China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered. What is the average housing price per square meter in China?
| A.8,000 yuan | B.10,000 yuan | C.7,000 yuan | D.It’s not mentioned here |
Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
| A.Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. |
| B.American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. |
| C.The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. |
| D.There are more people who need houses in China. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A.The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it. |
| B.There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market |
| C.The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States |
| D.Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. |
How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high
housing prices?
| A.Four | B.Three | C.Five | D.Two |
Everyone has got two personalities (性格) —the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you’re awake because you can control yourself, but when you’re asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, you often change your sleeping positions. The important position that best shows your secret personality is the one that you go to sleep.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by new ideas. You don’t like to make people unhappy, so you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a person who likes to keep secrets. You worry a lot and you’re always easily becoming sad. You never want to change your ideas, but you are satisfied with your life the way it is. You usually live for today not for tomorrow.
If you sleep on curled up (蜷缩), you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and often protect yourself from being hurt, so you are very defensive. You’re shy and you don’t usually like meeting people. You like to be on your own.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced (平衡的) personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel worried, but you don’t often get unhappy. You always say what you think, even if it makes people angry.You may find the passage in_____.
| A.a science magazine | B.a guide book |
| C.a sports newspaper | D.a story book |
When does the sleeping position best show your secret personality?
| A.In the daytime. | B.At the beginning of sleep. |
| C.At night. | D.During the deep sleep. |
Tina hardly tells her secrets to her friends. She probably goes to sleep _______.
| A.on curled up | B.on her stomach |
| C.on her back | D.on her side |
What does the word "defensive" mean in the passage?
| A.易怒的 | B.攻击性的 | C.外向的 | D.有戒心的 |
What does the passage tell us?
| A.Sleeping on your side is the best way of sleeping. |
| B.Changing positions will cause sleeping problems. |
| C.Sleeping positions show people’s secret personalities. |
| D.Enough sleep makes people look better and healthier. |
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Food
British people like good food, and more than half of them go to a restaurant every month. Fast food is also very popular---30% of all adults have a hamburger every three months, but 46% have fish and chips!
Sports
British people don’t do a lot of sports. Only 17% of people go swimming every week, about 9% go cycling and 8% play golf--- and only 6% of people play football (but 32% go to watch it).
Cinema and TV
Films are very popular in Britain, and about 60% of the young people go to the cinema every month. At home, men watch TV for about three hours every day ---30 minutes more than women.
Holidays
British people love going on holiday, and have 56 holidays every year. Most of these holidays aren’t spent in the UK---27% are in Spain. 10% are in the USA, and 9% are in France. Maybe this is because the weather in Britain isn’t very good!
Presents
British people don’t send others expensive presents like other Europeans. They often send chocolates, wine and flowers of good quality. Which food could be more popular among British adults, a hamburger or fish and chips?
| A.A hamburger. | B.Fish and chips. | C.Both. | D.Neither. |
Those who are interested in movies are _____.
| A.men | B.women | C.young people | D.old people |
How long do British women spend watching TV every day?
| A.Three hours. | B.Three hours and a half. | C.Two hours. | D.Two hours and a half. |
British people’s favorite country for a holiday is _____.
| A.Spain | B.France | C.America | D.Australia |
What present don’t British people often send?
| A.Chocolates. | B.Wine. | C.Flowers. | D.Money. |
BEIJING (Associated Press美联社)—China has a growing middle class, a tradition(传统) of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year.Selling educational toys should be easy.
While China may be the worlds biggest toy maker, many of the best are exported.Department stores here do not have enough high quality toys.It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.
A US company, BabyCare, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China.
BabyCare works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals. People who join the company’s "mother club" can get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost, if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company’s educational toys and child care books.
"We want to build a seven-year relationship with those people," said Matthew J.Estes, BabyCare’s president."It starts during pregnancy (孕期), when the anxiety and needs are highest." BabyCare works on a one to one basis.Doctors, nurses, and teachers paid by BabyCare advise parents, explain toys that are designed for children at each stage (阶段) of development to age six.
BabyCare opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo.It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.
It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children’s education and health that no other companies are in.What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?
| A.Educational toys and foreign toy markets. |
| B.Problems with China’s toy market and education. |
| C.Reasons for pushing sales of educational toys in China. |
| D.Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China. |
.Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?
| A.Club members buy BabyCare products for free child care advice. |
| B.Doctors in Beijing help in making BabyCare products. |
| C.Parents are encouraged to pay $ 18 for club activities. |
| D.BabyCare trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost. |
BabyCare is developing its business in China by.
| A.opening stores in Beijing hospitals |
| B.offering 18-month courses on child care |
| C.setting up children’s education centers |
| D.forming close relationships with parents |
Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A.Mother’s Club in China. | B.BabyCare and Doctors. |
| C.American Company Model. | D.Educational Toys in China. |
In the modern world more and more people meet the problem of identity.The most interesting example is that of a so – called “banana”, which refers to an American who has an Asian face but holds Western values.
In Shanghai, there now live a group of people from abroad.They look no different from the locals and speak fluent Chinese or even Shanghai dialect, but when it comes to writing Chinese characters, they are almost illiterate(文盲).Jack is such an example.He never learned to read or write Chinese characters, which he finds mysterious and difficult.From time to time, he files to the US as he does not feel Shanghai is where he comes from.“But when I am in the States, I feel that’s not my home either,” he said.
At De Gaulle Airport in France, there is a Swiss man who has been living in the waiting – room for a long time because he lost h is passport during his travels.He was refused entry into several countries.But when he was eventually allowed to return to Swizerland, he refused to leave the airport.His reason was very simple—“I am sure who I am.I need no acknowledgement from others,” he said during an interview.For th is reason he was honored by the Western media as “the Hero of identity.”
As the Internet becomes more and more popular, the problem of identity becomes more serious.In a virtual world, people can have different addresses registered with different names.In the Internet chat room, even one’s gender(性别) is hard to determine.It seems that in the glohal village, people are saying hello every day to each other without knowing whom they are talking to.
What will be the next crisis(危机) of identity? With the development of cloning technology, it might be: who is the real “I”?What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A.The importance of identity. |
| B.The crisis of identity. |
| C.Differences between Eastern and Western cultures. |
| D.Difficulty in living in foreign counties. |
The Swiss man had to live in De Gaulle Airport in France because.
A.he needed to board a plane at any time
B.he couldn’t afford to live in a hotel
C.he needed others acknowledgement
D.he couldn’t prove who he was
65.A “banana” in the passage is in fact an.
A.American traveling to Asia B.American keeping Eastern culture
C.American born in Asia D.America – born AsianWe can infer from the passage that the author believes.
| A.there will be more problems relating to identity in the future |
| B.Internet technology helps solve problems of identity |
| C.only people traveling abroad have problems of identity |
| D.people don’t need to worry about identity |
Until recently, I hadn’t done much community service.In face, I did nothing to benefit anyone but myself.My selfishness and laziness were clear before I received an assignment from my teacher.Each student was required to complete 10 hours community service.To me, 10 hours was a huge amount of time to spend helping others.Volunterring, for me, has been a truly life – changing experience.
My mom suggested that I organize a food drive(募捐活动)in our development(新建筑宅区)and donate what I collected to a local shelter.Anything that would help finish the project seemed like a good idea, so I agreed.I made up flyers(传单)asking for donations and placed flyers at every house in my neighborhood.
I was getting ready to fetch the cans from my neighbor’s yards on the day of the food drive when all of a sudden it started to pour.Rain flooded the roads and wind blew hard, but I was determined to complete my task.My mom drove me around our development and I jumped out at every house to collect items people had put out.
When we finally arrived the shelter, I was a little nervous because I had never been there before.The woman in charge was extremely grateful for the donations and said that the world would be ganizing the food drive and delighted that my service to the community would make a difference in people’s lives.
As I was leaving the shelter, a man asked if I was the one who had brought all the food.I shyly nodded, and he said, “A round here, you are a hero.” From that point on, I made myself a promise that I would serve the community more often, even when it was not required.Through this school assignment, I have realized that caring for others is an important part of living and the world would be a completely different place if people all help those who are less fortunate.From the first paragraph we know the author.
| A.was satisfied with the assignment of his teacher |
| B.was unwilling to do good things for others |
| C.thought it impossible for him to spend 10 hours helping others |
| D.didn’t realize his selfishness until he received the assignment |
The author decided to serve the community more often because.
| A.he was treated as a big hero by his neighbors |
| B.he received gratitude from the woman in the shelter |
| C.he found what he did had an effect on people’s lives |
| D.he found the people in the shelter were warm – hearted |
The author wrote this passage in order to.
| A.show his pity for those poor people |
| B.care about the future of the world |
| C.give advice on organizing a drive |
| D.expect more people to think of others |