China is having such a huge influence on the United States that many Americans are struggling to learn the Chinese language in a bid to keep competitive.
"Interest in learning Chinese among American youth and their parents has grown quickly in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart, vice president at the Asia Society. China's quick rise to near-superpower and its effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the American's interest to learn the language, experts say. From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language.
"The Chinese rich cultural traditions and blossoming economy mean that it is now important for all of our students to be better prepared," said Michael Levine, Asia Society's executive director of education. A survey found that 2,400 high students—an unbelievable high number—would be interested in offering the Advanced Placement(AP) courses in Chinese language and culture when the courses become available in 2006.
China, the world's most populous nation, is important to the United States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor. Its political influence is also rising across the world. It has replaced the United States as the world's largest consumer and could become the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, in the next two to three decades.
Even though the US State Department has described the Chinese language "critical" to national prosperity and security, "the current facilities to support recruitment (招募)of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is terribly not enough," an Asia Society study says. The Society has set an aim of having at least five percent of American high school students learning Chinese by 2015.
"Millions of Chinese are learning English, but only 24,000 Americans are learning Chinese," said Andrew Corcoran of the San Francisco-based Chinese American International School. The most popular languages after English in US schools at present are Spanish and French while Japanese is the most popular Asian language.
53. The underlined word blossoming (Para. 3) means _________.
A. developed               B. developing           C. old                   D. weak
54. Why do more and more Americans begin to learn the Chinese language?
A. To keep competitive.                    B. To gain advantage in trade.
C. Because they are always interested in it.  
D. To be a bridge between the two big countries.
55. What problem is the US faced with when it comes to learning Chinese?
A. Too many Chinese are learning English.
B. Not many people want to learn foreign languages.
C. The language is rather difficult compared with English.
D. A lack in current facilities to support recruitment of students and teachers and programs.
56. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Danger from China               
B. Foreign Language Learning
C. The Chinese Language gets More Popular  
D. Difficulties in Learning the Chinese Language

D
A wallet that looks like a piece of newspaper, an atlas, or an express parcel receipt? Or a business card that looks like a notepad? No kidding．
Bai Minghui, a Beijing-based designer, creates his artwork using Tyvek, a synthetic paper material which is difficult to tear, waterproof and, more importantly, totally recyclable．
Born to a worker family in 1983 in Tangshan, Hebei Province, Bai worked as a graphic designer at a financial magazine in Beijing after graduating from Minzu University of China．
In the spring of 2008, Bai visited an exhibition about Tyvek in Beijing's 798 art zone, and then worked with the material, trying to bring his designs to life．The first thing that came into his mind was the paper wallet, a must-try handicraft assignment（手工作业）that most Chinese students do in elementary school．
"A paper wallet is definitely more useful than a paper crane or frog," Bai told Beijing Review, smiling．"At first, many people have no idea what it is, because it looks like a piece of newspaper or an express parcel receipt, and feels like real paper．But it's hard to tear．
"The completed, folded wallet is seamless, which creates so much fun for a designer．To be honest, I didn't think about profits at all," he said．
After months of research and development on printing and designing, the first generation of his paper wallet made a stunning debut（上市） in May 2008．The second generation, which offers a greater range of pattern options, was put on the market at the beginning of 2009．
"You can have graffiti（涂鸦） or write down phone numbers on it, or paint whatever you like．I would like people to be able to use it easily," he said．"I don't want to do things without creative ideas．Now my focus is on how to create better design rather than the wallet itself．"
51．In which order did Bai do the following things?
a．create the paper wallet
b．study in Minzu University
c．work as a graphic designer
d．visit an exhibition about Tyvek in Beijing
A．cbad        B．bcda  C．cbda               D．bcad
52．Which of the following words can best describe the designer?
A．diligent    B．creative    C．friendly           D．honest
53．Tyvek, a synthetic paper material, has the following characters EXCEPT ____．
A．recyclable B．waterproof       C．foldable           D．profitable
54．What can people do with this kind of wallet?
A．They can use it as a handkerchief．
B．They can make it into a dictionary．
C．They can write their friend’s phone number on it．
D．They can buy a paper frog or paper crane with it．
55．What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Most of the Chinese students have tried to make some kind of paper work．
B．Many Chinese are fond of painting different things on their wallets．
C．Most of the wallets that people use nowadays can be recycled．
D．Most of the designers based in Beijing have tried Tyvek to create their own work of art．

C
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis．From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit．
But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public education．
At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world．Yet in terms of its core mission---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing．
The United States does a good job enrolling （招生） teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree．
So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that．Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos．The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching．It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into．They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive．About half of the low-income students with a grade-point average of at least 3．5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have．“I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr．Bowen．
In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates．Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel（擅长）in producing drop-outs．“It’s really a waste,” Mr．Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country．” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students．Instead, it appears to have fallen．
What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer．
46. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?
A．The government．           B．Public education
C．The Detroit automakers．   D．The Wall Street firms．
47．What is a big problem with American higher education?
A．It is hard to enroll enough students into college．
B．Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation．
C．Many college students stay away from classes．
D．It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government．
48．The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______．
A．running to the end of the line        B．going to college
C．finishing college education     D．working hard in college
49．Why do some students under--match ?
A．Because they have financial difficulty．       B．Because they face ambition crisis．
C．Because they lack confidence．         D．Because they can’t get guidance．
50．The passage is mainly about _______．
A．problems with secondary American education and possible solutions
B．America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence
C．low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence
D．relationship between American education and its economy

B
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food．The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion．But because the two big cola companies-Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola-are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty．We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting．
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi．These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand．
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers．Then we fed them with four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other．We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guesswork could have accomplished．
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand．In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials．The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 out of 27 identified all four samples correctly．
Both groups did better than chance would predict, but nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times．Two people got all four samples wrong．Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor．Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price．
41．According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________．
A．show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guesswork
B．compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks
C．find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking
D．reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers
42．The statistics recorded in the preference tests show that________．
A．there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
B．few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi
C．people’s tastes differ from one another
D．Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks
43．It is implied in the first paragraph that________．
A．the competition between the two colas is very strong
B．blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans
C．the purpose of taste test is to promote the sale of colas
D．the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies
44．The underlined word “burnout” here refers to the state of________．
A．being seriously burnt in the skin           
B．being badly damaged by fire  
C．being unable to burn for lack of fuel     
D．being unable to function because of too much use
45．The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to________．
A．emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
B．recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas
C．show that taste preference is highly subjective
D．argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy

E
Paynes Prairie
Have you ever heard of Paynes Prairie? It is one of the most important natural and historical areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie is located near Gainesville. It is large, 21 000 acres. This protected land is called a preserve. The Florida Park Service manage the preserve.
The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone dissolved and the ground settled. It is covered by marsh(沼泽)and wet prairie vegetation. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it has flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time.
Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10000 B. C. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest cattle ranch in Florida was on Paynes Prairie. Today, Paynes Prairie is preserved land. It is occupied by visitors and Florida Park Service employees.
William Bartram visited Paynes Praire. Bartram was the first person who described nature through personal experience as well as scientific observation. He lived 200 years ago. He visited Paynes Prairie in 1774. At that time he described it. He called Paynes Prairie the "great Alachua Savannah."
Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of sand hill cranes, hawks and waterfowl are here in winter. The animal diversity is increased by the presence of pine flatwoods, hammock, swamps and ponds.
The Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is open year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for recreation. At the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horse trails. And you can see lots of nature and wildlife. You can see Florida as it was in the early days.
Paynes Prairie is a part of our Florida history. It is an example of our Florida natural resources. It is a place for recreation. Paynes Prairie is an important experience of the Real Florida.
57. How was the Paynes Prairie basin formed?
A. By the Seminole Indians.
B. By the Florida Park Service.
C. From dissolved limestone and the ground settling.
D. From lots of flooding and wet prairie vegetation.
58. The underlined word "diversity" means “_______.”      
A. variety        B. society        C. population         D. area
59. All of the following are true EXCEPT that _______.
A. Paynes Prairie has changed little through time
B. Paynes Prairie is covered by wet prairie grasses
C. there used to be a big cattle farm on Paynes Prairie
D. William Bartram was the first person~ to visit Paynes Prairie
60. The purpose of the passage is to_______.
A. call on people to protect wildlife
B. attract people to this preserved park
C. show you the formation of Paynes Prairie
D. introduce the recorded history of Paynes Prairie

D
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C
Britons stranded（搁浅）at sea or in flooded homes could find a real-life prince riding to their rescue. Prince William announced on Monday that he is to train to be a full-time pilot with the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force (SARF).
William, who is currently a Lieutenant（中尉）in the Army's Household Cavalry Regiment（皇家骑兵团）, will transfer to the RAF and begin an 18-month training course in January 2009.
If successful, he will become a fully operational Search and Rescue pilot in 2010, flying Sea King helicopters at one of the six SARF units based in Britain.
"The time I spent with the RAF earlier this year made me realize how much I love flying," the prince, who spent two weeks with a SARF team while on work experience in 2005, said in a statement.
"Joining Search and Rescue is a perfect opportunity for me to serve in the Forces operationally, while contributing to a vital part of the country's Emergency Services."
It means he will follow a similar career to that of his uncle, Prince Andrew, who was a Sea King helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands war.
The Search and Rescue teams' main duty is to recover RAF personnel but in peacetime they mainly respond to civilian emergencies, dealing with more than 1,000 calls a year.
The units deal with incidents ranging from helping those trapped by sudden major floods to rescuing people lost while out walking on hills.
William, who has spent the last year on secondment（借调）to the various branches of the military to prepare for his future role as head of the armed forces, received his RAF wings （飞行勋章）following a four-month stint（持续的工作）with the service earlier this year.
However, his time with the RAF was clouded when the Defense Ministry was forced to fend off (挡开) criticism for allowing the prince to fly military helicopters to a bachelor party for his cousin and to the family home of his girlfriend Kate Middleton.
49. Prince William wanted to be a full-time pilot because _______.
A. he liked flying
B. he would like to do something in the country’s Emergency Services
C. many Britons were in danger at sea waiting for rescue
D. he had much experience in flying
50. According to the passage, _______.
A. the Falklands war broke out in 2005
B. Prince William served in the Army’s Household Cavalry Regiment in 1982
C. Prince Andrew is serving in SARF now
D. William would finish his training course in June 2010
51. The author’s opinion on William’s joining RAF is _______.
A. enthusiastic         B. doubtful       C. negative        D. pessimistic
52. What is the purpose of the author by mentioning what the prince had done before in the last
paragraph?
A. The author wants to say that Prince William pays much attention to his family and friends
B. The author suggests that the Defense Ministry was criticized when William flew for his
private business
C. William had a hard time when he went against his leaders
D.The author has the worry that Prince William is likely to get the Defense Ministry into
trouble again.

C
Handshaking, though a European practice, is often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed hands to each other as a sign of goodwill. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other’s hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement, This practice was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. “Let’s shake (hands) on it” sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No. Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite. It is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean anything to him or her. Even if, for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved (保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries are more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.
63. The first paragraph mainly tells us___________
A. where handshaking was first practised.
B. how handshaking came about.
C. about the relationship between handshaking and trade.
D. about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China.
64. According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
A. Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese.
B. Westerners are unwilling to shake hands.
C. We should make a judgement before shaking hands.
D. We shouldn’t shake hands with European women.
65. The main purpose of the text is_______.
A. to tell us some differences between the East and the West
B. to offer us some important facts about handshaking
C. to introduce us to some different customs in the West.
D. to give us some advice before we travel abroad

E
As Americans’ health and fitness levels continue to decline, many of those in the worst shape are afraid to go to a “regular” gym to improve their poor health. They somehow feel embarrassed and don’t know how to begin. For these individuals, boutique gyms that specialize in particular parts of population may be good choices. These special gyms provide a more personal setting tor those returning to a healthy lifestyle or starting a fitness program for the first time. Personal training and individualized attention are key features of these new kinds of gyms.
Bulldog Fitness, a gym for kids only, is using the latest trend in video games that provide a workout to engage their young members. Playstation2 Game Bikes, the Treadwall (a rock climbing wall that moves with you), and DDR Dance Machines are customers’ favorites.
Meanwhile, Irene Pastore of Senior Fit in New York city shows that “age is no excuse for ill-health.” Her boutique gym focuses on the health risks associated with sedentary living. Personal training programs are designed specifically for seniors depending on their special needs.
“We feel that people that need the most guidance often don’t know where to turn. If America is going to change its current health decline, the public and healthcare industry needs to pay more attention to the unique needs of customers,” says Dr. Sal Arria, CEO and founder of the International Sports Science Association(IS-SA). Dr. Arria claims that those returning to a fitness state should make certain that they choose a trainer who holds a specialized certification that qualifies them to work with their individual area of need.
71．Why are Americans in the worst shape afraid to go to gym？
A．Because they are afraid of the price.
B．Because there are no boutique gyms foe them.
C．Because they are uncertain of the results.
D．Because they are uncertain about how to start.
72．Boutique gyms feature ___________ .
A．flexible schedules and remarkable results
B．keeping customers in good shape
C．building customers’ confidence for the first time
D．personal training and individualized attention
73．Bulldog Fitness has all of the programs listed below EXCEPT________．
A．Nintendo Fly-fishing                    B．the Treadwall
C．DDR Dance Machine                   D．Playstation2 Game Bikes
74．_____________is a good gym for seniors.
A．Regular gym                           B．Boutique gym
C．Bulldog Fitness                         D．Senior Fit
75. Dr. Arria states that those returning to a health lifestyle should_________．
A．know where to get guidance
B．get health guidance from the public and healthcare industry
C．focus more attention on certifying personal trainers
D．choose a qualified trainer with specialized certification

D
House chores are often on the bottom of everyone’s to-do list, so when a disabled family member or friend needs assistance, we often prefer. To let someone else help out with the housework since we usually have enough of our own, but cleaning, washing and sweeping need not be heavy tasks. In fact, you probably get a lot done in a short amount of time if you work efficiently.
If you are visiting a disabled person on a regular hasis, ask which day would be best for you to come, probably for no more than an hour or so. Then find out what type of supplies or equipment you will need to carry out a few clean-up chores. Make a list and take those things with you so you will be ready to get into action when the time comes. Don’t plan to do too much or you will end up spending too much time on chores and perhaps make your host feel guilty. Don’t leave cleaning supplies or equipment in places where your disabled friend might trip over them later. Be cheerful and enjoy your visit either before or after your housework..
Even though you have a better way of handling things, remember that this is your host’s house, and things should be done according to his or her wishes. Of course, if the person’s preferences are vastly different from yours or if you are unable to do things as he or she wishes, let that task go to someone else to do.
Helping someone by assisting with housework is a great way to show friendliness and support. Set reasonable limitations on your time and effort and be flexible about doing whatever your host most wants to be done. Both of you can then benefit from this interactive experience.
67．People usually would rather others help out with a disabled person’s housework probably because _________ .
A．doing house chores is an important task for everyone
B．they have a lot of house work of their own at home
C．they don’t want to spend too much time on unimportant things
D．doing house chores can be a really time-consuming task
68．If you want to help a disabled person with his or her housework, the first thing you should do it to _________ .
A．get all kinds of supplies and equipment ready
B．list the things that can’t be tonched in advance
C．ask him or her which day would be best
D．invite some of your friends to do it with you
69．If you are not able to do what your friend wishes, you’d better_________ .
A．do some practice before
B．ask your parents or someboby else tor advice
C．let someone else deal with it
D．do it under an expert’s instruction
70．According to the passage, doing too many house chores for a disabled person may ________ .
A．have a great effect on your own life
B．affect the disabled person’s life
C．cause some misunderstandings
D．make the disabled person feel guilty