ARGENTINA’S new government faced public anger over its recent decision to greatly reduce the dollar value of its citizens’ bank savings. More than two-thirds of Argentine bank savings were in US dollars. The country’s recession (衰退)，which is in its fourth year, has left a third of Argentine’s 36 million people in poverty.

A few angry people took the streets on January 21, beating pots and pans in protest. And a group of unemployed Argentines demanding jobs blocked a major highway into Argentina’s capital city, Buenos Aires.

Argentines fear they could lose up to half the dollar value of their savings. Some on the street said the country’s fifth president in the past month has already failed them.

After three weeks in power, President Eduardo Duhalde has broken his first and biggest promise. He said he would return people’s savings in the currency in which were deposited(开户). Duhalde aims to make exports more competitive. But this is expected to have a serious effect on ordinary families, for the simple reason that in Argentine, 80 percent of loans and mortgages(抵押) are in dollars. The government froze all the bank savings made in dollars, worth US$45 billion in total to stop a run on banks. This cause huge street protest earlier this month and contributed to the downfall of two governments. “Most of my life savings were just taken away from me, “ said Jose, a 38-year-old citizen. “I was going to move to Italy but now I can’t because my money is trapped here. Argentina is like a prison.”

The government loosened the new banking rules a little bit on January 17. However, people still don’t have free access to their bank account. They are only allowed to take out rapidly devaluing pesos, even though their savings are in US dollars.

The banking controls will remain in place for about three months, with a few exceptions for the elderly or people with sever illnesses who need crash.

56. How many people have been left in poverty because of Argentina’s economic recession?

A. all Argentines people                             B. 24 million people

C. 12 million people                                 D. 36 million people

57. What cause Argentines to protest in the streets earlier this month?

Argentina’s economic recession.

Argentina’s new government made its people angry.

Argentina’s government froze all the bank savings made in US dollars.

Two of Argentina’s governments failed to make exports more competitive.

58. What does the sentence… my money is trapped here” mean_____?

My bank savings have been frozen by the government.

I don’t want to take my money away.

I don’t have any money in the bank.

My money has been taken by the Italian government.

59. According to the article, which of the following sentences is correct?

people can get their money from the bank freely.

People are only allowed to get US dollars from the bank.

The government will only allow people to get pesos from the bank.

The banking controls will loosen a little in three months’ time.

60. Argentines cannot get US dollars from the bank unless they are_____.

A. ordinary people                             B. rich or government officials

C. poor people                                          D. old or seriously ill

Celebrations spread across China when Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl, was given the right to host the 2010 World Expo on December 3. Shanghai won the honor after beating rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea.

“I’m very proud of being Chinese,” said Wang Kaibo, a Senior 2 student of the Middle School Affiliated (附属的) to Beijing Medical University. “The winning of the expo is a victory, not only for Shanghai residents, but for the people of the whole Chinese nation.”

Bidding for the expo shows that China is more confident of playing a more important role on the international stage. It’s competing for large events and the next one could be the World Cup, Wang said.

The World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Beijing Olympics will become the twin shining stars of China’s development over the next 10 years, said experts. The World Expo is known as “Olympics of the economic, cultural, scientific and technological fields.” It is usually held every five years and lasts for six months. The Olympics, World Cup and World Expo are considered three top international events in the world.

China is the first developing country to win the expo bid in the event’s about 159-year history. Not only will it attract more foreign investment to China, but experts say that the half-year-long exhibition will bring at least 70 million visitors to Shanghai.

The expo was first held in London in 1851. It has a history of global influence. The Eiffel Tower, built during the Paris World Expo in 1889, became the symbol of the French capital.Many historic inventions, such as the telephone and airplane, all made their first appearance at a World Expo.

49．What does the word in bald “rivals” probably mean in the second paragraph?

A．competitors.      B．enemies.       C．players.       D．supporters.

50．The winning of bidding for the World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Olympic Games implies

____________.

A．China is beginning to play a more important part on the international stage.

B．China has played the most important role in the international affairs.

C．China has become a developed country for many years.

D．China is the first Asian country to win the expo bid in history.

51．As we know, in general, the Word Expo is usually held every _____________ years, while the

Olympics is usually held every ______ years.

A．4；5         B．5；4          C．4；4         D．5；5

52．By bidding for the expo and the Olympics, we are sure that ______.

A．China will beat rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea

B．China will become a super country in the United Nations

C．China will build a famous tower like Eiffel Tower as the symbol of the capital

D．China will develop more quickly than before and will benefit a lot from them

MONTREAL--He may be the world’s richest man, but that didn’t prevent Bill Gates from falling for an April Fool’s day joke by two Quebec radio comics (喜剧演员) pretending to be Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Montreal French-language station CKMF--FM said last Wednesday that staffers (工作人员) Marcantoine Audet and Sebastien Trudel had a 10-minute telephone chat with Microsoft Corp boss Gates on April 1.

The broadcast was aired on their nightly show last Tuesday and repeated last Wednesday.

“We were happy. We had been calling Microsoft persistently (坚持不懈地) for four weeks,” Trudel said.

Trudel said he and his colleague had already fooled Canadian pop singer Celine Dion and Formula One (一级方程赛车) driver Jacques Villeneuve on their show.

“This time, we wanted to give ourselves a challenge with somebody more difficult to reach,” Ttudel said.

He said he was surprised that Gates’s assistants did not check to see if it was really the prime minister’s office on the line.

Trudel said they imitated (模仿) Chretien’s heavily accented English, talking about the economy, asking about Microsoft’s Windows operating system and inviting the multibillionaire to visit a well-known Montreal strip joint (运动服合资企业).

The radio host said that Gates was not amused by the fake interview.

“He did not seem angry but he did not find it so funny,” the comic said. ^k*s5u

46. Bill Gates was fooled mainly because ______.

   A. his assistants were not careful enough             

B. the Canadian Prime Minister helped the two comics

C. the two comics imitated the Canadian Prime Minister so well        

D. it was April Fool’s Day

47. We can conclude from the passage that the two comics ______.

A. liked to fool famous people on their show  　

B. thought that Gates was not a great challenge to them

C. had a good knowledge of Bill Gates and his Windows operating system

D. were not quite satisfied with their tricks

48. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

   A. Gates ‘April Fooled’                               B. Two Comics and Their Tricks

   C. Two comics and Their Show　　　　　　D. A Fake Interview

Hawaii has planned to be the first U.S. state to roll out（正式推出）electric car stations statewide --- a move towards weaning the islands off oil.

Hawaii, which is far away from the U.S. mainland, imports foreign oil for almost 90 percent of its energy needs. One–third of that oil is used to power cars and buses on island streets. This move will help Hawaii meet its goal of reducing fossil fuel use by 70 percent by 2030.

Better Place, a Palo Alto, California-based company, will build the car recharging stations and provide recharged batteries for electric cars. The company will purchase renewable energy --- such as wind power --- from Hawaiian Electric Co.

Better Place picked Hawaii for the first statewide rollout in part because the islands are a contained environment, with few vehicles (车辆) coming in and out. Better Place would need to build a bigger network across several states to serve some mainland markets. Hawaii also has rich renewable energy resources, including wind, solar and wave power. This is important because Better Place won’t use oil. Better Place plans to recharge its batteries at night with power from Hawaii’s wind farms. That power normally goes unused because of Hawaii’s low nighttime energy needs.

Hawaii is an ideal place to show off Better Place technology because the state welcomes over five million tourists each year from the U.S. mainland, Japan, Canada and the rest of the world. “If we can get them into electric cars when they rent, we do two great things,” Shai Agassi, Better Place’s founder and chief executive officer, said. “One, we avoid emissions （排放物）; two, we use the opportunity to educate them, to teach them in Hawaii how it needs to be done in the rest of the world.”

However, Hawaii doesn’t expect to spend any money to improve the network. Maybe it needs to offer tax breaks or other ways to encourage people to buy electric vehicles when they are first offered.

61. The underlined part “weaning the islands off oil” (in Para 1) probably means _________.

A. exploring the islands for oil                        B. stopping Hawaii’s dependence on oil gradually

C. importing more oil from other islands         D. increasing the amount of oil used there

62. Why is Hawaii chosen to be the first state where car recharging stations will be built statewide? _________

①There are few cars in Hawaii.

②Hawaii can provide environmentally friendly energy.

③Plenty of oil has been found in Hawaii.

④Hawaii is separated from the mainland with few vehicles coming in and out.

A. ①, ③                 B. ②, ③                C. ②, ④                 D. ①, ④

63. When visitors to Hawaii rent electric cars, they _________.

A. will be taught it is necessary to do as Hawaiians do to protect the earth

B. will be offered tax breaks

C. need to be told what should be done before travelling

D. should be given the chance to try two things before driving

64. We can infer from the passage that _________.

A. Better Place is a company producing electric cars

B. people are not encouraged to buy electric cars

C. electric cars will be recharged with power from renewable resources

D. Hawaii now has reduced the use oil by 90 percent

The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added --- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.

    After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a fresh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.

    Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications (通信) satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.

    “The Sun’s activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites,” said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. 

    At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun’s atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged (带电) matter. “A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometers per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications,” Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.

    Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.

    The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.

    Professor Richard Holdaway, the lab’s director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth “If we have advance warning, we’ll be able to reduce the damage. What you don’t want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what’s caused the problem,” he said.

62. The phrase underlined part in paragraph one most probably refers to _______ during the 2012 Olympics.

   A. the state of the Olympic torch being put out          B. the failure of broadcasting systems

   C. the transportation breakdown in London    D. the destruction of weather satellites

63. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

   A. The most deadly matter from the corona falls onto Earth.

   B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.

   C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.

   D. The number of sunspots decreases after coronal mass ejections.

64. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

   A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer     

B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger

   C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race    

D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

True End of an Era

SURPRISE, surprise---David Beckham is in the news again! Sure, the England football star was never one to shy away from the headlines. But this time it seems people are talking as much about what Beckham is not doing as what he is.

Beckham won’t be playing for England at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. An injury he picked up while playing for AC Milan will likely rule the 34-year-old out for four months. It could be a sad end to the career of a player who has given his all to England since his debut (首次登场) in 1996. But rather than feeling sorry for the loss, some people are finally calling for us to move on from the Beckham obsession (着迷).

“The romantic wish of him seizing the day and inspiring England to glory was poppycock (胡扯),” according to an editorial in the Guardian. It argued that Beckham is past his best and would only have played a minor role at the World Cup anyway. But you might not have guessed it from the reaction of the rest of England.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent Beckham a “get well soon” message, and a Scottish poet even wrote a poem about the injury, comparing Beckham to the Greek hero Achilles.

But is it possible to forget about Beckham? Over his career Beckham has embodied (体现) everything the English like to think is good about their country. Beckham was never the most naturally gifted of footballers, but he reached the top through hard work and determination. He never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. And even as a superstar, he never forgot where he came from.

For this, the English took him to their hearts. Not a day goes by without seeing Beckham’s name in the newspapers, but the reality is his fantastic career is coming to the end. Of course, it is sad that he’ll miss the World Cup, but this is a chance for England to find a new hero.

As a global icon(偶像) we will certainly miss him playing for England in South Africa this summer. But I think it’s time we finally give Beckham a break from the headlines.

Choose the best answer:

66. Which of the following may not be a result of Beckham’s injury?

A. Not being able to take part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

B. Not being able to play for England for four months.

C. People forgetting him.

D. This injury perhaps ending his career.

67. ______ gave Beckham a negative evaluation.

A. Gordon Brown                              B. An editorial in the Guardian

C. A Scottish poet                              D. Most British people

68. Which is not the reason for it being hard for people to forget Beckham?

A. He has embodied British good characteristics and traits (特征).

B. He is one of the most naturally gifted footballers.

C. He is determined to achieve his goals.

D. He always remembers his country.

The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.

    After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.

    Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam干扰 the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.

    "The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. 

    At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million    kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.

    Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.

    The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.

    Professor Richard Holdaway, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.

57. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to      during the 2012 Olympics.

   A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch

   B. the collapse瘫痪 of broadcasting systems

   C. the transportation breakdown in London

   D. the destruction of weather satellites

58. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

   A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.

   B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.

   C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.

   D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.

59. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.

   A. take images of the solar system         B. provide early warning of thunderstorms

   C. keep track of solar activities            D. improve the communications on Earth

60. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

   A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer

   B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger 

   C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race

   D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

Thousands of people living in the Chinese capital will celebrate the start of the Chinese  New year by heading for the ski resorts (滑雪场). Never mind that Beijing's dry weather seldom produces snow. It is cold enough in winter for snow-making machines to make a covering for the hills north to the capital. And the rapid growth of a pleasure-seeking middle class has formed the basis for this new craze(热潮）     

Since Beijing's first ski resort was opened ten years ago, the sport has enjoyed astonishing increase. There are now more than a dozen resorts. Clothes markets in the city have added bright colored ski suits to their winter collections. Mr. Wei, a manager of a newly-opened ski resort in Beijing, sees the growth of an industry that could soon lead Chinese to head for the ski resorts of Europe, In recent years ski resorts offering natural snow have opened in China. But many are in faraway areas of the country and can't really match the equipment and services of some ski resorts in Europe.

Beijing's skiing craze is partly a result of the recent increase in private (私有的) cars. This has led to the growth of a leisure industry in the capital's suburbs (郊区), which until the late-1990s were unreachable to ordinary people, According to Mr. Wei, about 40% of the visitors to his resort come in their own cars. The rest are bused in by schools, businesses or government offices.  

The problem is making money. Starting ski resorts requires quite a lot of money; hiring land from the local government, preparing the hills, buying snow machines, making sure there are enough water and electricity to run them, and buying ski equipment for hiring out to customers.

   The ski resort where Mr. Wei works cost nearly $4 million to set up. And. as so often in China when someone comes up with a good idea, many others rush in and price wars break out. Beijing now offers some of the cheapest ski training classes in the world, though with most people rather new to the sport, expecting a few more doing the same job.

69. What does this text mainly talk about?

 A. Convenience for skiers brought about by private cars.

B. Skiing as a new way of enjoying one's spare time.

C. Things to be considered when starting a ski resort.

D. A sudden increase of ski training classes in Beijing.

70. Why are some Chinese likely to go skiing in Europe?

 A. To visit more ski areas.              B. To ski on natural snow.

 C. For a large collection of ski suits.       D. For better services and equipment.

71. The underlined words "leisure industry" in Paragraph 3 refer to ----

 A. transport to ski resorts                        B. production of family cars

 C. business of providing spare time enjoyments      D part-time work for people living in the suburbs

72. What is the main problem in running a ski resort?

A. Difficulty in hiring land.            B. Lack of business experience.

 C. Price wars with other ski resorts,      D. Shortage of water and electricity,

When you arrive at the Shanghai Expo site, the first thing you will see is a huge red building in the ancient Chinese dougong(斗拱) architectural(建筑的) style. Built according to the concept of “Oriental Crown”, the China Pavilion(展厅) is the largest national pavilion at the Expo.

Themed “Search of the East”, the pavilion is divided into three sections. Footprint of the East on the top floor shows the change of Chinese cities; a Journey of Wisdom on the second floor, China’s four great inventions—the compass, paper, printing and gunpowder are displayed; and Blossoming(盛开的) City on the ground floor shows the scenery of future cities.

Take a lift, and you’ll be taken to the 8,500-square-meter top floor. There, in a film by Lu Chuan, you’ll see how Chinese cities have changed, especially over the past 30 years. The 10-minute movie is shown in a 600-seat theater.

The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival, is considered a national treasure. It describes life in Bianjing, which is today’s Kaifeng in Henan province. More than 1,000 years ago, it was the largest city in the world. Multimedia technology makes more than 1,500 characters of the painting walk and move along a 100-meter-long wall.

Four families are chosen from Zhejiang province to show their daily lives. Films of the families and furniture from the households are exhibited. At the pavilion, you’ll get insight into the daily lives of these families at different periods. The designers believe these will mirror the great changes Zhejiang has seen since China’s reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s.

60. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

   A. Visitors can see the China Pavilion built in a modern style.

   B. The theme of the China Pavilion is “Oriental Crown”.

   C. Visitors can get to the top floor of the China Pavilion by lift.

   D. The China Pavilion is designed by famous film director Lu Chuan.

61. If a visitor wants to enjoy the scenery of future cities, he will go to ______.

   A. the top floor       B. the second floor   C. the ground floor    D. a 600-seat theater

62. The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival in the China Pavilion is attractive and special because ______.

   A. it shows what life was like in Beijing, the capital of China.    

B. it shows the development of Chinese cities.     

C. it describes what happened in history.      

D. Visitors can see more than 1,500 characters of the painting walking along a 100-meter-long wall with the help of multimedia technology.

63. What’s the main idea of the article?

   A. A brief introduction to the China Pavilion.  B. The theme of the China Pavilion.        

   C. The films of the China Pavilion.          D. The structure of the China Pavilion.

In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business. But he was not a good artist. So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his yard. That was the first photograph.

The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another French, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different process. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.
　 Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s process. Travelers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.
　 In about 1840, the process was improved. Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to cary lots of films and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States. After 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.
　 Mathew Brady was a well - known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life - like and full of personality（个性）.
　 Brady was also the first preson to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible.
　 In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography… Photographers could buy films readymade in rolls（卷）. So they did not have to make the film themselves. Also, they did not have to process the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.
　 With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favorite places. They called these pictures “snapshot”.
　 Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawing.
　 Photography also turned into a form of art by the end of the 10th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.
67. The passage is mainly about ________.
　　A. the inventoin of cameras　　          B. a kind of new art - photography
　　C. the development of photography      D. the important dates in the history of photography
68. The first pictures of a war were taken by________.
　　A. a French photographer in the 1840s　　 B. an American photographer in the 1860s
　　C. a German reporter in the 1880s 　　       D. a French artist in the 1890s
69. Photography can also be an art form because artists can ________.
　　A. take anything they like　　                   B. keep a record of real life
　　C. take photos of the famous　　               D. show ideas and feeling in pictures
70. According to the passage, which of the followings shows the correct order? ________.
　　a．Photographs became popular in newspapers.
　　b．Photographers carried processing equipment while taking pictures.　

 c．The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.
　　d．Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.