The kindly“Chinese Fortune Grandpa”wearing Han Chineseclothing and holding a fortune bag debuted (亮相) at the Imperial Ancestral Shrine in Beijing on the day after Christmas．The final imageof the Chinese gift-giver was selected through a global design competitionagainst“Santa Claus”，according to a report by Guangming Daily．
Many Chinese cities have been filled with Christmas neon lights，Christmas songs，Christmas trees，and the images of“Santa Claus”in recent days．As a matter of fact，foreign festivals are becoming more popular than certain traditional Chinese festivals among the Chinese people，particularly the youth.“Certain traditional festivals have died out because people have forgotten their spiritual meanings，”said noted writer Feng Jicai．More and more Chinese people are beginning to exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and Christmas．However，many of them know nothing about Chinese New Year pictures or sugarcoated figurines(小糖人)，and have never heard suona music．Certain folk customs on the Dragon Boat Festival，Tomb Sweeping Day，and other traditional festivals have gradually disappeared．Under such circum-stances，even the“Chinese Fortune Grandpa”is unlikely to defeat“Santa Claus”．
However，it is not a bad thing to some extent．It constantly reminds people to restore the“true
face”of traditional festivals．China has listed traditional Tomb Sweeping Day，Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival as legal holidays，which brings more paid leaves to the public，and helps to awake the public awareness of traditional festivals．
In modern society，festival is a carrier of culture and its meaning largelydepends on their understandings and usages by people．Compared with foreign festivals，traditional Chinese festivals are not inferior (次于) in cultural meanings，but lack of fashion sought by modern people．If people do not appreciate the historical culture contained by traditional festivals，and only take pleasure-seeking as the most important，the significance of traditional festivals will fade away and the inheritance (继承) of fine traditional culture will be cut off．The second paragraph implies that______________________.
| A．traditional festivals should co-exist with foreign festivals |
| B．all the Chinese festivals are disappearing in the near future |
| C．western festivals are constantly impacting on our festivals |
| D．the Chinese people have the public awareness of traditional festivals |
We can learn from the passage that______________.
| A．an image designed by the Chinese people will be displayed |
| B．many foreigners know nothing about Chinese festivals |
| C．the Chinese gift-giver was intended to symbolize traditional culture |
| D．the Chinese are beginning to exchange gifts on the Mid-Autumn Festival |
Many Chinese youth dislike traditional festivals because they think______________.
| A．traditional festivals are out of fashion now |
| B．the historical culture is more difficult to understand |
| C．western festivals contain more cultural meanings |
| D．the inheritance will cut off their contact with western festivals |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Gone are Chinese Traditional Festivals |
| B．True Face of Chinese Traditional Culture |
| C．Foreign Festivals Popular with Chinese |
| D．Chinese Fortune Grandpa VS．Santa Claus |
The common Chinese greeting of “Ni chi le ma?” may soon be replaced by a new greeting: “Have you cleaned your plate?”
Over the Spring Festival holiday there was a big effort to get people to curb their habit of ordering too much food in restaurants because a lot of that food ended up being wasted. Holiday eaters were urged to “clean their plates” and were asked to take leftover food home in “doggy bags.”
The impetus behind the campaign was the startling government statistic that over 200 billion yuan is spent every year on food that ends up in the garbage bin. And in the midst of all this waste, statistics show that 128 million people are living below the poverty line and going hungry.
The “clean your plate” campaign is part of a worldwide effort to stop precious food from being wasted. The United Nations estimates that $1trillion (yes, that’s a very big number) worth of food is wasted each year. Most of that is lost during food production and transportation, but a significant percentage is attributed to waste by consumers. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has launched a campaign called “Think. Eat. Save.” to make people aware of the problem.
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is an ambassador for UNEP and she encouraged people to upload pictures of their “clean plates” to show their support for the program. Thousands of people responded and demonstrated that they had a clear conscience to go along with their full stomachs.
Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, is also urging people to be less wasteful and he told Party members to cut back on extravagant holiday banquets and to be more careful when spending the people’s money.
For some, though, Xi Jinping’s and Fan Bingbing’s admonitions don’t go far enough. Yuan Longping, an agricultural scientist, caused a stir by saying that wasting food should be treated as a crime. (Jail time for leftover chicken feet!?)
If not a crime, wasting food is certainly a sin and it goes against what Xi Jinping calls, “the Chinese tradition of being diligent and thrifty.” Having a “clean plate” is just a traditional and responsible thing to do. Which statement is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Over 200 billion yuan is wasted every year on food around China. |
| B．It’s quite common for Chinese people to order more food than they need in restaurants. |
| C．It’s universally acknowledged that wasting food is a crime. |
| D．Fan did something to promote people’s awareness of saving food. |
The underlined word “admonition” is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．demonstration | B．indication | C．warning | D．criticism |
What’ the best title for the passage?
| A．Food is important. |
| B．Have you cleaned your plate? |
| C．Jail time for leftover chicken feet!? |
| D．Wasting food is a crime. |
It is 4 o’clock in the early morning. Everything but the computing room on the campus of the university appears as quiet and misty as the mysterious hell. In the computing room, 30 students with sleepy eyes, sit still at their desk, beating the dirty and worn keys. Staring at the colorful screen, they tap continuously for hours. For the other parts in the world, it might be in the middle of the night, nevertheless here time represents nothing. It is an entirely enclosed field. These young computer “hackers” are tracing a sort of stimulus (刺激), a drive so exciting and absorbing that it ignores nearly anything else in their lives and becomes the focus of their being. They are addicted (上瘾的) computer programmers. Some of these students have been glued to the console (电子设备的操纵台) for no less than twenty hours even with no break for meals or rest. Some have been sleeping on sofas and chairs in the computing room, trying to struggle for a few moments’ rest but hating to get too far away from their addicted machines.
It is not necessary for most of these students to be at the computing room in the middle of the night. What they are working belong to no assignments. They remain there because they desire to be — they can not resist the attraction of the computers.
Furthermore, they are in groups instead of being alone. There are hackers at computing rooms all over the country. In the unimaginable way, they focus on nothing but computer. They escape from schooling and live beyond friendship; they might have difficulty being employed, choosing to travel from one computing room to another. They may even give up personal health.
“There is one hacker in my memory. We actually had to lift him away from his chair to feed him and arrange him to rest and sleep. We truly worried about his health,” says a computing science professor at California University.
Professors of computer science are nowadays paying more attention to this hacker phenomenon and are on the watch for future hackers and more and more severe computer addicts. They believe firmly that hackers are not simply resulted from the close relationship with a machine. It is the result of social relationship with the attractive thinking machines, which are becoming nearly universal.
| A．students working on a program |
| B．students using computers to amuse themselves |
| C．hard-working computer science majors |
| D．students deeply fascinated by the computer |
| A．Most of them are top students majoring in computer programming. |
| B．For them, computer programming is the only purpose for their life. |
| C．They can stay with the computer at the computing room for nearly two days. |
| D．Their love for the computer is so deep that they want to be near their machines even when they sleep. |
| A．the hacker phenomenon exists only at university computing rooms |
| B．it is not very easy for the “hackers” to find friends or jobs |
| C．university computing rooms are expecting outstanding programmers out of the “hackers” |
| D．the hacker phenomenon is partly due to the lack of the computing rooms |
| A．positive | B．disgusting |
| C．worrying | D．admiring |
| A．The Charm of Computer Science | B．A New Type of Electronic Toys |
| C．Future Computer Programmers | D．Computer Addicts |
In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable (可持续的) ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil， which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emission (排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate (加速) the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.
| A．it makes the world warmer |
| B．it consumes natural resources |
| C．it brings severe damage to forests |
| D．it makes growth hard to continue |
| A．China lacks wind and solar energy. |
| B．China is the leader of the low carbon market. |
| C．High speed trains are a low carbon development. |
| D．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests. |
| A．cut public expenses | B．forbid carbon emission |
| C．develop public resources | D．encourage energy conservation |
| A．develop sustainable products |
| B．explore new natural resources |
| C．make full use of natural resources |
| D．deal with the major challenge |
| A．To introduce a new business model. |
| B．To compare two business models. |
| C．To predict a change of the global market. |
| D．To advocate (提倡) sustainable development. |
Dear Betty,
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty
| A．tell Betty some good news | B．ask for some advice |
| C．answer some questions | D．invite her to dinner |
| A．can only bring some flowers |
| B．can’t bring wine |
| C．should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late |
| D．should arrive twenty minutes late |
| A．relax at the dinner table | B．watch the other guests |
| C．ask the person beside him | D．keep silent at table |
① On Friday, January 14, 2005, my cousin, Kara Rose, came into the world. ② She looked perfectly healthy from the outside, but on the inside, the doctors had failed to discover a serious problem. ③ She often had trouble breathing and then turned blue. ④ The doctors found that Kara had been born without part of her heart. ⑤ They didn’t think she would live long enough to leave the hospital. ⑥ When she was four days old, she had her first operation. ⑦ My family stayed together during this hard time, hoping everything would turn out for the best.
Kara’s strength and determination to live were strong. Eventually, she could go home. We all waited patiently for new technology that could give Kara a new heart. When she was eighteen months old, her parents took her to a famous surgeon who performed a series of operations. There was no guarantee she would make it through the operation, but she succeeded.
Kara grew stronger every day, and it was not long before she was well enough to be around people. She had an amazing character and always wore a sweet smile. When she fell asleep against my body, happy and content, I realized how valuable life really is. As I took her in my arms with her warm breath against my neck, I decided to live every day of my life to the fullest.
This child, who is 15 years younger than I, has gone through more suffering and pain than I ever have. I admire her strength and determination. Kara has taught me that no matter how bad things seem, they can work out in the end. Knowing this small, beautiful child has made me a stronger person, I now believe that difficulty can be beaten.
| A．she didn’t stay long enough in the hospital |
| B．the doctors failed to discover the problem |
| C．she was born with an incomplete heart |
| D．her first operation was not successful |
| A．Kara’s determination helped her get through. |
| B．The new technology gave the family the hope to live on. |
| C．Kara eventually recovered at the age of 15. |
| D．Doctors were confident in the success of her operation. |
| A．younger people often suffer more pain |
| B．strong-will helps defeat difficulties |
| C．experienced doctors can make miracles |
| D．medical technology is developing fast |
| I was also anxiously hoping the doctors would be able to make her life longer. |
A. After Sentence ①. B. After Sentence ③.
C. After Sentence ⑤. D. After Sentence ⑦.
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