Some people prefer to living in a city rather than in a country. There are several reasons.

Firstly, a city can provide more opportunity to people who want to realize their dreams. Secondly, the city life, that offers people tall buildings, huge departments and another facilities, attracted millions of people. Thirdly, leading a city life means living in comfort. Under the help of buses and subways, people find life there much easily. This is why more and more people choose to live in a city.

On Jan. 13th, 2009, the Peanut Corporation of America issued a recall (召回) for products it had made over the past six months, after five people had died and more than 400 had fallen ill with salmonella（沙门氏菌）poisoning as a result of contamination. Two weeks later, the recall was extended to more than 400 consumer products made since Jan. 1, 2007, including Jenny Craig nutritional bars and Keebler Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, while the toll from the contamination had reached eight dead and more than 500 sickened in 43 states, half of them children.
   The company's factory in Blakely, Ga., which was the source of the contamination, supplied some of the largest food makers in the nation. The outbreak showed the complexities of the industrial food chain, and left consumers to figure out if some food in their cabinets had a danger. The recall of peanut products is the latest in a series of increasingly severe food contamination scares involving tomatoes, spinach, cantaloupes and other foods.
   The Georgia plant, which is closed, packed peanut butter in bulk ranging from 5 to 1,700 pounds, much of which was shipped to institutions. Many school districts have pulled peanut butter from menus, with some substituting more commonly recognized supermarket brands. New York City school officials said they had not bought any peanut butter or products with ingredients that originated at the Georgia plant.
   An F.D.A. inspection team that visited the plant on Jan. 9 discovered that on 12 occasions in 2007 and 2008 tests conducted by the company found salmonella contamination in its products but that it shipped the contaminated products to customers after a retest found no contamination and did nothing to clean the plant.

57. We can learn from the passage that__________.

A. 13 persons have died because of the poisoning

B. people may now worry about the food at their homes.

C. people can return the food to the supermarkets

D. half of the school children have fallen ill

58. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Much of the peanut butter produced in the plant was supplied to schools.

B. It is the first time that the virus has been found in the products in this company.

C. Some consumer products made since nearly two years ago were also recalled.

D. There have been some other food concerns besides peanut products recently.

59. What can be inferred from the fact that the recall was extended?

A. The outbreak showed the complication of the food chain.

B. The poisoning has been found in the products made much earlier.

C. The poisoning has been found in more products.

D. More persons would die or get ill after having the products.

60. The passage is mainly about___________.

A. the importance of food inspection in the US

B. the problems in the US food industry

C. food poisoning in some schools

D. a recall for peanut products of a company

WHEN an NBA player is young he thinks he can win the championship by himself. It is only later when he has aged and been through many battles that he learns an important lesson: there is no "I" in "team".
   There is no better example of the value of teamwork than the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were all superstars on three different teams. Yet, none of them had any titles to show for it. Then, last season, they decided to sacrifice money and individual statistics to play together. Garnett and Allen joined Pierce on the Celtics and changed the NBA in the process.
   It started in simple ways. Garnett and Allen are two of the most intense athletes in the world. They treat every second of every practice like it is the NBA championship. If you want to play alongside them then you will have to do the same. So, the young guys on the Celtics started giving their full effort too.
   Pierce had been the star of the Celtics for many years. He used to shoot the ball many times a game. But with the addition of Allen and Garnett he shot less and focused on defense. His selflessness showed the young players that doing what made the team better was the only thing that mattered.
   When the Celtics were winning and the game was almost over, Garnett, Pierce and Allen would come out of the game. But they wouldn’t just sit on the bench. Instead, they stood and cheered and screamed for their teammates. They wanted to support their friends and teammates.
   Now, the guys who don't play know they can still affect the game by cheering so they scream and cheer when Garnett, Allen and Pierce are playing. The Celtics have developed a strong relationship. They are more than just teammates. They are brothers.
   The result: the Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA championship and are considered the favorites to win the Eastern Conference championship again this year.
   There is a saying that goes, "A successful team beats with one heart." If that is the case, the Celtics may have the biggest heart in the NBA.

52. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The stories of three famous basketball superstars.
B. The importance of teamwork among teammates.
C. A famous basketball team named the Boston Celtics.
D. Matches between the Boston Celtics and other teams.

53. From the passage, we can see that _________.
A. most mature NBA players believe they can win the championship by themselves
B. Pierce, Garnett and Allen had to give up personal glory for team success
C. Allen, Pierce, together with Garnett had been the stars of the Celtics for many years
D. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett had won NBA championships before they joined    hands.

54. What does this sentence “there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’.” mean in Paragraph 1?
A. "I" will be missing once "I" am on the court.
B. "I" work so hard in a team that "I" will forget who "I" am.
C. The members of the team are more important than the individual.
D. Surrounded by other players, "I" don’t seem to exist.

55. Which of the following is NOT true about Pierce’s recent performance?
A. He became an even better shooter with others’ help.
B. He focused much more attention on defense.
C. He created more chances for teammates.
D. He stood and cheered for his teammates.

56. Which of the following didn’t contribute to the success of the Boston Celtics?
A. The whole team has become devoted to each and every stage of the game. 
B. The cooperation and teamwork among the teammates in the match.
C. The influence of Garnett, Allen, Pierce and other teammates’ cheering.     
D. The increasing frequency of team players on the bench.

     Police today stepped up a murder probe after a father was killed by a gang. They attacked him with an axe.

  John Purcell, 40, suffered fatal injuries in the incident in Easterhouse, Glasgow on Saturday evening… moments after he had said goodbye to his children. His youngest son John, 11, was being comforted by his mum Elizabeth Malcolm after witnessing the street horror. The father-of-three was attacked around 10:30 in Easterhouse Road.

  Young John said, “My father was struck from behind with something that looked like a chopper.” John, his sister Danielle, 15, and bother William, 19, have been left devastated and placed a floral tribute（葬礼献花）at the attack scene in memory of their dad. Elizabeth Malcolm said, “We are all in shock about what had happened. When he left here he usually turned left down the road, but for some reason on Saturday he went in the opposite direction which is where the gang members always hang out.”

  “We have been apart for a number of years, but John always remained close to his children and this has hit them hard,” she said.

  Police officers initially sealed off the area for forensic examination but later allowed his relatives to lay flowers. Following a post-mortem（尸检报告）, Mr. Purcell’s death is being treated as murder. He had been taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Hospital but died from his severe injuries. Detective Chief Inspector John Riggans, who is leading the investigation, appealed for witnesses to come forward and said, “Inquiries are at an early stage and we are trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack scene for the moment.”

48.   Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. John Purcell was attacked around 10:30 pm in Easterhouse Road.

B. John Purcell had three children, but he did not live with them.

C. Before the murder, John Purcell went out and turned left down the road.

D. Detective Chief Inspector John Riggans did not catch the murderer.

49.   What can we infer from the passage?

A. John Purcell lived with his wife Elizabeth Malcolm before the murder.

B. John, as well as his sister and brother, loved John Purcell deeply.

C. John Purcell was attacked by a gang with a gun.

D. Detective Chief Inspector John Riggans did nothing but wait.

50.   The word “devastated” in the third paragraph probably means___________.

A. upset          B. indifferent          C. sorrowful          D. disappointed

51. What is the best title of the passage?

A. An Unbelievable Tragedy.             B. Father’s Love.

C. A Great Detective.                       D. The Conflict between Wife and Husband.

    Having crossed mountains and plains, rivers and lakes, some of France’s greatest works of art are now on display at China’s National Museum of fine Arts. Fifty-one Impressionist paintings are forming part of an exhibition in Beijing to kick off the Year of France.

   The show is being held in the capital between October 10 and November 27. Then it will move on to Shanghai and Hong Kong.

   “It is such a good  opportunity to see the masters’ works up close,” said Feng Jiajia, a Senior student form the High School Affiliated to the Academy of Art and Design. Although Feng is very busy with his studies at the moment he says he will definitely make time to see the exhibition. “I hope it will inspire me and help me with my own work,” he said.

   Worth a total of US $600 million, the paintings ate by French Impressionist masters, including Monet, Cezanne, Renoir and Degas.

   As an art style, Impressionism was developed in France during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Their work was a fresh and original way of painting. It seems that the artists painted a scene after just a quick look at it.

   Often painting outside, rather than in a studio, the artists observed nature more directly and tried to capture individual moments in time especially the changing light of the sun. They avoided black and earth colors and as a result their work is often very bright and can also look like that it is shining.

   When they first appeared, the artists were criticized for not finishing their paintings and for being lazy. Critics said the Impressionists were satisfied with just a few inexact brushstrokes （笔画）instead of completing a real painting. It was an art critic who first used the term “Impressionist” in a review of Monet’s work “Impression, Sunrise”(1873) to satirize（讽刺） his loose, inexact manner of painting.

   “Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love,” said Monet.

   Monet is the leading figure in the creation of Impressionism. He painted sunlit rivers and gardens with forceful brushstrokes and bright colors, in which objects lose their shape in the light. Monet’s painting reached its height in his later life with his paintings of water lilies.

44. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Monet is the leading figure in the creation of Impressionism.

B. The show of fifty-one Impressionists’ paintings will move on to Shanghai and Hong Kong.

C. Impressionism was developed in France during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

D. Fifty-one Impressionists’ paintings are now on display in Beijing as part of the Year of France.

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

A. We can see other French art works at China’s National Museum of Fine Arts besides the Impressionists’ paintings.

B. People can buy French Impressionist masters’ paintings at China’s National Museum of Fine Arts.

C. Beijing is the first place where the Impressionists’ paintings are on display.

D. Monet’s most expensive works are the paintings of water lilies.

46. Which of the following is likely to be an Impressionist’s painting?

A. Portrait of God.                         B. A girl with a vase.

C. Thunder and lightening.              D. Beautiful lake in the sunshine.

47. What can be concluded from the passage?

A. Most of the paintings by the Impressionists were finished in a hurry or unfinished.

B. People didn’t like the Impressionists’ paintings when they came into being.

C. The Impressionists painted a scene after just a quick look at it.

D. Impressionists finished their paintings according to their imagination.

Coupons to spend

“HOW did you spend your coupons?”
   On their first day back to school, many students in Hangzhou greeted each other this way.
   The coupons referred to are the 100yuan coupons each student received from the city government before the Spring Festival holidays. Over 260,000 primary school and middle school students were given coupons. They could use them in local stores and supermarkets, or to see movies and buy books.
   The same coupons have also been given to low income families in Hangzhou. Other cities, including Chengdu and Nanjing, also issued coupons to their citizens. More cities are expected to follow their lead.
   Why are local governments doing this?
   These programs are all part of a broader effort in China to increase domestic demand in the face of the global financial crisis.
   The crisis has seriously affected China's exports and investments. Factories in southern cities have been closed down. Companies are laying off workers or reducing their pay. The stock market and real estate market have been falling.
   In a time of financial crisis, people usually respond by saving money. They are uncertain about the future and are afraid that more difficult times may be ahead. Now many people are choosing not to spend money carelessly. Major chain stores have seen a sharp slowdown in sales, analysts say.
   But spending keeps an economy healthy. If people don't spend, there will be too many products in the markets. Then shops will stop buying products from factories. When factories receive no orders, they close down. The workers there accordingly lose their jobs. Also, if people don't spend, the service industry suffers. The total result is that the whole economy breaks down.
   Issuing coupons is a practical and effective way to increase domestic demand in the current situation, said Jiang Zengwei, vice-minister of China's Ministry of Commerce. Hangzhou reported a rise in customers in local markets during Spring Festival holiday.

However, issuing coupons is only a temporary measure. To increase consumers' confidence, the government needs to establish a sound secure social system in the long term. When people don't have to worry about education, health care and their pension, they will be more willing to spend instead of saving.

41. Why does the government issue coupons?

A. To avoid financial crisis.

B. To expand market need at home.

C. To save money.

D. To help citizens enjoy themselves.

42.   The underlined phrase “follow their lead” means “___________”.

A. be the leader or head

B. encourage others by doing something first

C. do as somebody else has done

D. go straight forward

43. These factors contrite to consumers’ hesitation to spend their money in the current situation EXCEPT__________.

A. their salary not high enough

B. their worry about education, healthcare and pension

C. their uncertainty about their future

D. their lack of confidence

______ in a friendly way, their quarrel came to an end.

   A. Being settled    B. Settled         C. Having settled       D. Settling

The telephone ______ four times in the last hour, and each time it ______ for my roommate.

      A. has rung; was                        B. has been ringing; is 

C. had rung; was                        D. rang; has been

She must be looking forward as much to his return as he himself is to ______ her.

   A. see             B. have seen       C. seeing               D. having seen

He often writes to us expressing his hope ______ he’ll come to see us when he returns to China.

   A. which            B. that              C. what               D. whether