If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech “Information Age” demands people who are flexible(靈活的) and who have good communication skills.
There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example, a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature(特點) of the kind of high-speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.
Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as “very important”, by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.
Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don’t regret their choice of study.
小題1:By saying that “you may have had the last laugh” in the first paragraph, the author means that you may have____.

A．shared the jokes with computer majors	B．earned as much as computer majors
C．found jobs more easily than computer majors	D．stopped joking about computer majors

小題2: Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates ___.

A．a(chǎn)re ready to change when situations change	B．a(chǎn)re better able to deal with difficulties
C．a(chǎn)re equally good at computer skills	D．a(chǎn)re likely to give others pressure

小題3:The underlined word “l(fā)and” in the last paragraph probably means ___.

A．keep for some time

B．successfully get

C．immediately start

D．lose regretfully

小題4:According to the text, what has made it easy for social science graduates to find jobs?

A．Willingness to take low-paid jobs.	B．Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge.
C．Skills in expressing themselves.	D．Part-time work experience.

　　For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.
　　Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye-pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants（污染物） can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer, Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People began to notice the problem in the early 1970s. It is that when builders began making houses and offices they did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using manmade building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases. As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building— green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and through its tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square metres of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and more healthy place.
　　小題1:Generally speaking, indoor air pollution may be more harmful than the air outside because ________.

A．the man - made building materials let out dangerous gases inside houses

B．there may be more harmful gases outside houses

C．the flow of air indoors is limited

D．indoor air pollution can make a person seriously ill

　　小題2:The most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants because________.

A．they may let out more oxygen which people need

B．they can absorb different kinds of the harmful indoor chemicals

C．they can take in all kinds of indoor pollutants

D．they can make your house prettier and more healthy

Of all living creatures on earth, insects are the most plentiful. Some　 36　 are very useful to man, for example, bees,　 37　 we get honey and wax, and silkworms, which　 38　 us with silk. Other varieties,　39　, are extremely harmful, and do a great　 40　 of damage, especially to crops. Locusts （蝗蟲） are perhaps the most dangerous of all,　 41　 they will eat almost any green　 42　 , and when millions of them　 43　 on cultivated land（耕地）they soon leave it　 44　. In some countries they are the farmer’s　 45　 enemy. Another nuisance is the common　 46　 , not only because it　 47　 us indoors and out - of- doors, but because it spreads diseases.
　　Scientists have given much time and　 48　 to the study of insects. It needs the most careful and　 49　 observation. Thanks　 50　 their discoveries we now know almost all　51　is to be known about the habits of these hardworking insects, bees and ants, which live in　52　better planned in some ways than our　　53　 . But the most valuable work has been done in trying to give　 54　 to men, animals and crops from the　 55　 which insects cause.
　　36．A. members  B. forms  C. qualities  D. varieties
　　37．A. by which  B. from which  C. of which  D. in which
　　38．A. give  B. produce  C. offer  D. supply
　　39．A. however  B. meanwhile C. therefore  D. what's more
　　40．A. majority  B. number  C. amount  D. quantity
　　41．A. and  B. for  C. if  D. when
　　42．A. grass  B. field  C. fruit  D. plant
　　43．A. settle  B. attack  C. pass  D. cross
　　44．A. bare  B. nothing  C. empty  D. untouched
　　45．A. hardest  B. greatest  C. serious  D. wildest
　　46．A. insect  B. creature  C. fly  D. enemy
　　47．A. dislikes  B. bites  C. worries  D. hates
　　48．A. understanding  B. ideas  C. comprehension  D. thought
　　49．A. serious  B. patient  C. curious  D. long
　　50．A. for  B. of  C. to  D. with
　　51．A. that  B. which  C. there  D. what
　　52．A. societies  B. crowds C. teams  D. organizations
　　53．A. world  B. nation  C. selves  D. own
　　54．A. help  B. protection  C. living  D. defense
　　55．A. injury  B. wound  C. sickness  D. ruin

　For more than twenty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive to such messages.
　　Scientists are using powerful radio telescopes to listen to signals from about 1, 000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth. In addition, they will scan（掃視）the entire sky to “l(fā)isten” for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time. Scientists are looking for any signal they stands out from the background noise.
　　Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy（銀河星系）, scientists find that five percent are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution（進化）of life. Based on the inhabitable（that can be lived in）planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life.
　　However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent（有智力的）life exists on other planets. Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there. They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.
　　Other scientists believe that our search hasn’t been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family is only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billion years old. In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilization（文明）much more advanced than ours have developed. Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking.
小題1:According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable?

A．5 billion．	B．10 billion.
C．15 billion.	D．200 billion

小題2:The first paragraph in this passage is mainly about ________ .

A．how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

B．why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

C．where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

D．when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

小題3:The underlined word “monitor” in the passage means“ ________ ”.

A．find	B．follow
C．check	D．form

小題4:Which of these statements is true based on the information in the passage?

A．The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy.

B．Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets.

C．Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planets.

D．Scientists don’t believe that there might be life on other planets.

You are a German living in Berlin. One day you’ re walk¬ing down the street, minding your own business, when sudden¬ly a stranger comes up with a smile on his face. After stopping you, he holds a small electronic device (裝置) close to his face and speaks slowly into it, saying, in English," Can you tell me where I can buy some sauerkraut?" What should you do? (a) Run away; (b) Call the police; or (c) Listen closely for the device to say in German," Konnen Sie mir bitte sagen, welches sauerkraut haufen kann?"
The most proper answer would be (c) because the person in front of you is only a tourist trying to enjoy himself. The de¬vice is said to be the world’s first portable(便攜的) translator — a hand-held microcomputer that at the same time translates one spoken language into another. The four-pound, battery-op¬erated product is called the Voice, and it is the invention of Advanced Products and Technologies, an American electronics company. When the Voice is introduced in the Unite States in late April — at a price of (1,500 — it will be used to trans¬late spoken English into Italian, German, French and Span¬ish. The product comes with separate cartridges(盒式存儲器) for each of the four languages, which can be changed when the user travels from one country to another. It will be sold in Eu¬rope soon after the US introduction, with cartridges that trans¬late Italian, German, French and Spanish into English.
The Voice uses a microchip(微型集成電路片) to trans¬late languages. It is Started by voice command and produces voice output through a built-in speaker. When the user makes a statement or asks a question, the Voice immediately repeats what has been said in another language.
1. The device held by the stranger is probably a kind of________.
A. a two-way radio                      B. language translator
C. easily-carried speaker                     D. a multi-functioned computer
2. What does the last sentence of the first paragraph mean?
A. Can you tell me where I can buy some sauerkraut?
B. Can I ask for some information from the police?
C. Would you like to try my device?
D. Would you not run away if I ask you where to buy some sauerkraut?
3. When the stranger says," Can you tell... sauerkraut?" he is ________.
A. learning German from his device
B. asking you the way to the sauerkraut shop
C. making fun of you with his device
D. testing his device for fun
4. Which of the following is not mentioned in the text?
A. The price of the hand-held microcomputer.
B. The function of the product Voice.
C. The producer pf the small electronic device.
D. The number of the device sold to the European coun¬tries.

In the last 500 years, nothing about people — their clothes, ideas, or languages—has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree(可可樹)by South American. Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Eu¬rope, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish peo¬ple starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine (饑荒)" of 1845—1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.
according to an. Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee, bush. He tried one and experienced the " wide-awake" feeling that one third of the world’s population now starts the day with.
1. according to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?
A. Food.     B. Clothing.          C. Ideology.           D. Language.
2. The word "some" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to________.
A. some cocoa trees                  B. some chocolate drinks.
C. some shops                          D. some South American Indians
3. Thousands of Irish people starved during the " Potato Famine" because________
A. they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else
B. they were forced to leave their homeland and move to America
C. the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes
D. the potato harvest was bad
4. according to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. One third of the world’s population drinks coffee.
B. Coffee is native to Colombia.
C. Coffee can keep one awake.
D. Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs.

For nearly a century before there was such a thing as a space program,a view of space was possible.People could see full views of the Moon,explore Mars(探測火星),and study the outer space beauty.All of this was made possible by a small group of artist-astronomers(天文藝術家) who worked to show people how other worlds in space might look.
Lucien Rudaux,a French artist,was the first to use his artistic ability and his knowledge of astronomy in art.His paintings show a mixture of skilled observations,brilliant imagination and careful attention.As a result,many of his works have come surprisingly close to actual conditions on distant planets.His painting of Mars included moonlike craters(火山口) that were first photographed by the astronauts in 1965.His 1930 painting of a dust storm looks remarkably like a photograph of a storm taken by the astronauts in 1976.
The artist-astronomers,including Rudaux,made people interested in outer space by painting what turned out to be exact portraits of the planets.
小題1:The passage tells us _________.

A．the surprising exactness of space artists	B．the popular success of Lucien Rudaux
C．the imaginations of great artists	D．the likeness between the Moon and Mars

小題2:According to the passage,artist-astronomers spent their lives _________.

A．exploring the planets	B．studying paintings
C．painting the planets	D．producing spaceships

小題3:The works of Lucien Rudaux are a mixture of _________.

A．a(chǎn)stronomy and mathematics	B．a(chǎn)stronomy and painting
C．photograph and art	D．fact and imagination

小題4:In 1965,the astronauts photographed _________.

A．a(chǎn) spaceship

B．a(chǎn) planet

C．craters on the Moon

D．a(chǎn) painting

Animal Conservation
Many animal and plant species have become extinct（滅絕的）and many more are in critical danger. Finding ways to protect the earth's wildlife and conserve（保護）the natural world they inhabit（居�。﹊s now more important than ever.
Dodo
The Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth's biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It lived off fruit fallen from the island's trees and lived unthreatened until humans arrived in 1505. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by humans such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and last one was killed in 1681.
Rhinos
The Rhino (犀牛) horn is a highly prized item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves（保護區(qū)）. Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers（偷獵者）.
The Giant Panda
The future of the World Wildlife Fund's symbol is far from certain. As few as 1000 remain in the wild． The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves to protect these beautiful animals and made poaching them punishable with 20 years in prison. However, The panda's distinct black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose（造成）one of the most serious threats to the animals continued existence.
Whales
The International Whaling Commission is fighting to ensure the survival of the whale species. Despite the fact that one-third the world's oceans have been declared whale sanctuaries（保護區(qū)）, 7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered． Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions（碰撞）with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths.
Tigers
The last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of remaining tigers to between 5000 and 7000 and The Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers are already extinct. The South China tiger is precariously close to disappearing, with only 20 to 30 still alive. Like the Rhino horn, tigers’ bones and organs are sought after for traditional Chinese medicines. These items are traded illegally along with tiger skins.
小題1:It implies that _______.

A．The Dodo lacked the ability to protect itself from other animals

B．Sailors to the Island of Mauritius lived mainly on the Dodo

C．The Dodo used to be a strong animal that liked fighting.

D．The Dodo, pigs, monkeys and rats were the natives to the Island of Mauritius

小題2:Which group of the following animals has already ceased to exist according to the text?

A．The Dodo, Rhino and Giant Panda．

B．The Rhino, Whale and South China Tiger.

C．The Rhino, Panda, Whale and Tiger.

D．The Dodo and the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers.

小題3:______ can serve as a cure for certain diseases.

A．The whale’s rich oil

B．The panda's black and white patched coat

C．The Rhino horn and tigers’ bones and organs

D．The Dodo’s delicious meat

小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The number of South China tigers has reached crisis point.

B．Many animals are threatened with extinction as a result of human activity.

C．People hunt for the endangered animals for high profit.

D．The Whale is the representing mark for the World Wildlife Fund．

Have you ever dreamed of visiting a planet in the Milky Way (銀河系)? While the trip sounds exciting, it would take years and years to reach your destination. So in the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few hours of regular shut eye. They would have to sleep for years.
European researchers are now conducting hibernation experiments. The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a space flight to distant planets. "If there was an effective technology, it could make deep-space travel a reality," said Mark Ayre of the European Space Agency last month.
What seems like a science fiction is not completely unlikely. Researchers have been able to use chemicals to put living cells into a sleep-like state where they don’t age. They have now moved on to the small, non-hibernating mammals (哺乳動物) like rats.
A major challenge is the fact that cells can be very simple systems, whereas body organs are far more complex (復雜的). "It’s like moving from a simple Apple computer to a supercomputer," said Marco Biggiogera, a hibernation researcher at Italy’s University of Pavia．Just like bears and frogs, the hibernation of human beings would cause a person’s metabolism (新陳代謝) to lower so they would need less energy.
Medical research, however, is just half of a space flight hibernation system. There is a challenge of designing a suitable protective shelter (棲身所). Such a shelter would provide the proper environment for hibernation, such as the proper temperature. It would also have to monitor (監(jiān)控) life functions and serve the physiological needs of the hibernator.
According to Ayre, the six-person Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission (使命) to Jupiter’s moon (木星的衛(wèi)星) Callisto could be an opportunity to use human hibernation. The mission aims to send six persons on a five-year flight to Callisto, where they will spend 30 days, in 2045.
小題1:According to the article, the hibernation research ______.

A．is just an idea	B．is always a science fiction
C．has already finished successfully	D．has made some progress

小題2:In a hibernating state, a person needs ______.

A．less sleep

B．more food

C．less energy

D．more movement

小題3: The first try of the hibernation technology _____ the six-person Human Outer Planets
Exploration Mission to Jupiter’s moon Callisto.

A．will be	B．has been planned for
C．is certain to be	D．may be

小題4:What is the best title of the article?

A．Hibernation Study For Space Travel	B．Welcome To Our Space Travel
C．To Hibernate, To Live Longer	D．Welcome To The Milky Way

A strong wind can be a dangerous thing — sometimes it is powerful enough to knock you off your feet. But to plants, the wind is a source of new life, carrying them or their spores (孢子) thousands of miles.
A NASA satellite called QuikSCAT has discovered highways of wind over the Earth's oceans. Scientists believe these invisible roads may explain why many nonflowering plants, such as mosses (苔) and lichens (地衣), grow where they do.
The satellite is able to send microwaves (微波) from space to the surface of the ocean. The pattern of signals that come back shows which way the winds are blowing.
Using this data, the scientists studied a group of islands in the southern hemisphere (半球), near Antarctica．Winds tend to blow anticlockwise (逆時針) in this region, but there are lots of local differences.
When the researchers compared these local patterns to botanical (植物學) data, they found that the wind had an important effect on where species of mosses, lichens, and other nonflowering plants grow.
For example, Bouvet Island and Heard Island, share 30 per cent of their moss species, 29 per cent of liverworts (葉苔), and 32 per cent of lichens — even though they are 4,430 kilometers apart. In contrast, Gough Island and Bouvet Island, separated by just 1,860 kilometers of sea, share only 16 per cent of mosses and 17 per cent of liverworts. They have no lichens in common.
Ferns (蕨類植物) and flowering plants don't travel as well in the wind, so they don't show the same kinds of distribution (分布) patterns.
小題1:This story is about _____.

A．the discovery of wind highways	B．how wind travels
C．how wind affects different plants	D．one function of the wind

小題2:The underlined word "data" in the fourth paragraph means _____.

A．signal

B．pattern

C．information

D．research

小題3: Which of the following is wrong?

A．Bouvet Island, Heard Island and Gough Island are all in the southern hemisphere.

B．Winds in the researched area blow anti-clockwise.

C．The scientists shouldn't base this research on how winds affect where ferns grow.

D．Without the discovery of QuikSCAT, the research wouldn't have made sense.

小題4: Which of the following diagrams shows the correct position of the islands?