The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.

Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.

Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.

As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals — many of which were built in the nineteenth century — provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.

During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from.

We can know from the first paragraph that ______________.

A. the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody

B. people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up

C. patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948

D. the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers

What do we know about the NHS?

A. It’s managed by the central government.

B. Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions.

C. It hires more people than any other unit in Europe.

D. Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care.

All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ____________.

A. take care of the local people’s health

B. often take part in competitions to see who is the best

C. work under high pressure nowadays        D. have more responsibilities than before

What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?

A. suffering                  B. different                 C. prevented                        D. free

The biggest problem for the NHS is ______________.

A. many hospitals are too old to be used     

B. some services are in the charge of individuals

C. more and more patients go to GPs for treatment

D. there is not enough money for further reform

                                     C

Starting college can be a difficult experience. You have to deal with new responsibilities and growing independence, a challenging course load and, of course, the social scene. When a roommate is thrown into the mix, it may feel like you’re struggling with all that stuff while living in a small box with a stranger.

But having a roommate doesn’t need to be one more thing to worry about. When students go into their living situations with realistic expectations and a willingness to compromise, things can work out just fine.

When you first meet your roommate, chances are you’ll be on your best behaviour. You want to get along, since this is the person who’s going to be sharing your living space for the next year. But try to think ahead to potential (可能的) worst cases, too.

For example, imagine it’s 2 a.m. and you’re working on a paper that should be finished in 8 hours. Your roommate comes in from a party and wants to continue the party in your room.

At times like these, you won’t be feeling good. That’s why talking about problems that might come up ahead of time -- and respecting each other’s wishes when the time comes -- is so important.

Talk about the things that are really important to you, and make sure your roommate understands. Then encourage him or her to do the same.

For example, does it make you angry when people take things without asking first? Let your roommate know your feelings about these types of things from the start, so that both of you have a feel for each other’s likes, dislikes, and habits.

1.The underlined word “compromise” in the second paragraph means “     ”.

2.You should try to be polite to your roommate because       .

3. Which of the following is the best way to get along well with your roommate?

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

One morning a few years ago，Harvard President Neil Rudenstine overslept. For this busy man，it was a sort of alarm: after years of non-stop hard work，he might wear himself out and die an early death.
Only after a week's leave—during which he read novels, listened to music and walked with his wife on a beach—was Rudenstine able to return to work.
In our modern life, we have lost the rhythm between action and rest. Surprisingly, within this world there is a universal but silly saying:“I am so busy.”
We say this to one another as if our tireless efforts were a talent by nature and an ability to successfully deal with stress. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, and to be unable to find time to relax—this has become the model of a successful life.
Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the guide telling us where to go, the food providing us with strength, the quiet giving us wisdom.
How have we allowed this to happen? I believe it is this: we have forgotten the Sabbath, the day of the week—for followers of some religions—for rest and praying. It is a day when we are not supposed to work, a time when we devote ourselves to enjoying and celebrating what is beautiful. It is a good time to bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals，walk and sleep. It is a time for us to take a rest, to put our work aside, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world.
Rest is a spiritual and biological need；however，in our strong ambition to be successful and care for our many responsibilities，we may feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. The Sabbath gives us permission to stop work. In fact, “Remember the Sabbath ”is more than simply permission to rest；it is a rule to obey and a principle to follow.
50. The “alarm” in the first paragraph refers to “______”.
　　A. a signal of stress                                  B. a warning of danger
　　C. a sign of age                                      D. a spread of disease
51. According to Paragraph 4,a successful person is one who is believed to ____.
　　A. be able to work without stress　　            B. be more talented than other people
　　C. be more important than anyone else　　 D. be busy working without time to rest
52. Some people feel guilty when taking time to rest because they ____.
　　A. think that taking a rest means lacking ambitions
　　B. fail to realize that rest is an essential part of life
　　C. fail to realize that religions force them to rest
　　D. think that taking a rest means being lazy
53. What is the main idea of this passage?
　　A. We should balance work with rest.
　　B. The Sabbath givers us permission to rest.
　　C. It is silly for anyone to say “I am so busy.”
　　D. We should be available to our family and friends.

    “Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it’s a girl.”

    Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different answer from every

Man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers．Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experience with them， others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them．Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time．For other couples， pregnancy was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.

Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child， it is obvious that the shift from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task．Yet， unfortunately， few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this remobilization process．Although numerous books have been written about American mothers， only recently has literature focused on the role of a father.

It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father‘s role， although difficult， is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother‘s role．The mother‘s role seems to require complete transformation in daily routine and highly innovative adaptation; on the other hand， the fathers role is less demanding and immediate．However， even though we mentioned the fact that growing number of women are working outside the home， the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.

1.According to the author，being a father_________.

        A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men

        B．has a different meaning for those who have daughters

        C．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy

        D．means nothing but more responsibilities

2.It is stated in the passage that__________.

        A．some parents are not prepared to have a child

        B．young couples do not like children at all

        C．do not have much time to take care of their children

        D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child

3.The transition to the mother‘s role requires that the wife__________.

        A．change her lifestyle in a highly innovative way

        B．make a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation

        C．stay at home to take care of the baby

        D．help her husband in his remobilization process

4.Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles， fathers， compared with mothers， ___________.

        A．have to shoulder more burdens

        B．have to make more difficult adaptations

        C．have an easier job to do

        D．can usually do a better job

Bryan、Olga、Scott、Anna、和David正在进行一项“企业家成功秘诀调查”。他们将采访几位企业家，第61-65题是他们拟定的采访话题。阅读下面刊登在Entrepreneur (《企业家》)杂志上6位企业家的成功感言（A、B、C、D、E和F），为每位采访者选定最佳采访对象。选项中有一项是多余选项。

1.  Bryan: What comes first, the customer or the profit?

2. Olga: How important is an entrepreneur’s ambition to his/her company’ growth?

3. Scott: How does an entrepreneur make use of his/her advantages?

4.Anna: Why do successful entrepreneurs seem to enjoy their work?

5. David: What attitude should an entrepreneur have toward his/her social responsibilities?