Write a letter to the manager, explain who you are, say what you like about the hotel, and suggest some ways that their services       improved.

    A. can be                        B. be                              C. are                             D. will be

For a small but increasing  number of young women in modern-day China, true love is all about the numbers. A potential suitor may have a good sense of humor and reasonable good looks, but what they say really matters is if he owns an apartment and how many square feet it is. A sizable bank account is also a must, and, some say, so is a luxury car。
At least, that’s the way things look if you watch Chinese television these days. The latest reality-TV scandal to shock the nation involves Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing who appeared on China's most popular dating show, If You Are the One. She rejected an offer from a male contestant to take a ride on his bike. "I'd rather cry in a BMW (宝马) car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle," Ma told her suitor with a giggle.
The televised words swept the Internet and made an instant celebrity of Ma, who becomes one of the most talked-about women in the country. The reaction  among young Chinese was especially severe, reflecting growing anxieties over the widening gap between rich and poor, shifting societal values and public attention on the difficulties of finding a mate in a country where men are expected to outnumber women by 24 million in a decade.
As disgusted as they have been by some of the contestants, viewers continue to watch religiously. Why are people still tuning in? "Audiences like programs because they are honest. They show the current reality of Chinese society," says Yan Mu, one of the founders of Baihe.com. Young people are so focused on making money and building their careers these days, they have little time to devote to dating, he says. "Many people feel pressure from their parents and peers," Yan adds. " It can be a struggle to find a partner." Money may not buy you love. But on China's reality shows, it can at least get you a date.
【小题1】The underlined words“numbers”in the first paragraph include the following except_______

A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure（闲暇）. As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.

The figures support the western prejudice（偏见） that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.

But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised（隐性的） pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.

The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that           .

    A．the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people

    B．the government needs to get more goods from abroad

    C．the Japanese have been working too hard

    D．the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice

The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is           .

    A．the small companies          B．the industrialists

    C．the unions                   D．the younger generation

The unions think that           .

    A．the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get

    B．the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy

    C．the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have

    D．the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be

The best title for this passage can be           .

    A．Oh no! Not Saturday Again!   B．Leisure: the Greatest Threat!

    C．Enjoy While You are Young!   D．Less Work and More Play!

It was a hot summer day. My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat with my friend Katie and the dog when the phone call came, the call that made that bright, beautiful day a cold, dark, gloomy one.
I had just put on my suit, shorts, and tank top, and packed my bag with sunscreen and everything else I would need for the day. I ran into my parents' room to find Dad. When I saw him on the phone, he was crying. I'd never seen my dad cry before. My heart sank. What possibly could have happened?
"Max, I'm so sorry," I heard him say. That's when it hit me. I knew that Suzie had died.Max has been my dad's best friend for years. Suzie, his daughter, had a rare disease that mainly affected her body. Her brain was OK. She knew what was going on; she knew that shehad problems and was different from other kids. Once she told her dad that she wished she could die and be born in a different body. Yet although she couldn't live a normal life ，she was still happy.
When Suzie and I were little, we spent quite a bit of time together. As we grew up, we grew apart. She lived in New York, and I lived in the Midwest. When Suzie was ten she had to live ina hospital in Virginia. About eight months before she died, Max gave us her number at the hospital and we talked at least twice a week until the end. Suzie was always so excited to talk to us and wanted to know every detail about my life. She wanted to know everything I did and every thing I ate. In a way, she lived through me.
After we found out about her death, we made our plans to go to New York for the funeral. When she was alive, I sent her a Beanie Baby and she sent one back to me. I had bought her another one but never had the chance to send it to her, so I took it to put in her casket(棺材).
Her funeral was very different from any funeral I'd ever been to. After they lowered her casket, each one of us put a shovelful of dirt over her. I remember crying so hard, I felt weak. My cheeks burned from the tears. My whole body was shaking as I picked up the shovel, but I'm glad I did it.
When Suzie and I first started calling one another, I thought it would be more of a burden on me, but I was completely wrong. I learned so much from her. She gave me more than I could ever give to her. I will never forget her or the talks we had. I now know that I must never take anything for granted especially my health and the gift of life.
【小题1】The author's family cancelled their ride because______.

A．Suzie was the only person helping the author with difficulties.

B．The author feared that she might also get the same disease as Suzie.

C．The author benefited a lot from talking on the phone with Suzie.

D．The author didn't understand Suzie was her true friend until Suzie's death.

                          
C
In the early days of human history, people lived by hunting wild animals, or gathering wild grains and plants for food. Then, some people learned to grow crops and raise animals for food. They were the first farmers.
Since the sixteenth century, the word farm has meant agricultural land. But a much older meaning of the word farm is linked to economics. The word farm comes from the Latin word, firma, which means an unchanging payment.
Experts say the earliest meaning of the English word farm was a yearly payment made as a tax or rent.
Farmers in early England did not own their land. They paid every year to use agricultural lands.
Beans are a popular farm crop. But beans are used to describe something of very little value in the expression, not worth a hill of beans. The expression is often used today. You could say, for example, that a bad idea is not worth a hill of beans.
Language expert Charles Earle Funk said the expression was first used almost seven hundred years ago. He said Robert of Gloucester described a message from the King of Germany to King John of England as altogether not worth a bean.
49. In the early days of human history, how did people live?
A. By raising animals.                                      B. By hunting wild animals.
C. By growing crops.                                   D. By selling plants.
50. What is the much older meaning of “farm” linked to?
A. Agriculture.              B. Industry.           C. Economics.   D. Changing payment.
51. What does the expression “not worth a hill of beans” mean?
A. Very important.        B. Very valuable.           C. Not valuable.     D. Not expensive.
52. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Since the sixteenth century, the word farm has meant agricultural land.
B. The word farm comes from the Latin word.
C. Farmers in early England owned their land.
D. The expression “not worth a hill of beans” was first used almost seven hundred years ago.