Many students in China are learning English. Some of these students are small children. Others are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others study by themselves. A few learn English language over the radio, on television, or in films. One must work hard to learn another language.
Why do all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to answer that question. Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects. They study their own language and maths and English ... Some people learn English because it is useful for their work. Many people often learn English for their higher studies, because at college or university some of their books are in English. Other people learn English because they want to read newspaper and magazines in English.
小題1:Many students in China are learning English, aren't they? ____.

A．No, they aren't	B．No, they are
C．Yes, they are	D．Yes, they aren't

小題2: If one wants to learn another language well, he must ____.

A．learn at school	B．study by himself
C．work hard	D．study hard

小題3: The sentence "It is difficult to answer that question" means ____.

A．that question is not difficult to answer

B．that question is difficult to answer it

C．it is difficultly to answer that question

D．it is hard to answer that question

小題4:"Their own language" means ____.

A．Chinese

B．English

C．French

D．Japanese

小題5:What's the Chinese of "study by themselves"?

A．和他們一起學(xué)習(xí)

B．自學(xué)

C．向他們學(xué)習(xí)

D．通過學(xué)習(xí)

Children at a school in Italy have today begun an experiment to replace all their books with personal computers. The pupils involved will each be given a special laptop that contains their entire courses.
Until today, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school in central Turin was like any other. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, in what's being described as a unique experiment, 60 fifth-grade pupils and a number of third-graders, will start using computers only.
The mini-laptops, which run Windows software, all have a full curriculum programmed into them. The pupils will use the computers to do all their reading and writing. Security systems within the laptops mean the children's access to the Internet is strictly controlled. The machines weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and are waterproof.
Instead of spending 700 dollars a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than 400 dollars. One of the teachers involved in the scheme says that, for the first time, schools will be able to verify in a scientific way how a computer alone can improve the learning process. The experiment, which has the backing of parents, is due to last a year.
In other countries, such a programme is also being carried out. Venezuela is ordering one million low cost laptops for its school children. The machines will be based on the Intel Classmate laptop that has been designed for school children. Many see the deal as a blow for the One Laptop Per Child organization that has also been introducing its child- friendly machine to developing nations.
小題1: Which of the following is TRUE about the mini-laptop?

A．It is heavy for pupils to carry.	B．It can't be damaged by water.
C．It is one and a half meters high.	D．It is easily broken or damaged.

小題2: The pupils use the laptop to ____ in class.

A．learn their lessons as an aid

B．have a course named computer studies

C．surf the Internet mainly to find information

D．do what they used to do with books and pens

小題3: How much money can a pupil save by using the mini-laptop to replace all the books in a year?

A．Less than 400 dollars.	B．More than 400 dollars.
C．More than 300 dollars.	D．Less than 300 dollars.

小題4:Which of the following about the experiment is TRUE?

A．It has been carried out for over one year.

B．It has already turned out to be a success.

C．The pupils' parents are against it in fact.

D．The pupils' parents are supportive to it.

Even before they start school, many young girls worry that they are fat. But a new study suggests watching a movie starring a stereotypically(模式化地)thin and beautiful princess may not increase children’s anxieties.
Nearly half of the 3 to 6 year old girls in a study by Professor Stacey Tantleff-Dunn and doctoral student Sharon Hayes said they worry about being fat. About one-third would change a physical feature, such as their weight or hair color.
The number of girls worried about being fat at such a young age concerns Tantleff-Dunn because of the potential effects later in life. Studies have shown young girls worried about their body image are more likely to suffer from eating disorders when they are older.
The encouraging news for parents is that taking their young daughters to see the new Disney film “The Princess and the Frog” isn’t likely to influence how they see their bodies.
“The media have a great effect on how young girls see their bodies. That’s why it’s important for parents to use movies such as ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ to start conversations with their children about weight, skin color and their views of beauty. They can explain that princesses’ tiny waists are not realistic for girls and that children don’t need Cinderella’s golden hair or Snow White’s porcelain(瓷制的) skin to look good,” Tantleff-Dunn said.
“We need to help our children challenge the images of beauty, particularly thinness, that they see and idolize, and encourage them to question how much appearance should be part of their self-worth,” said Tantleff-Dunn. “We should help them build a positive self-image with an appreciation for many different types of body features.” And as their children’s most important role models, parents also should avoid criticizing their own bodies.
小題1: Tantleff-Dunn worries that young girls caring too much about their appearance may          .

A．have diet trouble in the future

B．cause trouble when they are older

C．have mental problems later in life

D．have difficulty in communication

小題2: What is especially considered as beauty by girls according to the passage?

A．Having black hair.	B．Having a slim body.
C．Having golden skin.	D．Having big bright eyes.

小題3:Parents can help kids build a positive self-image by      .

A．encouraging kids to act as role models

B．preventing kids seeing beautiful models

C．telling kids the importance of appearance

D．a(chǎn)voiding complaining of their own bodies

小題4: The writer writes the passage mainly to          

A．explain the meaning of beauty

B．introduce a new research finding

C．stress the influence of media on girls

D．teach girls how to become a princess

Can you imagine exchanging the pleasure of city life for a quiet life in the countryside?
Many people want to move from the country to the city because they think that life in the city is more exciting and better than that in countryside, especially young people who like new, modern things. People like popular things and feel that they can only find the latest styles in the city.
However, it is possible to enjoy the higher quality of country life and still enjoy some of the advantages of living in the city.
Nowadays, traveling is fast and easy, and information can be found on the Internet, so many people are able to do their work in home offices. Because they have e-mail and personal computers, they don’t have to be in big cities to manage their businesses. It is not important where they actually work because the results of their work can be sent everywhere with e-mails. Therefore, there is no need to put up with all of the disadvantages of the city. Now they can escape busy city life to enjoy the quiet country life and still be able to have successful jobs.
Other people are interested in technological things and high-tech jobs and think they can only find them in big cities. If they want to find a job, especially a good position in a company, they think that they have to live in a city. For these jobs, they are willing to put up with many of the disadvantages of city life, such as crime, heavy traffic, and pollution.
小題1:The main idea of this passage is that         .

A．life in the city is different from life in the countryside

B．people prefer living in the city to living in the countryside

C．cities have more disadvantages than the countryside

D．more and more people like living in the city

小題2:With the development of      ,people can enjoy life in the countryside as comfortably as they can in the city.

A．e-mail technology	B．personal computers
C．transportation and computers	D．business

小題3:According to the passage, what does the countryside have but cities don’t have?

A．Technology.

B．Traffic.

C．Education.

D．Natural environment.

小題4:What is the author’s attitude towards city life?

A．He is for it.	B．He is against it.
C．He likes neither.	D．He shows no opinion.

In the last few years the Internet has become a widespread phenomenon(現(xiàn)象) around the world. People have started to use the computers just like they used to watch TV. Whenever we get hungry, we simply order a pizza through the Internet and while we are waiting for the food, we can send an important business e-mail concerning some sales for tomorrow. It is, in fact, very comfortable to just simply sit down and have a chat with somebody from South Africa about fishing and get some important advice. Sometimes when you are sad and are feeling lonely, if you go on the Internet, you can find good entertainment that will keep you busy.
To make a long story short, we just don’t have the time to communicate with people in person anymore. Besides, there is so much information easy to get on the Internet that when we start surfing, we find it hard for us to get away from the computer. There are a lot of people who are addicted(沉溺于) to TV and watch it 5 to 7 hours a day, while recently addiction to the Internet has become a very serious problem. You might think that these kinds of things could never happen to you, but it is not really true. To prevent yourself from getting addicted, the most important thing is to make sure that you are not spending too much time in front of the screen. Although it might seem to be easy to pull yourself away from the Web, it is simply not the case. You might have to make an effort to place some limits(限制) on yourself.
小題1:The first paragraph of the text mainly tells us that       .

A．it is nice to have a Net friend from South Africa

B．the Internet can help us to do business

C．some people prefer surfing the Internet to watching TV

D．the Internet can make our life more convenient

小題2:To avoid getting addicted to the Internet, we should     .

A．watch TV more hours a day instead

B．limit our time in front of the screen

C．communicate with people face to face

D．entertain ourselves in other ways

小題3:From the passage, we can infer that the writer        .

A．has once been addicted to the Net

B．is completely against surfing the Net

C．knows how to surf the Net efficiently

D．thinks the Net brings bads and goods

小題4:The text is most probably taken from       .

A．a(chǎn) health book	B．a(chǎn) geography magazine
C．a(chǎn) life magazine	D．a(chǎn) computer technology book

   As many as one in five US teenagers have some degree of hearing loss, according to researchers.
They say the problem is growing.
Teenagers really don’t pay attention to how much noise they are exposed (暴露) to, Josef Shargorodsky of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston told Reuters. “Often people won’t notice it, but even slight hearing loss may affect language development,” said Shargorodsky, one of the researchers.
The study compared surveys from the early 1990s and the mid-2000s. Each included a few thousand teenagers. In the first survey, about 15 percent of teenagers had some degree of hearing loss. Some 15 years later, that number had risen by a third, to nearly 20 percent.
“This certainly is big news,” said Alison Grimes, an ear doctor. Hearing loss is very common in old people, Grimes said, but she added that it was worrying to see it happen in the younger age group.
In babies and young children, hearing problems are known to slow language development. The science is less clear for teenagers, but it is easy to imagine how being hard of hearing could affect learning, said Grimes,.
The reasons for the rise are still unclear. When researchers asked teenagers about noise exposure – on the job, at school or from activities, for example – the teenagers didn’t report any change. But Shargorodsky said that might not be true. “We knew from before that it is difficult to ask this age group about noise exposure – they underestimate (低估) it.” Few people would call it noise when they listen to music on their MP3 player, for example. “There is a difference between what we think is loud and what is harmful to the ear,” said Grimes.
Although it’s not clear that the MP3 players cause teenagers’ hearing loss, Grimes said it was still a good idea to turn down the sound and take short breaks from listening.
小題1:According to the researchers, in a US class of 40 students, about ____ students have some degree of hearing loss.

A．one

B．five

C．six

D．eight

小題2:Which of the following statements is true according to the article?

A．Slight hearing loss does not influence learning.

B．Only a few old people have hearing problems.

C．Hearing problems can slow language development.

D．Noise exposure is clearly noticed by teenagers.

小題3:About hearing loss, it can be inferred that ________.

A．the reasons for the rise have been found	B．MP3 players are to blame
C．listening to loud music may be a cause	D．noise is the main reason

小題4:The article was written to ______.

A．warn teenagers that loud music might be harmful

B．explain what kinds of noises might affect studies

C．suggest that teenagers shouldn’t listen to loud music

D．show how important hearing can be for learning

School violence is in the headlines again after recent shootings at schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado. After hearing the news, it’s natural for students — no matter how old they are or where they go to school — to worry about whether this type of incident may someday happen to them.
So how safe are schools? It’s actually safer to be in a school than in a car. Twice as many 15-to-19-year-olds die in car accidents than in shootings (and that’s all shootings, not just the ones that happen in schools). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all homicides (殺人罪) among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. So the vast majority of students will never experience violence at school.
However, some schools have re-evaluated their safety needs in response to the concerns of families and communities. Some now require that guests check in at the office or have more guards on duty. Some schools have fixed metal detectors. Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools have practiced programs to fight these problems and to help teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from this type of violence.
The cause of school violence isn’t easy to understand. There is no single reason why students become violent. Some are just copying behavior they’ve seen at home, in the streets, or in video games, movies, or television. There’s one thing experts do agree on, though: Having access to guns or other weapons makes it easier for some people to lash out against the things or people they don’t like.
小題1:Which of the following statements can prove that schools are safe?

A．About 99% of 15- to-19-year-olds are safe at school.

B．Fewer students have died in car accidents than in shootings.

C．Students shot to death at school are half of all students.

D．Fatal shootings of students are less than 1% of all homicides.

小題2: After schools have re-evaluated their safety needs, ________.

A．families will be more concerned about schools

B．communities will be responsible for schools

C．teachers will pay more attention to shootings

D．a(chǎn)dministrators will arrange to have more guards on duty

小題3:From the last paragraph we can conclude that ______.

A．experts have found no reason for school violence

B．students with weapons are easily upset about things

C．school violence could be copied from violence in society

D．no single reason makes students violent

小題4:We could probably see this passage in ______.

A．a(chǎn)n analysis report	B．a(chǎn) realistic novel
C．a(chǎn) case investigation	D．a(chǎn) news journal

For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall. Soon, that will change. Electronic commerce is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices. There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from fraud will be harder. Many governments therefore want to extend high street regulations to the electronic world. But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation.
　　Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything from the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs, or their rights to refund when goods are faulty. But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence in their country is on the screen. Other countries have regulators, but the rules of consumer protection differ, as does enforcement. Even where a clear right to compensation exists, the online catalogue customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to extract a refund for a dud purchase.
　　One answer is for governments to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s rules. But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules. And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober states to accept. There is, however, an alternative. Let the electronic businesses do the “regulation” themselves. They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so.
　　In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset. Governments, too, may compete to be trusted. For instance, customers ordering medicines online may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead.
Consumers will need to use their judgment. But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than consumers of the normal sort---and the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain noisily when a company lets them down. In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more.
小題1:According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?

A．Self – regulation by the business.	B．Strict consumer protection laws.
C．Close international cooperation.	D．Government protection.

小題2:In case an electronic shopper bought faulty goods from a foreign country, what could he do?

A．Refuse to pay for the purchase.	B．Go to the seller and ask for a refund.
C．Appeal to consumer protection law.	D．Complain about it on the Internet.

小題3:In the author’s view, businesses would place a high emphasis on honest dealing because in the electronic world         .

A．international cooperation would be much more frequent

B．consumers could easily seek government protection

C．a(chǎn) good reputation is a great advantage in competition

D．it would be easy for consumers to complain

小題4:We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is    .

A．very quick

B．very cautious

C．very slow

D．rather careless

小題5:If a customer buys something that does not meet his expectation, what is the advantage of dealing through electronic commerce over the present normal one?

A．It will be easier for him to return the goods he is not satisfied with.

B．It will be easier for him to attain the refund from the seller.

C．It will be easier for him to get his complaints heard by other consumers.

D．It will be easier for him to complain about this to the government.

Some 80 percent of graduate students in East China's Zhejiang province said in a survey they will give up trying to find jobs in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, first-tier cities in China that have been considered dream places for many, because of the untouchable home prices and high living costs.
The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 job seekers who were attending Sunday's job fair in Jiangsu for graduate students. The survey showed graduates are becoming more realistic in their job search despite the job market becoming better.
The fair attracted more than 10,000 graduate students with 7,382 positions.
"The pressure of buying a house in Beijing is unbelievable," said Wang Jian from Nanjing Normal University, who acknowledged he had thought about finding a job in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, but in the face of huge pressures, he has no choice but to be "realistic."
People can have a very comfortable life in Nanjing with a monthly salary of between 3,000 yuan ($450) and 4,000 yuan, but in Shanghai, 5,000 yuan a month can only help you survive and buying a house will remain a dream,
A student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology said he just turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month because "living costs in Shanghai are too high."
An unnamed male student from Nanjing University said he will try first-tier cities only if he can get a high salary. "I would go to Beijing only if I can earn 200,000 yuan a year," he said.
"Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou once had the advantages that other cities don't have, but the high housing prices and living costs make young people barely able to breathe," said Ren Leiming from the job service center of Jiangsu's colleges and universities.
"First-tier cities have plenty of talents that make it hard for people to be outstanding, and if you go work in smaller cities you can become a dominant player at your position much more easily," said Ren.
小題1:Tthe majority of graduate students will give up trying to find jobs in the first-tier cities
because        
A it is not easy to find jobs there .
B. home prices and living costs there are very high.
C .they can’t make full use of their knowledge and skills there .
D. monthly salaries there are low compared with those in other cities .
小題2:Which of the following statements is TRUE about the job market now ?
A. There are more job opportunities offered now
B The job markets are becoming more and more competitive .
C. Many graduate students are n’t satisfied with the working conditions
D Companies and enterprises have stricter rules to take in graduate students .
小題3:We can learn from the news report that             .
A. In Shanghai, 5,000 yuan a month can only help you buy a luxury house .
B. The fair attracted more than 10,000 graduate students and laid-off workers  with 7,382 positions
C. The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 personnel managers who were attending Sunday's job fair in Jiangsu for graduate students.
D A student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month
小題4:The words Ren said in the last paragraph mean              .

A．people can’t achieve more in first-tier cities .

B．people can easily be outstanding in smaller cities

C．he would rather go to first-tier cities than smaller cities .

D．talents are more welcome in first-tier cities than smaller ones

Shopping in the United States changes a lot．About ninety years ago most people shopped in small stores that were owned by one person or a family．Women went from the bakery to the butcher's to the grocer and on to the fruit and vegetable seller in order to get their food for the week．
Then about sixty years ago, supermarkets were born．In a supermarket, people could get all the different kinds of food they needed without going to different stores．
The next big change in shopping in the United States was the shopping mall．A shopping mall is a group of stores under one roof．Because malls allowed people to shop without worrying about the weather, they soon became very popular．The mall became a place for people to socialize in addition to shopping．If you walk through a mall, you will see older people sitting, chatting and drinking coffee．Malls are places for teenagers to hang out．Many teens will often just "go to the mall" and spend time with their friends．
The recent change in American shopping was the superstore．Large chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Office Depot and Toys "R" Us have been built all across the United States．Because they are so large, they can buy goods at a great discount and sell them much cheaper than smaller stores．
Sometimes, when they are built near small towns, many of the small town stores have to close．They just cannot compete with their giant neighbors．
And now, online shopping is becoming more and more popular all over the States．People are too busy to go to the physical stores, so they go shopping over the Internet．Online shopping has lots of advantages．For instance, online stores are usually available 24 hours a day．Searching or browsing online shops can be faster than browsing the physical stores．While, online shopping also has its disadvantages．People are at higher risk of being cheated on the part of the merchant than in a physical store．And privacy of personal information may be let out．
小題1:Which of the following shows the right order of shopping development in the United States?
①small stores ②superstores ③shopping malls  ④shopping online
⑤supermarkets

A．①②③④⑤	B．①⑤②③④
C．①⑤③②④	D．②③④①⑤

小題2:Which is the place for people to spend time with others according to the passage?

A．Shopping malls．	B． Small stores．
C．Supermarkets．	D．Superstores．

小題3:Why can the superstores sell products at much lower prices?

A．Because they are built near small towns．

B．Because they are across the United States．

C．Because they sell all kinds of products people need．

D．Because they can buy goods at a reduction in the price．

小題4:What's the disadvantage of online shopping according to the passage?

A．Wasting time．	B．Leaking personal information．
C．Fixed prices．	D．No chance to do physical activities.