The Japanese economy is at a standstill，Japan ’ s government has said, as concerns about the

strong yen(曰元）continue to grow. The recovery in the economy was “pausing"，the Cabinet Office said in a monthly statement.

It is the most negative that the government has been about the economy in nearly two years. The rising yen and a slowdown in global demand for Japanese exports were blamed for the setback.

In recent months, the government has insisted that the economy is “picking up". But it said it now expected the economy to Femain weak for some time, with “weakening" exports a chief concern. It said shipments to Asia in particular were becoming weaker, further hitting exporters that are already suffering from the strong yen.

The yen remains near a 15 - year high against the US dollar, despite the financial interfer-ence ( 干预）in the currency markets last month for the first time in six years.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan(菅直人）has also passed a $ 63 billion stimulus(剌激）package in an effort to protect exporters who have seen the poor exchange rate eat into their prof-its. At the close of markets in Tokyo，the yen was trading at 81.44 yen to the dollar, just off the high of 81.27 yen.

"If the economy turns out as expected, we may end up describing the current situation as a soft patch，” one of die government officials said ’ “ But if it comes under further downward pressure, it could end up slipping into recession (衰退）.”

The Japanese government think the current bad economy situation is partly due to   .

A. the decline of the strong yen    B. the unsatisfactory exports

 C. the government' s mistaken policy   D. the decline in the quality of goods

In recent months, the government has a(n) attitude towards the economy situation.

A. shocking B. negative C. optimistic   D. aggressive

From the passage we know the government has taken measures mainly to   .

A. protect the foreign markets  B. protect profits of its hitting exporters

C. monitor the yen exchange rate    D. stimulate domestic demands

The passage could probably be found in .

A. government white paper   B. a science fiction

C. a travel journal D. a newspaper report

“I pity the empress. Poor empress.” “Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?” From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.

Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.

The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(阴谋) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.

The heroine, Zhen Huan, initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem(后宫) of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.

　 However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.

Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are carefully chosen. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written. “The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.” More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways. “For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said, “Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”

Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace. Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way. “Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com. “There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.” “But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”

1.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. People have pity on the empress.       

B. Zhen Huan really loves the emperor.

C. Legend of Zhen Huan is very popular.   

D. Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 most probably refer to?

A. The imperial palace.         

B. The life of women.

C. Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.  

D. The story of Zhen Huan.

3.When Legend of Zhen Huan finds the palace is a cruel one, she ______.

A. learns to survive on her own      

B. asks others for advice

C. feels down and disappointed      

D. becomes an innocent young lady

4.We can learn from Niu Hanting that she ______.

A. thinks Zhen has had effects on newcomers  

B. makes little of Legend of Zhen Huan

C. speaks highly of Legend of Zhen Huan     

D. wants newcomer to follow Zhen’s example

5. This text is most probably taken from a(n) _________.

A. textbook                           B. newspaper

C. advertisement                D. story book

 

 I ：阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。(共12个小题；每小题1分，满分12分)

   A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor(继任者) to take over the business.

     29  choosing one of his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives(主管) in his company together, and said, “ I will give each one of you a(n)  30

today. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and   31  here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed. I will then  32  your plants, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

   Jim was there that day and he also received a seed. He went home  33  , and got a pot, some soil and planted the seed. Every day, he watered it and   34  to see if it had grown, but nothing ever grew.

   Time flew, and it was time to  35  their plants to the boss. When Jim arrived, he was   36

the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were all   37  ——in all shapes and sizes.

   When the old CEO arrived, he   38  the room and greeted his young executives. “My goodness! What great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown.” All of a sudden, the CEO noticed Jim at the back of the room with his   39  pot. He asked him what had happened to his seed—— Jim told him his story.

   The CEO looked at Jim, and then   40  to the young excutives, “ Now we have the next Chief Executive Officer ——his name is Jim!”

   Nobody could believe it, including Jim himself. Then the CEO said, “ One year ago the seeds I gave everyone were all boiled seeds; it was not possible for them to grow. Remember, everyone, if you plant honesty, you will reap(收获) trust.”

29.  A. Because of       B. In addition to  C. Apart from      D. Instead of

30.  A. order         B. plant           C. seed             D. appointment

31.  A. come back          B. get off                 C. forget about           D. walk around

32.  A. collect             B. buy             C. sell                  D. judge

33.  A. excitedly           B. nervously        C. carefully            D. angrily

34.  A. declared           B. remained         C. watched             D. intended

35.  A. dig out            B. pack up          C. meet with            D. bring back

36.  A. disappointed at      B. amazed at        C. satisfied with         D. cautious about

37.  A. green              B. beautiful        C. disappointing        D. dying

38.  A. scanned            B. found          C. searched              D. inspected

39.  A. broken            B.empty           C. big                 D. expensive

40.  A. explained          B. suggested        C. announced           D. introduced

You Mi, a lovely and confident 17-year-old student, is the first Chinese high school student to appear on the cover of the popular young adults’ fashion magazine Seventeen.
“You is IN,” said Wang Lihua，Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen. “She is active and mature (成熟) because of her knowledge on everything from academic studies，to books on art，to movies. We find she’s the very style we’re looking for to represent young people’s attitudes.”
You also impressed Wang with her fluent English when they first met last year. As the hostess of an English broadcasting program at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University（人大附中）， You is always praised for speaking English almost like a native speaker. “I’ve built up my English by watching thousands of English DVDs since I was 10,” she explained.
But for You，watching isn’t enough. Last year，while in Senior 1， she met a talented (有才能的) boy who showed self-made DV movies at the English Corner in her school.
“I thought it was so cool and I knew that I should start making my own films，” she said. So she wrote a campus (校园) story, persuaded schoolmates to star in it and then began shooting a 30-minute DV movie，all in English. “I played one of the leading roles，actually I was everything in my film. I worked on it every day during the holidays,” she recalled. The movie finally became a big hit on campus，earning You a strong reputation（名气） as a DV movie director.
But this is not the only field she wants to master. Though a science student, You likes art, literature and fashion design very much.
“There are people who can be artists，there are people who edit books, and there are people who become film producers. But I just hope to mix all the things up!” she said. “There is an old saying I believe：Chances favor only the prepared mind.”
【小题1】You Mi was chosen to be a cover of Seventeen, mainly because she _____.

A．is beautiful	B．she is lovely and full of confidence
C．is active and mature	D．has rich knowledge

【小题2】You Mi’s fluent English is based on _____.

A．her chance to host an English broadcasting program

B．the influence of her parents

C．her deep interest in it

D．her making DV movie

【小题3】The author mentioned a talented boy to show _____.

A．the great influence he had on You Mi

B．he was admired by his schoolmates

C．the young can do things as well as the adults do

D．DV movies are popular at school

【小题4】In the 30-minute DV movie，You Mi didn’t act as a（n） _____.

A．director

B．musician

C．actress

D．film-maker

【小题5】We can learn from the passage that _____.

A．You Mi hopes to be a mixed talent.

B．the success of a 30-minute DV movie surprised You Mi.

C．You Mi dreams of becoming a scientist.

D．You Mi doesn’t like to study during holidays.

London, April 28---The Man Group, a British hedge fund, is betting that investors will want to read more than the latest how-to- get –rich-quick business book.

In a five-year deal worth roughly $3.6 million announced last week, Man has agreed to sponsor(主办)the Booker Prize for Fiction, which will be renamed the Man Booker Prize. Since creating the award in 1969, Booker P.L.G., a British food group, in June 2000, executives began considering attracting outside sponsors. Man will be the first of these. Bill Grimsey, the chief of the Big Food Group, saw little business sense in a link between a food supplier and a literary prize, explained Dotti Irving, a spokeswoman for the Booker Prize foundation.

Such dissimilarities (差异) have not reduced Man’s enthusiasm for the prize which is expected to be open for the first time to American authors. David Browne, a spokesman for Man, said most of the firm’s investors are high-net-worth individuals who appreciate literature. “The people who buy hedge funds,” Mr. Browne said, “also read.”

Under the new agreement, authors will get more money. The winner of the annual prize, to be awarded in October, will receive $73,000 , up from $30,000 the Australian writer Peter Carey won last year for his novel “True History of the Kelley Gang.”

The six short-listed authors will each receive $3,600, up from $1,500. Having a hedge fund as a backer apparently has its perks.(福利).

1.The article is mainly about ____.

A．the disagreement between two groups	B．the Booker Prize Foundation
C．the Big Food Group	D．The new development of Booker Prize

2. This article is most probably seen in a(n) ____.

A．best-selling book

B．magazine

C．newspaper

D．advertisement

3.What can be inferred from the article?

A．Bill Grimsey decided to open the prize for American authors

B．“How-to-get-rich-quick” business was written by Peter Carey.

C．Under the agreement, the Booker Prize will be sponsored only by Man.

D．If you win the prize, you will get $73,000 next October

4.Who is the spokesman for Man?

A．David Browne

B．Peter Carey

C．Bill Grimsey

D．Dotti Irving