III.Reading Comprehension(30 points，2 points each)

　　从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案，并在答题卡上将相应的字母涂黑。

　　Passage One

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

　　Lately it has become fashionable in America to question whether it is really worth it to go to college. According to a new survey released by the Pew Research Center， only 40 percent of Americans felt that colleges provided a good value for the cost. At the same time，86 percent of college graduates still felt the investment was a good one for them.

　　There are a number of reasons for the widespread dissatisfaction with college. First， there are plenty of problems with higher education-poor quality and out-of-control costs are two of the biggest，Second， it is true that college is not for everyone.There are plenty of rewarding and important careers that do not require college.And due to the slow economy，there may in fact be more graduates than the current job market needs.Besides，anti-college sentiment is nothing new. Today，Microsoft's Bill Gates or Apple's Steve Jobs-both college dropouts-is often held up as evidence of why all that time sitting in class is better spent elsewhere.

　　However，getting a college education is still a good idea.College graduates earn more，and are more likely to have a job in the first place.According to the statistics last year，the average weekly earnings for someone with some college but no degree were$712，compared to$1，038 for a college graduate.That is almost$17，000 over the course of a year and there is an even bigger divide for those with less education.Meanwhile，the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent for those with only some college and more than 10 percent for those with just a middle school degree，but it was 5.4 percent for college graduates.The economic gaps between college completers and those with less education are getting larger.

　　Although most Americans surveyed by Pew feel doubtful about the value of a college degree，an overwhelming majority of parents Pew surveyed still expect their children to go to college."It call be inferred that the increased doubt has not significantly influenced decision making，''Pew's Taylor says."Despite the concern about rising costs and other problems，college remains a universal desire in this country."

　　21.Recently many Americans question_____.

　　A.the value of a college degree

　　B.the ability of college graduates

　　C.the quality of college education

　　D.the high cost of higher education

　　22.The passage tells US that Bill Gates was_____.

　　A.a self-taught college student

　　B.a hardworking undergraduate

　　C.a successful college dropout

　　D.a successful college graduate

　　23.The writer seems to agree that_____.

　　A.there is no need to go to college

　　B.anti-college sentiment is a new thing

　　C.college cannot guarantee employment

　　D.college education remains a wise choice

　　24.The unemployment rate for college graduates last Year was_____.

　　A.5.4%

　　B.7.1%

　　C.9.2%

　　D.10%

　　25.The Pew survey implies that_____.

　　A.the cost of college education will decrease

　　B.most Americans still favor college education

　　C.the quality of college education will improve

　　D.increased doubt affects parents'decision making

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

　　A major sociological(社会学的)theory known as symbolic interactionism(符

　　号互动论)offers some important clarification of how men and women are taught to fill different roles in society.The key concept in symbolic interactionism is that communication makes a big difference in behavior：people act on the basis of messages they receive from others，and how they understand those messages. This can be seen in a concept developed by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley known as the looking-glass self.

　　By the looking-glass self，Cooley meant the self-image that each of us develops according to the messages we receive from others;we think and behave according to our understanding of those messages.If， for example，a young girl is repeatedly told that she is pretty， she will come to believe that(1)she is in fact pretty，and(2)being pretty is an important thing in her life.Similarly，if she is told that she is not good(or not expected to be good)at certain things(such as math) she will come to believe that she is not good at such things and would better off working at things she can be successful at.The likely product is a young woman who devotes a great deal of attention to her appearance，regards being pretty as a key to success in life，and who is intimidated by anything involving numbers.

　　Since we know that young girls are given messages like these，and that young boys are given different messages，we can see a good part of how sex roles are taught.There is little or no evidence of differences in what young girls and young girls and boys can do，but the older children become，the greater the differences in the areas in which boys and girls are likely to stand out.

　　26.Symbolic interactionism helps to explain______.

　　A.how to make a difference in people's social behavior

　　B.how to make people understand different social roles

　　C.how men and women learn to communicate in society

　　D.how men and women learn to take different social roles

　　27.The　"looking-glass self''　concept offers a clue as to______.

　　A.whether one can improve one's self-image

　　B.whether one is likely to succeed in an area

　　C.how one receives different social messages

　　D.how social messages shape one's self-image

　　28.The example of the young girl shows that______.

　　A.women care more about appearance

　　B.women are inferior to men in numbers

　　C.people are liable to social expectations

　　D.people regard looks as a key to Success

　　29.The phrase "better off'(para.2)probably means——

　　A.more comfortable

　　B.more dependable

　　C.more respectable

　　D.more reasonable

　　30.Boys and girls are likely to stand out in different areas______.

　　A.as they advance in age

　　B.as they grow in wisdom

　　C.as their interests diversify

　　D.as their capacities develop