At no time in history has there been such a mass(大规模的) movement of people from the countryside to the city as is happening now. By the year 2030, it’s estimated（估计） that more than two thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities, twice as many as today. This means that the problems faced by cities today—overcrowding, poor housing, unemployment, poverty(贫穷) and lack of food and water—will be twice as bad, unless we find solutions soon.
Another serious issue is how to provide good transportation for their citizens. Many of the world’s major cities are already struggling with out-of-date transport infrastructures(基本设施). How can they deal with the additional demands?
London is a good example. Its enlargement was made possible by the invention of the steam engine, which powered the world’s first underground railway. But its transport system are now hopelessly out-of-date and need urgent modernization. London’s future success depends very much on developing better public transport.
Over a million people travel into central London every day from outside the city. They, together with the people who live in London, want a public transport system that is efficient, safe and environmentally friendly. What they often get, however, falls far short of that ideal. Passengers complain about cost and pollution, while businesses worry about the problems their staff have in getting to work on time. Yes, the proportion of London households that own a car grew from just over ten percent in the early 1950s to over sixty percent today.
As the city has become increasingly crowded and polluted, there has been a growing realization that action must be taken soon.The passage is mainly written to tell us that ________.
| A．it’s difficult to solve the problem faced by cities today |
| B．overpopulation causes the problems in cities like London |
| C．possible solutions to cities’ transport problems will be found soon |
| D．public transport plays an important role in developments in major cities |
The underlined word “they” in fourth paragraph refers to _______.
| A．the citizens in the city of London |
| B．those who come to London from other places |
| C．passengers who make complaints about the cost |
| D．businesses who are anxious about their staff getting to work late |
From the passage we know that the mass movement to the city will cause the following problems EXCEPT_____________.
| A．poverty | B．unemployment |
| C．better environment | D．poor transportation |
The underlined words “environmentally friendly” is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．pleasant and nonpolluting | B．cheap and punctual |
| C．quick and straight | D．fair and convenient |
We can infer that in the following paragraph the writer would most probably deal with ______.
| A．traffic jams in London streets |
| B．London’s future in train and air travel |
| C．possible solutions to London’s traffic problems |
| D．the improvement of the citizen’s living conditions |
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Besides relevant theories and keen logic, a scientist who does research in economic psychology and who wants to predict the way in which consumers will spend their money must study consumer behavior. It’s vital for his credit as a qualified economist. He must obtain numbers and material both on the resources of consumers and on the efforts that tend to encourage or discourage money spending.
If an economist were asked which of the three groups borrow most——people with rising incomes, stable incomes or declining incomes——he would probably answer: those with declining incomes. Actually, in the past 5 years, the answer was: people with rising incomes. This shows us that traditional assumptions about earning and spending are not always reliable. Another traditional assumption is that if people who have money expect prices to go up, they will hurry to buy. If they expect prices to go down, they will postpone buying. But research surveys have shown that this is also not always the case. Their expectations of price increases may not stimulate buying. One typical attitude was expressed by the wife of a mechanic in an interview at a time of rising prices. “In a few months,” she said, “we’ll have to pay more for meat and milk. We’ll have less to spend on other things.” Her family had been planning to buy a new car but they postponed this purchase. Furthermore, the rise in prices that has already taken place may be hated and buyer’s resistance may be caused. This is shown by the following typical comment of the wife: “I just don’t pay these prices: they are too high.”
Traditional assumptions should be investigated carefully, and factors of time and place should be considered. The investigations mentioned above were carried out in America. Research conducted at the same time in Great Britain, however, produced results that were more in agreement with traditional assumptions about saving and spending patterns. The condition most beneficial to spending appears to be price stability. If prices have been stable and people have become accustomed to considering the current prices “right”, they are likely to buy. Thus, in a society of good economy which maintains consumer confidence, it appears that the common business policy of maintaining stable prices with occasional sales or discounts is based on a correct understanding of consumer psychology.
72. According to the passage, it is essential for a successful economist to ______.
A. know about economic theories
B. be capable of logical thinking
C. predict the latest national economy
D. to understand consumers’ spending habits
73. The example of the mechanic’s wife is intended to show that ______.
people tend to buy more when prices are expected to fall
people tend to buy less when prices are expected to fall
people tend to buy more when prices are expected to rise
people tend to buy less when prices are expected to rise
74. Findings in investigations in Britain show _____.
consumer behaviour may vary in different places
Britain and America share similar saving and spending patterns
Britain is important in economic research
occasional discounts and sales are important
75. According to the passage, what is most helpful in promoting spending?
A. Big discount. . B. Good consumer confidence.
C. Steady price. D. Positive consumer psychology.
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| The Sunday Times “Expect the Unexpected Australia Adventure” Three ‘Expect the UNEXPECTED AUSTRALIA Adventure’ Packages for 2 must be won! Three instant travel correspondents(回信者) will each get to explore the surprising side of Australia with their partners together with Radio 94 FM DJs Jeanie Austin & Maggie Tan(The Morning Show) and Ronny Henry & Andre Lim (The Unmarried Guys)! This is your chance to discover Australia and, after the journey, to share your adventures on “live radio”.
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69. Other than the four DJs, how many people will be going to explore the surprising side of Australia?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 6 D. 10
70. Timmy has just got married. Which one of the adventure packages might he choose for his honeymoon?
A. Sydney B. Melbourne C. Queensland D. Tasmania
71. In which way are the winners expected by the organizer to tell about their adventures in Australia?
A. Contact the organizer through email.
B. Post a homemade video on YouTube.
C. Login to www.asiaone.com
D. Report your adventures on “live” radio.
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Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
At the beginning of every school year, I feared coming home with the heavy homework of the first day after a summer of fun. And I feared getting another teacher who had a long list of rules and a stare that could kill a cat.
But there was always one part of beginning a new school year that I enjoyed. I always liked going to the store to arm myself with new school supplies-even if I didn’t need them.
Sure, my pencils, erasers and notebooks from the previous school year may have had some life left in them. But this didn’t matter. Every year, Dad would pile us into the car, take us to Wal-Mart and let us buy the newest and coolest pencils, rainbow-colored erasers and spiral notebooks.
Besides school supplies, many parents also take their kids on annual shopping spree for new clothes and book bags just in time for school. During the whole process, children are in high spirits, buying a lot of stuff and are back home exhausted.
Every year, most of my classmates and I show up to school on the first day with something smelling like a new car. We’d put our new stationery on top of the desks, just to make sure others see them.
Leftover supplies from past years were always stuffed into the living room desk. Used clothes that had lost their appeal were sent to second-hand shops, where they would be sold for 50 cents a piece.
However, all of the new stuff could only make us excited about going to school for one week, after which the usual boredom and fear come back.
65. What is NOT TRUE about the author at the beginning of a new school year in the passage?
A. He often has to face a new teacher.
B. He doesn’t enjoy the load of work from school.
C. He doesn’t appreciate strict teachers
D. He obtains new school supplies from the school.
66. Why do the students look forward to getting new pencils every year?
A. Because the old ones are used up.
B. Because new pencils help them to study better.
C. Because they want to show their new stuff off.
D. Because it’s required by the school.
67. The underlined word “spree” in the passage probably means ______.
A. competition B. considerable embarrassment
C. wild celebration D. emotional pain
68. How are the old supplies dealt with?
A. They are put aside and forgotten. B. They are given to poorer children.
C. They are sold online. D. They are treasured by the students.
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Labor force is defined as being the total number of people who are available to work and earn income．This definition includes everyone who is employed or seeking paid employment，so it includes employers and the self-employed．Labor is one of the country's resources which can be combined with other resources to produce the goods and services wanted by the community．
Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population，there are several other influences which also affect it．The age distribution (分布) of the total population has a very marked effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high proportion of very young people or of those too old to work，then the available workforce would be lower than if there were an balanced spread age distribution．If the population naturally grows rapidly, the number of births greatly exceeds (超出) the number of deaths then as a total population increases proportion of the workforce declines．
Sometimes a population is described as aging which means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly，and as people retire from the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to replace those who are leaving it．In that situation the population is top-heavy with older people．So the percentage of the population in the workforce declines when there is either a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate．
The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy．If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce，this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group．If the aged are to be cared for in special homes，finance must be available for that purpose．If the size of the workforce is small relative to the total population，then the government tax revenue(税收) is relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be taxed more heavily．
72．In the passage “labor force” is defined as ___________.
A．people who are available to work and earn income
B．self-employed people only
C．people who are looking for an employment
D．employers who create job opportunities
73．The conclusion which can be drawn from the second paragraph is that___________.
A．a natural growth of population leads to a balanced workforce
B．a large population does not necessarily mean a higher proportion of workforce
C．the larger the population，the higher the proportion of the workforce
D．the workforce will be lower, if the population has a balanced age distribution，
74．When a population is said to be aging，___________.
A．there are more people retiring than those entering the workforce
B．the birth rate must be growing
C．there should be an oversupply of workforce
D．There are more people entering the workforce than those retiring
75．The population which is top-heavy with older people ___________ of a country.
A．leads to the high rate of unemployment
B．results in low tax on the workforce members
C．affects employees’ incomes
D．places pressure on the economy
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Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen — beyond the picture on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful thinking. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast food, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein, he was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly, I don't understand things quickly.”
69. According to the passage, if we don’t think critically, we ___________.
A. may not be able think naturally
B. will be controlled by ideas of other people
C. can control the ideas of others
D. might be fooled by other people
70. A critical thinker will ___________.
A. think deeply about different ideas B. trust the reports in the newspapers
C. take one view against another view D. criticize other people for their mistakes
71. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The heart of education B. Understanding critical thinking
C. Thinking fast D. Thinking and intelligence
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