Reading Comprehension

The lady wrote a huffy letter because

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the given questions.

During his early days as editor of the popular magazine, Saturday Evening Post. George Lorimer did much of the reading of unsolicited stories. This meant endless hours of sitting at the desk, pouring over big stacks of manuscripts, trying to decide which were worthy of publication and which were not. Lorimer became an expert at making these decisions.

One day he received a huffy letter from a would-be writer who had a complaint. “Last week you rejected my story,” she wrote, “I am positive you did not read it, because, as a test, I pasted together pages 14, 15 and 16. The manuscript came back with the pages still pasted. There is no question in my mind but that you are a sham and a disgrace to your profession.”

The author of the above passage says that in the past the basis of education for all people. irrespective of their intellectual calibre, was

The passage consists of two long sentences and a short one. The purpose of this style could be to suggest that

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the given questions.

As the tortoise ducks its feet and head inside the shell and does not come out even though you may break the shell into pieces, even so the character of the man who has control over his motives and organs, is unchangeably established. He controls his own inner forces, and nothing can draw them out against his will. By this continuous reflex of good thoughts and good impressions moving over the surface of the mind, the tendency to do good becomes strong, and in consequence, we are able to control the Indriyas or sense organs.

The main nourishment for the male mosquito is

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the given question.

We learn throughout that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We are also scared of them because they are big and powerful. However, as we get older we learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the tiniest animals. In fact, the mosquito is the animal that kills many people every year and is probably the most dangerous. It may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, but this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death by a disease like malaria and yellow fever. Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are far more dangerous to human beings.

What is the synonym of the word scared?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the given question.

We learn throughout that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We are also scared of them because they are big and powerful. However, as we get older we learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the tiniest animals. In fact, the mosquito is the animal that kills many people every year and is probably the most dangerous. It may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, but this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death by a disease like malaria and yellow fever. Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are far more dangerous to human beings.

The deadliest animal that we face in our daily life is the

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the given question.

We learn throughout that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We are also scared of them because they are big and powerful. However, as we get older we learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the tiniest animals. In fact, the mosquito is the animal that kills many people every year and is probably the most dangerous. It may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, but this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death by a disease like malaria and yellow fever. Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are far more dangerous to human beings.

What can be inferred by the phrase recruiting on beer soaked beaches?

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

What does freshly minted mean (Passage I)?

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

The author s tone in passage II can be described as _________.

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

What does the author mean by the term anecdotal evidence (Passage II)?

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

Based on the Passage II, we can infer which of the following ______________.

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

The main idea of this story is that (Passage I) _______________.

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

What does Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge mean when she says students have done their homework (Passage I)?

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

Which of the following didn't happen in the four years when the class of 2003 was in college (Passage I)?

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the two passages?

Passage – I

College graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paying job.But for 6000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there's uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades. Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. "You look at everybody's parents and neighbors, and they're getting laid off and don't have jobs," said Stewart. "Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce... it's just scary." When the class of 2003 entered college the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they've been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. "Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits," said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Center. "Times have changed. It's a new market." Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Center. It is sort of a crossroad between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. "The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They've postured themselves well during the summer. They've had several internships," she said. And they've majored in one of the few fields that are still hot -- like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing -- where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries. Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. "I'd like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy," he said. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.

Passage – II

After years of barely any activity, the job market for college seniors and graduate students finally appears to be picking up. Firms are interviewing more, giving more offers and even bumping up pay a bit.

While the market is nowhere near as strong as in the late 1990s — when the job market was so hot, firms were recruiting on beer-soaked beaches during spring break — a turnaround definitely appears to be taking shape. "It is starting to pick up," says Carol Lyons, dean of career services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Not in any drastic way; in a slow, hopefully steady, way. ”Andrew Ferguson, director of the career development center at the University of Richmond, calls this market more "normal," unlike the late 1990s. "It's actually been a decent year." The same appears to be true for graduate students. "This year is a definite improvement than earlier in this decade," says Dan Poston, director of the business school at the University of Washington in Seattle. The number of second-year MBAs at the University of Washington with job offers is up 20% from last year. Megan Wasserman, 22, hasn't even gotten her diploma from Northeastern University but she has already started work as a production assistant at the Dr. Phil show, where the journalism student interned in the fall. With enough credits to skip the final semester, Wasserman jumped at the chance for a full-time job with the show in Los Angeles when it was offered to her late last year.” I’m one of the lucky ones," she says. Although there is little solid data about the current job market for college students, anecdotal evidence suggests things are getting better: 

• Booz Allen Hamilton expects as many as 400 recent college graduates will start work in its government and technology group this fiscal year, which began April 1. Last year, 300 were hired, while the year before, 220 new college grads started work, says Judy Merkel, director of recruiting at the McLean, Va.-based consulting firm.

• The number of firms recruiting students at Georgetown University's business school is up 24% from a year ago. Half of second-year students have job offers, up from 40% at this time a year ago, says John Flato, director of MBA career management at the Washington, D.C., school.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to hire 6,500 college seniors for its management training program this year, up from about 6,000 last year.