【正文】 . I’m afraid I won’t be free.C. Yes. I will. D. That’s all right.Ⅱ. Reading ComprehensionPassage 1 In the 1990s, everyone believed that education was the key to economic success. A college degree, even a postgraduate degree, was essential for everyone who wanted a good job as one of those “symbolic analysis”. But puters are proficient at analyzing symbols。 it is the messiness of the real world that they have trouble with. Therefore, many of the jobs that once required a college degree have been eliminated. The others can be done by any intelligent person, whether or not he has studied literature. This trend should have been obvious in 1996. Even then, American’s richest man was Bill Gates, a college dropout who did not need a lot of formal education to build the world’s most powerful information technology pany. Or consider the panic over “downsizing” that gripped America in 1996. An economist quickly point out the rate at which Americans were losing jobs in the 1990s was not especially high by historical standards. Downsizing suddenly became news because, for the first time, whitecollar, collegeeducated workers were being fired in large numbers, even while skilled mechanists and other bluecollar workers were in demand. This should have signaled that the days of eh everrising wage premiums for people with higher education were over. Eventually, the eroding payoff of higher education created a crisis in education itself. Why should a student put himself through four years of college and several years of postgraduate work to acquire academic credentials with little monetary value? Theses days, jobs that require only 6 or 12 months of vocational training—carpentry, household maintenance and so on—pay nearly as much as if not more than a job that requires a master’s degree, and pay more than one requiring a Ph. D. So enrollment in colleges and universities has dropped almost twothirds since its peak at the turn of this century. Today a place like Harvard is, as it was in the 19th century, more of a social institution than a scholarly one—a place for children of the wealthy to refine their social graces and befriend others of their class. 1. What is the author’s opinion of higher education in future? A. It will be the key to economic success. B. It will bee something like professional training. C. The devaluation of higher education will be trend. D. The focus of higher education will move to puter science.2. The author gives the example of Bill Gates to ___ prove the trend mentioned above __. A. B. show the importance of formal education C. tell readers how to build a puter pany D. illustrate the development of information technology3. The word “downsizing” (underlined in Paragraph 4) probably means ___ reducing in number __. A. turning down B. C. moving toward the lower side D. manufacturing a smaller version4. Why is there a crisis in higher education? A. Other professions are more attractive. B. It is too difficult for people to acquire a Ph. D. C. People can’t get expected payoff from higher education. D. People think it’s too long for them to acquire academic credentials.5. The best title for the passage would be ___ The Devaluation of Higher Education __. A. The Impact of “Downsizing” B. The Depression of the WhiteCollars C. The Impact of Information Technology D. Passage 2 When I was four, my parents signed me up to take Saturdaymorning enrichment classes at Northwester University. Sometimes I was frustrated, because I felt my parents were making me do something that cut into my time with my friends. I was taking advanced subjects, but I was still just a kid. I felt bad when I said no to Fridaynight sleepovers because I had to wake up at 7:30 the next morning. But I also remember ing home in eight grade and feeling so happy about my philosophy class. That’s when I realized how much I’d gained from the investment they’d made in my future. When I was younger, I took piano, dance and violin. I also played soccer, basketball and tennis. And I had the Saturday classes at Northwestern. Now, at 17, I still have a very full week, which includes being president of the Model UN at my school and tutoring specialneeds children. My parents’ involvement made all this possible for me. I especially remember the driving. Until I got my license, my mother was always driving me everywhere. She became even busier as my brother and sister grew older. Now, I believe it’s important for parents to support and to take an interest in their children. The world is a lot more petitive than it was when my parents were my age. To get into college, you need more than good grades and high scores. You need a deep involvement in extra courses that will set you apart. My activities have helped me focus on my personal goals. Because I was able to study so many areas of interest starting at a very young age, I have learned to push myself to do new things. In 1999 I participated in a student exchange program in Northern Ireland. I have also taken summer courses in international relations and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. Without my parents’ support and encouragement, these would be impossible. 1. The author was often annoyed for he had to do something that __ kept him away from his friends sometimes ___. A. made him feel just like a kid. B. made him feel bad all of the time C. D. was also being done by his friends2. On Saturday, the author __ attended classes held by university ___. A. played soccer, basketball and tennis B. took piano, dance and violin classes C. tutored specialneeds children D. 3. The author suggested that you should attend extra courses in order to ___ be different and better __. A. get good grades and high scores B. save money and time C. D. get into a good college4. The word “focus on” (underlined in the last paragraph) probably means__ to give a lot