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Brazil has become one of the developing world' s great successes in reducing population
growth but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts
to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at
Harvard.
Brazil' s population growth rate has dropped from 2. 99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to
1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2. 7 children on
average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that
makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
According to Martine, both soap operas and instalment(分期付款) plans played an important role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world' s biggest producers of soap operas. Global, Brazil' s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy
characters living the high life in big cities.
"They described that middle and upper class values not many children and women
working. They influenced all parts of Brazil. " says Martine
Meanwhile，the instalment plans tired to encourage he poor to become consume（消费者）.
“This led to a great change in consumption patterns and consumption went against unlimited reproduction (生育)." says Martine.
53. Brazil has cut its population ，growth____.
A. by education B. by family plan C. by TV program D. by chance
54. Some Third World countries
A. have paid little attention to birth control
B. would soon join Brazilin controlling their birth rate.
C. haven't succeeded in controlling the population
D. didn't realize the role of TV plays in family planning
55. Soap operas have helped to lower Brazil's birth rate because____.
A. they keep people sitting long hour watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people's way of life
C. people are interested in the stories
D. they make birth control popular
56. What is Martine's conclusion about Brazil's population growth?
A. The rising in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. consumption has nothing to do with reproduction.
D. Soap operas can always lead to low birth rate.

Spider-Man cannot escape the harsh realities of the current economic times and will lose his job in a latest issue of the Amazing Spider-Man hitting stories ( first published in 1963) this week.
Peter Parker, official photographer of the mayor by day and New York City crime fighter by night, is going to face new challenges, including unemployment.
"He's going to struggle with unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head," said Steve Wacker, Marvel Comics senior editor.
Parker has always been a grounded character with real-world problems, Wacker said. His aunt is frequently sick, he has girlfriend troubles, and he sometimes struggles to find work. In addition, Spider-Man story lines are often set against a backdrop of current events.
In the near future, Parker will have to juggle paying bills and buying "web-fluid" and other materials to fix his superhero costume in addition to keeping his dual identities under wraps.
Parker's work history includes photographer, assistant high school coach, science teacher and scientific researcher, according to his biography on the Marvel Web site. His education includes a college degree in biophysics and some postgraduate work in biochemistry.
It was at a science exhibit he attended as a teenager that he was bitten by a radioactive spider and got the creature's strength, agility and weaving ability, says Marvel Comics.
And although Parker has skills few others can claim, he probably won't list these on his resume: superhuman strength, ability to cling to most surfaces, fast traveling ability aided by web-slinging and spider-sense danger avoidance system.
49. According to the story, Parker is likely to________.
A. look for another job. B. have a girlfriend.
C. live in a large house. D. buy a new superhero costume.
50. Parker didn’t work as________.
A. a photographer. B. an assistant coach C. a science teacher. D. a spider-man
51. The underlined part in the third paragraph means:
A. he has a roof over his head
B. he has a room to live in
C. there is a roof in his head
D. he has a picture of a roof in his head.
52. This passage mainly tell us _______.
A. Parker is a spider-man.
B. how Parker became a spider-man.
C. life is hard for everyone in current economic times.
D. the amazing spider-man comic is popular until now.

If you have ever been discouraged because of failure，please read on. For often, achieving
what you set out to do is not the important thing.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.
"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the visitors. Then he said quietly and confidently，Even if we don’t dig all he way through the earth, look at what we found along he way!”
Their goal was far too great, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for to cause us to move in he direction we have chosen; In other words, to set us to digging! But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every love will last. Not every attempt will be completed. Not every dream will be realized.
But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say，“Yes, but look at what I found along he way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tired to do something!"
It is in the digging that life is lived. And I believe it is joy in he journey, in he end，that truly matters.
49. Readers may probably get____ from the passage.
A. discouragement B. encouragement C. comfort D. delight
50. The underlined phrase “fall short of" possibly means ____.
A. fail to achieve B. manage to achieve C. fall because of D. get rid of
51. What is he most important brothers in their digging?
A. To find wonderful things. B. To have people looking on.
C. To achieve their goal D. To keep on digging.
52. The brothers' attitude to life is____.
A. worried about future B. doubtful whether to achieve anything
C. hopeful about the future D. careful in doing everything

Need more evidence that London is a serious coffee town? Mr. Davies is actually England’s third consecutive world barista champion. The first was James Hoffmann, who started Square Mile Coffee Roasters squaremilecoffee.com) in 2008 .It’s a small operation, recently relocated to an arched vault under some train tracks in East London.
Today, Square Mile’s black bags of beans have become shorthand for quality. They supply beans to Moon Bar (3 Bateman Street; 44-20-7287-4796), just opened by the same team behind Flat White (17 Berwick Street; 44-20-7734-0370; flat-white.co.uk).
Though it’s recently been co-opted(增加的) by chain stores, the “flat white” is also a symbol of serious coffee: it’s basically a cappuccino-size style— flat and white — a style imported from Australia (some say New Zealand) when a wave of baristas emigrated from those countries. (Australians and New Zealanders are to espresso what Russians are to chess: they’re just better at it.)
Still, independent stores continue to appear in all corners of the city. Last year, the Espresso Room (31 Great Ormond Street; 44-20-7932-137-380; theespressoroom.com) opened in a truly tiny storefront. Yet the owner Ben Townsend manages to fit a Marzocco espresso machine, some benches and a case with pastries.
And farther north in Islington, a bar called Tina, We Salute You (47 King Henry’s Walk; 44-20-3119-0047; tinawesaluteyou.com) opened last February. (According to the owners, the name comes from a daily greeting they give to a cheesecake portrait of a curvy subject named Tina.)
45. How many bars are mentioned in the text?
A. 4 B. 5. C. 6 D. 7
46. We can read in the passage that Square Mile Coffee Roasters is well-known for its________.
A. milk B. chess C. beans D. fruit
47. According to the text, we know that________.
A.UK is home to the flat-white.
B. the flat-white is exported from Australia.
C. chess is popular in Russia.
D. you can find the flat-white only in the chain stores.
48. The writer wrote this passage in order to tell us________.
A. the meaning of “flat white”. B. London is famous for its history.
C. the number of coffee bars in London D. London is famous for its coffee bar.

第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，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。
Grandfather was from Italy and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle brought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
Then the moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed, I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eyes for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted,“The war is over”. For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.
41. My grandfather most worried about .
A. the spread of the world war B. the safety of his living two cousins
C. a drop in his living standards D. his relatives killing each other
42. The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “ “
A. a letter of rejection B. a train ticket for Europe
C. an order for army service D. a note of warning
43. What did the “service pins”（in Para. 2）stand for in the eyes of the little girls?
A. Honor B. Courage. C. Victory. D. Strength.
44. Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?
A. Disappointing. B. Inspiring C. Uncertain. D. Unexpected.