When you see homework covering the kitchen table and toys are piling up around the sofa, you probably wish there was a bit more space. You are not alone. Nearly a third of parents say they feel squeezed into their homes but cannot afford to move to a bigger property, a report reveals today.
Twenty-nine perc
ent say “their property is too small to fit the size of their family—rising to 40 percent for those 34 and under”. One in four children is ‘forced to share’ a bedroom, according to the Finda-Property. Com website. Property analyst Samantha Baden said: “Afford-ability remains a key issue for families, with the average cost of a three-bedroom home around ￡193,000.”Very few can afford to buy or to rent a property of the size they want and in the area they desire to live in, according to Miss Baden.
A recent report, from investment firm LV, also found that many ‘space-starved parents’are pushed into a two-bedroom home which was perfect when they were a young couple, but has no space for three or so children. Grown-up children who cannot afford to leave homo are also adding to the problem facing families in Britain’s ‘big squeeze’.
For a home to be the correct size, which means it is not overcrowded, parents must have their own bedroom. Children under ten can share, as well as same-sex children between ten and 20.Anyone over 21 also needs their own room.
The report comes as official figures, published yesterday by the Land Registry, revealing house prices are falling sharply in every region except London. The worst – hit area is the North East where average house prices have fallen to below ￡100, 000 for the first time in seven years. However, they remain unaffordable for millions.【小题1】According to Paragraph 1, the report reveals         .

A．children like to do homework in the kitchen

B．some families can’t afford a bigger property

C．only a few families have housing problem

D．people are satisfied with their living condition

【小题2】What Miss Baden said in Paragraph 2 means         .

A．most families don’t have enough money yet

B．no family could afford a three - bedroom home

C．it is common to live in a three - bedroom home

D．the price of a bigger property is still acceptable

【小题3】The report from the investment firm LV shows         .

A．young couples should live in a two - bedroom home

B．families with three or so children couldn’t afford a home

C．parents should buy houses for their grown - up children

D．some grown - up children couldn’t afford a separate home

【小题4】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．House prices are falling down everywhere.

B．People are able to buy a home of correct size.

C．The house prices in London has not fallen down.

D．The North East is now an area suitable to live in.

Some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup because they think it shows their class. However, for the Chinese NBA idol Yao Ming, doing so is unacceptable as the practice has led to the overfishing of sharks.
When Yao and his wife Ye Li got married in 2007, they publicly announced that they would not allow shark fin soup to be served at their wedding banquet.
Actually, Yao had been saying no to shark fins since 2006, when he was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for wild life protection.
Now, the 226-cm big guy is resorting to his personal influence to encourage more to say no to eating the soup and to raise awareness of animal protection. "Sharks are friends of human beings. They are not our food," Yao said.
Other celebrity athletes like Olympic champions Li Ning and Kong Linghui are following on the heels of Yao, throwing themselves into serving the public as Goodwill Ambassadors for wild animal rescue. Recent reports about Yao's retirement have saddened tens of thousands of basketball fans both at home and abroad. Yet Yao's influence goes far beyond the basketball courts.
Yao has engaged himself in charity and public welfare services for quite a while. When the devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan in southwest China in 2008, Yao donated 2 million yuan . "When I was a little boy, my parents and teachers told me to help others and to be a good man," Yao recalled.  "But I could not donate then because I had not much pocket money. After I moved to Houston, I got involved in quite a number of community service activities and I felt a strong sense of achievement when I got people together," Yao said.
Like Yao, newly crowned French Open champion Li Na has showed her willingness to donate. Li gave 480,000 yuan of her prize money from the open, plus 20,000 yuan from her own pocket, to a local nursing home in her hometown. Another Chinese sports icon, hurdler Liu Xiang, has also been actively involved in charity for years.
【小题1】The reason why some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup is that they think _______ .

A．it is very delicious	B．it is very cheap and healthy
C．it is very popular in society	D．it can show their status

【小题2】Yao Ming is against eating shark fin soup because ________ .

A．too many sharks are killed	B．he dislikes eating sharp fin
C．it is too expensive	D．sharks are dangerous animals

【小题3】 Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．Li Na donated 500,000 yuan to a local nursing home in her hometown.

B．Yao Ming donated 2 million yuan after the earthquake of Wenchuan.

C．Yao Ming has encouraged more people to stop eating shark fin soup and protect animals.

D．Yao Ming was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for protecting wild life in 2007.

【小题4】What words can be used to describe Yao Ming according to the passage?

A．Rich and generous.	B．Influential and warmhearted.
C．Energetic and optimistic.	D．Popular and confident.

【小题5】From the passage , we can learn that________.

A．most athletes don't like eating shark fin soup

B．Yao Ming has been donating money to charity since he was a child

C．Yao Ming has an influence on not only the basketball courts but also charity and public welfare services

D．Yao Ming has taken part in many community service activities when he was in China

Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.” Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.
Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
【小题1】Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that        .

A．the British people hate success

B．the British people are hardworking

C．love of success is Britain’s national character

D．they are considered as “green – eyed monsters”

【小题2】What does the result of the Warwich University’s test show.

A．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money.

B．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed.

C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people.

D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others.

【小题3】The writer of the passage seems to suggest that         .

A．jealousy is Britain’s national character

B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated

C．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test

D．the entrepreneurs in the UK do not behave properly

【小题4】The best title for this article can be            .

A．Be More Modest and We Will Love You More

B．Proud Entrepreneurs

C．The Frenchmen are Romantic While The British are Hostile

D．Only Pains but No Gains

A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders．Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience(服从), while children complained(抱怨)that their parents did not understand them at all．What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time．Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric(结构)of our society．
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life．In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation(职业)．In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents．
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do．Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them．Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other．
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations．In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight．The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities．
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature(特点)of American life for some time to come．Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes．
【小题1】The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______．

A．the generation gap suddenly appeared

B．the generation gap is a feature of modern social life

C．people can reduce the generation gap

D．many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap

【小题2】The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______．

A．on all sides	B．near
C．in every direction	D．in existence（存在）

【小题3】Which cause of the generation gap is not mentioned in the passage?

A．Young people like to choose their own life styles．

B．American society is changing very fast．

C．Parents place high hopes on their children．

D．Modern education makes them think differently．

【小题4】In American society, young people often _______．

A．depend on their parents to make a life

B．stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education

C．seek the best advice from their parents

D．have very little in common with their parents

【小题5】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Parents should be strict with their children．

B．The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom．

C．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation．

D．The generation gap does not exist in American society．

Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(上下班者)rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours—one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.
In Tokyo, there's a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.
In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work.. To hail a cab，many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they'll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They'll pay three times the normal rate。
Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds(摩托自行车)during rush hours. The city can't make its streets wider, and it can't build new highways, because it doesn't want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Coliseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists(考古学家).
In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.
Getting to work and getting home can be difficult in many places around the world. Rush hour traffic seems to be a universal problem.
【小题1】Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are _______

A．special lanes on highways	B．many commuters
C．four rush hours	D．many cars on the street

【小题2】Most of the commuters in Tokyo _______

A．take subway trains to work	B．are packers
C．take taxis to work	D．carry briefcases to work

【小题3】To “hail a cab” means to _______

A．pay double the normal fare	B．try to get a cab
C．prefer to take taxis	D．to stand at crossroads

【小题4】Commuters in carpools probably_______

A．live in the city	B．take the subway to work
C．save money on gas and parking fees	D．have special license plates(牌照)

The Coalition for the Homeless is an organization that seeks to address the needs of the homeless population in the United States. It is a network of offices, some of which provide food and houses for the homeless population, and some of which fight for the passing of laws that would give every American the right to a place to call home. According to the Coalition’s studies, of over two hundred million people living in the United States, up to three million are homeless—and the number is still growing. Since the late 1970s, fast-rising house prices, large cuts in government supported housing programs, and economic recession(经济衰退) have make it impossible for many Americans to meet housing costs. Sadly, this has resulted in a number of persons being forced to leave their homes and/or unable to find new affordable homes. According to another research, families with children appear to be the fastest-growing part of the homeless population, making up 39% of it. The old idea of a homeless person, that of the single man who gets drunk all the time, is no longer true. A much larger part of the population now finds itself homeless. Even worse, once a person becomes homeless, he often finds it impossible to find a job, since most employers require anyone who wants a job from them to provide a home address on a job application.
【小题1】The word “ address” in the first line probably means “ ________”.

A．talk about

B．write to

C．fight for

D．deal with

【小题2】How many people are homeless in the U.S according to the Coalition studies?

A．About 3 million people	B．200 million people
C．39% of the population	D．About one-fifth of the population

【小题3】Homeless people often have difficulty finding a job because_______.

A．they often don’t have enough work experience

B．they mostly have a drinking problem

C．they aren’t supported by government programs

D．they have no home address

【小题4】What’s the main cause of the rising number of the homeless in the U.S.?

A．The passing of new housing laws.

B．The ever-rising price of housing.

C．The slow construction of houses.

D．The fast growth of family size

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those of the first kind are born idlers (游手好闲者), taking interest in nothing. It seems what they live for is to pass time idly. They simply don’t know why they have to do so, nor will they bother to ask. The other kind are those who take things seriously and never wish to idle away their life. But only a part of the second group are eager enough to make success. All the others fail to make enough effort to make their dreams come true. 
Why do things so happen to them? What are the reasons?
I later find out that some people are determined. They are “igniters” that catch fire of their own, giving light and heat. But that’s not the case with others. They may be fuels but not igniters. As pieces of wood or coal, they need a match or a lighter to make them burn so that their energy can be released to give off light and heat.
The majority of people need some igniter to light them. Thus igniter becomes a must for those people to succeed. Unless a suitable igniter comes their way, they will always remain idle like cold unused firewood or coal.
Fortunately, such an igniter is not difficult to meet. One may find it in an instructive book, a film story, a few words of a close friend, some advice of a good teacher, a pleasant journey, or an unexpected love.
Any of these, coming at the right time, can serve as an igniter to start one’s enthusiasm for learning or for a better career, to turn him from a passive state of waiting to an active state of pursuing, to lend him strength to go ahead bravely. In that case, what he has prepared for years will be quickly turned into fruitful reality.
Such an igniter may turn up of itself, but most likely we have to find it ourselves. Never let a chance slide away, for it is the key to your success.
【小题1】 According to the text, “________” are the persons that can light many people so that their energy can be released to give off light and heat.

A．idlers

B．igniters

C．fuels

D．serious people

【小题2】 According to the writer, what do most people definitely need to succeed? 

A．Storing a lot of energy.

B．Great interest in everything.

C．An igniter coming at the right time.

D．Wonderful dreams about a bright future.

【小题3】 The writer writes the article to _________.

A．describe two kinds of people

B．encourage people to find chances to succeed

C．praise those who work hard

D．make fun of idlers

I came to live here where I am now between Wounded Knee Greek and Grass Greek. Others came too, and we made these little grey houses of logs that you see, and they are square, It is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the respectful circle of the nation, and so long as the circle was unbroken, the people were getting rich. The flowering tree was the living center of the circle, and the circle of the four quarters nursed it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and strong wind gave strength and continuous power. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our brief. Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. Birds make their nests in circle, for theirs are the same as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our places were like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation’s circle, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to nurse our children.
　　But the Wasichus (Indian word for “white people”) have put us in these square boxes. Our power is gone and we are dying, for the power is not in us any more. You can look at our boys and see how it is with us. Where we were living by the power of the circle in the way we should, boys were men at twelve or thirteen years of age. But now it takes them very much longer to be full - grown.
【小题1】According to the passage, the Indians _______.

A．don’t have modern instruments in their homes

B．refused to move from round places

C．lived in round places, but were forced to live in square houses

D．lived in round places, but then decided to move into square houses

【小题2】Two things being compared in the passage are _______.

A．the Indians’ past and present living conditions

B．the Indians’ past and modern beliefs

C．the Indians’ old and new power

D．people and nature

【小题3】In the second paragraph “the four quarters” refers to _______.

A．the four rooms of the Indian’s house

B．the four kinds of natural power

C．the four seasons

D．the four directions

【小题4】According to the author, once the Indians moved into square houses, _______.

A．they had to move to other houses

B．boys took more time to grow into men

C．they forgot the old way of life

D．everyone was not happy

Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert（警报）system using text messages delivered to cell phones.
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years，particularly among young people.The wireless industry’s trade association, CTIA，estimates（估计）more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act，a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alert system.The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.
“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings.and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public.has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during,disasters and other emergencies. ”FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alert system by carriers—telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.
There would be three different types of messages，according to the rules.  
The first would be a national alert from the president，likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster.The second would involve “approaching threats，”which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction（绑架）emergencies,or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010.
【小题1】 What is the purpose of the approved plan?

A．To warn people of emergencies via messages.

B．To popularize the use of cell phones.

C．To estimate the monthly number of messages.

D．To promote the wireless industry.

【小题2】 The improvement to the present system is in the charge of ________.

A．CTIA	B．the Warning Alert and Response Network
C．FCC	D．federal regulators

【小题3】 The carriers' participation in the system is determined by ________.

A．the US federal government	B．mobile phone users
C．the carriers themselves	D．the law of the United States

【小题4】. Which of the following is true of cell phone users?

A．They must accept the alert service.

B．They may enjoy the alert service for free.

C．They must send the alerts to others

D．They may choose the types of messages

【小题5】. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A，Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students
B.   Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry
C. Cell Phone Alefts of National Disasters
D. Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon

Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKER
【小题1】 Simon Walker wrote the letter to ________

A．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books.

B．complain about getting books he didn’t want.

C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd..

D．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd..

【小题2】 The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________

A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books.

B．fifteen pounds and fifty pence.

C．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare.

D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare.

【小题3】Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________

A．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price.

B．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain

C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time.

D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive.

【小题4】 It can be inferred that _______

A．Cosmo Books have sent bills for books that they have not sent.

B．Several sets of books have been sent to Mr. Walker free of charge.

C．Mr. Walker hasn’t received the books that he ordered.

D．Mr. Walker took some action after receiving the books he did not order.

【小题5】. The tone of the letter is that of _______

A．bitterness

B．respect

C．humor

D．annoyance