D
China may send naval ships to the seas off Somalia to help the fight against piracy（海盗行为） there, Chinese media on Wednesday quoted a Vice Foreign Minister as saying at the United Nations, Reuters reported.
"China is seriously considering sending naval ships to the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast for escorting operations in the near future," the Xinhua news agency quoted He Yafei as saying. He Yafei, speaking at a Security Council ministerial meeting, said that China welcomed global cooperation in the fight against Somali piracy, and supported efforts by other countries to send ships to the region, Xinhua reported.
Earlier this month a leading Chinese military strategist, Major-General Jin Yinan, urged the government to send ships, in comments generating debate about combating piracy in a country which has generally confined its navy to waters near home. Jin told a Chinese radio interviewer that "nobody should be shocked" if his government one day decided to send navy ships to deal with the pirates, whose recent victims have included ships from Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Jin is the head of a strategy institute at China's National Defense University.
While the military strategist is urging an active part, other scholars think the government should be cautious before a decision is made. The Chinese military ships should go there "only within the UN framework," said Pang Zhongying, a professor of international relations with Renmin University of China. Pang added that he also had some concerns over the Chinese navy's capability. "I don't think the Chinese navy has the capability to fight against unconventional threats far in the ocean," he said, adding supplying and refueling in the Indian Ocean are key challenges.
A sharp increase in attacks at sea this year in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off Somalia has pushed up insurance costs, brought the Somali pirates tens of millions of dollars in ransom（赎金） and prompted foreign warships to the area. Among the captured ships are a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million of crude oil, the Sirius Star, and a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying some 30 Soviet-era tanks. The victims have also included a Hong Kong-flagged ship with 25 crew aboard and a Chinese mainland fishing boat reported seized off Kenya. NATO ships began anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast in late October, but they have failed to stop the attacks.
56. This year, many ships from different countries have been captured by the Somali pirates except _______.
A. a Saudi supertanker B. a Ukrainian cargo C.NATO ships D. the Sirius Star
57. The underlined word "confined" in the third paragraph most probably means ________.
A. involved B. restricted C. confirmed D. contract
58. From the passage, we learn that _______.
A. China has sent its navy to fight the Somalia pirates
B. some countries have launched their anti-piracy operations
C. the Somalia pirates often attacked foreign warships for ransom
D. The Chinese navy hasn’t the capability to travel far to combat pirates
59. When the Major-General Jin Yinan said "nobody should be shocked", he actually indicated that ________.
A. the Chinese people should keep calm about the government's decision
B. no one should be frightened by the pirates' attack as the Chinese navy will defend them
C. it is reasonable for China to send its navy to fight against the Somalia pirates
D. if China had dealt with the pirates earlier, nobody would have been shocked
60. Professor Pang Zhongying’s main concern about the Chinese naval ships is that _______.
A. adding supplying and refueling far in the ocean is really a challenge
B. the Chinese navy has never fought against such unconventional threats
C. the fighting against pirates is not within the UN framework
D. the attacks in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off Somalia has increased sharply
When
you are in Nanoko, be sure to stay at the Garden Hotel, whether you come on business or on holiday you will find everything as comfortable and convenient as you would expect in a first class international hotel.
Every bedroom has its own bathroom, telephone, and colorful modern materials and furniture in the local style. In the Mistu Restaurant, you can choose your meals from a lot of dishes, both Eastern and European, as you will find anywhere in the country. In the Beach Bar, you can drink with your family and friends in air-conditioned comfort, listen to the music of internationally known artists. Or you can take your drink outside into the beautiful garden that gives the hotel its name, or to the tables that surround the swimming pool. Throughout the motel, you will find the service is both friendly and efficient.
By day the pool is alive with the holiday spirit and the happy shouting of children and by night, soft light and music make it a per
fect place for a party, or simply for an after-dinner drink and conversation.
The Garden Hotel has its own minibus service. Give us a ring and we will 
arrange to collect you at the airport or in the city center.
If you prefer, we can
arrange for you to visit the wainiri Islands that lie just off the coast. Here you can swim in peace; or you can fish there. As it is well known, Wainiri is really a good place for people going fishing. The Garden Hotel is right on the beach, only fi
ve minutes from Nanoko’s modern shopping center. Here you will find all that money can buy, at prices you can afford.Every bedroom at the Garden Hotel _____.
| A．has a bathroom |
| B．has a colorful telephone in the local style |
| C．is colorful and modern with local style |
| D．is in an international style, comfortable and convenient. |
The hotel arranges for the visitors to _____.
| A．go fishing off Cape St. Cermain near wainiri |
| B．go across to the Wainiri Islands to swim or fish |
| C．see amounts of sea lives off the coast of Wainiri |
| D．go by bus to the Wainiri Islands for peach |
You will find the Garden Hotel _____.
| A．on the beach not far from Nanoko’s excellent shops |
| B．on the beach where you will find all that money can buy |
| C．close to shops where everything is cheap and famous |
| D．just off the coast, five minutes from the shops |
The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(马尾辫). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a pri
ce of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.
| A．her hairstyle was out of fashion |
| B．her appearance looked much too mature |
| C．her way of dressing was against the tradition |
| D．physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important |
From the passage we know that Mattel ________.
| A．is one of the world’s largest toy companies |
| B．is the director of an American toy company |
| C．was the woman who originally created Barbie |
| D．was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls |
Barbie dolls are criticized partly because they make girls ________.
| A．pay too much attention to their physical beauty |
| B．neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty |
| C．prefer physical beauty to inner beauty |
| D．waste too much time and money on clothes |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that in her book Robin Gerber ________.
| A．shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls |
| B．praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls |
| C．expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie |
| D．argues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls |
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 t
o 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 who 
they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital 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.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. |
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'll gain fame and money overnight |
The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means________.
A．rules |
B．trends | C．problems | D．skills |
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Conventional dating. | B．Hidden advantages. |
| C．Safety measures. | D．Romantic love. |
In the computer age, most of us take a broadband Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course. You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in de
veloping countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely(稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere. Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables(光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication(迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.The underlined part “ a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “________”.
| A．a rare challenge | B．a desirable plan |
| C．an efficient device | D．a hidden problem |
What can we know from the third paragraph?
| A．Internet connection has not been popular in most cities. |
| B．Internet service providers care about rural customers. |
| C．Computer is popular in developing countries. |
| D．It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas. |
Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements ________.
| A．make TV and telephone available everywhere |
| B．bring great change to people’s everyday life |
| C．make it possible for more people to use the Internet |
| D．bring faster Internet connections to users |
What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?
| A．The broadband connection’s getting faster. |
| B．More and more Internet users. |
| C．More and more Internet connections. |
| D．The rapid progress in cell phone technology. |
Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, “We’re losing by six runs (分) and the game is in the eighth inning (局).I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the final inning.
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Shay missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The pitcher could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first! ” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked..
Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.
All were screaming，“Shay，Shay，Shay，all the way Shay.” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third.” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Shay, run home！”Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who the who won the game for his team.
That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day!Not expecting much, Shay’s father still asked the boy if Shay could play, mainly because the father _________.
| A．noticed some of the boys on the field were tired |
| B．guessed his presence would affect the boy’s decision |
| C．learned some of the boys on the field knew Shay well |
| D．understood Shay did need a feeling of being accepted |
In the bottom of the final inning Shay was given the bat because the boys _________.
| A．believed they were sure to win the game | B．would like to help Shay enjoy the game |
| C．found Shay was so eager to be a winner | D．fell forced to give Shay another chance |
The smallest boy threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head, probably because that boy ________.
| A．was obviously aware of the pitcher’s purpose |
| B．looked forward to winning the game for his team |
| C．failed to throw the ball to the second baseman |
| D．saw that Shay already reached second base |
Which of the following has nothing to do with Shay’s becoming the hero for his team?
| A．The pitcher did not throw the ball to the first baseman. |
| B．The audience and the players from both teams cheered for him. |
| C．The opposing players failed to stop his running to home. |
| D．One of the opposing players ran to help him. |
What to you think is the theme of the story?
| A．True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other. |
| B．Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled. |
| C．Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents. |
| D．The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players. |