Age has its special advantages in America .  And one of the more impressive of them is the senior citizen discount .  Anyone who has reached a certain age ― in some cases as low as 55 ― is automatically entitled to plenty of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life .  Eligibility (资格) is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate .  Practically the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses ― as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners .  

       People with array hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them ; yet , millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent (有支付能力的) .  Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans .  The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “ elderly ” and “ needy ” are synonymous (同义的) .  Perhaps that once was true , but today , to be sure , there is economic variety within the elderly , and most of them aren’t poor .  

       It is impossible to determine the effect of the discounts on individual companies .  For many firms , they are a stimulus to income .  But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense , directly or indirectly , of younger Americans .  Moreover , they directly annoy some politicians and scholars who consider it a coming conflict between the generations .  

       Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits , which mostly involves a transfer of resources from the young to the old .  Employment is another point .  Supported by laws and court decisions , more and more older Americans are refusing the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job ― thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers .  Far from a kind of charity they once were , senior citizen discounts have become a powerful economic privilege (特权) to a group with millions of members who don’t need them .  

       It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others .  Senior citizen discounts only enrich the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment ; and they threaten the creation of a new myth , that the elderly are ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups .  Senior citizen discounts are the heart of the very thing older Americans are fighting against ― discrimination by age .  

72. We learn from the first paragraph that ______

A. offering senior citizen discounts has become routine commercial practice

B. senior citizen discounts have enabled many old people to live a good life

C. giving senior citizen discounts has increased the market for the elderly

D. senior citizens have to show their birth certificates to get a discount

73. The reason to gibe the senior citizen discount is that ____________

A. the elderly need humane help from society

B. businesses should do something for society in return

C. old people are entitled to special treatment for their contribution to society

D. the senior discounts can make up for the lack of the Social Security system

74. What does the author think of the Social Security system ?

A. It encourages elderly people to retire in time

B. It opens up broad career chances for young people

C. It benefits the old at the expense of the young

D. It should be strengthened by laws and court decisions

75. What does the author mainly argue in the passage ?

A. Senior citizens should fight hard against age discrimination

B. The elderly are selfish and taking senior discounts for granted

C. Senior citizen discounts may well be a type of age discrimination

D. Discounts should be given to the economics needs of senior citizens

DESIGN ― A ― LOGO CONTEST

       We need a logo ― a graphic (绘画的) image ― that will be the perfect symbol of our great new Wellsville Skate Park .  We would like those of you who are counting the days until the grand opening to design an appropriate logo that can be used on stationery .  business cards , fliers , brochures , posters and T ― shirts .  An appropriate , well ― designed logo will provide an opportunity for young artists to receive recognition as well as great prizes .  If you are interested , here are the things you need to know :

MALL ENTRY FORMS AND DESIGNS TO :

Wellsville Skate Park Logo Contest

Riverside Recreation Center

1295 New Rockford Hwy .  Riverside , VA23226

56. At the beginning , the advertisement tries to encourage readers to enter the contest by _____

       A. offering prizes                                             B. showing sample logos

       C. explaining the rules                                       D. relating graphic details

57. According to Logo requirements , the submitted design must ________

       A. use at least four colors                                 B. be in a round shape

       C. include the full park name                             D. be based on simple ideas

58. How will winners be announced ?

       A. By mail                                                       B. By telephone

       C. On the radio                                                D. On the website

59. Which website would be most helpful for contestants ?  

       A. Website Design and Logo Design Company

       B. Business Logos Designed Fast

       C. Before and After : A Logo Design History

       D. Designing Logo : A Guide

Rising above the names

I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice.

“Mom, come here! There’s this lady here my size!”

The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize.

I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?”

He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?”

“Yes, I have a son,” I answered.

“Why are you so little?” he asked.

“It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.

My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.

It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.

I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids picked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.

But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.

I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have a great family, nice friends.”

It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.

56．Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A．Because the boy ran into the author.

B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

C．Because they boy said the author was fatter than him.

D．Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

57．When did the author realize that she was too short?

A．When she grew up.

B．When she was 47 years old.

C．When she began to go to school.

D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

58．Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?

A．dismissed                   B．increased             C．decreased            D．discriminated

59．How does the author feel about people’s stares?

A．Angry.                       B．Calm.                  C．Painful.               D．Discouraged.

B

Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

The United States federal government had two young men in the state of Tennessee arrested on October 22 on unknown charges.

In court documents published on Monday, it came to light that the men had discussed attacking an African American school and killing 14 of them.

Another crime was about planning to murder Presidential candidate Barack Obama. According to their affidavits (口供), the suspects’ “final act of violence” would be when they attacked Obama while wearing white suits and top hats and driving “their vehicle as fast as they could toward Obama shooting at him from the windows.”

The two suspects are Paul Schlesselman, 18, of West Helena, Arkansas and Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tennessee. According to the court papers, they met last month over the Internet through a friend. Schlesselman and Cowart are believed to share “very strong views” about White Power.

Schlesselman listed “being racist” as his occupation on his MySpace page. He further wrote: “I’m white. I’m proud. I get angry. I like guns.”

Cowart also had a MySpace page on which photos of guns were presented under a heading of “My Guns”. On his page he wrote, “Better to die quick fighting on your feet than to live forever begging on your knees.”

Some have questioned the pair’s ability to carry out the charged plan, but authorities have been very concerned about Obama as the first black presidential candidate from a major party.

“We honestly don’t know if they had the ability or the skill to carry out the kind of plan that they talked about.” said Malcolm Wiley, of the United States Secret Service in an interview with The New York Times. “But we take any threat seriously no matter how big or how small it is.”

Cowart and Schlesselman are scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday.

60．The passage is mainly about           .

A．Americans’ attitudes towards Barack Obama

B．two young men planning to commit violence

C．the violence in the United States

D．the disadvantages of the Internet

61．From the passage, we can know that the two young men         .

A．shot 14 students in an African American school

B．came from the state of Tennessee

C．were proud of Barack Obama

D．have not been sentenced yet

62．Which of the following shows the right order of the events?

a．The two suspects were arrested.

b．The two suspects will be tried in the court.

c．Cowart set up his MySpace page on the Internet.

d．Malcolm Wiley was interviewed by The New York Times.

A．a; b; c; d                    B．d; c; b; a             C．c; a; d; b             D．c; a; b; d

63．What can we infer from the news?

A．The two young men strongly believed that the president should be a white man.

B．Most of the white people in the United States don’t like Barack Obama.

C．The two young men planned to shoot President Barack Obama.

D．The two young men were innocent in fact.

LIDAC MAYNARD

11 Windrift Circle

Methuen, MA

978 555 4539

JOB OBJECTIVE

Seek special education, primary school, or middle school math teaching position.

EDUCATION

Rivier College, Nashua, NH

Bachelor of Arts in Education May, 2006

Major: Elementary Education

Have successfully completed PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II. Meet highly qualified testing requirements for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

November, 2005 January, 2006

Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH

Student Teacher

? Developed and completed student centered lessons in all subject areas for various groups of fifth grade special and regular education students.

?Adapted lessons to meet student’s needs by reviewing their backgrounds and learning needs through IEPs.

?Communicated with parents on a regular basis via newsletters, daily or weekly progress reports, phone calls, and email, resulting in increased parental participation at home.

August, 2005 November, 2005

Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH

Student Teacher

?Taught reading and writing through Language Experience Approach methods.

?Introduced a Writer’s Workshop appropriate for first grade students to help them to develop their writing skills.

?Developed learning stations in reading and science, enabling students to be more independent learners.

Spring, 2005

Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH

Designed and taught a unit on Insects and Spiders, based on New Hampshire Standards to 23 self －contained, third and fourth grade students with disabilities.

Fall, 2004

Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH

Taught a class of 24 third grade students with a wide range of abilities.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

?After-School Aid, Amherst School District, Amherst, NH (2004 2005)

?Summer Camp advisor, YMCA, Nashua, NH (Summers, 2002 and 2003)

?Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer, Nashua, NH (2002 2005)

64．What kind of job does Linda want to get?

A．A Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer.

B．A middle school math teacher.

C．A special education advisor.

D．A summer camp advisor.

65．Linda has worked for the following schools EXCEPT        .

A．Rivier College, Nashua, NH

B．Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH

C．Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH

D．Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH

66．What can we know about Linda according to the passage?

A．She was merely interested in developing student’s math abilities.

B．She was not active in participating in after school activities.

C．She is permitted to teach in any high school of New York.

D．She has plenty of experience in teaching.

67．Which of the following is NOT included in the ways Linda used to communicate with the students’ parents?

A．Newsletters.                                               B．Phone calls.

C．Face-to-face talks.                                      D．Daily or weekly progress reports.

Like distance runners on measured course, all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern.

In the first stage of our lives, we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality (energy).

After we grow up, however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out.

A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality, yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging.

Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body. The lungs become less able to take in oxygen. Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength. The heart loses power and pumps less blood. Bones grow easier to break.

Finally, we meet a stress, a stress that is greater than our physical resistance. Often, it is only a minor accident or chance infection (a disease caused by virus), but this time, it brings life to an end.

In 1932, a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats, simply by cutting back the calories (unit for measuring the energy value of food) in their diet. The reason for the effect was then unknown.

Today, at the university of California at Berkley, Dr. Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats. The result was achieved through a special protein (蛋白质) limited diet, which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain. Seagle showed that within the brain, specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging. By changing that chemical balance, the clock of aging can be reset.

For the first time, the mystery (something that is difficult to understand or to explain) of why we age is being seriously challenged. Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries.

An average lifetime lasts 75 years, yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life. If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years.

68．What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A．Physical vitality.              B．Stress.             C．Aging.                 D．Physical resistance.

69．The author believes the following EXCEPT that         .

A．human’s life pattern is predictable

B．physical fitness can’t stop the force of aging

C．human’s lifetime will last longer than 75 years

D．all of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body

70．How did Dr. Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?

A．By limiting the protein in their diet.

B．By cutting the calories in their diet.

C．By resetting their clock of aging.

D．By keeping their physical fitness.

71．What is probably the best title for the article?

A．Two Great Experiments                               B．The Mystery of Human Life

C．Ways to lengthen Human Life                       D．The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging

Census figures (调查数据) published last Friday indicate that the number of women in management jobs rose by 95% between 1980 and 1990. Most evidenced shows that women are still in the lowest class of management and in the lowest-paying industries.

I first noticed that girls were different from boys when I was about 4 years old. No experiences either in my personal life or in my business life have caused me to change my opinion. Throughout my adult life, however, I have had to evaluate again and again these differences between men and women and how they affect the way men and women relate to one another and to the environment in which they work. Working with women has given me deep understanding I would never have gained in any other way.

Women are working at a decided disadvantage in the business world created by men to make things comfortable for men. To me, this means men often understand the rules without having to be taught or even having to think about them. It is not so easy for women. If I may fall back on typically male sports terms, women have had to learn both the game and the game plan at the same time.

At least in my own observation, women in business tend to be more honest than men. A direct question to a woman often results in a direct response. This quality makes it more difficult for women to “yes” an employer. It also makes women more trustworthy than the men who often can’t, or won’t, give a straight answer to a question. Women are also more open than men about their feelings their ambitions, and everyday situations in the office. This makes them easier to be hurt than men. Traditionally, women in business have been more severely judged than men. They have had to be better in a job than a man to get ahead.

72．What is this passage mainly about?

A．the unfair treatment the working women suffering in business

B．the differences between working men and women

C．the qualities of the working men and women

D．the author’s pity on the working women

73．The author mentions the “sports terms” to show that         .

A．women are more diligent than men

B．women are often looked down upon by men

C．women are slower in learning new things than men

D．men always make things comfortable for themselves

74．How many good qualities of women are mentioned in the last paragraph?

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

75．Which of the following will most probably be the first sentence of the fifth paragraph?

A．For example, I have interviewed many people for the job of advertising salesperson.

B．Another difference between working men and women is that men take more chances.

C．Of all the differences that I have noticed, one in particular stands out.

D．On the other hand, men also enjoy more rights than women.

2009 is the year of what? Yes, it is the year of the Ox. But do you know that 2009 is also the year of the telescope? This year the world celebrates the 400^th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s observations of the universe through an astronomical telescope. In 1609, the Italian scientist first pointed a “Dutch perspective glass” at the night sky and made discoveries that changed mankind’s conceptions of universe.

In honor of Galileo’s discoveries, the United and the I International Astronomical Union have declared 2009 to be the Inter national year of Astronomy (IYA2009)

IYA2009 is a yearlong celebration of astronomy. Its goal is to spread knowledge of astronomy’s contributions to society and culture and to inspire more interest in astronomy and science, especially among young people. The theme of the celebration is “The Universe, to Discover.”

One interesting objective of the IYA is to encourage more diversity in the field of astronomy and physics. IYAS organizers hope that the yearlong celebration of astronomy will inspire more females and underrepresented minorities to purse careers in science. An event that will help further that goal is 100 Hours of Astronomy (100HA) that will fall on April. This event aims to have as many people as possible look through a telescope. From April 2^nd to 5^th, millions of people worldwide will peer through telescopes to catch their first glimpse of the universe, just as Galileo did 40 years ago. Sidewalk astronomy events will give city-people an excellent opportunity to see the moon, the planet Saturn, and other objects in position for early evening observations.

Organizers hope that the activities of IYAA will “promote a greater appreciation of the astronomy.” So join the fun. Look through a telescope this year!

60. What does the article mainly talk about?

A. The celebration in IYA2009.

B. The activities on the 400^th anniversary of Galileo.

C. The event of 100 Hours of Astronomy.

D. How to spread knowledge of astronomy.

61. Which of the following is TRUE to the passage?

A. The IYA celebrations will fall on April lasting 100 hours.

B. IYS20009 is a yearlong celebration t honor Galileo’s Discoveries.

C. The aim of 100HA is to spread knowledge of astronomy’s contributions.

D. People worldwide will have a chance to peer the universe in 100HA.

62. What can you infer from the article?

A. More young people will take sciences as their career after a series of IYA events.

B. Minorities and females take no interest in astronomy.

C. People will have a better knowledge of the contribution of astronomy.

D. IYA2009 is the biggest event that takes place in the year of Ox.

63. What kind of article is it?

A. A news report.              B. A popular reading.

C. A tourist guide.             D. A science fiction.

When you were looking for a reliable, honest auto mechanize, how did you find him? Before you went into that restaurant you recently tried, how did you know that it served great good? If you are like most people on the planet, you want to lower your risk of a big ugly surprise so you asked people you trust to refer to a business they trust. Marketers call this friend-to friend recognition of business “word-of mouth advertising.

When you do a treat job for your customer for a band job, people are going to talk about your business. Unfortunately, because we humans seem to feel negative emotions more intensively than positive ones, there’re more likely to tell more of our friends about bad experiences with busyness than positive ones. Understand this: customer believes their own experience. You can’t make them believed that your company is wonderful when they felt they were treated badly.

So, to get positive word-of-mouth going for your business in this service- based economy, you’ve got to do a really outstanding job for everyone, exactly.

And when you do, you build a great reputation. That takes time. But it forms a close link with your customers in a way that no advertising and no promotional coupon ever could.

The good news is that because there are so many different businesses chasing after your customers’ money, people want to know whom they can trust. So people are going to be talking about you. Create a free sales force for your business an army of delighted customers who tell everyone that they know how good your company is to do business with. That’s great antidote to defectionitis.

64. What is the main topic of this passage?

A. A good name will bring you money.

B. A person should rely on his friends for business.

C. Advertising can make customers believe its wonderful.

D. A company can rely on its associates to survive.

65. According to the passage, whether we go to a place or not depend on ____.

A. business fames                  B. media assistance

C. particular recognition          D. associates’ recommendation

66. When you do an outstanding job in service, you will surely _____

A. Make more money than you expect

B. Have a mutual understanding with your customers

C. Build a great reputation immediately

D. Earn your fame as well as advertise for your company

67. The underlined word “defectionitis” probably means ______

A. service imperfection                B. customers’ distrust

C. customers’ protection           D. service advertisement

The word “conservation” has a thrifty meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such a good condition that other s may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials: most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish ideas that the treasures were “limitless” and could “last forever”. Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to others.

Fifty years ago, nature study was not part of school work: scientific forestry was a new idea; wood was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climate cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word “conservation” had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.

For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about correcting the mistakes of our forefathers .Conservation should be made part of everybody’s daily life. To know about the water table in ground is jus as important to us as knowledge of the basic math formulas. We need to know why all watersheds need the protection of planet life and why the running, current of streams and rivers must the duly of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, grown trees, because living space for most man’s fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measures of surface but also in cubic volume above the earth. In a word, it should be our goal to restore as much as the original beautify of nature as we can.

68. The author’s attitude towards the use of natural resources is ____

A. Positive       B. uninterested       C. optimistic       D. critical

69. According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that ______

A. They dad no idea about scientific forestry

B. They dad littler or no sense of environment protection

C. They were not awore of the importance of nature study

D. They dad no idea of how to make good of raw materials

70. To avoid repeating, the mistakes of our forefathers, the author suggests that _____

A. We plant more trees

B. Natural sciences he taught to everybody

C. Environmental education be given to everybody

D. We return to nature

71. How can you understand the underlined sentence in the lat paragraph?

A. Our living space on the hearth is getting smaller and smaller.

B. Our living space should be measured in cubic volume.

C. We need to take some measures to protect space.

D. We must preserve good living condition for both birds and animals.