Celebrations spread across China when Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl, was given the right to host the 2010 World Expo on December 3. Shanghai won the honor after beating rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea.
“I’m very proud of being Chinese,” said Wang Kaibo, a Senior 2 student of the Middle School Affiliated (附属的) to Beijing Medical University. “The winning of the expo is a victory, not only for Shanghai resi
dents, but for the people of the whole Chinese nation.”
Bidding for the expo shows that China is more confident of playing a more important role on the international stage. It’s competing for large events and the next one could be the World Cup, Wang said.
The World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Beijing Olympics will become the twin shining stars of China’s development over the next 10 years, said experts. The World Expo is known as “Olympics of the economic, cultural, scientific and technological fields.” It is usually held every five years and lasts for six months. The Olympics, World Cup and World Expo are considered three top international events in the world.
China is the first developing country to win the expo bid in the event’s about 159-year history. Not only will it attract more foreign investment to China, but experts say that the half-year-long exhibition will bring at least 70 million visitors to Shanghai.
The expo was first held in London in 1851. It has a history of global influence. The Eiffel Tower, built during the Paris World Expo in 1889, became the symbol of the French capital.Many historic inventions, such as the telephone and airplane, all made their first appearance at a World Expo.
48. What does the word in bald “rivals” probably mean in the second paragraph?
A. competitors. B. enemies. C. players. D. supporters.
49. The winning of bidding for the World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Olympic Games implies ______.
A. China is beginning to play a more important part on the international stage.
B. China has played the most important role in the international affairs.
C. China has become a developed country for many years.
D. China is the first Asian country to win the expo bid in history.
50. As we know, in general, the Word Expo is usually held every ______ years, while the Olympics is usually held every ______ years.
A. 4；5 B. 5；4 C. 4；4 D. 5；5
51. By bidding for the expo and the Olympics, we are sure that ______.
A. China will beat rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea
B. China will become a super country in the United Nations
C. China will build a famous tower like Eiffel Tower as the symbol of the capital
D. China will develop more quickly than before and will benefit a lot from them
Who do you think breaks the law in our society? If you believe that only tough guys commit crimes, you may have to think again. Unlike in the movies, we can’t divide the world into bad guys and model citizens. Real life is much more complex. In the same way that diseases range from the common cold to fatal forms of cancer, crimes vary in degree. For example, smoking in an elevator will inconvenience people, but much less than threatening them with a gun.
In addition to breaking the law themselves, people tolerate various levels of crime. Why can we tolerate some crimes? It may be that, by seeing others do something, we accept it more easily. For instance, most people will find it easier to speed on a highway when everybody else is driving over the speed limit. When people celebrate a sports championship, if they see someone breaking store windows, they might start breaking windows themselves or even steal from the store. So the people around us influence how much law-breaking we can tolerate.
We must also wonder whether seeing violence on television or reading about it in the newspapers every day makes us tolerate crime more than we should. We become used to seeing blood on the news on television, or in full color in newspapers and magazines. Because we see thousands of dead people on TV, maybe we just try to ignore the situation behind the violence.
If so many citizens tolerate violence and crime, or even commit crimes themselves, it may simply be because of the human mind. Our minds may not care about specific laws. Instead, our minds may have a system of values that usually prevents us from hurting other people to improve our own lives. Yet, when it comes to respecting the rights of a mass of anonymous (不知名的) individuals, we might not be so responsible. While most people would not steal a wallet containing $50, they may not mind cheating on taxes, because cheating on taxes does not hurt any one person. It hurts society, but “society” remains an abstract idea that is not as real as a neighbor or a friend’s friend.
When we realize that so many people have misunderstandings of law-breaking, it is not surprising that so many people tolerate crimes, or even break laws, including me. But how could we improve the level of honesty in our society? Would strict laws help make our society better? Probably not. Honesty will have to come from social pressure: in the family, at school, on the job, each and every one of us can encourage honesty by showing which behavior is unacceptable. And teaching respect should become everyone’s responsibility. According to the author, “Real life is much more complex.” probably means .
| A．there is a wide range of people and crimes in the real life |
| B．smoking in an elevator goes against laws in the real life |
| C．there are much more crimes than diseases in the real life |
| D．some model citizens sometimes break laws in the real life |
What does the author think of the people who cheat on taxes?
| A．They take no notice of the human mind. |
| B．They break the laws unaccepted in their minds. |
| C．They aren’t concerned about some particular laws. |
| D．They hurt other people to improve their own lives. |
People tolerate violence and crime because .
| A．their behavior is the same as that of most other people |
| B．they pay no attention to the truth behind the crimes |
| C．most unlawful acts are not harmful to the individual |
| D．they hold mistaken beliefs about law-breaking |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To discuss whether laws are strict enough. |
| B．To remind people to behave with honesty. |
| C．To show people the importance of education. |
| D．To explain why many people have criminal records. |
A Charlotte N.C. man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors (公诉人) said that he can under the state’s murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime—even if he or she doesn’t kill someone on purpose.
But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Absolutely, no question about it.
The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon，chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the automatic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to early humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response.
The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is poisonous in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death.
By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in excitement or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, “I can die now”, and then he dropped dead. What is Martin Samuels’ attitude to the possibility of being frightened to death?
| A．Approval. | B．Disapproval. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
What can we learn about the fight-or-flight response according to the passage?
| A．The fight-or-flight response was raised and proved by Martin Samuels. |
| B．It is a natural protective method that can’t be found in all creatures but humans. |
| C．The ancient humans had a better fight-or-flight response than modern ones. |
| D．The fight-or-flight response is beneficial to both our actions and organs. |
What activity can we infer is less likely to damage the organs?
| A．Winning an unexpected fortune. |
| B．Missing a dead family member. |
| C．Watching a horror movie. |
| D．Listening to a sweet song. |
The purpose of the passage is ______.
| A．to explain why people will die of a heart attack |
| B．to offer some advice on protecting us from heart failure |
| C．to compare different kinds of feelings to cause a death |
| D．to show strong emotions can cause a sudden death |
| Bugs Bunny’s Hoping Carrot Hunt In this game you are Bugs Bunny. And your goal is to reach the finish line. A carrot truck has spilled its loads! Gather as many carrots as you can, and when you get the big carrot, you’ll be able to jump even higher! Instructions: Use the mouse to move Bugs left and right, and click to jump a gap while gathering carrots. Category: Action |
| Mushroom Madness You are in charge of protecting several farms. It’s up to you to make sure the mushrooms there reach maturity before the animals in the forest get their hands on them. Use your swatter(苍蝇拍) to fight off anything that comes near them; use heavier weapons if necessary. Instructions: Slap any creature that comes near your mushrooms. Use the mouse to control the swatter. If you see a “power up”, click to use it. Collect coins to buy upgrades after each level. Category: Action |
| Rudolph’s Kick and Fly Santa’s little helpers have worked all year preparing for Christmas. When Santa finally leaves to deliver his presents, the elves head down to the snowfields with Rudolph, the reindeer, to play their favorite game: Kick and Fly! Instructions: 1. Use the mouse to aim, and click to launch an elf. 2. While in the air, click again to catch, and to gain extra height. 3. The goal is to collect as many Christmas decorations as possible, and get 10 points for each one. Tips: If you’re heading towards an obstacle, be sure to avoid it! Category: Action |
| Click Flick Your mission is to save chicks falling from the sky. Use your trampoline(蹦床) to bounce them up and direct them into a nest. But hurry—if you don’t, many chicks will fall and lose their lives. There will be falling bombs, worms, nuts and eggs and you can get extra points by collecting the worms and nuts. Save the amount of chicks shown to unlock the next level! Instructions: Move the chicks left and right using keys or the mouse. Category: Adventure |
If a player wants to become stronger to drive animals away, he should try to _____.
| A．find a “power up” or use heavier weapons |
| B．collect falling bombs as quickly as possible |
| C．click the elf while it’s in the air |
| D．get the big carrot while running |
If a player has collected some worms and nuts, he _____.
| A．is playing Mushroom Madness |
| B．will lose the game quite soon |
| C．will get 10 points for each one |
| D．will get extra points and get ahead |
Which of the following statements about the games is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Bugs Bunny needs to be fast to win the game. |
| B．All four games are in the same category. |
| C．Players can only use the mouse to control the targets. |
| D．The number of elves decides whether a player wins. |
In which game are there obstacles you must avoid?
| A．Bugs Bunny’s Hopping Carrot Hunt. | B．Mushroom Madness. |
| C．Rudolph’s Kick and Fly. | D．Click Flick. |
A funny thing happened on the way to the communication revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and suddenly, I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communication technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction. With email and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice-mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the emotional distance index goes up. You can’t even call a person to get the phone number of another person any more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice-mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn’t wise. They’re a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more, I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversations or being relieved with voice-mail picking up because I don't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．The Advance of Modern Technology |
| B．The Consequences of Communication Technology |
| C．The Story of Communication Revolution |
| D．The Automation of Modern Communication |
Which is NOT TURE according to the passage?
| A．The author has decided not to use his phone when he is with his friend. |
| B．Modern technology makes it hard for people to have a face-to-face talk. |
| C．The limited use of communication device brings much inconvenience to the author. |
| D．The industry intended to keep people in touch is taking them away from each other. |
The writer feels that the use of modern communication is ______.
| A．satisfying | B．encouraging |
| C．disappointing | D．embarrassing |
The passage implies that ______.
| A．modern technology is bridging the people |
| B．modern technology is separating the people |
| C．modern technology is developing too fast |
| D．modern technology is interrupting people |
Ideas about polite behavior are different from one culture to another. Some societies, such as America and Australia for example, are mobile and very open. People here change jobs and move house quite often. As a result, they have a lot of relationships that often last only a short time, and they need to get to know people quickly. So it's normal to have friendly conversations with people that they have just met, and you can talk about things that other cultures would regard as personal.
On the other hand there are more crowded and less mobile societies where long-term relationships are more important. A Malaysian or Mexican business person, for example, will want to get to know you very well before he or she feels happy to start business. But when you do get to know each other, the relationship becomes much deeper than it would in a mobile society.
To Americans, both Europeans and Asians seem cool and formal at first. On the other hand, as a passenger from a less mobile society puts it, it's no fun spending several hours next to a stranger who wants to tell you all about his or her life and asks you all sorts of questions that you don't want to answer.
Cross-cultural differences aren't just a problem for travelers, but also for the flights that carry them. All flights want to provide the best service, but ideas about good service are different from place to place. This can be seen most clearly in the way that problems are dealt with.
Some societies have 'universalist' cultures. These societies strongly respect rules, and they treat every person and situation in basically the same way.
'Particularist' societies, on the other hand, also have rules, but they are less important than the society's unwrinen ideas about what is right or wrong for a particular situation or a particular person. So the normal rules are changed to fit the needs of the situation or the importance of the person.
This difference can cause problems. A traveler from a particularist society, India, is checking in for a flight in Germany, a country which has a universalist culture. The Indian traveler has too much luggage, but he explains that he has been away from home for a long time and the suitcases are full of presents for his family. He expects that the check-in official will understand his problem and will change the rules for him. The check-in official explains that if he was allowed to have too much luggage, it wouldn't be fair to the other passengers. But the traveler thinks this is unfair, because the other passengers don't have his problem.Often moving from one place to another makes people like Americarts and Australians
| A．like traveling better |
| B．easy to communicate with |
| C．difficult 1o make rcal friends |
| D．have a long-term relationship with their neighbors |
People like Malaysians prefer to associate with those
| A．who will tell them everything of their own |
| B．who want to do business with them |
| C．they know quite well |
| D．who are good at talking |
A person from a less mobile society will feel it_____ when a stranger keeps talking to him or her, and asking him or her questions.
| A．boring | B．friendly | C．normal | D．rough |
Which of the following is true about "particularist societies"?
| A．There is no rule for people to obey. |
| B．People obey the society's rules completely. |
| C．No one obeys the society's ruies though they have. |
| D．The society's rules can be changed with different persons or situations. |
The writer of the passage thinks that the Indian and the German have different ideas about rules because of different__________.
| A．interests | B．habits and customs |
| C．cultures | D．ways of life |