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Does technology pose a threat to the purity of Chinese language? Many Chinese use instant messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and log on the Internet using ADSL--most without knowing the literal Chinese translation of the abbreviations . But they don't have to, as many English letters have become part of the local vocabulary. A dozen abbreviations including GDP, NBA, IT, MP3, QQ, DVD and CEO are among the 5,000 most-frequently used words in the Chinese media last year, according to a report on the 2006 Language Situation in China. The report said some parents are so keen on English letters that a couple tried to name their baby "@", claiming the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child. While the "@"is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to pronounce it "ai ta",or "love him". The study collected more than 1 billion language samples from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites. The annual report is jointly compiled by the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission. "Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of modern language," said Hou Min, a professor at Communication University of China. "The abbreviations have gained popularity because of the ease of usage," Hou said. For example, DNA is much simpler to use than its Chinese version. "As more Chinese people learn foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among educated people," she added. Some language scholars fear such usage will contaminate the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communication. Why does the author use the example of a couple who tried to name their baby "@"?

3D

"Tom!" There was no answer. "Tom!" Still no answer. "Where's that boy gone? Tom!" The old lady looked all around the room. She looked under the bed, but found only the cat. "If I catch that boy, ..." she murmured to herself. She opened the door and looked out into the garden. "Tom!" she shouted. Then she heard a slight noise behind her. She turned round just in time to catch the boy as he came out of a cupboard. "And what have you been doing in there?" "Nothing," said the boy. "Nothing! Look at your hands and your mouth! What is that stuff?" "I don't know, Aunt." "Well, I know. It's a jam. I've told you forty times that if you touched that jam, I'd _ you. Give me that stick." "Look out, Aunt! Look behind you!" The old lady turned round and Tom was out of the door in a flash, over the garden fence and away. "Damn that boy! Will I never learn? He's always playing tricks on me. And he seems to know just now how far he can go, too. But I can't take a stick to him. I really can't. After all, he's my dead sister's boy. Ah well, he'll play truant today and I'll have to make him work tomorrow." At supper Aunt Polly tried to trick Tom into admitting that he hadn't gone to school. "It was rather hot today, wasn't it, Tom?" "Yes," answered Tom. "You didn't have to open your shirt collar where I sewed it, then." Tom was confident, now. He opened his jacket. His collar was securely sewed. "Oh Tom," said Aunt Polly. "You're a good boy really." She was sorry that she had been wrong about him. "But Aunt," came a voice. It was Sidney, Tom's younger brother. "Didn' t you sew Tom's collar with white cotton? Look! Now it's black. Tom was already running out of the door. ---The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

0A

Imagine you're at a party full of strangers. You're nervous. Who are these people? How do you start a conversation? Fortunately, you've got a thing that sends out energy at tiny chips in everyone's name tag . The chips send back name, job, hobbies, and the time available for meeting-whatever. Making new friends becomes simple. This hasn't quite happened in real life. But the world is already experiencing a revolution using RFID technology. An RFID tag with a tiny chip can be fixed in a product, under your pet's skin, even under your own skin. Passive RFID tags have no energy source-batteries because they do not need it. The energy comes from the reader, a scanning device ,that sends out energy (for example, radio waves)that starts up the tag immediately. Such a tag carries information specific to that object, and the data can be updated. Already, RFID technology is used for recognizing each car or truck on the road and it might appear in your passport. Doctors can put a tiny chip under the skin that will help locate and obtain a patient's medical records. At a nightclub in Paris or in New York the same chip gets you into the VIP (very important person) section and pays for the bill with the wave of an arm. Take a step back: 10 or 12 years ago, you would have heard about the coming age of computing. One example always seemed to surface: Your refrigerator would know when you needed to buy more milk. The concept was that computer chips could be put everywhere and send information in a smart network that would make ordinary life simpler. RFID tags are a small part of this phenomenon. "The world is going to be a loosely coupled set of individual small devices, connected wirelessly," predicts Dr.J.Reich. Human right supporters are nervous about the possibilities of such technology. It goes too far tracking school kids through RFID tags, they say. We imagine a world in which a beer company could find out not only when you bought a beer but also when you drank it. And how many beers accompanied by how many biscuits. When Marconi invented radio, he thought it would be used for ship-to-shore communication. Not for pop music. Who knows how RFID and related technologies will be used in the future. Here's a wild guess: Not for buying milk. The article is intended to _ .

3D

"It's the best...uhh...What? You don't want it?...,"the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed. "Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don't put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology," Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father's criticism. "You've been in this shop for six months and you haven't succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I'll give you one more chance. I'll give you another three more weeks. If you still can't make one sale, I'll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I'll just give you one last chance to prove yourself," said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin. Andrew's heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father. It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him," Sort it out yourself. It's gotta come from yourself." he said. The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:' How to increase your confidence,'' The art of communication,''How to sell well'amongst others. The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising. What's the most significant change of character in Andrew?

2C

It was a very hot summer morning but inside the Pyramid it was quite cool. Tom and his classmates had just walked into the Pyramid and were very surprised to see what it was like. They went to the Queen's Room. They saw a passage .At the end of it there was a small room. They were told that they couldn't go into that room, because it was newly found. Tom looked towards the passage. Two of his friends Jason and Peter saw him and said "Don't get into trouble, Tom!", As soon as nobody was looking, Tom went up the dark passage, opened the door and walked in. Suddenly the door closed behind him. The room was very dark, but luckily Tom had brought a torch with him. When he turned it on, he saw two white faces in front of him."Oh, no!" f he cried and ran to the door. He quickly opened it and went down the passage to the Queen's Room as fast as he could. As soon as Tom disappeared, Jason and Peter took the pieces of white cloth off their faces and walked slowly down the passage. They couldn't stop laughing. 4iThat will teach him a lesson," said Jason. Why did Jason and Peter say "Don't get into trouble, Tom!"?

0A

From Japan to Indonesia, a certain kind of pop culture is very hot. But it doesn't come from Hollywood--it's Hallyu , the wave of Korean pop culture that has washed over Asia. It has influenced everything from music to television. And thanks to the Internet and social media, it's now spreading worldwide. South Korea produces all types of entertainment, the most popular being music, soap operas and films. What makes Hallyu so hot in Asia? One reason is that its products are of high quality and much cheaper than western products. Another reason is that eastern cultures are similar to each other, although there are language differences. Korean pop music, or "K-pop", ranks the first everywhere. Fans love the songs and the attractive stars. Companies like SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment help many K-pop stars, such as Super Junior, Big Bang and Rain, to succeed. They are not only popular in Asia but also enjoy popularity in the West. In 2011, Big Bang's mini-album Tonight reached the top 10 on U.S. Tunes Top Pop Albums. When SM Entertainment took their 2010 world tour to Los Angeles, only 30 percent of the 15,000 fans were Korean. Half of the audience wasn't even Asian! One important reason for the success of Hallyu is simply the Internet. A little more than 10 years ago, Korean soap operas, movies and music reached the outside world quite slowly. They began in Korea, and then gradually spread outward, appearing in its neighboring countries where local TV and radio companies would play them. Now they are played around the world online at the same time. YouTube is another major way to get Korean entertainment to fans everywhere. It is an inexpensive and _ way for artists to introduce their work to a larger audience. In 2010 the YouTube channels for the top three Korean entertainment groups together had nearly 800 million views from 225 different countries. The author shows the popularity of K-pop in the West _ .

0A

In two days, I will be turning 30. And I was not looking forward to a new decade . I was afraid that the best years of my life were behind me. One day, I met with my friend Nicholas. He was a 79-year-old man. He noticed something was different about me and asked if anything was wrong. I told him what I was anxious about and asked him: "What was the best time of your life?" Without hesitation, Nicholas replied: "Well, Joe, when I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me, that was the best time of my life." "When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life." "When I got my first job and got paid for my work, that was the best time of my life." "When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life." "World War IIcame, and my wife and I had to leave Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship, that was the best time of my life." "When I became a young father and watched my children grow up, that was the best time of my life." "And now, Joe, I am 79 years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am just as in love with my wife as I was the day we met. This is the best time of my life." From the passage, we can learn that _ .

2C

When someone says extinct animals, you may think about dinosaurs . But now many other animals are becoming less and less in number. These animals might disappear from the earth very soon. Take a look at the following animals. They are all in danger. The African Elephant The African elephant is a clever animal. It has a very good memory. But people kill it for its tusks . Half of the African elephants have disappeared. The African Lion The African lions have nowhere to live because of wars in Southern Africa. Besides, hunters and farmers often kill them. The Tortoise George is a tortoise. It is the last Pinta Island giant tortoise. It was found in 1971. Now it lives in a research station. It can still live for another 200 years. But it is the last one of this species of tortoise. The Tadpole Shrimp Maybe you've never seen a tadpole shrimp. This is one of the oldest species on the earth. People have found them in fresh water pools on four continents . A tadpole shrimp can only live for two months or less. According to the passage, we know that George _ .

2C

Procter and Gamble(P&G)has announced that it'll enlarge its household products empire by combining with Gillette. The deal is expected to close this autumn because it should get permission from US Antitrust Regulators ,P&G said in a statement. P&G is to gain all of Gillette's business, including its producing and technical equipment. It will add a product variety popular with men. P&G said it expected the combination to bring in totaling US $14--16 billion. But it also said it was planning to cut the combined workforce of 140,000 by about 6,000 or four percent. P&G is based inprefix = st1 /Cincinnati,Ohio,US. It has about 110,000 employees in almost 80 countries. Its brands include Tide laundry detergent and Head&Shoulders shampoo. Gillette is famous all over the world for its shaving products. It's based in Boston,Massachusetts,USand has 32 factories in 14 countries. P&G ranks No. 1 in the world in its household and personal furnishing parts and the company had US$ 5.8 billion in profits in 2004. Gillette ranks No.5 and has a market capitalization of US$ 45.5 billion. This combination of two best of their class, at a time when they are both operating from a position of strength, is a special opportunity, and the combination is going to create the greatest consumer products company in the world. It's a dream deal. Which of the following is most likely to happen after the combination.

3D

The coyote , that clever animal of wide-open spaces, has come to the nation's capital. In fact, coyotes have spread to every corner of the United States, changing their behaviors to fit new environments and causing researchers to deal with a troublesome new kind of creature: the city coyote. The coyote originally lived in the middle of the continent. One of its most obvious characters is its smartness, which has made the animal a notorious pest. Hunters trapped, shot and poisoned more than a million coyotes in the 1900s. It's still one of America's most hunted animals. Yet the coyote has survived. How has the coyote shown this extraordinary ability? "I guess if you wanted to use one word, it'd be ' _ '," says Eric Gese, an expert at Utah State University. Coyotes can live alone, in pairs, or in large packs like wolves; hunt at night or during the day; occupy a small region or an area up to 40 square miles; and live on all sorts of food, from lizards and shoes, to ants and melons. Unbelievably people helped coyotes increase when they killed most of the wolves in the United States. The spreading of coyotes into city areas, though, is recent. They travel at night, crossing sidewalks and bridges, running along roads and ducking into culverts and underpasses. No one knows why coyotes are moving into cities, but experts explain that cleverer, more human-tolerant coyotes are teaching urban survival skills to new generations. Occasionally, coyotes might attack human beings. There have been about 160 attacks on people in recent years. Therefore, people have been consistently told not to feed coyotes or leave pet food unsecured. That, plus a large trapping program in the neighborhood, has cut down on the coyote population. According to the passage, to cut down on the coyote population, people are advised to _ .

0A

Recently, Danny Meyer, founder of the Shake Shack chain, announced that his restaurants will do away with tipping. He plans to pay his staff higher wages and pass the cost to customers by raising prices on menus. Is this a good idea? I'm sure Meyer's latest move will be a winner. The new model could work in Meyer's restaurants because he draws a particular type of customers who are there for a high-end experience. Besides, if the restaurants charge more for meals, they'll pay higher in taxes. As restaurants move to higher wages, the benefit costs will be higher, too. --Mel Robbins For a European, eating in an American restaurant is like attending a high school reunion. Tipping turns the whole process into a drawn-out experience where money is at the center stage. There are so many opportunities for embarrassment. So I think Danny Meyer's proposal will change it for the better. --Andre Spicer Danny Meyer is doing the right thing by stopping tipping. Eating out costs what it costs and workers are hard-working humans who deserve the stability of a wage. It may take a while to catch on, but we'll get there and it'll become the norm. --Kat Kinsman I've found that the practice of tipping has traditionally attracted millions of employees to our industry. The current tipping model still has strong support from diners and they are more than happy to reward good service. But it is vital that restaurants continue to have the freedom to choose what works best for their business and their employees. --Cicely Simpson Who considers giving waiters tips as an embarrassment?

2C

Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you. Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud -- a cumulus cloud . How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful ... think of elephants." The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question -- what keeps it up there? "First of all, the water isn't in elephant sized particles , it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says. So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud--10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants. Now, ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains. The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet. What can be inferred from the passage?

2C

While very young unmanned aircraft industry looks at ways to improve small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for specific tasks such facility security, infrastructure inspection, or precision agriculture, a New Mexico-based aerospace founder is thinking bigger and longer-term ones. Titan Aerospace, a one-year-old aircraft designer, last week unveiled its Solara 50 and Solara 60 unmanned aircraft. These are two large solar-powered>> high-altitude vehicles the company plans to send up into space for weeks,months>> and eventually years at a time without ever having to land. Titan doesn't refer to these concept aircraft as "drones " or "unmanned aircraft system," but instead calls them "atmospheric satellites" for their ability to remain in the sky for extended periods of time just as orbital satellites do. The company hopes to provide a platform of less than $2 million that governments, private industry, and research institutions can put high into the atmosphere for extended periods of time for a little part of the cost of a space satellite. The idea is that an atmospheric satellite can conduct most of the same operations as an orbital one: atmospheric observation and weather monitoring, communications relay, oceanographic research, and earth imaging. Other operations are impractical for space satellites, such as border security, maritime traffic monitoring and anti-piracy operations, disaster response, or agricultural observation. And with continuous flight time of up to five years, Solara's aircraft would have endurance on par with (......) many small satellites, making them a more attractive choice for a range of these applications. "If you have to go up to the orbital satellite and rent that service>> that's a lot of money," says Dustin Sanders, Titan's chief electrical engineer. "And launching a satellite, that can cost billions of dollars. We're trying to do a single-million-dollar-per-aircraft platform. And the operation cost is almost nothing--you're paying a little money and make sure the aircraft doesn't do anything stupid. " The writer writes the passage to introduce _ .

3D

One hot summer day in August my family and I wanted to go to the beach. We had not gone to the beach in a very long time and felt that today was a great day to do it. We piled everyone into the car-my mom, my dad, my sister, my dog, and me. I begged mom and dad to let me sit in the front seat, but they said no. I had to sit next to the smelly dog instead for the whole trip. When we got to the beach and opened the car door our dog raced down to the water to play. I grabbed the large umbrella we brought and walked down to the sand with mom and dad. After we had found a spot, they let me go play in the water. It felt really good to cool off in the ocean water on such a hot day. As I swam around I saw many cool things, like fish, seaweed, and shells. I brought the interesting shells that I found to a bucket I had on the beach and threw them in. They would be great to add to my collection at home. When I got tired of swimming, my sister and I wanted to make a sand castle. We built towers using buckets and dug a huge ditch with our shovels. When our castle was complete we were about to take a picture, but then the dog ran it over and smashed it. I was about to yell at the dog, but then mom said it was getting late and we had to go home. When we got home I was wiped out from playing all day, so I went to sleep almost immediately. It was a very good day that I'll always remember. Why did the dog almost get yelled at?

1B

Summerfest Arts Faire 2010 Summerfest Arts Faire is an arts festival in Logan, Utah, celebrating local, regional and national artists. Visitors can expect to see high quality artworks from nationally recognized artists. Summerfest also features live entertainment and a variety of delicious food. Place: 50 North Main Street, Logan, UT 84321 Dates: June 17-June 19, 2010 Time: Thursday-Saturday 1:00 pm-10:00 pm Venture Outdoors Festival The 5th Annual Venture Outdoors Festival is a celebration of outdoor recreation . This unique festival is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of and participation in the many recreational activities available in Utah. This family-friendly event features live music, guest speakers, giveaways, creative children's activities, and great food all day long. Place: 3100 South 2900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84109 Date: June 19, 2010 Time: Saturday 3:00 pm -10:00 pm The Days of '47 KSL 5 Parade The parade is one of the largest and oldest parades in the United States. Colorful floats, bands, horses and clowns thrill tens of thousands of people each year. Many parade-goers camp out on the streets the night before just to make sure of a great position to catch it all. Place: 900 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105 Date: July 24, 2010 Time: Saturday 9:00 am Taylorsville Dayzz 2010 Experience Taylorsville Dayzz 2010, a celebration of the city's birthday. Enjoy a 5K Family Run, Carnival, Food and Exhibit Booths and Fireworks. Listen to a live concert by Taylorsville Symphony and Utah Symphony, and a live performance of Jayson Hewlett (an American entertainer). Place: 5100 South 2700 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84118 Dates: June 25-June 28, 2010 Time: Monday 8:00 pm, Friday 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 pm-10:00 pm If you have to go to work in the afternoon, you can only take part in _ .

2C

"A good book for children should simply be a good book in its own right" says Mollie Hunter. Born and brought up near Edinburgh,Mollie has devoted her talents to writing primarily for young people. She firmly believes that there is and should always be a wider audience for any good book whatever its main market is. In Mollie's opinion it is necessary to make full use of language and she enjoys telling a story,which is what every writer should be doing. "If you aren't telling a story, you're a very dead writer indeed." She says. With the chief function of a writer being to entertain,Mollie is indeed an entertainer. "I have this great love of not only the meaning of language but of the music of language," she says. "This love goes back to early childhood. I had a school teacher who used to ask us what we would like to be when we grew up and,because my family always had dogs,and I was very good at handling them,I said I wanted to work with dogs,and the teacher always said 'Nonsense,Mollie;dear,you'll be a writer.' So finally I thought that this woman must have something,since she was a good teacher and I decided when I was nine that I would be a writer." This childhood intention is described in her novel,A Sound of Chariots,which although written in the third person is clearly autobiographical and gives a picture both of Mollie's ambition and her struggle towards its achievement. Thoughts of her childhood inevitably brought thoughts of the time when her home was still a village with buttercup meadows and strawberry fields--sadly now covered with modern houses. "I was once taken back to see it and I felt that somebody had lain dirty hands all over my childhood. I'll never go back,"she said "Never. When I set one of my books in Scotland" she said "I can recall my romantic feelings as a child playing in those fields,or watching the village blacksmith at work. And that's important because children now know so much so early that romance can't exist for them, as it did for us." What do we learn about Mollie Hunter as a young child?

0A

Some people are so rude! Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says "Thank you"? Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don't these people realize that they're wasting your time? Maybe I'm the rude one for not appreciating life's little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don't make sense to people drowning in digital communication. In texts, you don't have to declare who you are or even say hello; E-mail, too, is slower than a text; Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect. My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. _ , he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls. "Why are you leaving him voice mails?" my sister asked. "Just text him." In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business's phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail. How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message. Others, like me, want no reply. The anthropologist Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here's hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do. Why didn't the writer reply to his father?

1B

When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was totally deaf. But instead of sending me to a school for the deaf, they decided to " " me. All of my peers and teachers world have normal hearing. I was the only deaf child at Blue Creel Elementary School. From almost the first day there, the other kids made fun of me mainly because of my hearing aid and the way I talked. And I also had difficulty with most of my school work. When the other kids made fun of me, I was sure that I was a bad person. I saw myself as a boy who wasn't smart enough to keep up with the class. Mrs. Jordan, my 5th grade teacher, changed all of that with a simple three-word phrase. One morning, she asked the class a question. I read her lips from my front-row seat and immediately raised my hand because I was sure I had the right answer. But when she called on me, I was afraid. Here was an opportunity to impress the powerful teacher and show her I was worthy of her love. Maybe even impress my classmates a little. I didn't want to blow it. despite my fears, I took a deep breath and answered Mrs. Jordan's question. I will never forget what happened next. Mrs. Jordan enthusiastically slammed her right foot on the floor and turned her tight hand around in full circle until it pointed directly at me. With sparking eyes and a wide smile she cried, "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!" For the first time in my young life, I was a star. I sat a little taller in my chair. From that day forward, my grades and speech improved greatly. My popularity among my peers increased. It was all because Mrs. Jordan believed in me and wasn't afraid to express it. "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!" It can be inferred that when entering Blue Creek Elementary School, the writer _ .

2C

For thousands of years, people have been debating the meaning of happiness and how to find it. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to current day writers and professors, the debate about happiness continues. What makes someone happy? In what parts of the world are people the happiest? Why even study happiness? The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that a person's highest happiness comes from the use of his or her intelligence. Religious books such as the Koran and Bible discuss faith as a form of happiness. The British scientist Charles Darwin believed that all species were formed in a way so as to enjoy happiness. People throughout history may have had different ideas about happiness. But today, many people are still searching for its meaning. How do you study something like happiness? You could start with the World Database of Happiness at Erasmus University in prefix = st1 /Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This set of information includes how to define and measure happiness. Some findings are not surprising. For example, the database suggests that married people are happier than single people. People who like to be with other people are happier than unsocial people. But other findings are less expected: People with children are equally happy as couples without children. And wealthier people are only a little happier than poorer people. Positive psychology is the new term for a method of scientific study that tries to examine the things that make life worth living instead of life's problems. Traditional psychology generally studies negative situations like mental suffering and sickness. But positive psychology aims to study the strengths that allow people and communities to do well. There is also an increasing amount of medical research on the physical qualities of happiness. Doctors can now look at happiness at work in a person's brain using a method called magnetic resonance imaging , or MRI. For example, an MRI can show how one area of a person's brain activates when he or she is shown happy pictures. A different area of the brain becomes active when the person sees pictures of terrible subjects. As an approach of scientific study, positive psychology focuses on _ .

3D

Which is a process that occurs during photosynthesis?

3D

The global energy crisis is approaching. What can we do? Here are some steps you can take. Cooling puts the greatest stress on your summer energy bill and the power grid . Just as t tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Clean or replaces filters monthly or as needed. For central air conditioning systems and room air conditioners, look for the ENERGY STAR, the federal government's symbol for energy efficiency. For central air, purchase the system with the highest possible Seasonal Energy Efficiency Raton. (SEER) Use energy-efficient ceiling fans either alone or with air conditioning. Ceiling fans do a great job of circulating air. When used with air conditioning, fans allow you to raise the thermostat and cut costs. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so before you leave; turn off the ceiling fan. Let a programmable thermostat! "remember for you" to automatically adjust the indoor climate with your daily and weekend patterns to reduce cooling bills by up to 10 percent. You can come home to a comfortable house without wasting energy and cresting pollution all day while you are at work. Try to make your home airtight enough to increase your comfort, make your home quieter and cleaner and reduce your cooling costs up to 20 percent. Gut your air conditioning load, and reduce pollution by planting planting leafy trees around your home and fixing reflective bricks on your roof. Close blinds or shades on south-and west-facing windows during the day, or fix shading equipment to avoid heat build-up. Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers. And use fluorescent bulbs , which provide bright, warm light while using at least two-thirds less energy, producing 70 percent less heat and lasting up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs . Drive the car that gets better gas mileage whenever possible if you own more than one vehicle. If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10 percent of your trips from a car that gets 20 mils per gallon to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than PS65 per year. Carpool. The average U.S. commuter could save about PS260 a year by sharing cars twice a week with two people in a car that gets 20.1 mpg---assuming the three passengers share the cost of gas. According to the passage, you can save fuel by _ .

1B

Babies are not just passing idle time when they stare at the television--they are actually learning about the world, U. S. researchers said. Parents may want to limit what their babies see on television, based on the study, said Donna Mumme, assistant professor of psychology at Tuffs University in Boston, who led the research. "Children as young as 12 months are making decisions based on the emotional reactions of adults around them," Mumme said in a statement. "It turns out they can also use emotional information they pick up from television." Mumme's team already knew that babies watch other children and adults for information about the world. A mother urging her baby to eat some "yummy" soup or a brother crying in fear when a dog approaches can influence a baby's reaction. Mumme's team tested babies to determine if television has the same influence, showing actors reacting on a videotape to objects such as red letter holder, a blue ball, and a yellow lubber. Babies aged 10 months or 12 months were later given the same objects to play with. Ten-month-olds did not seem to be influenced by the videos, but the 1-year-olds were. When the actors acted naturally or positively to an object, the babies happily played with them. But if the actor had seemed afraid or disgusted, the babies would avoid the object. Mumme reached his conclusion by _ .

3D

Astronomy is the oldest science known to man. Thousands of years ago man looked at the stars and wondered about the heavens. But man was limited by what he could see with his eyes alone. The Greeks studied astronomy over 2,000 years ago. They could see the size, color, and brightness of a star. They could see its place in the sky. They watched the stars move as the seasons changed. But the Greeks had no tools to help themselves study the heavens. Each new tool added to the field of astronomy helped man reach out into space. They did not know that the planet called Saturn had rings around it. Their sight was so limited that they could not see all the planets. In the early 1700s, people thought there were only six planets. Nepture , the last of eight planets to be discovered, was not seen until 1846. Before the spectroscope , man did not know what kind of gases was in the sun or other stars. Without the radio telescope, we didn't know that radio noises came from far out in space. Today, astronomy is a growing science. We had learned more in the last fifty years than in the whole history of astronomy. . This passage mainly talks about _ .

3D

The Albinas married when Mr. Albina was 30, and they spent the early marriage in Argentina. Then they decided to move to Chile, which meant they had to cross the Andes Mountains. They and their 20s sons made the difficult two-week journey on horses. One night there was a terrible snow storm in the mountains, during which Mrs Albina gave birth to triplets , a boy and two girls. Mrs Albina now has 30 more girls, including the twins who are 15 months old. The oldest Albina children are in their 30s and 40s. They are on their own now, but 18 of the kids still live with their parents in a two-room house. The house has electricity but no toilet or running water. Clearly, the Albinas don't have enough money and food for the big family. Why, then, do they continue to have children? The Albinas do not use birth control because it is against their religion. They can let other people take care of their kids, but Mrs Albina doesn't allow it. "When we were babies," she said, "our mother left us at an orphanage and never returned. Then a couple adopted my brothers, and I was left behind. I was heartbroken. I promised that when I became a mother I would never give my children away." So the Albina family continues to grow. They have so many kids that they run out of names and have to give some children the same name. There are three Susannas, three Miriams, two Estrellas, and two Soledades. Will the family stop at 53 kids? Mr Albina is 77, and Mrs Albina is 59. "I am getting old," she said with a smile, "and I would like God to think of me and consider my age. But if God sends more children to me, yes, there will be more." How old was Mrs Albina when the Albinas got married?

2C

A global positioning system(GPS)service is aiding the elderly in the Panlong district of Kunming,capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province. The telecommunications service provider,with the support o,f the local govemment,started the GPS tracking service in January to help the elderly,especially those with Alzheimer's disease,a condition that slowly destroys memory. Huang Haiying,an employee with a local telecommunications company,told China Daily that with the GPS devices ,the people who look after the elderly can quickly find their positions either online or by ca l l ing the service center in case ot emergencles. The system is also connected to the police,hospitals,fire services and community service centers to ensure that the elderly get quick and proper help,Huang said. Experts said that this service could improve the quality of life for thousands of elderly people with Alzheimer's,their families and those who look after them. Hundreds of people have already been helped by the service this year,Huang said. Huang said that the system has about 1 0,000 subscribers and she expects that number to grow 1 0 times over the next three years.A user pays 25 yuan($4)each month for the service.A family with an income below the local poverty line can get a 10 yuan subsidy evcry month from the government. The local government has spent more than 2 million yuan to subsidize the service to date. Rao Yuehui,director of the Panlong civil affairs department,said that about 90,000 people,or 15.4 percent of the district'S population,are more than.60 years old. He Xiangqun,an official with the Yunnan provincial civil affairs department,said that this means that the population meets international standards classifying it, as an aging society as defined by the United Nations. The best title for the passage might be _ .

2C

Six years ago, Ann graduated from college with a degree in Art. Now she is twenty-nine and works for a large computer company. She takes classes twice a week after work. She is learning to use the computer program PowerPoint. "I enjoy the college, but my job doesn't use the information I learned at college." Ann says. "The course is helping me to do my job better." In the past, when students graduated from college and got a job, they usually stopped studying. Today, lifelong learning is becoming more common. In many countries, some people return to school in their late twenties, thirties, or even older to get a higher degree. More people are taking training courses to improve their working skills after work. People can also get degrees or training through the Internet. Ann's sixty-year-old mother and father are taking courses in Art and Music. "We love these two subjects. Learning is so much fun."They say happily, "It's never too old to learn." Ann graduated from college when she was _ .

2C

Beijing's broadened ban on smoking in public places took effect Thursday, adding force to the effort to hold a smoke-free Olympics. The new rules extend existing anti-smoking regulations to more places, including fitness centers, cultural relic sites, offices, meeting rooms, dining halls, toilets and lifts. Restaurants, Internet cafes, parks, and waiting halls at airports, railway stations and coach stations are required to set up smoking areas. Hotels will have to offer smoke-free rooms or floors, but the regulations do not specify a proportion. However, some restaurant owners have complained that it would be difficult to have a separate smoking room as required by the new regulations. "We plan to issue specific rules to solve this problem as soon as possible," Rao Yingsheng, vice-director of the Beijing Committee for Patriotic Public Health Campaign, was quoted by the Beijing News as saying Thursday. He said small restaurants without a separate room should set aside at least 70 percent of their area for non-smokers. He also said customers and restaurant owners would be asked for their thoughts on the new rule. Local authorities dispatched about 100,000 inspectors to make sure the ban was being enforced Thursday. Everyone has the right to dissuade people from smoking in public places, Liu Zejun, who works for the Beijing committee, said. "Citizens are encouraged to expose those who refuse to obey the rule by calling the free telephone line 12320," Liu said. People caught smoking in forbidden areas will be fined 10 yuan ($1.40), while enterprises and institutions that violate the ban will face fines of between 1,000 yuan and 5,000 yuan. Smoking was forbidden in hospitals, kindergartens, schools, museums, sports venues and other places before the new regulations took effect. From Oct 1 last year, the city also banned smoking in its 66,000 cabs, and imposed fines of 100 yuan to 200 yuan on drivers caught smoking in taxis. China has pledged a cigarette-free, green Olympics. This year's event will be the first non-smoking Olympic Games since the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), of which China is a signatory , went into effect in 2005. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

1B

It snowed heavily last winter in northern China.Big snows came to Beijing,Hebei,Shanxi,Ningxia and Xinjiang.For many cities,it was the biggest snowfall in 50 years.The snow made traveling hard.Many schools had to close for days. Jia Aizhen,14,lives in Taiyuan,Shanxi.Her math teacher asked them to have a test on Wednesday.Because of the snow,they had the test later on Sunday. "It was good because we had more time to study for the test,"said Jia.She enjoyed the snow from the window at home. "I felt quiet and relaxed to see the white snowy world." Kang Xinyi,13,and Wang Doing,13,are classmates at Shijiazhuang No.43 Middle School in Hebei.Their school stopped on Wednesday.Kang said the snow outside was 40em deep . "It was so good we didn't have to go to school!"said Kang. Kang,Wang and another friend had a snowball fight and made a snowman .They also helped clear snow off the streets. "I never saw such a big snow,"said Wang."Last year we only made a small snow panda,but this year our snowman is 1 meter tall!" "If the snow didn't _ for traveling,we would hope it would never stop!"said the girls. In the passage, _ played with snow outside.

1B

Learning to speak English well may be the best thing you can do to improve your life. That's right. If you can communicate in English, you can: Contact people from all over the world. Talk about your ideas and opinions on Internet discussion groups. Send email to interesting people.Learn about their life and culture. Travel more easily. Communicate with people wherever you go--English is spoken in more than 100 countries (source). Ask directions, have a conversation, or...ask for help. Who knows, maybe English will save your life someday! Push your career forward. If you want a good job in business, technology, or science, get out of that armchair and start learning English now! (If you already have a good job, start learning before you lose it!) Knowing English will let you: Put "excellent knowledge of English" on your CV. Get your dream job, and earn more money. Gain technical knowledge. English is the language of technology, especially high technology like computer science, genetics, and medicine. If you're going to read about technology, you'll probably have to do it in English. Learn computer science. Read technical articles without difficulty. Or write your own articles! Be a worldclass businessman (or woman). It's simple. International business is done in English. And all business today is international. So if you want to play, you have to know English--to contact other business people, go to conferences, read international business newspapers and magazines, etc. Become a better scientist. Contact scientists from other countries, go to international conferences, visit academic centers abroad. Learn about new scientific discoveries by reading papers, books, and magazines. Use your computer more effectively. Most computer applications are in English, so you will understand them better--and become a better employee. According to the passage, knowing English will let you _ .

1B

A "blogger" is a person who writes on an Internet computer Web site called a "blog". The word "blog" is a short way of saying Web log, or personal Web site. Anyone can start a blog, and they can write about anything they like. There are millions of blogs on the Internet today. They provide news, information and ideas in many people who read them. They contain links to other Web sites. And they provide a place for people to write about their ideas and react to the ideas of others. A research company called Perscus has studied more than 300 Web logs. It says that blogs are most popular with teenage girls. They use them to let their friends know what is happening in their lives. The study also says that more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity after a year. However, some people develop serious blogs to present political and other ideas. For example, the Republican and Democratic parties in the southern state of Kentucky recently started their own blogs. And American companies are beginning to use blogs to advertise their products. At the same time, some long-standing blogs have ended last week, blogging leader Dave Winer closed his free blog service weblogs. com. He says the site became too costly to continue. He started the blog four years ago. And thousands of people had written on it. They are now upset because they did not know that the site was closing. One blog that is still going strong is called Rebecca's Pocket. Rebecca Blood created the Website in 1999. She wrote about the history of blogs on the site. That article led to a book called "The Weblog Handbook". It has been translated into four languages so far. Ms. Blood says Rebecca's Pocket gets about 30,000 visitors a month. She writes about anything and everything--politics, culture and movies. She recently provided medical advice. And she wrote about how to prevent people from stealing money from on-line bank accounts. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?

0A

For many years, no one could communicate with people who had been born without hearing. These deaf people were not able to use a spoken language. But, beginning in the 1700s, the deaf were taught a special language. Using the language, they could share thoughts and ideas with others. The language they used was a language without sound. It was a sign language. How did this sign language work? The deaf were taught to make certain movements using their hands, faces, and bodies. These movements stood for things and ideas. People might move their forefingers across their lips. This meant, "You are not telling the truth." They might tap their chins with three fingers. This meant, "my uncle". The deaf were also taught to use a finger alphabet . They used their fingers to make the letters of the alphabet. In this way, they spelled out words. Some deaf people could spell out words at a speed of 130 words per minute. Sign language and finger spelling are not used as much as they once were. Today the deaf are taught to understand others by watching their lips. They are taught how to speak. Which of these sentences do you think is RIGHT?

3D

Would you like to be a king or queen? To have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. Need proof? Just listen to the commercials. Most of them sound like the McDonald's ad: "We do it all for you." Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers. But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special. People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. Most places don't have a "furniture street" or a "computer road" which allow you to compare prices easily. Instead, people often "let their fingers do the walking" through the store hot lines. From the first "hello", customers receive a satisfying response to their questions. This initial contact can help them decide where to shop. When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. Customers don't usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards. Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don't have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they're at a flea market or a yard sale, they don't bother trying to bargain. When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy's Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm "thank you" from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don't have to carry heavy bags out to the car. By quoting the McDonald's ad: "We do it all for you", the author intends to _ .

1B

LONDON---The International Table Tennies Federation(ITTF) plans to work with Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corporation, to promote table tennis in the United States, ITTF President Adham Sharara said. The plan was put forward after Gates came to London to watch the game between US teen player Ariel Hsing and Chinese Li Xiaoxia on Sunday, Sharara told Xinhua in an interview. Sharara didn't disclose the details, but said that Gates offered to help after watching Hsing's match, in which the 16-year-old girl nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic table tennis history, pushing No. 2 seed Li to the limit before losing 4-2 in six tight sets. "Gates was surprised to see the young American girl played so well. He asked me what he can do to help promote table tennis in the United States. I think we'll work with him. If the United States becomes very strong in table tennis, it's also good for China," Sharara said. Sharara said the case is a "good example" which shows that ITTF's efforts in promoting the popularity. The ITTF has changed its rules for the London Games, allowing only two players from one nation to enter the singles events. Three players from each National Olympic Committee(NOC) were allowed to enter the singles in previous Games. "The reason we do this is to help more NOCs to join in our game. If we give more chances to the top countries, someone like Hsing will not come to the Olympic Games. They have no chance. But if we give them the chance, we can see what they can do," Sharara said. Sharara said the change increased the pressure on strong teams, like China, Japan, South Korea and Germany. "But they understand now because they saw other NOCs attending. Some countries before had no chance to play in table tennis, but now they are joining in table tennis." Other changes made to the Olympic Games include the color of floor (from red to blue) and new table design. "As far as presentation is concerned, we try to change all the time, especially in the Olympic Games. We hope to give audiences something new, exciting and cool." Table tennis has long been the strengths of Asia, especially China. Since the sport was introduced into the Olympics in 1988, China has taken 20 of 24 gold medals available. Four years ago in Beijing, it claimed six medals in the men's and women's singles. Talking about the development of table tennis, Sharara said, "China has the responsibility to promote the sport. Of course, China has done a lot." It is mainly reported in this news that in order to promote table tennis in the United States, _ .

0A

Billie Holiday was one of the greatest jazz singers in America. Her life was just a mixture of success and tragedy. Her singing expressed her experiences and feelings. Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan in 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday. They were young when their daughter was born. Their marriage failed because Clarence Holiday was often out. He traveled as a musician with some of the earliest jazz bands and inspired his daughter. Sadie Fagan cleaned people's houses to make a living. But she could not support her family with the money she earned. So she moved to New York City where the pay was higher. She left her daughter in Baltimore with one of her distant relatives. The young girl Eleanora Fagan changed her name to Billie, because she liked a movie star, Billie Dove. The talented Billie Holiday loved singing. She sang and listened to music whenever she could. In one place near her home there was a machine that played records. The building was a theater where many famous singers also performed their newly-made songs for free. Billie cleaned floors and did other jobs for the theater so that she could listen to the records. It was there that young Billie first heard the records of some famous black American blues artists of the 1920s. she heard Bessie Smith sing the blues. And she heard Louis Armstrong play the horn. Both musicians had a great influence on her. Billie Holiday once said, "I do not think I'm singing. I feel like I am playing a horn. _ I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That is all I know." From the passage, we can learn that _ .

3D

Vincent Van Gogh was an important painter of the 19thcentury. He was born in Holland, but he lived much of his life inprefix = st1 /France. He was a very emotional man, and there was much suffering in his life. His style of painting was very different from classical art. He painted pictures of sunny, hot regions ofFrance. He looked for interesting shapes and exciting colours. He liked to work freely and quickly. There is a fast movement in many of his paintings. Sometimes the trees look like fire. The sun, the moon, and stars move rapidly in the sky. He also painted pictures of people. Like his life, his art was always unusual and very emotional. Paul Gauguin was another 19-century painter. He was French and a friend of Van Gogh. Before he became an artist, Gauguin had been a businessman for many years. He made a lot of money, and he likes to buy modern paintings. At the age of 354, Gauguin decided to become a painter himself. Gauguin wanted to discover more important things about man. He went to a different part of Franceto live with the farmers. He painted pictures of French country people there. Two years later he went to live in a small place in the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles fromFrance. He wanted to learn about the simple life there. His most famous and interesting paintings were painted at that time. What kind of person was Van Gogh?

1B

Cannes will rock to the sound of a cancan dance this year when Moulin Rougeby the Australian director Baz Luhrmann opens the French film festival in May. The musical stars Nicole Kidman as a singer, and John Leguizamo as the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It will be competing for the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize. The festival runs to May 21. The American actor Tommy Lee Jones, 54, has married his longtime girlfriend, Dawn Maria Laurel, 36, in a private wedding in prefix = st1 /San Antonio. "It wash' t a big to-do, ' said Fred Biery, a U. S. District Judge who performed the service. He refused to discuss things further. "These are very private people," he said. Loretta Lynn is being treated for a very bed cold in Tennesseeand will miss several appearances. The country singer, 65, was admitted to a hospital near her home in Hurricane Mills. "She is in good condition, but the doctors are watching her closely," a spokeswoman said. The French-Algerian singer Enrico Macias was named a United Nations peace messenger. Enrico joins eight other people who act as goodwill envoys for the United Nations, among them are the writer Elie Wiesel and the basketball player Magic Johnson. We can learn from the text that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is _

0A

In southern Africa we are more likely to see snow in

3D

There is no denying that over the years college education has been accepted without the slightest doubt. All high school graduates should go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more, become "better" citizens and be more responsible than those who don't go. But college can never work its magic for everyone. Now with half our high school graduates attending college, those unfit for the pattern are getting more. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the fierce competition for admission into graduate schools. Others find no stimulation in their studies, and consequently have to drop out, which is often encouraged by college administrators. Some observers say the fault lies with young people themselves --- they are spoiled and expecting too much. But that's a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame our society. Both are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds, either. Some campus watchers suggest that college may not be the best, the proper or the only place for every young person after finishing high school. It seems that through the rosy glow of our own college experiences, we may have been looking at those surveys and statistics upside down. Perhaps college does not make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, or quick to learn things--maybe _ . Intelligent, ambitious, happy, quick-learning people are merely those who are attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful even without college education. This is heresy to those who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to pile up. Which of the following statements is TRUE about those surveys and statistics?

2C

Except for a few times, Americans are not big present-givers. There's no exchange of presents among business people, and if one American tries to give another a present, it may look like that he wants to bribe him. Americans have learned that in some other countries people like to give presents to others, but among ourselves we don't see the need for presents. Even friends may never exchange presents. When I go to foreign countries, I try to bring back little things for _ but nobody would feel unhappy if I didn't. I don't often remember a friend's birthday, and few people outside of my family remember mine. If someone gave me presents too often, I'd get unpleasant. But a present from a foreigner - that kind from his or her homeland -- won't go wrong, except to government employees who can't be given presents. You usually open a present at once and in front of the person who gives it except Christmas and birthday presents. You should only say, "It's so nice. Thanks..." when you get Christmas or birthday presents. You may want to bring a bottle of wine or flowers to a dinner party, but you're never asked to. Nobody will mind if you bring wine, but your friend may not use it that evening. At Christmas we often give presents to our family and sometimes our friends. We also give presents to people who have been helpful during the year- doormen, babysitters, housecleaners, newspaper senders-- anyone who has often helped us. What does "close friends" mean in the passage?

3D

Before I spoke to his school, Matt was waiting for me. He sat in his wheelchair barely able to move. As soon as he saw me he started smiling. He could not talk but I pretended the sharks were eating his cereal and his laugh melted the hearts of everyone walking by. One of the teachers told me that he was actually very smart, he just could not control his muscles due to a childhood disease. He was happy and very popular at his school-his'parents' love and encouragement made all the difference. On the contrary--at a book signing session, I met a girl by the name of Anne. She walked up with her mom with a bright smile. Anne asked about my book with a slur in her speech indicating a slight head-injury. I told her about it and she smiled the whole time and asked me to sign one for her. I did. Five minutes later, I heard a voice from Anne's father, "you know you will not understand the book. You can't read well enough. You aren't smart enough." He said it so loudly that people were staring in their direction. She was ly crushed and her bright smile was now replaced with a look of total despair. He pried the book from her and brought it back to me and asked me to take it back. I asked him if he would allow me to purchase the book for Anne. He said no with a heartless response. I thought back to Matt. He could not speak, walk, run or play but was actually very happy and even doing well in school because of the love and encouragement of his parents. Anne on the other hand had a slight learning problem and may never know happiness of success because of a stern father. What kind of parent are you? The truth is that whatever you are telling your kids-makes the difference between their success or failure in life. Hearing her father's words, Anne felt _

3D

Kelly Christopher, a student at Lutheran High School in California, US, loves oranges. One day last week, she used a pole to pick oranges off trees and collect them in baskets. It's the first time in her 15 years she's picked fruit from trees. "This is quite different from buying oranges in the supermarket," said Christopher. "Every time I eat an orange, I'll remember this experience." Christopher was one of the 30 student volunteers at Soil Born Farms. She volunteered as part of a project which was set up in 2009 to help homeowners in South Land Park pick oranges and other fruits out of their backyards. Before, the fruit would rot on the ground or get eaten by animals. Now the fruit is donated to those who need it. "It is good for many people", said Randy Stannard, who works for the project. "The homeowner gets fruit picked and more people can have healthy food." "Two harvests ( ) were organized in 2009 and volunteers picked 3,000 pounds (1,360kg) of fruit", Stannard said. In 2010, the number was 20,000. This year, Soil Born Farms hopes to get 40,000 pounds. They will harvest every weekend from January to April. Shannon Galloway, Christopher's science teacher, brought her students into the project this year. "You're making use of a _ that might be wasted," she said. "I think it's meaningful to everyone." Donato Frazier, 15, always climbs up a ladder and gets on the top of the tree. "Standing on the treetop is pretty cool," Frazier said. "I can see clearly that many baskets are filled up, and even see that many people are eating healthy fruit because of our volunteer work." What will happen to the fruit if they don't help the homeowners pick it?

0A

John is a paper boy. He delivers newspapers to different houses in his street every day. He has about 80 customers . Half of his customers only take the newspapers on weekdays, and about half take the newspapers on weekdays and on Sundays. Two of John's customers only take the newspapers on Sundays. John has to get up at 4:30 every morning to deliver his newspapers. It takes longer to deliver the newspapers on Sundays. The Sunday newspapers are twice as heavy as those on weekdays. John is saving his money to buy a new bicycle. He is also saving money for college . He has already saved 500 dollars. How many customers does he have?

2C

Forget the pyramids, Tahrir Square and the Nile. Egypt is ready to ditch Cairo and build a shiny new capital if the government has its way. Fed up with pollution, traffic jams, a packed population with soaring rents, Egypt is teaming up with a developer in the United Arab Emirates to build a city in what could be one of the world's most ambitious infrastructure programs. The yet-to-be-named city will spread out over 150 square miles, or roughly the size of Denver, and could eventually be home to 7 million people, the developers and government announced Friday. The current capital of Cairo, while full of history and vibrant charm, is home to more than 18 million people, and living in and getting around the city can be maddening and frustrating. The government says the idea is to reduce congestion in Cairo, which is projected to double in population in the coming decades. An exact location was not announced, but the city is expected to be built east of Cairo. It will be closer to the Red Sea -- between two major highways -- the Suez and the Ain Sokhna roads. The ambitions are big. In addition to the new embassies and government buildings, it plans to have an international airport bigger than Heathrow, solar energy farms, 40,000 hotel rooms, nearly 2,000 schools and 18 hospitals -- all linked together by over 6,000 miles of new roads. _ The total cost is estimated at U.S. $45 billion, Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly announced at an economic development conference in Sharm el-Sheikh. The revealing of the new capital was paired with a glamorous website showing a luxurious and technological urban view of glass towers and pools. The plan is backed by a group that describes itself as "a private real estate investment fund by global investors focused on investment and development partnerships" led by Emirati developer Mohamed Alabbar. Alabbar made his name as the founder of Dubai's Emaar Properties, primarily known for developing the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Egypt is not the first country to plan on moving its capital from established big cities to rural greener pastures. Myanmar has only recently completed its move from Yangon to the new city of Naypyidaw. Nigeria moved to Abuja in the 1990's, and Brazil carved its capital Brasilia out of the wilderness over 50 years ago. And then there was another crazy idea of building a capital city on a square of swampland that seemed mainly to be a boondoggle for wealthy land speculators at the time. That city? _ Egypt is ready to join hands with some experienced developers to build a new capital mainly because of the following EXCEPT _ in the old capital.

2C

The power of humor and laugher is numerous. They entertain us and make us feel good. But, above all, we have discovered that humor and laughter are the best medicine. They relieve pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and are anti-aging and longevity facilitators . They are extremely necessary for helping us to find and maintain a balance between life and work. However, they are slipping away from us. We have become far too serious. The only ones who still enjoy humor, laughter, fun and play to the fullest are young children. Children tend to laugh an average of 200 times a day. For adults, however, it is a totally different story. In the 1950s people laughed on average 18 times a day. Today, we are lucky if we average between 4-6 times a day. As a matter of fact, a recent study found that people laugh 6 more times in the presence of one person but 30 more times in a group of people. You can get a chuckle from jokes you get on the Internet, but it is not the same as belly jiggling laughter (a deep laugh) you get when you interact with others. Socializing with friends and relatives was much looked forward to. However, this is no longer the case. In fact, the majority of people can hardly find time, nor do they have the _ towards socializing outside home. They turn to electronic media such as television, computers, the Internet, videos, CDs, and audio equipment, which can provide them with instant self-entertainment at the push of a button. The workplace does not fare much better. Due to the pressures to produce more in the same or fewer hours available and to compete, for example, in a manufacturing field with cheaper labor elsewhere in the world, humor and laughter in the workplace have gradually eroded away. I have developed a real appreciation, perhaps closer to a strong desire for the power of humor and laughter. This encouraged me to write my first book titled "The Power of Humor" and subsequently my second book titled "Kids Say the Goggonest Things" based on the natural humor, laughter, play and fun that kids experience and they freely share with parents, grandparents and teachers. From writing about humor and laughter, people start to ask me to speak up for them. To date, I have developed a number of humor-laughter topics that I use in my keynote presentations. You are invited to subscribe to my free monthly e-magazine "The Humormeister's Forum" by clicking on the Free Humor E-zine navigation button on the website. According to the author, laughter is leaving us partly because _ .

2C

Which of the following properties provides the BEST way to identify a mineral?

0A

Thousands of teenagers will be able to transfer to a new wave of "studio schools" at the age of 14 to improve their chances of finding a job in UK. A dozen new-style schools are designed to act as a bridge to the workplace and cut the number of NEETs--young people not in education, employment or training. Under plans, schools will operate longer days and work outside standard academic terms. Each pupil will be expected to spend between four hours and two days a week on work placements with businesses linked to the school and teenagers will be assigned a personal coach to act as an academic "line manager". The reforms are put forward due to the fears that too many teenagers are now finishing full-time education lacking the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. According to a recent report, more than two-thirds of employers believe school and college leavers lack important "employability skills" such as customer awareness, while 55 per cent say they are unable to manage their time or daily tasks. And the number of NEETs has hit a record high, with almost one-in-five young people being left without a job or training place. The Department for Education will announce the establishment of 12 studio schools -- meeting the need of around 3,600 teenagers -- in areas such as Liverpool, Stevenage, Stoke-on-Trent and Fulham, west London. Each one, opening in 2012, will be linked to a series of local employers. Under plans, pupils will be able to transfer out of ordinary schools to attend them between the age of 14 and 19. The Government said all subjects would be taught "through projects, often designed with employers" -- with disciplines such as science being linked directly to local engineering firms or hospitals. Schools will operate a longer day to give pupils a better understanding of the demands of the workplace. Along with their studies, pupils will carry out work placements for four hours a week, rising to two days a week of paid work for those aged 16 to 19. They will also get the chance to take professional qualifications linked directly to the needs of local employers. What makes the government decide to found studio schools?

2C

Aquatic Adventures! Help Us Get Ready for Showtime! Trainer Program What does it take to work with seals or sea lions? Find out with Atlantis Marine World's Trainer Program and go behind the scenes with our Marine Mammal staff and: .Learn how we train our animals and help train our sea lions to learn how to paint .Go into the seal exhibit with trainers .Join in a seal training period - and get to pet and feed one of our harbor seals .Help prepare food for seals .Attend our Sea Lion Show .Get a kiss from sea lion, Java - and take home a photo Summer Adventure Days - Camp! Atlantis Style! Our camp program adds interactive excitement to your child's summer vacation. Children ages 3 to 14 discover the wonders of the sea environment through age - appropriate activities. Pirate Snorkel Adventure Yo-ho-ho, this is a whole lot of fun! Join us this summer for our interactive Pirate Snorkel Adventure and help Captain Poseidon locate missing treasure. While searching our lake, don't miss tropical fish from all around the world. When you're done, you'll walk away with some booty of your own - a $2.00 game card and a pirate eye patch featuring our very own Jolly Poseidon! Smooth Sailing: Taste Long Island Wine Cruise Now Accepting Reservations! Experience the magic of Taste Long Island, a Saturday evening wine and cheese cruise aboard the Atlantis Explorer Tour Boat. Featuring local wines, this adventure along the Peconic River is a relaxing way to enjoy both beautiful scenery and fine wines. Guests 21 and older only. Members and Green Key Cardholders enjoy 25%off. What is special about Smooth Sailing?

0A

Building a company website is one of the most important parts of creating a successful business. But designing a website can be time consuming and expensive. Web designers are difficult to work with, and even though you're paying them.There are cheaper ways to establish your company online, and Wix.com stands out among them. Wix.com offers free HTML5 and Flash website design that you can do on your own,without having to pay for a pricey web designer. With unlimited space for as many pages as you want, customized looks, photo galleries, and blog platform capabilities, social networking buttons, Wix has everything a business of any size needs to make an impact online.You get full control over what information fills in the blanks, and you don't have to know a thing about HTML to make this work. The way your website looks says a lot about your company. Wix does that, and it does it for free. Another thing that makes Wix the most affordable option in creating a website is that you don't have to pay for a separate web host--every page created on Wix is hosted on Wix, free of charge. The Internet is the marketplace of ideas:your company needs to share what you think. If you think just because you don't sell a product online you don't need a website, you're dead wrong.No matter what kind of business you have, if you want to reach an audience, you want to have a website that speaks to people.Wix lets you do that as quickly and easily as possible for free. If you have a bigger budget, Wix has more options than just the free website design.You can choose to upgrade to the adless version which won't fill up your customer's screens when they visit your site.But if the most important thing to you is getting your company's name online right now, try Wix.com today. If you create a company website on Wix,you _ .

2C

The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sport car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time. Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station's competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered a special "experiment" organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England, Greg, and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on a radio. They took a lie detector test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges include an astrologer who declared that they were suited. The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine's mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr. Cordell's parents are reported to be less than delighted. Organizations, including the marriage guidance Service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one person put it, "We have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this. Marriage should always be about love." The couple are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year's free use of a wonderful apartment in the center of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last? How did the couple's parents react to the wedding?

2C

On Sunday, our family went for a picnic. Mom, dad, Alice, Sissy (our dog), and I got in the van and drove to the park. Alice and I played fetch with Sissy. Dad fired up the grill and made some hamburgers. Mom made some salad. Mom asked me to spread the picnic cloth. Sissy wanted to help me too. Once the burgers were ready, we sat down to eat. They were delicious, I ate two! Alice only ate one hamburger. I didn't like the salad because I don't like carrots. Mom says they're good for me. Sissy doesn't like carrots either. After lunch, I played with dad and Alice played with mom and Sissy. Dad and I were flying a kite. Alice and mom played with flowers. Then we packed up the van and went home. I fell asleep on the way home. Sunday was a lot of fun. I want to do it again! What is the dog's name?

3D

1685 was a very good year for German composers. Within the space of a month, two of the greatest were born: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Handel's father was a barber and surgeon, which sounds like a strange combination today, but back then those occupations went hand in hand. Even though Handel was very interested in music, his father didn't think that was a good way to earn a living, so he wanted his son to be a lawyer. The story goes that Handel _ a quiet piano into the house so that he could practice in secret. One day, Handel went along when his father went to shave a duke. While his father was working, Handel sat down and played the duke's organ. The duke was so impressed that he convinced Handel's father to let his son study music, and Handel finally got to learn how to compose. Handel soon discovered that what he liked most was opera. In fact, he was so passionate about opera that he even fought a duel over it with one of his friends. Since Italy was the place to learn about opera composing, Handel went off to Italy to study. When he got home, he got a job as court composer for a German prince. Having landed such a wonderful job, Handel immediately asked his boss for time off. He wanted to go to England, where he'd heard that there weren't nearly enough composers to satisfy the British taste for Italian opera. After great success writing opera in London, Handel came back to Germany. Then fate played a funny trick on Handel and his boss. The Queen of England died, and it just so happened that the prince Handel worked for was next in line to the British throne. When he arrived in London as King George, followed Handel, his court composer in Germany. In addition to serving the King, Handel became one of the most successful opera composers of his time. And he also produced them and traveled all over Europe to hire the best singers. There are stories of battles with rival opera producers and of fights between rival singers. Handel apparently had quite a temper. If you ever go to London, look for Handel's grave in Westminster Abbey, where there's a wonderful monument to him. Which of the following words can NOT be used to describe Handel, as shown in the passage?

3D

For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth's natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse. Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer. Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People have paid more attention to the problem now. It is true that when builders began making houses and offices they did not waste energy. To do this they build buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using man-made building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases. As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building--green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant's leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square meters of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and healthier place. The reason why we should use different kinds of plants to clean the air is that

2C

Today's career assumption is that you can get a lot of development, challenge and job satisfaction and not necessarily be in a management role. Managing others is always a tough task, but in the past that stress was balanced by hopes for career mobility and financial rewards. Along with a sizable pay raise, people chosen as managers would begin a nearly automatic climb up the career ladder to successful executive private benefits: company cars, club memberships, plus the key to the executive washroom. But in today's global and more competitive showground, a manager sits in an insecure chair. More companies has begun to take less management as they come to view their organizations as collections of talents rather than hierarchies . There are far fewer steps for managers to climb. Also, managerial jobs demand more hours and headaches than ever before but offer slim, if any financial paybacks and perks. Now managers must manage many people who are spread over different locations, even over different continents. They must manage across functions with, say, design, finance and marketing. In many companies, when the most praised people in business are those launching something new, management seems like an invisible, thankless role. Employers are looking for people who can do things, not for people who make other people do things. Moreover it may not pay to be a manager, at least not the way it once did. Ms. Chmielewski says, "The emotional rewards can be great, and there were times when I enjoyed management. But a 10-to-11-hour day and one weekend day a month is the norm ". With more people cautious of joining management, are companies being hurt or worrying about developing future leaders? Not many are. While employers have fired a lot of managers, they believe many more candidates linger on at many companies. "Another reason why companies aren't short of managers," argues Robert Kelley, a business professor, "is that so many workers today are self-managed, either individually or via teams, they don't need a manager." Compared with past, the managing job today is more _ .

0A

Do you still get free plastic bags from the supermarket ? Things will change soon. To protect the environment, supermarkets in China will stop providing free plastic bags after June 1st. If you don't want to pay money to buy them, you'll have to bring your own shopping bag. What kind of bags will be the best to bring? Students in Kunming Xinying Middle School have some good ideas. Recently 54 students of the school held an activity in which they made their own environmentally-friendly shopping bags. Most students used old clothes to make their bags. They painted pictures like the Olympic rings on them. But Wang Shuncheng, a Junior 2 boy, chose a different material . He made his bag with old newspaper. Is a newspaper bag strong enough to hold shopping? Wang says it is, "No problem. I put six bottles of water in the bag," he said. "It's strong enough!" Chen Lisi, a girl, had a more traditional way to make her bag - she weaved a bamboo basket. It was not an easy job. With her grandfather's help, Chen spent a whole afternoon making it. She also weaved wool flowers on the basket. Making bags was not all the students did. They had another job: to persuade their parents and relatives to use environmentally-friendly shopping bags instead of plastic ones. The school will show the bags so that shops and stores can get inspiration from the students' work. Which of the following is not right from the passage?

2C

On a sunny day last August, Tim heard some shouting. Looking out to the sea carefully, he saw a couple of kids in a rowboat were being pulled out to sea. Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search for a football. Once they'd rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair panicked and tried to row back to shore. But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control. Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves. "Everything went quiet in my head," Tim recalls . "I was trying to figure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line." Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500 yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. "At one point, I considered turning back," he says. "I wondered if I was putting my life at risk." After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to yell to the boys, "Take down the umbrella!" Christian made much effort to take down the umbrella. Then Tim was able to catch up and climb aboard the boat. He took over rowing, but the waves were almost too strong for him. "Let's aim for the pier ," Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it. Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. "Can you guys swim?" he cried. "A little bit," the boys said. Once they were in the water, Tim decided it would be safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swam toward land as water washed over the boys' faces. "Are we almost there?" they asked again and again. "Yes," Tim told them each time. After 30minutes, they reached the pier. Why did the two boys go to the sea?

2C

All it took was a slice of Xinjiang cake to spark heated debates online over China's policy on ethnic minorities . Since Monday, qiegao (cut cake) has been a trending topic on Sina Weibo, China's main Twitter-like microblogging service. The cake was a reference to Xinjiang's famed nut cake, sometimes known by its old Turkic name baklava, a popular pastry across Central Asia and the Middle East. In Xinjiang, they are sold by Uygur vendors on tricycles who are known to charge dubious prices depending on the time and season. The ethnic flare-up started after the Yueyang police from Hunan province posted a message on their official Weibo account. It reported a dispute in Pingjiang county over an overpriced piece of nut cake between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a villager named "Ling". Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding. The verbal dispute eventually escalated into a fight and then a mass fight. As a result, two people were injured and Xinjiang nut cakes worth about 160,000 yuan (US$25,000) were destroyed. The total damage was worth 200,000 yuan which included a broken motorcycle and injuries to people. Local police have detained Ling. The 16 Uygur sellers were dully compensated and sent back to Xinjiang. "Yueyang police incident" quickly became one of the most popular topics on Weibo. Yueyang police removed the post shortly after. As of Tuesday night, the topic was still amassing more than 66,000 hits. The incident is just one of many similar cases of ethnic tensions across China, notably in Xinjiang province, where deeply entrenched social and racial frictions between the dominant ethnic Han Chinese and minority Uygur Muslims occasionally spark violence. Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists. What's the best title of the passage?

0A

Peri sued Denucci for a libelous letter received by Investigator. The authenticity and contents of the letter are disputed.Peri's attorney asks Investigator to testify that, a week before receiving the libelous letter, he had written to Denucci inquiring about Peri. The testimony is

1B

Swimming and English Learning Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice. Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English-speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just understand a few words. It doesn't matter. Just be relaxed, try to catch every word. Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He's afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don't be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important when there's nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It's interesting and also a good way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you'll make. Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we're interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important. Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English magazines. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success. Easier said than done. Well, let's do more practice from now on. I'm sure you'll learn English well in this way. What will you do with mistakes when you speak?

3D

A compass would be useful to

3D

The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happens, my aunt. She was Myrtle C. Manigault, the wife of my mother's brother Bill. She taught me in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey. During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential, without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females. I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good. I couldn't dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps. She took me to the theatre--not just children's theatre, but adult comedies and dramas--and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed. My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me. I had books at home, but they were all serious classics. Even as a child I had a strong liking for humour, and I'll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis's Archy & Mehitabel through her. Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication. A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a "youth columnist". My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities--and it did--but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs. Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her "favourite niece". Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted image of possibilities to every pupil who has crossed her path. Aunt Myrtle recommended the author to a newspaper editor mainly to _ .

0A

Seasons occur because long ago something huge slammed into our planet and now its axis is

2C

Editors/Designers Wanted China Daily,a national English newspaper,is looking for English language senior editors/designers. Senior Business Editor You must: * assist the Business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them; * be an excellent team person who can come up with ideas and think creatively,be able to rewrite totally if needed and advise junior workers; * be working or have worked in a leading position and understand what leadership means; * have had at least five years' editing experience and be familiar with industry software. Business Copy-editor You must: * work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; * edit or rewrite copy and give brief headlines and captions ; * have had at least two years' editing experience and be familiar with industry software. Copy-editor You must: * be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing brief headlines and captions; * be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; * have two years of editing experience and be familiar with industry software. Senior Graphic Designer Yon must: * have excellent skills in information graphics; * be good with illustrations and freehand drawings; * be experienced in newspaper or magazine designs; * have a good sense of typography ; * have good news judgment. If hired,you will be offered a competitive salary package,a room with furniture paid for,90 percent medical reimbursement ,seven days of paid leave,11 public holidays and a return ticket to your native land. To be a _ ,you have to have at least five years' editing experience.

1B

Want to find a job?Now read the following advertisements. FAIRMONT HOTEL Five waiters and Ten Waitresses ---Aged under 22 ---At least high school graduate ---Good looking; men at least 1.72meters tall and women 1.65 ---Those knowing foreign languages preferred ---Paid 1600-2200dollars per month One Secretary ---Aged under 30 ---Female preferred ---Good at writing and skilled at computer If interested,call 465-4768or write to:Mr.Jack Hundris Room 0825,Fairmont Hotel 567Wood Street,San Markers,78003 Fax:6954828 WILSON BOOKSTORE Accountants ---Aged between 25and 40 ---With an experience of at least two years ---With a degree and an accountant certificate ---Paid 3000-4000dollars monthly ---With a knowledge of computer Salesclerks ---Basic education of 12years or more ---Good at computer ---Paid 1800-2200dollars monthly Tel:447-4398Fax:3485269 If you want to try for a job in Fairmont Hotel,you .

3D

Lichens are difficult to see. They don't move. They often mix into the living place. You might not even recognize one if you are looking right at it. Lichens live on rocks, branches, houses, and even metal street signs. You can find these colorful organisms almost everywhere -- from deserts to rainforests, and from Antarctica to Africa. They've traveled in outer space, and some scientists think there might even be lichens on Mars. What you probably don't realize is that a lichen is more than a single thing. It includes two different types of living organisms: a fungus and an alga . Neither of these organisms is a plant, so the lichen isn't a plant either. Through photosynthesis , the alga gets the sun's energy to make food for the fungus, which is the place for the alga to live in. However, the alga cannot leave the fungus. Around the world, scientists have found tens of thousands of types of lichens. Many may not even have been discovered yet. As scientists continue to find new kinds of lichens, they are also working to understand how they are connected to one another. By putting together a lichen family tree, they hope to understand why so many different types of lichens have grown in so many places around the world. Many researchers are trying to understand basic facts about the organisms and their connections. Researchers are also using lichens to examine the health of the environment. We can know from the passage that _ .

0A

Ever since Canadian psychiatrist Michael R. Phillips, who works in China, released his report saying China's suicide rate from 1995 to 1999 reached 0.023 percent, the country has been ranked among those with the highest suicide rates in the world. But Jing Jun, a professor of sociology in Tsinghua University, challenges that view and presents the true picture through his nationwide research. Jing and his students took one year to set up the first national database on suicide rate to grasp the overall trend of suicides in China. They collected data from the Health Statistics Annuals of the World Health Organization (sample size 10 million), and the country's Health Statistics Annuals (which cover 100 million people). The database covers 23 years, from 1987 to 2009. Jing calculates the suicide rate in China based on these data. Though the suicide rate was comparatively high in the early years, his study shows it has dropped in recent years, as opposed to the ascending trend in the rest of the world. According to Jing's calculation, China's suicide rate had dropped to about 0.01 percent in 2004. In 2009, the figure dropped further to 0.007 percent, which is rather low compared with the global rate of 0.016 percent. Even if the "missing" suicides were added, China's suicide rate in 2009 would still be below 0.008 percent.[:Zxxk.Com] Jing has found that one of the main reasons why the suicide rate has dropped was the steady and big decline in the number of suicides committed by rural women. In the early years, researchers generally agreed that the suicide rate among Chinese women was higher than among men, which is pretty rare in the rest the world. But the suicide rate among Chinese women, especially in rural areas, has declined remarkably in recent years. In fact, it is almost equal to that of Chinese men. As a sociologist, Jing regards suicide as a social issue, and believes improvement of social policies will reduce the suicide rate even further. More people's lives can be saved if the authorities adjust to social environment for the better, he concludes. From Jing's search, we can see _ .

2C

"I'd be better off dead." he said, without any hesitation . Hearing those words come out of my best friend's mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording. I met him about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression . Sadness was not the only feeling that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learned that he was hurt physically and mentally as a young child, causing him to have the thought of killing himself. He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. However, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to speak. Therefore, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, for he always comes first. Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice scars on his arms from cutting. As he sees it, other kids have every right to make fun of him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the safety he needs to keep on going. My best friend once told me that if he had not had me, he would not be alive. He said that my encouraging words helped him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single kind word can influence someones life. Life is not easy for every one, which makes me strongly believe in the necessity of encouragement. The authors friend got into depression mainly because _ .

3D

Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955. He grew up in Seattle, Washington. Bill Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. He was a very clever boy. His favourite subject at school were science and maths. When he was 13 years old, Bill started to play with computers. At that time, computers were very large machines. Once he was interested in a very old computer. He and some of his friends spent lots of time doing unusual things with it. In the end, they worked out a software programme with the old machine. Bill sold it for 4, 200 dollars when he was only 17. In 1973, Bill went to Harvard University. At Harvard, he developed the BASIC language for the first microcomputer . In his third year, he left Harvard to work for a company called Microsoft. Bill began this company in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. They thought that the computer would be a very important tool in every office and in every home, so they began developing software for personal computers. They improved the software to make it easier for people to use computer. Why did they develop software for personal computer? _

0A

Nature is full of color, from rainbows and roses to butterfly wings and peacock tails. Even the fruits and vegetables you eat have different colors: blue blueberries, red strawberries, green broccoli, and orange carrots. Plant and animals often use color to attract attention. The substances responsible for these colors belong to a class of chemical called antioxidants . Plants make antioxidant to protect themselves from the sun's ultraviolet(UV) light. Ultraviolet light causes chemicals called free radicals to form within plant cells. They can destroy parts of plant. Free radicals also have damaging effects on human beings. Some of these effects like wrinkled skin can be seen. The damage is caused by the free radicals attacking cells in our bodies. Certain cancers and heart disease are linked to free radicals. Our bodies have natural defences for fighting off free radicals. While we are young, our defences are pretty strong. However, they get weaker as we get older. The body's built-in defences can only go so far without extra help. The key to fighting free radicals with fruits and vegetables is to mix and match colors. It's like sunscreen for the inside of your body. Go for a range of very bright colors. Colorful foods contain hundreds of healthy chemicals not found anywhere else. Research into how chemicals in blueberries affect the brain's function in rats suggests that these chemicals may help our own brains work more efficiently. Don't just blame the sun. Ultraviolet light isn't the only source of free radicals. If you breathe polluted air such as smog, automobile exhaust , or wasted gas from a factory, you take in chemicals that also cause such damage. And, the body itself produces free radicals as it processes food. We need extra help for fighting off free radicals from fruits and vegetables because _ .

2C

Isn't it amazing how one person, sharing one idea, at the right time and place can change the course of your life's history? This is certainly what happened in my life. When I was 14, I was hitchhiking from Houston, Texas, through El Paso on my way to California. I was following my dream, journeying with the sun. I was a high school dropout with learning disabilities and was set on surfing the biggest waves in the world, first in California and then in Hawaii, where I would later live. Upon reaching downtown El Paso, I met an old man, a bum , on the street corner. He saw me walking, stopped me and questioned me as I passed by. He asked me if I was running away from home, I suppose because I looked so young. I told him, "Not exactly, sir," since my father had given me a ride to the freeway in Houston and given me his blessings while saying, "It is important to follow your dream and what is in your heart. Son. " The bum then asked me if he could buy me a cup of coffee. I told him, "No, sir, but a soda would be great." We walked to a corner shop and sat down on a couple of swiveling stools while we enjoyed our drinks. After talking for a few minutes, the friendly bum told me to follow him. He told me that he had something grand to show me and share with me. We walked a couple of blocks until we came upon the downtown El Paso Public Library. We walked up its front steps and stopped at a small information stand. Here the bum spoke to a smiling old lady, and asked her if she would be kind enough to watch my things for a moment while he and I entered the library. I left my belongings with this grandmotherly figure and entered this wonderful hall of learning. The bum first led me to a table and asked me to sit down and wait for a moment while he looked for something special amongst the shelves. A few moments later, he returned with a couple of old books under his arms and set them on the table. He then sat down beside me and spoke. He started with a few statements that were very special and that changed my life. He said, "There are two things that I want to teach you, young man, and they are these: "Number one is to never judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you." He followed with, "I' ll bet you think I'm a bum, don't you, young man?" I said, "Well, uh, yes, I guess so, sir. " "Well, young man, I've got a little surprise for you. I am one of the wealthiest men in the world. I have probably everything any man could ever want. I originally come from the Northeast and have all the things that money can buy. But a year ago, my wife passed away, bless her soul, and since then I have been deeply thinking about life. I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life, one of which was what it would be like to live like a bum on the streets. I made a promise to myself to do exactly that for one year. For the past year. I have been going from city to city doing just that. So, you see, don t ever judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you. "Number two is to learn how to read, my boy. For there is only one thing that people can't take away from you, and that is your wisdom." At that moment, he reached forward, grabbed my right hand in his and put them upon the books he'd pulled from the shelves. They were the writings of Plato and Aristotle--forever classics from ancient times. The bum then led me back past the smiling old woman near the entrance, down the steps and back on the streets near where we first met. His parting request was for me to never forget what he taught me. Which of the following is true?

2C

The English language is changing fast,thanks to the rapid progress of technology.We all have a rapid choice:We can either bury our heads in the sand and spend the rest of our lives wishing Shakespeare were alive and well.Or we can embrace the new English,enter into the spirit of the Internet age called Weblish. "You can't keep away from it, for the simple reason that whenever a new variety of language comes along,it inevitably influence the language as a whole."Says Dr David Crystal,honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales in BangoL, whose book "Language and the Internet" has just been published. The trouble with keeping up with the new English is not so much that there are so many new words but that the old words no longer mean what we thought they did.In the past, if someone said they did not have Windows,you would have to suppose they lived in a cave.These days, it is probably because they use a Mac(which is a computer,not a rain coat).Spam is as disliked as it ever was,but whereas it once meant an unappetizing canned meat.It now stands for unwanted 'junk" email.Spellings are changing,too.Not only is text-messaging playing "hvc with vrbs" (havoc with verbs),but the conventions of email communication place little emphasis on "perfect speaking". Weblish loves to see nouns happily become verbs ("please bookmark this site"),and verbs become nouns ("Send me the download").Verbs and prepositions are regularly thrown together to become new nouns or adjectives(dial--up,logon,print-on,pull--down,upload),while others are created from simply pairing nouns:cyberspace,emit Internet,hyperlink,metatag,netspeak. Dr.David Crystal would probably agree that _ .

2C

In jokes, the chicken only crosses the road. In Australia,cane toads use roads to travel. A new study finds that Cane toads are using roads to spread across the continent. They take shelter overnight close to the opencorridors , and then hit the road each evening in their damaging way. Cane toads were brought into Australia from Hawaii in 1935 to control the spread ofbeetles that were destroying Australia's sugar cane crop. _ are now moving into new places at the speed of 30 miles a year. Toads can grow as large as dinner plates and can weigh up to 4.5 pounds. Their heads and backsides are covered with rows ofwarts . They are known to kill snakes, lizards and other animals, including pet dogs. They have no natural enemy in Australia. According to a research, toads make slower progress through thick plants than along open spaces and they hop alongside roads and fences whenever possible. Toads use long corridors that are well-suited for them to travel long distances. Another study recently found that toads haveevolved longer legs in recent years and that this is also helping them in their spread. Efforts to kill toads have been largely unsuccessful, although scientists tried their best. Another new finding suggests ways to slow down its population. For example, roadside borders can be changed to make them less attractive to toads, or allowing thick plants to grow along the sides of highways, thus forcing toads onto the road of themselves. At first, cane toads were brought to Australia to _ .

2C

In our schooldays, everyone has the memories they can cherish and treasure for their whole life. Schooldays are the most joyful and fun filled with many mysteries to solve and many fights to resolve. In my schooldays, I had many friends and some foes. We used to gossip, play and sometimes fight over silly things. I had two best friends. They were very' nice and loyal to me. Every teacher in my school liked us, although we weren't brilliant students. In fact we were average ones but still we respected our elders and loved our youngsters. Since my childhood, I've never been complaining to anyone about anything as I had everything I needed or wanted. I miss my schooldays since they are all about having fun and no competitions. The most exciting part is "the exchange of lunch boxes". Usually my best friends and I liked each other's lunch and soon developed a habit of exchanging lunches. Apart from sharing lunches, we also used to share our silly secrets. We used to play our self-created games and draw photos for fun. We also used to have bets and treats for rewards on childish things but we never played jokes on anyone. My childhood was indeed really amazing and simple. We found fun in small but beautiful things. It was surely surrealistic but also exciting at times. In my schooldays, we sometimes played in the rains, made paper boats, ate ice-creams and enjoyed every drop of water and after getting all bathed up in water, we had hot chocolate drinks. These were some of the memories of my schooldays in my childhood, which I still cherish today. I hope everyone's childhood days are just as carefree and joyous as mine. Which is the best title for this passage?

1B

This column is part of a series on websites that are useful for English language learning.Activities for ESL Students Includes various types of tests, exercises and puzzles designed to help people studying English as a second language (ESL).The activities include grammar, vocabulary and idiom tests at easy, medium and difficult levels.The specially designed Chinese-English vocabulary tests can help Chinese memorize English words. http://a4esl.org/ Interesting Things for ESL Students Contains a comprehensive list of audio clips from the Special English programs of Voice of America (VOA).The list covers news of all kinds on VOA.The listening and vocabulary exercises and the word list designed with the clips will help English learners improve listening ability and increase vocabulary. http://www.manythings.org/voa/ World-English This site provides a list of radio or TV channels offering English news clips.It includes the BBC radio program clips from England, CNN and ABC news clips from the US, and other news clips from other English-speaking countries.Click on the links and you will be taken to channels where you can listen to clips.This is a good way to practice listening. http://www.world-english.org/listening.html Listen to English Offers a large number of materials for English learners to practice listening.The materials include business English, English literature, history, movies, and politics.Students can improve their English while enjoying the beauty of the English of literature, songs, movies, and news in different countries. http://eleaston.corn/listen, html If you want to test how well you are learning English, which website can you enter?

0A

Education is another area where the presence of arts and crafts is more than welcome. If children realize the importance of art and creativity from a young age, they can grow up to be more confident, more creative, and definitely more mature. Schools are the breeding grounds for future painters and movie makers, and these arts should be encouraged wholesomely in such an environment. Sadly, many parents do not understand why art is important for children, and subconsciously force them to follow career paths that are common and conformist in nature. This is fair enough in its own way, because the world does need some standard blue collar and white collar jobs to continue its existence; but this is a choice that children should be allowed to make for themselves. The doors to creativity and expression must not be shut in their faces, even if it comes at a cost of making more money. To put it more scientifically, here are some benefits of kids' art activities that give a suitable answer to the question "Why is art important in schools?" 1.Exposure to art, music and drawings at an early age improves the amount of brain activity in children. 2.It increases the span of knowledge in the minds of children, thus making them sharper and more educated. 3.It builds up the levels of self-confidence, self-esteem , motivation, cooperation and communication in children. 4.It helps children understand other people's opinions and points of view as well. 5.It helps them sharpen their problem-solving skills, decision-making and gives them the possibility of really exploring their imaginations. The writer holds the view that _ .

2C

Nancy is an eight-year-old girl. She has a beautiful yellow cat, Mimi. Mimi has six new kittens . Three kittens are black, and two are white. One kitten is black, but it has white feet and a white face. Nancy asks, "Mom, can we keep all the kittens?" "We can't keep six kittens," she says, "When the kitten are three months old, we will _ them _ ." Nancy asks, "Can I keep one?" Her mom says yes. Nancy decides to keep the kitten with white feet. She calls it Boots. When the other five kittens are three months old, Nancy's mom takes pictures of them. On Monday, Nancy takes the pictures to school. She shows the pictures to her friends. All her friends love the kittens. They come to her house that afternoon. They take all the five kittens except Boots. How old are the kittens when they leave their mother?

3D

What is TOVIAZ? TOVIAZ is a medicine used in adults to treat the symptoms of a condition called overactive bladder . Who is TOVIAZ for? Adults 18 years older with symptoms of overactive bladder. Don't take TOVIAZ if you: Your stomach empties slowly. Have eye problems. Are allergic to any ingredients of TOVIAZ. Possible side effects of TOVIAZ Dry mouth. Constipation Dry eyes. Trouble empting the bladder These aren't all possible side effects of TOVIAZ. For a complete list, ask your doctor. How to take TOVIAZ: Your doctor may give you the lower 4mg dose of TOVIAZ if you have severe kidney problem. Take TOVIAZ with liquid and swallow the tablet whole. Do not chew, divide or crush the tablet. You can take TOVIAZ with or without food. If you miss a dose of TOVIAZ, start taking it again the next day. Things you should keep in mind when taking TOVIAZ: Decreased sweating and severe heat illness can occur when medicines such as TOVIAZ are used in hot environments. Drinking alcohol while taking TOVIAZ may cause increased sleepiness. Which of the statements about taking TOVIAZ is TRUE?

1B

If a puppy eats old meat preserved improperly, it can

2C

A weather map is an important tool for geographers. A succession of three or four maps presents a continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasters are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts to determine whether an individual pressure area is deepening or becoming shallow and whether a front is increasing or decreasing in intensity. They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal a synoptic picture of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time. All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately. Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts, droughts, and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day "outlook" which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30-day outlooks are based upon an analysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for the development of air masses, fronts, and storms. Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather predictions. With the use of electronic instruments and earth satellites, enormous gains have taken place recently in identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological stations . Extensive experiments are also in progress for weather modification studies. But the limitations of modification have prevented meteorological results except in the seeding of super-cooled, upslope mountainous winds which have produced additional orographic precipitation on the windward side of mountain ranges. Nevertheless, they have provided a clearer understanding of the fundamentals of weather elements. A thirty-day forecast is determined by examining _ .

1B

Reducing the amount of sleep students get at night has a direct impact on their performance at school during the day. According to classroom teachers, elementary and middle school students who stay up late exhibit more learning and attention problems. This has been shown by Brown Medical School and prefix = st1 /BradleyHospitalresearch. In the study, teachers were not told the amount of sleep students received when completing weekly performance reports, yet they rated the students who had received eight hours or less as having the most trouble recalling all the material, learning new lessons and completing high - quality work. Teachers also reported that these students had more difficulty paying attention. The experiment is the first to ask teachers to report on the effects of sleep deficiency in children. Just staying up late can cause increased academic difficulty and attention problems for otherwise healthy, well - functioning kids, said Garharn Forlone, the study's lead author. So the results provide professionals and parents with a clear message: when a child is having learning and attention problems, the issue of sleep has to be taken into consideration. "If we don't ask about sleep, and try to improve sleep patterns in kids' struggling academically, then we aren't doing our job", Forlone said. For parents, he said, the message is simple, "getting kids to bed on time is as important as getting them to school on time." What message did the researcher intend to convey to parents?

3D

Flexible working hours, homeworking opportunities and cover for emergencies or school holidays are the top concerns for working mothers, according to a British survey on Thursday. The survey of 1,677 people by specialist employment advice website workingmums.co.uk showed that despite a tougher job climate, in which redundancies had risen dramatically during the crisis, mothers demanded for a more flexible schedule. Flexible hours for full-time jobs came top of the list for 85 percent of respondents who were asked what they thought made for a family-friendly employer. That came just ahead of homeworking opportunities. "Flexibility is really key and able to help achieve an element of work/life balance," workingmums.co.uk founder Gillian Nissim told reporters. She said the crisis had not reduced the urgency of this issue for working mums and that employers who want to be prepared for the eventual upturn would do well to listen to them rather than risk losing them to more forward-thinking rivals. Many women said they had considered setting up their own business as a way around the flexibility problem and nearly half (45 percent) of respondents said they had looked into it. Nissim said the workingmums.co.uk database alone showed that on average working mums have more than 15 years of work experience and a range of valuable skills picked up in the workplace and from their parenting experiences. "So the benefits to employers of being able to accommodate a degree of flexibility is significant," she said. Part-time work, flexibility around emergency cover or school holidays were the next highest concerns with extended maternity pay as well on the list of concerns.More than half (54 percent) of respondents said they would accept a less well-paid job in return for flexibility, with 40 percent prepared to consider this option. If you are the editor of a newspaper, which column will you fit this article in?

3D

There once was a giant orange farm in space. No human had ever been there before. It could not be reached by plane, spaceship, car, or any other means of travel. The farm was run by large squirrels, and was started in 1032. They owned the planet the farm was on, called Etopit. In the year 2037, one brave man named Hugo wanted to travel to Etopit to see the farm. On Earth, it was known the squirrels grew better oranges than any other animal, including rabbits, dogs, and horses. Hugo wanted to learn the squirrels' secrets and bring them back to Earth. Hugo was no normal man. He could sneeze so hard that it would send him flying into the air. Hugo put on a squirrel costume, and had his friend Ralph tickle his nose for 7 hours. Hugo sneezed so hard he flew into space and landed in Etopit. The squirrels did not know he was a human because of his costume. Hugo met Rufus and Xenon, 2 of the most power squirrels in space. He told them his name was Tiddlywink, and that he was sent by the squirrel king from Etopit's moon Rebeti to help them grow even more oranges. Rufus and Xenon told him all their secrets. Hugo wrote all of them down, then sneezed so hard he went back to Earth! With his help, Earth has now become the best place to grow oranges. Where was the giant orange farm?

3D

If you are sitting, please stand up. Move your legs. Touch your toes if you can. Do anything but sit. New research shows that if you cut down on the time you spend sitting, you might live longer. Sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Cutting television time to less than two hours a day can add one point four years to life. The human body is designed to move. The fact is just the opposite. Modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. We sit while we're eating; we sit in the car; we sit while we are watching TV. And most of us sit for many hours at work. Sitting is something we do all the time. On average, Americans sit for four and a half to five hours a day. But that does not make sitting good for us. Though you may exercise often, that does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. We can't throw away physical activity. _ is extremely important. Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day, what goes on in the other 23 and a half hours a day is also very important. Changes are coming to some offices, especially in the design of desks. A "standing desk" lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the "treadmill desk". It is an exercise machine that lets you walk slowly in one place. Even some U.S. schools begin to experiment with desks that are part bicycle to keep children moving. Many companies may not buy a standing desk for everybody. However, they may get five standing desks or a treadmill desk for their employees and put them in a certain place where people can go for an hour a day to answer their emails or talk on the phone. Experts suggest some other activities: take a walk at lunchtime; walk to the offices and talk directly instead of emailing colleagues. All these activities may help you live longer. What can we learn about sitting?

1B

Being able to count at least ten people as friends makes us happy, but those with five or fewer are likely to be miserable, researchers say. Their study of hundreds of men and women also found t hat people who feel satisfied with their lives always have lots of close friends and regularly make new ones. While it is not clear whether our friends make us happy or we make friends because we are happy, the researchers say it is clear that we should maintain our friendships. Psychologist RichardTunney said, "Whatever the reason is, actively working on friendships in the same way as to maintain a marriage is a prerequisite to happiness. "Dr. Tunney, of Nottingham University, quizzed more than 1,700 people about their satisfaction with their lives and the state of their friendships. Those with five friends or fewer had just a 40 percent chance of being happy. In other words they were more likely to be unhappy than happy. Ten was the first number at which people were more likely to be happy than unhappy. The happiest people were those with dozens of friends, according to the study, which was carried out for the National Lottery . For women, this meant having 33 friends;for men, the number was 49. Dr. Tunney said,"People who were extremely satisfied with their lives had twice the number of friends of people who were extremely dissatisfied. " Women tended to have fewer friends than men but formed tighter relationships. Interestingly, the study found that childhood friends are no more likely to make us happy than people we become close to later in life. Lottery winners, however, have a differentopinion on life. They are always happier than others despite spending their time with asmall circle of old friends. This could be because they trust people they've known for along time. What's the best title for this passage?

1B

Ordering from BookFirst is easy and safe. SELECTING YOUR BOOKS When you have found a book you would like to order, just click on Add to Basket and it will be added to your shopping basket. To make it easy to keep track of the books you've selected, My Shopping Basket will display your choices wherever you are on the site. When you're ready to place your order, select View Basket. VIEW BASKET This is where you select the postal destination for your order, indicate whether you would like Next Day Delivery in the prefix = st1 /UKand choose gift-wrapping. You can also modify. the contents of your basket by making any changes then selecting Update Basket. Overseas customers ordering three or more books can also request reduced airmail charges here. When you're happy with the contents of your shopping basket, go to the Secure Checkout. THE ORDER FORM After you've completed the order form, you will receive an on-screen acknowledgement. This will be followed by an email confirming the details of your order. We will then inform you when your order has been sent. If this is your first order, we will also inform you of your personal BookFirst account number. RETURNING CUSTOMERS If you have ordered from us before, online, by mail or telephone, you will have already owned a personal account number. You then only need to complete the full order form. Using your account number allows us to find your details from our records (they are not accessible online). Which of the following is true?

3D

Commander was my parents` cat but I knew him first. In fact, Commander was my college roommate`s cat. My roommate wanted to sell Commander, but no one would buy him. I called my parents to see if they would like to adopt him. My mom had always loved cats but my dad disliked cats very much. As predicted my dad said, "No way. No cats" Fortunately for me, my dad was out of town at a math conference. So I brought Commander home. By the time he returned, both my mom and Commander had decided that Commander was going to stay. My mom said that Commander was going to live at our house for a "trial period" while we looked for a buyer. As the months went by there was absolutely no effort to sell Commander and it became clear to my dad that Commander was there to stay. Commander started sitting by my dad as he read the newspaper and slowly my dad began to like Commander---just a little bit. By the time I came home that summer, I was surprised to see my dad carrying Commander around the house. Over the years, my parents` love for Commander grew to the point where they could not imagine life without him. Once I finished college, my parents built their dream house and they named the floor plan The Commander! They worked with the architect to design the house so that it was perfectly suited both for them and for Commander. Commander died at the age of eighteen. My mom still talks about him often and misses him, and so does my dad, which proves that not even the most determined cat-hating human being in the world can resist the charms of a cat once the cat decides he is moving in to your heart. What was the father`s feeling towards Commander when the author came home that summer?

1B

The Body Temperature The temperature of your body should be always just the same, no matter whether the weather is hot or cold. That is why the doctor uses his thermometer when your are sick. The body keeps the same temperature all the time ,because it balances the heat it produces and it gives off. It is always burning up food and , producing heat. It can produce heat faster when it needs to give off heat than when it becomes too warm. Let's see how this happen. The heat of your body is given off mainly through the skin. When you are cold, your skin is tight and shows "good flesh". When you get chilly, you must dance around to keep warm or else you will shiver. Then your muscles begin to work, burn up fuel, and produce more heat. It is not pleasant to shiver, so you usually prefer to warm up by exercise, or put on more clothes to keep heat in. When you are warm, the skin is loose and soft. It is so supplied with blood that heat is given off rapidly. If you get too warm, you begin to sweat ,and more body heat is used in evaporating the moisture from your skin. You wear less clothing, too, in warm weather or warm room, so that warm can be given off freely. You feel less like exercising because your body is warm already, and the extra heat produced by exercise makes you uncomfortable. You can see from the way you feel differently in different kinds of weather. In summer, when it is warm, you feel tired and lazy. You do not care to work or play, but enjoy lying and doing nothing. When you get out of doors in winter, the cold air makes you feel lively. You want to play. When in summer, people prefer to _ .

3D

Tokyo--Our kids,the Japanese government announced,have forgotten how to behave.They can't he bothered with housework.If they see someone being wronged,they probably look the other way. Few countries have placed more importance on being well--behave in public than Japan.The simplest requests for directions often result in guided tours.If is still a rule that shopkeepers are all smiles.Lost wallets usually make their way back to their owners. But according to recent surveys,all that may he going the way of the ancient hair-do.And Japan's government has got into a situation in which a lot of problems must be dealt with quickly. A Japanese Education Ministry survey formed last year and made public last month found that Japan moves behind other nations in teaching youngsters right from wrong. It also reposed that Japanese children are less helpful and do far less housework than the foreigners who are the same age as them in all classes.But they are better about taking dirty dishes to the kitchen after dinner. Besides,Japanese kids are more likely to color1 their hair and carry cell phones than American and Chinese kids,according to another survey. Children in about 18 percent of public school classrooms are so disorderly that teachers cannot give lessons,further recent reports show.Children refuse to sit,to listen or to stop talking. "Older and middle-aged Japanese continue to have a solid sense of good manners and social justice "said Professor Yoshina Hirano from Shinshu University,who was appointed to direct the ministry's survey. "Despite the knowledge of good manners among adults,the breakdown in manners may be spreading."he said. It is implied in this passage that Japanese kids

1B

One year, a college in the Unites States announced that it would offer a lot of money for the pure white marigold . The high reward attracted so many people, but in the nature, besides golden, the marigold is brown, and it is not easy to get the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people had forgotten the announcement. One normal day after 20 years, the college received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. Some experts in the college doubted it , but in order not to let her down, those seeds finally took root in the earth. The miracle appeared after one year: the field was covered by pure white marigold. Therefore, the old woman who was always unknown to the public became a new _ . The old woman was a flower-lover. When she read the announcement 20 years ago, she got very excited like others. But her right children were totally against her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics couldn't complete what the experts could never do, so her thought was only a day dream. Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working. She planted some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold came out, she chose one faintest from those golden and brown flowers and get the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose.... Day after day, year after year, through many seasons, the old woman's husband died, her children flew far and high, a lot of things happened in her life, but only the desire to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart. Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden she saw a marigold which was not nearly white, but as white as sliver or snow. A problem even experts couldn't deal with was solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Wasn't it a miracle? To take root in the heart, even the most common seed can grow into a miracle! The passage mainly talks about _ .

3D

Reading is a good hobby for all kinds of reasons. First, reading is fun. You can always keep yourself happy if you like reading. You will never feel bored or tired. Next, you can read a book anywhere-- in a car, on a plane, or even in the bathroom. All you need is a book! Another good reason for reading is that it is useful. If you read as a hobby, you will get better and better at it. And you will read faster and find it easier to understand what you read. As you reading skills improve, you will probably find your schoolwork becomes much better. Some people say that reading is out of date . This is not true. You can read on computers, and the better you read, the better your computer skills will be. Good readers may become writers, too. They always have more things to write about. Reading is a wonderful hobby. Why not start reading right now? Reading can always keep yourself _ .

3D

One day he is a famous policeman. The next day he is a gangster from Temple street. His songs are heard on radios all over Hong Kong. This is Andy Lau Tak Wah, the superstar that everyone sees, hears and loves. He is one of the most famous actors and singers in Hong Kong. However, there is another side to Andy Lau. There is an important part of his life that only a few people know about. Andy Lau helps 15 children from poor countries all over the world. These boys and girls live in 11 different countries. Most of the children have not met him and none of them know that he is one of the biggest stars in Asia. Andy Lau's interest in children started when he did some work with World Vision. This is a charity that helps poor children to lead better lives. For $200 a month, a _ helps with the food and education of one child. The child does not receive the money in cash. Instead the money pays for the child's school fees, food, medical care and clothing. Each child knows the name of the sponsor who is giving the money. The sponsor receives a report each year on the child's progress. They can write to each other, but usually the children do not speak Cantonese or English. When Andy Lau heard about these children, he wanted to help them. "It was not anything special," he said. "Until I had the chance to go to Indonesia and meet the little girl I am sponsoring, I didn't know anything about the type of life she had." He said the meeting with Nina in Indonesia was very emotional. "When I met her, I felt very, very happy," he said. "I saw that the money was used for a very good purpose. It brought me closer to the child in a way that simply giving money cannot." By sponsoring these children through a charitable organization, Andy Lau is giving them hope and at the same time caring for them. "I want to do whatever I can. I will continue to help these children in need," he said. World Vision is a charity that helps children to _ .

0A

The cars were honking on the road one morning as I was walking to the park. I walked on and soon found the cause -- a little taxi that had got stuck in the middle of the road. There was sweat on the driver's face as he tried to start the engine again and again -- nothing happened. "No petrol," I said to myself and then found myself getting angry. "Why doesn't the fool move his taxi to the side?" I thought, so did all the others who honked and shouted. He got up tiredly, and the passenger in the taxi got out. He was a young man in a white shirt, who watched the driver try to push it to the side. "Stupid guy!" I said. "Can't he lend a helping hand? " I watched as the poor driver pushed it to the side. Cars, buses and trucks went past cursing ( ) the poor man. The young man took another taxi and went off. The taxi driver began mending his taxi. "Stupid passenger!" I said to him. "He didn't help you!" The taxi driver slowly got up. "Sir!" he asked, "Did you?" I looked at him guiltily, then looked away, and walked away fast, asking myself, "Did I help the poor man push his taxi?" What had I been doing as the traffic jam took place? How had I helped deal with the problem? Did I help the poor man push his taxi? I'd done my bit, with my mouth. But never had I moved to solve the problem. I was shocked with guilt as I heard him asking, "Sir! Did you?" The author's attitude toward the passenger is that of _ .

0A

The Internet is full of false information. It is important for us all to avoid being fooled by such information. Here are three examples of Internet hoaxes. On his website, a man by the name of Tony has asked for gifts of money to save the life of a pretty little rabbit named Toby that he rescued from under his house. A cat must have attacked the rabbit, the man claimed, so he took it in. he gave Toby loving care and nursed him back to health. There is a very cruel point, however. If the greedy man doesn't receive enough money, he will eat poor little Toby. (Don't worry, though. Remember, it's just a hoax!. While the streets of New Orleans, the USA, were still flooded after a terrible hurricane (., a frightening e-mail was sent around the Internet. It included a photograph of a large crocodile over five meters long. According to the message, it had been swimming around the flooded city eating people. It was later discovered that the photographs of the crocodile were of one that was caught in the Congo (. years before. The following e-mail hoax takes in many people. It claims that a large British company will pay you to send their e-mail to as many people as possible. For every person that you send the e-mail to, it promises you will receive $5.00; for every person that you send it to that sends it to someone else, you'll get $3.00; and for every third person that receives it, you will be paid $1.00. To make it even more believable, the sender says that at first he thought it was a hoax, but the company soon sent him $800.00. Some people believe that they can _ if they send e-mail.

2C

It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations. Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them. The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities. Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. "Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project." What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?

0A

Toyota Motor Corp, Japan's biggest carmaker, said on Friday it will recall 1,489 Lexus sedans sold in China. "It will take us some time to ship the fuel tanks and vent pipes to China to change those in these Lexus sedans for customers free of charge, if problems are found," said Yang Hongjian, a spokes- woman of Toyota's China representative office. The expected recall will affect Lexus LS430 sedans made in Japan from July 29, 2003 to January 14, 2004, the representative office said in a statement. Toyota has not received complaints from Chinese customers, according to the statement. The move will be part of Toyota's global recall of 18,200 Lexus LS430s. It will be the third car recall in China in two weeks. Although automobile recall is a common practice in developed markets, it remains new to Chinese customers. The Chinese government published long-awaited automobile recall rules on March 15, which will be officially carried out at the beginning of October. China's auto market is forecast to reach 10 million units by 2010. Automakers, especially Chinese producers, will face greater pressure from automobile recalls, which could be very costly sometimes, and should be in full preparations, according to the expert. The Japanese carmaker sold 1, 549 Lexus vehicles on the Chinese mainland during the first five months of this year, according to Yang. Lexus sales on the mainland reached 4,000 units last year, up from 1,600 units in 2002. (China Daily July 3, 2004) The carmakers were unwilling to recall their cars in the past mainly because _ .

3D

Dear David, I'm glad you would like to share your feelings with me.It's hardly surprising that your feelings of not being "grown up" have come on strongly at this point in your life,just before you're about to become a father.You are asking:will I make a good father?How will I cope? Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can l provide for it? Help! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn't share them.It's difficult,honestly,to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to. The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he's at home.But as he walks through the office door,and knows he's going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for Advice,he grows into a fully mature man.And I think it's a mistake to imagine that we all feel,as we age,a kind of progression of states,from the baby to the adult.Most people feel,on Tuesday,about three years old,and on a Wednesday,around 80. There's a common remark that "all men are little boys",but it's not true.It's more true that men often behave like little boys.But nearly all people,at some moments in their lives,are capable of groat maturity. Once your baby arrives,you'll soon feel less childlike,or rather,less often.When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug,the adult in you will rise up to prevent it.You'll see you have very little in common with a needy child,particularly if it's looking to you for comfort and support. Comfort yourself,David,with two truths.One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they,like you,feel frightened.And remember that people who haven't grown up don't go around talking about the fact that they don't feel grown-up. Hope my advice will be helpful and good luck to you and your little one. Yours sincerely Miss Advice According to the passage,Miss Advice thinks David's self-doubt is _ .

1B

When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad's office. "What are you doing home already?" I asked casually. "Andrew, I was laid off today," he answered, quietly. I was sure he was joking. "No, you weren't. Why are you really home?" Then I noticed his seriousness and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. Providing for our family has been his joy, and I guess I had taken his work for granted. My father's unemployment created many changes in our lives. For starters, he was home all the time, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be optimistic. For the first time, I saw my dad as vulnerable. He asked my brother and me to spend less. I gave up my allowance, which even though it wasn't much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job. After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he expended. One evening I asked if he needed help. "Only if it doesn't interfere with school," he said. k*s5*u I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really impacted me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plan B, ask for help, and take risks. What I have learned from my dad's understanding of business and his work ethic are two of the most important lessons I will ever learn, and will be my foundations for success. It can be inferred from the text that _ .

3D

Cellphone feels like a part of your body? A global survey has found that most people can't live without their mobiles, never leave home without them and, if given a choice, would rather lose their wallet.[: _ ] Calling mobile phones the "remote control" for life, market research firm Synovate's poll said cell phones are so ubiquitous that by last year more humans owned one than did not. Three-quarters of the more than 8,000 respondents polled online in 11 countries said they take their phone with them everywhere, which Russians and Singaporeans the most attached. More than a third also said they couldn't live without their phone, topped by Taiwanese and again Singaporeans, while one in four would find it harder to replace the mobile than their purse. Some two thirds of respondents go to bed with their phones nearby and can't switch them off, even though they want to, because they're afraid they'll miss something. Mobiles have changed the nature of relationships, with the survey finding a fifth of all respondents set up first dates via text and almost the same number use the same method to end a love affair. Apart from the obvious calling and SMS-ing, the top three features people use regularly on their mobile phones globally are the alarm clock, the camera and the games. As for email and Internet access, 17 percent of respondents said they checked their inboxes or surfed the Web on their phones, led by those in the United States and Britain. One in 10 respondents log onto social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace regularly via mobile, again led by Britain and the United States.[:Zxxk.Com] Not everyone is tech savvy , however,37 percent of respondents said they don't know how to use all the functions on their phone. Which would be the best title of the passage?

1B

A new concept vehicle, Pod was introduced by Toyota and Sony at the Tokyo motor show. The car is intended as a four-wheeled friend. It aims to provide affection, sympathy and encouragement. Like a dog welcoming its master, the car sits up, wags its tail and acknowledges its owner's presence using hydraulics and a multi-coloured LED display panel across the front. While on the road, the car constantly monitors the driver's mood with pulse and sweat sensors on the joystick . Cameras focused on the eyes keep watch for any sigh of _ . If a driver appears to be losing his or her cool, Pod will display warnings, play soft music and blow cold air at the face. Drivers are shaken awake with loud music and a shaking chair. To improve driving skills, Pod uses a comparison to score drivers, offer advice and rank all Pod owners. Toyota claims that the car will eventually be able to learn its owner's likes and dislikes by monitoring passenger conversations. If the car hears a favorite song being discussed, it will download the track from the Internet and play it without being asked. It will also recommend restaurants that might suit the driver's taste and take photographs of passengers when they sound particularly happy. In keeping with the moodiness that is the car's main selling point, Pod expresses a form of road anger. If a driver brakes or swerves suddenly, the LED panel shows an angry red and the tail rises at the back. Anger is one of the car's ten "emotional states". Another is sadness --- a blue front with tear-shaped lights seemingly dropping from headlights --- which appears after a flat tire or when gas is low. "We wanted to show that the cars can be cheerful and entertaining," said Yasunori Sakamoto, part of the Toyota design team. Mr Sakamoto said Toyota has no plans to put Pod on the market. Sad, really. According to the text, Pod can _ .

3D

A student is investigating which type of soil is best for growing tomato plants from seeds. The student plants four tomato seeds in each of three different containers of soil. Which step of the procedure would help the student get the most reliable results?

2C

Lily has a black dress. She thinks it's very nice. Black is Lily's favorite color. She doesn't like colorful dresses at all. Lily also has a pair of sunglasses. She bought the sunglasses with all her pocket money Y=20.She thinks they are really cool. She really loves them. Linda is Lily's friend. She has a colorful scarf it's red, white and blue. She likes it a lot. This is Linda's watch. It's brown. Linda thinks it's lovely. Today is Monday, June 14th. Wednesday is Linda's birthday. Lily wants to give her a red and green wallet. When is Linda's birthday?

3D