Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people
will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the
information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short
television program can tell you all that you want to know?
     Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of
every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment.
Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平裝本),
which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening
at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
     Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every
home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全書), though expensive, is
useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history
books, science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can
take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.

1. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge
B. cinemas are the best choice in getting information
C. reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun
D. newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself

2. What does the sentences "Television has not killed reading, however" underlined in the second paragraph
    suggest?

A. People only need reading, though.
B. Reading is still necessary today.
C. Reading is more fun than television.
D. Watching television doesn't help reading.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Fewer and fewer people will buy books.
B. More people like TV programs about famous men. 
C. Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.
D. A good dictionary should be kept in every home.

     The worst US economic recession (蕭條) in 70 years is forcing senior citizens out of retirement, leaving
them fighting for jobs in a weak labor market or risking homelessness.
     A study by Experience Works, released on Tuesday, showed 46 percent of the 2,000 low income people
over 55 years who participated needed to find work to keep their homes. Nearly half of them had been
searching for work for more than a year.
     "These people are at the age where they understandably thought their job-searching years were behind
them," said Cynthia Metzler, president and CEO of Experience Works.
     "But here they are, many in their 60s, 70s and beyond, desperate to find work so they can keep a roof over
their heads and food on the table."
     According to the study, many of the participants had no intention of working past their 60th birthday, but
had to change plans after being dismissed or following the death of the partner. Over a third of the participants
had retired.
     Ninety percent of respondents 76 years and older planned to continue working for the next five years.
     Huge medical bills due to a personal illness or that of a spouse (配偶) were also reasons for coming out of
retirement, the survey found. The longest and deepest economic slump since the 1930s is making finding a job
for the low-income elderly workers a difficult challenge.
     The Experience Works study found that 46 percent of the elderly jobseekers were sometimes forced to
choose between paying rent, buying food or medication. Almost three-quarters believed their age made it harder
to compete for jobs with younger workers.
     "This study underscores calls for the need to create policies that remove barriers to employment for older
workers and provide additional programs and services specifically aimed at helping older people re-enter the
work force or remain working," said Metzler.

1. What has caused the American retired senior citizens back to work? (No more than 8 words)
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is it hard for the elderly job seekers to find a job? (No more than 13 words)
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Use several words to describe the possible feelings of the elderly job seekers? (No more than 4 words)
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. What might be the solution to the problem according to the study? (No more than 15 words)
____________________________________________________________________________________

     Employment practices often reflect the needs of employers several decades ago. Times have changed.
And so too has the Canadian workforce. Yet many employment practices have not kept pace with this
change. For example, some work environments and washrooms designed for able-bodied workers seldom
accommodate people who use a wheelchair.
     Modernizing these practices is what employment equality is about. For example, making sure work
benches and washrooms are adapted for disabled people entering the workplace, paving the way for workers
who become disabled on the job. By doing so, any given group of people formerly discriminated against-now
has access to better employment opportunities.
     The objective, of course, is to make the workplace reflect Canadian society. However, this does not
necessarily mean setting and enforcing quotas (配額). Rather, it means identifying the barriers to employment
and designing measures, with achievable goals and clear timetables, to remove them.
     For example, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees-Canada's largest union, it would be
unrealistic in the short term to insist that because half of the working age population is women, half of the
employees of an engineering firm should be women. At this moment, there would not be enough qualified
female engineers. 
     A reasonable numerical goal would be based on the number of women who actually are engineers (8%)
and those who are studying to become engineers (25% ). A short term goal of 13% would be appropriate
without running the risk of hiring unqualified people.
     Equally important is to ensure people who have been disadvantaged the chance to become qualified for
new opportunities. If aboriginal people (土著居民), for example, can't qualify for certain jobs because they
haven't had access to appropriate educational opportunities, then an employment equality program would
have to address that problem with training programs.
     Employment laws in this country cannot be considered displeasing if they guarantee all Canadians fair
and equal access to the workforce.

1. The passage is mainly about how to _____.

A. modernize equipment for the disabled at work
B. achieve equality of employment opportunities
C. protect women's rights in employment
D. complete a job training program

2. The example of women shows that _____.

A. only a small percentage of women engineers will get promoted
B. 13% of the working age women should be hired as engineers
C. policy makers should adopt a practical and flexible approach
D. the quota of women for employment should be raised

3. The underlined word "address" in Paragraph 6 probably means _____.

A. put forward
B. run into
C. find out
D. deal with

                                                   Are Societies Ageing Too Fast?
     An ageing society is one in which the population of people over the age of 60 is increasing. The global
population at present is about 6 billion with l person in every 10 aged 60 or above. 1._____ This will mean
that for the first time in human history the population of older persons will be larger than the population of
children! What are the causes of this population change?
     2._____ And another is that birth rates have dropped as people, especially women, are educated. Measures
to slow population growth like China's one-child policy, have also contributed to lowered birth rates. The
increase in the aged population is not just an interesting trend, however; it also has severe implications for the
future of global economies.
     People traditionally retire at 65 and live on government pensions. 3._____ Another concern is that as medical
expenses increase with age, the demands of the growing aged population will eventually cause medical systems
to face bankruptcy (破產(chǎn)).
     4._____ They suggest that because people are living longer, they ought to work longer, while governments
need to establish a sound social security system. They also suggest that individuals start saving as soon as
possible to ensure a financially secure retirement. People should also develop good health habits in their youth
to ensure an active and productive old age. 5._____ By finding cures for diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer,
medical bills and the need for care would be drastically reduced.
     Finally, an important step to ensure a bright future for all is to do away with negative stereotypes that see
valuable members of society only as pensioners or patients. It's high time we stopped seeing ageing as a disease
and started playing our parts in securing the future of our ageing societies.

A. Due to ageing problem, cities are facing more challenges.
B. Experts insist that steps should be taken now to prepare for the future.
C. As people grow older, a huge financial burden will be placed on the government.
D. Biomedical research is another tool we can use to deal with the problems of ageing societies.
E. One reason is that dramatic health advances have added 20 years to the average life expectancy.
F. The United Nations projects that by 2050, it will be l in every 5.
G. As is known to all, good habits lead to good health.

     Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing?
Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk
about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents
when he was a teenager.
     "I would never have said to my mom, 'Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?'"
says Ballmer." There was just a complete gap in taste."
     Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations
of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
     Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on
subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and
common. And parent-child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can
continue into adulthood.
     No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, "To my mother, my best friend."
     But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents.
     "There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change
happening," says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. "In the middle of that change, there
is a lot of confusion among parents."
     Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as
a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that
encourages everyone to have a say.
     "My parents were on the 'before' side of that change, but today's parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the 'after' side," explains Mr. Ballmer. "It's not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life
is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now."

1. The underlined word "gulf" in Para.3 most probably means _____.

A. interest
B. distance
C. difference
D. separation

2. Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?

A. Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.
B. Parents put more trust in their children's abilities.
C. Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs.
D. Parents share more interests with their children.

3. The change in today's parent-child relationship is _____.

A. more confusion among parents
B. new equality between parents and children
C. less respect for parents from children
D. more strictness and authority on the part of parents

4. By saying "today's parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the 'after' side", the author means that today's
    parents _____.

A. follow the trend of the change
B. can set a limit to the change
C. fail to take the change seriously
D. have little difficulty adjusting to change

5. The purpose of the passage is to _____.

A. describe the difficulties today's parents have met with
B. discuss the development of the parent-child relationship
C. suggested the ways to handle the parent-child relationship
D. compare today's parent-child relationship with that in the past

     As more Americans go to mainland China to take jobs, more Chinese and Americans are working side
by side. These cross-cultural partnerships, while beneficial in many ways, are also highlighting tensions
that expose differences in work experience, pay levels and communication.
     In the last few years, a growing number of Americans in their 20s and 30s have been heading to China
for employment, attracted by its faster-growing economy and lower jobless rate. Their Chinese co-workers
are often around the same age. But the two groups were raised differently. The Americans have had more
exposure to free-market principles. "Young Americans were brought up in a commercial environment," said
Neng Zhao, 28, a semor associate at Blue Oak Capital, a private firm based in Beijing. "We weren't. So the
workplace is a unique learning process for my generation."
     Managers hiring workers in China appear to be paying for Western experience. Foreigners tend to earn
10 to 15 percent more than their Chinese counterparts (persons working in similar positions), said Michael
Norman, senior vice president at Sibson Consulting, an American firm. That imbalance does not go unnoticed
by Chinese workers. "There is definitely the belief that Americans get paid more for the same work," said
Ting Wang, 25, an associate at WildChina, a travel company based in Beijing. On the other hand, Chinese
workers have a deeper understanding of the influences, like Confucianism'and Communism, which play a
part in their country's culture and economy.
     It is important and necessary for Americans working in China to adjust, said Mr. Norman, who works
on management and work force issues for multinational companies operating in Asia.
     "In the West, there is such a bonus on getting things done quickly, but when you come to work in China,
you need to work on listening and being more patient and understanding of local ways of doing business,"
he said.

1. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A. Cross-cultural conflicts.
B. Cross-cultural partnerships.
C. Multinational companies in China.
D. Different pays for the same work. 

2. More Americans go to China to take jobs because _____.

A. they want to experience different cultures
B. Chinese workers are easier to cooperate
C. they can't find proper jobs in America
D. the economy of China is developing rapidly

3. What does the underlined word "imbalance" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Unfair pay levels.
B. Different working experience.
C. Unequal opportunities.
D. Different upbringing environment.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Americans benefit more from working in China.
B. Chinese and American employees have the same experience.
C. Young Chinese can benefit from cross-cultural partnerships.
D. More Americans working in China causes higher jobless rate.

     MySpace, the social networking website, is different from other websites which only provide stories about
other people. MySpace is a place that allows you to broadcast your own stories and persona information to as
many people as you like. Started two years ago, it is a big source of information for and about American kids.
     Teenagers and their parents feel very differently about it. Teens are rushing to join the site, not sharing their
parents' worries. It signals yet another generation gap in the digital era.
     For teenagers, it is a reliable network to keep in touch with their friends. They will often list their surnames,
birthdays, after-school jobs, school clubs, hobbies and other personal information.
     "MySpace is an easy way to reach just about everyone. I don't have all the phone numbers of all my
acquaintances. But if I want to get in touch with one of them, I could just leave them a message on MySpace."
said Abby Van Wassen. She is a sixteen-year-old student at Woodland Hills High of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
     Parents on the other hand are seriously concerned about the security problems of MySpace.
     "Every time we hold a parents meeting, the first question is always about MySpace," said Kent Gates, who
travels the country doing Internet safety seminars (研討會). The National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children has received at least 288 MySpace-related complaints, according to Mary Beth Buchanan, a lawyer in
Pittsburgh.
     "Your profile on MySpace shows all your personal information to anyone on the Web. And MySpace even
lists this information by birthplace and age. It's like a free checklist for troublemakers and it endangers children,"
Buchanan said.

1. From the passage we can learn that MySpace ____.

A. brings about the generation gap
B. is very careful about people's privacy
C. encourages you to list your personal information
D. lists the telephone numbers of your friends

2. Why are some parents against MySpace?

A. Because MySpace has a bad influence on their children.
B. Because they don't want to pay so much money for MySpace.
C. Because it takes up too much of their children's spare time.
D. Because troublemakers can easily approach their children through the site.

3. What can we infer from "Every time we hold a parents meeting, the first question is always about MySpace"?

A. MySpace has become a top issue troubling parents.
B. MySpace often holds parents meetings.
C. MySpace is quite popular-with parents.
D. Parents have lots of questions about the website.

4. The writer's attitude towards MySpace is ____.

A. negative
B. positive
C. optimistic
D. objective

     A few days ago my wife sent me out to buy something. When I came home, I handed her a paper bag
and said, "Here are the apples you wanted." She looked in the bag, and then she looked at me. "I told you,"
she said slowly, "to buy some eggs."
     I felt worried about my absent-mindedness, so I went to see a doctor. He was a very kind man "I have
seen many people like you. It's nothing to worry about," he said "If you know you are absent-minded, you
are all right.But if you do not know you're absent-minded, you may be really in trouble."
     "Many famous people were absent-minded," the doctor told me. "Thomas Edison was standing in line
one day to pay his taxes. When he arrived at the window, he found that he had forgotten his own name.
He had to ask the man who was behind him to tell him who he was."
     I felt much better and got up to leave. "Thank you, doctor," I said. "How much do I have to pay you?"
     "Ten dollars for the check-up," the doctor said.
     "But doctor, I did not have a check-up!"
     For a moment the doctor looked puzzled. Then he said, "Oh, yes, it was the patient before you who had
a check-up. How absent-minded I am!"

1. The doctor took Edison's story for example ____.

A. to show absent-mindedness is common among people
B. because he liked telling stories
C. to make the author laugh
D. to make fun of Edison

2. The underlined word "absent-mindedness" in the second paragraph probably means ____.

A. a feeling of anger
B. a feeling of sadness
C. an emotion (情緒) of excitement
D. a trouble in which people often forget this or that

3. According to the passage, who was absent-minded?

A. Only the author.
B. The author's wife.
C. The doctor alone.
D. The author and the doctor.

     In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. Now this is perhaps the first
generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never
experienced the death of a family member.
     Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we send
them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminal (晚期的) patients-even when those patients
are their parents. This deprives (剝奪) the dying patient of family members during the last few days of his
life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.
     Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed about 500 terminal patients in order to find
out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of
their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their
serious illness were quite aware of its potential (潛在的) outcome.
     It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communication
in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies (幻想). Most of our patients welcomed another
human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them
shared with us their great need to be informed, to be kept up-to- date on their medical condition and to be
told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were
better able to cope with the coming of detach and finally to reach a true stage, of acceptance before death.

1. The elders of today's Americans ____.

A. are often absent when a family member is born or dying
B. are unfamiliar with birth and death
C. usually see the birth or death of a family member
D. have often experienced the fear of death as part of life

2. Children in America are deprived of the chance to ____.

A. visit a patient at hospital
B. visit their family members
C. learn how to face death
D. look after the patients

3. The need of a dying patient for people to accompany him shows ____.

A. his wish for communication with other people
B. his fear of death
C. his unwillingness to die
D. he feels very upset about his condition

4. It may be concluded from the passage that ____.

A. dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition
B. dying patients are afraid of being told of the coming of death
C. most patients are unable to accept death until it can't be avoided
D. most doctors and nurses understand what dying patients need