Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by travelling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200B.C to about A.D. 1300, when sea travel offered new routes. It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used as money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft (嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also share their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathway for learning, diplomacy (外交), and religion.
53. It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed____
A. to remember the entire trade route B. to know the making of products
C. to receive certain special training D. to deal with a lot of difficulties
54. The Silk Road became less important because____.
A. it was made up of different routes B. silk trading became less popular
C. sea travel provided easier routes D. people needed fewer foreign goods
55. New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people____.
A. learned from each other B. shared each other’s beliefs
C. traded goods along the route D. earned their living by traveling
56. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Silk Road: Past and Present B. The Silk Road: East Meets West
C. The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers D. The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning
The consumer(消费者) plays a very important role in the global efforts to reduce C02 emissions(排放). Households use one third of the final energy and produce around two thirds of city waste in the European Union. Besides，housing, food，and private transport make up almost 80％ of environmental pressures. Therefore there’s no doubt that consumers can make a real difference in fighting climate change．
To direct consumers towards more environmentally-friendly decisions，we need clear and simple instructions to guide consumption behavior. Actually, two thirds of consumers find it hard to figure out which products are better for the environment, for 58% Europeans think that many businesses just pretend to be green so as to charge higher prices. Thus industry should work harder to give consumers more information about the carbon footprint of their product. For example, inform customers of products made from materials that are recycled，renewable, and／or less carbon-intensive.
People prefer high-quality products that will last long and won’t go out of style, though they might sometimes cost more, especially in time of crisis. Firms that make durable（持久耐用的） or recyclable products cause people to behave more responsibly, which may help put an end to our “throw-way” culture．
However, it is not enough to remind people of green products. It’s more important to direct people to follow a practical lifestyle model. Regulations(规则) alone cannot achieve this purpose. We call for good business communities to create a loyal group of “sustainable(可持续的) consumers”. According to the passage, the key to going greener globally is ．
| A．to provide enough information about sustainable products |
| B．to get the government involved in protecting the environment |
| C．to encourage consumers to make their efforts to live a green way |
| D．to direct companies to provide environmentally-friendly products |
The second paragraph tried to tell us that ．
| A．people are buying sustainable products to have a lighter carbon footprint |
| B．most European consumers lack confidence in making responsible choices |
| C．companies have done enough to allow consumers to make greener choices |
| D．companies can make more money by making less carbon-intensive products |
It’s advised that companies had better especially in the time of crisis.
| A．throw away old materials |
| B．reduce the cost of production |
| C．make more durable products |
| D．replace their products frequently |
The last paragraph puts emphasis on ___________.
| A．the quality of products. |
| B．the honesty of companies. |
| C．the government regulations. |
| D．the importance of lifestyle. |
United States and Canada are multicultural countries with many national, religious and cultural differences, where people attach great importance to individualism—the uniqueness among people. Teachers value the qualities that make each student special and different. You can see such values through their educational systems. For example, students needn’t memorize lots of information. Instead, they work independently and find answers on their own. There are discussions for children to show their own ideas and opinions.
By contrast, people have the same language, history, and culture in most Asian societies. As a result, Asia’s educational system reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea learn to work together and help one another in assignments. And the teaching methods are often very formal and serious. In class, teachers give lectures while students listen and take notes. Discussion is replaced by reciting rules of information that have been memorized.
These two systems both have advantages and disadvantages. One advantage in Japan is that there is much more math and science than American students learn by the end of high school. In addition, students study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The difficult system also prepares students for a society that place emphasis on discipline（纪律） and self-control. However, while memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students admit forgetting much of the information that they have memorized after exams.
On the other hand, the educational system in North American has an advantage that students learn to think for themselves, which prepares them for a society that values creativity. The disadvantage is that when they graduate from high school, they haven’t recited as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.People in multicultural countries such as the US or Canada lay more stress on __________.
| A．team work | B．self-control | C．discipline | D．individualism |
What is the advantage of the educational system in North America？
| A．There is not much discussion. |
| B．Learning to think for themselves |
| C．Learning much less math and science |
| D．They haven’t memorized basic rules and facts. |
Which words is most suitable to describe the author's attitude in writing this passage?
| A．Supportive | B．Opposite | C．Objective（客观） | D．Subjective（主观） |
The main idea of this passage is___________.
| A．cultural differences in countries such as the United States or Canada |
| B．comparisons of educational system between North America and Asia |
| C．there are more advantages of Asian education system of than that of North American |
| D．there are more disadvantages of Asian education system than that of North American |
1Art exhibition: The 16th Asian International Art exhibition from Dec.18, 2005 to Jan.10, 2006 at the Guangdong Museum of Art.
The exhibition will highlight over 300 works from Japan, Korea, China Mainland, China Hong Kong, China Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippine, Indonesia and Australia.
RMB 70, 90, 100
Booking Tel: 88677766
2Concert: Christmas Concert performed by German organist Thorsten Macder and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yu Feng.
RMB 80,120,180,230
8pm on Dec 23
Symphony performing Hall. Guangdong Xinghai Concert Hall.
Booking Tel: 87352222
3Thailand cuisine festival: In the Greenery Café at Garden Hotel from Dec.20, 2005 to Feb 20,2006.
Booking Tel: 87675443
4Performance: At Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall; 8pm on December 6,7,9
RMB 100,160,200,260
Tel: 89785656The group of the advertisements are mainly about in Guangzhou Morning Post.
| A．sports | B．business trade | C．city life | D．city guide |
If you want to go to the concert with your two friends, you will at least carry ____ yuan with you.
| A．240 | B．160 | C．80 | D．190 |
The countries in the 16th Asian International Art Exhibition are all in Asia except .
| A．Korea | B．China Macau | C．Indonesia | D．Australia |
If you want to enjoy yourself on December 7, you will probably dial the telephone number .
| A．89785656 | B．87675443 | C．87352222 | D．88677766 |
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. “Did Jerry really care when I broke up(分开) with Helen?” “When I got that great job, did Jim, as a friend, really feel good about it?” “And was Paul friendly just because I had a car?” When we look back, these thoughts can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it is too late.
Why do we go wrong with our friends, or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meanings. And if we do not really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words. When someone tells you, “You’re a lucky dog!” Is he really on your side? If he says, “You’re a lucky guy!” That is being friendly. But “a lucky dog”? There is a bit of envy (嫉妒) in those words. What he may be saying is that he does not think you deserve (应得) your luck.
“Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for” is another phrase（短语） that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem. But this phrase contains the thought that your problem is not at all important.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Is what he says shown by the tone of voice? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save your another mistake. When the writer thinks of some of the things that happened between him and his friends, he .
| A．feels happy, thinking how nice his friends are to him |
| B．feels he might not have understood his friend’s true feelings |
| C．thinks it a mistake to have broken up with his girl friend |
| D．is sorry that his friends let him down |
When the writer talks about the saying, “You’re a lucky dog!”, he is saying that .
| A．the speaker is just friendly |
| B．this sentence suggests the same as “You’re a lucky guy!” |
| C．the word “dog” should not be used to apply to（运用到） people. |
| D．sometimes the words show that the speaker is a bit envious. |
This passage tries to tell you how to .
| A．avoid mistakes about money and friends |
| B．get an idea of friendly people |
| C．avoid mistakes in understanding what people tell you |
| D．keep people friendly without trusting them |
The writer suggests that should be trusted.
| A．everybody | B．nobody | C．all the people | D．not all the people |
In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ________.
| A．want to be as rich as their neighbors |
| B．want others to know or to think that they are rich |
| C．don’t want others to know they are rich |
| D．want to be happy |
It can be inferred (推断) from the story that rich people like to ________.
| A．live outside New York City | B．live in New York city |
| C．live in apartments | D．have many neighbors |
Arthur Momand used the name “Jones” in his series of short stories because “Jones” is _____.
| A．an important name | B．a popular name in the United States |
| C．his neighbor’s name | D．not a good name |
According to the writer, it is ________ to keep up with the Joneses.
| A．correct | B．interesting | C．impossible | D．good |
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