Once I told someone I wanted to get a master’s degree of fine arts in creative writing and they told me it was the second-to-worst post-graduation plan they’d ever heard from a student. Arts degrees — especially fine arts degrees, which usually come in the form of music, studio art, creative writing and theater — have been, over the years, labeled useless.
It’s true that for the most part, STEM degrees lead to higher paying jobs than liberal and fine arts degrees, and it’s understandable why young people care about a higher starting salary and financial security. Student loan debt is playing a role in the physical and mental stress of young people.
And while STEM majors usually have starting salaries that are $20,000 higher than those of liberal arts majors, by the time people reach the age of 40, the salaries between those who majored in the liberal arts and those who majored in STEM are virtually the same. For example, women who major in STEM earned nearly 50% more than social science and history majors at ages 23-25, but only 10% more by ages 38-40, a New York Times analysis reported. So even in terms of salary, which doesn’t solely determine whether or not a degree is useful, liberal arts degrees aren’t all that far behind STEM.
It seems too that since people nowadays are going to have to work longer, it’s more important than ever that we actually like and care about what we’re doing. Pursuing something enjoyable, or else a passion, is continuously found to be a key factor in maintaining healthy relationships, mental health, physical health and energy. In other words, not useless.
Art is also a method of communication. It allows people from different backgrounds, from different walks of life to communicate with each other. In a world where borders and division seem to be all over the place, we need art more than ever. We need liberal arts majors. And more than anything, we need to be able to pursue what we love with confidence, and we need to not get caught up in the “usefulness” of what we love.
And just because someone’s primary job isn’t in their field of study — a writer who teaches high school for example— doesn’t make the degree useless. It just means that their way of finding a stable income is different. The same goes for artists who have to work multiple jobs to support themselves. They might have to find other means of supporting themselves and their artistry. It might be copy editing or it might be tutoring.
So I am going to graduate school, and I am going to graduate school for writing. I might be paying rent by way of overnight restaurant shifts — there’s so much I’m not sure of. But one thing I am sure of is this — I would rather be a writer working two jobs to pay my bills than be no writer at all.
1. A New York Times analysis report is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to ______.| A．analyse the potential value of different majors |
| B．put forward the opinion on majors by example |
| C．prove the argument against arts degrees wrong |
| D．demonstrate the link between majors and incomes |
| A．Following one’s dream of arts keeps one in good condition. |
| B．Doing what one loves builds up one’s self-confidence in arts. |
| C．Mastering arts improves one’s understanding of different jobs. |
| D．Developing a love for arts helps one maintain passion for work. |
| A．unavoidable | B．common |
| C．traditional | D．acceptable |
| A．Students learning arts are more concerned about the value of life. |
| B．People tend to place income in the first place when choosing majors. |
| C．The man who doesn’t love his work won’t stick with the job for long. |
| D．Graduates can find a broader space of development in the field of arts. |
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【推荐1】Success doesn’t begin until you begin the walk down the way towards your goals.
And your walk down the way always begins first with a baby step. Why do we call them baby steps? Are they really anything more than our next step down life’s way?
Baby steps are the first steps we take as an act of faith. We see others stepping out and we want to show our ability to walk by following them. As we grow, we continue our development by taking extra baby steps. Sometimes we fall; sometimes we fail. After that, all steps become an act of faith; we just become more practiced. If you say to yourself “I don’t want to make a fool of myself” or “I’d better be good at this”, you’ll probably never take the baby steps towards your goals and end up lying in your own self-pity.
As a culture, we focus on results. We think about every risk that must be taken to reach our goals. There are few people who are excellent performers of any tasks the first time they try them. They fail and succeed. Then, they build upon their abilities learned each time. They practice their skills and use their talents through baby steps before they are ready to prove them to the whole world.
So, learn to take those baby steps to reach the goals before you. Know that you can depend on God to show you the way. As you become more experienced, your baby steps become a walk, then a jump, and finally a sprint. That’s how our baby steps lead us through the marathon of life.
1. Which of the following is thought most important in taking baby steps?| A．Faith. | B．Practice. |
| C．Skill. | D．Examples. |
| A．we can’t expect to succeed without working hard at first |
| B．adults should learn from babies in dealing with hard tasks |
| C．we must make full use of our skills in order to get rewards |
| D．baby steps play the key role in leading us towards success |
| A．slow rush | B．sudden stop | C．hard climb | D．fast run |
| A．Light-hearted. | B．Regretful.(遗憾的) |
| C．Encouraging. | D．Concerned. |
【推荐2】“FIND YOUR PASSION (热爱)! ” This inspiring instruction suggests it’s important to discover what truly excites us in life. But is it good advice?
Science tells us that passions are developed. They can be raised through curiosity and repeated practices. Our first interest can be developed into a true passion with positive experiences. But “finding” a passion means that it already exists and is waiting to be discovered. This misunderstanding can hold people back. Fortunately, our latest research shows there are ways to encourage a more open outlook about it.
To study these ideas, we use a framework of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets: fixed mindset sees interests as unchangeable, while a growth mindset views interests and passions as developed. A growth mindset of interest comes with many advantages, while a fixed mindset may discourage exploration. In one study, after we excited participants’(参与者的) interest in a topic of black holes with an easy-to-understand video, people with a fixed mindset came to dislike the topic when faced with a technical article. Those with a growth mindset kept their new-found interest despite the difficulty.
So can a growth mindset of interest be taught? We published findings with 700 liberal arts undergraduates, most of whom held limited interest in math and science. We offered students either our intervention (干预) or a study skills module. The intervention included reading and reflective writing activities that helped students think about interests and passions as developed rather than found and fixed. For example, students wrote a paragraph about a case when they developed interest in a new activity. The study skills module, meanwhile, stressed practices such as time management. By the end of the school year, the students who had received the intervention were more interested in their required math and science courses——and earned better grades in those courses—than their study skills peers.
While our intervention offers a way for schools to support their students, we also believe people can independently build up a growth mindset of interest. Realize that passions aren’t waiting to be “found.” Take an active role in developing them.
1. What does “this misunderstanding” underlined in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Passions can be developed with more practices. |
| B．Interest is of great help to build up confidence. |
| C．Passions are fixed and wait to be uncovered. |
| D．Interest can be discouraged by repeated work. |
| A．To make a prediction. | B．To show the difference. |
| C．To protest a decision. | D．To explain the rule. |
| A．Students were grouped based on types of mindset. |
| B．Reflective writings helped students build up interest. |
| C．Study skills were used to reduce students’ stress. |
| D．Better grades contributed to one’s favour to a subject. |
| A．Love what you do, and you’ll keep going and become better. |
| B．Find what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day. |
| C．It can always be easy and exciting to dig into new areas. |
| D．It is much better to get lost in the passion than to lose it. |
【推荐3】People who are at your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they influence you on your decision or action, it’s called peer pressure. All of us, at some point in our lives, have had to deal with peer pressure.
Recent studies have shown that peer pressure might cause an upside to you. It can make you reflect on your actions and make changes to your ways to become a better one. Observing others working hard to reach their goals will definitely encourage you to make a great effort to achieve something positive. When a teen knows that his teammates are practicing hard to become better players then it will directly affect his own performance. He will put in twice the time and energy to raise the level of his game and ensure he has a place on the team.
Having a group that brings positive peer pressure can also help you pick up healthy habits that can shape both your personality and your future. For example, when a child knows that some of his friends regularly read storybooks, he may get into the habit of reading. Seeing that his friends exercise daily, even he may take up the habit.
Just as some influences can be positive, some can be negative too. Peer pressure sometimes can make a dip in your self-confidence. Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, or because they worry that others might make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. The idea that “everyone’s doing it” can influence them to leave their better judgment behind. Besides, it is common for teenagers to think that nobody understands them and that the whole world is against them. The influence of peer pressure is such that it keeps them completely away from their family and friends who mean well. They just shut themselves off and fall into bad company.
It’s likely that you’ve experienced the effect of peer pressure in different areas, ranging from the clothes you wear to the music you listen to. Sometimes it can be hard to resist(抵抗) and you may feel forced to do something you’re uncomfortable with. So being aware of and carefully choosing the influence of peers that will lead to healthy and happy experiences is a lifelong process.
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．A quick reaction. |
| B．A positive effect. |
| C．A serious challenge. |
| D．A possible conflict. |
| A．become less self-confident |
| B．provide a model for teammates |
| C．make fun of their peers. |
| D．improve relationship with family members |
| A．Just follow the trends ranging from clothes to music. |
| B．Accept it all because it is hard to resist. |
| C．Stay clear-minded and choose the influence wisely. |
| D．Fit into a healthy and happy lifestyle. |
| A．Science |
| B．People |
| C．Opinion |
| D．Entertainment |
【推荐1】At primary school in New Zealand, I was introduced to a school savings account run by one of the local banks.When our money box was full, we took it to the bank and watched with pride as our coins flowed across the counter. As a reward, we could choose our next money box from a small variety, and start the whole savings routine again. Every week I watched my parents sort out the housekeeping and “make ends meet”. Sometimes it was annoying to wait for things we really felt we needed.
Later, as a university student, I managed on an extremely small student allowance. Students were ignored by banks then, because we were so poor, and there was no way I could have gotten credit, even if I had tried. We collected our allowance three times each year, deposited it to the best advantage and withdrew it little by little to last until the next payout of the allowance.
When our daughter, Sophie, began to walk, we made a purposeful choice to encourage her to use money wisely. We often comment when the TV tells us “You owe it to yourself to borrow our money"to whom do we really owe it? And what would happen if our income were reduced or dried up? Now, as a 12-year-old child, its almost embarrassing to see her tight “financial policy”, and wait for the unavoidable holiday sales to buy what she wants.
I agree that financial education in schools is very important. But the root of the problem lies with us and the way we behave as role models to those who follow.
1. What did the author learn from her parents?| A．How to become a banker. |
| B．Where to open a savings account. |
| C．Where to choose a money box. |
| D．How to make ends meet. |
| A．He applied for a credit card. |
| B．He spent it three times a year. |
| C．He put it in the bank. |
| D．He seldom withdrew it. |
| A．Reducing her savings. |
| B．Buying things on sales. |
| C．Canceling holiday plans. |
| D．Borrowing money from banks. |
| A．Parents, money problems. |
| B．Students’ school performance. |
| C．Children’s saving behavior. |
| D．Children’s financial education. |
【推荐2】I have spent my entire life either at the schoolhouse, on the way to the schoolhouse, or talking about what happens in the schoolhouse. Both my parents and my grandparents were educators. For the past 40 years I’ve done the same thing. Needless to say, over those years I’ve had a chance to look at education reform from a lot of aspects. And we know why kids drop out. We know why kids don’t learn. It’s either poverty, low attendance or negative peer influences. But one of the things that we never discuss or we barely discuss is the value—the importance of human connection and relationships.
James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship and all learning is understanding relationships. Everyone has been affected by a teacher or an adult. I have looked at the best and I’ve looked at some of the worst.
A colleague said to me once, “My duty isn’t to like the kids, but to teach a lesson. The kids should learn it. I should teach it. This is the case.” Well, I said to her, “You know, kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”
I have had classes that were so low that I cried. I wondered, how was I going to take this group in nine months from where they were to where they needed to be? And it was awfully hard. How did I raise the self-confidence of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?
One year I came up with a bright idea. I told all my students, “You were chosen to be in my class because I am the best teacher and you are the best students. They put us all together so we could show everybody else how to do it.” And I gave them a saying: “I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I’ll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful , and I am strong. I deserve the education that I get here.”
Teaching and learning should bring joy. How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think, and who had a champion! Every child deserves a champion. An adult who will never give up on them, and who understands the power of connection, insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.
1. Why do kids drop out of school?| A．They have a bad association with teachers. |
| B．They may come from low-income families. |
| C．They aren’t enthusiastic about school subjects. |
| D．They are influenced in an optimistic way by peers. |
| A．Teachers should lay stress on the personal traits. |
| B．Students might learn a lot from teachers’ varied advice. |
| C．Understanding relationships leads to successful learning. |
| D．Education plays an important role in the kids’ childhood. |
| A．He motivated them to build self-confidence. |
| B．He trained them to be committed and focused. |
| C．He awarded them many prizes during his class. |
| D．He was devoted to improving their self-discipline. |
| A．Every Kid Needs a Champion |
| B．True Love for My Own Career |
| C．How to Deal With Bad Students |
| D．My Joy of Being a Teacher |
Using a web camera equipped in Jennifer’s Los Angeles apartment, the monitor in Phoenix tracked how frequently her eyes moved from the computer screen and listened for the secret sounds of a possible helper in the room. Her Internet access was locked-remotely-to prevent Internet searches, and her typing style was analyzed to make sure she was who she said she was: Did she enter her student number at the same speed as she had in the past? Or was she slowing down?
In the battle against cheating, this is the cutting edge and a key to encourage honesty in the booming field of online education. The technology gives trust to the entire system, to the institution and to online education in general. Only with solid measures against cheating, experts say, can Internet universities show that their exams and diplomas are valid-that students haven’t just searched the Internet to get the right answers.
Although online classes have existed for more than a decade, the concern over cheating has become sharper in the last year with the growth of "open online courses." Private colleges, public universities and corporations are jumping into the online education field, spending millions of dollars to attract potential students, while also taking steps to help guarantee honesty at a distance.
Aside from the web cameras, a number of other high-tech methods are becoming increasingly popular. Among them are programs that check students’ identities using personal information, such as the telephone number they once used.
Other programs can produce unique exam by drawing on a large list of questions and can recognize possible cheaters by analyzing whether difficult test question are answered at the same speed as easy ones. As in many university classes, term papers are scanned against some large Internet data banks for cheating.
1. Why was Jennifer watched in an online exam?| A．To correct her typing mistakes. |
| B．To find her secrets in the room. |
| C．To prevent her from slowing down. |
| D．To keep her from dishonest behaviors. |
| A．advanced technique | B．sharpening tool |
| C．effective rule | D．dividing line |
| A．they can attract potential students | B．they can defeat academic cheating |
| C．they offer students online help | D．they offer many online courses |
| A．checking the question answering speed |
| B．producing a large number of question |
| C．scanning the Internet test question |
| D．giving difficult test question |
| A．The Advantages of Online Exams |
| B．The High-tech Methods in Online Courses |
| C．The Fight against Cheating in Online Education |
| D．The War against the Booming of Online Education |
