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Pretoria, South Africa – Hundreds of swimmers play in the water along a South Africa beach. Suddenly a huge shark appears off shore and heads for the bathers. Before it can get close to the swimmers, the shark, for some mysterious reason, starts swimming parallel to the beach. Then it turns away from the shore and heads out to sea, leaving the swimmers untouched.
Such a scene will soon become common along shark-in-fasted (鲨鱼成群的) shores. An electrical engineer from the University of Pretoria has developed an electrical system that repels (击退) sharks by controlling their movements. Confused by this action, the sharks end up turning away from the beach.
In this unusual shark-repellent method, an insulated (绝缘的) cable is buried on the bottom of the sea around a beach where people swim. When an electric current is sent through the cable, an electric field is produced in the water above the cable.
When shark swims into the electric field, nerve cells just below the shark' s skin will sense the field. The electricity produces a reflex (反射作用) action in the shark' s muscles, causing the dangerous animal to swim parallel to the cable. Confused by increasing loss of control of its muscles, the shark suddenly changes its direction and heads seaward, away from the electric field.
In a test of the invisible new shark-repellent system, a cable was placed around a beach in St. Lucia, an island around the beach a long time ago to keep sharks away from swimmers, and a net was left in place during the experiment.
When the electric field was left on for more than a year and a half, no sharks were found in the net. However, when the power was turned off,89 sharks ended up in the net.
Using the electric-wall method instead of net to protect bathers would avoid the needless death of many sharks, said biologists. Currently, thousands of sharks die each year when they become trapped in protective nets that surround holiday resorts in Africa and Australia. About 10 to 15 humans are killed by sharks annually.
1．Why doesn' t the shark attack the swimmers according to the passage?
A．Because there are so many swimmers in the water.
B．Because the shark isn’t so hungry as to eat the swimmers.
C．Because of some mysterious power from the heaven.
D．Because there is an invisible electric field confusing the shark.
2．An electrical engineer from the University of Pretoria has developed __ .
A．a protective net
B．a new shark-repellent system
C．the electric field
D．an insulated cable
3．An electric field is produced in the water above the cable .
A．only when a shark swims into the electric field
B．only when an insulated cable is buried on the bottom of the sea around a beach where people swim
C．only when an electric current is sent through the cable
D．only when the sharks are trapped in protective nets
4．Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A．Protective nets had been fixed earlier than the new shark-repellent system.
B．The new shark – repellent system will probably replace the protective nets.
C．Thousands of sharks have died each year since this new system was put into use.
D．Using the electric-wall instead of nets would avoid the needless death of many sharks.

第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
Coca Cola is an American icon – and sometimes seen as a symbol of the country’s economic right. But one of the world’s famous companies will play a different role during the 2008 Olympic Games: promoting Oriental (东方的) culture to the world.
The man who is in charge of the project couldn’t be more suited for the job. The American has lived in the country for about 15 years, speaks fluent Chinese, and considers Beijing his hometown. David Brooks, vice-president and general manager of the Olympics Project Group of Coca Cola China, who has lived in the country for more than a decade, said: "We are working very hard to create a lot of special different kinds of items that are very Oriental in character and have a strong Oriental identity. "There is a lot of curiosity around the world about the country and about Oriental culture. So, we think we also have a role and opportunity to show people so many things."
Coca Cola has launched its logo(标识) with the Beijing Games, featuring kites and lucky clouds, traditional elements in the Oriental culture. Brooks considers it a good start. "We are doing a lot of similar programs, and in the next 570 days or so, as we count down to the Games, you will see more examples with strong Oriental spirit and identity."
He certainly has a sense of history. "The Olympic spirit, which is an ancient spirit from over 2,000 years ago, is alive. It still lives through the Olympic Games in the idea of balancing the body and mind, and doing the best," said Brooks, who has been to three Games. "It's like a big family celebrating together. I think all the members of my team and I feel it is a special honor to be involved in the Games."
1．The underlined word “icon” in the first sentence can be replaced by “ ”.
A．sign B．image C．portrait D．picture
2．What can we know about David Brooks from the passage?
A．He is vice – president and general manager of Coca Cola Corporation.
B．He is living in Beijing with his family.
C．He has mastered at least two languages.
D．He is especially curious about oriental culture.
3．Why will Coca Cola cooperate (合作) with the 2008 Olympic Games?
A．Because it is a good chance to let the world understand Oriental culture.
B．Because there is a lot of curiosity around the world about China and Oriental culture.
C．Because it contains a lot of enormous business opportunities.
D．Because it will promote Oriental culture to the world.

Making an advertisement for television often costs more than a movie. For example, a two – hour movie costs ＄6 million to make. A TV commercial can cost more than ＄6 000 a second. And that does not include cost of paying for air time. Which is more valuable, the program or the ad? In terms of money – and making money is what television is all about – the commercial is by far the more important.
Research, market testing, talent, time and money —— all come together to make us want to buy a product. No matter how bad we think a commercial is, it works. The sales of Charm went up once the ads began. TV commercials actually buy their way into our head. We, in turn, buy the product.
And the ads work because so much time and attention are given to them. Here are some rules of commercial ad making. If you want to get the low middle – class buyer, make sure the announcer has a though, manly voice. Put some people in the ad who work with their hands. If you want to sell to upper – class audience, make sure that the house, the furniture, and the hair style are the types that the group identifies（认同）with. If you want the buyer feel superior to the character selling the product, then make that person so stupid or silly that everyone will feel great about himself or herself.
We laugh at commercials. We don’t think we pay that much attention to them. But evidence shows we are kidding ourselves. The making of a commercial that costs so much money is not kid stuff. It’s big, big business. And it’s telling us what to think , what we need, and what to buy. To put simply, the TV commercial is a form of brainwashing.
1．TV commercials are more important than other programs to television because.
A．they bring in great profits（利润）
B．they require a lot of money to make
C．they are not difficult to produce
D．they attract more viewers than other programs
2．The purpose of all the efforts made in turning out TV commercials is .`
A．to persuade people to buy the product
B．to show how valuable the product is
C．to test the market value of the product
D．to make them as interesting as TV movies
3．From the rules set for making commercial ads, we can see that .
A．the lower – middle – class buyer likes to work with his hand
B．the more stupid the characters, the more buyers of the product
C．ad designers attract different people with different skills
D．an upper – class buyer is only interested in houses and furniture
4．It is believed by the writer that .
A．few people like to watch TV commercials
B．TV commercials are a good guide to buyers
C．TV commercials often make people laugh
D．people do not think highly of TV commercials
5．What does the author actually mean in the last paragraph?
A．He asks TV viewers never to laugh at the TV commercial ads.
B．Commercials are used to show the true value of a product to be sold.
C．TV commercials cost much and they do influence us in one way or another.
D．Brainwashing must be introduced to sell something on TV.

Some years ago industries had more freedom than they have now, and they did not need to be as careful as they must today. They did not need to worry a lot about the safety of the new products that they developed. They did not have to pay much attention to the health and safety of the people who worked for them. Often new products were dangerous for the people who used them; often conditions in the work place had very bad effects on the health of the workers.
Of course sometimes there were real disasters which attracted the attention of governments and which showed the need for changes. Also scientists who were doing research into the health of workers sometimes produced information which governments could not ignore. At such times, there were inquiries into the causes of the disasters or the problems. New safety rules were often introduced as a result of these inquiries; however, the new rules came too late to protect the people who died or two became seriously ill.
Today many governments have special departments which protect customers and workers. In the U.S., for example, there is a department which tests new airplanes and gives warnings about possible problems. It also makes the rules that aircraft producers must follow. Another department controls the foods and drugs that companies sell. A third department looks at the places where people work, and then reports any companies that are breaking the laws which protect the health and safety of workers. Of course, new government departments and new laws cannot prevent every accident or illness, but they are having some good results. Our work places are safer and cleaner than before. The planes and cars which we use for travel are better. Producers are thinking more about the safety and health of the people who buy and use their products.
1．The main topic the passage is .
A．conditions in the work place
B．the freedom of industries in the past
C．changes in industrial production
D．the safety and health of workers and customers
2．It can be inferred from the passage that in the past .
A．workers often got ill because of the poor working conditions
B．companies were free to put out any products they wanted to
C．many people were killed by dangerous products
D．industries were as careful in management as they are today
3．It is implied in the passage that .
A．governments and companies had different opinions about the safety of products
B．in the past no safety laws were introduced by governments
C．government officials often did not listen to scientists
D．governments paid no attention to the safety of products at all
4．From the passage, we know that some years ago safety rules .
A．were put forward due to scientists’ recommendations
B．came into being as a result of the workers’ demands
C．were introduced because quite a number of people were killed or seriously injured
D．were effective enough to protect workers and customers
5．The special departments protect customers and workers in many ways EXCEPT by .
A．testing new products B．controlling the sale of products
C．designing new products D．inspecting work places

Veronica
By Mary Gaitskill.
Pantheon Books, $ 23.
This attractively dark novel from the author of Bad Behavior and Two Girls, Fat and Thin is narrated by a former Paris model who is now sick and poor; her reflections on beauty and cruelty have clarity and an uncanny bite.
On Beauty
By Zadie Smith.
Penguin Press, $ 25.95
In her new book, a cultural – politics novel set in a place like Harvard, the author of White Teeth brings everything to the table: a crisp intellect, a lovely wit and enormous sympathy for the men, women and children who read her story.
Saturday
By Ian McEwan.
Nan A. Talese / Doubleday. $ 26.
As exciting and as carefully constructed as anything McEwan has written, this astringent (尖锐的) novel traces a day in the life of an English neurosurgeon who comes face to face with senseless violence.
De Kooning: An American Master
By Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan.
Alfred A. Knopf, $ 35.
A brilliant biography, impressively researched and absorbingly written, of the talented immigrant who stood at the vortex (中心) of mid – 20th – century American art.
A History of Europe Since 1945
By Tony Judt.
Penguin Press, $ 39.95.
Judt’s massive, learned, truthfully detailed account of Europe’s recovery from the wreckage of World War Ⅱpresents a whole continent in panorama (全景) even as it sets off detonations (爆炸) of insight on almost every page.
1．According to the passage, the most probable non – fiction novel is .
A．Veronica B．Saturday
C．On Beauty D．A History of Europe Since 1945
2．If you’re fond art, which of the following would be your favorite?
A．On Beauty B．Saturday
C．Veronica D．De Kooning : An American Master
3．The novels published by the same company are .
A．On Beauty & A History of Europe Since 1945
B．Saturday & De Kooning : An American Master
C．Veronica & On Beauty
D．A History of Europe Since 1945 & Saturday
4．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Mary Gaitskill is the author of both Veronica and Bad Behaviour.
B．On Beauty describes the stories that happened in Harvard.
C．Two authors finished De Kooning : An American Master together.
D．A post – war Europe can be found in A History of Europe Since 1945.
5．Which of the following novels are written by Zadie Smith?
A．On Beauty & Bad Behavior
B．Saturday & De Kooning : An American Master
C．On Beauty & White Teeth
D．Veronica & White Teeth