Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across America’s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America’s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a list of “useless” college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn’t be anything that’s more incorrect,” Merrigan said. “We know that there aren’t enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.”
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we’re at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows,” said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture.”
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best hopes his message — that this is a new time in agriculture — will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations (创新) in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in.”What is the new challenge to American agriculture?
| A．Fewer and older farmers. | B．Higher fuel prices. |
| C．More natural disasters. | D．Lower agricultural output. |
Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?
| A．To draw federal agriculture officials’ attention. |
| B．To select qualified agriculture graduates. |
| C．To clarify a recent blog posting. |
| D．To talk more students into farming careers. |
According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because ____________.
| A．the government will cover production costs |
| B．global food supplies will be even lower |
| C．investment in agriculture will be profitable |
| D．America will increase its food export |
Each winter, the rugged North Shore serves up some of the largest and most impressive ocean waves on the planet．Giant waves make their long journey across the northern Pacific to the area’s shoreline．For many island residents, this means only one thing: surf up．
The exact origin of surfing is unknown, but most historians believe that the Polynesians were already very good at the sport by the time they migrated to the Hawaiian Islands some 2 000 years ago．Early Hawaiians called surfing “He’e nalu”, which literally translates to “wave sliding”．During this time, only high-ranking officials and nobles had access to the best surf spots．King Kamehameha himself was said to be a keen and skilled surfer．
Surfing really took off in the early 1990s．Riding boards made from redwood and balsa wood, early surfers risked their lives to take on these giant waves．
Today, thanks to a number of modern innovations and inventions, the surfing population on the North Shore has exploded．Wave riders and spectators from around the world gather here from November to February, hoping to catch that perfect wave．Winter wave heights can get as high as 20 feet, with faces up to 50 feet! This extreme surf is for experts only, and even then conditions are considered highly dangerous．
World-known surf contests are held here from early November to late December．The Van’s Triple Crown of Surfing, which includes the Vans Hawaiian Pro at Ali’ i Beach Park in Hale’ iwa, the Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach, brings together the world’s best professional surfers．Watching them surfing on the grand waves is really a feast for the eyes．
Although winter on the North Shore may not be the best time and place to learn how to surf, the summer months provide safer and more favorable conditions．
64．The passage is most probably from ________．
A．a guide book B．a magazine
C．a government report D．a geography textbook
65．What can we learn from the passage?
A．High officials were the best surfers in the past.
B．Surfing dates back to at least 2 000 years.
C．The best time for surfing is from November to February.
D．Surfing is a sport for professionals and experts.
66．Which of the following is NOT true to the passage?
A．The Polynesians were among the earliest people who took up surfing.
B．Modern inventions make surf boards safer for the surfers.
C．It is a perfect chance for spectators to watch the competitions.
D．More and more people on the North Shore go in for surfing.
67．It’s suggested that a surf learner should ________.
A．make use of the summer time to learn how to surf
B．meet the challenge of the perfect waves on the North Shore
C．take the chance to win a prize in the world-known competitions
D．watch the professional suffers surfing whenever possible
China Daily Oct．11, 2008——The Ministry of Health has called for more awareness from the public on the mental health of the young, as part of efforts to mark World Mental Health Day which fell on Friday．
More than 15 percent of Chinese youths have been found with mental problems, and about 30 million young people under 17 are suffering from depression, the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily reported．The World Health Organization estimates that before 2020, the rate of children with mental problems will increase to 50 percent, and mental problem will become a major factor behind deaths and illness in the young worldwide．
Deng Xiaohong, the spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, said rapid social changes is one of the reasons behind the rising number of youngsters with psychological problems．If these mental diseases are not addressed on time, occurrence of crimes, drug-taking and other dangerous behaviors are expected to rise．Experts said mental diseases could be caused by many factors, such as the inability to handle interpersonal relations well, unstable emotions and pressures from an overload of studies．A number of experts have also said the one-child policy is another reason leading to poor mental health in the young．Children are said to be too “spoiled” and “selfish” in a one-child family．
It’s reported that schools in many cities are rolling out measures to help students maintain their mental well-being．Yin Jingmiao, a teacher of the Beijing NO．105 Middle School, told China Daily that the school invites psychologists to provide counseling to students three times a month．“Students can be arranged to have 40-minute counseling sessions,” Yin said．The school also gives lectures on mental health to senior grade students before they take the national college entrance exams to help ease any anxiety arising from the tests．
60．Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．Efforts to Mark World Mental Health Day
B．Seriousness of Youngsters’ Mental Health Problems
C．How to Maintain Mental Well-being
D．Public Awareness on Youngsters’ Mental Diseases Expected
61．The writer intends to tell us in the second paragraph that _______．
A．mental health problems of the young are becoming a popular problem
B．only young people are suffering from mental health problems
C．mental problems will become as serious as deaths and illness
D．the rate of children with mental problems will increase to 50 percent
62．Which could be the consequence if the problem is left untreated?
A．Inability to handle interpersonal relations.
B．Unstable emotions.
C．Drug-taking and other dangerous behaviors.
D．Rapid social changes.
63．Why is Beijing NO. 105 Middle School mentioned in the passage?
A．To provide the students with counseling sessions.
B．To give an example showing how mental problems are dealt with.
C．To help ease the anxiety arising from college entrance exams.
D．To call on other schools to learn from No. 105 Middle School.
Aria Ricardo was a beautiful, slim young woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin．She used to work as a model and earn as much as $ 2 000 in one day in front of the camera．She modeled for top magazines in Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and throughout the United States．
Aria’s father, now retired because of a disability, was a police officer who really loved his work．Aria would rather follow in her father’s footsteps than pursue her modeling career．She remembered listening to her father tell stories when he came home after a day on the beat．The excitement, tensions and risks of police work appealed to her．
Aria got started in the modeling business quite by accident．She accompanied a friend to an interview at a modeling agency．Her friend wanted the job, while Aria didn’t．The people at the agency were impressed with Aria’s appearance and poise．They knew she’d be brilliant in front of the camera．So they sent her on her first modeling job—for Seventeen Magazine—right away．
Despite her success as a model, Aria never gave up her dream of being a police officer．She passed the written exam for the New York Police Department．She planned to enter the Police Academy as quickly as possible．Her family and friends thought she was out of her mind even to consider such a thing．Police work was dangerous and the pay couldn’t compare to a top model’s income．But Aria knew what she wanted, and she went for it．She had never really intended to be a model anyway．Finally she hooked her fish．
56．Aria’s success as a model resulted from ________．
A．her desire to succeed in it B．her looks and shape
C．the help of her father D．the competition with her friend
57．Aria went into modeling because ________．
A．she wanted to earn more money B．she wanted to accompany her friend
C．she was given an unexpected opportunity D．she was very beautiful
58．Aria’s family would like her to ________．
A．remain a model B．do whatever she liked
C．find something challenging D．follow her father’s footsteps
59．Aria Ricardo probably is a ________ now．
A．photographer working for a magazine B．student of the Police Academy
C．top model of a world company D．woman police officer
D
What is a good education? The question is far from being answered. Once more, colleges and universities are changing their programs: they drop "fun courses" and restart some of the traditional subjects neglected (忽视) since the 1960s. Many great schools are again requiring the students to take a number of classes in English, history, literature, the social sciences, philosophy, the natural sciences, and art if they want to get a degree. Meanwhile, the experts are trying to describe the good education of our time. Obviously the purely vocational training once favored is not enough. But neither is the gentleman's education of the nineteenth century. Educational programs must meet the demands of a modern world where men and women have to work and to deal with big problems.
What, then, is a good education of this century? Some educators suggest that it should include foreign languages and the study of foreign cultures; a mastery of English, including the ability to write and speak well, because communications have become all-important in the modern world, and also because "a person who doesn't speak and write clearly doesn't reason clearly either"; some knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology) that deal with human relations and human problems; some basic knowledge of modern science, which would enable future voters to be better informed about current problems like nuclear. Finally, many educators insist that all college graduates should be familiar with computers and modern information system since the educated professionals of tomorrow will have to understand their machines. Is that all? "No, of course not." answer the educators. "We have not mentioned the two great building blocks of education: history and literature!"
71．The best title for this passage might be _______.
A．Education B．A Mastery of English
C．A Good Education D．Something About Study
72．The underlined word "drop" in the first paragraph means _______.
A．desert B．dislike C．decline D．neglect
73．The author thinks that the question about what a good education is _______.
A．has been answered fairly well
B．hasn't been put forward yet
C．has been dealt with successfully
D．has not been answered satisfactorily
74．Some educational experts believe a mastery of English should include the ability _______.
A．to read fast B．to write and speak well
C．to write clearly and accurately D．to listen and speak skillfully
75．Which of the following statements is not mentioned in the passage?
A．Educational programs must meet the demand of a modern world.
B．The students will not get a degree unless they take a number of classes in English, history,
literature, the social sciences, philosophy, the natural sciences and art.
C．A good education should include foreign language and the study of foreign culture.
D．Every student ought to take part in military training.
C
Wearing ties was originally the mark of Britain’s most powerful classes, which made the tie itself a symbol of power and respect. And that led it to be adopted by a much larger tribe－the business tribe.
You cannot wear a tie if you work with machinery. So wearing a tie became a sign that you were a man who used your brain to make a living, rather than your hands. It showed you were serious. It showed you were a professional. It meant that everyone who wanted a job in business had to wear one. It was just impossible to take seriously a man who didn’t wear a piece of colored silk around his neck.
This is how millions of people came to be wearing ties across the world. They are part of the uniform of business.
“Ties offer a point of indifference,” says John Milne, head of the British Guide of Tie Makers, “They give a chance to say something about their own personality.”
So if you happen to meet a man with a very brightly colored tie, there is a good chance that he is the office joker. There is also a good chance that he will be wearing brightly colored socks.
Is there a future for ties? The signs are not promising. Tie wearing seems to be rare among the new bread of entrepreneurs(创业者) in the Internet and new technology industries. Many political leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now go without ties. This shows they are men of the people－but not the people wearing ties.
Up until around 1960, it was common for men across the western world to wear hats as part of their business uniform. That changed with the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. Kennedy never wore a hat－in fact his nickname was “hatless Jack”. Seeing that the most powerful man in the world did not have to wear a hat, millions of other men decided that they did not have to, either. Hats simply vanished across the Western world. Perhaps “tieless Tony” (former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) will have the same effect as “hatless Jack”.
66．In Britain, ties were first used as a sign to show a person’s __________.
A．personality B．social position C．wearing style D．favorite hobby
67．In the business world, wearing a tie was necessary because _________.
A．it showed you used your brain B．it showed you got a good salary
C．it showed you were an employer D．it showed you were well-equipped
68．The underlined word “vanished” in this passage may mean _________.
A．sold B．washed C．appeared D．disappeared
69．The writer may hold the opinion that _____________.
A．Blair is the best leader in the world
B．Kennedy is the best leader in the world
C．millions of people will go to work without a tie
D．people will wear hats instead of ties
70．Which of the following statements is TURE according to the passage?
A．If you are a professional, you can’t wear a tie in Britain
B．The tie will become more fashionable and popular in the future
C．It was the election of John F．Kennedy to the presidency of the United States that changed the fact that wearing hats as part of their business uniform
D．Men across the western world didn’t wear hats as part of their business uniform until around 1960
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