About 90 percent of Chinese believe the polarization(分化) between the rich and poor is “serious” in China, according to a survey conducted by China Youth Daily. And more than 80 percent of the respondents(对象) surveyed said something must be done to narrow the expanding gap between the rich and poor, while 14.1 percent said it was necessary.

The polarization has aroused wide concern among the public in recent years. The State Development and Reform Commission(国家发改委) said the Gini Coefficient had reached 0.47 for China, up from o.29 two decades ago. Usually, a country with a number above 0.4 is warned to pay attention to the income inequality problem.

To find out the people’s view, the survey covered 10,250 respondents, between the ages of 20 and 30 with a college education and a monthly salary between 1,000 and 3,000 yuan. Surprisingly, most disagreed with the view of experts who claim the urban-rural difference is causing the widening gap. More than 70 percent of the respondents believed that “ the group of special interests” is the prime reason for the polarization, followed by “people in power” 68 percent, and “bosses” 50 percent.

Another unexpected finding is that almost all agreed that a good educational background and knowledge were not the decisive factors in gaining wealth. About 95 percent said rich people are not necessarily those who are able to speak English or have a college education.

Today in China, rich people , accounting for 10 percent of the population, control 45 percent of the total social fortune, and poor people, also 10 percent of the population, only control 1.5 percent, according to an investigation published by the National Bureau of Statistics last June.

1. It can be inferred that the Gini Coefficient ( in paragraph 2) would probably be _____.

   A. the unit used in advanced mathematics

   B. the degree of a country’s development

   C. the level of the citizen’s living standard

   D. a measure of income inequality

2. Experts hold the view that the main reason for the polarization is _____.

   A. the urban-rural difference             B. the group of special interests

   C. the people in power                  D. the bosses

3.Which of the following can show the correct proportion(比例) of the social fortune among population?

 

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

   A. Close the Gap between the Rich and Poor

   B. Surveys conducted by China Youth Daily

   C. Higher education, Higher pay

   D. Rich-Poor Divide Serious, Study Finds

 

 

New archaeological discovers suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk Road probably began in some form many countries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research could add a fascinating new page to the epic of the Silk Road.

The farest and most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of and Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.

The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2^nd century BC which was the agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission（使命）across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijion,. Histerents have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthians of old Pet la lu exchange for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury markets in Rome.

But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.

1.The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by         .

A. produced       B. contributed      C. doubled        D. combined

2.The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that          .

A. Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

B. trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

C. historical research often achieves fascinating results

D. new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

3.Until recently most historians believed that trade along the Silk Road        .

A. originated in the 2^nd century BC

B. extended human migration into eastern Asia

C. began a million years ago

D. primarily benefited the Egyptians

4.Historians have always considered Zhang Qian’s mission important because they believe            .

A. be brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor

B. be discovered the Silk Road

C. be helped establish East-West trade

D. be travelled as far as Afghanistan

 

Over the past few decades, more and more countries have opened up the markets, increasingly transforming the world economy into one free-flowing global market. The question is：Is economic globalization   50  for all?

According to the World Bank, one of its chief supporters, economic globalization has helped reduce   51  in a large number of developing countries. It quotes one study that shows increased wealth   52  to improved education and longer life in twenty-four developing countries as a result of integration (融合) of local economies into the world economy. Home to some three billion people, these twenty-four countries have seen incomes   53  at an average rate of five percent—compared to two percent in developed countries.

Those who   54  globalization claim that economies in developing countries will benefit from new opportunities for small and home-based businesses.   55 , small farmers in Brazil who produce nuts that would originally have sold only in   56  open-air markets can now promote their goods worldwide by the Internet.

Critics take a different view, believing that economic globalization is actually   57  the gap between the rich and poor. A study carried out by the U.N.-sponsored World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization shows that only a few developing countries have actually   58  from integration into the world economy and that the poor, the uneducated, unskilled workers, and native peoples have been left behind.   59 , they maintain that globalization may eventually threaten emerging businesses. For example, Indian craftsmen who currently seem to benefit from globalization because they are able to   60  their products may soon face fierce competition that could put them out of   61 . When large-scale manufacturers start to produce the same goods, or when superstores like Wal-Mart move in, these small businesses will not be able to   62  and will be crowded out.

One thing is certain about globalization—there is no   63 . Advances in technology combined with more open policies have already created an interconnected world. The   64  now is finding a way to create a kind of globalization that works for the benefit of all.                                                  (347 words)

1.                A．possible        B．smooth         C．good D．easy

 

2.                A．crime          B．poverty         C．conflict   D．population

 

3.                A．contributing     B．responding      C．turning   D．owing

 

4.                A．remain         B．drop           C．shift D．increase

 

5.                A．doubt          B．define          C．advocate  D．ignore

 

6.                A．In addition      B．For instance     C．In other words D．All in all

 

7.                A．mature         B．new           C．local D．foreign

 

8.                A．finding         B．exploring       C．bridging  D．widening

 

9.                A．suffered        B．profited        C．learned   D．withdrawn

 

10.               A．Furthermore    B．Therefore       C．However  D．Otherwise

 

11.               A．consume       B．deliver         C．export    D．advertise

 

12.               A．trouble         B．business        C．power D．mind

 

13.               A．keep up        B．come in        C．go around D．help out

 

14.               A．taking off       B．getting along     C．holding out D．turning back

 

15.               A．agreement      B．prediction      C．outcome  D．challenge

 

 

When you get in your car, you reach for it. When you're at work, you take a break to have a moment alone with it. When you get into a lift, you play with it.

Cigarette? Cup of coffee? No, it's the third most addictive thing in modem life, the cell phone. And experts say it is becoming more difficult for many people to curb their longing to hug it more tightly than most of their personal relationships.

The costs are becoming more and more evident, and I don't mean just the monthly bill. Dr.Chris Knippers, a counselor at the Betty ford Center in Southern California, reports that the overuse of cell phones has become a social problem not much different from other harmful addictions: a barrier to one-on -one personal contact, and an escape from reality. Sounds extreme, but we' ve all witnessed the evidence: The person at a restaurant who talks on the phone through an entire meal, ignoring his kids around the table; the woman who talks on the phone in the car, ignoring her husband; the teen who texts messages all the way home from school, avoiding contact with kids all around him. Jim Williams, an industrial sociologist based in Massachusetts, notes that cell - phone addiction is part of a set of symptoms in a widening gulf of personal separation. He points to a study by Duke University researchers that found one-quarter of Americans say they have no one to discuss their most important personal business with. Despite the growing use of phones, e - mail and instant messaging, in other words, Williams says studies show that we don't have as many friends as our parents. “Just as more information has led to less wisdom, more acquaintances via the Internet and cell phones have produced fewer friends,” he says.

If the cell phone has truly had these effects, it's because it has become very widespread. Consider that in 1987, there were only l million cell phones in use. Today, something like 300 million Americans carry them. They far outnumber wired phones in the United States.

1.From the first two paragraphs, we can know                   ．

A．cell phones have become as addictive as cigarettes

B．cell phone addiction is good for building personal relationships

C．people are longing to have their own cell phones

D．cell phones are the same as cigarettes

2.Cell phone addiction has caused the following effects EXCEPT            .

A．a barrier to personal contact               B．fewer friends

C．an escape from reality                    D．a serious illness

3.The underlined word "curb" in Paragraph 2 means “           ．”

A．ignore            B．control           C．develop           D．rescue

4.The example of a woman talking on the phone in the car supports the idea that        .

A．women Use cell phones more often than men

B．talking on the phone while driving is dangerous

C．cell phones do not necessarily bring people together

D．cell phones make one - on - one personal contact easy

5.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Cell phones Are the New Cigarettes

B．Cell phones Are Harmful to the Society

C．The New Report about the Cell phone

D．The Disadvantages of the Cell phone

 

When you get in your car, you reach for it. When you're at work, you take a break to have a moment alone with it. When you get into a lift, you play with it.

Cigarette? Cup of coffee? No, it's the third most addictive thing in modem life, the cell phone. And experts say it is becoming more difficult for many people to curb their longing to hug it more tightly than most of their personal relationships.

The costs are becoming more and more evident, and I don't mean just the monthly bill. Dr. Chris Knippers, a counselor at the Betty ford Center in Southern California, reports that the overuse of cell phones has become a social problem not much different from other harmful addictions: a barrier to one-on-one personal contact, and an escape from reality. Sounds extreme, but we' ve all witnessed the evidence: The person at a restaurant who talks on the phone through an entire meal, ignoring his kids around the table; the woman who talks on the phone in the car, ignoring her husband; the teen who texts messages all the way home from school, avoiding contact with kids all around him. Jim Williams, an industrial sociologist based in Massachusetts, notes that cell - phone addiction is part of a set of symptoms in a widening gulf of personal separation. He points to a study by Duke University researchers that found one-quarter of Americans say they have no one to discuss their most important personal business with. Despite the growing use of phones, e - mail and instant messaging, in other words, Williams says studies show that we don't have as many friends as our parents.  " Just as more information has led to less wisdom, more acquaintances via the Internet and cell phones have produced fewer friends," he says.

If the cell phone has truly had these effects, it's because it has become very widespread. Consider that in 1987, there were only l million cell phones in use.  Today, something like 300 million Americans carry them. They far outnumber wired phones in the United States.

1. From the first two paragraphs, we can know________.

A．cell phones have become as addictive as cigarettes

B．cell phone addiction is good for building personal relationships

C．people are longing to have their own cell phones

D．cell phones are the same as cigarettes

2.Cell phone addiction has caused the following effects EXCEPT________  .

A．a barrier to personal contact	B．fewer friends
C．an escape from reality	D．a serious illness

3. The underlined word "curb" in Paragraph 2 means “________. ”

A．ignore

B．control

C．develop

D．rescue

4.The example of a woman talking on the phone in the car supports the idea that________  .

A．women Use cell phones more often than men

B．talking on the phone while driving is dangerous

C．cell phones do not necessarily bring people together

D．cell phones make one - on - one personal contact easy

5.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Cell phones Are the New Cigarettes

B．Cell phones Are Harmful to the Society

C．The New Report about the Cell phone

D．The Disadvantages of the Cell phone