Forget Miami, Los Angeles and New York. – The next big Latin music explosion is on its way in secondary markets across the United States, and the numbers are there to back it up. Among all categories, Latin music was the only one registering growth in 2005. From tiny Vero Beach in northern Florida to Des Moines, Iowa, in the heart of the Midwest, from Charlotte, N.C．to Salt Lake City, Latin music sales are skyrocketing.

Wilson says there are two major reasons for the increase. One is simply the Hispanic（来自说西班牙语国家的） population’s increase in specific areas, which encourages stores to carry Latin product for the first time. Second, and perhaps more important, is the fact that major companies－whether dealing in music or not－are addressing the Latin consumer at a corporate level, creating Latin departments and hiring Latin ad agencies. One of Handleman’s suburban Detroit stores, for example, has expanded its Latin section four times in the last two years. Cities like Milwaukee and Des Moines are now stocking Latin product.

Besides, it also results from economic development. It goes something like this: more often than not, a city or country with a seemingly important Hispanic population will suddenly expand its construction or offer affordable housing to those working in larger, neighboring cities. This attracts lower-income workers, many of whom are Latin. Small shops and groceries begin to stock a small selection of music. When the Latin population numbers reach a critical mass, the local mass merchant, if there is one, begins stocking the product. Sooner or later, a local radio station follows; first AM, then FM. Sometimes it’s a cable TV show or a small TV station.

Of course, there are other driving forces that should not be forgotten, for example, regional Mexican music.

1．The passage mainly tells readers _____.

       A．that more and more Americans like Latin music

       B．what makes Latin music develop fast in American market

       C．why Latin music becomes Americans’ favorite music

       D．that Latin music is bringing in more benefits for Americans

2．The underlined word “skyrocketing” in the first paragraph means “_____”.

       A．changing very quickly                          B．disappearing slowly

       C．recovering slowly                                D．increasing very quickly

3．According to the third paragraph, which shows the right relations among the following things?

       ①economic development                           ②more Latin workers

③shops’ stock of Latin music                    ④local radio station

⑤small TV station                                     ⑥the development of Latin music

A．①                          B．  ①                       C．   ①                D． ①

↓                                   ↘                            ↙                           ↓

②                          ⑤       ②                     ②                               ②

↙↓↘                       ↑       ↓                   ↙↘                                                                      

③ ④ ⑤                     ⑥       ③           ③  ④  ⑤       ③  ④  ⑤ ⑥

↘↓↙                       ↖  ↙             ↖ ↑ ↗

⑥                             ④                  ⑥

4．Suppose that the passage doesn’t finish, which of the following may be discussed next?

       A．The variety of Latin music in America.

       B．The economic development in Hispanic area.

       C．The historic development of regional Mexican music.

       D．The driving forces of regional Mexican music.

Have you experienced the 2009’s Oscar best movie called Slum-dog Millionaire （《贫民富翁》）?

This film is about a poor Indian boy from the slums （贫民窟）, Jamal, who ends up winning the grand prize in a show— “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”. The night before he answers the prize-winning questions, Jamal is arrested by the police and hurt severely. They don't believe a slumdog like Jamal can answer seven questions correctly and possibly win 20 million rupees. But, as the movie unfolds, Jamal let out the secret how he found the answers to each of the questions. Viewers also learn about Jamal's childhood, his selfish older brother Salim, and his childhood love, Latika.

The movie's point, however, is not just to tell a typical story of an underdog （弱者） who becomes a hero. The director also uses Slum-Dog Millionaire to give viewers a taste of India. The movie begins in Jamal's childhood home in the slums of India. The place where he and his family lived reminds one of the hutong that used to make up a large part of old Beijing. Jamal and his brother grow and travel across India, meanwhile surviving as slum-dogs and cheaters, and India ages with them. By the time Jamal is 17 or 18, his old home has been replaced by a giant  financial center. Jamal and Salim take a moment to recall about their old lives, as they stand high up in a tall building that is still under construction. That view from above reminded me of a similar view I had just two years ago in China: I was standing there in the living room of a family friend's modern apartment, looking out through a window, down to some shacks （简陋的房屋） below, just next to the building complex. It was amazing how riches and poverty could live so close together.    

The thing that was most appealing about the movie, to me and my Indian friends, was how we could understand the story presented in the movie. More important than the story was the window on the social and economic situations in Asia that it provided.

1．Which of the following is TRUE about the movie?

       A．Jamal finally won a big prize after struggling hard to earn an honest living.

       B．Suspected （怀疑）of cheating, Jamal was arrested by the police before winning the prize.

       C．With tall buildings being built up everywhere, slums in India have disappeared.

       D．Jamal remained in his childhood home in the slums before he was 17 or 18.

2．Viewers can learn from the movie EXCEPT __________.

       A．Jamal’s childhood and his bitter experience of wandering across the country

       B．the rapid social changes and economic development in India

       C．the poor life of people in the slums against the development of cities in India

       D．the secret of becoming a millionaire through personal struggle

3．Why does the movie appeal to the writer?

       A．It’s a typical story of the underdog who becomes a hero, which she admires most.

       B．It’s an Oscar best movie that helps her understand the human nature.

       C．It has an exciting and complicated plot that attracts her very much.

       D．It reminds her of her experience in China and helps her know about Asian countries like India.

4．The writer wrote the passage to____________.

       A．introduce a movie to readers and share her views about it.

       B．persuade more viewers to go to the cinema to see the movie.

       C．express her enthusiasm towards Asia and its culture.

       D．reveal the true social reality in most developing countries.

The spectacular Victoria Falls links two countries, Zimbabwe and Zambia．It was discovered by David Livingstone in November 1855 and is known in the local language, as Mosi-oa-tunya, “the smoke that thunders”．It was Livingstone who named Victoria Falls after his Queen and stated in his own famous diary entry--- “Angels in their flight must have gazed．”

Adventure sports and a range of accommodation

The rustic（乡村的）Victoria Fall town--- just ten minutes from the Fall, and on the outskirts of the Zambezi National Park--- has all facilities necessary to act as a base for exploring the region．Accommodation is plentiful--- from low budget campsites to luxury hotels．

And across the border in Livingstone, Zambia, visitors will find a town suitable for the adventure sports enthusiasts with lots of travel and adventure sports companies．

Victoria Bridge--- the third highest Bungee jump in the world

At a height of 364 feet, the Victoria Falls Bridge, completed in 1905, is the world’s third highest Bungee jump, though the scream factor is arguably the loudest, making it a great draw-card for adventure sports enthusiasts．While dropping into the abyss （深渊）, you will be blasted with spray from the thundering Victoria Falls, and then jerked （猛烈） back to reality within inches of the swirling eddies （漩涡） of the Zambezi below．

How to enjoy the Victoria Falls Experience--- take to the sky’s and the water

Anyone can pay an entrance fee and walk around the ridge of Victoria Falls and take some good pictures to send home, but to truly experience the size and scope of the spray, you’ve got to get airborne, and there are options--- tame and a little wild: fixed wing planes, helicopters, microlights．

River Rafting, in many shapes and sizes, is conducted on both sides of the Zambezi River, in Zimbabwe and Zambia below Victoria Falls．

1．What is the passage mainly about?

     A．The introduction to the adventure sports at Victoria Falls．     

  B．The description of the beauty of Victoria Fall．

     C．The development of the adventure sports in this region．

     D．The introduction to the options of accommodation in this region．

2．What does David Livingstone think of Victoria Falls by saying “Angels in their flight must

have gazed．”?

  A．Quite mysterious．                            B．A bit dangerous

 C．Amazingly beautiful．                        D．Out of reach．

3．The author believe that the best way to experience Victoria Falls is______________．

     A．on foot       B．by Bungee jump        C．by air      D．by river rafting

4．Which of the following best shows the relationship of the following places?

最近，你校组织学生到农村进行一次社会实践活动，调查“富民政策”实施后，农村物质和精神方面的新面貌。下列四幅图画描绘了你们在农村的所见所闻。请根据图画内容，用英语写一篇实践活动报告。

注意：

1．词数：120左右；开头部分已给出，不计入总词数。

2．运用想象，可适当发挥；

3．参考词汇：富民政策rich-peasant policy；

Last weekend, our school organized a social activity．

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that is one word more than you need.

Think you can walk, rive, take phone calls, email and listen to music at the same time? Well, New York’s new law says you can’t. and you I’ll be  1  $100 if you do it on a New York City street.

The law went into force last year, following recent research and a （n）  2  number of accidents that involved people using electronic devices when crossing the street.

Who’s to  3  ? scientists say that our multitasking（处理多重任务的）abilities are limited.

“We are under the impression that our brain can do more than it often can ,” says Rene Marois, a scientist in Tennessee. “But a major limitation is the inability to  4  on two things at once.”

The young are often considered the great multitaskers. However, an Oxford University research suggests this idea is open to question. A group of 18-to 21-year-olds and a group of 35-to 39-year-olds were given 90 seconds to translate  5  into numbers, using a simple code. The younger group did 10 percent better when not interrupted. But when both groups were interrupted by a phone cal or a （n）   6  message, the older group matched the younger group in speed and  7  .

It is difficult to measure the productivity lost by multitaskers. But it is probably a lot. It is estimated that the cost o interruptions to the American economy is nearly $650 lillion a year.

The   8  is based on surveys with office workers. The surveys conclude that 28 percent of the workers’ time was spent on interruptions and   9  time before they returned to their main tasks.

Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.

1．

Recently a group of second –graders visited our school library to work on a “holidays around the world” project. The children created pictures showing holiday customs and then created voice recordings explaining what they drew. The incident showed very clearly the effectiveness of student-created voice recordings. Now imagine taking things one step further and creating Podcasts in a classroom setting.

2．

The term Podcast refers to an audio recording, linked to the Wed, that can be downloaded to a personal MP3 player. The word is created from broadcast and from iPod ---the wildly popular MP3 player from Apple.

3．

Using audio with students isn’t new, of course. Teachers have used audiobooks at listening centers and recorded student voice on tape or CD or many years. Voice and music are the original media for teaching. Podcasts ,however, can reach a much wider audience in a time frame outside the school days. Booktalking , an old way of getting kids excited about books, gets a tech assistance with Podcasting. Students can do some booktalking themselves; book review Podcasts seem to be another natural way for students to share what they know, providing an alternative to the book report.

4．

    There are a number of excellent reasons for using Podcasting. Teachers made audio Podcasts, including visuals or video clips for any content area instruction and review. Some teachers have begun to record themselves teaching important concepts; this creates an account of information online for kids to access when they’re stuck on a homework assignment. Audio and video files can also function as assessment tools. Imagine being a classroom teacher in September who can actually hear how his or her students were reading in June the school year before.

5．

You don’t need an iPod to make a Podcast. If you have a computer, a microphone, and some free software, you can make a Podcast. While an MP3 player is a popular and useful gadget, your audience doesn’t need MP3 players to listen, either: your students and their families can use the computer to play back what you’ve recorded.

The Pecan Thief

When I was six years old, I was visiting my grandfather’s farm in Kansas. Grandpa had sent me into the  1  to gather pecans for us to enjoy later.

Pecan picking was really  2  work and my little basket was only half full. I wasn’t about to  3  Grandpa down. Just then something caught my  4  . A large brown squirrel was a few feet away. I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree and   5  in a large hole in the trunk. A moment later the squirrel  6  out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place.

Not so  7 anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was  8  with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my  9  . Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my basket. Now it was full! I was so  10  of myself. I couldn’t wait to show Grandpa all the pecans.   11  , I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the basket and said, “Well, well, how did you find so many?” I told him how I’d   12  the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.

Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I’d been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that  13  me. He handed the basket back to me and put his arm gently  14  my shoulders.

 “That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter  15  of food,” he said. “Now that all of his pecans are gone, don’t you think that little squirrel will  16  the cold winter? ”

“I didn’t think about that, ” I said.

“I know,” Grandpa said. “But a good man should never take  17  of someone else’s hard work.”

Suddenly felt a bit 18  . The image of the starving squirrel wouldn’t   19  my mind. There was only one thing I could do. I carried the basket back to the tree and poured all the nuts into the hole.

I didn’t eat any pecans that night, but I had something much more filing—the  20  of knowing I had done just the right thing.

1．A．rooms                   B．woods                 C．holes                   D．roads

2．A．hard                     B．dirty                    C．light                    D．easy

3．A．let                        B．settle                   C．have                   D．keep

4．A．sweater                 B．basket                 C．eye                     D．hand

5．A．joined                   B．lived                    C．discovered           D．disappeared

6．A．jumped                 B．held                    C．stood                  D．found

7．A．strange                 B．secret                  C．anxious               D．patient

8．A．covered                B．filled                   C．rebuilt                 D．decorated

9．A．turn                      B．choice                 C．chance                D．achievement

10．A．afraid                  B．ashamed              C．careful                D．proud

11．A．Otherwise            B．However             C．Besides               D．Therefore

12．A．driven                 B．followed              C．protected             D．caught

13．A．annoyed              B．satisfied               C．surprised             D．delighted

14．A．off                      B．beside                 C．over                    D．around

15．A．supply                 B．cost                    C．support               D．preparation

16．A．escape                B．spend                  C．survive                D．fled

17．A．place                   B．notice                  C．advantage            D．charge

18．A．guilty                  B．unconfident         C．embarrassed        D．nervous

19．A．open                   B．leave                   C．cross                  D．occupy

20．A．inspiration           B．expectation          C．impression           D．satisfaction

You could fill a store with all the energy drinks available. They promise to make people feel more energetic and think more clearly. These products have names like Red Bull, Monster, Ripped Force, Speed Stack and 5-How Energy. They appeal mainly

to young people.

Professor Chad Reissig, at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimor, is a medical researcher who studies drug dependence. He says the team he works on got interested in studying energy drinks.

He says the researchers have found three things. One : there are hundreds of brands of energy

Drinks in most major countries. Two : the drinks are not clearly labeled（标签标明）with enough

Information. And three: the amount of caffeine（咖啡因）differs greatly. Some contain as little as fifty milligrams, others as much as five hundred.

Some people combine energy drinks with alcohol. They think they can drink more alcohol that way and not be affected. Studies, however, suggest that they are still under the influence of the alcohol even if they do not feel that way.

Some makers of energy drinks do provide warnings. For example a popular energy warns against use by people who are under the age of twelve. The directions also advise people to limit caffeine products and to drink only half the bottle.

    The team at Johns Hopkins University published a report in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. They suggested that better labeling with the amount of caffeine and other ingredients （成分）be clearly listed on the drink. The researchers are continuing to study energy drinks. They are seeking young people who have had a bad experience after drinking them.

1．According to the passage, the energy drinks mainly attract        .

       A．young people                                       B．alcohol drinkers

       C．university professors                            D．twelve-year-old children

2．The team thinks that the biggest problem of the energy drinks is that          .

       A．there are too many brands                    B．they are not clearly labeled

       C．there is too much caffeine                    D．they are not available in some stores

3．The purpose of the passage is to tell readers        .

       A．to identify caffeine in energy drinks

       B．to take a closer look at energy drinks

       C．whether energy drinks are good or bad

       D．whether energy drinks make people addicted

请根据下面提示，写一篇短文。词数不少于50。

In your spoken English class, your teacher shows you the following picture. You are asked to describe the picture and explain how you understand it.

When we donate（捐献）blood, a small amount is usually taken in advance for at least ABO and Rh systems typing. If you are O+, the O is your ABO type and the + is your Rh type. It is possible to be A, B, AB, or O as well as Rh + or Rh-.

The ABO system was discovered by Karl Landsteiner in the early 1900s. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements. There are four basic types of blood in the ABO system: A, B, AB and O. Everybody is born with one of these four types of blood. We get blood type, just like hair color and height from parents. Because of the substances （物质） contained in each type, the four groups must be transfused carefully. If two different blood types are mixed together, it may put a person into an extremely dangerous situation. Basically, A and B cannot be mixed. A and B cannot receive AB, but AB may receive A or B． In an emergency, type O blood can be given because it is most likely to be accepted by all blood types，so it is often called the universal donor. However，there is still a risk. For the opposite reason，AB is sometimes called the universal receiver. However，because there can be so many reactions in transfusions，patients usually receive only salt until their blood can be matched as exactly as possible in the blood bank of the hospital.

There is a relationship between your blood type and your nationality. Among the Europeans, about 45 percent have type O while 42 percent have type A． The rarest is type AB． Other races have different percentage. For example, some American Indian groups have nearly 100 percent type out of 100 donors in the world…

1．Which of the following shown the correct relationships in blood transfusions?

A．               B．                  C．                     D．

2．The underlined word “transfuse” most probably means __________.

A．to put the blood into a container

B．to move the blood from one place to another

C．to put the blood of one person into the body of another

D．to give power to another person

3．The writer suggests that the third most common blood type among the Europeans is _________.

A．B                     B．A                    C．AB                  D．O

4．The text mainly tells us ___________.

A．about the basic types of human blood

B．what kind of blood is the most common

C．about Karl Landsteiner who won the Nobel Prize

D．the relationship between blood type and nationality