20．A．Once you are addicted to alcohol or drugs，it is difficult to get rid of．
B．Over the years，shopping has become a very common activity．
C．They also tend to have this addiction when they feel guilty．
D．However in modern-day society we are seeing some new kinds of addictions．
E．People addicted to computer games consider the games as great ways to amuse themselves．
F．They get deep in debt，and they can even go bankrupt（破产）and get sent to prison．
G．It can also cause financial problems．

The word addiction usually makes you think of alcohol or drugs．（71）D
 Some people are compulsive（难以自制的）shoppers．Others find it impossible to pull themselves away from their work．Still others spend countless hours watching TV or playing computer games．
（72）BMany people enjoy going to malls or stores more and more every day，but it's more than a common hobby for some of them．They have turned into shopaholics．They are people who  simply enjoy shopping and walking around spending money without being able to stop doing it．They are hooked on shopping and usually buy things that they don't need．Even though they don't have enough money，they buy everything they want．
The question is，why do they have this addiction？There isn't a specific answer．Some people go shopping when they are sad，worried，upset or lonely and they want to feel better．They use this activity as a way to forget their problems．Shopaholics say that they feel more important and better after they buy something．（73）C  
Shopaholism seems to be a harmless addiction，but it can bring out problems．Some of them can be psychological．If this is the case，people addicted to shopping should go to a support group to help them break this habit．However，the process，like for most addictions，is long，and they suffer a lot． （74）G  They just think about satisfying their feelings，so they spend money they don't have．（75）F．

19．Students will need to use all of their skills in order to understand the reading selections in Reader's Choice．
（71）D These selections provide practice on employing different reading skills to get the message of the writer．They also give students practice in four basic reading skills：skimming，scanning，reading for thorough comprehension，and critical reading．
Skimming involves reading quickly through a text to get an overall idea of its contents．This kind of rapid reading is suitable when you are trying to decide if careful reading is desirable or （72）G
Like skimming，scanning is also quick reading．However，in this case the search is more  concentrated．（73）E When you read to find a particular date，or number you are scanning．
Reading for thorough comprehension is carefully reading in order to understand the total meaning of the passage．At this level of comprehension the reader is able to summarize the author's ideas （74）C．
Critical reading demands that a reader makes judgments about what he or she reads．This kind of reedit requires posting and answering questions such as"（75）A"，"Do I share the author's point of view？"and"Am I convinced by the author's arguments and evidence？

A．Does my own experience support that of the author？
B．Reader's Choice is one of the most popular magazines in the world．
C．but has not yet made a critical evaluation of those ideas．
D．The book contains many types of selections on a wide variety of topics．
E To scan is to read quickly in order to find out specific information．
F．Do I know about the author？
G．when there is no time to read something carefully．

18．May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States．This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall．But according to a recent report，there is a great change．Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever．（71）B
These days，college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier．（72）FOn the other hand，deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time．Students may not like being put on waiting lists．Also，common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them．Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight．Some universities send gifts．（73）D
For many families，the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money，especially this year； the weak economy makes parents nervous．（74）GThe recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans．So lately，top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students．
（75）AThe Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down．This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finish high school．The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015．

A．Besides，top colleges are facing changes in the population．
B．What contributes to it？
C．But a mistake can be costly if it happens．
D．But top colleges ignore them．
E．They have international students who know English．
F．It can mean several acceptances to choose from．
G．They cannot afford college as planned．

17．This week，We talk about the application process for American colleges and universities．This is Part Eight in our Foreign Student Series．Earlier，we explained  how to begin a search for schools by going to one of the American educational advising centers around the world．We also discussed the rules for entering in the United States．（71）F
But if your goal is to come to the United States to study，then it is time to make a list of  colleges of universities that interest you． （72）EDirectors of foreign student admissions say students should apply to at least three schools．
Some students want to attend a small college．Others want to go to a big university．That university in Columbus．Ohio，in the Midwest，has almost fifty-two thousand students．There are students this year from around one hundred fifty countries．Ohio State provides international students with an application on its Web site．（73）BOr you can print the forms and mail them with the payment．
Many colleges and universities have their applications and also their catalogs online．You should start on your applications at least two years before you want to begin studies．（74）ABut answering all the questions is not enough．Another important step is taking admissions tests．The SAT is the college entry test that American high school students most commonly take．（75）CColleges and universities may also require international students to take the TOEFL-the Test of English as a Foreign Language．

A．Completing a college application can take some time．
B．You can pay the application charge online with a credit card．
C．Another one is the ACT．
D．If a really big university appeals to you，then there aye ones like Ohio State．
E．Be sure to choose more than one．
F．And we talked about programs that can be completed online．
G．If you have a general question for our Foreign Student Series，write to special@voanews．com．

16．In many parts of the world，cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them．（71）EBut this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously，not only by government but also by ear manufacturers．
         The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program．（72）AThat will mean much saving，no accidents and better use of roads．The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself（73）C，．Instead，we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing．
According to Dr．David Davis，who leads the research team，these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture，which had blocked up our cities，polluted our air，and caused more deaths than both world wars put together．
Davis says，cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices（装置） to regulate（调节） the distance between one car and another．（74）GComputers are much safer drivers than people，so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people．
By 2010，Dr．David Davis believes，car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road，whatever the weather conditions，by projecting an image（影像）of the road ahead on to the car's windscreen（75）D．Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form"road-trains"．"The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount．"says Davis．"But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount，and so produce about ten percent of the pollution．"

A．The team there believes that by 2030 all cars will be computerized．
B．They believe that cars will become more important in 20 years．
C．And it will not be owned by one individual．
D．And by 2030，cars will travel in line，linked to each other electronically．
E．So the idea that in 20 years'time，no one will own cars may be hard to believe．
F．Every driver will use less fuel in the car he owns．
G．The car will automatically speed up，or slow down，to match the speed of the car in front．

15．The Mississippi
         The Mississippi is a great river whose relationship with man goes way back beyond its discovery in the 16th century．The River Indians used it as a highway and as a source of food，and it was they who gave it its name-"misi"meaning"great"and"sipi"meaning"water"．When the length of its branch，the Missouri，is added to it，the Mississippi becomes greater（71）C．．From the source of the Missouri to the tip of the delta （三角洲），it is 2，480 miles long．
         Great rivers are likely to suffer floods．In 1927 the Mississippi flooded 26 thousand acres，sweeping away farms，towns，everything in its path．In 1938 its floods drowned or killed 200 people and made millions homeless．Today the river has largely been controlled．（72）B．
         Industries have spread down some of the waterways of the delta，but otherwise the delta is a remote place，the homeland of a little colony of French Canadians that the British drove out of Nova Scotia in the 18th century．They still speak French，mixed with English，Indian，Spanish and Negro idioms．They keep to themselves，fanning the rich soil of the delta．（73）G．
        （74）D．Pioneers who first reached its banks wondered not only where it went，but what lay beyond．In 1764 the French founded a city on the right bank of the river，and named it after their king，Louis XV．This city，named St．Louis，became the jumping-off place for the adventurous men and women who opened up the Great Plains，and the way to the Far West．
         Some 40 years earlier，at the beginning of the 18th century，the French had founded another city just above the Mississippi delta，New Orleans．（75）A．New Orleans is one of the great ports of the world，and one of the greatest terminals for both sea and river traffic．

A．It was the Mississippi that made the city what it is
B．Levees，high banks built of earth，hold back the flood waters
C．Therefore，as we know，it's the third longest river in the world
D．It is known that the"Great Water"has also been a frontier river
E．However，they paddled up and down the Mississippi in their boats to seek their fortune
F．The"Great Water"always remains a thread，for the streets of the city are below the level of the river
G． They call themselves Cajuns，who have actually been leading fairly primitive lives and  preserving their own traditions．

14．In the 60s，people asked about your astrological （about star） sign．In the 90s，they want to know your website．（71）GYour website is an electronic meeting place for your family，friends and potentially，millions of people around the world．Best of all，you may not have to spend a cent．The Web is filled with all kinds of free services and all it takes is some time and creativity．（72）FLike the table of contents of a book or magazine，the home page is the front door．Your site can have one or more pages，depending on how you design it．
While web pages vary greatly in their design and content，most use a traditional magazine layout（版面设计）．At the top of the page is a banner（横幅）．Next comes a greeting and a short description of the site．Pictures，text，and links to other websites follow．
 （73）EThink about whom the site is for and what you want to say．Next，gather up the material that you want to put on the site．
While there are no rules you have to follow，there are a few things to keep in mind：（74）AIf you are too much at the beginning，you may never get the site off the ground．You can always add to your site．
Less is better．Most people don't like to read a lot of text online．（75）BSmaller is better．Since it can take a long time to download large image files，keep the file sizes small．
Have the rights．Don't put any material on your site unless you are sure you can do it legally．Learn the Net's Copyright Article for more about this．
Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and start building
 
A．Start simply．
B．Break it into small pieces．
C．Draw a rough layout on a sheet of paper．
D．Many websites are considered very interesting．
E．Before you start building your site，do some planning．
F．Think of your home page as the starting point of your website．
G．These days，having a web address is almost as important as a street address．

13．（71）CIt is a new term in today's tourism industry．But in an age of growing environmental awareness，it is not too difficult for us to imagine and understand this new form of holiday．
Ecotourism，which is considered as a kind of responsible tourism，is typically defined（定义）as travel to places where special and unusual plants，animals and cultural heritages （遗产） are the main attractions．（72）BTherefore，programs concerning the protection of some natural and cultural spots also form'a part of ecotourism．
Ecotourism is developing at great speed．According to a recent report by the World Tourism Organization，ecotourism in recent years has enjoyed an annual growth of about 5% worldwide．（73）D They include bird watching，hiking，diving，photography and taking part in various kinds of local cultural events．
（74）FHowever，it looks like some smaller towns and country areas may well become the new destinations for people to visit tomorrow because they are rich in ecological，cultural and historical resources （资源）．
Ecotourism has been gaining increasing recognition and popularity mainly for the relaxing，natural and vivid experience it offers to tourists．People are attracted to nature  and long to be close to it．However，a conflict between nature and human beings is unavoidable．（75）G

A．The definition of ecotourism is beyond words．
B．It takes ecology and culture into consideration．
C．You may not be very familiar with"ecotourism"．
D．More than 80activities have been listed for ecotourism．
E．People can have great fun enjoying nature through ecotourism．
F．Big cities are still the major places．that attract tourists in our society today．
G．How to protect natural resources while taking advantage of them is of great importance．

12．During the first half of the nineteenth century in the United States，Christmas was a very different kind of holiday than it is today．There was no set of way of celebrating the day，which was not yet an official holiday．（71）GSome observed Christmas as an important Christian religious day honoring the birth of Jesus．Others celebrated the day with parties，music，drinking and eating．（72）C
（73）FCalvinist Christians banned the celebration of Christmas．But groups such as Episcopalians and Moravians honored the day with religious services and seasonal decorations．
By mid-century，Christian groups began to ignore their religious diffrences over the meaning of Christmas and honored the day in special ways．
Christmas became an important time for families to celebrate at home．More and more Christians Americans also began to follow the European traditions of Christmas trees and giving gifts．Christians believed that the tree represented Jesus and was also a sign of new beginnings．German immigrants brought their tradion of putting lights，sweets and toys on the branches of evergreen trees placed in their homes．
This tradition of setting up a Christmas tree soon spread to many American homes．（74）A As these traditions increased in popularity，the modern trade and business linked to Christmas also grew．
As Christmas became more popular，some states declared the day a state holiday．Louisiana was the first state to make the move in eighteen thirty-seven．（75）B．It was not until eighteen seventy that President Ulysses Grant made Christmas a federal holiday．

A．So did the practice of giving people presents．
B．By eighteen sixty，fourteen other states had followed．
C．And，some communities did not celebrate the day at all．
D．Americans seldom gave each other presents on Christmas Day．
E．But many new American Christmas songs started to become popular．
F．Religion played a big role in how an American might celebrate the holiday．
G．Communities around the country honored the day in different ways．

11．Most of the time，people wear hats to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions．Hats are also worn to show politeness and as signs of social position．But nowadays，hats，especially women's hats，are much more than that．More exactly，hats have changed into fashion and style symbols by many movie stars．What's more，people now consider many different features （特点）when choosing even a simple hat．Many designers point out that，when choosing the right hat，it's important to consider the color of your skin as well as your hair，your height，and the shape of your face．

First of all，the color of the hat should match the color of your skin and hair．For instance，black hats should be avoided if you are dark skinned．If a purple hat is placed on top of red hair，one will look as attractive as a summer flower．Second，the height of the hat is also an important point．Tall women should not go for hats with tall crowns，just as short women should choose hats with upturned brims to give the look of height．Third，and most importantly，the shape of the face decides the kind of hat one should pick．A small，gentle hat that fits the head looks good on a small face．However，women with big，round faces should choose a different style．

As the saying goes，"Fine feathers make fine birds．"A good hat can not only help your dress but also support your features，so why not choose the best possible one next time you want to be in public？
44．What does the underlined word"harsh"in Paragraph 1 probably mean？C
A．good           B．strange         C．poor            D．different
45．According to the article，which of the following women would look most attractive？B
A．A big-faced woman who wears a small，nice hat．
B．A short red-haired woman who wears a purple hat．
C．A tall woman who wears a hat with a huge upturned brim．
D．A small dark-skinned woman who wears a black hat with a tall crown．
46．What does the last paragraph suggest？B
A．Hats are worn on the head to keep warm．
B．Hats can help you look better in public．
C．Hats are not as important as character．
D．Hats can make you look much taller．
47．What is the best title for the article？C
A．How to Show Your Social Position        
B．How to Improve Your Features
C．How to Choose a Proper Hat             
D．How to Design a Nice Hat．