Second Life is a 3D, online world in which computer users can create a new self and live a different life. Second Life is one of the most popular new online games.
But unlike other games, Second Life is not about winning or losing. Second Life is technically a computer game. But people involved in it do not consider it a game because the players create everything. Second Life is more for socializing and creating communities.
Users of Second Life are called residents. To take part, they must create an avatar, or an electronic image of themselves. Some avatars look like humans, while others look like animals or imaginary creatures.
Inside the Second Life world, residents live in different versions of themselves. They build homes, run businesses, buy and sell things, work, play, and attend school. They even have relationships and get married.
Second Life was created in 2003 by Linden Lab in San Francisco, California. Linden Lab controls the Website where the ever-changing world is being created. There are now about one million people around the world who are active in Second Life. The number has grown quickly since the beginning of the year when there were about one hundred thousand users.
The average age of people involved with Second Life is about thirty. However, Linden Lab recently created Teen Second Life for younger users. Second Life has its own economy and its own money, called Linden dollars.
Millions of dollars are made and spent each month in Second Life. Users can enter Second Life for free. But they must pay for a membership if they want to own land or buy and sell goods and services.
Recently, several major companies have become involved with Second Life. They wanted to be part of the growing business world that exists within the made-up reality.
1. What’s special about the game “Second Life”?
A. It’s a game about losing and winning.
B. It creates everything in life.
C. It benefits one’s abilities to socialize and create.
D. It is simply a popular game to kill time.
2. What does the underlined word “avatar” mean?
A. An instrument someone uses. B. A picture someone takes.
C. An imaginary identity of someone. D. A weapon used in Second Life.
3. Which is NOT true about the game “Second Life”?
A. A resident in Second Life lives a life somewhat like that of real life.
B. The number of users of Second Life is about ten times as large as that of 2003.
C. You can’t enter Second Life until you pay for the entrance fee.
D. To own possessions, a resident has to pay to be a member of Second Life.
4. Why do some big companies want to join in Second Life?
A. They want to experience life in the made-up reality.
B. They want to promote their products more widely.
C. The want to be a member of Second Life.
D. They want to build agencies in Second Life.
The China Daily newspaper group is looking for Englishlanguage senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package, free accommodation with utilities paid for,90 per cent medical reimbursement, a sevenday paid leave, elevenday public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence.
Senior Business Editor
You must：
assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them； be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff； ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails； have had at least five years' editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Copy Editor
You must：
work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print； edit or rewrite copy and give snappy headlines and captions； have had at least two years' editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.
Copy Editor
You must：
be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing snappy headlines and captions； be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.
Graphic Designer
You must：
have excellent skills in information graphics；
be good at illustrations and freehand drawings；
be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts；
have a good sense of typography；
have good news judgment；
be wellversed with Macintosh software, including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop；
be fluent in English.
For enquiries or to apply, write to job @ chinadaily.com.cn.What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To describe the positions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| B．To describe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| C．To advertise for recruiting some good employees. |
| D．To tell you how to become part of this group. |
What is not required about Graphic Designer?
| A．Be wellversed with Photoshop. |
| B．Have excellent skills in information graphics. |
| C．Having a good sense of typography |
| D．Writing snappy headlines and captions. |
How many positions need editing experience?
| A．2. | B．1. | C．3. | D．4. |
Which can be the title of the advertisement?
| A．China Daily：New Employees Wanted |
| B．China Daily：Newspaper |
| C．China Daily：An International Team |
| D．China Daily：The Best Working Condition |
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times”.
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule：almost all common troubles eventually go away！Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little！I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
| A．From her relatives. | B．From her mother. |
| C．From books and pictures. | D．From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt ________.
| A．confused | B．excited | C．worried | D．amazed |
For the first two years in New York, the author ________.
| A．often lost her way | B．did not think about her future |
| C．studied in three different schools | D．got on well with her stepfather |
Because of the financial crisis in the US and UK, college students are beginning to struggle to find ways to pay their tuition fees and accommodations. 
Recently, two major US student loan lenders—Citibank and JPMorgan Chase—announced they were leaving the student loan industry altogether. Because banks currently have a lack of credit(存款额), they are reluctant to offer students lowinterest loans(贷款) that need a severalyear wait for any return of interest.
In the US, many undergraduates top up their financial needs with a private loan, although the majority can get governmentfunded loans. In the 20052006 academic year, $17 billion in private student loans was used to finance higher education. The shortfall in private funding has yet to be covered and will hit many US students hard.
Across the Atlantic, UK students have been less troubled by the crisis. Most undergraduates in the UK cover their university expenses with governmentfunded loans and grants(助学金). Their biggest concern is a sudden steep increase in student rent.
Most young professionals now rent houses, since 80 percent of UK mortgage schemes(住房抵押贷款计划) have disappeared—a direct result of the credit crisis. This has boosted the house rent market.
In large cities, UK students are paying almost 6.5 percent more in rent than the previous year. Figures from the UK organization Accommodation for Student show students in big cities such as London paying an average weekly rent of $103.
Yet, despite students' suffering, the number of this year’s university applications is expected to grow. During economic slumps, people regard further education as a way to survive tough job markets.According to the passage, banks are unwilling to offer students loans because ________.
| A．the students are poor and sometimes they can’t pay off the debt |
| B．banks prefer lending the money to the young professionals |
| C．banks don’t have enough money left at the present time |
| D．they think college students are not studying hard |
The underlined phrase “top up” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.
| A．put up | B．make up | C．fill up | D．pick up |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．UK college students have to pay more if they want to rent houses. |
| B．More UK students want to further their study in college. |
| C．It is not so easy for US students to loan money now. |
| D．College students' tuition fees have risen greatly. |
It can be inferred that ________.
| A．there are no private student loan lenders in the UK |
| B．loans for US college students will be increased next year |
| C．private funding falls a little because of higherinterest loans in the US |
| D．private loans play a very important role in financing US students’ education |
The passage mainly tells us ________.
| A．college students in the US and UK are faced with their financial crisis |
| B．it is the duty of the governments to solve college students' financial crisis |
| C．private student loan is a good way for college students to overcome the difficulties |
| D．further education is a good way for college students to survive tough job markets |
Computer programmer David Jones earns ￡35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card(信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18. The 16yearold works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David' s firm releases(推出) two new games for the fast growing computer market each month.
But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押贷款),or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpoolbased company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six Olevels and working for a time in a computer shop.“I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,”he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school,”he said.“But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway.”David added：“I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”In what way is David different from people of his age?
| A．He often goes out with friends. |
| B．He lives with his mother. |
| C．He has a handsome income. |
| D．He graduated with six Olevels. |
What is one of the problems that David is facing now?
| A．He is too young to get a credit card. |
| B．He has no time to learn driving. |
| C．He has very little spare time. |
| D．He will soon lose his job. |
Why was David able to get the job in the company?
| A．He had done well in all his exams. |
| B．He had written some computer programs. |
| C．He was good at playing computer games. |
| D．He had learnt to use computers at school. |
Why did David decide to leave school and start working?
| A．He received lots of job offers. |
| B．He was eager to help his mother. |
| C．He lost interest in school studies. |
| D．He wanted to earn his own living. |
Anyone who doubts if children are born with a healthy amount of ambition need spend only a few minutes with a baby eagerly learning to walk. No matter how many times the little ones stumble in their first efforts, most keep on trying, determined to master their amazing new skill. It is only several years later, many psychologists and teachers agree, that a good number of kids seem to lose their natural drive to succeed. For the parents of such kids, whose own ambition is often tied to their children's success, it can be a painful experience.
Figuring out why the fire went out is the first step. Assuming that a kid doesn't suffer from a learning disability, or isn't involved in some family crisis(危机) at home, many educators attribute a sudden lack of motivation to a fear of failure or classmate pressure.“Everything is within the kids' control；their intelligence is changeable,”says Lisa Blackwell, a research scientist at Columbia University. More than any teacher or workshop, Blackwell says,“Parents can play a key role in conveying this message to their children by praising their effort and progress rather than emphasizing their “smartness” or praising high performance alone. Most of all, parents should let their kids know that mistakes are a part of learning.”
Some experts say our education system, with its strong emphasis on testing and separation of students into different levels of ability, also bears blame for the disappearance of drive in some kids.“These programs shut down the motivation of all kids who aren't considered gifted and talented. They destroy their confidence,” says Jeff Howard, a social psychologist. Howard and other educators say it's important to expose kids to a world beyond homework and tests, through volunteer work, sports, hobbies and other extracurricular activities.
“The problem of the issue is that many students experience education as irrelevant to their life goals and ambition,”says Michael Nakkual, a Harvard education professor. The key to getting kids to aim higher at school is to free them of the idea that class work is irrelevant, and to show them how doing well at school can actually help them fulfill their dreams beyond it. They need to understand that you have to learn to walk before you can run.According to the passage, the parents of kids with no ambition ________.
| A．don't do a very good job on teaching them to walk |
| B．are to blame if the kids do poorly in school |
| C．feel pain because their own ambition is connected to their kids' success |
| D．should take part in extracurricular activities with kids |
The underlined part “the fire went out” probably means ________.
| A．the motivation was suddenly lost |
| B．the fear of failure was suddenly gone |
| C．the learning disability was suddenly lost |
| D．the fire was suddenly gone |
All the following can contribute to a sudden lack of ambition EXCEPT ________.
| A．learning disability | B．classmate pressure |
| C．emphasis on testing | D．extracurricular activities |
What is the most important thing for parents in motivating their kids?
| A．Punishing kids who don't display ambition. |
| B．Emphasizing smartness and high performance. |
| C．Telling kids that mistakes are a part of learning. |
| D．Praising the effort and progress they have made. |
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