for a career since middle school. I did some research and discovered that I might really enjoy being a cosmetologist, so I went to my hair stylist and asked her lots of questions about what it takes to reach her level and what she would recommend I do. I considered her advice and then did more research.

I used Aveda’s website to get information on the Aveda Institute and what type of credit(贷款) I would need from high school to apply. I found their institute has three parts: theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and professional business-building skills. For the past few years, I have been looking at Aveda in more and more detail. This school not only offers cosmetology, but also massage therapy. I grew up in Minnesota(美国中北部的一个州), so I plan to apply to the institute in Minneapolis that several people have highly recommended. It helps students become “future industry leaders in hair care, skin care, makeup and total body wellness”. It is affordable and everyone there is friendly and understanding.

Having done the groundwork and thinking about what I’d like to do after high school, I know that I will definitely pursue my dream of becoming a cosmetologist.

 After reading the text, we can infer the author is interested in ___________.

traveling abroad  B. service business  C. social activities  D. acting on the stage.

Why does the author think it’s too late for people to start thinking about careers in junior or senior year?

A. Because he/she began to think about them when very young.

B. Because many people are too old to learn.

C. Because a lot of people can’t grasp the opportunity.

D. Because many people have little they love.

We know from the text that a cosmetologist is __________ .

A. a chemist working at college    B. a person who works in the institute

C. a doctor in a hospital          D. a person doing all types of body care for people

The author plans to apply to the institute in Minneapolis NOT because________

the people there are good to others  B. some people advise him/her to do so

C.  the institute is free of charge       D. the institute is helpful to his/her future

45. The author of the text may be a __________.

 A. married person  B. middle school student  C. college student   D. a teacher in an institute.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in (旁听生）   for another l8 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unmarried college graduate student, and she decided to, put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course. " My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers, She only gave in a few months later when my parents promised that would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I artlessly chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and ail of my working class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the $ 5 deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

1.From the passage we know that the author           .

A. was adopted by a lawyer and his wife

B. dropped out when he was 17 years old

C. The author was admitted to Stanford

D. valued his dropping out

2.The author dropped out mainly because           .

A. His academic performance was very poor.

B. He did not want to waste his parents' money.

C. His parents were too poor to afford the college tuition.

D. He didn't think university could help him to get a well-paid job

3.Why did the author think dropping out was a good decision?

A. He could transfer to Stanford.

B. He could follow his passion.

C. He didn't have to attend classes any more.

D. He could spend more time in Hare Krishna temple.

4.What can be inferred from this passage ?

A. The author was taking a risk when he made the decision of dropping out.

B. The author enjoyed the comfort and pleasure of life after he dropped out.

C. The author's parents were very angry at his decision.

D. The author was a very curious person.