The year was eighteen eighty-seven. The place was New York City. A young woman, Elizabeth
Cochrane,wanted a job at a large newspaper. The editor agreed,if she would investigate a hospital for
people who were mentally sick and then write about it.
     Elizabeth Cochrane decided to become a patient in the hospital herself. She used the name Nellie
Brown so no one would discover her purpose.  Newspaper officials said they would get her released
(釋放)  after a while.
     To prepare,Nellie put on old clothes and stopped washing. She went to a temporary home for
women. She acted as if she had severe mental problems. She cried and screamed and stayed awake
all night. The police were called. She was examined by doctors. Most said she was insane.
     Nellie Brown was taken to the mental hospital. It was dirty. Waste material was left outside the
eating room. Bugs ran across the tables. The food was terrible:hard bread and gray-colored meat.
Nurses bathed the patients in cold water
and gave them only a thin piece of cloth to wear to bed.
    During the day,the patients did nothing but sat quietly. They had to talk in quiet voices. Yet,Nellie
got to know some of them.  Some were women whose families had put them in the hospital because
they had been too sick with fever. Now they were well,but they could not get out.
    Nellie recognized that the doctors and nurses had no interest in the patients' mental health. They
were paid to keep the patients in a kind of jail.  Nellie stayed in the hospital for ten days. Then a lawyer
from the newspaper got her released.
    Five days later,the story of Elizabeth Cochrane's experience in the hospital appeared in the New
York World Newspaper.  Readers were shocked. They wrote to officials of the city and the hospital
protesting the conditions and patient treatment. An investigation led to changes at the hospital.
    Elizabeth Cochrane had made a difference in the lives of the people there.  She made a difference
in her own life too. She did not write it as Nellie Brown,however,or as Elizabeth Cochrane. She wrote
it under the name that always appeared on her newspaper stories:Nellie Bly. Later,Nellie Bly became
the best reporter in America.

1.  What's the meaning of the underlined word"insane" ?

A. Sad.          
B. Violent.          
C. Mad.            
D. Sick.

2.  The hospital seemed like"a kind of jail"for all the following reasons EXCEPT  ____.       

A. the living conditions were terrible
B. the food was of poor quality
C. the patients could neither talk loudly nor get out freel
D. the doctors and nurses had no interest in the patients' mental health   

3. What can be inferred from the text?        

A.  Readers called for human rights of the mental patients.
B. There was an investigation in the hospital.
C. The patients lived a better life after the hospital was uncovered.
D. The newspaper officials didn't know the women made up to live in the hospital.   

4. It can be known from the text that ______was the reporter's real name.

A. Nellie Brown  
B. Elizabeth Cochrane  
C. Nellie Bly    
D. Elizabeth Brown  

5. The passage is mainly about_________.          

A. how a young woman got a job at the New York World
B.  how a woman could change the lives of people
C.  how a kind of jail became a real mental hospital
D.  how a best reporter in America got her pen name

                                                        The unknown world's mystery
      The sea is the biggest unknown part of our world.  It covers seventy-one percent of the earth.  There
is still much to be discovered about this vast blanket of water.  If the waters of the ocean could be removed,the sea floor with its wide
valleys,irregular mountains and rivers in the sea would be an unbelievable sight.
     Tourism under the deep blue sea
     Tourists can now explore the world beneath the waves without ever getting wet. From tourist
submarines to underwater dining,undersea tourism is making a big splash.
     Tourist submarines (潛艇)
     The popularity of submarine tours has grown rapidly in the last decade.  Now,tourist submarines
operate in more than 20 locations worldwide,including the waters around Okinawa and Taiwan's Green
Island. The submarines carry nearly 2 million tourists each year. Large windows offer passengers
spectacular views as the submarines explore colorful coral reefs and sunken ships. Most one-hour tours
cost about $80.
      Underwater dining
       For a more upscale experience,tourists can enjoy fine .dining under the sea.  Last summer the Hilton Maldives Resort opened the world's first underwater restaurant,Ithaa. Diners walk down a staircase into
the restaurant,which rests
35 feet beneath the waves of the Indian Ocean. Transparent walls surround the dining area,and you can
treat guests to a panoramic(全景) ocean view. But this excellent view doesn't come cheap. The tasting
menu costs $200 per person.Be sure to make reservations early,too. The restaurant seats only 14 people.

1. What does the author want to tell us in Paragraph 1?      

A. The sea is the biggest unknown part of our world.
B. The sea covers seventy-one percent of the earth.
C. Some information about the sea floor.
D. The reasons for researching undersea tourism.

2. What does the author really mean by saying "undersea tourism is making a big splash" in Paragraph 2?   

A. Undersea tourism is a new fashion in travelling.
B. Your clothes will be made wet by the water splash.
C. Undersea tourism is dangerous.
D. There is still a long way for undersea tourism to go.

3.  Which of the following statements about tourist submarines is RIGHT?   

A. Tourist submarines only have a history of about 10 years.
B. There are tourist submarines in every part of the world now.
C. Tourist submarines have carried about 2 million tourists so far.
D. People can enjoy tourist submarines in the waters around Okinawa.

4.  The walls of the restaurant Ithaa are most probably made of ______ .  

A. stone        
B. brick          
C. glass          
D. steel

5.  From the passage,we can infer that the author _____.

A.  doesn't think underwater tourism is a good idea  
B.  shows great interest in underwater tourism
C. is worried about underwater tourism        
D. is probably a scientist who studies

     An " apple polisher"  is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment.  It is not exactly a
bribe(賄賂) ,buc is close to it.
      All sorts of people are apple-polishers,including politicians and people in high offices-just about
everybody. Oliver Cromwell,the great English leader,offered many gifts to win the support of George
Fox and his party,but failed.
        There are other phrases meaning the same thing as " apple-polishing" ," soft-soaping" or
"buttering-up".  A gift is just one way to " soft-soap" somebody,or to "butter him up".  Another that is just
as effective is flattery(討好,奉承) ,
giving someone high praise-telling him how good he looks,how well he speaks,or how talented and wise
he is.
       Endless are the ways of flattery.  Who does not love to hear it? Only an unusual man can resist (抵
抗) the thrill (興奮) of being told how wonderful he is.  In truth,flattery is good medicine for most of us,
who get so little of it.
       We need it to be more sure of ourselves.  It can not hurt unless we get carried away by it.  But if we
just take in its good value and nourishment(營(yíng)養(yǎng)) ,then we can still remain true to ourselves.
       Sometimes,however,flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it.  A good
example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England.  The king got tired
of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers(朝臣) .They overpraised him to the skies,as a
man of limitless power.
       He decided to teach them a lesson.  He took them to the seashore and sat down.  Then he ordered
the waves to stop coming in.  The tide(潮水 ) was too busy to listen to him.  The king was satisfied. 
 This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery was. 

1.  Which of the following activities has nothing to do with" apple-polishing" ?          

A. A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks.
B. An employee tells his boss how good he is at management.
C.  A king is said to be of limitless power by his followers.
D. A teacher praises his students for their talent and wisdom.    

 2. Which of the following statements about flattery is TRUE according to the writer ?

A. Too much flattery can carry us away.              
B.  Flattery is one of the ways to apple-polish people.
C. Flattery can get you nothing but excessive pride.
D. Flattery is too empty to do people any good.

                                                              Mapping China online
      If you want to check where the nearest coffee shop to your home is,if you want to know how to get
to a scenic spot(景點(diǎn))  in your city,or if you want to see where in the world your foreign pen friend lives,
there's now a new free online map you can use.
      Last month,China started its official online mapping service,Map World.  "The free online service will
allow users to fly over mountains and plains around the world and search restaurants and traffic information across the country,free of charge," said Xu Deming,director of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping(SBSM).  The bureau,which does China's surveying and mapping work,is in charge of the Map World
project.
      Users can enter Map World through www. tianditu. cn or www. chinaonmap. cn and search for
two-and three-dimensional(維) images(圖像) from across the world. The home page shows a view of
the Great Wall.
     "It took about two years to prepare the service with all the satellite images taken from 2006 to 2010,
" said Jiang Jie,director of the database(數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù))  department under SBSM.
     The technology and website are still at an early stage. The images from inside China are detailed.
Users can see close pictures of roadsides. But the views of places outside China are less clear.
     Service providers have more than 80 machines,with the ability to handle(處理) 10 million requests
daily,while Google Earth,Google's mapping service,has thousands of machines,Jiang said.
        "Our map service can update data about twice a year,but Coogle Earth can update its information
every couple of minutes,through satellites," Jiang said.
      The bureau said it would continue developing Map World. Meanwhile,you can have a try for
yourself. Some users have given positive feedback(反饋) after trying the service. One student in Beijing
told teens that Map World even showed the small bookstore near her school.

1. What is the main function of the first paragraph?  

A. To show how valuable the service is.
B. To introduce the new online photo-map of China.
C. To show the importance of the new online photo-map.
D. To tell how popular the new online photo-map is.in China.

2. The underlined word "detailed" in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ______ 

A. exact        
B. large            
C. complete          
D. valuable

3. According to the bureau,Map World ______.

A. only has images of China                
B. will need another two years to complete
C. needs further development                    
D. begins with the Great Wall

4. What disadvantages does Map World have,compared with Google Earth?  

A. Information is updated much less frequently.
B.  It provides less clear images of places in China.
C. Its machines are less high tech.
D. It only has black and white images.

      It is generally believed that nowadays young people lack the manners that their parents' generation
expects them to have. Although it is true that there is a difference in the generations,I do not believe that
it is fair'to say that today'syouths have bad manners.
     In the first place,the fact that young people do not always shake hands only reflects a move away from
the formali-ties( 禮節(jié))  of the past.  It does not show lack of respect,but simply the present trend towards more relaxed social com-
munication.  Similarly,the way that we speak to each other is surely a manner of personal choice.  Even
though we maynot greet each other formally,this has nothing to do with manners. Youngsters have simply
developed their own greet-ings.
      Furthermore , I strongly oppose the opinion that young people are impolite and show lack of
consideration of others._____,most young people have perfect manners.  Naturally,there are always
exceptions( 例外).  Even older mem-bers of society can be ill-mannered at times.
      As far as I am concemed,the complaints about young people today are entirely without foundation.
Although thereare different attitudes towards manners in the generations,that shouldn't be considered as
rudeness. I suppose that any-one who says such things has not really tried to speak to the young
generation. If he or she did,I am sure they wouldfind that we are just like everyone else.
       To conclude,I think people wrongly regard the lack of formality as bad manners.  After all,
youngsters follow exam-ples set by others,so maybe the world around us has become less formal.

1.  What does the author think of the idea about youth's manners ? ( no more than 15 words)
   ____________________________________________________________________
2. Which sentence in the text is closest in meaning to the following one?
Even old generation in the society sometimes would manner impolitely.
____________________________________________________________________
3.  Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words.
   ____________________________________________________________________
 4.  Why do the young not always shake hands when they meet each other? ( no more than 10 words)
   ____________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph into Chinese.
   ____________________________________________________________________

     Spring is coming, and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs. Competition is tough, so
job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices. Whatever we are wearing,our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.
    A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (紋身)nose
rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can't judge a book by its cover, yet people do "cover"
themselves in order to convey (傳遞)certain messages. What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are.
     Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances? so do companies. Dress
standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what
customers accept.
     Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about
whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their
employees (雇員),because those people represent the companies to their customers.
     As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our
customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might
disappoint my customers. Even though I am open-minded, I can't expect all our customers are.
There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred
employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply cause he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.

1. Which of the following is the newspaper editor' opinion according to Paragraph 2?

A. People's appearances carry messages about themselves.
B. Customers' choices influence dress standards in companies.
C. Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated.
D. Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace.

2. What can be inferred from the text?

A. Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview.
B. What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies.
C. Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates.
D. Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates.

3. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. Employees Matter
B. Personal Choices Matter
C. Appearances Matter
D. Hiring Managers Matter

4. The author's attitude towards strange dress styles in the workplace may best be described as        .
A.enthusiastic
B. negative
C. positive
D. sympathetic

     Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or 
another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world, in rich and 
poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who 
think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea 
created by companies and advertisers hoping to sell their products.      
    The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people's lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is 
not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in 
many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item (商品 ) 
that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in 
almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trussed 
into the hands of the professionals , lifestyle instructors, or advisors.      
    It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of 
products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products 
also need to have a short life span so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short 
time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed 
makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy 
one thing; no choice, no anxiety. 

1. What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1 ?     

A. The exercise of rights is a luxury.     
B. The practice of choice is difficult.     
C. The right of choice is given but at a price.     
D. Choice and right exist at the same time.

2. Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?     

A. Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.     
B. People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.     
C. Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.     
D. Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the range of choice.

3. By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that     

A. advanced products meet the needs of people     
B. products of the latest design flood the market     
C. competitions are fierce in high-tech industry     
D. everyday goods need to be replaced often