.

According to official statistics released by the Chinese government, China is expected to run out of water around the year 2030. In its directive on water use, the State Council (国务院) has stated, “Taking into full account water-saving, by 2030 our country’s water use will reach or approach the total volume of exploitable water resources (可利用的水资源总量), and the drought-fighting situation will be increasingly serious.” Such statements are certainly serious, and every man, woman and child in China must consider the situation and how it relates to their lives.

So, will China run out of water completely? The news is not all bad. Although there are serious concerns, there are some reasons to be hopeful. One of the simplest is just to consider that China has had a long history of water problems. From flooding to drought, balancing water needs has always been an issue in China; it is something that many public projects are already addressing. Some of these projects need time before their long-term value can be properly seen, but there is reason to hope that they will prove useful.

Another reason for hope lies in what seems at first to be a terrible fact: nearly 70% of China’s water is so contaminated that it is not only unsuitable for drinking but is also not useful for individual purposes. How can this be good news? Well, in recent years, the terrible situation has motivated the government and the public to become more and more committed to cleaning up these contaminated sources. Several projects have already been successful in partially cleaning these water sources. As this commitment increases, more and more of China’s water is being cleaned and made available for use.

Finally, the international community, particularly NGOs (Non Government Organizations) and the corporate community, have begun to focus on ways to help China stretch its limited water resources. Several business and NGOs are already studying the issue and investing in solutions.

It is certainly important for everyone in China to understand the situation and to take part in conserving water. Thankfully, however, the situation is not hopeless. Through the cooperation of the government, the people, NGOs and business, China can continue to find the water it needs.

72. What does the first paragraph tell us?

A. China is seriously short of water now.’

B. We still have enough water for drink and use.

C. China will be faced with serious water shortage in two decades.

D. We needn’t consider the situation for the moment.

73. Which of the following reasons to be hopeful is not mentioned?

A. Many in the international and corporate community have begun to help China.

B. China has dealt with many water problems.

C. The government and the public are becoming more and more committed to cleaning up the contaminated sources.

D. The Chinese have enough confidence and courage to overcome the difficulty.

74. Which of the following can replace the underlined word contaminated in Paragraph 3?

A. cleaned           B. wasted           C. polluted            D. purified

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

A. The international community and the corporate community have begun to help China develop it limited water resources.

B. All China’s water is so contaminated that it is unsuitable for both drinking and industrial purposes.

C. Several business and NGOs had already studied the issue and invested in solutions.

D. There is no hope for China to find the water it needs.

According to a joint survey by the Social Investigation Center of China Youth Daily and the news center of Tencent.com，76.9％ of the 5,21l respondents（调查对象），all being youths in their 20s, believe the society needs chutouniao（“leading birds”）who dare to take risks to show their worth，although，as the Chinese, saying goes, “The leading bird gets shot first．”or “One who takes the lead usually bears the brunt of an attack．”

About 58.2％of the respondents think that one has to work hard at all times, and one must know how to show off when the chance comes．53％of them also believe that it is necessary to be aggressive（进取的）,sometimes．

“I wish my employees will let me know when they have achieved something．”said LiuXueyuan，the president of a media company，as it is impossible for him to know all his employees well．However, showing off too much is of course no good, either．“One who likes to show off one’s achievement will also be the first to be noticed when one makes a mistake．”said Liu．He suggested that the employees should do their jobs steadily and surely．

Although most respondents think chutouniao are necessary，not many of them like to hobnob（亲近）with such persons．In fact, 65.9％ of the respondents simply don’t like them，while 7.1％ of the respondents expressed their hatred（厌恶）of them．

Faced with the conflict between “needed by the society” and “disliked by fellow beings,” quite a large number of people have let slip chances．59.6％ of the respondents regret it．

60．According to the survey，how many respondents think that one should behave in a very determined way to succeed if necessary?

A．About 3,033．    B．About 2,762．        C．About 4,007．        D．About 3,434．

61．Which of the following sayings explains correctly what President Liu said?

A．The bird loves her nest．

B．You can’t sell the cow and drink the milk

C．A bird is known by its note．and a man by his words．

D．Every coin has two sides．

62．According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT that         ．

A．all of the respondents are more than 20 years old

B．chutouniao are those who dare to show their worth

C．those who take the lead always get shot first

D．it is the “leading birds” that are popular with most people

63．A great many people miss the opportunity to become leading birds because they are afraid of      ．

A．being disliked by others                              B．regretting doing it

C．getting shot first                                        D．bearing the brunt of an attack

I woke up around 6:30 this morning, on my ninth day in hospital since I caught SARS.

Glancing over at my roommate, Xiao Huang, a 27-year-old employee of a Beijing software company, I saw he was also awake.

After a light breakfast, a nurse came in and took my temperature. It was 36. 6 centigrades. We’re at Changxindian Hospital in Southwestern Beijing, a newly named SARS patient hospital.

It seems I am now recovering as my fever has gone down in recent days. When I first got the disease, I spent four days with a temperature above 39. 5 centigrade—at one point it reached 40. 1 centigrade.

At 8:30 a. m. , a nurse took a blood sample and X-ray of my chest. Then my daily treatment began with the help of the experts from Guangdong and WHO.

Before the first bottle finished, my wife rang me. I talked with her on my mobile phone. It has become a major connection with the outside world. Several friends also called me in the morning.

I am feeling great these days—no fever, no headache and no pain in the chest, which are all symptoms(症状)of SARS. My slight cough is gone since I began taking a new round of medicines yesterday. The doctor told me that I may be set free from hospital in two weeks and a half.

1. Where is the hospital the writer stays at?

A. In the south of Beijing.

B. To the east of Beijing.

C. In the southwest of Changxindian.

D. In the southwest of Beijing.

2. How long does the writer have to stay altogether in the hospital before he is sent home?

A. Seventeen days.

B. Nine days.

C. More than thirty days.

D. More than twenty-five days.

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. When he first got the disease, his temperature once reached 41.5 centigrade.

B. His medical treatment came after he had breakfast.

C. He lived in a room of the hospital alone.

D. He talked with his wife by fax.

4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the symptoms of SARS?

A. Having a high fever.

B. Having a headache.

C. Feeling pain in the chest.

D. Feeling cold all day.