Careercast.com is out with its list of best and worst jobs of 2012. It’s bad news for the writer of this story, but much brighter for the folks who program the code that keeps this website busy.
Using a method that looked at physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook, career Website Careercast.com, ranked the top 200 jobs. They also ranked the jobs with the most stress. Not surprisingly, none of the most stressful jobs show up on the best jobs list.
At the top is software engineer and at the bottom is the lumberjack. Cutting trees failed to skate above the bottom 10 percent in all ranking categories, except income. “Unemployment for lumberjacks is very high, and the demand for their services is expected to continue to fall through 2016. And while working outside all day may seem like a great job perk(有额外津贴的工作), being a lumberjack not only is considered the worst job, but also one of the world’s most dangerous,” according to Careercast.com. And, for that most dangerous job, a lumberjack earns a little more than $32,000 a year. That’s about $56,000 less than the easy job of a software engineer, which has the average salary at $88,000 a year, according to Careercast.
Here’s a complete look at the best and worst jobs. And, take a look at the most stressful jobs. You may be surprised.
Best Jobs                     Worst Jobs             Most Stressful Jobs
Software Engineer                   Lumberjack              Enlisted Soldier
Actuary                         Dairy Farmer                Firefighter
Human Resources Manager         Enlisted Military Soldier       Airline Pilot
Dental Hygienist                    Oil Rig Worker         Military General
Financial Planner                   Reporter (Newspaper)        Police Officer
Audiologist                     Waiter/Waitress         Event Coordinator
Occupational Therapist              Meter Reader                Public Relations Executive
Online Advertising Manager          Dishwasher              Corporate Executive Computer Systems Analyst          Butcher                 Photojournalist
Mathematician                       Broadcaster             Taxi Driver
【小题1】Who might be most interested in the passage?

Your composition was well written ________ a few mistakes.

1. A.
   besides
2. B.
   except
3. C.
   except for
4. D.
   but

第二部分：语言知识及应用（共两节，满分35分）
第一节：完形填空（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从21—30各题所给的A, B, C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a    21    over our head, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always    22   . Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was strict. I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t money for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big   23   for the kids was the fun of Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for    24    to share by all five of us.
The big    25   arrived. I gave each kid a twenty – dollar bill and    26    them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered. We had two hours to shop; then we would meet back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, except my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually    27   . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies － fifty – cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything until we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed as the door, ready to be angry again. This is what she told me.
“ I was looking around    28   of what to buy, and I stopped to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees’. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and    29   the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so   30   as I did that day.
21.   A. roof    B. hat      C. sky     D. star
22.   A. little   B. less     C. enough       D. more
23.   A. improvement     B. problem     C. surprise      D. excitement
24.   A. toys    B. clothes       C. presents      D. bills
25. A. day     B. chance       C. cheque       D. tree
26.   A. forced B. reminded    C. invited       D. begged
27.   A. quiet   B. excited       C. happy D. ashamed
28. A. learning     B. thinking     C. knowing     D. telling
29.   A. made  B. searched     C. bought       D. fetched
30.   A. angry  B. rich    C. patient       D. bitter

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑;
For Senior 3 students, choosing which college to attend can be the most exciting and thrilling time in their entire school lives. This is also true for an American girl 21 Melanie.
Melanie’s dad, James Porter, who is the chief of police for a Chicago suburb, wants Melanie to 22 nearby Northwestern University, where she’s 23 been accepted. But Melanie, 17,really wants to go to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C, where she’s been wait-listed.
When she gets an unexpected 24 from Georgetown University, she decides to 25 a road trip with a few 26 female friends. Melanie believes it is her first step 27 adulthood.
But 28 the fact that this trip is “girls only”, James isn’t 29 with the prospect(期望) of his little princess 30 the world without him. He wants to protect her, so he joins the girls and hopes he can convince Melanie to go to Northwestern. 31 Melanie’s father only has the best of 32 , his presence 33 an endless series of comic encounters（遭遇）.
After following their faulty device  34  into the backwoods (偏远地区), James and Melanie  35  Melanie’s little brother and his pet pig have been hiding in the spare compartment (隔间). What should be a simple change  36  the expensive car rolling down a mountain, forcing them to hike to a nearby hotel…
All these disasters add spice to their trip while along the way a father and a daughter  37  get the chance to really  38  each other.
All parents,  39  they have college students or not, can relate to the bittersweet realization that their kids are growing up.  40  what Melanie and James have done, we all can find the delicate (脆弱的) balance between staying connected and letting go.