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1. Passage A Passage B Return to Menu

2. Passage A • Think About It • Read About It • Talk About It • Write About It

3. What do you think is the present state of English learning in China? Reference: Open

4. 2. If you are a non-English major student, will you choose English as your minor? Why or why not? Reference: Open

5. 3. Do you think English major graduates have better chances to secure careers? Reference: Open

6. Read About It • Language Points • Content Awareness • Language Focus

7. Majoring in English for Fun and Profit The study of literature is not onlycivilizedand civilizing — encompassing, as it does, philosophy, religion, the history of events and the history of ideas — but popular and practical. One-sixth of all those who receive bachelor’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences are English majors. These graduates qualify for a surprising range of jobs. Their experience puts the lie to the popular superstition that English majors must choose between journalism and teaching: in fact, English majors also receive excellent

8. preparation for future careers in law, medicine, business, and government service. Undergraduates looking forward to law school or medical school are often advised to follow a strict regimen of courses considered directlyrelevant totheir career choices. Future law-school students are advised to take courses in political science, history, accounting, business administration — even human anatomy, and marriage and family life. Future medical school students are steered into multiple science courses — actually far more science courses than they need for entrance into medical school. Surprisingly, many law schools and medical schools indicate that such specialized preparation is not only unnecessary, but undesirable. There are no "pre-law" courses: the best preparation for law school — and for the practice of law — is that preparation which makes a student capable of

9. critical thinking; of clear, logical self-expression; of sensitive analysis of the motives, the actions, and the thoughts of other human beings. These are skills which the study of English is designed to teach. Entrance into law school, moreover, generally requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a minimum grade point average, and an acceptable score on the Law School Admission Test (L.S.A.T.). This test has three parts. The first evaluates skills in reading comprehension, in figure classification, and in the evaluation of written material. The second part of the test evaluates control of English grammar and usage, ability to organize written materials, and competence to edit. The third part evaluates the student’s general knowledge of literature, art, music, and the natural and social sciences. Clearly an undergraduate major in

10. English is strong preparation for the L.S.A.T. As for medical schools, the main requirement for admission is only thirty-two hours of science courses. This requirement is certainly no impediment to a major in English. Moreover many medical schools require a minimum score on the Medical College Admissions Test, another test which offers an advantage to the well-rounded liberal arts student. The M.C.A.T. evaluates four areas of competence: skill with synonyms, antonyms, and word association; knowledge of basic mathematics from fractions through solid geometry; general knowledge of literature, philosophy, psychology, music, art, and the social sciences; and familiarity with those fundamentals of biology, chemistry, and physics taught in high school and in introductory college

11. courses. The English major with a solid, basic grounding in science is well prepared for this test and for medical school, where his or her skills in reading, analysis, interpretation, and precise communication will equip him or her to excel. The study and practice of medicine can only benefit from the insights into human behavior provided by the study of literature. Such insights are obviously also valuable to the student who plans a career in commerce. Such students should consider the advantages of an English major with an emphasis in business: this program is designed to provide a liberal education, as well as to direct preparation for a business career. The need for such a program is clear: graduates with merely technical qualifications are finding jobs in business, but often failing to

12. hold them. Both the Wall Street Journal and the Journal of College Placement have reported that increasing numbers of graduates from reputable business schools find themselves drifting from one job or firm to another, unable to hold a position for longer than twelve months. Employers complain that these apparently promising young men and women are simply not competent communicators: because they are not sufficiently literate, they cannot absorb managerial training; they cannot make effective oral presentations; they cannot report progress or problems in their writing; they cannot direct other workers. Skill in analysis and communication is the essence of management. Consequently the English major with an emphasis in

13. business administration. Nearly four hundred companies in fields ranging from banking and insurance to communications to manufacturing were asked whether they hired college graduates with degrees in English, even when those graduates lacked special training in the industry: Eighty-five percent of the companies said that they did. College graduates with degrees in English are working successfully in marketing, in systems engineering, in personnel management, in sales, in programming, in project design, and in labor relations. English majors are also at work in the thousand occupations provided by government at all levels. Consider, for example, the federal government—by a very wide margin, America’s biggest

14. employer. In organizations ranging from the Marine Corps to the Bureau of Mines, from the Commerce Department to the National Park Service, the federal government employs a work force of nearly three million men and women. English majors may qualify for many of these jobs. Recently, 51 federal agencies were asked the same question: whether they hired college graduates with English degrees but without special job training, 88 percent of these federal employers said yes. The list of federal positions for which English majors may qualify ranges from Claims Examiner to Foreign Service Officer to Highway Safety Management Specialist. Again, those who seek positions of high reward and responsibility may be asked to

15. take a test — the federal government uses the Professional and Administrative Career Examination, or P.A.C.E., to evaluate applicants for about 10,000 jobs each year — and again, the test focuses on language skills: comprehension, analysis, interpretation, the ability to see logical relationships between ideas, and the ability to solve problems expressed in words. Not surprisingly, competent English majors often receive very high scores on the P.A.C.E. In short, a major in English is neither restricting nor impractical: the study of English is excellent preparation for professional life.

16. civilizeda. — polite; refined civilizing a. —refining • Examples • Helen’s manners, tastes and languages are very civilized. • The writer has had a civilizing influence on her husband.

17. qualify for — have the qualities, training, etc that are necessary or suitable (for sth) • Examples • Her selfless spirit qualifies her for doing the work. • Our football team has qualified for the final competition.

18. The study of literature is not only civilized and civilizing — encompassing, as it does, philosophy, religion, the history of events and the history of ideas — but popular and practical. Paraphrase The study of literature, including philosophy, religion, the history of events and the history of ideas is not only civilized and civilizing, but also popular and useful.

19. Their experience puts the lie to the popular superstition that English majors must choose between journalism and teaching. Paraphrase Their experience proves the general belief that English majors must choose between journalism and teaching is not true.

20. Undergraduates looking forward to law school or medical school are often advised to follow a strict regimen of courses considered directly relevant to their career choices. Paraphrase University or college students who want to enter law school or medical school are often advised to learn courses directly connected with their career choices.

21. English majors are also at work in the thousand occupations provided by government at all levels. Paraphrase English majors are also qualified for the thousand jobs provided by government at different levels

22. relevant to — connected with what is being discussed, what is happening, what is being done, etc • Examples • The witness supplied the facts directly relevant to the case in the court. • Nowadays, color and sex are hardly relevant when appointing someone to a job.

23. steer — lead • Examples • Surprisingly, future medical school students are steered into multiple science courses. • President Hu Jintao is steering our efforts in the correct direction.

24. sensitive — affected greatly or easily by sth • Examples • The old man’s ears are highly sensitive to any unusual sound in the machine. • As everybody knows, the Stock Exchange is sensitiveto any political changes.

25. evaluate — find out or form an idea of the amount or value of; assess • Examples • The second part of the test evaluates the students’ ability to organize written materials and competence to edit. • The manager said that he couldn’t evaluate her ability without seeing her work.

26. as for ----with regard to • Examples • As for you, you should feel ashamed of yourself. • As for me, I prefer watching TV to going shopping on Saturdays.

27. fundamental — (pl) basic rule or principle • Example • I almost forget the fundamentals of biology, chemistry, and physics learned in high school. • It’s said that many English majors are interested in the fundamentals of religion, philosophy and art.

28. familiarity — good knowledge of sth • Example • It is not surprising that many children have such familiarity with computers, since computers are so widespread. • Students’ familiarity with those fundamentals of biology, chemistry, and physics taught in high school is evaluated in the Medical College Admission Test.

29. benefit from ----receive benefit or gain • Examples • The old lady downstairs goes to do morning exercises every morning because she believes she will benefit a lot from daily exercises. • He hasn’t benefited from the experience and made the same mistakes again and again.

30. sufficiently — being enough • Examples • Mary always complains that her daughter is not sufficiently careful in the exams. • John’s grandfather does nothing but watches the news report everyday, so he is sufficiently informed about many issues in the world

31. consequently — as a result; therefore • Examples • Her parents died in a traffic accident when she was six and consequently she was brought up by her grandparents. • The bank required the company to return the money and refused to give the company more time. Consequently it went bankrupt.

32. reward — something given or received in return for work, merit or services • Examples • One of the employees in this factory saved a drowning college student and received a medal in reward for his bravery. • My English teacher in middle school is a man who works without hope of financial rewards.

33. Content Awareness • Read and Answer(Ex. 2) • Read and Choose(Ex. 3) • Read and Complete (Ex. 4)

34. Ex. 2 Answer the following questions with the information you obtain from the passage. 1. What is the popular superstition about English majors' choice of occupations according to the passage Reference The sharp English majors are confined to choosing careers between journalism and teaching.

35. Ex. 2 Answer the following questions with the information you obtain from the passage. 2. Why does the author think that English majors have advantages over non-English majors in terms of employment? Reference Experience shows that English major graduates qualify for a surprising range of jobs. In fact, they are also often well prepared for future careers in law, medicine, business, and government service.

36. Ex. 2 Answer the following questions with the information you obtain from the passage. 3. What does the author try to say by pointing out that English major students may get high scores on the Law School Admission Test (L.S.A.T.)? Reference The skills tested in L.S.A.T. clearly show that an undergraduate major in English is strong preparation for this test.

37. Ex. 2 Answer the following questions with the information you obtain from the passage. 4. How can one get admitted to a medical school in the U.S? Reference One must take thirty-two hours of science courses and pass the M.C.A.T. with a minimum score as required by the particular medical school.

38. Ex. 2 Answer the following questions with the information you obtain from the passage. 5. What do the surveys tell us about the employment of graduates with degrees in English? Reference They tell us that the essential skills needed for various careers are adequately covered by the education programs for English majors.

39. Ex. 3 Choose the best answer to each question with the information from the passage. 1. What is the focus of the Law School Admission Test (L.S.A.T.)? A) Basic analyzing and problem solving ability. B) Specialized medical knowledge. C) Reading and writing skills. D) Ability to appreciate literature and arts. 1. What is the focus of the Law School Admission Test (L.S.A.T.)? A) Basic analyzing and problem solving ability. B) Specialized medical knowledge. C) Reading and writing skills. D) Ability to appreciate literature and arts.

40. Ex. 3 Choose the best answer to each question with the information from the passage. 2. Why are English majors well prepared for the Medical College Admissions Test? A) Because English majors have a more solid grounding in language. B) Because English majors possess skills in analysis, interpretation and communication. C) Because English majors have thirty-two semester hours of extra science training. D) Because English majors are more familiar with the requirements of the Test. 2. Why are English majors well prepared for the Medical College Admissions Test? A) Because English majors have a more solid grounding in language. B) Because English majors possess skills in analysis, interpretation and communication. C) Because English majors have thirty-two semester hours of extra science training. D) Because English majors are more familiar with the requirements of the Test.

41. Ex. 3 Choose the best answer to each question with the information from the passage. 3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A) Graduates with merely technical qualifications often fail to find jobs in business. B) Graduates from business schools are likely to drift from one job or firm to another. C) Skills in analysis and communication are essential to success in business career. D) Competent communicators are promising employees in future business career. 3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A) Graduates with merely technical qualifications often fail to find jobs in business. B) Graduates from business schools are likely to drift from one job or firm to another. C) Skills in analysis and communication are essential to success in business career. D) Competent communicators are promising employees in future business career.

42. Ex. 3 Choose the best answer to each question with the information from the passage. 4. How can English majors be particularly well prepared for future jobs in business administration? A) By doing various kinds of professional jobs. B) By taking part in special employment training. C) By putting an emphasis on business. D) By learning basic skills in natural science. 4. How can English majors be particularly well prepared for future jobs in business administration? A) By doing various kinds of professional jobs. B) By taking part in special employment training. C) By putting an emphasis on business. D) By learning basic skills in natural science.

43. Ex. 3 Choose the best answer to each question with the information from the passage. 5. What does the author think of the study of English? A) The study of English is excellent preparation for professional life. B) The study of English should be business-oriented. C) The study of English is restricting or impractical. D) The study of English is highly rewarding and demanding. 5. What does the author think of the study of English? A) The study of English is excellent preparation for professional life. B) The study of English should be business-oriented. C) The study of English is restricting or impractical. D) The study of English is highly rewarding and demanding.

44. Ex. 4 Complete the summary of the text. The first letter of the missing word has been given to you, It is reported in this article that English majors receive excellent (1) p_________ for future careers in law, medicine, business, and government service. First, many law schools and medical schools (2) i_______ that the best preparation for them is that preparation which makes a student (3) c_______ of critical thinking; of clear, logical self-expression; of sensitive (4) a_______ of the motives, the actions, and the thoughts of other human beings. These are the skills that the study of English is designed to teach. preparation indicate capable analysis

45. Ex. 4 Complete the summary of the text. The first letter of the missing word has been given to you, Second, the English major with an emphasis in business is (5) p_________ well prepared for a future in business administration. Third, English majors are also at work in the thousand (6) o_______ provided by government at all levels. In short, a major in English is (7) n_______ restricting nor impractical: the study of English is excellent preparation for (8) p__________ life. particularly occupations neither professional

46. Language Focus • Vocabulary (Ex. 5) • Phrases(Ex. 6) • Collocation (Ex 7) • Read and Translate(Ex. 8) • Read and Simulate(Ex. 9)

47. Ex. 5 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. familiarityqualification reward sufficiently evaluate fundamental classification steer consequently sensitive 1. It is well-known that photographic paper is highly ______ to light. • sensitive 2. The first part of Law School Admission Test evaluates skills in reading comprehension, in figure ______ and in the evaluation of written material. • classification

48. Ex. 5 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. familiarityqualification reward sufficiently evaluate fundamental classification steer consequently sensitive 3. Because they are not ______ literate and job-prepared, some young people can't hold a job for long.. • sufficiently 4. The boss managed to ______ the discussion away from the subject of money and into the topic of environmental protection. • steer

49. Ex. 5 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. familiarityqualification reward sufficiently evaluate fundamental classification steer consequently sensitive 5. Sam's ______ with the pop music is so astonishing that he can sing a large number of pop songs. • familiarity 6. His car broke down on the way and ______ , he was late for the meeting with his clients. • consequently

50. Ex. 5 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. familiarityqualification reward sufficiently evaluate fundamental classification steer consequently sensitive 7. One ______ of doing this social work is that I can learn to be independent, tolerant and get to meet people from different parts of the country. • reward 8. Mary has got all the right ______ for the job but is temperamentally unsuitable for it. • qualifications