There is more and more worry about the growing threat of globalization, which is accompanied
by those warnings that the rich pattern of local life is being undermined(破坏), and many dialects
and traditions are becoming extinct. But stop and think for a moment about the many positive aspects
that globalization is bringing. Read on and you are sure to feel comforted, ready to face the global future.
     Consider the Internet, that good example of our shrinking world. Leaving aside the worries about
political extremism, even the most narrowminded must admit that the net offers a lot of benefits, not
just in terms of education, the sector(部分)for which it was originally designed, but more importantly
on a global level, the spread of news and comment. It will be increasingly difficult for politicians to
misinform the public, as the oppressed(被压迫的)will not only find support and comfort, but also be
able to organise themselves more effectively.
     MTV is another global provider that is often criticized for imposing(强加)popular culture on the
unsuspecting millions around the world. Yet the viewers' judgment on MTV is undoubtedly positive;
it is regarded as necessary by most of the global teenage generation who watch it, a vital part of
growing up. And in the final analysis, what harm can a few songs and videos cause?
     Is the world dominance(绝对优势)of brands like Nike and Cocacola so bad for us, when all is
said and done? Sportswear and soft drinks are harmless products when compared to the many other
things that have been globally available for a longer period of time-heroin and cocaine, for example. In
any case, just because Nike shoes and Coke cans are for sale, it doesn't mean you have to buy them
even globalization cannot take away people's free will.
     Critics of globalization can stop presenting their doom and gloom statements. Life goes on, and has
more to offer for many citizens of the world than it did for their parents' generation.

1．Some people feel sad about globalization because they believe it will ________.

A．affect the rich local life
B．bring threat to the world peace
C．change their present difficult lifestyle
D．increase the size of people speaking dialects

2．Internet was originally designed ________.

A．to spread news and comment
B．to get support and comfort
C．to organise the oppressed more effectively
D．to promote education

3．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The Internet makes people worried about political extremism.
B．Nike and Cocacola shouldn't have caused so much worry.
C. All of the global teenage generation think that MTV is a necessary and important part for their growing up.
D. Sportswear and soft drinks cannot be compared with drug.

3．Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?

A．Globalization is standardization(标准化)
B．Globalization: don't worry, be happy
C．Globalization: like it or change it
D．Globalization brings equality

     While small may be beautiful,  tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems,  particularly when it comes to
staying in hotels and eating in restaurants.
     The Tall Persons Club Great Britain(TPCGB),  which was formed six months ago to campaign
(发起运动)for the needs of the tall,  has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants.Beds that are too
small,  shower heads that are too low,  and restaurant tables with hardly any legroom all make life
difficult for those of above average height,  it says.
     But it is not just the extratall whose needs are not being met.The average height of the population has
been increasing yet the standard size of beds,  doorways,  and chairs has remained unchanged.
     "The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a
kingsize bed at 6'66" (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men,  while the standard 6'3" bed
caters for(满足需要)less than half of the male(男性)population, " said TPCGB president Phil
Heinricy,  "Sevenfoot beds would work fine."
     Similarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables,  which mean the longlegged have to sit a foot or so away from them,  are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere.
     Some have already taken note,  however. At Queens Moat Houses' Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh, 6'6" beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors,  particularly
Americans.

1. What is the purpose of the TPCGB campaign?

A. To provide better services.
B. To rebuild hotels and restaurants.
C. To draw public attention to the needs of the tall.
D. To attract more people to become its members.

2. Which of the following might be a bed of proper length according to Phil Heinricy?

A. 7'2".      
B. 7'.      
C. 6'6".  
D. 6'3".

3. What may happen to restaurants with small tables?

A. They may lose some customers.
B. They may start businesses elsewhere.
C. They have to find easy chairs to match the tables.
D. They have to provide enough space for the longlegged.

4. What change has already been made in a hotel in Edinburgh?

A. Tall people pay more for larger beds.
B. 6'6" beds have taken the place of 6'3" beds.
C. Special rooms are kept for Americans.
D. Guest rooms are standardized.

     Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband's income.So this year she did
something more than a hobby(业余爱好):She planted vegetables in her yard.For her first
garden,Ms.Feeley has put in 15 tomato plants,and five rows of a variety of vegetables.The
family's old farm house has become a chicken house,its residents arriving next month.Last
year, Ms.Rita Gartin kept a small garden.This year she has made it much larger because,she
said,"The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds,too；so it's
a winwin situation all around."
   They are among the growing number of Americans who,driven by higher living costs and a
falling economy(经济),have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time.Others have
increased the size of their existing gardens.Seed companies and garden shops say that not
since the 1970s has there been such an increase in interest in growing food at home.Now
many gardens across the country have been sold out for several months.In Austin,Tex.,some
of the gardens have a threeyear waiting list.
   George C．Ball Jr.,owner of a company,said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by
40%over last year,double the average growth of the last five years.Mr.Ball argues that some
of the reasons have been building for the last few years.The big one is the striking rise in the cost
of food like bread and milk, together with the increases in the price of fruits and vegetables.Food
prices have increased because of higher oil prices.People are now driving less,taking fewer
vacations,so there is more time to garden.

1．What does the word "residents" in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?

A．chickens      
B．tomatoes
C．gardens      
D．people

2.By saying "a winwin situation all around",Ms.Gartin means that________.

A．she is happier and her garden bigger
B．she may spend less and lose weight
C．she is selling more and buying less
D．she has grown more varieties of vegetables

3.Why is vegetable gardening becoming increasingly popular?  

A．More Americans are doing it for fun.
B．The price of oil is lower than before.
C．There's a growing need for fruits.
D．The cost of living is on the rise.

4．Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Family Food Planning    
B．Banking on Gardening
C．A Belttightening Move  
D．Gardening as a Hobby

     A baby born in India has been declared the world's seven billionth person by child rights group
Plan International. Baby Nargis was born at 07:25 local time(01:55GMT)in Mall village in India's
Uttar Pradesh state. Plan International says Nargis has been chosen symbolically as it is not possible
to know where exactly the seven billionth baby is born. In addition to baby Nargis in India,Bangladesh,
the Philippines and Cambodia have all identified seven billionth babies. The United Nations estimated
that on Monday 31 October. the world's population would reach seven billion.
     Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia.
At the same time,low birth rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor
shortages.
     Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October
1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and ten billion by the end of the century.  China's population
of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1. 2 billion. But India is
expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025.
     India will also have one of the world's youngest populations. Economists say this is a chance for a
so-called. demographic dividend. India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy
at a time when other countries have aging populations. But economists say current rates of growth,
although high,may not create enough jobs. Also,the public education system is failing to meet demand
and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children
under the age of five are malnourished(营养不良).
     Michal Rutkowski,the director of human development in South Asia at the World Bank, says reaching
seven billion people in the world is a good time for a call to action. He says,"I think the bottom line of
the story is that the public policy needs to become really,really serious about sex equality and about
access to services-to fight against malnutrition,and to provide for access to health services,water and
schooling. "

1. What is true about the world's seven billionth person?

A. Baby Nargis is not the only child chosen as the seven billionth baby.
B. Baby Nargis has been chosen carefully so it is exactly the seven billionth baby.
C. Three countries have all declared Baby Nargis as the seven billi011th baby.
D. The United Nations declared Baby Nargis as the world's seven billionth person.

2. Which of the following problems do many European countries worry about?

A. Labor shortage.    
B. Poor health care.
C. Not enough jobs.
D. Schooling of poor quality.

3. According to population experts,how long will it take for population to grow from six billion to nine
billion?

A. About 12 years.  
B. About 40 years.  
C. About 50 years.  
D. About 110 years.

4. What does the underlined phrase"demographic dividend"in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A. Possibility of lower birth rate.
B. Benefit gained by working young people.
C. Chances for more employment.
D. Disadvantages caused by aging population.

5. Which of the following public policies does Michal Rutkowski call on?

A. To encourage late marriage.    
B. To reduce world's population.
C. To gain economic equality.  
D. To improve health and education.

     Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice
of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular
basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism,
this is part and parcel of their religious practice.
     For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the
world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their
home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.
     For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in
literally thousands of sources.
     One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is
called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide
attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in
meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.
     Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are
literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle,
it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness
that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and
achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment
with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due
to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.
     This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in
something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands
for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore
that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.
     But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must
clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and
devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours.

1. The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.

A. closely associated with
B. very different to
C. usually sent from
D. an important element of

2. The goal of meditation is ________.

A. to clear the mind
B. to practice a religion
C. to develop a technique
D. to carry out an experiment

3. What can we infer about meditation from the passage?

A. It has two main types.
B. It is practiced by many famous artists.
C. Its benefits are not immediately obvious.
D. Most people find it a very good way to relax.

4. According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent
years?

A. Their improved understanding of foreign culture.
B. The need to fill in their growing free time.
C. Increasing employment instability.
D. Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional. 

5. Who is the probable audience for this article?

A. Experienced meditation practitioners.
B. People interested in starting to learn meditation.
C. Buddhists and Hindus.
D. People who are very religious.

     In the more and more competitive service industry, it is no longer enough to promise customer
satisfaction. Today, customer “delight” is what companies are trying to achieve in order to keep and
increase market share.
     It is accepted in the marketing industry, and confirmed by a number of researchers, that customers
receiving good service will promote business by telling up to 12 other people; those treated badly tell
tales of worse to up to 20 people. Interestingly, 80 percent of people who feel their complaints are
handled fairly will stay loyal.
     New challenges for customer care have come when people can obtain goods and services through
telephone call centers and the Internet. For example, many companies now have to invest a lot of money
in information technology and staff training in order to cope with the “phone rage”- caused by delays in
answering calls, being cut off in mid-conversation or left waiting for long periods.
   “Many people do not like talking to machines,” says Dr, Storey, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at City
University Business School. “Banks, for example, encourage staff at call centers to use customer data
to establish instant and good relationship with them. The aim is to make the customer feel they know
you and that you can trust them - the sort of comfortable feelings people have during face-to-face chats
with their local branch manager.”
     Recommended ways of creating customer delight include: under-promising and over-delivering
(saying that a repair will be carried out within five hours, but getting it done within two); replacing a faulty
product immediately; throwing in a gift coupon as an unexpected “thank you” to regular customers; and
always returning calls, even when they are complaints.
     Airlines face some of the toughest challenges over customer care. Fierce competition has convinced
them that delighting passengers is an important marketing tool, while there is great potential for customer
anger over delays caused by weather, unclaimed luggage and technical problems.
     For British Airways staff, a winning telephone style is considered vital in handling the large volume
of calls about bookings and flight times. The Airways also says its customer care policies are applied
within the company and staff are taught to regard each other as customers requiring the highest standards
of service.
     Customer care is obviously here to stay and it would be a foolish company that used slogans such
as "we do as we please". On the other hand, the more customers are promised, the greater the risk of
disappointment.

1. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that _______.

A. complaining customers are hard to satisfy
B. unsatisfied customers receive better service
C. satisfied customers catch more attention
D. well-treated customers promote business

2. The writer mentions “phone rage” (Paragraph 3) to show that ________.

A. customers often use phones to express their anger
B. people still prefer to buy goods online
C. customer care becomes more demanding
D. customers rely on their phones to obtain services

3. What does the writer recommend to create customer delight?

A. Calling customers regularly.
B. Giving a “thank you” note.
C. Delivering a quicker service.
D. Promising more gifts.

4. Customer delight is important for airlines because ________.

A. their telephone style remains unchanged ks5u
B. they are more likely to meet with complaints
C. the services cost them a lot of money
D. the policies can be applied to their staff

5. Which of the following is conveyed in this article?

A. Face-to -face service creates comfortable feelings among customers.
B. Companies that promise more will naturally attract more customers.
C. A company should promise less but do more in a competitive market.
D. Customer delight is more important for air lines than for banks.

     A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly(老年人) and how
to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our
society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
     First,   employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible,  
a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take lifelong
responsibility for its employees,   it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee
costs.
     Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each
person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very
fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra
to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
     In addition,   the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be
financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions(养老金). Furthermore,   some
institutions should be created for senior citizens,   which can help provide a comfortable life for them.
Unfortunately,   as the present situation in our country shows,   this is not a truly viable answer. The
government can seldom afford to care for the elderly,   particularly when it is busy trying to care for the
young.
     One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places
especially for the elderly where they are independent.
     To sum up,   all these options(选择)have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore,   it is reasonable
to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to
our elderly generations.

1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The problems faced by the old in society.
B. Why we should take responsibility for the old.
C. How we can improve the lives of the old.
D. Where the old can go to get their pensions.

2. According to the passage,   how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
A. Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.
B. Increase savings levels of people during their working years.
C. Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.
D. Make available pensions for those who have retired.

3. The underlined word "viable" most probably means "________".
A. impossible    
B. practical
C. useful    
D. successful

4. What can be concluded from the passage?
A. Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money.
B. Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age.
C. Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people.
D. There is no single solution to the problems of the old.

   Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big,
noisy cities. They  are moving  from  the  peaceful  hills, mountains,  fields,  rivers  and  streams of  the
countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds.This movement from rural(乡下的)
areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
   In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two
large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area
begins to grow. There is usually  a_residential_area  nearby,  too.  The families of these workers  need
schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
     In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main
offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see
many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼)and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way
to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the
city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
   But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some
major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will
see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.

1．The underlined phrase "a residential area" means an area________.

A．where people can buy things
B．which is suitable for living in
C．where people can do business
D．which is near a city center

2．Why do people move to live in cities or towns?

A．Because they can live more comfortably there.
B．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life.
C．Because they mainly want to find work there.
D．Because they are sure of having a better life there.

3．Which of the following statement is NOT true about the business district?

A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district.
B．People usually work and live in the business district.
C．A business district usually lies in the city center downtown.
D．Nearly every major city has its own business district.

4．In the United States, many people work in the center of a big city________.

A．and live there
B．but live in the suburbs of the city
C．and live in another city
D．but live in rural areas