According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today’s traditional-agecollege 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-yearassociate 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 m be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying thediverse 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.

四級閱讀理解練習(xí)題：

Choose correct answers to the question:

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

四級閱讀理解參考答案：

1.[A]事實細節(jié)題。根據(jù)第1段可知，根據(jù)調(diào)査，當(dāng)今處于傳統(tǒng)年齡的大學(xué)一年級的學(xué)生在17年來的民意測驗中是“最追求物質(zhì)享受、最自私的”，這與A所述相一致。

2.[B]事實細節(jié)題。根據(jù)第2段第1句指出現(xiàn)在大學(xué)生選擇專業(yè)的目的是為了經(jīng)濟上的富裕，B中的financial goals對應(yīng)文中的financial well off，故正確。

3.[D]句意理解題。本句首選強調(diào)Career職業(yè)的重要性，之后強啁我們也必須理解其他領(lǐng)域的知識，所以這句目的是強調(diào)全面教育的重要性，故D正確。

4.[B]事實細節(jié)題。根據(jù)第5段第2句：同樣毋庸置疑的還有，學(xué)習(xí)他人的各種智慧時，我們也學(xué)會怎樣去思考。句中how to think與B中的see things in…right perspective意思最為相反，故B正確。

5.[D]事實細節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章的第5至6段可知，作者認為罷工要求加薪等一些追求眼前利益的行為是目光短淺的，故D正確。