In the office of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, there is a picture of Catherine the Great, the legendary Russian Empress. When asked why she has the picture, Merkel says, “She was a strong woman”. Many say the same of Merkel.
The most powerful woman in the world, according to US Forbes magazine, was in China last week. She came to discuss trade and environmental issues with China’s top leaders. Germany’s first woman leader is known as a brave and practical statesman(政治家). Even since her time at school, she had the habit of getting everything in order. Every day before doing her homework she would clean the desk and think about what to do next. “I prefer a long time for full preparations to make my decision. But once I decide, I will stand up for what I believe,” Merkel said.
Perhaps it was good habits that helped her do well in her studies. At 32, she got a doctorate (博士学位) in physics and then she worked as a researcher.
However, the life of a scholar couldn’t put off her love of politics. While working in labs, Merkel took time off to read political books and at last joined a political party. “Her calmness helped her stand out in the party. She could always find a way out while others felt hopeless,” said one of her old friends.
In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s youngest chancellor since the second World War.
Now half way through her four-
year term, the 53-year-old woman has made a name for herself both in Germany and abroad. At the EU summit in 2005 when France quarreled with Britain over the EU budget(预算), some people believed the EU was close to breaking down. But Merkel didn’t give up. She shuttled(穿梭) between the heads of the two powers and had them reached an agreement.
“Strength comes from composure(镇定) and courage. Many people say I am a strong woman. But I would rather say I have perseverance,” said Merkel.Why does Merkel put a picture of Catherine the Great on the wall of her office?
| A．Because Catherine the Great is beautiful. |
| B．Because Merkel wants to be a strong woman too. |
| C．Because Merkel likes the drawing skill of it. |
| D．Because it is very expensive. |
What is the correct order of the following events?
a. became the German Chancellor
b. got a doctorate in physics and then she worked as a researcher
c. join a political party
d. visit China
e. take part in the EU summit
f. as Minister for the Environment
| A．bcafde | B．cbfdae | C．bcfaed | D．cbfaed |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Merkel usually is hurry to make a decision when facing difficulties. |
| B．At the EU summit in 2005, the relationship between French and Britain was in tension. |
| C．Merkel is a well-known leader all over the world. |
| D．She is outstanding because of her calmness. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．An excellent lecturer | B．Germany’s iron lady |
| C．The change of a scholar | D．The youngest chancellor |
The exact number of English words is not known. The large dictionaries have over half a million entries, but many of these are compound words (schoolroom, sugar bowl) or different derivatives of the same word (rare—rarely, rarefy), and a good many are obsolete words to help us read older literature. Dictionaries do not attempt to cover completely words that we can draw on: the informal vocabulary, especially slang, localism, the terms of various occupations and professions; words use only occasionally by scientists and specialists in many fields; foreign words borrowed for use in English; or many new words or new senses of words that come into use every year and that may or may not be used long enough to warrant being included. It would be conservative to say that there are over a million English words that any of us might meet in our listening and reading and that we may draw on in our speaking and writing.
Professor Seashore concluded that firstgraders enter school with at least 2,000 words and add 5,000 each year so that they leave high school with at least 80,000. These figures are for recognition vocabulary, the words we understand when we read or hear them. Our active vocabulary, the words we use in speaking and writing, is considerably smaller.
You cannot always produce a word exactly when you want it. But consciously using the words you recognize in reading will help get them into your active vocabulary. Occasionally in your reading pay particular attention to these words, especially when the subject is one that you might well write or talk about. Underline or make a list of words that you feel a need for and look up the less familiar ones in a dictionary. And then before very long find a way to use some of them.
Once you know how they are pronounced and what they stand for, you can safely use them.
46. In the author´s estimation, there are ____ words in English.
A. more than half a million B. at least 24,000
C. at least 80,000 D. more than a million
47. The word “obsolete” most probably means ____.
A. no longer in use B. profound C. colorful or amusing D. common
48. One´s recognition vocabulary is ____.
A. less often used than his active vocabulary
B. smaller than his active vocabulary
C. as large as his active vocabulary
D. much larger than his active vocabulary
49. The author does not suggest getting recognition vocabulary into active vocabulary by ____.
A. making a list of words you need and looking up the new ones in a dictionary
B. everyday spending half an hour study the dictionary
C. consciously using the words you recognize in reading
D. trying to use the words you recognize
50. From this passage we learn that ____.
A. dictionaries completely cover the words we can make use of
B. “schoolroom” is used in the passage as an example of a specialized term
C. once you know how a word is pronounced and what it represents, you have turned it into your active word
D. active vocabulary refers to words we understand when we read and hear them
III阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节 阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从41~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。
“Family” is of course an elastic word. But when British people say that theirsociety is based on family life, they are thinking of “family” in its narrow, peculiarly European sense of mother, father and children living together alone in their own house as an economic and social unit. Thus, every British marriage indicates the beginning of a new and independent family—hence the tremendous importance of marriage in British life. For both the man and the woman, marriage means leaving one´s parents and starting one´s own life. The man´s first duty will then beto his wife, and the wife´s to her husband. He will be entirely responsible for her financial support, and she for the running of the new home. Their children willbe their common responsibility and theirs alone. Neither the wife´s parents northe husband´s, nor their brothers or sisters, aunts or uncles, have any right to interfere with them—they are their own masters.
Readers of novels like Jane Austen´s Pride and Prejudice will know that in former times marriage among wealthy families were arranged by the girl´s parents, that is, it was the parents´ duty to find a suitable husband for their daughter, preferably a rich one, and by skillful encouragement to lead him eventually to asktheir permission to marry her. Until that time, the girl was protected and maintained in the parents´ home, and the financial relief of getting rid of her could be seen in their giving the newly married pair a sum of money called a dowry. It is very different today. Most girls of today get a job when they leave school andbecome financially independent before their marriage. This has had two results. Agirl chooses her own husband, and she gets no dowry.
41. What does the author mean by “Family is of course an elastic word”?
A.Different families have different ways of life.
B. Different definitions could be given to the word.
C. Different nations have different families.
D.Different times produce different families.
42. For an English family, the husband´s duty is ____.
A. supporting the family while the wife is financial
B. defending the family while the wife is running the home
C. financial while the wife is running the home
D. independent while the wife is dependent
43. Everything is decided in a family ____.
A.by the coupleB. with the help of their parents
C. by brothers and sistersD. with the help of aunts and uncles
44. What is true concerning the book Pride and Prejudice?
A. It is the best book on marriage.
B. It is a handbook of marriage.
C. It gives quite some idea of English social life in the past.
D. It provides a lot of information of formertime wealthy families.
45.With regard to marriage in Britain, present-day girls differ from former time girls in ____.
A. the right marry B. more parental support
C. choosing husbands D. social position
A new study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey is a better and safer treatment for children than cough medicines.
Ian Paul, the study’s lead researcher, was motivated to test honey because treating coughs in children has recently become a sticky subject. Coughing is the body’s way of clearing irritated (受刺激的) airways to help you breathe. But too much coughing can irritate your lungs and throat even more. It can also make it tough to get the sleep your body needs to heal. Hoping to ease the suffering of their children, parents often give them cough medicines.
But there have never been any good studies showing that they work. Cough and cold medicines may also cause serious side effects. Hundreds of kids die in the hospital each year after receiving too much cough medicine by mistake. Last October, the US Food and Drug Administration suggested that parents should not give cough medicines to children under 6.
In order to search for a different solution, Paul designed a study that involved 105 kids who were sick with coughs and other cold conditions. At bedtime, the kids took buckwheat (荞麦) honey, honey-flavored (蜂蜜味的) DM (one of the most common ingredients in cough medicines)
, or no treatment. Parents and kids in the no-
-treatment group knew they weren’t getting anything, but the other two groups weren’t told which treatment they were getting.
The surveys showed that kids who swallowed about 2 teaspoons of buckwheat honey before bedtime coughed less and slept better than kids in the other groups. “When parents want something for their kids to take,” Paul says, “honey seems like the best option”.
But what gives honey its healing power? Substances called antioxidants (抗氧化剂) may be
part of the answer. All honey contains antioxidants that protect our cells from damage. Studies show that antioxidant levels in the body rise after someone swallows honey.
68. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A. No cough medicines to children
B. Sweet solution to kids’ coughing
C. Best treatment for your cold
D. Cough medicines don’t work
69. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that coughing ______.
A. sometimes does good to people
B. can cure lung and throat diseases
C. is more harmful to children
D. helps improve children’s diet
70. During Paul’s experiment, the kids who received treatment ______.
A. seemed much worse than before
B. knew they weren’t getting anything
C. coughed less and slept better
D. had no idea what they swallowed
I once heard someone say, “We don’t remember days; we remember moments.” However, in today’s busy life we often forget to enjoy small pleasures while we make big plans.
In the race to be better or best, we sometimes lose sight of “just being”. And just being and enjoying a beautiful moment can provide some of life’s greatest pleasures. A fire on a cold winter night, a good book, an impressive sunset, a great meal, or a timeless moment with your child or a friend ．．． these moments, if we stop long enough to enjoy, are the essence (本质) of life.
I love to fish, especially for large-mouth bass (鲈鱼). About three years ago I was watching television late at night and got this crazy idea to go fishing in the lake behind my house. Of course, my wife thought I was nuts. It was almost midnight! I told her I was fine and took off.
I walked out to a warm summer breeze and looked up at the starry sky and breatht
aking full moon. I allowed my senses to soak (浸泡) in every second — the sweet smell of flowers, the sound of every cricket (蟋蟀), the moon’s reflection dancing off the water — it was a perfect night.
After walking across a small field, I took out a flashlight, and selected a lure (饵). On my first cast I got a bass weighing over five pounds, one of the largest I had ever caught. I gently put it back into the water and 
continued my midnight adventure. During the next two hours I caught seventeen bass, all between two and five pounds. Although I’ve fished for almost fifty years, no fishing memory can top that night.
But that night provided far more than a fishing memory. It was a life memory. It provided me a picture of what life could be like if I just slowed down enough to enjoy the moments. On my way back to the house, as I walked through the tall grass, I took one last look at the sky and stopped to say, “Thank you, God, for giving me this night.”
64. The purpose of the passage is to ______.
A. suggest people should make big plans
B. tell people to do what they like
C. advise people to enjoy beautiful moments
D. encourage people to follow their dreams
65. What does the underlined word “nuts” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Determined. B. Ill. C. Tired. D. Crazy.
66. The fourth paragraph is mainly about ______.
A. the description of the night
B. the author’s fishing experience
C. the author’s attitude towards life
D. what the author did that night
67. We can learn from the passage that night the author ______.
A. caught fewer fish than before
B. enjoyed real small pleasures
C. went to bed around 1:00 am
D. went fishing with his wife
What’s On?
Macau Neighborhood Festival 2008
Various celebratory activities will be hosted by the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau from July 9 to 31 in celebration of the “Macau Neighborhood Festival”. A live performance and picture exhibition will be mounted (组织开展) on July 9. Visitors and local residents are welcome.
Time: 4:0
0 pm to 6:00 pm Free admission
Venue: Courtyard of Lok Yeung Garden, Fai Chi Kei
Telephone enquiries: (853) 333 614
Lao Man Chau Photography Exhibition 2 to 9 Jul.
Throughout his travels to various natural beauty cities, Lao Man Chau had plenty of opportunities to indulge（满足） his passion for painting, music, calligraphy (书法) and philosophy. He is to share the delights of photography in his seminar on July 2 at 3:30 pm. All are welcome to come and share the experience.
Opening hours: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Free admission
Venue: Millennium Gallery, Av. da Praia Grande, No. 599
Telephone enquires: (853) 557 672 www.mdpa.org.mo
Permanent Activity — San Kio Fair
San Kio Fair is specially designed to offer entertainment, culture and shopping to visitors. Different stalls (摊位) will be set up outside the Lin Kai Temple to provide visitors with toys, garments and food. Cantonese Operas are held on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Time: 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm Free admission
Venue: In front of Lin Kai Temple
Telephone enquires: (853) 324 622
4th Macau Pop Music Festival
Major local music event Macau Pop Music Festival acts as a platform for bands and singers from Hong Kong and Macau to exchange musical genres （类型）. This year, performers will stage two concerts in Sai Van Lake Square on July 16 at 7:30 pm and Macau Forum on July 23 at 8:30 pm.
Admission: MOP $80
Telephone enquires: (853) 9884 130, 9884 000
60. If you plan to leave Macau at 8:00 pm on July 9, how many activities can you take part in at most?
A. Four. B. Three. C. Two. D. One.
61. The 4th Macau Pop Music Festival is different from the other three in that ______.
A. it requires admission charges
B. it lasts for more than one week
C. you can enjoy a performance there
D. you can go there in the evening
62. From the passage we can know that ______.
A. singers from different countries can take part in Macau Pop Music Festival
B. if you want to know more about the culture of Macau, you should go to Sai Van Lake Square
C. Lao Man Chau is a photographer of many talents
D. you can enjoy a live performance at Courtyard of Lok Yeung Garden from July 9 to 31
63. The main purpose of announcing the above is to give information about ______.
A. some bands and singers B. some activities for July
C. a famous photographer D. celebratory activities