In order to know a foreign language thoroughly (完全地), four things are necessary. First, we must
understand the language when we hear it spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, with
confidence (自信) and without hesitation (犹豫). Thirdly, we must do much reading. Finally, we must be
able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar.
     There are no shortcuts to success in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough
only to memorize the rules from a grammar book. It is not much learning by heart long lists of words and
their meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language.
     If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. We must
"learn through use." Practice is important. We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we
can.

1. The most important things to learn a foreign language are _____.

A. understanding and speaking
B. listening, speaking, reading and writing
C. writing and understanding
D. memorizing and listening

2. Someone hears and writes English very well, but he speaks it very badly. This is because _____.

A. he doesn't understand the language when he hears it spoken
B. he doesn't have a good memory
C. he always remembers lists of words and their meanings
D. he often hesitates (犹豫) to practise speaking it

3. One can never learn a foreign language well by _____.

A. doing much practice
B. studying the dictionary
C. learning through use
D. using the language

4. Which is the most important in learning a foreign language?

A. A good memory.
B. Speaking.
C. Practice.
D. Writing.

5. "Learn through use" means _____.

A. we use a language in order to learn it
B. we learn a foreign language in order to use it
C. we can learn a language well while we are keeping using it
D. B and C.

     When we hear the words "college student", we usually think of a young person between 18 and 22 years
old. But in the USA today, a college student often is much older. In fact, educators say in the next few years
colleges and universities may have more older part-time students than traditional full-time younger students.
     Educators report a big increase in the number of Americans who attend college and university classes in
the evening or at night or weekends. Most of them are older than 25 years old and more have full-time or part-
time jobs. Many are in their thirties or forties.
     Why are so many people deciding to spend their time and money in order to continue their education? Most
are doing it because they believe more education will help them to get a better job. Some are industrial workers
whose factories have closed. They are learning new skills to prepare for other kinds of work. Some of the part-
time students are not pleased with the jobs they have. They are studying for new ones. Some have retired (退休)
and are looking for new kinds of jobs. Two of every three of the students older than 35 are women. Many of
them are returning to school after years of staying at home to care for children.
     Are older students good students? Most teachers say yes. They say older students really want to learn. They
ask difficult questions and are not pleased with simple answers. They often get high grades.

1. It's said that in the next few years _____.

A. students in colleges and universities will be much older
B. full-time students in colleges and universities will be even younger
C. American colleges and universities will take in part-time students equally
D. The number of older students will be greater than that of the younger ones

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the above passage?

A. It's reported that a large number of Americans attend college or university classes in their spare time.
B. Most of them are over 25.
C. Most of them are without jobs.
D. The number of students in colleges and universities s reported to have gone up greatly.

3. Why are so many people deciding to go on with their education? Because _____.

A. most of the Americans enjoy learning something new
B. most of them believe: more education, better jobs
C. they have lost their jobs
D. they are tired of their jobs they have

4. "They often get high grades" means _____.

A. they rise to high grades easily
B. they often get very good marks
C. they are more likely to receive a master's or a doctor's degree upon graduation
D. they often win high prize

5. What does the whole passage mainly tell us?

A. Why so many older students go to college in America.
B. What older students in college can learn.
C. Older students are mostly good students.
D. Higher education can help you get a good job.

     Many American schools have a student exchange program with foreign countries. Along with this
program, there is usually another one called the "American Host Family" program. As its name suggests,
the program gets American families involved in foreign students' lives in America and offers homes for
them.
     Foreign students generally welcome such an opportunity to have a"family" here, but there are also
those who prefer to stay "homeless".
     Many American families volunteer to host foreign students. However, if there is a shortage of host
families, schools also get in touch with local people and introduced foreign students to them.
     The "American Host Family "program changes in lengths of time. It can go from a few days to a few
years, depending on each individual school. After the first year is over, it is up to foreign students and
their "families" to decide if they want to stay together as a "family". American families can host as many
foreign students as they like. They can either have several students or just one at a time. Many families
start with new students each year while still keeping in touch with the old ones. Schools usually leave it
to foreign students and their host families to decide their activities after both sides meet.
     My school, however, holds activities every year. On major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and
Christmas, foreign students are usually invited to their themes for dinner. Even schools that do not have
host family programs often arrange students to get together with American families on these special holiday
occasions.
     It is typical that a host family invites its foreign daughter or son over, and they cook the student's home
food together, Undoubtedly, Chinese students are usually considered good cooks, whether or not they are
really qualified for such praise at home. Although many Chinese students rarely cooked at home, they often
have a hard time making their American friends believe that they cannot cook. It often happens when a
Chinese student promises to cook a Chinese meal for his host family, he usually sees a little crowd expecting
him: friends or relatives are also invited over for the "special" Chinese food!

1. The best title of the passage might be _____.

A. Studying in the U.S.
B. The "Host Family Program"in the U.S.
C. The "Student Exchange Program" in the U.S.
D. Activities in American Schools

2. What's the purpose of the "American Host Family program"?

A. To bring foreign students closer to American life.
B. To provide homes for foreign students.
C. To make greater progress in the study of foreign students.
D. To supply "sons" or "daughters" for American families.

3. What can we know about the program from the fourth and fifth paragraphs?

A. Its time,the number of students and families.
B. Its activities,the number of schools and students.
C. Its lengths of time,the number of students and activities.
D. The number of students,the lengths of time and important holidays.

4. We can know from the last paragraph that _____.

A. foreign students must prepare their home food for their host family
B. not all Chinese students are good cooks in the eyes of Americans
C. it is good manners to invite relatives or friends to taste foreign food
D. Americans are very interested in foreign food

     Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do
before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken
instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a description of
the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will
also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
     Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to
considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one
or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since
these can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms
of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by
six months they are able to add new words to their store. This selfimitation (模仿) leads on to deliberate (有意
的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point
at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
     It is a problem we need to get out teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person
means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains
more experience of the world. Thus the use at seven months of "mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be
dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or
anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has
begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this
ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

1. Before children start speaking _____.

A. they need equal amount of listening
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions
D. they can't understand and obey the adult's oral instructions

2. Children who start speaking late _____.

A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

3. The problem of deciding at what point a baby's imitations can be considered as speech _____.

A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually
C. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
D. is one that should be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless

4. The speaker wants to tell us that _____.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
C. even after they have learnt to speak,children still enjoy imitating
D. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

     The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added-a
communications blackout caused by solar storms.
     After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that
could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
     Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons
of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications
satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
     "The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next
solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard
Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
     At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the
Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can
carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose
astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb
communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the
greatest number of sunspots.
     Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the
most advanced televisions available.
     The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of
the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
     Professor Richard Hold away, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning
of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance
warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no
idea of what's caused the problem," he said.

1. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to _____ during the 2012
    Olympics.

A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites

2. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.
B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.
C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.
D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.

3. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _____.

A. take images of the solar system
B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities
D. improve the communications on Earth

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer
B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger
C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race
D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

     Phys ed (physical education) is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum (核心课程),
but with a difference. While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that
are useful beyond gym class. Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights,
balance their diets and build physical endurance. In this way,kids are given the tools and skills and experiences
so they can lead a physically active life the rest of their life.
     Considering that 15 percent of American children 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and
thought must be put into phys ed curriculum. In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-
class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put
P.E. on the chopping block, cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia
Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids. The difference in phys ed programs is partly
due to the lack of a national standard."Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added.
     The wisdom of the new approach has some scientific support. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin
have demonstrated how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be. They observed how 50 overweight
children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country than when they played sports. The
researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because
reluctant students were able to sit on the bench.
     Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a tiny percentage of students
continue playing them after graduating from high school. The new method teaches sells that translate to
adulthood.

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)
1. In the new P.E. program, children learn to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance
    rather than ______.
2. As for P.E., some school boards either ______.
3. What are the two problems with simply teaching group sports?
    ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the long-term benefit of the new P.E program?
    ____________________________________________________________________________________

     Fruit powered digital clock
     Fruit's not only good to eat, but it can also power this Fruit Digital Clock. This clock uses the scientific
principles on which modern electrical storage batteries are based. The acid (酸) from the fruit helps transmit
an electrical flow between two metal poles. The clock is priced at US $ 15. Adding any fresh fruit or vegetable
to the clock will make it work. The fruit is a clean, renewable source of electrical power.
     USB vacuum
     Do you know the dirtiest parts of your desk are probably your keyboard and mouse? Get a USB Mini V
acuum with retractable (可伸缩的) cable and suck away all that junk. The US-made product is priced at
US $ 14.
     SIM card reader
     Making useful USB 2.0 multi-card reader even handier, this card can also read and write data to phone SIM
cards. It comes with SIM editing software. Download your phonebook to your computer. If you lose your cell
phone, you can store missing phone numbers in your new one the US-made IMOMO SIM card+Multi-Card
Reader is priced at US $ 19 (152 yuan).
     Beer in your ear
     The beer barrel (桶)-shaped Naf Naf Hyp MP3 is a musical box that's capable of playing radio, CDs and
cassettes. It's got all the standard features of the typical clock-radio, but with the relaxing look of a big beer
barrel. The Danish product is priced at about US $ 130 (1040 yuan).

1. If you have 115 yuan, which product can you buy according to the passage?

A. Fruit powered digital clock
B. USB vacuum
C. SIM card reader
D. Naf Naf Hyp MP3

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Fruit and vegetables cannot be used as batteries to make a clock work.
B. USB vacuum can be used to clean your house and yard.
C. With SIM card reader you won't lose phone numbers.
D. Naf Naf Hyp MP3 can play radio, DVD and cassettes.

3. What does "junk" mean in the second item?

A. dirt
B. desk
C. keyboard
D. mouse

4. The passage is most likely a(n) _____.

A. entertainment information
B. science reports on new high-technology
C. introduction of some kinds of musical boxes
D. advertisement for new products

5. SIM card reader can be used to _____.

A. edit all the data in your computer
B. remove data in phone SIM cards specially
C. help restore your phone book in a new cell phone
D. transfer any file between a computer and a cell phone

     Just the mention of the TOEFL, GRE and GAMT exams brings a thought of long hours of dull paper work.
But that idea is becoming increasingly out of date. As planned, computerized tests will begin next year which
will bring a series of changes from test psychology to scoring techniques.
     From computer-equipped rooms, examinees will answer the questions on a computer. If they are sure about
their choices, they can pass to the next question by pressing the entry (条目) "next". Then another question
will be randomly (任意地) selected from a vast test item bank and appear on the screen. After answering all the
questions, examinees can choose the entry "quit" if they are not satisfied with their performance or "score" if
they want to see the result. Scores will be calculated immediately and appear on the screen. By that point,
student's marks are official-there is no going back.
     Since they greatly shorten the painful waiting process-which used to be two or three months, computerized
tests have won worldwide popularity. Besides, there will be no rushing to the registration offices (登记处) for
these exams. Computerized tests will be given every workday in an exam center with all three kinds of tests
being held in the same room. All test takers need to do is to call the exam center and book their seats for a
particular day.
     In addition it will become technically possible to apply new testing procedures. In the past, each examinee
had the same set of test items despite differences in their ability. Under a computerized system, however, if the
computer judges an answer is right, a question of a relatively difficult nature will follow. But if an examinee
continues to give wrong answers and is judged as un-qualified by the computer system, he will be automatically
denied the chance to go further in the test.

1. Computerized tests allow the examinee to know their scores ______.

A. immediately on a central computer for scoring test papers
B. a few minutes after the exam with the help of a test center worker
C. on the next day after they have taken the exam
D. immediately after the exam by means of the same computer

2. If an examinee is not satisfied with his performance ______.

A. he can admit defeat and give it up
B. he can ask the computer to give some advice
C. he can ask another chance within a few days
D. he is allowed to do it once again

3. Under a computerized system, all of the following would be possible except that ______.

A. different exams can be taken in the same room
B. one doesn't need to rush to the registration officer for taking an exam
C. it will be much easier to pass an examination
D. one can take an exam almost at any time of the year

4. The word denied in the last sentence most probably means ______.

A. refused
B. allowed
C. lost
D. passed