Walking down any of Shanghai’s main shopping streets this week, newcomers might think the locals have been celebrating Christmas for centuries. Christmas may not be a customary holiday in China, but businessmen in Shanghai know it will bring something more valuable than tradition: people are willing to spend money. Most Chinese may feel little connection with the Christmas celebration, but with most shops offering discount (折扣), the message couldn’t be clearer-- it is the season to part with one’s hard-earned cash.
Much of that marketing drive is directed towards thousands of foreigners and foreign companies that call Shanghai home. But for Shanghai’s 13 million locals, regardless of personal interest, there seems no avoiding the season’s commercial greetings. Along some major roads, nearly every shop window displays some symbols to the holiday: a man-made fir tree(杉树) with lights, or a snowman.
With an increasing number of westerners arriving in the city for work, young Shanghainese, eager to keep pace with the latest western fashions, have begun to show their interest in Christmas. But some people still don’t think Christmas is an important festival in China. At least it is less important than the New Year and China’s Spring Festival.
64. Why are people willing to spend money during Christmas?
A. They have earned a lot of money.
B. Goods are much cheaper during this period of time.
C. It is time for shops to sell goods.
D. Businessmen like Christmas.
65. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Christmas is the season people will hold their hard-earned money tightly.
B. Most Chinese people think they have something to do with Christmas.
C. Christmas is the season for common people to earn money.
D. Few Chinese people feel they are connected with Christmas celebrations.
66. Why do some young Shanghainese show great interest in Christmas?
A. They think themselves connected with Christmas celebrations.
B. They think Christmas is more important than New Year’s Day.
C. They want to follow the up-to-date western fashions.
D. They want to part with their hard-earned cash during Christmas.
67. From the first paragraph we know that _______.
A. It is difficult for most people to earn money.
B. It is easy for most people to earn money.
C. Only foreigners in Shanghai celebrate Christmas.
D. Christmas will be as important as China’s Spring Festival.
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。
After 10 seasons wearing the No．8 on his back，Kobe Bryant will become No．24 next season．The reason for the surprising decision by the Los Angeles Lakers super guard last week has become a hot topic for debate．
Bryant wore No．24 when he was in early high school，but he changed to No．33 in his senior year．He switched to No．8 when he was selected by the Lakers in 1996，and has not been changed since．
Bryant has refused to explain the decision until the end of the play-offs．So guessing Bryant’s motive has become a popular game among NBA fans and newspaper columnists．
There are all kinds of speculations（猜测）．Many say that Bryant wants to leave the past behind and have a fresh start．He has often been criticized for phying to benefit himself and not the team as a whole．Others say that he may be trying to compare himself to Michael Jordan．Jordan was famous for his No．23 jersey（运动衫）．Some，such as NBC Sport columnist Michael Ventre，argue that it is“all about money”．Bryant will make more money by selling new jerseys to his fans．
Some speculations are more about fun．For example，there is an opinion that Kobe is actually just a diehard fan of the popular TV drama“24”．
All this talk has turned the number change into a major issue．It seems that there is a lot of fuss over something that should be pretty simple．
Jersey numhers have their own special significance in American sports，especially basketball．
Players choose their number when they join a team and they usually stick with that number for the rest of their career．When a great player retires，his team will honor him by retiring his number．
To some extent，the jersey is the player，and the player is the jersey．Thus，when you see the famous No．23 for the Chicago Bulls，you immediately think about Michael Jordan．A No．32 Miami Heats jersey recalls the image of Shaquille O’Neal，and the Houston Rockets’No．11 belongs only to Yao Ming．
56．Which team has Bryant played for?
A．The Los Angeles Lakers．B．The Houston Rockets．
C．The Chicago Bulls． D．The Miami Heats．
57．Bryant has worn No 8________?
A．for two years and a half B．for ten years
C．since he entered high school D．since he left high school
58．Which of the following is NOT a speculation about Bryant’s motive to change his number?
A．He wants to leave his past behind and have a fresh start．
B．He wants to compare himself to Jordan．
C．He wants to earn more money．
D．He wants to show that he is a man of great importance．
59．What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A．When a great player retires，his team will reward him with much money．
B．A lucky number will be passed on to a new player．
C．An outstanding player’s jersey number won’t be used after his retirement．
D．A great player often changes his jersey number in the same team
If you know exactly what you want, the best way to get a job is to get specialized training. A recent report shows that companies like graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training.
That’s especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor's degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high to low and plenty of chances for rapid advancement. Large companies especially like a background of formal education coupled with work experience. But in the long run, too much specialization does not pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval. The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years.
As further evidence of the erosion of corporate faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State’s Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. This sounds like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts(文科) graduate. Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. David Birch, manager of the Boston Red Sox, says that he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree. “I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things,” says Birch.
For a liberal – arts degree, students focus on some basic courses that include literature history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior and a computer course or two. With these useful and important courses, you can feel free to specialize, “A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the marketplace,” says Scheetz.
67. The job market is in great need of people with .
A. special training in special fields B. a bachelor’s degree in education
C. formal schooling and work experience D. an MBA degree from top universities
68. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means .
A. an MBA degree does not help in future promotion
B. MBA programs will not be as popular as they are now
C. people will not forget the degree the MBA graduates have got
D. most MBA programs fail to provide students with a foundation
69. David Birch says that he only hires liberal – arts people because .
A. they will follow others’ ways of solving problems
B. they can do better in bundling changing situations
C. they are well trained in a variety of specialized fields
D. they have attended special programs in management
70. The author supports the idea that .
A. on – the – job training is less costly in the long run
B. formal schooling is less important than job training
C. specialists are more expensive to hire than generalists
D. generalists will do better than specialists in management
At present, in many American cities especially, many teachers in the public schools say they are underpaid. They point to jobs such as secretary or truck driver, which often pay more to start than that of a teacher. In many other fields, such as law, medicine, computer science, a beginning worker may make more than a teacher who has taught for several years.
Teaching has never been a profession that attracted people interested in high salaries. It is by history a profession that has provided rewards in addition to money—the satisfaction of sharing knowledge, of influencing others, of guiding young people. But in the past several years, there are more difficulties in teaching, for many, than there are rewards.
Unruly students, especially in big cities, large classes and a lack of support from the public in terms of money and understanding have led many public school teachers to leave the profession.
As a result, many of the best students, who would have chosen teaching as their life career in the past, are going into other fields.
Another reason for this change in teacher candidates is the changing status of women in the United States. Until the late 1960s and 1970s, one of the most popular choices for women was teaching. But as other professions, such as law and medicine opened up to women, women stopped pouring into teacher training programs. Thus, a major pool of excellent candidates for the teaching profession dwindled.
Bit by bit government officials and others realized that the status of the teacher had suffered. They talked about change. But the change in a vast society like the United States is not easy. People’s attitudes have formed over many years, and sometimes change takes many years.
63. The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refers to “ ”.
A. money B. job C. secretary D. truck driver
64. What is the present situation of the teaching?
A. Teachers work harder and get underpaid.
B. Teachers have no opportunities to work in other fields.
C. Teaching can attract best students to work as a teacher.
D. Teaching can provide rewards as well as high salaries.
65. Many public school teachers turn to other professions because .
A. the unruly students and large classes
B.the difficulties of teaching as well as a lack of money, support and understanding
C.the attracting power of other jobs
D.a lack of satisfaction of sharing knowledge and influencing others
66. The author believes that change in teachers’ status in the United States .
A. is not great B. impossible
C. influences people’s attitude D. needs time
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking (潜伏) around every ember! The museum is open from 10：00am to 5：00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13－19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th. August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5 : 30 pro performance 6:30pm—8:30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult ￡10. Child￡7. Family ￡20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette (玫瑰形饰物) that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12: 00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
59. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to .
A. Peterborough Museum B. Houghton Mill
C. Saxon Youth Club D. Farmland Museum
60. You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you．
A. ￡21 B. ￡17 C. ￡27 D. ￡20
61. Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A. Playing farmland games. B. Watching a new play.
C. Competing in spots activities. D. Visiting the dinosaur exhibition.
62. If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19, he will have activities
to choose from for himself.
A. one activity B. two activities
C. three activities D. four activities
The World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is to be staged in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31, 2010. If you plan to visit the Shanghai Expo this summer, the
China Pavilion is a must-see area for you.
The China Pavilion, which is called Oriental Crown
(东方之冠), is located at the center of the Expo site. Standing 63 meters tall, the China Pavilion takes the shape of an emperor’s crown, with the upper layers larger than the lower ones. Covering 160,000 square meters in floor space, the pavilion consists of a national hall and a regional hall. Construction on the China Pavilion began on Dec. 18, 2007. The design of the China Pavilion was picked from a total of 344 designs put forward by Chinese from around the world. The pavilion possesses both traditional and modern features, which helps develop the theme of the 2010 Expo “Better City, Better Life”. For example, it is red in appearance, which contains the elements of traditional Chinese culture, and it is green indoors, with the use of energy-saving techniques. The Shanghai World Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors from across the globe. It is estimated that 400,000 people will visit the Expo and its 140 pavilions every day during the period, but the China Pavilion is only able to receive about one tenth of the total. How to accommodate so many people in the pavilion remains a tough task. Luckily, the China Pavilion is built as a permanent landmark.
During the Expo, the main structure will be used for an exhibition based on the theme of “Chinese wisdom in urban development" by explaining the values of harmony, nature and spirit. The three-story pavilion has three sections. The top floor’s "Footprint of the East" will show some of the changes in Chinese cities. There, you can see a film which shows how Chinese cities have changed, especially in the past 30 years. According to Lu Chuan, director of the film, the scenery is like something from The Lord of the Rings. On the second floor, "Journey of Wisdom” will explain China’s four great inventions. And the ground’s “Blossoming City” will display scenes from cities of the future.
55. Which of the following words can be used to describe the China Pavilion?
A. Tiny. B. Round.
C. Foreign. D. Environment-friendly.
56. The China Pavilion can receive visitors at most per day.
A. 40,000 B. 400,000 C. 100,000 D. 20,000
57. We can infer that .
A. the China Pavilion will be pulled down after the World Expo 2010 is over
B. the China Pavilion will probably continue to be open to visitors after the Expo is over
C. you can continue to visit the Japanese Pavilion after the Expo is over
D. some foreign friends took part in the designs of the China Pavilion
58. On the second floor of the China Pavilion, you can .
A. enjoy a film about the changes of cities in China
B. learn what Shanghai looked like in the 1920s
C. find out how paper was invented
D. see how Chinese cities will look like in the future