第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）

(A)

Fang Wei had planned to study in Britain for his master's degree,but had to keep putting it off. These days,however,Fang is quite happy about the delay since the exchange rate of the British pound against the RMB has been descending.

“The change means I can save a large sum of money for my studies.” said Fang. “I pay a lot of attention to the pound­to­RMB exchange rate every day now.” Last Tuesday the rate broke the 10­yuan mark for the first time since 2005.

So，what is an exchange rate？

This is the standard term for the comparison of two currencies and tells how much one currency is worth when measured by the other. For example,the pound­to­RMB exchange rate last Wednesday was 9.88，meaning that one pound was worth the same as 9.88 yuan.

But how could this affect our lives？

The exchange rate is important for anyone wanting to travel to or study in a foreign country.

A higher RMB value is good news for Chinese tourists and students. That's because any given amount of RMB can be exchanged for a larger amount of foreign money than with a lower RMB value. It therefore buys more abroad.

For example,according to Chinese agencies that handle study abroad,the cost for university study in Britain used to be around 20,000 pounds a year. At the beginning of 2008，when the pound­to­RMB exchange rate stood at 14,Chinese students had to have 280,000 yuan for a year. But now that the rate has fallen to less than 10 yuan，200,000 yuan is enough for a year in Britain.

However，the stronger yuan may be bad news for Chinese exporters. A rising RMB means that Chinese products are becoming expensive and less attractive on foreign markets.

56.Why did Fang Wei have to put off his study in Britain？

A. Because he didn't have enough money.

B. Because the exchange rate of the pound­to­RMB was too high.

C. Because he didn't get the letter from the university he had applied for.

D. The passage didn't tell us.

57.What's the meaning of the underlined word “descending” in Paragraph 1？

A. Turning down.              B. Putting off.

C. Falling down.                D. Going up.

58.If the pound­to­RMB exchange rate was 12, Fang Wei would have paid 240,000 yuan for a year's study. Now the rate is 9.6，how much can he save if he goes to study in Britain？

A.46,000 yuan.                  B.42,800 yuan.

C.192,000 yuan.                D.48,000 yuan.

59 .When RMB has a higher value in the currency exchange market，the following are right except that 　　　　.

A. it shows we have a strong economic potential

B. it indicates we have a stable political environment

C. it will help our export business

D. it is beneficial for Chinese students and travelers to foreign countries

 

From childhood to old age, we all use language as a means of broadening our knowledge of ourselves and the world about us.When humans first 1 , they were like newborn children, unable to use this 2 tool.Yet once language developed, the possibilities for human kind?s future 3 and cultural growth increased.

　　Many linguists believe that evolution is 4 for our ability to produce and use language.They 5 that our highly evolved brain provides us 6 an innate language ability not found in lower 7 . Proponents of this innateness theory say that our 8 for language is inborn, but that language itself develops gradually, 9 a function of the growth of the brain during childhood.Therefore there are critical 10 times for language development.

Current 11 of innateness theory are mixed, however, evidence supporting the existence of some innate abilities is undeniable. 12 , more and more schools are discovering that foreign languages are best taught in 13 grades.Young children often can learn several languages by being 14 to them, while adults have a much harder time learning another language once the 15 of their first language have become firmly fixed.

16 some aspects of language are undeniably innate, language does not develop automatically in a vacuum.Children who have been 17 from other human beings do not possess language.This demonstrates that 18 with other human beings isnecessary for proper language development.Some linguists believe that this is even more basic to human language 19 than any innate capacities.These theorists view language as imitative, learned behavior. 20 , children learn language from their parents by imitating them.Parents gradually shape their child's language skills by positively reinforcing precise imitations and negatively reinforcing imprecise ones.

1.A.generated B.evolved C.born D.originated

2.A.valuable B.appropriate C.convenient D.favorite

3.A.attainments B.feasibilityC.entertainments D.evolution

4.A.essential B.available C.reliable D.responsible

5.A.confirm B.inform C.claim D.convince

6.A.for B.from C.of D.with

7.A.organizations B.organisms C.humans D.children

8.A.potential B.performance C.preference D.passion

9.A.as B.just as C.like D.unlike

10.A.ideological B.biological C.social D.psychological

11.A.reviews B.reference C.reaction D.recommendation

12.A.In a word B.In a sense C.Indeed D.In other words

13.A.various B.different C.the higher D.the lower

14.A.revealed B.exposed C.engaged D.involved

15.A.regulations B.formations C.rules D.constitutions

16.A.Although B.Whether C.Since D.When

17.A.distinguished B.different C.protected D.isolated

18.A.exposition B.comparison C.contrast  D.interaction

19.A.acquisition B.appreciation C.requirement D.alternative

20.A.As a result B.After all C.In other words D.Above all

Recently，I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive，the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight __1__ before setting down. High desert winds had __2__ the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be __3__ the city for a few minutes waiting to __4__. We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened __5__ there might be a few bumps(颠簸)．We11，that few minutes turned into about forty－five minutes，including a ride that would make a roller coaster(过山车) __6__ by comparison. The movement was so fierce that several passengers felt __7__ and had to use airsickness bags. As you might guess，that's not a good thing to have happen in a(n) __8__ space because it only __9__ to increase the discomfort of the situation.

About twenty minutes into the adventure，the entire airplane became very __10__.There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be __11__ noticed.Every passenger simply held on for dear life...except one. A __12__ was having a good time! With each bump of the __13__， he would let out a giggle(咯咯的笑)of delight. As I observed this，I __14__ that he didn't know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his  __15__. He neither thought about the past nor about the future. Those are what we grown－ups have learned from __16__.He was __17__ the ride  because he had not yet been taught to fear it. Having  understood this，I took a deep breath and __18__ back into my seat，pretending I was __19__ on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even  __20__ to  giggle once or twice，much to the chagrin(懊恼)of the man sitting next to me holding the airsickness bag.

1. A. mistake　　B. delay　　C. change 　　D. wind

2. A. forced     B. warned  C. swept      D. reminded

3. A. watching  B. visiting  C. circling     D. crossing

4. A. arrive     B. enter  C. stop         D. land

5. A. if       B. though  C. because      D. while

6. A. light    B. pale    C. easy         D. quick

7. A. sick     B. nervous  C. angry      D. afraid

8. A. empty   B. narrow  C. secret      D. open

9. A. happens  B. continues  C. fails     D. serves

10. A. quiet   B. hot   C.  dirty        D.  crowded  

11. A. partly  B.  gradually  C. shortly  D. clearly

12. A. pilot   B. baby  C.  guard  D.  man

13. A. seats         B.  passengers

C. flight         D. airplane

14. A. realized  B.  hoped      C.  agreed       D.  insisted

15. A. health   B. safety        C. joy           D. future

16. A. teachers  B. books       C.  experience    D.  practice

17. A. learning   B.  taking    C.  missing       D.  enjoying

18. A. sat       B. lay         C. went          D. rode

19. A. nearly     B.  finally    C.  really        D.  suddenly

20. A. attempted  B.  managed   C.  wanted      D.  decided

第三部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）

(A)

Fang Wei had planned to study in Britain for his master's degree,but had to keep putting it off. These days,however,Fang is quite happy about the delay since the exchange rate of the British pound against the RMB has been descending.

“The change means I can save a large sum of money for my studies.” said Fang. “I pay a lot of attention to the pound??to??RMB exchange rate every day now.” Last Tuesday the rate broke the 10??yuan mark for the first time since 2005.

So，what is an exchange rate？

This is the standard term for the comparison of two currencies and tells how much one currency is worth when measured by the other. For example,the pound??to??RMB exchange rate last Wednesday was 9.88，meaning that one pound was worth the same as 9.88 yuan.

But how could this affect our lives？

The exchange rate is important for anyone wanting to travel to or study in a foreign country.

A higher RMB value is good news for Chinese tourists and students. That's because any given amount of RMB can be exchanged for a larger amount of foreign money than with a lower RMB value. It therefore buys more abroad.

For example,according to Chinese agencies that handle study abroad,the cost for university study in Britain used to be around 20,000 pounds a year. At the beginning of 2008，when the pound??to??RMB exchange rate stood at 14,Chinese students had to have 280,000 yuan for a year. But now that the rate has fallen to less than 10 yuan，200,000 yuan is enough for a year in Britain.

However，the stronger yuan may be bad news for Chinese exporters. A rising RMB means that Chinese products are becoming expensive and less attractive on foreign markets.

56.Why did Fang Wei have to put off his study in Britain？

A. Because he didn't have enough money.

B. Because the exchange rate of the pound??to??RMB was too high.

C. Because he didn't get the letter from the university he had applied for.

D. The passage didn't tell us.

57.What's the meaning of the underlined word “descending” in Paragraph 1？

A. Turning down.               B. Putting off.

C. Falling down.                 D. Going up.

58.If the pound??to??RMB exchange rate was 12, Fang Wei would have paid 240,000 yuan for a year's study. Now the rate is 9.6，how much can he save if he goes to study in Britain？

A.46,000 yuan.                   B.42,800 yuan.

C.192,000 yuan.                 D.48,000 yuan.

59 .When RMB has a higher value in the currency exchange market，the following are right except that 　　　　.

A. it shows we have a strong economic potential

B. it indicates we have a stable political environment

C. it will help our export business

D. it is beneficial for Chinese students and travelers to foreign countries

       On 27 February 2008, something unusual happened in Britain; there was a rather large earthquake.

       It was the __1__ UK earthquake in 25 years. There have been very minor ones in the past but they were not __2__ compared to this one. It was felt across the country, from Edinburgh, Scotland in the north down to the far south coast of England. The centre of the earthquake was　in a small town about 150 kilometres north of London.

       There were many news reports from people who __3__ the earth move but no one was seriously hurt and there was little damage. A collapsed chimney was the __4__ of what was the worst injury from the earthquake; a man broke his hip when he __5__ tripped on the chimney's scattered bricks and fell to the ground.

       One man who was walking to work at the time __6__ the moment the earthquake occurred, "Everything was shaking. As soon as it happened I saw many people __7__ outside and I realized it was an earthquake."

       You may be surprised to learn that there are two to three hundred earthquakes in Britain every year -- but are so small that they go __8__. The impact of this earthquake was not severe in comparison to some other natural __9__ that have made international news, but for the people __10__, it certainly came as quite a surprise.

1．A．biggest                 B．loudest              C．deadliest               D．scariest

2．A．dangerous            B．interesting         C．significant            D．famous

3．A．saw                     B．discovered        C．thought                D．felt

4．A．result                   B．reason              C．making                 D．cause

5．A．eagerly                 B．intentionally       C．accidentally          D．desperately

6．A．feared                  B．explained           C．described             D．caught

7．A．rushing                B．shaking             C．talking                  D．working

8．A．unwanted             B．unnoticed          C．unchanged            D．undisturbed

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9．A．disasters               B．accidents          C．earthquakes          D．events

10．A．watching             B．affected            C．infected               D．lost