The world’s population continues to grow. There are about five billion of us on earth now. It could reach six billion in 10 years’ time, and eleven billion in another 75 years. Experts have long been concerned about such growth. Where will we find the food, water, jobs, houses, schools and health care for all these people?
A major new study shows that situation may be changing. A large and rapid drop in the world’s birth rate has taken place during the past 10 years. Families generally are smaller now than they were a few years ago. This is happening in both developing and industrial nations. Scientists said they found a number of reasons for this. More men and women are waiting longer to get married. More women are going to school or working at jobs away from their home instead of having children. And more governments, especially in developing nations, now support family planning programs to reduce population growth.
China is one of the nations that have made great progress in reducing its population growth by about one half since 1970. China now urges each family to have no more than one child. And it hopes to reach zero population growth before long, that is, the number of birth equaling the number of death.
Several nations in Europe already have fewer births than deaths. Experts said that these nations could face a serious shortage of workers in the future.
1. In the sentence “Experts have long been concerned about such growth”, the phrase “concerned about” is similar in meaning to_____.
A. worried about B. related to C. busy working on D. made a study of
2. “Family planning programs” means______.
A. economic policy in a country B. economic policy in a family
C. TV programs for a family D. birth control in a country
3. The world’s birth rate has dropped because_____.
A. people marry at a much later time
B. women would rather go to study or work than have children
C. some countries are carrying out the family planning programs
D. all the above
4. We hope that soon the number of birth and the number of death in China will_____.
A. be greatly different B. be equal to each other
C. drop in great deal D. become much larger
They once seemed more at home on the busy streets of Asia like Delhi, Calcutta and
Bangkok but cycle powered rickshaws (人力车) can now be seen taking people across town in many European cities. Many people believe that rickshaws are a good way of experiencing a city close-up, while also cutting down on traffic jams and pollution. In Berlin, one of the first cities to introduce this new model of transport, more than 200 bike-taxis go along at 15km per hour, past many tourist attractions and city parks.
“It is
completely environmentally friendly; we have new models with an engine to help the driver up the hills but they use renewable energy.” said a spokesman for VELOTAXI, the leading rickshaw company which has carried a quarter of a million people this year.
While the city still has 7,000 motor-taxis, rickshaw company officials say their taxis’ green ideas, speed and safety make them more than just a tourist attraction. While now increasingly out of fashion in Delhi, Berlin people have eagerly accepted the new fleet since their launch in 1997.
“It’s better than a taxi, better than a bus, better than the train,” said ULF Lehman, 36, as he leapt out of a rickshaw near the world famous Brandenburg gate. “ It feels so free.”
“This is something out of the ordinary, you feel you are on holiday in Bangkok instead of Berlin,” said another traveler.
In Amsterdam, driver Peter Jancso said people like to be driven around in his bright yellow rickshaw and pretend to be a queen in a golden carriage. "I like my passengers to feel important," he said as he dropped off another passenger. Another visitor noted how cheap it was compared with a normal taxi.
Although increasingly popular in Europe, it is the opposite in India, where hand-pulled rickshaws are considered inhuman and a symbol of India's backward past.
Nearly 500 bike-rickshaws are running in London and are not requir
ed to pay the city's road tax but things may change as other taxi drivers complain of unfair treatment. Where are rickshaws becoming more popular?
| A．Delhi, Berlin, Paris. | B．Amsterdam, Bangkok, Delhi. |
| C．Athens, London, Berlin. | D．Berlin, Amsterdam, London. |
Why are rickshaws no longer as widely used in India as in the past?
| A．They are a reminder of a bad period in India's history. |
| B．They have been banned because they are inefficient. |
| C．The streets of India are too crowded for them to move through easily. |
| D．Indians now prefer to travel by car because they are richer. |
What does the underlined sentence "This is something out of the ordinary, you feel you are on holiday in
Bangkok instead of Berlin" suggest?
| A．The passenger didn't like taking a rickshaw as it reminded him of Bangkok. |
| B．The passenger enjoyed being on holiday in Berlin more than in Bangkok. |
C．The passenger was impressed when taking a rickshaw an d considered it unusual. |
| D．The passenger disapproved of rickshaws because they were not original to Berlin. |
What is the author's attitude towards rickshaws?
| A．He gives no personal opinion. |
| B．He believes they will be of no use. |
| C．He thinks they will reduce pollution. |
| D．He thinks they are old-fashioned. |
For several days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the morning he seemed much occupied with business, and in the afternoon gentlemen from the neighborhood called and sometimes stayed to dine with him. When his foot was well enough, he rode out a great deal.
During this time, all my knowledge of 
him was limited to occasional meetings about the house, when he would sometimes pass me coldly, and sometimes bow and smile. His changes of manner did not offend me, because I saw that I had nothing to do with the cause of them.
One evening, several days later, I was invited to talk to Mr. Rochester after dinner. As I was looking at him, he suddenly turned, and asked me, “Do you think I’m handsome, Miss Eyre?”
The answer somehow slipped from my tongue before I realized it: “No, sir.”
“Ah, you really are unusual! You are a quiet, serious little person, but you can be almost rude.”
“Sir, I’m sorry. I should have said that beauty doesn’t matter, or something like that.”
“No, you shouldn’t! I see, you criticize my appearance, and then you stab（刺）me in the back! You have honesty and feeling. There are not man
y girls like you. But perhaps I go too fast. Perhaps you have awful faults to counterbalance your few good points.”
I thought to myself that he might have too. He seemed to read my mind, and said quickly, “Yes, you’re right. I have plenty of faults. I went the wrong way when I was twenty-one, and have never found the right path again. I might have been very different. I might have been as good as you, and perhaps wiser. I am not a bad man, take my word for it, but I have done wrong. It wasn’t my character, but circumstances that were at fault. Why do I tell you all this? Because you’re the sort of pers
on people tell their problems and secrets to, because you’re sympathetic and give them hope.”
“D
on’t be afraid of me, Miss Eyre.” He continued. “You don’t relax or laugh very much, perhaps because of the effect Lowood school has had on you. But in time you will be more natural with me, and laugh, and speak freely. You’re like a bird in cage. When you get out of the cage, you’ll fly very high. Good night.”Which of the following cannot describe Miss Eyre’s first impression of Mr. Rochester?
| A．Friendly. | B．Sociable. | C．Busy. | D．Changeable |
Why did Mr. Rochester say “…and then you stab me in the back!”?
| A．Because Jane had intended to kill him with a knife. |
| B．Because Jane had intended to be more critical. |
| C．Because Jane had regretted having a talk with him. |
| D．Because Jane had said something else to correct herself. |
From what Mr. Rochester said to Miss Eyre, we conclude that he wanted to __________.
| A．tell her all his troubles | B．tell her his life experience |
| C．change her opinion of him | D．change his circumstances |
At the end of the passage, Mr. Rochester sounded __________.
| A．rude | B．cold | C．depressing | D．encouraging |
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it’s likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen—the 21st century equivalent (相等物) of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread pieces you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
Thekeyquestionis:Doesthatmatter?
FormanyAmericans,theanswerapparentlyis“no.”
When opinion polls (民意测验) ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a serious depression about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me.”
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessanfro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surr
ender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (优惠券).
But privacy does matter—at least sometimes. It’s like health: when you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
| A．Friends should open their hearts to each other. |
| B．Friends should always be faithful to each other. |
| C．There should be a distance even between friends. |
| D．There should be fewer disagreements between friends. |
Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?
| A．Modern society has finally developed into an open society. |
| B．People leave traces around when using modern technology. |
| C．There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs. |
| D．Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities. |
What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
| A．They change behaviors that might disclose their identity. | |
B．They use various loyalty cards for business deals. |
C．They rely more and more on electronic devices. |
| D．They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it. |
According to the passage, privacy is like health because __________.
| A．people will make every effort to keep it |
| B．its importance is rarely understood |
| C．it is something that can easily be lost |
| D．people don’t cherish it until they lose it |
I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a passage from the Bible about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”“Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that medical checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me？Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?” It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out la
ughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage __________.
| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn |
| C．all by himself | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because __________.
| A．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| B．he could afford time to care for her |
| C．he was willing to be a good husband |
| D．she was seriously ill |
The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．He was so good to her that she thought she would be dying. |
By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that __________.
A．he is just beginning to understand th e real meaning of life |
| B．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
D．he is beginning to regret  what he did to his wife before |
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 |