The creation of a Chinese Green Card in 2004 was a milestone in the country’s immigration law. Five years on, the card is an increasingly sought-after document. On August 15, 2004, the Regulations on Examination and Approval of Permanent Residence
oAliens in China created a Green Card system granting qualified foreigners the right to live in
China permanently.
Liu Lili, who works in the Exit and Entry Administration of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, has watched the Green Card system develop since its inception. She said nearly all applications received by the Bureau are approved. So far, 323 people have been granted a “Green Card” qualifying them for permanent residence in Beijing. Another 15 are awaiting final approval. It takes around 6 months to process each application.
Of the 323 Green Card holders, 94 are wives or husbands of Chinese citizens; 50 are minors dependent on their parents; 20 are senior citizens returning to live with relatives; 114 are individuals who have made outstanding contributions or are of special importance to China (another 7 are their family members); and 23 are high-level foreign personnel who hold posts in businesses (another 15 are their family members).
Liu said the authorities had been granting residence to returning senior citizens for some time before the Green Card system was formally launched .The government has approved permanent residence for over 3,000 foreigners since the implementation of the Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens which was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in November 1985.
Four groups of people are eligible for permanent residence: high-level foreign personnel who hold posts in businesses that promote China’s economic, scientific and technological development or social progress; foreign citizens who make large direct investments in China; persons who have made outstanding contributions or are of special importance to China; and people who come to China to be with family, such as husbands and wives, minors dependent on their parents, and senior citizens dependent on their relatives.
Liu said that most applications she dealt with were from American citizens.
Why do overseas citizens apply for permanent residence status in China? The main concern, aid Liu, is the political factor. Once people have a “Green Card”, they feel they are accepted and trusted by the Chinese government. The “Green Card” also facilitates entry and exit. With permanent residence status, visas are no longer needed and people can enter and leave the country using only a valid passport. China offers outstanding career opportunities and is seen by many as safer and more secure than many other countries, said Liu.
Liu said that Green Card holders have the same rights and responsibilities as Chinese citizens. However the card is not equivalent to Chinese nationality and holders are not allowed to vote in elections, hold political office, or serve in the military.
Obtaining a Green Card is not easy. The qualifying conditions are tough. Unless you are a close relative of a Chinese citizen，you will either have to invest a substantial amount of money in the country or make a genuinely outstanding contribution to the country’s development.
To meet increasing demand, he authorities are considering making the Green Card more available by broadening the range of applicants without lowering the requirements, aid Liu, but she gave no further details.Which of the following can’t get a green card?
| A．A foreigner whose wife of husband is of Chinese nationality. |
| B．A foreign child whose parents are Chinese citizens. |
| C．A foreigner who invests large sum of money in China. |
| D．A foreigner who works in China for a long time. |
If a foreign gets a Green Card in China, he /she_________.
| A．has the right to vote in China. | B．can be a high official in China |
| C．can enter or leave China without a visa | D．becomes a citizen of Chinese nationality |
From the article we can see foreigners apply for Green Cards mainly to ________.
| A．show that they are important | B．be accepted and trusted by the Chinese |
| C．make entry and exit easier | D．make more money. |
Which of the following is not the reason for foreigners to work or live permanently in China?
| A．They can find satisfactory jobs. |
| B．China is more secure country than many. |
| C．They have their professions, families and investments in China. |
| D．The weather, working conditions are better than better than their own countries. |
The first true piece of sports equipment that man invented was the ball. In ancient(古代) Egypt, as everywhere, pitching (投掷)stones was a favorite children’s game. But a badly thrown rock could hurt(伤害) a child. Looking for something less dangerous to throw, the Egyptians made what were probably the first balls.
At first, balls were made of grass or leaves(树叶) held together by vines(藤). Later they were made of pieces of animal skin sewed together and stuffed(塞满)with feathers or hay.
Even though the Egyptians were warlike, they found time for peaceful games. Before long they had developed a number of ball games, each with its own set of rules. Perhaps they played ball more for instruction than for fun. Ball playing was thought of mainly as a way to teach young men the speed and skill they would need for war. The ball was probably invented because_______
| A．throwing stones often caused injuries | B．throwing stones was not fun |
| C．games with stones did not have rules | D．rocks were too heavy to throw |
The first balls were probably made of_______
| A．animal skins stuffed with rocks | B．twists of hay |
| C．hides stuffed with hay or feathers | D．grass and leaves tied with vines |
This selection says that the Egyptians played_____
| A．many different games with balls | B．many different kinds of games |
| C．only one ball game | D．different games with similar rules |
The Egyptians thought that ball playing was _______
| A．childish | B．difficult | C．not enjoyable | D．worthwhile |
The best title for this selection is ______
| A．The First Ball Games | B．How Egyptian Children Played Games |
| C．Egyptian Sports | D．The Beginning of Sports |
Fire fighting is a serous matter, knowing what to do during a fire can save people’s lives. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone else in the family, such as stairways and emergency exits, but not elevators.
From the lower floors of building, escape through windows is possible. Learn the best way to get out from a window with the least chance of serious injury.
The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person, hanging by the fingertips will have a drop of about 6 feet to the ground. It is about twice the height of an average man. Of course, it is safer to jump a short way down than to stay in a burning building.
Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed before opening the window. Otherwise, smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may have leaked into the room.
On the second or third floor, the best windows for escape are those which open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement might end in injury. Bushes and trees can help you to have a soft landing.Which of the following should not be used when trying to escape from a fire?
| A．Windows | B．Elevators | C．Fire exits | D．Stairways |
How far from the ground is the second floor window?
| A．about 12 feet | B．about 6 feet |
| C．about the height of an average man | D．nearly 10 feet |
According to the passage, windows are ______ of escaping a fire?
| A．the only way | B．the best way |
| C．safer than any other ways | D．one of the possible ways |
The writer suggests that _______
| A．breathing in smoke might be harmful | B．smoke will enter the room through an open window |
| C．fresh air can’t reach the second floor window | |
| D．to keep you head low will help you to escape a fire |
If you are on the second or third floor when a fire breaks out, you’d better _____
| A．drop directly onto the ground | B．first drop onto a roof then onto the cement |
| C．drop from a roof window then onto bushes and trees | |
| D．drop onto the cement rather than bushes and grass |
My husband is a born shopper(天生的购物者). He loves to look at things and to touch them. He likes to compare prices between the same items(产品) in different shops. He would never think of buying anything without looking around in several different shops. On the other hand, I’m not a shopper. I think shopping is boring and unpleasant. If I like something and I have enough money to take it, I buy it at once. I never look around for a good price or a better deal. Of course my husband and I never go shopping together. Doing shopping together would be too painful for both of us. When it comes to shopping, we go our different ways.
Sometimes I ask my son Jimmy to buy some food in the shop not far from our home. But he is always absent-minded(心不在焉). This was his story.
One day I said to him, “I hope you won’t forget what I have told you to buy.” “No,” said Jimmy, “I won’t forget. You want three oranges, six eggs and a pound of meat.”
He went running down the street to the shop. As he ran, he said to himself over and over again. “ Three oranges, six eggs and a pound of meat.”
In the beginning he remembered everything but he stopped several times. Once he saw two men fighting outside a clothes shop until a policeman stopped them. One of them was badly hurt. Then he stopped to give ten cents to a beggar. Then he met some of his friends and he played with them for a while. When he reached the shop, he had forgotten everything except six eggs.
As he walked home, his face became sadder and sadder. When he saw me he said, “ I’ m sorry, mum. I have forgotten to buy oranges and the meat, I only remembered to buy six eggs, but I’ve dropped three of them.”The husband loves shopping because _______
| A．he has much money | B．he likes the shops |
| C．he likes to compare the prices between the same items | D．he has nothing to do but shopping |
The wife doesn’t like shopping because ______
| A．she has no money | B．she has no time |
| C．she doesn’t love her husband | D．she feels it boring to go shopping |
They never go shopping together because _______
| A．their ways of shopping are quite different | B．they hate each other |
| C．they needn’t buy anything for the family | D．they don’t have time for it |
Jimmy cannot do the shopping well because ______
| A．he is young | B．he is absent-minded |
| C．he often loses his money | D．he doesn’t like shopping |
According to the passage, how many eggs did Jimmy take home at last?
| A．six | B．three | C．two | D．one |
Barcelona December 22,2007.
Spain’s “El Gordo,” the word’s biggest lottery (彩票), gave out 2.2 billion euros (欧元) (1.6 billion pounds) in Christmas prizes on Saturday.
El Gordo, Spanish for "The Fat One", is designed so that as many peo
ple as possible across Spain get a festive windfall. The top prize this year was 3 million euros -- going to the series of tickets with the magic number 06381.
Because the tickets are sold in a series of 10, only those who paid 200 euros for the whole strip get the full prize.
The biggest share of winning tickets was bought by people in the town of Nava, in the north-western Asturias region.
The draw lasts three-and-a-half hours and is carried live on national television with childr
en from the San Ildefonso school, a former orphanage in Madrid, in turn chanting the winning numbers and the amount won.
Lotteries have two centuries of history in Spain. The country spent 2.87 billion euros on the lottery -- 5.7 percent more than last year. Seventy percent is paid out in prizes. Most of the rest goes in costs. Eight out of ten Spaniards bought tickets for the lottery, spending on average 64 euros. Spaniards often choose lottery numbers matching significant dates although there was no particular favourite in 2007. In 2006, one of the most sought-after series was 22105, the date on which Fernando Alonso became Formula 1 world champion for the second year running.The underlined word “windfall” in paragraph two probably means .
| A．fat gift | B．unexpected fortune |
| C．big feast | D．wind and snow |
Who is likely to win the full prize in El Gordo?
| A．People who paid 200 euros for the wole group of series. |
| B．People who bough tickets with the magic number 06381. |
| C．People who lived in a town in the northwestern Asturias. |
| D．People who chose lottery numbers matching Alonso’s date. |
According to the text, children from the San Ildefonso School in Madrid will .
| A．host the draw of lottery live on TV |
| B．offer a show of three – and – a – half hours |
| C．perform with the lottery draw as Christmas celebration |
| D．help make some declarations for the draw as invited guests |
What can we learn about the history of lotteries in Spain?
A．Most of the money people spent on lot teries goes in the cost. |
| B．The majority of Spaniards have the experience of buying lotteries. |
| C．Lottery numbers matching significant dates help people win every year. |
| D．As the biggest in the world, Spanish lotteries have a history of two centuries. |
Perhaps you do not know your school principal (校长) well. But you might be wise to take him or her seriously. Beijing University will e
nroll (招收) students recommended by high school principals this year. If the students recommended pass a round of interviews by Peking University, they will have an extra 30 extra points added to their national college entrance exam scores if they apply to the university.
Beijing University said the reason behind the move was a desire to give students with comprehensive (综合的) or special abilities a chance to stand out.
However, a survey, showed 10,046 out of 14,227 people are against the measure. Some experts agree with the criticism. Liu Daoyu, former president of Wuhan University is one strong opponent(反对者). “There are so many high schools across the country. But only 39 schools are qualified to recommend students. Is it fair to the rest of the schools? Besides, most of the 39 schools are located in big cities, which is unfair to other regions,”
The reform is also unfair to other students, some say. According to Liu, in the competitive exam, one extra point can put a student ahead of a large numbers of others – never mind 30.
“Principals do not know students well. How can they guarantee the recommendation will be fair?” asked Wang Xuming, former spokesman of the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education said the move is a good experiment in college admission reforms and the public should support it even if it is not yet mature (成熟的). It said Beijing University promised a series of supervision (监督) measures to avoid cheating. For example, the information of schools and principals that recommend students, and the recommended students will be put online for a week for public supervision.The best title of the passage could be .
| A．Beijing University Will Enroll More Students |
| B．Beijing University’s Reform Causes a Debate |
C．People Are Against Beij ing University’s Reform |
| D．The Government Supports Peking University’s Reform |
The following are the reasons why Liu Daoyu is against Beijing University’s reform except that .
| A．there will be a lot of cheating |
| B．it is unfair to the other regions |
| C．it is unfair to other schools |
| D．30 points cause a huge gap among students |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the Ministry of Education supports the reform |
| B．the reform has started to work in college admissions |
| C．all the recommended students will be accepted |
| D．no more than 70% of the people are against the reform |
If a student passes the interview by Beijing University, he or she .
| A．can also apply to other universities |
| B．will be admitted into Beijing University |
| C．will have comprehensive and special abilities |
| D．needn’t accept the public supervision |