10．As the old saying goes，beauty is in the eye of the beholder．But Venezuela，whose beauty queens have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times，doesn't leave it to chance．In Venezuela，girls as young as four can be found attending beauty schools，where they can learn a range of skills from how to walk to the correct way to hold a wine glass．
"Hair must always be completely clean，make-up should look natural，and you should always，always wear high-heels，"advises Andrea Reyes，a teacher in a school of Caracas with 160 students．
Beauty contests are treated in Venezuela much as sporting competitions are elsewhere．Many Venezuelan parents believe that if their daughters can succeed and get the beauty crown，their future as famous and public persons is sure to come．As a result，the girls are trained to compete at a young age．
Among former beauty queens are Irene Saez，who went on to compete for the country's president，and Eva Ekvall，whose battle with cancer helped to make more people know about the illness in Venezuela．
However，voices against the trend can be heard all over the country．At one time，a feminist （男女平等主義者） group tried to stop the Miss Venezuela broadcast．President Hugo Chavez has spoken out against the culture of plastic surgery（整形手術(shù)）in Venezuela，calling it a"frightening thing"．
The BBC reporter Sarah Grainger says that acceptance of the contests is partly a result of the country's"machista"（大男子主義的） view of the different roles that men and women should play，"Men are supposed to be strong and brave and women to be gentle and beautiful"．
Miss Universe 1996，Alicia Machado，knows the price to be paid when you're no longer seen as attractive．After winning the beauty contest，she said all she wanted to do was"eat，eat and eat"．Her weight gain later and warning by the organizers of the contest to replace her as queen with the runner-up was among the hottest topics in the country，especially in Latin America．
63．What's the advice given by a teacher in Caracas to her students？C
A．Attending beauty schools as early as possible．
B．Wearing high-heels at times．
C．Washing your hair quite often．
D．Fighting against cancer bravely．
64．Girls try to win in the beauty contest toC．
A．try plastic surgery               
B．practice the country's"machista"view
C．earn a good future                
D．eat as much as one pleases
65．We can learn from the passage thatB．
A．Venezuela girls have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times by chance
B．In Venezuela，people judge men and women in quite different ways
C．Eva Ekvall once competed for the country's president
D．Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has spoken out against beauty contests
66．What does the underlined word"runner-up"in the last paragraph mean？D
A．the news reporter covering the beauty contest
B．the organizer of the beauty contest
C．the girl who is slim
D．the person who comes in the second place．

9．Some children show preferences for friends at an early age．At 9or 10，children become a were of differences，they begin to form cliques（圈子，派系）．At l0 0r 12years of age，as they are separate from  parents，identification with peers may become enlarged and cliques may form and change frequently．At  middle and high school the issue of belonging becomes even more extraordinary and outstanding．
Cliques are small，particular groups of friends who share common characteristics and common interests（music，dress，sports，etc．）．Each member is either directly or indirectly connected to other members．Cliques usually refer to groups of girls； however boys are also involved in cliques．There are  usually hierarchies（等級(jí)）of cliques among teens，from the populars to the losers，and there are often many  cliques in schools．
Normal adolescent（青少年的）development often circles around cliques-joining cliques，wanting  to join cliques，or being out of cliques．Cliques can have a strong positive effect on self-worth．They provide social occasions and help kids develop a sense of belonging  support and protection Cliques improve self-respect by making kids feel wanted，and they enable the cliques member to develop a sense of identity and to deal with social events around themselves．
While，cliques can be opposed to other kids and other cliques．In some cases cliques members can become harmful to outsiders by putting them down using teasing，backstabbing，and even violence．Although girls are socialized to suppress physical displays of violence，it can take the form of intimidating （恐嚇人的）behavior．Cliques can pollute individuality and prevent members from mixing with members of other groups．They usually require some degree of agreement in appearance，attitude，or behavior．They can drive away members for no apparent reason，and they can pressure kids into group activities in order to
fit in，creating interpersonal cliques and violence．

57．Which of the following statements about the cliques is TRUE？D
A．Cliques members have different characteristics and interests．
B．Once a cliques is formed its members are not changeable．
C．Cliques are more popular among boys and girls．
D．Chques help improve children's self-respect
58．According to the passage，cliques canC．
A．encourage children to study harder than before
B．protect children when they are in danger．
C．make children have a sense of belonging
D．make children desire to be successful
59．The underlined words"suppress"in Paragraph 4can be replaced by"A"．
A．prevent      B．permit
C．develop      D．discover
60．What is the main topic of this passage？D
A．The positive effect of cliques．
B．Why children want to join cliques．
C．When the children begin to form cliques．
D．What is the cliques and its effects on children．

8．A son in many developing countries means insurance，who will inherit his father's property and help support the family．However，to parents，a daughter is just another expense．Her place is in the home，not in the world of men．A girl can't help but feel inferior when everything around her tells her that she is worth less than a boy．Her future is，to some extent，shaped as soon as her family limits her opportunities and treat her as second-rater，which explain why women in developing countries perform much worse than men both in study and career．
Deep discrimination （歧視）against women creates a firm force that keeps girls from living up to their full potential．It also leaves them victims to severe physical and emotional harm．These"servants of the household"come to accept that life will never be any different．What's most harmful，it results not only in millions of individual tragedies，but also in the lost potential for the entire country．Studies show there is a direct link between a country's attitude toward women and its social and economic progress．The status of women is central to the health of a society．If one part suffers，so does the whole．
To deal with the situation，many women turn to education．Educated women are essential to ending sex discrimination，starting by reducing the poverty The most basic skills in literacy and Maths open up opportunities for better-paying jobs for women．Uneducated women in rural areas of Zambia，for instance，are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have had eight or more years of education．
Women who have had some schooling are more likely to get married later，survive childbirth，have fewer and healthier children，and make sure their own children complete school．Understanding the importance of hygiene （衛(wèi)生）and nutrition，they are more likely to stay in physical wellness．
Nevertheless，the comprehensive change for a society speaks for the more far-reaching meaning of women education．As women get the opportunity to go to school and obtain higher-level jobs，they gain status in their communities，which translates into the power to influence their families and societies．Such power may，together with other forces of outside interference，make even bigger changes possible and gradually lighten up women's fates in these countries．
 
（Note：Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS．）
81．What two facts make a woman achieve less than men in developing countries？
Her family limiting her opportunities and treating her as second-rater
82．The most severe result of discrimination against women isthe lost potential for the entire country
83．Why are educated women in developing countries more likely to remain healthy？
Because they understand the importance of hygiene and nutrition
84．High social position at home helps women to have the ability toinfluence their families and societies．

7．A．the future of computer-human relationship
B．the programming system of the computer
C．the reason of the complexity of the human brain
D．the possibility of a real supercomputer
E．the way for computers to kill humans
F．the shortages of the computer compared with a human brain
 
76．C
The difference between a human brain and a computer is more complicated than we can imagine．The large mammalian brain is the most complicated thing，for its size．Though the human brain only weighs three pounds，in that three pounds are ten billion neurons and a hundred billion cells．The many billions of cells are interconnected in such a vastly complicated network that we can't begin to explore as yet．
77．F
Even the most complicated computer man has yet built can't compare with the brain．Computer switches and processes number in the millions rather than in the billions．What's more，the computer switch is just an on-off device，whereas the brain cell is itself possessed of a complex structure．
78．B
It's frequently said that computers solve problems only because they are"programmed"to do so．They can only do what men have them do，in which way it is like the human brain．We can also do what we are"programmed"to do．Our genes"program"us the instant the zygote （授精卵） is formed，and our potentialities are limited by that"program．"
79．D
Surely，though，if a computer can be made complex enough，it can be as creative as people．If it could be made as complex as a human brain，it could be the replacement of a human brain and do whatever a human brain can do．Then the real supercomputer comes along．
80．A
In other words，once we pass a certain critical point，the computers will gain a dominating position and present a complexity explosion．In a very short time thereafter，computers may exist not only taking after the human brain，but far passing it．When the time comes，we might as well step aside and hand over all our work to them and really have them serve us．

6．As we all know clothes are necessary and important for human beings．If someone is asked why he or she wears clothes，the answer will probably be"To keep warm and to cover my body"．These are the basic reasons clothes are worn，but people also want to look attractive and appear successful to others．
    If people only wore clothes for warmth and to cover their bodies，most clothing would be simple and cheap．In most Western countries，however，clothing is sometimes very expensive．The main reason for this is not the cost the fabric （布料） or the cost of making the clothes．The clothes are expensive because of fashion （時(shí)尚）．Successful businessmen，for example，often wear very expensive suits，shirts and ties．Sometimes they pay thousands of dollars for a suit and hundreds of dollars for a tie．It's still just a suit and tie but they pay these prices because of the famous name of the designer．A suit costing much less would be just as warm and would cover the wearer's body just as well．
 Fashion is constantly （不斷地） changing，which means that people who want to be fashionable have to buy new clothes every few months，even if last month's clothes have only been worn once or twice．Some people have wardrobes （衣柜） full of clothes that have hardly been worn but are no longer in fashion．Being fashionable，therefore，can be a very expensive pastime!
46．Why do people wear clothes？D
A．Only to cover themselves
B．Just to make themselves attractive．
C．Just because of fashion
D．For a variety of reasons．
47．Successful businessmen buy very expensive suits because ofB．
A．the cost of the fabric                        
B．the famous name of the designer
C．the cost of making them                   
D．the good packages （包裝）
48．According to the passage，fashionable people have toB．
A．wear their clothes only once                  
B．buy new clothes regularly
C．wear last month's clothes                    
D．buy new clothes once or twice
49．From the last paragraph，we can knowA．
A．Being fashionable can be very expensive
B．In most western countries，clothing is sometimes expensive
C．It is too difficult for people to catch up with fashion
D．Many people can hardly wear what they have bought
50．What is the passage mainly about？D
A．Some clothes are very expensive and some are cheap．
B．In many countries，clothes can sometimes be very expensive to buy
C．People wear clothes to keep warm and to cover their bodies．
D．Many people choose their clothes according to what's in fashion．

5．From a very early age，some children exhibit better
self-control than others．Now，a new study that began with about 1，000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child's low self-control can predict poor health，money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years．
Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now．They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed．Parents，teachers，even the kids themselves，scored the youngsters on measures like"acting before thinking"and"Persistence in reaching goals．"
The study led  by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1，000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin，New Zealand．
"The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten，later on had the most health problems in their 30s，"Moffitt said，"and they had the worst financial situation．They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income．"Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed，and weren't just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids．
Moffitt said it's still unclear why some children have better self-control than others，though she said other researchers have found that it's mostly a learned behavior，with relatively little genetic influence．But good self-control can be set to run in familles because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents．But the good news，Moffitt said，is that self-control can be taught by parents，and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective．
61．From the first two paragraphs we learn that．B
 A．the research has been carried out for five years
 B．self-control in kids tends to determine their future
 C．self-control was assessed by children's intelligence
 D．children's self-control is almost the same at early age
62．Children with low self-control are more likely to．D
 A．become wealthy in later life    
B．get good school performance
 C．have better financial planning  
D．a(chǎn)dopt negative behaviors
63．According to Moffitt，．D
 A．only good genetic factors can shape their lives in the future
 B．scientists know well why some children have better self-control
 C．self-control in childhood has nothing to do with criminal activity
 D．willpower as a child really influences people's chances of adulthood
64．What can be inferred from the passage？D
 A．Self-control cannot be taught in schools．
 B．The study is restricted within few participants．
 C．It's never too late to deal with self-control problems．
 D．Good parenting can improve self-control and life success．
65．Which of the following might be the best title of the  passage？A
 A．Child's self control predicts future health，success
 B．Kids are encouraged to take risks at an early age
 C．Children's development cannot be changed by teachers
 D．How to teach the kids a bit of self-control in schools．

4．After commuting，cooking dinner and doing household chores，the average parent has just 30minutes to devote to their children in the evenings，according to a new study．One in four working parents worry that half an hour simply isn't enough，while almost half fret that they aren't a good enough parent during the week．
However，parenting experts believe just 12minutes a day may be enough for mothers and fathers to fully   reconnect with their child-as long as they ask the right questions．Child psychologist Dr Claire Halsey said asking a series of open-ended questions can help improve parents'relationship with their children．
Among the questions recommended in the research are："How many times have you smiled today-what made you laugh？"；"Can you act out what you did at breaktime？"；"Who is taller-mummy or your teacher？"and"What are the names of the toys you played with today？"Parents of older children are advised to start up a conversation with："I've got a great story for you but I want one in return…you first!"or"Tell me some school gossip …I'm all ears!"
Dr Halsey，working with the makers of Ribena Plus，who commissioned the research，said："There is no one as tough on their own parenting skills as a parent-but this study shows there is no need for parents to be so harsh．It's hard for working parents to juggle all their responsibilities and it can feel like guilt is simply a parent's lot-but it's absolutely not．By using clever tactics such as a little preparation alongside use of open-ended questions-such as‘Tell me what the best bit about your day was？'-parents can reduce the time worrying about chores and work and spend more time learning about their children's day．"

36．The underlined word reconnect in Paragraph 2is closest in meaning toB．
A．discuss      B．communicate      C．understand       D．combine
37．According to Paragraph 1，almost half of the working parentsD．
A．can spare only about half an hour to be with their kids every day
B．spend their daytime commuting，cooking dinner and doing household chores
C．worry that half an hour's stay with their kids is far from enough
D．fear that they aren't a good enough parent during the week
38．What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3mean？C
A．I will be glad to listen．
B．I will be very interested．
C．I will listen carefully．
D．I will call your teacher at school．
39．Which of the following open-ended questions is for a three-year-old child？D
A．Where are you off to with your friends this weekend？
B．Who played the best in your football match today？
C．What science project are you doing at the moment and can I help with it？
D．What are the names of the toys you played with today？
40．What does Dr Halsey intend to tell us in this passage？B
A．It is not necessary for parents to spend too much time with their children．
B．It is natural that working parents do not afford more time to reconnect with kids．
C．It is important that working parents learn more parenting skills．
D．It is clever that parents ask their kids questions instead of doing chores．

3．Each food we eat tastes different，and there are untold numbers of different tastes．Still，all flavors are based on just four basic tastes：sweet，bitter，salty，and sour．Some food experts argue there is a fifth basic taste called umami（a Japanese word that can be translated roughly as"tasty"or"savory"），but this theory remains controversial．Regardless of whether there are four or five basic tastes，the number is small．
How can so few basic tastes give rise to the enormous number of flavors we experience？This is possible because the basic tastes combine in different proportions．Compare this to colors．There are only three basic colors-yellow，red，and blue-but when mixed in different ways and proportions，these three basic colors are sufficient to create the vast array of colors that we see every day．
Apart from being influenced by different combinations of the basic tastes，the experience of taste is also enriched by other sensations，such as odor and temperature．These functions together produce what we recognize as unique tastes．In fact，what we perceive as taste often involves smell more than the taste experienced through the tongue．This is why foods with strong tastes often seem bland to people who，due to a stuffy nose，cannot smell them．For example，cinnamon tastes quite mild to people who cannot enjoy its fragrant smell．The same is true of drinks，like hot coffee or tea，which taste best when they can be smelled as well as tasted．
What can also contribute to the sensation of taste is our ability to feel pain．The reason why hot，spicy foods like chili peppers are tasty is that they affect the lingual nociceptors．Nociceptors are small areas on the surface of the body that help protect us against injury．Nociceptors on the skin warn us of potential damage to the body．When we are pricked with a needle，for example，nociceptors represent that sensation as pain．A special kind of nociceptor called a lingual nociceptor is found on the tongue and，along with the other senses，helps us enjoy certain foods．

42．Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of the passage？B
A．New tastes can be created in laboratories．
B．Taste is a combination of different factors．
C．Solid foods have a stronger taste than drinks．
D．Taste is more important than smell for food．
43．Which word has the closest meaning to the phrase"give rise to"in Paragraph 2？D
A．lift              B．count             C．remove          D．produce
44．What does the author imply about cinnamon？B
A．It can relieve a stuffy nose．
B．It can have a very strong taste．
C．It should be kept in a cool place．
D．It tastes better in a large quantities．
45．What are"lingual nociceptors"？C
A．Foods that tastes hot and spicy like chili peppers．
B．Substances in a food that improve its flavor．
C．Areas on the tongue that sense spicy foods．
D．Small connections between the nose and the mouth．

2．Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona，Italy，about 200 years ago．They even sound better than violins made today．Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins．But they aren't the same．Why are these old Italian violins so special？Many people think they have an answer．
Some people think it is the age of the violins．But there is a problem here．Not all old violins sound wonderful．Only those from Cremona are special．So age cannot be the answer．
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood．The wood of the violin is very important．It must be from certain kinds of trees．It must not be too young or too old．Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins．
But the kind of wood may not be so important．It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way．Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully．It has to be the right size and shape．The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin．Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians．
Size and shape may not be the answer either．Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape．But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one．Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish（清漆），which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny．It also helps the sound of the instrument．Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish，no one can make the same varnish today．
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona．And there are not many of the old violins left．So these old violins are becoming more and more precious．
71．What would be the best title for the passage？A
A．The Secrets of Cremona Violins     B．The History of Italian Violins
C．Special Musical Instruments        D．How to Make the Best Violins
72．The main purpose of the first paragraph is toB．
A．list some facts                    B．raise a question
C．give an opinion                    D．offer an answer
73．What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer？D
A．The shape．    B．The size．    C．The wood．    D．The varnish．
74．Which of the following words can best describe Cremona violins？C
A．Light．        B．Shining．    C．Valuable．    D．Modern．
75．What can we learn from this passage？C
A．Modern things are always better than ancient ones．
B．Ancient things are always better than modern ones．
C．Once a cultural relic is lost，it can never be recovered． 
D．Varnish for violins will become more and more precious．

1．In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop．They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take．About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along．They prepared to get on．Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way．Someone shouted  insulting words about the foreigners．The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about．The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed．No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus．
Learning the language of a country isn't enough．If you want to ensure a pleasant visit，find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts．You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own．A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table．The left hand should be used for washing yourself．Also in India，You might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and consider that he is disagreeing．But in many parts of India shaking one's head means expressing agreement．Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty．In that country you shake your head to express"yes"-a nod means"no"．
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting，talking to someone，even at an important meeting．Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand，however，could cause offence （冒犯）．It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion．Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult-it's just not done．
Attitudes to women vary a lot around the world．In Japan，for example，it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home．
Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are traveling，but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality （禮節(jié)）．

41．The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed becauseC．
A．they didn't know the English language
B．the bus conductor told them to jump the queue
C．they didn't know the custom of lining up for a bus
D．they thought they were not respected
42．What's the meaning of the underlined word"insulting"in Para.1？D
A．generous    B．entertaining     C．misunderstanding    D．rude
43．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to this passage？B
A．In Europe，using the left hand is considered less respected．
B．In India，the left hand is not used as a sign of respect to others．
C．In Thailand，you'd better cross your legs when sitting or talking．
D．In Japan，it is considered bad manners to touch the head of an adult．
44．The underlined sentence"Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty"means in BulgariaC．
A．you are probably thirsty if you nod your head
B．you're possibly eager to have a drink if you nod your head
C．you probably refuse to drink when you nod your head
D．you'd like to have a cup of tea because you nod your head
45．We can infer from the passage thatD．
A．in Asian countries，women are equal to men in every field
B．learning a language well is a necessity before going abroad
C．a(chǎn)ttitudes to women vary a lot around the world．
D．in Japan，men are still the centre of the family．