Across the globe, single parent homes are on the rise. In the US, the 2000 census (人口普查) showed 24.8 million, or nearly 24 percent of the nation’s 105.5 million households, were traditional two-parent homes. By comparison, 9.8 million households, or 9 percent of all US households were headed by an adult raising a child alone. The 1990 census showed 26 percent of homes were led by a married mother and father, and 8 percent of homes were led by a single parent.
Similar increases occurred in other countries. In the UK, lone-parent homes increased from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 5.5 percent in 1999. Single parent households in Australia rose from 5.8 percent in 1990 to 7.6 percent in 1999. Belgium saw the increase from 1.8 percent to 2.7 percent during the same period of time. These countries tend to have greater acceptance of the single parent because there are fewer nearby family members to disapprove, Riche, a Census Bureau director, said.
Just as in the US, those changes raised new questions about how involved govenment should be in helping single parent families. Some research suggests children raised in two-parent families are better off than those who depend on one.
“The position of one-parent families in any country is very much a gender (性别) issue-women’s opportunities, especially working-class women on low income,” said Sue Cohen, coordinator (协调员) of the Single Action Parents Network in England.
5.Not considering the exact number of the single-parent families, which country saw the fastest rise rate in 1999, compared with 1990?
A.UK. B.Australia. C.America. D.Belgium.
6.What is the cause of the rise of single parent families across the globe?
A.The nearby family members have a favourable opinion.
B.A lone parent is well off enough to support his /her children.
C.A lot of problems have arisen in two-parent families.
D.We cannot get enough proving information from the text.
7.Which of the following is TRUE about the increase of single parent families according to the passage?
A.It will somewhat limit the growing population of younger generation.
B.Governments should take actions about the social problems brought about by it.
C.Single parent families are not looked down upon in any country mentioned here.
D.Generally speaking, the single parents needn’t worry since they are highly paid.
8.Which of the following diagrams correctly shows the rise of single parent families in the US from
1990 to 2000?
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet．Basically，Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介)which can include your hobbies，hopes for the future，and So on．A photograph is optional，but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code．Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person．Thousands of people have met，fallen in love，and married through Internet dating．It is an excellent way for shy people to meet．It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others，and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love，there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating．The person you have been talking to on the net may not be someone who he says that he is very aware that there are some people who misrepresent（歪曲）their appearance or private details，such as marital（婚姻的） status，income，and so on，for their own reasons．It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in , and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time．Nevertheless，taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
56．The purpose of writing the passage is to．
A．persuade readers to go dating on the Internet
B．inform us how to date on the Internet
C．warn readers against web love
D．introduce Internet dating to US
57．Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
A．A photo． B．A profile．
C．Registration fee． D．Business experience．
58．One advantage of Internet dating is that．
A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning
B．you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests
C．you'll find absolutely reliable information of others
D．you’11 gain fame and money overnight
59．The underlined word “pitfalls” in Paragraph 4 most probably means．
A．rules B．trends C．problems D．skills
60．What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
A．Traditional dating． B．Hidden advantages．
C．Safety measures． D．Romantic love．
A couple from Miami, Bill and Simone Butler, spent sixty –six days in a life-raft (救生艇) in the seas of Central America after their boat sank.
Twenty-one days after they left Panama in their boat, Simony, they met some whales (鲸鱼). “They started to hit the side of the boat,” said Bill, “and then suddenly we heard water.” Two minutes later, the boat was sinking. They jumped into the life-raft and watched the boat go under the water.
For twenty days they had tins of food, biscuits, and bottles of water. They also had a fishing-line and a machine to make salt water into drinking water— two things which saved their lives. They caught eight to ten fish a day and ate them raw (生的). Then the line broke. “So we had no more fish until something very strange happened. Some sharks (鲨鱼) came to feed, and the fish under the raft were afraid and came to the surface. I caught them with my hands.”
About twenty ships passed them, but no one saw them. After fifty days at sea their life-raft was beginning to break up. Then suddenly it was all over. A fishing boat saw them and picked them up. They couldn’t stand up. So the captain carried them onto his boat and took them to Costa Rica. Their two months at sea was over.
68. Bill and Simone were traveling ______ when they met some whales.
A. in a life-raft B. in Miami C. in Simony D. in Panama
69. During their days at sea, ______ saved their lives.
A. tins of food and bottles of water B. a fishing-line and a machine
C. whales and sharks D. Twenty passing ships
70. After their boat sank, the couple ______.
A. jumped into the life-raft B. heard water
C. watched the boat go under water D. stayed in the life-raft
You have the ability to decide whether you are happy or not. Happiness is a choice.
You can’t depend on someone else to make you happy. That is a lesson I learned early in my marriage. I realized that I couldn’t rely on my husband as my source of happiness. I learned that my happiness depended on myself and not my husband’s actions. I learned that you have to choose to be happy.
You can choose your emotions. True happiness comes from within, and it can’t be forced by outside force. So how do you choose happiness? The same way, you choose to smile or choose to wear a certain outfit（一套衣服）. You choose it because that’s what you want to experience in you life.
You want to buy a new pair of shoes so you choose a pair that you like and feels good. You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes that you don’t like or that doesn’t fit well, right? So why do we keep choosing emotions and feelings that don’t make us feel good?
Choosing to be happy after you realize your anger has shown up (or even choosing to be calm) can be beneficial. We choose our feelings; no one else can do that for us. If we let others get to us, influence our emotions — we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain, we are giving them our power.
We need to keep our feelings in check and not to react（反应） automatically to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does.
Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just switch（使转变）your thoughts and feelings from anger, self-doubt, or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don’t dwell on（细想） what happens to you unnecessarily but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts, feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy.
64. What’s the best title of this passage?
A. Pretend to Be Happy
B. Choose Your Emotions
C. Choose to Be Happy
D. Find Happiness
65. The lesson the writer learned in her marriage is .
A. one can’t depend on someone else to make himself or herself happy
B. balancing the relationship between husband and wife is an art
C. she can depend on her husband to find happiness
D. happiness can be influenced by outside force
66. Why did the writer mention buying shoes?
A. To offer advice on how to choose comfortable shoes.
B. To use it as an example to illustrate（阐述）her point of view.
C. To compare choosing shoes and choosing an outfit.
D. To help move to the next paragraph easily.
67. The writer suggests that we should .
A. let others control our feelings
B. respond immediately to others’ words
C. hold back our feelings properly
D. pay more attention to words than actions
Lots of students shop to reduce stress or just to kill time with their friends. Shopping to get rid of boredom or to escape from life’s pressures may lead to serious problems. When you start to shop out of control, you become a shopping addict.
Shopping addicts show signs that are similar to other addicts. Some students think that shopping, even as little as buying gifts for classmates, can make them feel better and forget their problems. Actually, it can make them feel worse, guilty, or even cause them to run into financial difficulties. Finding yourself in a financial struggle or deep in debt may harm your relationships with friends and parents.
Do you go shopping for just a few things and come home with your wallet empty? Do you always go shopping after an emotional trauma or when life feels tough（艰难的）? Do you regret later what you buy? Or do you buy things that you never use? Maybe your parents or friends have expressed disagreement that leads you to hide items or lie about prices.
Avoid any environment that may make you want to spend money. Never use credit cards. Form some other meaningful and beneficial hobbies. Exercise, yoga and hot baths generally may help you not want to shop. Take a drive through the country where there aren’t any stores. Have patience with yourself and your money, which can benefit you for the rest of your life.
60. According to the passage, shopping addicts ______.
are always rich people B. get well along with friends
C. may suffer financial difficulties D. all the above
61. The third paragraph mainly tells about ______.
ways to get rid of shopping addiction
the signs of shopping addicts
the danger of shopping addiction
why shopping addicts can’t stop shopping
62. The underlined word “trauma” probably means “______”.
hurt B. satisfaction C. enjoyment D. appreciation
63. The intended readers of the passage are ______.
teachers B. doctorsC. students D. education
第三部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
ROYAL HOTEL
invites applications for the following posts:
HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping Supervisor(主管人)
• Salary: $1,200 per month
•At least 2 years similar experience
•Female only
Housemaids
•Salary: $700 per month
•No experience required
Part-time posts for Housemaids only
LAUNDRY（洗衣）
Laundry Valet
•Salary: $700 per month
•Duties – to collect and deliver（递送） laundry parcels
•Shift（轮班） work required
Laundry Attendant
•Salary: $700 per month
•Male applicants only
•Shift work required
Preference will be given to people with some experience.
FOOD AND DRINKS
(for new 24-hour restaurant)
Head waiter
•Salary: $1,200 per month
•Experienced waiters can apply
Waiter/ Waiters
•Salary: $800 per month
•No experience needed
(Willing to work shifts)
Part-timers needed for permanent night shift 6 pm to 11 pm.
GENERAL
Car Driver
•Salary: $800 per month
•Clean driving record
•At least 1 year of experience
•Willing to work irregular hours
Pool Attendant
•Salary: $700 per month
•Must know life-saving technique
•Some related experience
Both posts for male only.
Interviews will be conducted at the Royal Hotel, East Room, 2nd Level on the 25th and 26th Nov. from 10:00 to 4:00 pm.
56. What work does a laundry valet do?
A. He washes the clothes.
B. He drives the laundry truck.
C. He collects and delivers bags of laundry.
D. He operates the machines in the laundry room.
57. Which posts can fresh school-leavers apply for?
A. Housekeeping supervisor and housemaid.
B. Housemaid and waiter.
C. Head waiter and waiter.
D. Laundry valet and laundry attendant.
58. Which of these jobs require shift work?
A. Housemaid and waiter.
B. Laundry valet and waiter.
C. Car driver and pool attendant.
D. Laundry attendant and pool attendant.
59. There are four people applying for pool attendant. If you are the interview, who do you think is most suitable for the post?
A. Mary, who likes swimming very much.
B. Jenny, who knows life-saving technique very well.
C. Tom, who has been a pool attendant for two years.
D. John, who expects to earn over $1000 every month.