While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy is ruining their life plans, I couldn't help but think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children who grow up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment –my husband and I probably won't be able to buy a house until we're in our forties, and we two are burdened by student loans. But why should it be different? Being young people in America, shouldn't they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won't be able to have children for at least a decade because they can't afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury, not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old man in the story is disappointed that he can't afford to get a Ph. D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it's sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people's expectations grow up when their wealth appears to be increasing. Their parents probably see their home values rise along with their investments. "So we have people who have grown up in an environment where people have great expectations of what living well means," says Kobliner.
This recession will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems much better for our mental health to focus on being grateful—for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day—than on longing for some kind of luxurious life.What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
| A．They expect everything to be easy for them. |
| B．They complain that the economy is ruining their life plans. |
| C．They are unwilling to face all of the challenges. |
| D．They are burdened by student loans. |
Which of the following is NOT one of the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A. They can't have children for at least a decade for they can't afford to buy a house.
B. They have only a one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C. They can't buy a house until 40 and are burdened by student loans.
D. They despair of not being able to afford to get a Ph. D. in literature.What's Kobliner's attitude towards the 20-somethings with high expectations ?
| A．Unbearable. | B．Opposing. | C．Doubtful. | D．Understanding. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Young people afford to continue their education |
| B．Young people can't afford to buy a house |
| C．Young people's high expectations lead to despair |
| D．The 20-somethings' high expectations |
四、阅读理解。（共20小题：每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
GUANGZHOU: The successful Guangdong International Tourism and Culture Festival has become a perfect stage to showcase the popularity of Guangdong and Pan Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region as a tourism destination, said Tang Bingquan, vice-governor of Guangdong Province.
According to the provincial tourism administration of Guangdong, more than 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony of the festival. More than 1, 000 high-ranking officials from the central government and Guangdong provincial government, World Tourism Organization, consulates (领事馆) of various countries in Guangzhou, and other provinces of China, also showed up in the ceremony. The activities in the past few days attracted a large number of visitors from home and abroad.
In the past 30 years, Guangdong Province has been one of the leaders in the nation in terms of economic development. Its average annual economic growth maintained a rate of 13.8 percent, according to Tang.
Last year, Guangdong’s gross domestic product (GDP) hit 330 billion, accounting for one-eighth of the total of the country. The province’s import and export volume hit 527.2 billion, accounting for one-third of the country’s total foreign trade volume.
Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua earlier predicted that the province’s GDP will surpass that of Taiwan by the end of this year.
“Guangdong is also leading the development of the whole country’s tourism industry,” Tang said.
Last year, Guangdong’s tourism revenue (年收入) hit 212.5 billion, occupying one-fourth of the country’s total tourism income. The net profit of the province’s tourism industry was 7.5 billion, which was one fifth of the nation’s total.
Tang noted that the tourism festival will give a further boost (促进) to the tourism development of Guangdong and the entire PPRD region.
The closing ceremony of the festival will take place tonight in Foshan, a city in Guangdong Province.（China Daily Nov. 30, 2007）
56. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Event to boost Guangdong’s tourism industry.
B. Guangdong -- China’s leading city in economy.
C. The increase in Guangdong’s tourism revenue.
D. The development of Guangdong’s tourism industry.
57. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The past 30 years have seen Guangdong’s fast development in economy.
B. Guangdong is one of the leading provinces in national tourism industry.
C. Guangdong’s GDP makes up almost 13% of the total country last year.
D. Guangzhou will be the host city for the closing ceremony of the festival.
58. Which of the following word is the closest to the underlined word in the text?
A. replace B. survive C. overtake D. succeed
59. What is the writer’s attitude towards the event?
A. indifferent B. neutral C. opposed D. supportive
Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way---was it through training and practice, or are great players “born, not made”? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate(模仿). In the history of soccer, only seven countries have ever won the World Cup---three from South America and four from western Europe. There has never been a great national team---or a really great player---from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood---a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer(艺人). For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a “ball” made of rags(破布). And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall(对着墙壁踢球) in the slums(贫民窟) of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others.
46. According to the writer, which of the following statements is true?
A. Soccer is popular all over the world, but truly great players are few.
B. Millions of people all over the world are playing soccer, but only seven countries have ever had famous stars.
C. Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but only seven countries from South America and western Europe have ever had great national teams.
D. Soccer is one of the most popular games all over the world, but it seems the least popular in North America and Asia.
47. The world “tricks” at the end of Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. experienceB. cheating C. skillsD. training
48. The Brazilian streets are mentioned to illustrate that ______.
A. famous soccer players live in slum areas
B. people in poor areas are born with some unique quality
C. children in poor areas start playing football at the age of three or four
D. a great soccer player may be born in a slum area
49. In the last paragraph the statement “…but only one became Pele” indicates that ______.
A. Pele is the greatest soccer player
B. the greatest players are born with some unique quality
C. Pele’s birthplace sets him apart from all the others
D. the success of a soccer player has everything to do with the family background
50. The writer mentions all the factors that may affect a soccer player’s success except ______.
A. his family background B. his neighbourhood
C. his practice D. his character
第三节：阅读理解(共10小题，每小题2分，满分20分)
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，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。
Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
Proper nutrition(营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel”. Don’t eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein(蛋白质), like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins(维他命) and minerals. However, don’t overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don’t get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality(个性). Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.
Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise firms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span(寿命). Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.
If everybody were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.
41.Accordingtothepassage, ______.
A.weshouldalwayskeepfit
B.ifwewerehealthy,wecouldspendourdaysindoingthingswithlesssleep
C.onecaneatalottostayingoodshape
D.oneneedn’ttakeanyexerciseifheishealthy
42. Inordertokeepgoodhealth,______.
A.weshouldeatalotofsweets
B.oneneedsalargeamountoffat
C.peopleshouldeataccordingtothefoodsnutrition
D.wemusttrytosleepnowandthen
43.Eatingmoreandsleepingless ______.
A.cankeephealthy B.isnogoodforyou
C.getsyoumoreenergy D.willkeepyourpersonality
44. Thewriterexplains______ inthispassage.
A.howtoeat B.theimportanceofdoingexercise
C.howtokeephealthy D.whattoeat
45. Thetitleofthearticleshouldbe ______.
A.EatingandExercising B.HowVitaminsWorkinMan’sBody
C.StayingHealthy D.SleepingWell
People believe that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms. Here, people are learning on climbing. The climbing wall goes straight up and small holding places for hands and feet.
How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and harness (保护带) around your chest to hold you. There are ropes tied to your harness. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the new piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult is to control your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall, the harness and the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.
Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.
58. What can we infer from the passage?
A. People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays.
B. It is impossible to build up one’s body by climbing.
C. People can only learn the skill of climbing outdoors.
D. It is always easy to see holding places in climbing.
59. The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is _______.
A. to tie ropes to your harness B. to control your fear
C. to move away from the wall D. to climb straight up
60. The word “workout” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means _________.
A. settlement B. exercise C. excitement D. tiredness
61. Why does the author write this passage?
A. To tell people where to find gyms. B. To prove the basic need for climbing
C. To encourage people to climb mountains. D. To introduce the sport of wall climbing
Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the people from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They settled down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The people landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the people died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast. The people invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He declared the last Thursday of November in 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbors. But the Canadians Thanksgiving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
55. Who declared the last Thursday of November in 1863 as a day of thanksgiving ?
A. Governor Bradford B. the American Indians
C. Sarah Josepha Hale D. Abraham Lincoln
56. Which of the following is true?
A. Thanksgiving Day was a holiday to celebrate a good harvest at the very beginning.
B. Abraham Lincoln was the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.
C. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.
D. There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
57. The passage mainly tells us________.
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the USA
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places