Most of the 20th century has been a development on the Industrial Revolution taken to an extreme: people now own more products than ever before; there are enough unclear weapons to destroy the earth several times over; there is hardly any forest left and pollution has got to the point where we buy water. Within a few years I predict you will be able to buy air. (There once was a time when you didn’t need to buy food or shelter either.)

Important developments in the last century are the breading down of the class structures left over from the Industrial Revolution stage, bringing with it the empowerment of the “common man ”: the working day is set by law to only 8 hours a day, everyone has the vote, the media has less obvious government control, people have landed on the moon, sent spacecrafts to Mars and so on. Families have also shrunk drastically（强烈地）; the nuclear family came about, and especially in the last half of the 20th century, one-parent families are becoming more common. This shrinking in the size of the family shows the increased independence of people—once upon a time people had to live in large groups to survive.

As humans have “become the gods”, they have realized their individuality and independence and taken their control of the world to an extreme. In many countries the land is almost completely used in the land is almost completely used in the production of food and as living space and they live in small cities which are entirely human constructed, made from materials which are also entirely human constructed(concrete, bricks) with hardly any remains of nature. Weeds are poisoned because they are messy; even parks have trees grown in tidy lines; grass is mowed to keep it short and so on. I think the massive drug “problem” troubling people is a result of too much of this influence, humans needing to escape the stark world they have created by entering fantasy worlds.

Over the last 100 years, the 20th century consciousness has spread throughout the world; most of Asia has been thoroughly “Westernized”, and most of the Third World is being overrun by western ways of doing things and living.

What’s the author most concerned about?

A．The influence of pollution.    

B．Strong effects of development.

       C．Changed positions of humans as gods.   

       D．The process of the Industrial Revolution.

What is the author’s attitude towards the changes of the 20th century?   

A．Objective. B．Tolerant.   C．Vague.     D．Negative.

What does the underlined word “stark” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Unfair.     B．Illegal.     C．Dull. D．Violent.

What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Men’s individuality is over controlled.

B．People have damaged nature too much.

C．Men’s independence is partially limited.

D．People show concern for nuclear families.

DU Lala is the hottest career coach in the country. The fictional character in the acclaimed novel Du La La’s Promotion shows others how to take the high road to success in a multinational company. But does her story describe a real or distorted picture of work life? The answer is as complicated as office life itself.

Over one million copies of the book have been sold since its release in 2007. Go Lala Go!, a movie adaptation of the novel set to hit cinemas next weekend, has stirred up even more interest in the story. The film stars Xu Jinglei and Stanley Huang, but fans seem to be more excited about seeing the story unfold on the big screen.

According to a recent sina.com survey, 45 percent of the 6,810 netizens polled said they have drawn career pointers from the novel. Other office novels, such as In and Out of the Loop, Win and Lose and Drowning and Floating, seem to have been received with similar interest.

“These books show me the life of white collars, and they teach me career rules and jargon that are not offered in class,” said Zhang Shanshan, a 22-year-old senior at Beijing Forestry University. Zhang says the competition, humor and office gossip in the book intrigued her. “I can’t wait to embark on my own career,” she said.

The popularity of office novels does not surprise Chen Ning, a senior career consultant at Zhaopin.com. “Novels about office fights and struggles satisfy the psychological demands of an ordinary office worker,” Chen said. “The leading characters face great pressure, fierce competition and an uncertain future. This is what really happens in many readers’ daily life.”

Li Ke, the author of Du Lala’s Promotion, has been stressing the significance of her fiction. “I want to provide real and useful common sense, knowledge and experience to office workers,” Li told the Qianjiang Evening News last year.

Recent graduates say they have found the basic work principles highlighted in the novel to be instructive. “If these books had been published five years earlier, I might have avoided some problems,” said Xu Jun, an HR manager at Guangqi Honda Automobile Company. “They often discuss basic office principles, which are relevant for staff working under the middle management level. They also help readers to see the importance of basic problem solving and organizational skills.”

But some veteran employees warn that the novels are not always realistic. They say this is especially true of the characters. “The protagonists appear to be unbeatable,” said Hou Zhendong, an HR manager at General Electric. “Du Lala’s team leader quit in an irresponsible way; her boss is inept; and the staff around her is either stupid or overly-sophisticated. Du stands out in emergencies and makes all the right decisions. The truth is, real-life colleagues are not that polarized（截然对立）,” Hou said. “You seldom get to negotiate your salary with a big boss. And, most of the time, you make wrong decisions far more than you make correct ones.”

The career principles in the books are also of limited use. “Most of the stories happen in Fortune 500 companies with a long history. Their cultures are well-established, and their rules are scientific,” Hou said. “But if you work for a small foreign company, or a local enterprise, some principles are useless.”

Liu Rui, a project manager at IBM, suggests fans of these books focus on the little bits of wisdom they provide. “The novels give rookies（新手） some inspiration,” he said. “They emphasize the importance of observation, practice and self-examination. These tips are precious and universally true.”

1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

2.What can be inferred from the passage?

3.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

On Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.

This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade—the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest.

Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.

Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.

Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday.

What’s the best title of the passage?

        A．History of Saint Patrick’s Day   B．An Official Holiday in US

        C．The Largest Parade in the World  D．Celebrations across the Country

What do you think is the official color of St. Patrick’s Day?

        A．Green.      B．Red.   C．Black.        D．Yellow.

The last paragraph is mainly about _____.

        A．the cruel slave trade.      B．Saint Patrick’s contribution.

        C．activities during Saint Patrick’s Day  D．Ireland’s Patron Saint

2010年8月8日甘肃省甘南藏族自治州舟曲县遭受特大泥石流的袭击。假如你是校英文报纸的通讯员，请根据下列表格，以A massive mudslide为题，写一篇报道。

  [写作内容]

第二节 完型填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a massive grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a   36  for four generations to become one. The table was always   37  with food from wonderful family recipes（食谱）all containing   38  as the main ingredient（成分）. And always that grandfather clock stood like a trusted old family   39  , sharing our happiness.
As I was a child, the old clock  40  me. I watched and listened to it during meals. I   41  how at different times of the day, that clock would strike with a wonderful   42  . Year after year, the clock struck a part of my   43  , a part of my heart.
Even more wonderful to me was what my grandfather did each day. He  44  wound that clock with a special and magic key, which   45  the clock ticking and striking. He never let that clock wind down and   46  . When we grandkids got a little older, he showed us how to   47  the clock.
Several days after my grandfather died, I entered the dining room, with tears flowing   48  . The clock stood desertedly   49  , seeming smaller and not as magnificent as before. I couldn’t   50  to look at it.
Years later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key. The old house was quiet. I opened the clock door with my shaking hand. Then   51  , reverently（虔诚地）, I entered the key and wound the clock. It sprang to  52  . Tick – tock , tick – tock, life and chimes were   53  into the dining room, into house and into my  54  . In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather   55  again.
36．A．party B．time  C．place D．situation
37．A．filled B．cleared     C．spread      D．left
38．A．wine B．surprise    C．fish   D．love
39．A．friend       B．guard       C．doctor      D．lawyer
40．A．disappointed    B．encouraged      C．interested  D．comforted
41．A．questioned       B．remembered     C．doubted    D．wondered
42．A．sound       B．hammer    C．voice D．beat
43．A．studies      B．opinions   C．memories  D．brains
44．A．strangely  B．carefully   C．eagerly     D．usually
45．A．got    B．kept  C．prevented  D．found
46．A． break      B．fall    C．stop   D．move
47．A．wind B．repair       C．read  D．clean
48．A．unexpectedlyB．gently   C．difficultly D．freely
49．A．ticking     B．moving     C．noisy D．quiet
50．A．help  B．bear  C．hope  D．insist
51．A．slowly      B．quickly     C．unwillingly      D．naturally
52．A．feet   B．hands       C．sense D．life
53．A．breathed   B．blown       C．taken D．sent
54．A．study B．bedroom   C．heart D．mind
55．A．died  B．lived C．smiled      D．sang