E

By far the most common difficulty in studying is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine (规律性事务) of study. Many students just do a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.

       Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to change it frequently, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.

       No doubt some students are more willing to accept a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work. Many able students state that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have become used to routine, and the majority of real productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work. The “tough-minded” school doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally, under the influence of inspiration.

       Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. In fact, freedom from control and discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality (准时), and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society, we have to meet its demands.

57．The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is ______.

       A．changing from one subject to another

       B．the failure to keep to a set timetable of work

       C．the unwillingness to follow a systematic plan

       D．working on a subject only when one feels like it

58．Which of the following is true?

       A．Many students are not interested in using self-controlled timetable.

       B．Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable.

       C．Most people of over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable.

       D．Tough-minded people agree that good job is done naturally

59．The underlined part “as the fit takes them” in paragraph 4 means ______.

       A．when they have the energy     B．when they are in the mood

       C．when they feel fit           D．whey they find conditions are suitable

60．A suitable title for the passage might be ______.

       A．Attitudes to Study                 B．A study Plan

       C．The Difficulties in Studying    D．Study and Self-discipline

There are plenty of beauty schools throughout the country that can help you to start a career in cosmetology(美容业). Nowadays, young people may not be able to afford a four-year college. Students can look forward to attending a beauty school program which will only take a few months to complete and start their career right away to earn money.
There can be many benefits of going to beauty school. The expense is much less than attending a four-year university. Besides, attending beauty school is mostly a hands-on(动手的) experience which appeals to many people. Some students don’t like sitting all day listening to lectures and then having to study at night. What’s more, most beauty school programs keep up with the changing trends and fashion. So you will always be working on different hair types which can be fun and will give you a lot of experience throughout the years of your career.
If you are worried about finding a job after graduation, many beauty schools will offer assistance for immediate job placement and give you peace of mind that you will not be stranded looking for a job. Most colleges and universities are not equipped to do that because of the large number of graduates each year.
Cosmetologists will also make a good salary. The average salary will depend on your location, but you may earn a salary around 3,500 a month. This is not including tips which could be $600 or more a month.
Not only can young people go to cosmetology school, but people of all ages can start this career. As you can see, there are many benefits of beauty schools that can be the perfect opportunity for anyone to become a great cosmetologist

1. 1.

   How many advantages of going to beauty school are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

   1. A.
      Two
   2. B.
      Three
   3. C.
      Four
   4. D.
      Five
2. 2.

   The underlined word “stranded” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by ______

   1. A.
      focused on
   2. B.
      given up
   3. C.
      stuck in
   4. D.
      turned to
3. 3.

   What can be learnt from the passage?

   1. A.
      A cosmetologist gets paid at least $3,600 a month
   2. B.
      Beauty schools are not popular with young people
   3. C.
      Graduates can easily be offered jobs by universities
   4. D.
      It isn’t suitable for the old to start a career in cosmetology
4. 4.

   Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      The development of cosmetology
   2. B.
      How to become a cosmetologist
   3. C.
      The benefits of beauty schools
   4. D.
      Going to college or beauty school

A report by the Consumer Electronics Association says electronics are among the most popular gifts being bought this holiday season. 
Jim Barry is a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the CEA study found that electronics represent three of the top five things on its "holiday gift wish list" this year.
JIM BARRY: "Notebook computers are at the top, followed by iPads and then e-readers. IPad is a touch-screen tablet computer and that's really the big player in that category."
The computer company Apple began selling its small, touch-screen computers in April.   People use the touch-screen computers to surf the Web, write e-mails, watch movies and read books. Since the iPad's release earlier this year, several other companies have come out with their own tablet computers just in time for Christmas.
A report from the e-Marketer research group predicts that worldwide, tablet sales will reach more than eighty-one million in two thousand twelve. Still, Jim Barry says these devices are facing tough competition this year from another Christmas favorite.
JIM BARRY: "Another hot category right behind that are the e-readers. So you can read on an iPad or a touch-screen tablet, but the e-book readers are less expensive. The Kindle is the market leader there, from Amazon. But you also have the Nook from Barnes and Noble and the e-reader from Sony. And you have more and more of those e-readers coming into the market as well."
The Consumer Electronics Association report found that iPod music players are also in high demand this holiday season.  
But not all of the things on the holiday gift wish list involved electronics. Clothes, cars and motorcycles also made the list. So did family togetherness and good health. And the one thing that people wanted most?
JIM BARRY: "At the top of the list was peace and happiness."
That is also our wish for you this holiday season.
【小题1】The best title of the passage is         .  

A．How to choose a suitable gift for Christmas

B．iPads, E-Readers, Notebook Computers top wish lists

C．What we should buy for our kids this holiday season

D．How modern technology is changing the way people relate

The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away． An initiative（措施）started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day．
If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent（一贯的）way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices． And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve．
Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach． But given that the federal government spends nearly $190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students．
Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency（透明）from colleges． The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates． And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account．
But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place． The administration’s new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools．
President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about $10 billion from the current $2．7 billion． He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job． That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence to determine how colleges are doing．
The transparency initiatives are a good place to start and should be embraced by both parties in Congress． If students and families, facing higher tuition and rising debt, are to make sound choices, they need more and better information．
【小题1】Why did the Obama administration start the initiative last fall?

The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away． An initiative（措施）started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day．

If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent（一贯的）way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices． And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve．

Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach． But given that the federal government spends nearly $190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students．

Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency（透明）from colleges． The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates． And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account．

But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place． The administration’s new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools．

President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about $10 billion from the current $2．7 billion． He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job． That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence to determine how colleges are doing．

The transparency initiatives are a good place to start and should be embraced by both parties in Congress． If students and families, facing higher tuition and rising debt, are to make sound choices, they need more and better information．

1.Why did the Obama administration start the initiative last fall?

         A． To require colleges to make their graduation rates known to the public．

         B． To help colleges perform better in the future．

         C． To help parents and students make better choices of colleges．

         D． To put more pressure on colleges that are not doing well enough．

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

         A． Critics agree that the government should require colleges to obey the disclosure rules．

         B． Congress has approved and made the transparency initiatives a law．

         C． SAT scores alone do not determine one’s choice of college．

         D． Students and families find it very difficult to choose their ideal colleges now．

3.A most suitable title for the passage could be______．

         A． Congress To Require Greater Transparency

         B． What College Parents and Students Need to Know

         C． What a Good College Is Measured By

         D． Parents and Students Need to Make Wise Choices

4.What attitude does the author hold towards the transparency initiative?

         A． supportive                 B． critical               C． indifferent                 D． not stated