The World Health Organization raised the pandemic(流行病) flu alert(警戒) to six, the highest level, which means that the H1N1 swine flu is spreading world-wide.
The WHO will ask all countries, including the countries that haven’t yet reported any cases, to make plans to control this disease.
“It was reported that about 35,000 people infected with the H1N1 virus in 74 counties,” Margaret Chan, an officer of the WHO, said on Thursday. “Further spread of the disease is possible,” Ms Chan said. So far, WHO doesn’t expect a sudden jump in the number of serious or dead cases reported.
In Australia, the number of people who got the flu became more than three times as many as before in the past week, reaching 1,263 on Thursday, when three new ones were reported in this country. It recorded its first case of the disease on May 9. “Australia tells us not because of the number of cases, but because of the strong facts of community transmission(群体性传播),” said the spokesman for the World Health Organization. He said the WHO is also watching on similar evidence in the UK, Spain, Japan and Chile.
In Hong Kong, the government on Thursday ordered the nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools to close for two weeks after a dozen students at one school tested positive for swine flu. Elsewhere in Asia, health officials in Thailand found 30 new H1N1 cases, raising the total there to 46.
54. How many levels does WHO use to warn people against the pandemic flu?
A. Five. B. Six. C. Seven. D. Eight.
55. WHO raised the pandemic flu alert to the highest level because .
A. all countries in the world have reported dead cases
B. there is a sudden jump in the number of cases reported
C. there is no medicine to cure this flu
D. it is spreading in the world
56. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The number of people who got the flu has dropped slightly in the past week in Australia.
B. The WHO ask the countries that have reported cases to make plans to control the disease.
C. The number of people who got the flu reached more than 1,000 in Australia on Thursday.
D. The Hong Kong government ordered all schools to close for two weeks on Thursday.
57. This passage mainly tells us something about .
A. WHO’s raising the pandemic flu alert
B. how to prevent this kind of flu
C. people who got the pandemic flu
D. the ways to avoid the serious pandemic flu
Brazilian football star Robinho，24，started his career in the English Premier League in a way no one, including himself, ever expected.
Having rebelled (反叛）against his former club, Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, he could no longer stay. But then, he didn't have the slightest intention of going to Manchester City. Just the day before the transfer window was closed, Robinho called a press conference to tell the media that his mind was made up: He was going to Chelsea.
However, Madrid had sold him to City at the last minute, because the club made an offer far higher than Chelsea.
One of the summer, s longest-running soap operas ended dramatically, with a twist that wasn't in the script. “I wasn't even thinking about City，” Robinho admitted.
The forward is now wearing the sky blue of a club that had won nothing in 30 years, instead of the darker blue of a club that won two of the last four Premier League titles. Yet it seems the change hasn't affected the striker so far. His amazing form has shown the club that he deserves the British record transfer fee of £ 32，5 million they had paid. On October 26，he scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed (击败）Stoke 3-0. He took his City goals tally (积分）to six in eight games.
"My main objective is that the team does well, but my personal objective is that I achieve 30 goals，“ he said. "I still have a lot to give and to learn. “
Robinho is fluent in Spanish as well as his native Portuguese, but has still not started learning English. He promises that in six months, he will be able to speak the language without problem. “ My English so far is two out of 10. I haven't started ray language classes yet as I'm still living in a hotel. But as soon as I move to my own place, I will have more time for that. In six months' time, my English will be 10 out of 10. ” Robinho once serviced __________ before he transferred.
| A．Chelsea | B．Real Madrid |
| C．Manchester City | D．AC Milan |
Robinho transferred to Manchester City because __________.
| A．it was his dream that was to play in Manchester City |
| B．Manchester City is better than Chelsea |
| C．Manchester City made a higher offer than Chelsea |
| D．ha had to go to Manchester City with no choice |
The underlined sentence really means that __________.
| A．a long soap operas ended at last |
| B．a long term match ended finally |
| C．Robinho's career ended at last |
| D．Robinho's transfer ended with an unexpected result |
How do you think Robinho speaks English now?
| A．Not well | B．Quite fluently |
| C．Just so-so | D．Not mentioned |
Just 25 years ago, the top three career hopes for young people in Britain were teacher, banker and doctor. Now, they want to be sports star, pop star and actor, according to a survey by the Guardian newspaper.
Rachel, a character in the popular TV show Glee, may be said to speak for British teenagers. “ Nowadays being nobody is worse than being poor，"he said.
Emma Brockes, a reporter in the Guardian, believes it is “ the bad influence of celebrity (名人）culture” that is to blame. “ When children wanted to be doctor, it wasn't because they were really more interested in the functions of human organs than they are now ；you go where the respect is. "she wrote.
It could explain why there has been such an increase in levels of anxiety and depression. Dr Carlo Strenger, of Tel Aviv University, studied the sense of self for his new book The Fear of Insignificance \ Searching for Meaning in the list Century. He told the Daily Mail that young people now are" affected by the close connection to the global entertainment network, which has turned ranking and rating people according to wealth and celebrity inta an obsession (痴迷). “
"As humans, we naturally measure ourselves to those around us, but now we live in a global village. We are comparing ourselves with the most ‘ important' people in the world and finding ourselves wanting，“ he said. Today, even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media.
The way out? Simply stop measuring your achievement through a fantasy of wealth and celebrity. Dr Strenger said that it is a process called “ active self-acceptance through a constant search for self-knowledge through life”.
“The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievement，” he said. Nowadays, young people in Britain want to __________.
| A．choose jobs based on interests |
| B．become famous |
| C．be teacher, banker and doctor |
| D．earn more money |
According to Emma Brockes, what causes the increasing level of anxiety?
| A．Choices of future careers. |
| B．Access to the global network. |
| C．Bad influences of celebrities. |
| D．Endless comparison with others. |
Which of the following is TRUE of Dr Carlo Strenger?
| A．He is a newspaper reporter. |
| B．He is the spokesman of teenagers. |
| C．He tells success stories on TV. |
| D．He is against ranking people with wealth. |
Dr Carlo Strenger suggests that young people should __________.
| A．seek active self-acceptance |
| B．stick to their own dreams |
| C．make great achievements |
| D．search for the secret of wealth |
World Carnival has wrapped up its 52-day stay in the Chinese capital, and with it goes all the thrills, laughter, and fun of the fair. For nearly two months, sounds like this could be heard miles away from Beijing.
In International Sculpture Park, where the Carnival has been taking place, attractions included 50 rides, ranging from the world's largest mobile ferries wheel to some of Europe's most exciting roller-coasters.
Although organizers estimated it rained half the time when the Carnival was in Beijing, that didn't stop over 40，000 daily visitors. So what's the secret charm of the Carnival for Beijingers? 23-year-old Zhang Wei says all the attractions are exciting, which relaxes her from her daily routine and helps her forget unhappiness.
It was also a surprise for Zhang's boyfriend. He says he didn't know she could be so daring and brave.
Of course, what is the better way for young lovers to snuggle up tight than on a hair-raisingly, stomach churning roller-coaster? Over one third of the patrons were couples under 25.
However，15-year-old Qi Jianping has different reasons for en-joying the fair： She says it's very difficult to win a toy from the games, but it teaches her not to give up.
Of course, huge cuddly toys were big stars at the carnival—and brought big profits for organizers. It costs 25 Yuan, or 3 dollars, to play once, and only one in four gets to win. In other words, a stuffed animal, which costs around 10 Yuan in local markets, had a price tag at the Carnival of some 150 Yuan or about 17 dollars.
In Shanghai, sales of these toys brought in 37 million Yuan in profit. In Beijing, the supply of toys was doubled. The profit? Well, do the math! That World Carnival took place in China was __________.
| A．attracted many people from all over the world |
| B．accepted by Chinese people |
| C．of great benefit to visitors most |
| D．the only biggest event in China |
World Carnival took place in __________.
| A．International Sculpture Park |
| B．Chang'an Street in Beijing |
| C．Chinese Pavilion in Shanghai |
| D．more than 50 places in Beijing |
The newly-married couple like most __________ in the carnival.
| A．mobile ferries wheel |
| B．game machine |
| C．stomach churning roller coaster |
| D．a stuffed animal |
Amid Italy's rapid recovery, Christmas was celebrated on Friday with greater enthusiasm and optimism compared to last year.
The mood in the country is brighter. This year's festivities were less gloomy (忧郁的）than those in 2008，with consumer confidence and expenditures on the rise.
" I have spent much more money on gifts，" said the 27-year-old Martina Dello Russo, a communication expert.
"When I went shopping last week many boutiques (专卖店）had sold out several items and for the first time in months people were actually buying，" she added, explaining that it was a good sign demonstrating the recovery of consumer confidence and purchasing power.
The center-right government under Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has recently issued positive data on the state of Italy's economy, despite long-lasting effects of the downturn such as high unemployment.
Christmas in Italy is a traditional religious festivity when families stay at home and gather, rather than go out eating or go on holiday.
This year, Italians spent about 2. 8 billion euros in “intelligent gifts" such as food, wine and other typical Made-in-Italy goods, ac-cording to a survey by farmers' association Coldiretti.
For Italians the cook traditions are very important and we prefer spending on food rather than on clothes or other things, said the61-year-old businessman, Mario Corradi.
The traditional Christmas lunch is a three-course menu ： home-made meat ravioli(馄饨），lamb, artichokes(洋蓟）and fried fish. The celebration on Friday for Christmas is full of __________.
| A．flowers and smiles |
| B．men and women |
| C．exciting activities |
| D．enthusiasm and optimism |
The atmosphere of festivities tell us that __________.
| A．Italians welcome another new Christmas |
| B．Italians hope for a good coming luck |
| C．Consumer confidence and purchasing power is beginning to recover |
| D．Italy has made great progress in all the fields |
What will Italians do on Christmas Day?
| A．They will gather all friends to have a big deal. |
| B．All the family members gather to celebrate the festival at home. |
| C．All the members of family will go out eating. |
| D．They will do something they like at home or other places. |
One thing Italians must do on Christmas Day is __________.
| A．showing their culinary skills |
| B．showing their latest fashion |
| C．telling their contributions |
| D．making out their future plans |
When my father was getting ready for work, our house was ruled by knocks and words. He used to come downstairs to have breakfast. The morning paper lay beside his plate. He always read the " Deaths" first, and then he knocked once on the table. One of my sisters brought his bread, already buttered for him. Usually he said nothing, but once I heard him say，" I love you very much, Edith. I would love more if you buttered my bread on both sides. "He read the paper all through the breakfast. Two knocks on the table meant " I am ready for my tea. " If a single knock followed, that meant " More bread, please. "
After breakfast he said，" Boots. " The paper was spread (展开）for him over the back of an arm-chair. Yesterday's paper was put on the chair for his feet, and his boots were brought to him, freshly cleaned. He read standing at the same time putting on his boots. With one boot finished he said，" Bus. " At that point one of the girls went outside to the garden gate and waited there. Her job was to stop a bus when it came. It came early sometimes and it had to wait for my father. " Overcoat, hat. " One of my sisters had already brushed his overcoat. Now she held it open for him. Another girl came with his hat, nicely brushed. " Handkerchief, pipe (烟斗）" They were brought and put, with his tobacco (烟草），into his pocket. He looked out of the window and said either " Walking stick" or " Umbrella". It was handed to him. Ready now, he was still reading the paper. He didn't put it down until he heard the shout " Bus coming ！ " Then he kissed my mother and went out. The girls breathed freely.
How lucky a man was to have a wife and five daughters at home! When the father made the first knock, he meant __________.
| A．he had begun to read the morning newspaper |
| B．he was made to feel sad by the " Deaths" news |
| C．he would start to read the other parts of the paper |
| D．his breakfast should begin |
What does "Edith" mean?
| A．A kind of bread. | B．One of the writer's sisters. |
| C．The writer. | D．The writer's mother. |
All the daughters were quite busy in the morning because __________.
| A．their father never helped them |
| B．their father always gave different instructions at the same time |
| C．each of them had to start and finish her job just on time |
| D．they were not clever or quick enough to do their jobs |
What was the father's favorite?
| A．Reading newspaper. |
| B．Having bread buttered on both sides. |
| C．Giving instructions. |
| D．Being clean and tidy. |