Smoking, which may be a pleasure for some people, is a series of discomfort for their fellows. Medical scientists have expressed their concern about effect of smoking on the health not only of those who smoke but also those who do not smoke. In fact, non-smokers who take in the air polluted by tobacco smoke suffer more than the smokers themselves. A great number of students are trying to persuade the university to forbid smoking in classrooms. Believe they are completely right in their aim. However, I think it more important to achieve this by calling on the smokers to use good judgment and to show concern for others. Smoking is not allowed in theaters, cinemas and in other public places. Therefore, smoking must be forbidden in our classroom. Although many people have passed away for having smoked a lot and we call on people to give up smoking, yet many more that are following will turn down what we say every day, above all, the young people smoke a lot more.

47． In the writer’s opinion, smoking does good to ________.

A. nobody B. some people C. smokers D. young people

48． The phrase “pass away” probably means ________.

A. leave one’s home B. lose one’s life C. pass by D. go away

49．According to the selection, which of the following is true?

A. Smokers suffer from the polluted air more than the non-smokers.

B. Non-smokers suffer from the polluted air more than the smokers.

C. Non-smokers suffer as much from the polluted air as the smokers.

D. Non-smokers don’t suffer so much from the polluted air as the smokers.

OK, I admit it: emoticons (表情符號) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.

Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast (抨擊) the use of emoticons as “infantile (幼稚的) just like the people who use them”  He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent (明顯的) from the comment that goes before the emoticon,” he argues.

In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’ s an emoticon gene.”

It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.

In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into (融入) something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.

All of these arguments may be somehow valid (正確的). Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.

Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this. I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature (不成熟的). It’s just a question of individuality. :)

43．According to the article, emoticons are popular because ______. 

A. most of them look funny

B. they are easy for lazy people to use

C. they add feeling and character to a communication

D. a reader cannot understand a message without them

44．Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with?  

A. Instant Message chatters are childish.

B. It’s enough to use language in digital communication.

C. Men never use emoticons.     

D. There is an emoticon gene in everybody.

45．From the text, we can conclude that the author ______. 

A. feels he has no difficulty using emoticons

B. thinks emoticons don’t suit him

C. encourage his friends to use emoticons

D. believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone

46．What is the main point of the article? 

A. Advice on language used over the Internet.

B. The history of emoticons.

C. Arguments over the use of emoticons.

D. Reasons for the popularity of emoticons.

We might like to think we're not influenced by other people, but a new study into the group-buying mechanisms（機(jī)制） - like those used on coupon（優(yōu)惠券） sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial - reveals that telling buyers who come later to the offer how many have already signed up increases the number of purchasers.

Researchers at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management wanted to understand why group buying sites that have entered the market recently have enjoyed greater success than those operating a decade ago, such as Mercata and MobShop.

Earlier attempts typically left potential buyers waiting for days before confirming whether or not they had got the offer they had signed up for.

“We think one of the reasons group-buying has been successful recently is because of the short time horizon,” says Rotman Professor Ming Hu, who co-wrote the study with Professor Mengze Shi and PhD student Jiahua Wu. “It allows for a herding effect.”

Another reason is the use of an information structure that discloses to later arrivals how many have already signed onto the deal.

Researchers looked at two ways of designing the purchasing mechanism for a group buy: a simultaneous mechanism, where no one knows how many buyers have come before them, and a sequential（連續(xù)的） mechanism, where a second group of buyers has the advantage of knowing the size of the first group.

The researchers' analytical（分析的） model shows the most successful mechanism is the sequential one because it eliminates uncertainty for those coming later to the deal, and improves the confidence of those who sign on early, as they're able to track the numbers of those who come after them.

“That boosts confidence,” says Professor Hu, who teaches operations management. Deals for "luxury" services, versus everyday items, work better in a group buy scenario（方案） because they offer consumers a greater benefit.

40．It can be learned from the text that ______.

A. the short time horizon is the reason why group-buying has been successful.

B. a simultaneous mechanism is where a group of buyers has the advantage of knowing how many people have signed up.

C. a sequential mechanism allows a herding effect which boosts the confidence of the buyers.

D. researchers at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management carried out an experiment about why group buying sites entered the market successfully, such as Mercata and MobShop.

41．The underlined word “eliminates” in paragraph 7 probably means“______”.

A. to become or to make something greater in amount, number, value

B. to remove or get rid of something

C. to deliberately not include something in what you are doing or considering

D. to make something known to somebody

42．What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Secret for marketing success – boosting confidence.

B. Secret for group-buying mechanism—herding effect.

C. Comparison between a simultaneous mechanism and a sequential mechanism.

D. What others do influences our decisions.

At a meeting, a well-known speaker lifted up a bill of 20 dollars before starting his speech.

Facing 200 people, he asked, “Who wants this 20-dollar bill?” A great many hands were put up. Then he continued to say, “I intended to give it to any one of you, but allow me to do a thing before giving it to you.” Suddenly he crumpled （揉）it into a round mass. Then he asked, “Who wants it? ” Still some hands were lifted up.

He asked again, “Well, how could it be if I do it like this?” he threw the bill onto the ground, stepped on it and twisted it. As he picked it up, the bill had become not only dirty but wrinkled.

“Who still wants it?” Still a few people put up their hands.

“My dear friends, you have had a meaningful class. No matter how I treated this bill, you still want it, because it is worth 20 dollars. On your life road, you may be knocked down（擊垮） or even broken into pieces by your determination or unfavorable situations. We may feel ourselves worth nothing, but, my darling, remember that whatever happens in the future, you should never lose your value（價值） in the God’s heart. You’re particular ---- never forget it.”

36．How many times did the speaker ask the people whether they wanted the bill?

A. Once             B. Twice             C. Three times         D. Four times

37． The underlined word “wrinkled” in the third paragraph probably means ________.

A. broken     B. having small lines or folds in it       C. flat      D. having holes on it

38．The speaker did this test in order to _____________.

A. tell the audience that one should never lose one’s own value

B. tell the audience that God values money most

C. test if some of the audience were extremely interested in money

D. play a trick on the audience

39． What would the speaker probably talk about next?

A. How money can make people crazy.   B. How to avoid being knocked down in one’s life.

C. How to keep one’s value of life.       D. How to give a meaningful class

Most worthwhile careers require some kind of specialized training. Ideally, therefore, the choice of an __16__ should be made even before choice of a curriculum in high school. Actually, __17__, most people make several job choices during their working lives, _18__ because of economic and industrial changes and partly to improve __19__ position. The "one perfect job" does not exist. Young people should __20__ enter into a broad flexible training program that will __21__ them for a field of work rather than for a single __22__ .

Unfortunately many young people have to make career plans __23__ benefit of help from a competent vocational counselor or psychologist. Knowing __24__ about the occupational world, or themselves for that matter, they choose their lifework on a hit-or-miss _25__. Some drift from job to job. Others __26__ to work in which they are unhappy and for which they are not fitted.

One common mistake is choosing an occupation for __27__ real or imagined prestige (聲望).

Too many high-school students - or their parents for them - choose the professional field, __28__ both the relatively small percentage of workers in the professions and the extremely high educational and personal __29__. The imagined or real prestige of a profession or a White-collar job is __30__ good reason for choosing it as life's work. __31__, these occupations are not always well paid. Since a large percentage of jobs are in mechanical and manual work, the __32__ of young people should give serious __33__ to these fields.

Before making an occupational choice, a person should have a general idea of what he wants __34__ life and how hard he is willing to work to get it. Some people desire social prestige, others intellectual satisfaction. Some want security; others are willing to take __35__ for financial gain. Each occupational choice has its demands as well as its rewards.

16．A. identification 　 B. accommodation　 C. occupation 　　D. entertainment

17．A. thereby　　　　 B. however　　　　 　　　　　　 C. though　　　　 　　 D. therefore

18．A. thoroughly　　 B. mainly　　　　　 　　　　　　 C. entirely　　　　 　　 D. partly

19．A. its　　　　　　 B. his　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 C. their　　　　　 　 D. our

20．A. therefore　　　 B. since　　　　　　 　　　　　 C. furthermore　　　 D. forever

21．A. fit　　　　　　　 B. make　　　　　　 　　　 C. take　　　　　 　　 D. leave

22． A. means　　　　　 B. job　　　　　　　 　　 C. way　　　　　 　 D. company

23．A. to　　　　　　　 B. for　　　　　　　 　　　 C. with　　　　　　 D. without

24．A. little　　　 　　　 B. few　　　　　　　 　　 C. much　　　　　 　 D. a lot

25．A. chance　　　　　 B. purpose　　　　　 　　　 C. basis　　　　　 　 D. opportunity

26．A. apply　　　　　 B. appeal　　　　　 　　　 C. turn　　　　　　 D. stick

27．A. its　　　　　　 　 B. their　　　 　　　　　　　　　 C. your　　　　　 　　 D. our

28． A. concerning　　　 B. following　　　　 　　　 C. ignoring　　　　 　 D. considering

29．A. preferences　　　 B. requirements　　　 　　　 C. tendencies　　 　　 D. ambitions

30．A. a　　　　　　　 　 B. any　　　　　　　 　　　 C. the　　 　　　　　　 D. no

31．A. Therefore　　　 　 B. Moreover　　　　 　　　 C. Nevertheless　　 　 D. However

32．A. majority　　　　 　 B. mass　　　　　　 　　 C. minority　　　　 　 D. number

33．A. proposal　　　　 　 B. suggestion　　　　 　　　　　　 C. approval　　　　 　 D. consideration

34．A. towards　　　　 B. out of　　　　　　 　　　 C. against　　　　 　 D. without

35．A. turns　　　　　 　 B. parts　　　　　　 　　　 C. risks　　　　　 　 D. choices

The boy was caught ____in the examinaton room and was later punished for that.

A.cheat      B. cheated   C. cheating       D. to cheat

The number of foreign students attending Chinese universities ________ rising steadily since 1990.

A. is　　　　 B. are　　　　 C. has been　　　　 D. have been

  When I suggested that someone in the village ____ his wine, he didn’t believe.

A. must have drunk   B. should drink   C. have drunk   D. has drunk

If we can ___ our present difficulties,then everything should be all right.

A.come across                                                          B.get over

C.come over                                                             D.get off

If we hadn’t _________ energy, we would have won the match.

A. run out      B. used up          C. let out         D. carried out