The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.

The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(not lived by people). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.

The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.

according to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of _______.

A. clay    B. rock

C. sand    D. stones

The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.

A. brave  B. cruel

C. strange       D. kind

In the desert _______.

A. it rains in spring only

B. it rains for a short time every month

C. there is some rain, but far from enough

D. the rainfall is just enough for the plants

People live _______.

A. only inside the oases  B. only outside the oases

C. both inside and outside the oases      D. in places with regular rainfalls

From the passage we know that life _______.

A. is hard in deserts       B. is happy in deserts

C. is impossible in deserts     D. in deserts in much better now

There are hundreds of students       in front of the school gate to welcome the scientist from America.

       A．waited    B．to wait    C．waiting   D．wait

Help or Not

Dear editor,

During last year's winter holiday, I went shopping with my grandmother. We saw several beggars. Some of them were disabled, which made me feel sad. Among them were old people, young people and even children! When I wanted to help them, my grandmother stopped me. She told me they were not worth showing mercy to because some beggars cheated people out of their money. Should I help them?

                                                                                           Yours,

                                                                                           Mary from Guangzhou

Dear Mary,

       While I understand your grandmother’s point of view, I think that just because some beggars have cheated people, this doesn’t mean you should never help any beggars.

       Showing mercy to people who are not as fortunate as us is one of the kindest things we can do. While some beggars may use dishonest means to get money, most beggars will not. Even those who use dishonest means are probably hungry for food and feel they have no choice but to cheat people. It is important to be careful for your own safety. But if you want to help, you don’t necessarily have to give it to beggars in the street.

       Another way you can help is by donating money to the China Charity Federation. Visit its website at: www. china charity. cn.net.

18.From the grandmother’s point of view, we can learn that ________.

A. she has never helped the beggars.    

B. she believes not all beggars are honest

C. she has surely been cheated by some beggars  

D. she shows no pity for the poor

19. Mary felt sad for _______.

       A. her grandmother                                                 B. the disabled beggars 

C. the old people                                              D. herself

20. The editor suggests that Mary should _______.

       A. have her own mind                                      B. follow her grandmother

       C. do something for those unfortunate                D. help the China Charity Federation

21. The underlined word “donating” probably means _______.

       A. give out of kindness                                     B. put into a business

C. earn through an organization                         D. give in return for some kindness

The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful,” says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses(冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral(道德) freedom.

A single angry word has lost many friends. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. “Whoever the gods would destroy they first make them mad.” “Keep cool,” says Webster, “anger is not argument.” “Be calm in arguing,” says George Herbert, “for fierceness(狂怒) makes error a fault.”

To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. “Anger,” says Pythagoras, “brings with folly and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.

Self-control is man’s last and greatest victory.

If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.  

What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. The importance of self- control.   B. How to conquer oneself?

C. The relation between a man’s moral freedom and his feelings.

D. A man should keep cool.

What’s the meaning of “whoever the gods would destroy they first make them mad”?

A. If you are mad, the gods will kill you.

B. If you lose your temper first, gods will kill you first.

C. If you can’t control yourself, you will be crazy.

D. If the gods want to kill you, they will make you mad first.

Which of the following is NOT true, according to passage?

A. The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself.

B. You will make a small mistake serious if you don’t keep cool.

C. You must measure a man’s strength by the power of the feelings which conquer him.

D. Anger brings with folly and ends with regret.

Which of the following can’t help you avoid anger, according to the passage?

A. Be calm in arguing.      B. Check your temper or anger by speaking low.

C. Keep your mouth shut.   D. Try to make the other angry first.

This was no ordinary class. The students who came together were all science or engineering professors at Cornell University. They had interrupted their research to accept an invitation to take part in an unusual experiment: “an interesting week of poetry.” This class was part of a study to answer the questions: Why is science difficult for many non-science students? What can teachers learn about teaching if they take a class that is not in their field?

The students in the poetry class listened to lectures and took notes. They had reading tasks and had to write three short papers. All students noticed one thing – the importance of spoken words. In science and engineering classes, the instructors put tables and drawings on the blackboard. But in this poetry class, the instructors just talked. They didn’t write anything on the board.

The scientists and engineers noticed one similarity between science and poetry. In both subjects, students need to find layers (层次)　of meaning . Some layers are simple, clean, and on the surface; other layers are deeper and more difficult. This search for different levels of meaning doesn’t happen much in undergraduate(本科)　science classes, but it is important later, in graduate school. And it is always important in humanities(人文科学).

Both the poetry instructors and their students learned something about teaching from this experience. One poetry instructor, for example, now sees the importance of using informative as he teaches. Most of the scientists agreed on several points. First, humanities classes might help science students to see patterns and decide which information is important. Second, the poetry class was fun. One engineer decided, “We need to change the way we teach engineering to make to make it an enjoyable experience for students.”

But perhaps the most important result of the experience was this; All of the professors began to think about how they teach and how they cam teach better. 

What do we know about this unusual class?

A. The teachers did lots of writing on the board

B. The teacher were invited to attend several lectures.

C. The student were professors from a university

D. The students were studying science and humanities.

The experiment was designed to find out             

 A. how to teach the students in the science class

B. whether poetry is difficult for science students

C. what to be taught in the humanities class

D. why many humanities students find science hard.

Finding levels of meaning is            .

 A. important for graduate students in humanities

B. difficult for graduate students in humanities

C. common for undergraduate students in science

D. easy for undergraduate students in science.

What did the science professors learn after the experiment?

 A. They should change the way they teach

B. A poem could be explained in clear definitions.

C. A poetry class could be more informative.

D. Their teaching was an enjoyable experience.

The Law to Keep the Oil Industry under Control

       The Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting over such problems, and few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long. As on Norwegian politician said last week: “We will soon be changed beyond all recognition.”

       Ever since the war, the Government has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle. During the past few years this programme has had a great deal of success: Tromso（特罗姆瑟[挪威北部港市]）has been built up into a local capital with a university, a large hospital and a healthy industry. But the oil industry has already started to draw people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins.

       The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. With nearly 100 percent employment, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad.

       The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegian way of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian. And it is the farmers and the fishermen who are most critical of the oil industry because of the damage that it might cause to the countryside and to the sea.

The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to

A provide more jobs for foreign workers.

B slow down the rate of its development.

C sell the oil it is producing abroad.

D develop more quickly than at present.

The Norwegian Government has tried to

A encourage the oil companies to discover new oil sources.

B prevent oil companies employing people from northern Norway.

C help the oil companies solve many of their problems.

D keep the oil industry to something near its present size.

According to the passage, the oil industry might lead northern Norway to

A the development of industry.

B a growth in population.

C the failure of the development programme.

D the development of new towns.

In the south, one effect to the development of the oil industry might be

A a large reduction on unemployment.

B a growth in the tourist industry.

C a reduction in the number of existing industries.

D the development of a number of service industries.

Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because

A they form such a large part of Norwegian ideal.

B their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal.

C their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society.

D they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life.

Antarctica and Environment

       Antarctica has actually become a kind of space station – a unique observation post for detecting important changes in the world’s environment. Remote from major sources of pollution and the complex geological and ecological systems that prevail elsewhere, Antarctica makes possible scientific measurements that are often sharper and easier to interpret than those made in other parts of the world.

       Growing numbers of scientists therefore see Antarctica as a distant-early-warning sensor, where potentially dangerous global trends may be spotted before they show up to the north. One promising field of investigation is glaciology. Scholars from the United States, Switzerland, and France are pursuing seven separate but related projects that reflect their concern for the health of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – a concern they believe the world at large should share.

       The Transantarctic Mountain, some of them more than 14,000 feet high, divide the continent into two very different regions. The part of the continent to the “east” of the mountains is a high plateau covered by an ice sheet nearly two miles thick. “West” of the mountain, the half of the continent south of the Americas is also covered by an ice sheet, but there the ice rests on rock that is mostly well below sea level. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet disappeared, the western part of the continent would be reduced to a sparse cluster of island.

       While ice and snow are obviously central to many environmental experiments, others focus on the mysterious “dry valley” of Antarctica, valleys that contain little ice or snow even in the depths of winter. Slashed through the mountains of southern Victoria Land, these valleys once held enormous glaciers that descended 9,000 feet from the polar plateau to the Ross Sea. Now the glaciers are gone, perhaps a casualty of the global warming trend during the 10,000 years since the ice age. Even the snow that falls in the dry valleys is blasted out by vicious winds that roars down from the polar plateau to the sea. Left bare are spectacular gorges, rippled fields of sand dunes, clusters of boulders sculptured into fantastic shapes by 100-mile-an-hour winds, and an aura of extraterrestrial desolation.

       Despite the unearthly aspect of the dry valleys, some scientists believe they may carry a message of hope of the verdant parts of the earth. Some scientists believe that in some cases the dry valleys may soak up pollutants faster than pollutants enter them.

What is the best title for this passage?

A Antarctica and environmental Problems.

B Antarctica: Earth’s Early-Warning station.

C Antarctica: a Unique Observation Post.

D Antarctica: a Mysterious Place.

What would the result be if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet disappeared?

A The western part of the continent would be disappeared.

B The western part of the continent would be reduced.

C The western part of the continent would become scattered Islands.

D The western part of the continent would be reduced to a cluster of Islands.

Why are the Dry Valleys left bare?

A Vicious wind blasts the snow away.                B It rarely snows.

C Because of the global warming trend and fierce wind.  D Sand dunes.

Which of the following is true?

A The “Dry Valleys” have nothing left inside.

B The “Dry Valleys” never held glaciers.

C The “Dry Valleys” may carry a message of hope for the verdant.

D The “Dry Valleys” are useless to scientists.

—I just wonder        that made Mark Twain so famous a writer.

—Of course his early experiences.

A. it was what               B. what he did                     C. how he did               D. what it was

                     Dropouts for Ph. D. s

  Educators are seriously concerned about the high rate of dropouts among the doctor of philosophy candidates and the consequent loss of talent to a nation in need of Ph. D. s. Some have placed the dropouts loss as high as 50 percent. The extent of the loss was, however, largely a matter of expert guessing. Last week a well-rounded study was published. It was published. It was based on 22,000 questionnaires sent to former graduate students who were enrolled in 24 universities and it seemed to show many past fears to be groundless.

  The dropouts rate was found to be 31 per cent, and in most cases the dropouts, while not completing the Ph. D. requirement, went on to productive work. They are not only doing well financially, but, according to the report, are not far below the income levels of those who went on to complete their doctorates.

  Discussing the study last week, Dr. Tucker said the project was initiated ‘because of the concern frequently expressed by graduate faculties and administrators that some of the individuals who dropped out of Ph. D. programs were capable of competing the requirement for the degree. Attrition at the Ph. D. level is also thought to be a waste of precious faculty time and a drain on university resources already being used to capacity. Some people expressed the opinion that the shortage of highly trained specialists and college teachers could be reduced by persuading the dropouts to return to graduate schools to complete the Ph. D.’

  “The results of our research” Dr. Tucker concluded, “did not support these opinions.”

1).   Lack of motivation was the principal reason for dropping out.

2).   Most dropouts went as far in their doctoral program as was consistent with their levels of ability or their specialities（特性）

3).   Most dropouts are now engaged in work consistent with their education and motivation.

  Nearly 75 per cent of the dropouts said there was no academic reason for their decision, but those who mentioned academic reason cited failure to pass the qualifying examination, uncompleted research and failure to pass language exams. Among the single most important personal reasons identified by dropouts for non-completion of their Ph. D. program, lack of finances was marked by 19 per cent.

  As an indication of how well the dropouts were doing, a chart showed 2% in humanities were receiving $ 20,000 and more annually while none of the Ph. D. ‘s with that background reached this figure. The Ph. D. ‘s shone in the $ 7,500 to $ 15,000 bracket with 78% at that level against 50% for the dropouts. This may also be an indication of the fact that top salaries in the academic fields, where Ph. D. ‘s tend to rise to the highest salaries, are still lagging behind other fields.

  As to the possibility of getting dropouts back on campus, the outlook was glum. The main condition which would have to prevail for at least 25 % of the dropouts who might consider returning to graduate school would be to guarantee that they would retain their present level of income and in some cases their present job.

The author states that many educators feel that

A steps should be taken to get the dropouts back to campus.

B the dropouts should return to a lower quality school to continue their study.

C the Ph. D. holder is generally a better adjusted person than the dropout.

D The high dropouts rate is largely attributable to the lack of stimulation on the part of faculty members.

Research has shown that

A Dropouts are substantially below Ph. D. ‘s in financial attainment.

B the incentive factor is a minor one in regard to pursuing Ph. D. studies.

C The Ph. D. candidate is likely to change his field of specialization if he drops out.

D about one-third of those who start Ph. D. work do not complete the work to earn the degree.

Meeting foreign language requirements for the Ph. D.

A is the most frequent reason for dropping out.

B is more difficult for the science candidate than for the humanities candidate.

C is an essential part of many Ph. D. programs.

D does not vary in difficulty among universities.

After reading the article, one would refrain from concluding that

A optimism reigns in regard to getting Ph. D. dropouts to return to their pursuit of the degree.

B a Ph. D. dropout, by and large, does not have what it takes to learn the degree.

C colleges and universities employ a substantial number of Ph. D. dropouts.

D Ph. D. ‘s are not earning what they deserve in nonacademic positions.

It can be inferred that the high rate of dropouts lies in

A salary for Ph. D. too low.      B academic requirement too high.

C salary for dropouts too high.   D 1,000 positions.

China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.

    Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.

The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?

    At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.

What is the average housing price per square meter in China?

    A. 8,000 yuan    B. 10,000 yuan     C. 7,000 yuan    D. It’s not mentioned here

Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?

    A. Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities.

    B. American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.

    C. The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses.

    D. There are more people who need houses in China.

What is the main idea of this passage?

    A. The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it.

    B. There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market

    C. The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States

    D. Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.

How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?

    A. Four    B. Three    C. Five    D. Two