“Both an aging population and health care reform are contributing to a higher demand for health care services,” says Katie Bardaro, Payscale’s lead economist.
They don’t earn as much as doctors, but their mid-career average pay is $97,000. Another advantage of a physician assistant degree: Employment opportunities are expected to grow 30% by 2020 (from the 2010 employment numbers), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
By our count, computer science follows close behind as the No. 2 best advanced degree for jobs. Mid-career average pay for these grads is $109,000, sixth best out of the 35 degrees in our survey. Employment opportunities for computer science degree-holders are expected to expand about 22% between 2010 and 2020. Electrical engineering, physics and economics degrees also make the top 10, all with an average mid-career salary of more than $110,000 a year.
Not all master’s degree holders enjoy anywhere near such optimistic job prospects or extraordinary pay. Biology, chemistry and history degrees are toward the bottom of the list—but that doesn’t mean they’re useless. If you’re enthusiastic about these fields, the lower pay and slimmer job prospects shouldn’t prevent you from pursuing a master’s.
Before you make a decision, you should bear one thing in mind: master’s degree-holders don’t necessarily earn more than other people in similar jobs—so don’t base your decision to pursue one on the idea that you’ll bring in bigger paychecks.
It’s also important to think about work-life balance and employee satisfaction for the common jobs associated with these degrees. “You need to consider overall happiness,” Bardaro says. “If obtaining a master’s degree causes an imbalance due to time devoted to education and potentially more stress at work, then one will need to decide if these costs are worth it.”
64. Physician assistant degree ranks first on the list because __________.
A. Physician assistants are medical professionals.
B. Physician assistants enjoy the highest pay compared with other grads.
C. The qualifications of physician assistants are not second to those of doctors.
D. The demand of physician assistants is expected to expand largely and they are well-paid.
65. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. $100,000 or so is a satisfying pay for most of the grads.
B. It is the first time that Forbes has done a survey of this kind.
C. Biology degrees were once hot for those master’s degree pursuers.
D. Doctors earn more than those in electrical engineering on the average.
66. According to what Bardaro said in the last paragraph, we may safely conclude that __________.
A. obtaining a master’s degree is a must
B. a master’s degree is not always worth pursuing
C. obtaining a master’s degree leads to an imbalance between work and life
D. those with master’s degrees are bound to earn more than other people in similar jobs
D
There is a famous story about British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
This was an age before telephones. Someone was delivering a message. When Coleridge got back to his poem, he had lost his inspiration. His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door. His unfinished poem, which could otherwise have been a masterpiece, would now never be more than a fragment.
This story tells how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought, which bring us to the cellphone.
The most common complaint about cellphones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them. But more damaging may be the cellphone’s interruption of our thoughts.
We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cellphones, and this is by and large（大体上）a healthy, protective development. “I didn’t hear it ring” or “I didn’t realize my phone had shut off” are among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we’re beyond reach.
The notion of being unreachable is not a new concept—we have “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cellphones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while?
Now time alone, or a conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished. Even cellphone devotees（信徒）, myself usually included, can’t help at times wanting to throw their phone away, or curse the day they were invented.
But we don’t and won’t, and there really is no need. All that’s required to take back our private time is a general social recognition that we have the right to it. In other words, we have to develop a healthy contempt for the rings of our own phones.
A cellphone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from the person next to us，though the call on my cellphone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg—who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie. But most likely it is not, and I’m better off thinking about the idea I just had for a new story, or the slice of pizza I’ll eat for lunch.
67. What is the point of the anecdote about the poet Coleridge in the first three paragraphs?
A. To direct readers’ attention to the main topic.
B. To show how important inspiration is to a poet.
C. To emphasize the disadvantage of not having a cellphone.
D. To encourage readers to read the works of this poet.
68. What does the writer think about people telling “white lies” about their cellphones?
A. It is a way of signaling that you don’t like the caller.
B. It is natural to tell lies about small things
C. It is basically a good way to protect one’s privacy.
D. We should feel guilty when we can’t tell the truth.
69. According to the author, what is the most annoying problem caused by cellphones?
A. People get so obsessed(着迷) with the cellphone rings that they fail to notice anything else.
B. People feel guilty when they are not able to answer their cellphones.
C. Cellphones interrupt people’s private time.
D. With cellphones it is no longer possible to be unreachable.
70. What does the last paragraph suggest?
A. A person who calls us from afar deserves more of our attention
B. Steven Spielberg once called the author to talk about the author’s novel.
C. You should always finish your lunch before you answer a call on the cellphone.
D. Never let cellphones disturb your life too much.
第Ⅱ卷（非选择题 共35分）
第四部分：任务型阅读 （共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）
认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意：每空格只填一个单词。
Equal Opportunities for Quality Education
It is widely accepted that human resources are playing a very important part in China’s economic growth. Education, which greatly affects the qualities of human resources, has gone through rapid developments in recent years.
Last year, China had more than 2 million graduates from colleges or universities, and another 3.5 million graduates from vocational schools.
Despite the great developments in education, in the era of reform, lawmakers expose and criticize many problems in the developments of education, which trouble, if not anger, the public.
One of the most glaring problems is that in China’s vast rural areas, even the most basic education is not available to some children. And elsewhere, even if they have access, the facilities available for them are still a far cry from those in cities.
Official statistics show that at the primary stage, there are a big number of rural students who drop out of school because they do not have the money to pay their tuition fees.
At college level, there have been some big increases in tuition fees over the last few years. So, some students from rural areas have also been forced to abandon their dreams.
China has a long tradition of valuing education and Chinese parents are willing to save each and every penny to support their children’s schooling. But in a nation of more than 1.3 billion people, upholding equal opportunities in the education sector is a discouraging task.
The central government is dedicated to quickening the development of the cause. It will cancel rural school fees and offer the children in poverty－stricken areas financial support so they can all enjoy the equal education and complete the nine－year compulsory schooling programme.
The most important part of the issue lies in the amount of cash put into it. On the other hand, it is more than an issue of fiscal input﹙财政收入﹚. The unbalanced distribution of resources between rural and urban schools risks slowing down the future of China’s vast rural areas, where two thirds of the population live.
Education is undoubtedly the long－term lifeline of citizens. Good education promotes more than personal well－being or the fulfillment of individual ambition. As individual ability grows, the nation will become stronger and more prosperous.
Equality in education is vital to the sustainability of our nation’s economic progress. It has a big influence on every citizen’s quality of life, so the government must do all it can to achieve this goal.
An overview of education in China As China’s economy grows, education, which has a great effect on the qualities of human resources, has 71 great developments.
72 in the development of education In 73 of great developments, what worries the public is that there are still children in vast rural areas who gain no 74 to the most basic education and the facilities available are far from 75 compared with those in cities.
Serious consequences A large number of rural primary school students have to quit school because they can’t 76 to pay for their education.
With the college tuition fees increasing sharply, rural students have no 77 but to give up their dreams.
Approaches to
78 the problems To ensure 79 in the education for rural students, the central government will cancel rural school fees and provide them with financial support,
The distribution of resources between rural and urban schools should be 80 , which will surely accelerate the development of vast rural areas.
Conclusion Equality in education makes it possible for individual ability to grow, which guarantees our nation’s economic prosperity.
第五部分：书面表达（共1题，满分25分）
目前医疗费不断攀升，有人因付不起昂贵的医疗费而只好忍受疾病的折磨。人们强烈呼吁政府应当建立有效的医疗保障体制。请根据下面图画，以“Health Care”为题写一篇短文，简要说明图画中所表达的内容，重点阐述这种现象所带来的后果和你的观点。
要求：1．词数：150词左右；2．开头已给出。
Health Care
From the picture, we can see that
高三英语期中试卷参考答案
1-5 BABAC 6-10 CBBAB 11-15 ACBBC 16-20 CACBC
21-25 DCADA 26-30 BCABC 31-35 DDBAB
36-40 BABDB 41-45 ACDAC 46-50 BACDC 51-55 DBDAC
56-59 BADA 60-63 DBCB 64-66 DAB 67-70 ACCD
71.填experienced/undergone。从文章第一段Education, … has go through rapid developments in recent years可知答案。
72.填Problems。从文章第三段的problems in the developments of education可直接得出答案。
73. 填spite。从文章第三段Despite the great developments in education, in the era of reform,转换而来。
74. 填access。从文章第四段even the most basic education is not available to some children和even if they have access可知答案。
75. 填enough。从文章第四段, the facilities available for them are still a far cry from those in cities.可知答案。
76. 填afford。从文章第五段because they do not have the money to pay their tuition fees. 可知答案。
77. 填choice/alternative。从文章第六段some students from rural areas have also been forced to abandon their dreams. 可知答案。have no choice but to do sth.意为“别无选择只能做某事”。
78. 填solving。文章第八、九两段都是讲述政府解决教育问题的做法。
79. 填equality。从文章第八段so they can all enjoy the equal education可知答案。
80. 填balanced/equal。从文章第九段The unbalanced distribution of resources between rural and urban schools可知答案。
书面表达
Health Care
From the picture, we can see that the old man was suffering from heart trouble/attack. He had to go to hospital for medical care. When he saw the medical bill with $5,0000 from the hospital, he was so shocked that he couldn’t stand on his feet. It was beyond what he could afford．It’s really another heart attack for him.
At present, many people can’t afford heavy medical fees. Because of this, they may get into deep debt in order to get proper medical care . Worse still, some cannot borrow any money so they have to bear the pain of diseases or wait for the last day of their life. What a pity!
To solve the problem, we strongly call for the medical expenses to be reduced．The government should build up medical insurance system, and try its best to explore and develop a new health care so that everyone will be able to enjoy their life as long as possible. / Only in this way can we enjoy our life as long as possible.
高三英语期中试卷答题纸
第四部分 任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
71. _________ 72. _________ 73. ___________ 74. __________ 75. __________
76. _________ 77. _________ 78. ___________ 79. __________ 80. __________
第五部分 书面表达（满分25分）
Health Care
From the picture, we can see that
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