According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today’s traditional-age college freshmen are “more materialistic and less altruistic (利他主义的)" than at any time in the 17 years of the poll. 
　　Not surprising in these hard times, the student’s major objective “is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life.” It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting. 
　　Interest in teaching, social service and the “altruistic” fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up. 
　　That’s no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first year on the job—even before she completed her two-year associate degree. 
　　While it’s true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other contributions—be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs. 
　　Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company; no job. How shortsighted in the long run! 
　　But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which shows a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table; one of them is talking on the intercom (对讲机): "Miss Baxter,” he says, “could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?” 
　　From the long-term point of view, that’s what education really ought to be about. 

　　16. According to the author’s observation, college students ________. 
　　A) have never been so materialistic as today 
　　B) have never been so interested in the arts 
　　C) have never been so financially well off as today 
　　D) have never attached so much importance to moral sense 

　　17. The students’ criteria for selecting majors today have much to do with ________. 
　　A) the influences of their instructors 
　　B) the financial goals they seek in life 
　　C) their own interpretations of the courses 
　　D) their understanding of the contributions of others 

　　18. By saying “While it’s true that... be they scientific or artistic” (Lines 1-3, Para. 5), the author means that ________. 
　　A) business management should be included in educational programs 
　　B) human wisdom has accumulated at an extraordinarily high speed 
　　C) human intellectual development has reached new heights 
　　D) the importance of a broad education should not be overlooked 

　　19. Studying the diverse wisdom of others can ________. 
　　A) create varying artistic interests 
　　B) help people see things in their right perspective 
　　C) help improve connections among people 
　　D) regulate the behavior of modern people 

　　20. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? 
　　A) Businessmen absorbed in their career are narrow-minded. 
　　B) Managers often find it hard to tell right from wrong. 
　　C) People engaged in technical jobs lead a more rewarding life. 
　　D) Career seekers should not focus on immediate interests only. 

　　这篇材料的内容是关于教育变迁的。文章开头先是引用了一项调查的结果：现在的大一新生比以前更为物质主义了（freshmen are more materialistic）。这项调查成为了作者写作本篇的缘起，由这一调查结果，使作者对教育变迁萌发了诸多感慨。 
　　作者在第二节表示，这些变化在当今社会并不足为奇（Not surprising），原因就是如今的社会处在hard times，所以学生们的第一目标当然是要谋求经济富裕（financially well off），而培养有意义的人生哲学（developing a meaningful philosophy of life）只能退居二线。作者由此断定，如今最为流行的课程不是文学或历史，而是会计（most popular course is not literature or history but accounting）。It follows that 是一种习惯用法，表示“由此可以断定”。 
　　下一节继续论证人文学科的萧条和“物质”学科的繁盛。教育、社会服务以及“利他”领域的专业遭到冷落（at a low），而商业、工程、计算机等专业的入学率则在上升（enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up）。 
　　作者随后用身边的事例揭示了出现这种现象的直接原因。作者的一位销售代表朋友，仅上两年大学，在工作的第一年薪水就已经是她大学讲师的二倍。可见物质主义的吸引力。Associate degree指的是修满二年后得到的肄业证书。 
　　接下来，作者就要集中发泄自己的感慨了。作者 用一个大段（第五段）来告诉人们学习人文学科是多么的必要。首先，人类文明在各个领域都积累了丰富的知识，而我们对这些知识的理解力比以前更强了（第一个 长句）。这第一点可以说是提倡学习人文学科的基本条件，第一个条件是客观方面的（可供学习的知识多，不能只学理科，荒废了祖宗传下的人文知识），第二个是 主观方面的（我们的学习能力更强了）。 
　　其次，其他领域的知识可以帮助我们学会如何思考（in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think）。作者没有明示应当学习的是人文学科，而只是用others代指，但可以确认作者实际所指的就是人文学科。在第一点里作者也使用了一句be they scientific or artistic（不论是自然科学还是艺术），实际强调的也是artistic。 
　　最后，也是相对更为重要的（More important），教育（实际指的是人文学科的教育）可以使我们学会如何发现事物之间的联系（see the connections between things）。 
　　在第六段，作者举出了一个现实中的反例，来证明缺少了人文教育，人们就很难发现事物之间的联系。每周都会有工会罢工要求增涨工资的消息，作者认为这会逼使雇主破产，而公司破产，雇员也就完全失业了。雇员们的行为是多么地短视（How shortsighted）！ 
　　在最后两段，作者提出了重视人文教育的原因中最为重要的一点，也就是道德感——学习人文知识可以帮助我们提高道德水平（in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense）， 作者举了一个例子，在某部卡通片里，一群商务人士神情茫然地围坐在桌子旁，一个商务人士手拿对讲机对秘书说，能否找来一个知道什么是对与错的人来。这很可 能是一个招聘或是讨论问题的场景，那位拿对讲机的高层人士最终发现桌子旁的商务精英们虽然是商业领域的专家，但在道德问题上却不分是非对错。这个例子从反 面论证缺少人文教育所带来的道德荒废问题。 

　　答案：ABDBD