One moming a few years ago, Harvard President Neil Rudenstine overslept. For this busy man. it was a sort of alarm: after years of non-stop hard work, he might wear himself out and die an early death.
     Only after a week's leave-during which he read novels,listened to music and walked with his wife on a beach-was Rudenstine able to return to work.
     In our modern life, we have lost the rhythm between action and rest. Amazingly, within this world there
is a universal but silly saying, "l am so busy. "
     We say this to one another as if our tireless efforts were a talent by nature and an ability to successfully deal with stress. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and , we imaglne , to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, and to be unable to find time to relax-this has become the
model of a successful life.
     Because we do not rest,we lose our way. We miss the guide telling us where to go, the food providing us with strength , the quiet giving us wisdom.
      How have we allowed this to happen? I believe it is this: we have forgotten the Sabbath, the day of the week-for followers of some religions-for rest and praying. It is a day when we are not supposed to work, a time when we devote ourselves to enjoying and celebrating what is
beautiful. It is a good time to bless our children and loved ones, give thanks.share meals, walk and sleep. It is a time for us to take a rest, to put our work aside, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking
care of the world.
      Rest is a spiritual and biological need; however,in our strong ambition to be successful and care for our many responsibilities ,we may feel terrbly guilty when we take time to rest. The Sabbath gives us
permission to stop work. In fact, "Remember the Sabbath" is more than simply permission to rest; it is a
rule to obey and a principle to follow.

1. The "alarm" in the first paragraph refers to " ________ ".  

A. a signal of stress      
B. a warning of danger
C. a sign of age            
D. a spread of disease

2. According to Paragraph 4, a successful person is one who is believed to _________.   

A. be able to work without stress
B. be more talented than other people
C. be more important than anyone else
D. be busy workingwithout time to rest

3. Some people feel guilty when taking time to rest because they ________. 

A. think that taking a rest means lacking ambitions
B. fail to realize that rest is an essential part of life
C. fail to realize that religions force them to rest
D. think that taking a rest means being lazy

4. What is the main idea of this passage? ________   

A. We should balance work with rest.
B. The Sabbath gives us permission to rest.
C. It is silly for anyone to say "I am so busy."
D. We should be available to our family and friends.

     I am wearing a small red ribbon this morning to remind myself and others around me that today is World
AIDS Day.
     The red ribbon, an international symbol of AIDS awareness, is gaining increasing public recognition as
more Chinese, from top leaders to movie stars, wear it today.
     Gone were the days when the topic of HIV/AIDS was a public and media taboo (禁忌). Over the past few
years, we have watched, read and heard many stories from doctors, volunteers and public health officials at
the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
     Quite a few people with HIV/AIDS have come forward to share their experiences on TV or in the media.
     The local and central governments have become more forthcoming (be helpful) with their new prevention
and treatment programmes, and financial input. The latter rose from less than 1 million yuan (US$ 121,000) in
1986 to a pledge of 800 million yuan (US$98.8 million) in the year of 2006.
    The change from silence to public and media campaigns with official promises has been remarkable,
especially since China battled through the SARS crisis.
     But have we got a full understanding on HIV/AIDS? What do we know about the extent of HIV/AIDS in
China?
     The figures, ranging from confirmed cases to estimates, remain debated. After all, no more than a year has
passed since the policy of free medical tests was make public. Unknown numbers from the high-risk groups
drug addicts and people working in sex- related place as well as farmers who once sold blood could still be
reluctant to come forward.

1. what does the red ribbon stand for?

A. AIDS
B. World AIDS Day
C. AIDS awareness
D. AIDS prevention and treatment

2. Which of the following is Not true according to the text?

A. The topic of HIV/AIDS was a public and media taboo in the past.
B. The topic of HIV/AIDS is now still a public and media taboo.
C. Now a lot of people with HIV/AIDS have come forward to share their experiences on TV.
D. The writer wears a small red ribbon because today is World AIDS Day.

3. In paragragh 5 "The latter" refers _______.

A. financial input
B. new prevention programmes
C. new treatment programmes
D. the central governments

4. We can learn from the text that high- risk groups of HIV/AIDS in
China include the following EXCEPT ____.

A. drug addicts
B. people working in sex-related place
C. farmer who once sold blood
D. people getting close to those affected with HIV/AIDS

5. What is the best title of the passage?

A. The Red Ribbon
B. Always keep red ribbon in sight
C. About AIDS
D. Help people with AIDS

     Who says Americans worship the almighty (全能的) dollar? It's not true. Having enough free time is
more important to most Americans than being rich, according to a new survey.
     Only 13 percent of more than 2,400 people questioned in the telephone survey ranked being wealthy
as most important to them, while 67 percent ranked free time as their top priority (优先考虑的事), higher
than having a successful career, getting married, and having children. "Everyone wants free time to do the
things they want to do, young, middle-aged or old," said Richard Morin, of the Pew Social & Demographic
Trends Project, which conducted the survey. "So our desire to play unites us."
     The survey also showed that people who were educated in university valued career success over wealth,
so did middle-aged people. Not surprisingly, those who didn't have money, ranked wealth very highly. This
included minorities, first generation Americans and less-educated people. The survey also revealed that a
disproportionate (不成比例的) number of people under the age of 30 and retired people in the group made
＄20,000 0r less a year. But the emphasis on wealth lessens with age, with younger people putting value on
it but hardly any seniors. "It just diminishes (减弱) with time as the reality sets in that you would never be
rich," Morin said. "But also, as for old people the reality sets in that you don't have to be rich to lead a very
comfortable and fulfilling life."
     While wealth was not at the top of people's list of priorities, 43 percent still said it was somewhat important.

1. The survey showed that the majority of American people ranked _____ as the most important.

A. wealth
B. a successful career
C. marriage
D. free time

2. Who cares least for wealth, according to the passage?

A. Young people.
B. First generation Americans.
C. Old people.
D. Less-educated people.

3. According to the survey, what did middle-aged people regard as more important?

A. Success in career.
B. Education level.
C. Wealth.
D. Comfort.

4. What is the belief of old people according to the third paragraph?

A. Wealth is as important to the old as health.
B. One needs to put money away for his retired life.
C. One doesn't have to be rich to live a satisfying life.
D. One would never get rich until he retires.

     Diving around Halaveli Island was a really unforgettable experience. I participated (参加) in a day
diving trip that had lunch on the boat. We went to Maalhoss Thila first. The current (水流) can be very
strong here but we were lucky and had a mild one. We enjoyed all the different colors of coral and fish.
The maximum (最大) depth of this dive was 30m, and we stayed for about 40 minutes. The water was
reasonably warm, so I was not cold only wearing a short-sleeved (袖子) wetsuit.
     I was a bit worried about having lunch on the boat, as sometimes my stomach feels bad, but it was
perfectly fine this time -perhaps because the boat had not stopped and was moving toward the other
dive place, or because the size of the boat was reasonably large.
     Our next diving place was called Manta. And as expected, the huge Manta was soon around us. It
is one of the most exciting moments I have had in my life. We only dove to 14m this time, which allowed
us to stay a bit longer -almost 50 minutes.
     On the way back all the women took strategic position (好位置) on the deck, sunbathing and
relaxing, while the men were getting bored and ate the leftovers from lunch. No matter how different we
were, we all enjoyed our trip.
     Another dive I would like to recommend (推荐) is called Maaya Thila, and it is the best night dive I
have ever had. We saw a huge turtle (海龟) sleeping in a cave, and sharks (鲨鱼) playfully chasing (追
赶) each other. They did not look friendly at all, but fortunately they did not decided to have us for
dinner. But anyway what happened that night under water will remain a fond memory to be retold on
special occasions by all the participants (参加者). It will be told with a smile on our faces.

1. What information can we get from the passage?  

A. The author enjoyed different colors of fish in Manta.
B. Diving in Maaya Thila is one of the most unforgettable experience for the author.
C. The author dove into Maaya Thila and stayed there for 50 minutes.
D. There were no dangerous sharks in Maaya Thila.

2. The author was worried about having lunch on the boat because ______.

A. the boat was not stopped
B. it was moving toward the other dive place
C. the boat was not big enough
D. he / she felt sick when eating on boats

3. How many diving places are mentioned in the passage?   

A. 1.    
B. 2.    
C. 3.    
D. 4.

4. We learn from the last paragraph that ________.    

A. Maaya Thila was only suitable for a night dive
B. many people had been killed at Maaya Thila
C. Maaya Thila is popular among all the participants
D. few people have the courage to dive at Maaya Thila

5. The author wrote this passage to ________.

A. share some wonderful experiences of diving with readers
B. make an attractive advertisement for a famous park
C. give you some tips when you go out for a dive
D. tell the readers how to spend a weekend or a long holiday

                                               The State of Marriage Today
    Is there something seriously wrong with marriage today? During the past 50 years, the rate of divorce
in the United States has exploded: almost 50％of marriages end in divorce now, and the evidence
suggests it is going to get worse, if this trend continues. It will lead to the breakup of the family, according
to a spokesperson for the National Family Association. Some futurists predict that in 100 years, the
average American will marry at least four times and extramarital affairs (婚外恋) will be even more
common than they are now.
    But what are the reasons for this, and is the picture really so depressing? The answer to the first
question is really quite simple: marriage is no longer the necessity it once was. The practice of marriage
has been based for years partly on economic need. Women used to be economically dependent on their
husbands as they usually didn't have jobs outside the home. But with the rising number of women in
well-paying jobs, this is no longer the case, so they don't feel that they need to stay in a failing marriage.
    In answer to the second question, the prospects may not be as pessimistic as they seem. While the
rate of divorce has risen, the rate of couples marrying has never actually fallen very much, so marriage is
still quite popular. In addition to this, many couples now cohabit(同居) and don't bother to marry. These
couples are effectively married, but they do not appear in either the marriage or divorce statistics. In fact, more than 50％of first marriages survive. The statistics are unreliable because there is a higher number of
divorces in second and third marriages than in first marriages.
So is marriage really an outdated practice? The fact that most people still get married indicates that it isn't. And it is also true that married couples have a healthier life than single people: they suffer less from stress
and its consequences, such as heart problems, and married men generally consider themselves more
satisfied than their single counterparts. Perhaps the key is to find out what makes a successful marriage
and apply it to all of our relationships!

1. What does "this is no longer the case" in paragraph two mean? 

A. It is not necessary to get married any more. 
B. Women do not need a husband any longer. 
C. Women are not economically dependent any more. 
D. Many wives do well-paying jobs outside home now.

2. Why may the prospects of marriage not be as depressing as it appears? 

A. Many people still like to get married. 
B. The rate of divorce has actually decreased. 
C. many couples would rather cohabit than marry 
D. The statistics of divorce is not quite true.

3. How do people usually feel in their marriage life?

A. They are much safer.      
B. They feel no longer single. 
C. They are more satisfied.    
D. They suffer a lot less.

4. Which of the following about marriage is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. There will be more relationships outside marriage. 
B. Many people try to get married again after divorce. 
C. Marriage has long been partly an economic need. 
D. It is a fact that most people choose to get married.

     Thank you for your card. I'm glad you're having a good time, but I'm not surprised.
Washington D.C. is wonderful at this time of year.
     I would like you to come to my place and meet my people at the end of your journey.
You can't leave America without visiting New York. My brother's hobby, as you know,
is taking pictures. He has a big album(相册)of pictures of the United States and of New
York. I'm sending some of them to you. When you look at them you'll understand why
New York is a city of islands. In fact it lies on three big islands: Manhattan, Staten Island
and Long Island. There are many small islands in the city.
The most expensive part of New York is Manhattan. This island is famous for its
skyscrapers(摩天大楼).Broadway is a famous street in New York. It is known for its
theatres and you can see wonderful shows there.
     There are many museums and art galleries(画廊)in New York. Pupils often visit museums
and have their art classes there. School children often visit the Bronx Zoo. It is the largest
of the New York City zoos. It opened in 1899 and since then has always been a favorite
place for animal lovers and children.
     In 1789, New York became the first capital of the United States of America but it
remained the capital for only one year. Now, as I'm sure you know, Washington, D.C.
is the capital of the country.

1. The underlined word "them" in Para.2refers to________.

A. cards
B. albums
C. pictures
D. letters

2. From the passage we know that________.

A. Manhattan is known for its skyscrapers
B. New York is famous for its wonderful shows
C. the Bronx Zoo has the longest history among the zoos in America.
D. New York contains three islands in total

3. We can infer that the text is probably________.

A. an advertisement
B. a letter
C. a travel journal
D. a geography report

4. The writer writes this passage to ________.

A. persuade his friend to visit New York
B. introduce Washington D.C. in America
C. describe three islands in New York
D. show his brother's album