Part III. Reading Comprehension Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. You will find 2 task s for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed. Task 1 (10 points) Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. You should m ake the correct choice. It was the last day of the final examination in a college. On the steps of the teaching building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam , about which they seemed quite confident. They thought the exam would be easy , because the professor had said they could bring with them any books or notes during the test. Right after they came into the classroom. The professor handed out the papers , on which t here were only five questions. Three hours passed. The professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a nervous expression. The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, "How many of you have completed all the five questions?" No hand was raised. "How many of you have answered four?" Still no hands. "There? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats. "One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one." But the class kept silent. The professor said, "That is exactly what I have expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have competed four years of engineering study , there are still many things about the subject you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice." Then, smiling, he added, "You will all pass this course, your education ha d just begun." The years have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught. 3 1 . Why did the students think the exam was easy at first? A. Because it was their last exam in the collage. B. Because they knew there were only five questions . C. Because they thought were clever and talented . D. Because they were allowed to bring any books and notes during the test. 3 2 . Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? A. All students passed the exam B. The questions on the paper are common in everyday practice C. The professor knew clearly what would happen D. The students are not allowed to take any books or notes to the exam 3 3 . What does the underlined word “ obscured ” mean in the last paragraph? A. 模糊 B. 回忆 C. 提醒 D. 改变 3 4 . What could the students learn from the exam? A. He who laughs last laughs best . B. A good beginning is half done . C. One is never too old to learn . D. Every end is just another beginning . 35 . What’s the best title for the article? A. Some Confident Students B. An Engineering Exam C. An Interesting Professor D. An Unforgettable Lesson Task 2 ( 10 points ) Directions: This task is the same as Task 1. For some employers, the policy of lifelong employment is particularly important because it means that they can put money and effort into their staff (职员) training and make them loyal to the company. What they do is to select young people who have potential and who can be trained. They then train the young people the kinds of skills that will make them suitable employees for the company. In other words, they adjust their training to their particular needs. One recently employed graduate says that she is receiving a great deal of valuable training from the company. “This means that I will be a loyal employee,” she says, “And it also means that the company want to keep me. I am an important investment for them. So the policy is a good one because it benefits both the employer and the employee.” Recently, however, attitudes towards lifelong employment are beginning to change. Employees are slowly beginning to accept the idea that lifelong employment is not always in their best interest and that changing firms can have career advantages. 36 . The purpose of lifelong employment is to __________. A. adjust the needs of the company to its employees B. make employees loyal to their company C. select the best skilled young employees D. keep the skilled staff satisfied 37 . By training its employees, a company can make them _________. A. do their work more easily B. more interested in their work C. willing to invest money into the country D. posses s the necessary qualities for the job 38 . Talking about the training she has received, a recently employed graduate has the view that the policy is _________. A. still well-received by all the staff members today B. valuable to the employer and the employees C. helpful for attracting young employees D. both useful and interesting 39 . Attitudes towards lifelong employment are changing because _________. A. job changes have career advantages B. it’s boring to work in only one company C. only the employer benefits from such employment D. stable employment seldom offers better opportunities 4 0 . The passage is mainly about ___________. A. lifelong training of employees B. policies of lifelong employment C. attitudes towards lifelong employment D. employers’ interest in lifelong employment