The Lunar New Year, which starts in late January this year, is the most important festival for Chinese people as most of them drop any business at hand to go back to their hometown to see their families. It is a tradition that has been cherished since ancient times, but as social mobility increases in modern times, the road to family reunions has become very uneasy.
It is not the higher travel costs, nor the expected big spending on gifts and other festival items, but the train ticket that has driven many travelers mad. I’ve heard some colleagues complain that they have tried every means to secure a train ticket, only to find it a mission impossible. Some of them have turned to the latest software to aid online booking; others have sought help from friends to increase the possibility of successful booking.
No doubt chunyun, the Spring Festival travel season, is the largest-scale annual human migration in the world. Last year, 220 million passengers traveled by train during the Spring Festival season, which usually lasts 40 days. It is a huge jump from 10 years ago, when the number was 128 million.
With the big sudden increase in demand, the railway company has increased investment in railway construction; still, it cannot bridge the supply gap, leading to fierce public complaints and criticism.
Admittedly, it is almost impossible for the railway company to suddenly improve its capacity to meet the explosive demand during the Spring Festival holiday. Moreover, any temporary increase in capacity would become unnecessary after the holiday and mean great commercial losses during the off season.
What the company can reasonably do is gradually improve its capacity while focusing on better distribution of its existing resources during the special peak season. At any rate, however, the problem cannot be solved overnight.
【小题1】Compared with ten years ago, the percentage of passengers last year increased by________.

A．40%

B．58%

C．71%

D．83%

【小题2】Which of the following does the author probably agree with?

A．Social mobility in modern times hasn’t changed much in these years.

B．The latest software may increase the possibility of successful booking.

C．Higher travel costs discourage travelers from reunions with families.

D．People nowadays cherish reunion with their families more than before.

【小题3】Which word can be used to best describe the way to solve the problem only by increasing capacity?

A．Expensive

B．Effective

C．Hopeful

D．Impractical

【小题4】What’s the tone of the whole passage?

A．Optimistic.

B．Objective

C．Subjective

D．Critical

America's child movie star Shirley Temple Black died late Monday evening at the age of 85. Her fans in China are also deeply saddened. Temple is just one example of movie stars that China adored, and still adores. Here's our editor's pick of the top movie stars who have influenced China.
1. Sylvester Stallone
Oh, Rambo! The first strong American man that China knew. His accented English, easily recognizable even for someone who doesn't speak English, and his eyes that never seemed to smile, makes him someone whom cannot be forgotten. He represented the strong American image, and even stirred a boxing and bodybuilding fever in China.
2.Charlie Chaplin (April 16, 1889 – December 25, 1977)
In the 20th century, it is not too much to say that Einstein made the greatest contributions to science, and not many would disagree that Chaplin did the same for film. He was the first actor that introduced comedy to most Chinese viewers, and politically, he was also a close friend of China’s. His silent films broke the barrier of language and his form of art was recognized by all. It will be a difficult task to find a person in China who does not recognize Chaplin, even today.
3. Shirley Temple ( April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014)
When Chinese audiences saw this adorable child star for the first time on screen, Shirley Temple had already lived for more than half a century. In her movies, she was always alone or in trouble, but this adorable little blonde(金发女郎) could always resolve anything with her kindness, push away the fogginess and bring about light. The brand "Shirley Temple" was a product of the Great Depression. People watched her act to forget their hardships as Temple entertained the poor, the rich, adults and children alike. Several decades later, when her films were screened in China, the effects were the same.
4. Audrey Hepburn( May 4, 1929 – January 20, 1993)
She will forever be the princess in Chinese people's hearts. Even to this day, a large number of tourists go to Rome to visit the Mouth of Truth with their lovers and eat ice cream on the Spanish Steps. Her sense of style seems to never go out of style. When she was alive, she was living perfection. Even after her death, she has remained an icon. That's something that only Audrey Hepburn is capable of.
【小题1】According to the passage, who was most known for comedy in China?

A．Sylvester Stallone

B．Charlie Chaplin

C．Shirley Temple

D．Audrey Hepburn

【小题2】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Sylvester Stallone taught boxing and bodybuilding and caused a fever in China.

B．Charlie Chaplin was China’s close friend because he introduced comedy to China.

C．Audrey Hepburn’s movie made the Mouth of Truth and the Spanish Steps popular.

D．Shirley Temple’s works can only help Americans forget hardships and enjoy life better.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “icon” mean in the passage?

A．symbol

B．sign

C．mystery

D．heroine

【小题4】In which part can we most probably read this passage?

A．Art

B．Columns

C．Music & Theater

D．Film &TV

More than two decades ago, a 10-year-old schoolgirl threw a bottle into the sea off the coast of Hull as she went on a ship on a family holiday, hoping to get a response from a stranger in a faraway land. Inside the bottle was a scrawled letter from Zoe Lemon, a youngster with a love of "ballet, playing the flute and the piano", who had just boarded a ship heading for a holiday in Germany.
She told her expected recipients of her pet hamster and fish, both called Sparkle, and her parents who were both teachers.
Miss Lemon, of Salford, Greater Manchester, soon forgot about her act of fantastic, eventually marrying and having a child herself.
But this Christmas she was extremely surprised to receive a reply after 23 years.
It turned out to be a reply to her letter from Piet and Jacqueline Lateur from near Rotterdam. Mr Lateur was walking his dog in the Oosterschelde dykes(坝), near where he and his wife live in Serooskerke, when he found the bottle with Zoe’s letter inside.
Mrs Averianov, 33, who works in a jewellery shop, said: “It’s been a bit crazy really. My parents came to visit on Christmas day and they had this letter from Europe addressed to my maiden name, Lemon.
Since receiving the letter, Mrs Averianov has been in contact with Mr Lateur via email and asked to see photographs of where the bottle was found.
He told her: “I am keeping your little letter on my piano. I know you are no longer a little girl but you asked me to write you so I have.”
Mrs Averianov’s father, John Lemon, 68, had encouraged his daughter to throw the message into the sea on a family holiday and now she is considering doing the same for her five-year-old son Maksim.
She said: “I’ll probably wait until he’s a bit older and can understand and write a letter, but maybe we’ll do it by attaching it to a balloon.”
From http://www.dailymail.co.uk, (Jan,2014)
【小题1】When did Zoe Lemon write the letter?

A．In 1990.

B．In 1991.

C．In 2013.

D．In 2014

【小题2】What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 6 mean?

A．her given name	B．her nick name
C．family name used before marriage	D．family name used after marriage

【小题3】What can we know about the letter written 23 years ago?

A．Its reply was received by Zoe herself.

B．It is still carefully kept by Mr Lateur.

C．Zoe was sure it would be replied one day.

D．Zoe’s father discouraged her from writing it.

【小题4】Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．An Unexpected Letter	B．A Reply Waited for Long
C．A Reply from a Stranger	D．A Letter from a Faraway Land

Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety's Director's Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a serious two­car accident.
The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on rain­soaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the occupants trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.
Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith, 9, from the wreckage.
The girl's mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their body sitter, Lisa Bowbin.
Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had upon receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.
Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.
“I was nervous，”Bozeman said. “I don't feel like I'm a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me.”
Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlife­threatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs, and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis, ankle and foot.
The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.
In addition, Bozeman got to meet accident victim Anthony Russo in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed with “Thank you”， Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.
“Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday's ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers，”Beckie Smith said，“We're calling it The Miracle on Highway 6.”
【小题1】What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident.

B．Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes.

C．Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars.

D．A car accident occurred on rain­soaked State Highway 6.

【小题2】Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?

A．Clemmons.

B．Anthony Russo.

C．Bozeman.

D．Bonge.

【小题3】Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?

A．Kind.

B．Modest.

C．Excited.

D．Smart.

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Luckily, no one received too serious injuries in the accident.

B．All the victims received slight injuries in the accident.

C．The rescuers were taken to the hospital to visit the victims.

D．The injured will soon recover from their injuries.

【小题5】It can be inferred from what Beckie Smith said that____.

A．she regarded the accident as a wonder

B．she was frightened by the serious accident

C．she thought highly of the rescuers

D．she called on others to learn from the rescuers

The pound new Library of Birmingham（LoB）will be the most visible sign of the way the city is accepting the digitalization（数字化）of everyday life.
Set to open in 2013, the £188 m LoB is already beginning to tale shape next to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with which it will share some equipment.
As digital media（媒介）is important to its idea. the project is already providing chances for some of the many small new local companies working at the new technologies.
Brian Gambles, the LoB project director, says it is about giving people the right tools for learning, “The aim is to mix the physical with the digital. Providing 24-hour services which can be used through many different ways. It is important to enable us to reach more people, more effectively.”
The digital library will, he says, be as important as the physical one, allowing the distant use of the services, making sure that it is never closed to the public.
Even before the LoB is complete, the public has been able to go online to visit the Virtual（虚拟的）LoB, designed by Baden, the Birmingham virtual worlds specialists. Not only have the public been able to learn about LoB, but the virtual one has also enabled those working on the LoB to understand the building and how it will work before it even opens.
Two other small Birmingham-based digital companies are working on the LoB projects. Substrat, a digital design company, is developing what it calls “enlarge reality” project. It is about the use of an exciting smart phone, an important part of the LoB which is in the early stages of development is an online library of figures of the city being built by a digital content company in Cahoots, in which users will be encouraged to add to and comment on the material.
Gambles says: “Technology will enable us to make the library’s content and services open to citizens as sever before.”
【小题1】The underline part “its idea” in Paragraph 3 refers to the idea of____.

A．the equipment	B．the project
C．the digital media	D． the physical library

【小题2】While visiting the Virtual LoB, the public can_____. 

A．get a general idea of the LoB

B．meet many world-famous experts

C．learn how to put up a library building

D．understand how the specialists work on the project

【小题3】Which of the following is true of the LoB when it opens?

a. It offers better learning tools b. It reaches users in different ways   c. It provides users with smart phone d. It allows users to enrich its material e. It gives non-stop physical and digital services

A. a, b, d           B. a, c, e            C. b, c, d             D. b, d, e
【小题4】This text is most probably taken from                 .

A．a put book	B．a library guide
C．a handbook	D．a newspaper report

  US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is likely to visit China at an “appropriate” time this year, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Colonel Tu Qiming, director of the American and Oceania Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office at the National Defense Ministry, made the remark during Sino-US defense talks this week. This is the first ever “special defense policy ?dialogue” between the two defense ministries, according to the Chinese military.
●●●
FRANCES Agriculture Ministry has confirmed(证实)the first case of mad cow disease detected in a goat last Friday. The goat killed in 2002 tested positive for mad cow disease. It is the first case in the world of the fatal disease being found in an animal other than a bovine. The human form of mad cow disease causes brain-wasting, personality change, loss of body function, and ends in death. The European Commission has not advised any change in farming and consuming goats, said the French Ministry in a statement published last Friday.
●●●
MOBILE phone sales hit a new record in 2010, with some 684 million units sold around the world, the US research institute Strategy Analytics said on Thursday. The number represents an increase of 32 per cent over 2003, when 571 million units were sold. Strategy Analytics predicts a more modest rise of 8 per cent for this year, to 735 million. Finnish cell phone provider Nokia stayed out in front in 2010, with sales of 207.6 million units, giving it a market share of 30.4 per cent. Motorola moved to No 2, just ahead of the South Korean company Samsung.
●●●
SIX male penguins(雄企鹅)at a German zoo are proving stubbornly resistant to females brought in from Sweden to make them into breeding(繁殖).Of the ten male penguins at the zoo, six have formed into “homosexual” couples and have shown no interest in the females, making breeding an impossibility. So the zoo imported the four female penguins from Sweden last month, full of hope that the new arrivals could “turn” the males. But so far, the boys are remaining strictly with the boys.
【小题1】 How many countries are mentioned in the pieces of news?

A．Six.

B．Five.

C．Three.

D．Seven.

【小题2】  Which will probably reach the sales of 735 million units in 2010?

A．Nokia.

B．Motorola.

C．Samsung.

D．Cell phones.

【小题3】  From the fourth piece of news we know that_________.

A．the scientists haven’t succeeded in doing their experiment

B．the scientists have successfully got six female penguins into breeding.

C．the Sweden girls made the boys show interest in them

D．German boys don’t like Sweden boys

【小题4】 Which of the following are the suitable headlines for the pieces of news?

A．a. US Defense Secretary Visit Likely b. France Confirms “Mad Goat Case” c. Mobile Phone Sales d. Male Penguins and Female Penguins

B．a. US Defense Secretary Visit Likely b. France Confirms “Mad Goat Case” c. Nokia Stays on Top d. Birds of a Feather

C．a. Defense Policy Dialogue b. Mad Goat Disease c. Mobile Phone Sales d. Importing Female Penguins

D．a. Sino-US Talks b. Mad Goat Case

c. Motorola’s Sales Reduced          d. Boys and Girls

Somali pirates(海盗) robbed three Thai fishing ships with 77 sailors on board nearly l，200 Miles off the Somali coast，the farthest-off-shore attack to date，an officer said Tuesday.
Pirates have gone farther south and east in answer to increased patrols(巡逻)by warships off the Somali shore. The robbing of the three ships Sunday was about 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the international force，said a spokesman．
The spokesman said the attack so far out at sea was a clear sign that the international patrols against pirates were having a “marked effect on pirate activity in the area”.
“Once they start attacking that far out，you’re not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia,” said an officer，Roger Middleton. “Once you’re that far out，it's just the Indian Ocean，and it means you’re looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia，from Asia to South Africa.”
"This is the farthest robbing to date. They are now operating near the Maldives and India,” said another officer.
The three ships--the MV Prantalay 11，12，and l 4—had 77 members on board in total．All of them are Thai, the spokesman said. Before the Sunday robbing，pirates held l l ships and 228 sailors.
Pirates have increased attacks over the past year in hopes。f catching more dollar payments. Because of increased patrols and defenses on board ships，the success rate(率)has gone down，though the number of successful attacks has stayed the same year over year.
【小题1】 The pirate attack reported in the text happened            .

A．far out in the Indian Ocean

B．in the normal patrol area

C．near the Somali, coast

D．in the south of Africa

【小题2】 According to the text, which can best describe the situation of the pirate problems?

A．More goods on board are lost.

B．Pirate attacks happen in a larger area now.

C．The number of attacks has stayed the same these years.

D．Pirate attacks are as serious as before along the Somali coast.

【小题3】 Which is true about the warship patrols according to the text?

A．The patrols are of little effect.

B．The patrols are more difficult.

C．More patrols are quite necessary even in Asia.

D．The patrols only drive the pirates to other areas.

【小题4】. How many sailors were held by the pirates up to the time of the report?

A．228.

B．77.

C．383.

D．305.

In the past ten years, America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) has grown increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to supply players.
When Michael Jordan and Larry Bird won gold in Barcelona in 1992, the Americans were praised for teaching the world how to play basketball. This season, however, 20 percent of NBA rosters（花名册） will be filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stem happily embraces the trend. On a visit to Paris in October, Stern outlined his vision for the future, which is likely to see Europe hosting NBA games by 2010.
The NBA is now planning to take China by storm.
“Our experience in China has been that it is going to be explosive in its growth,” said Stern. The strategy（战略，策略） in China is television. “We’ve made 14 deals in China with local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success of Chinese centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China. The NBA, which is broadcasted in more than 200 countries in 42 languages, will put that to the test in October 2004 when the Houston Rockets play two pre-season games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. The NBA knows that it needs a global market to compensate for tough times on home soil.
“It doesn’t matter where the players come from, all the NBA teams now know that they have to scout（寻找，觅得） internationally,” said Terry Lyons, the NBA’s vice-president of international public relations. “It has increased the level of competition here.” As Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentine Emanuel Ginobili showed in winning championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs last season, many people can earn the respect of their American peers. Others, such as the Houston Rockets’ Chinese centre Yao Ming — number one draft pick in 2002 — and the Detroit Pistons’ 18-year-old Serb Darko Milicic — number two overall in this year’s draft — are icons（偶像）in-waiting. It is the ultimate（最后的，根本的） revolution — the rest of the world teaching the US how to play basketball.
【小题1】According to the report,                 .

A．Michael Jordan is still playing a very important role in NBA

B．the part played by the foreign players in NBA will be great

C．Yao Ming is to play two pre-season games in NBA

D．European countries will host the 2004 NBA games

【小题2】The underlined phrase “take China by storm” has the meaning of      _______ ___.

A．NBA intends to make China its “marketing center”

B．NBA is planning to set up some training centers in China

C．there’ll be a big storm when NBA comes to China to play against the Sacramento Kings

D．the NBA’s live basket games will be broadcasted on all the TVs in China

【小题3】What seems to be the biggest change that is happening to NBA?
A. NBA is expecting more foreign players to join the league.
B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.
C. Yao Ming has taken the place of Michael Jordan.
D. The NBA will stop teaching the world how to play basketball.
【小题4】When the writer talked of “home soil”, he was referring to        _        _.

A．farms in the States

B．native Americans

C．the NBA training center

D．the USA

【小题5】Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?

A．The Non-American Basketball Players

B．NBA Is Coming to China

C．The Foreign Ties That Bind the NBA

D．NBA Is Making Big Progress

Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety's Director's Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a serious two­car accident.
The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on rain­soaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the occupants trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.
Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith, 9, from the wreckage.
The girl's mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their body sitter, Lisa Bowbin.
Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had upon receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.
Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.
“I was nervous，”Bozeman said. “I don't feel like I'm a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me.”
Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlife­threatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs, and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis, ankle and foot.
The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.
In addition, Bozeman got to meet accident victim Anthony Russo in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed with “Thank you”， Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.
“Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday's ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers，”Beckie Smith said，“We're calling it The Miracle on Highway 6.”
【小题1】What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident.

B．Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes.

C．Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars.

D．A car accident occurred on rain­soaked State Highway 6.

【小题2】Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?

A．Clemmons.

B．Anthony Russo.

C．Bozeman.

D．Bonge.

【小题3】Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?

A．Kind.

B．Modest.

C．Excited.

D．Smart.

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Luckily, no one received too serious injuries in the accident.

B．All the victims received slight injuries in the accident.

C．The rescuers were taken to the hospital to visit the victims.

D．The injured will soon recover from their injuries.

【小题5】It can be inferred from what Beckie Smith said that____.

A．she regarded the accident as a wonder

B．she was frightened by the serious accident

C．she thought highly of the rescuers

D．she called on others to learn from the rescuers

The pound new Library of Birmingham（LoB）will be the most visible sign of the way the city is accepting the digitalization（数字化）of everyday life.
Set to open in 2013, the £188 m LoB is already beginning to tale shape next to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with which it will share some equipment.
As digital media（媒介）is important to its idea. the project is already providing chances for some of the many small new local companies working at the new technologies.
Brian Gambles, the LoB project director, says it is about giving people the right tools for learning, “The aim is to mix the physical with the digital. Providing 24-hour services which can be used through many different ways. It is important to enable us to reach more people, more effectively.”
The digital library will, he says, be as important as the physical one, allowing the distant use of the services, making sure that it is never closed to the public.
Even before the LoB is complete, the public has been able to go online to visit the Virtual（虚拟的）LoB, designed by Baden, the Birmingham virtual worlds specialists. Not only have the public been able to learn about LoB, but the virtual one has also enabled those working on the LoB to understand the building and how it will work before it even opens.
Two other small Birmingham-based digital companies are working on the LoB projects. Substrat, a digital design company, is developing what it calls “enlarge reality” project. It is about the use of an exciting smart phone, an important part of the LoB which is in the early stages of development is an online library of figures of the city being built by a digital content company in Cahoots, in which users will be encouraged to add to and comment on the material.
Gambles says: “Technology will enable us to make the library’s content and services open to citizens as sever before.”
【小题1】The underline part “its idea” in Paragraph 3 refers to the idea of____.

A．the equipment	B．the project
C．the digital media	D． the physical library

【小题2】While visiting the Virtual LoB, the public can_____. 

A．get a general idea of the LoB

B．meet many world-famous experts

C．learn how to put up a library building

D．understand how the specialists work on the project

【小题3】Which of the following is true of the LoB when it opens?

a. It offers better learning tools b. It reaches users in different ways   c. It provides users with smart phone d. It allows users to enrich its material e. It gives non-stop physical and digital services

A. a, b, d           B. a, c, e            C. b, c, d             D. b, d, e
【小题4】This text is most probably taken from                 .

A．a put book	B．a library guide
C．a handbook	D．a newspaper report