5. The author concludes that historical changes would __________.

A) be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities

B) not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices

C) take place if there were heroes to lead the people

D) produce leaders with attractive personalities

Passage 5　

　　 According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today's traditional-age college freshmen are "more materialistic and less altruistic (利他主义的)" than at any time in the 17 years of the poll.

　　 Not surprising in these hard times, the student's major objective "is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life." It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting.

　　 Interest in teaching, social service and the "altruistic" fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up.

　　 That's no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first year on the job-even before she completed her two-year associate degree.

　　 While it's true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other contributions-be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs.

　　 Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company, no job. How shortsighted in the long run!

But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which shows a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table; one of them is talking on the intercom (对讲机): "Miss Baxter," he says, "could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?"

From the long-term point of view, that's what education really ought to be about.

4. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who ________.

A) are good at demonstrating their charming characters

B) can move the masses with their forceful speeches

C) are capable of meeting all challenges and hardships

D) can provide an answer to the problems of their people

3. Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because __________.

　　 A) they are popular only among certain groups of people

　　 B) their performances do not improve their fans morally

　　 C) their primary concern is their own financial interests

D) they are not clear about the principles they should follow

2. According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that _______.

　　 A) they have a vision from the mountaintop

　　 B) they have warm feelings and emotions

　　 C) they can serve as concrete examples of noble principles

　　 D) they can make people feel stronger and more confident

1. Although heroes may come from different cultures, they __________.

　　 A) generally possess certain inspiring characteristics

　　 B) probably share some weaknesses of ordinary people

　　 C) are often influenced by previous generations

D) all unknowingly attract a large number of fans

5. It can be concluded from the passage that _______.

A) people should avoid doing important things during peak periods of lapses

B) hazards can be avoided when people do things they are good at

C) people should be careful when programming their actions

D) lapses cannot always be attributed to lack of concentration

Passage 4

Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero?

　　 Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.

　　 A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.

　　 Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.

　　 The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?

　　 Heroes are catalysts (催化剂) for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated (隔离的) buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless.

4. We learn from the third paragraph that _______.

A) absent-mindedness tends to occur during certain hours of the day

B) women are very careful to perform actions during peak periods

C) women experience more peak periods of absent-mindedness

D) men's absent-mindedness often results in funny situations

3. "Programme assembly failures" (Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people _______.

A) often fail to programme their routines beforehand

B) tend to make mistakes when they are in a hurry

C) unconsciously change the sequence of doing things

D) are likely to mess things up if they are too tired

2. Professor Smith discovered that _______.

A) certain patterns can be identified in the recorded incidents

B) many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindedness

C) men tend to be more absent-minded than women

D) absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness

1. In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects _______.

A) to keep track of people who tend to forget things

B) to report their embarrassing lapses at random

C) to analyse their awkward experiences scientifically

D) to keep a record of what they did unintentionally