Passage Two
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.
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 (利他主義的)” 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 (對講機): “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.
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