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．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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That’s because job growth numbers don’t matter to job hunters as much as job turnover data. After all, existing jobs open up every day due to promotions, resignations, terminations, and retirements. (Yes, people are retiring even in this economy.) In both good times and bad, turnover creates more openings than economic growth does. Even in June of 2007, when the economy was still humming along, job growth was only 132,000, while turnover was 4.7 million!
And as it turns out, even today — with job growth near zero — over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month.
I don’t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn’t have an impact on one’s ability to land a job. It’s true that if total employment were higher, it would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from (and compete for). And it’s true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening, regardless of whether it’s a new one or not.
But what often distinguishes those who land jobs from those who don’t is their ability to stay motivated. They’re willing to do the hard work of identifying their valuable skills; be creative about where and how to look; learn how to present themselves to potential employers; and keep going, even after repeated rejections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 2.7 million people who wanted and were available for work hadn’t looked within the last four weeks and were no longer even classified as unemployed.
So don’t let the headlines fool you into giving up. Four million people get hired every month in the U.S. You can be one of them.
1. The author tends to believe that high unemployment rate ______?
| A．deprives many people of job opportunities. |
| B．prevents many people from changing careers. |
| C．should not stop people from looking for a job. |
| D．does not mean the U.S. economy is worsening. |
| A．Job growth |
| B．Job turnover |
| C．Improved economy |
| D．Business expansion |
| A．It doesn’t have much effect on individual job seekers. |
| B．It increases people’s confidence in the economy. |
| C．It gives a ray of hope to the unemployed. |
| D．It doesn’t mean greater job security for the employed. |
| A．Education |
| B．Intelligence |
| C．Persistence |
| D．Experience |
| A．They clearly indicate how healthy the economy is. |
| B．They provide the public with the latest information. |
| C．They warn of the structural problems in the economy. |
| D．They exclude those who have stopped looking for a job. |
【推荐2】You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Comedy on Referral has taken that idea and run with it, using standup comedy to help treat people struggling with trauma (精神创伤) and anxiety in partnership with the National Health Service (NHS).
The idea came from comedian Angie Belcher’s experiences teaching comedy at University of Bristol. She found that students often told her how much stronger and more resilient (有适应力的) they were thanks to standup comedy.
Inspired, she teamed up with the NHS in Bristol to create a six-week comedy course for patients struggling with trauma in January 2022. Following the success of this initial course, Comedy on Referral won NHS funding to help men with trauma in London.
Belcher said, “Past traumas are perfect for comedy. Comedy doesn’t come from the happy, perfect moments of your life, but from our everyday struggles and major life events. People who’ve been through big life experiences such as losing a loved one and ill health often can’t wait to tell me their stories, mostly because there’s always something especially funny about the situation.”
Research has shown that laughter has positive psychological effects, such as decreasing levels of cortisol—the stress hormone—and increasing endorphins (内啡肽). It can even have physiological benefits, although less research has been done in this area. Current research has linked laughter and humour with increased levels of pain tolerance as well as short-term cardiovascular benefits. More research is needed to prove these findings.
Nonetheless, the mental health benefits of regular laughter are widely accepted, and using comedy to treat mental health struggles could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of mental health.
1. Why is the phrase mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To stress the importance of laugh. | B．To explain the harm trauma causes. |
| C．To show the effect of standup comedy. | D．To state the idea behind Comedy on Referral. |
| A．Effective. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Controversial. | D．Fruitless. |
| A．Struggling moments. | B．Funny moments. | C．Happy moments. | D．Successful moments. |
| A．Laugh will cure you of all diseases | B．Anxiety can also make you feel better |
| C．Laughter is useful to people’s mental health | D．Comedy is one thing that can make you struggle |
【推荐3】What we define as beautiful depends on who sees it-the young or the old, through the Asian or Western eyes or the beauty experts.
Let me give an illustration. The Kayans are a tribe living near Thailand, where the women wear brass neck rings, The longer the neck rings, the more beautiful they are regar-ded. On the other hand, the Asian world regards fair skin as the ultimate definition of beauty.
Another criterion(标准) is that she must be slim The idea of a beautiful slim person is especially so in the world of fashion. Many models are slim to the point of being skinny. However, they have eating disorders. As a result, some countries have tried to put a stop to this.
This is done not just for the health of the models. Teenagers and young adults notice how all of the models are skinny and therefore try to follow them. This leads to poor diet, poor self-esteem, and poor health.
Inner beauty is something that we seem to forget because we do not see it. The recent singing sensation who was dismissed by the audience and the judges before she could open her mouth is one such case. Susan Boyle is frumpy-looking, has bushy eyebrows and frizzy hair. In short, she is ugly compared to the other young and beautiful participants However, she has a beautiful voice. When she sang, she was given a standing applause by the audience and the judges.
Of course, looks should have absolutely nothing to do with talent. But people’s perception is such. We have placed so much importance on looks than character or qualities of compassion and kindness that are so important in our daily lives. One of the most beautiful persons in the world is Mother Teresa. She spent her life in the slums of India to take care of the sick and dying. There are many like her, going around helping the needy in their quiet little ways.
1. Why does the author give an illustration in paragraph 2?| A．To interpret a concept. | B．To explain a practice. |
| C．To arouse reader’ interest. | D．To introduce a topic. |
| A．people need to raise health awareness |
| B．the fashion world must be under control |
| C．skinny models may mislead young adults |
| D．the models are suffering eating disorders |
| A．Beauty lies in love’s eyes. |
| B．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| C．Everyone has his feet of clay. |
| D．Rome wasn’t built in one day. |
| A．Characters are more important than looks. |
| B．Teenagers mustn’t follow in models’ footsteps |
| C．People shouldn’t attach importance to loks |
| D．We should open our eyes to inner beauty. |
【推荐1】Moving to a new neighborhood, town, state, or even country can be a pretty scary experience. All you know is that things will be different and chances are you won’t know the kids at your new school.
Leaving old friends and familiar places behind can be difficult. However, as you begin the moving process, keep in mind that saying goodbye to your old house, school, and friends does not mean that you have to forget them or that your farewell is permanent! If you’re moving to a new state or even a different country and won’t see your friends for a long time, don’t despair. Make sure to ask everyone for their address so you can write to them. Also, thanks to the Internet, it is very easy to stay in touch through email or instant messaging technology. With your parent’s permission, you can even create a blog or web page to chronicle all of your new experiences. Your old friends will love seeing what you are busy with.
Many schools have an orientation program where a student already established at the school show a new student around for their first week. This can help you to find your way around the school and to make new friends faster.
While moving is tough on kids of any age, high school counselor Karen Turner says moves can be particularly difficult for teens. “I think moving during adolescents is an extremely stressful experience, especially if you are into your junior high or senior year. Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives. Often this has more influence on them even than their familiar in some cases, and when they are torn from that there’s often resentment(怨气).” However, Turner adds that while moving isn’t easy, there are things that your parents and the school can do to help you cope with the change.
1. Who are the intended readers of the passage?| A．Education experts | B．School teachers |
| C．Parents | D．Students |
| A．Staying in contact with old friends. | B．Expressing yourself when it is possible. |
| C．Forming good habits at school. | D．Keeping positive about your new school. |
| A．helps local students in many ways | B．is organized by new students |
| C．offers help to new students | D．focuses on all the students at school |
| A．What a new school is like. |
| B．Why parents move with their children. |
| C．How parents and the school can help the children. |
| D．How children can express their anxiety. |
【推荐2】More educators and researchers are bringing attention to misinformation (错误信息) through the internet and social media. Teaching media literacy (素养) can be a problem. Those against teaching internet literacy say it’s the same as thought control, which prevents some teachers from using it in class.
Erin, a mother from Massachusetts who has worked as a reporter, said that media literacy is a skill as important as computer engineering for the economy. She created a nonprofit group called Media Literacy Now to support digital literacy education. “Basic communication is part of our information economy, and there will be huge implications for our economy if we don’t get this right,” she said.
Shawn Lee. who teaches social studies in Seattle, Washington, has taught about double -checking online reports, getting information from more than a few places and using critical (批评的) thinking. He also created an organization for teachers to share experiences.
Teaching internet literacy to fight misinformation may be more effective than new laws. Some US states have added new standards for teaching internet literacy. Subjects can include how the internet and social media work, how to find misinformation by looking at many sources. Other ways of identifying misinformation might include looking for missing background information or recognizing emotional headlines.
Media and internet literacy is taught around the world. Finland and Canada have developed programs over the years to teach young people about the media. The goal is to get young people to understand what in the news and on the internet is a fact, and what isn’t.
Media and internet literacy is often compared to driver’s education. “We need speed limits, we need well designed roads and good regulations to ensure cars are safe. But we also teach people how to drive safely,” a director of education Johnson said.
This combination of government, industry and educators is considered the model that is needed for internet and media literacy. Education is needed for an effective answer to fight internet misinformation.
1. What’s the view of people against teaching internet literacy?| A．It needs laws to prove its effect. |
| B．It adds to teachers’ heavy work. |
| C．It’s like controlling people’s thought. |
| D．It may face strong criticism of parents. |
| A．He’s created Media Literacy Now. |
| B．He’s taught students critical thinking. |
| C．He’s invented online double checking. |
| D．He’s asked teachers to share experiences. |
| A．What’s been done about online literacy. |
| B．What effect online literacy has on us. |
| C．How we can stop misinformation online. |
| D．How we could beat online misinformation. |
| A．People should learn about safe surfing. |
| B．It should be covered in driver’s education. |
| C．It calls for the efforts of online education. |
| D．Finland and Canada have experience in this. |
【推荐3】What inspires kids to be creative and pursue academic excellence? Some teachers use rewards in recognition of students’ effort or achievement, giving them prizes, medals, certificates, or money.
Psychologists take opposite views of how external rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and their consequences, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, believe that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.
The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary(金钱的) rewards sparks creativity in primary school children, suggesting that properly given stimuli(刺激) indeed encourage creativity, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"If kids know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity," says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. "But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much desire for rewards."
A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with students lacking in creativity and motivation, Eisenberger says. As an example of the latter point, he particularly mentions growing efforts to tighten grading standards and adopt failing grades at major universities.
In earlier grades, the use of rewarding system, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, Eisenberger claims.
1. Psychologists are divided in their attitudes toward _____.| A．the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards |
| B．the amount of monetary rewards for students' creativity |
| C．the relationship between actions and their consequences |
| D．the effects of external rewards on students' performance |
| A．Tom received a certificate for winning a speech competition. |
| B．Mary was praised by the teacher for making progress in English. |
| C．Jacky made great efforts to enter a major university. |
| D．John was offered a free summer camp due to his hard work. |
| A．Assigning them tasks they have not dealt with before. |
| B．Assigning them tasks which require creativity. |
| C．Giving them rewards they really deserve. |
| D．Giving them rewards they hope for. |
| A．rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students |
| B．punishing students is more effective than rewarding them |
| C．failing unmotivated students helps improve their academic standards |
| D．discouraging students’ expectation of easy rewards is important |
