As more Americans go to mainland China to take jobs, more Chinese and Americans are working side
by side. These cross-cultural partnerships, while beneficial in many ways, are also highlighting tensions
that expose differences in work experience, pay levels and communication.
     In the last few years, a growing number of Americans in their 20s and 30s have been heading to China
for employment, attracted by its faster-growing economy and lower jobless rate. Their Chinese co-workers
are often around the same age. But the two groups were raised differently. The Americans have had more
exposure to free-market principles. "Young Americans were brought up in a commercial environment," said
Neng Zhao, 28, a semor associate at Blue Oak Capital, a private firm based in Beijing. "We weren't. So the
workplace is a unique learning process for my generation."
     Managers hiring workers in China appear to be paying for Western experience. Foreigners tend to earn
10 to 15 percent more than their Chinese counterparts (persons working in similar positions), said Michael
Norman, senior vice president at Sibson Consulting, an American firm. That imbalance does not go unnoticed
by Chinese workers. "There is definitely the belief that Americans get paid more for the same work," said
Ting Wang, 25, an associate at WildChina, a travel company based in Beijing. On the other hand, Chinese
workers have a deeper understanding of the influences, like Confucianism'and Communism, which play a
part in their country's culture and economy.
     It is important and necessary for Americans working in China to adjust, said Mr. Norman, who works
on management and work force issues for multinational companies operating in Asia.
     "In the West, there is such a bonus on getting things done quickly, but when you come to work in China,
you need to work on listening and being more patient and understanding of local ways of doing business,"
he said.

1. More Americans go to China to take jobs because _____.

A. they want to experience different cultures
B. Chinese workers are easier to cooperate
C. they can't find proper jobs in America
D. the economy of China is developing rapidly

2. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A. Cross-cultural conflicts.
B. Cross-cultural partnerships.
C. Multi-national companies in China.
D. Different pays for the same work.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Americans benefit more from working in China.
B. Chinese and American employees have the same experience.
C. Young Chinese can benefit from cross-cultural partnerships.
D. More Americans working in China cause higher jobless rate.

4. What does the underlined word "imbalance" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Unfair pay levels.
B. Different working experience.
C. Unequal opportunities.
D. Different upbringing environment.

5. We can infer from the last paragraph that _____.

A. Americans working in China adjust very well
B. ways of doing business in different countries differ
C. doing business in China takes money and patience
D. international companies need to understand each other

     Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government
research.
     A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their
reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need. Fashionable clothes for the children,
expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries families don't have to have. Instead,
recession-hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around
learning to behave properly, good education and good health.
     Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television,
plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise.
     The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work
and Pensions (DWP) who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need.
     Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties-
how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children.
Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough.
     Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home
was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in.
     Instead, researchers said: A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on
their laps in front of a television. Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short
holiday: the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its
cost.

1. It can be inferred that _____.

A. a week or more holiday is considered beyond many families' reach
B. children hardly ever need fashionable clothes and lots of toys
C. what a family should have is basic things that they must have
D. annual holidays were once considered necessary and vital

2. In the opinion of most parents, _____.

A. families can watch TV together in order to keep up their relationship
B. day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experiences
C. their expectations should be increased in the face of economic difficulties
D. a week's holiday is an essential minimum during the financial crisis

3. Which of the following is TRUE of the researchers from the DWP?

A. They confirm many families still need at least a week away on holiday each year.
B. They learn it is insignificant for a family to do things with each other regularly.
C. They want to know what parents really need in the face of economic difficulties.
D. They found spending on furniture or decorating the house was thought valuable.

4. We can conclude from the last paragraph _____.

A. being able to share experiences is important for families
B. a family needs at least a week away on holiday each year
C. a family home should have a comfortable area to watch TV
D. going on outings and overnight trips is wasting time for families

5. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Cycling is very important for children's health.
B. Family holidays once a year have become a luxury.
C. It is vital for parents to eat together with children.
D. Parents are concerned with children’s future.

     A million motorists leave their cars filled up with petrol and with the keys in the ignition (点燃) every day.
The cars are sitting in petrol stations while drivers pay for their fuel. The Automobile Association(A.A) has
discovered that cars are left unattended for an average three minutes and sometimes longer as drivers buy
drinks, sweets, cigarettes and other consumer items.With payment of credit cards becoming more and more
common, it is not unusual for a driver to be out of his car for as long as six minutes, providing the car theft
with a golden opportunity.
     For more than ten years there has been a big rise in car crime than in most other types of crime. An average
of more than two cars a minute are broken into or stolen in the UK. Car crime accounts for almost a third of
all reported offenses with no signs that the trend is slowing down.
     Although there are highly professional criminal involved in car theft, almost 90 percent of car theft is
committed by the opportunists. Amateur thieves are aided by our own carelessness. The A.A. recommends
locking up whenever you leave the car and for however short a period. A partially open sunroof or window is
a further come-on (诱惑) to thieves.
     There are many other traps to avoid. The A.A. has fond little awareness among drivers about safe parking.
Most motorists questioned made no efforts to avoid parking in quiet spots-just the places thieves love. The A.A.
advises drives to park in places with people around because thieves don't like audiences.

1. We can learn from the passage that _____.

A. there is an increasingly large number of car crimes in the UK
B. about 20% of all reported crimes involve cars
C. car crime is decreasing gradually
D. the A. A. didn't pay much attention to car crimes

2. The underlined word "opportunists" in this passage most probably refers to _____.

A. people who take chances to steal into cars
B. people who always steal or break into cars
C. highly skillful criminals
D. careless criminals who tend to fail in their crimes

3. The A. A, suggests that the car owners should _____.

A. always lock up their cars when they leave
B. keep the sunroof and windows open
C. avoid parking in crowded places
D. keep some people around to watch their cars

4. Paragraph Three mainly talks about _____.

A. the professional car criminals
B. the opportunities for non-professional car thieves
C. the anti-theft tips
D. when to lock the car

     "If there is one thing I'm sure about it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading
newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news
from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading
a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
     The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives-the
big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the
same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It's already happening in areas
that may directly affect our lives, like genetic (基因) engineering. In the future, I think there will be
more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do-as we develop a better understanding
of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
     It's quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted (传送) electronically from
Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I'm pretty sure that how it will happen in the future.
You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the
things you want to read- sports and international news, etc.
     I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media (媒体).
They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers,
but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound
lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it's never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Best Way to Get News
B. The Changes of Media
C. Make Your Own Newspaper
D. The Future of Newspaper

2. In the writer's opinion , in the future _____.

A. more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news
B. newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer
C. newspapers will cover more scientific research
D. more and more people will watch TV

3. What will probably be on in the newspaper made by yourself?

A. Sports and international news.
B. A menu of important news.
C. The most important news.
D. What you are interested in.

4. From the passage, we can infer _____.

A. newspapers will win the competition among the different media
B. newspapers will stay with us together with other media
C. television will take the place of newspaper
D. the writer believe some media will die out

     Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes into touch with them. Their
values-this can not be repeated too often-aren't necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and
order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves
faced with a room with rotten food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone on bed, taking
no notice of the worms. But is it interrupting personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of
their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the
worms, think we're in danger of carrying this idea of personal freedom to the point where serious risks (冒
险) are being taken with the health and safety of the old.
     Indeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The old is like a car: it needs more mechanical repair as it
gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to provision of spare parts. But never forget that
such operations are painful experiences, however good the results are. And at what point should you stop
to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by continuing the development of medicine
to excite the forgetful old mind and to make the old body active, knowing that it is designed to die? You
cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical chances, they will
feel it necessary to give them a try, by the rule that while there's life, there's hope.
     Talking to the old, however, you're forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant
depends less on money or health than it does on your ability to have fun.

1. After reading Paragraph l, we learn that _____.

A. very old people are able to keep their living places very clean
B. old people enjoy living alone so as to have more personal freedom
C. every old people enjoy living with their relatives
D. social services have nothing to do with very old people

2. Some social workers think that _____.

A. old people should keep their living places clean
B. one should not take risk dealing with old people
C. health and safety are more important than personal freedom
D. personal freedom is more important than health and safety

3. In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "it" refers to _____.

A. one's memory or health
B. the conclusion you have come to
C. whether age is happy or unpleasant
D. you talk to the old people

4. The writer of this passage thinks that _____.

A. it is always morally right to treat old people and push off death
B. the opinion that we should try every means possible to save old people is uncertain
C. old people can enjoy a happy life only if they are very rich
D. medical decisions for old people should be left to the doctors

     "Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it's a girl."
     Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and brings forth a different answer from every man who
bears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether
they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable
experience with them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers
and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy
was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.
     Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the shift from the role of husband to that of
father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this
remobilization process. Although numerous books have been written about American mothers, only recently
has literature focused on the role of a father.
     It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father's role, although difficult, is not nearly as great
as the transition the wife must make to the mother's role. The mother's role seems to require complete
transformation in daily routine and highly innovative adaptation; on the other hand, the father's role is less
demanding and immediate. However, even though we mentioned the fact that growing number of women are
working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.

1. According to the author, being a father _____.

A. brings a feeling of excitement to males
B. has a different meaning for those who have daughters
C. makes some men feel proud and others uneasy
D. means nothing but more responsibilities

2. The transition to the mother's role requires that the wife _____.

A. change her lifestyle in a highly innovative way
B. make a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation
C. stay at home to take care of the baby
D. help her husband in his remobilization process

3. Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles, fathers, compared with mothers, _____.

A. have to shoulder more burdens
B. have to make more difficult adaptations
C. have an easier job to do
D. can usually do a better job

     More than one in ten UK teenagers has been left without a job or college place, despite 11 years of
compulsory education, figures show.
     The number of 16-t0 18-year-olds branded as "Neet"-not in education, employment or training-has
risen amid growing fears that school-leavers are bearing the brunt of job shortages in the recession.
     Some 261,000 young people had no job or training place, according to official data. The figure rose
to 1,082,000 among 16-to 24-year-olds.
     The Conservatives branded the figure "shocking".
     David Willetts, the shadow skills secretary, said:"It is a damning indictment of the Government's
failure to help young people during the recession." 
     "Despite all Cordon Brown's guarantees and pledges, the number of young people neither earning nor
learning is increasing at a rate of more than 9,000 a week. Ministers must stop making empty gestures
that do so little to help young people."
     The Government has a target to reduce the proportion of young Neets to 7.6 per cent by next year.
     The latest annual data from the Department for Children, Schools and Families put the figure at 10.3
per cent by the end of 2008.
     The percentage of 16-t0 18-year-olds who fall into the same bracket remained higher in the past year
than in the previous 12 months, it was revealed.
     "In a further disclosure, figures for the third quarter of this year show almost a fifth of 16 to 24-year-
olds were in the category-more than at any point since 2005.
     Iain Wright, the Schools Minister, said:"We are giving all l6 and 17-year-olds the opportunity to stay
in education or training so they can gain the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive
labour market."
     "We must not repeat the mistakes that were made in recessions of the past and abandon a whole
generation of young people. We recognize that we need to carry on helping young people through this
tough economic climate."
     He said the Government would offer every Neet 16 and 17-year-old a place on an "Entry to Employment"
course in January.

1. According to what David Willetts said, the number of young people neither earning or learning will increase
    ____ in a year.

A. 261,000
B. 1,082,000
C. 9,000
D. 432,000

2. The author develops the passage mainly by ____.

A. providing typical examples
B. telling an interesting story
C. comparing opinions from different fields
D. presenting a problem and possible solutions

3. What David Willetts said indicates that ____.

A. the government has tried its best to solve the problem
B. the problem is unavoidable during the recession
C. what the government has done is far from satisfactory
D. he is sure the government can solve the problem

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to Iain Wright?

A. The government has realized how serious the problem is and will take effective measures.
B. Young people are facing a tough economic climate.
C. The government responded too late in face of the situation.
D. It will be difficult for young people to be employed if they don't have relevant skills.

     A group of students in Japan have created an eerily (怪异的) realistic robot baby to motivate young people
to start planning a family and boost the country's birth rate. The automated doll developed at the University of
Tsukuba, called Yotara, giggles (咯咯地笑) and "wakes up" when a rattle is shaken.
     He can become angry and doze off like a real baby and smiles when his stomach is rubbed. The robot can
also sneeze and have a runny nose, thanks to a heated water pump system. The students of the Graduate School
of Comprehensive Human Sciences created the robot with touch sensors. A projector beams ( 照射) the facial
features onto a warm silicon balloon which makes up Yotara's face. The robot's facial expressions and body
movements change according to pressure applied to different parts of its body.
     The information collected through touch sensors under the silicon skin is processed by a special programme.
It then changes the baby's expression projected onto the balloon-face from behind. Its head with a bonnet (童
帽), a colourful blanket covers the robot's limbs which stimulate wiggling with the help of a geared motor. "We
wanted to create a new type of robot that is soft, cuddly and cute," said project leader Hiroki Kunimura.
     "We'd like people to experience the innocent, joyful expressions typical of small babies. Through this
experience, it would be great if some people started feeling that they wanted to have their own baby, if they
started feeling that working is not everything."
     Japan's birth rate is among the lowest in the developed world at 1.37%, compared to 2.12% in the United
States and l.84% in Britain. According to a ministry of labor and welfare report, Japan is facing, serious
economic consequences with over a quarter of its citizens expected to be aged over 65 by 2015. The population
is expected to shrink by a third within 50 years if the birth rate does not increase.

1. What is the purpose of creating such a robot baby in Japan according to the text?

A. To help old people who live alone.
B. To give small children a great deal of pleasure.
C. To comfort the young people who are lonely.
D. To increase Japan's birth rate.

2. It can be inferred from the text that ____.

A. the robot baby's head is covered with a bonnet and a colourful blanket
B. people would like to experience the innocent, joyful expressions typical of small babies
C. some people think working is everything in Japan
D. Japan's birth rate is the lowest in the world

3. What is Japan's problem according to the author?

A. Most young people don't want to have a family.
B. Japan will lack workforce by 2015.
C. The lifetime of Japanese will decrease in future.
D. Japan's birth rate is increasing at present.

     Even with hit shows such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy", ABC is tightening its belt
as it weathers the U.S. economic downturn and tries to remain relevant in an industry challenged by digital
entertainment.
     "We are in one of the worst economies in 70 years. We are looking at everything we can possibly do to
be more efficient and more effective," ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson told reporters on
Friday.
     "We have to look at everything across the board from cost cutting to (using) other platforms for smart
ways to broker (协调) our efforts. It is an ongoing process. It is not a one time thing."
     McPherson, attending the networks' semi-annual presentation to critics, said last year's five month strike
by Hollywood screenwriters had "really hurt everybody" in the traditional television industry, and he
acknowledged the networks had lost viewers to other forms of entertainment.
     "The world has changed under these businesses and we need to be incredibly diligent and confident in
what we do, otherwise we will be left by the wayside." he said. "Tomorrow is here, now, and we really need
to figure it out now and move forward."
     ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co., has lost about 9.7 percent of its prime time audience in the 2008-9 season
compared with the same stage last year.
     With the exception of current ratings leader CBS, the other two major U. S, networks Fox and NBC have
also lost similar percentages since the 2008-9 season started last September.
     McPherson said he hoped ABC would continue to "take chances" on shows such as "Lost" and "Dancing
with the Stars" that were seen as daring when they were shown for the first time. But recent new entries, such
as "Pushing Daisies," "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money," failed to resonate with viewers and were canceled.
     Despite the growing trend of watching television on iPods, on the Internet and on mobile phones,
McPherson said ABC's main focus remained on broadcast.
     "We are still a broadcast network and that is where our profits come from. The other platforms are
important. But people ask if we would do a show that would be successful on the Internet as opposed to on
broadcast and those are always secondary thoughts," he added.

1. The main idea of the passage is about _____.

A. the strike of Hollywood screenwriters
B. the decline of ABC's prime time audience
C. ABC's main focus on broadcast
D. ABC's feeling economic, digital pressure

2. The 3rd paragraph suggests to us that _____.

A. the economic situation is so serious that it will last long
B. cutting cost is the best way to recover from economic downturn
C. using other smart way can develop the ongoing process
D. sparing no effort can complete the ongoing process

3. We can infer that the last economic great depression happened _____.

A. in 1970
B. in 1970s
C. in 1939
D. in the 2008-9 season

4. McPherson's attitude towards ABC's future is full of _____.

A. doubt
B. hope
C. worry
D. confidence