SECTION B

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Chinese cuisine（菜肴）is widely known and enjoyed in the world. But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East - the ancient custom of “tonic food.”

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being, or stave off sickness, particularly at times when one is more likely to fall ill. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame-oil hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body.

    In fact, some Western theories of health are similar to the beliefs in Chinese tonic food, although each takes a different path toward the very same goal. Western medicine actually recommends some of the exact same ingredients that make up tonic foods. Sesame oil can provide lots of calories, and chicken meat is particularly high in protein. Any Western doctor should be happy to suggest such a Chinese dish after childbirth.

The elderly, weak, and young can also benefit greatly from tonic foods, especially during the winter. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot,” while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radish, are seen as “cold.” One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

“Warm” or “cool” tonic foods are strongly recommended. The choices for “warm” and “cool” foods range from simple sea cucumber to the delicacy of bird’s nest soup, depending on the individual’s economic circumstances.

The concept of tonic food is far from losing credibility, either with Westerners or practitioners of modern medicine. For example, up until two years ago, tonic foods were added to the meals served at a renowned hospital.

1. What attitude do the young in the East hold towards “tonic food”?  （不超过5个词）

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2. Why are some Western theories of health considered similar to the Chinese beliefs in tonic food? (不超过11个词)

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3. List four factors deciding the amount of tonic food. （不超过20个词）

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4. What does the passage mainly talk about? （不超过6个词）

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SECTION B

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Cameras will record city’s illegal parkers

CCTV cameras are to be used in the heart of London for the first time to catch motorists causing traffic jam by parking on double yellow lines and vans unloading illegally.

About 20 cameras have been set up in the West End to detect and fine vehicle owners who park illegally, in an effort to keep traffic flowing and reduce traffic jam.

The scheme, which could eventually be extended nationwide, will also be used to spot and prosecute(起诉) people who attack parking attendants.

Although the cameras are primarily for parking offences, the police will be allowed to access to film footage(录象资料).

The introduction of the CCTV cameras by Westminster City Council follows an eight-week trial that resulted in a marked improvement in traffic flow. The trial showed that the number of offences committed trailed off(减弱,) over the time of the study and fewer penalty(处罚) notices were challenged.

Over the next three weeks Westminster is running an awareness campaign to inform drivers about its new parking enforcement. During this time motorists who disobey the regulations will be issued with a warning. After that, parking tickets will be issued.

The main focus of the new scheme is on double yellow lines and loading bays in areas such as Piccadilly, the Strand, Oxford Circus and Soho.

Dan Chalkley, Westminster council’s cabinet member for economic development and transport, said, “Our pilot scheme proved that CCTV is reliable and cost-effective.”

Paul Watters, the AA’s head of roads and transport policy, said, “A camera won’t spot the blue badge or note on the windscreen about the car being broken down.”

81. What’s the purpose of fixing CCTV cameras in the heart of London? (No more than 7 words )

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82. What does Dan Chalkley think of CCTV? (No more than 4 words )

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83. How will a driver be punished if he disobeys the regulations in the period of the awareness campaign? (No more than 7 words )

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84. When will the new parking enforcement formally start? (No more than 3 words )

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SECTION B

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

The unsteady housing market is showing a rare sign of strength: waiting home sales were up significantly in February, a report released Monday said, suggesting that Americans took advantage of a tax credit for home buyers.

Sales rose 8.2 percent in February, the National Association of Realtors(房地产经纪人) said. Analysts had expected sales to stay flat.

Economists said Monday’s data suggested buyers were re-entering the market as the April 30 deadline approached for a government tax credit of up to $8,000. The tax credit drove up sales rapidly in the fall, when it was originally set to end, but it has been slow to push the market this spring.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the association, said Monday’s report “may signal the early stages of a second wave of home sales.”

A separate report on Monday showed the service division in the United States was improving, driven in part by gains in employment.

The Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing barometer(晴雨表) rose to 55.4 in March, up from 53 in February, going beyond expectations. Much of the energy came from a rush in new orders and business activity.

It was the highest reading(测量或调查的读数) for the survey since May 2006. While employment rose, it was short of the break-even point, signaling the service division was still losing jobs. Exports also rose significantly.

“This is a very encouraging report, which indicates acceleration in demand growth from both domestic and foreign customers,” Barclays Capital researchers wrote in a note on Monday.

The jump in waiting home sales was a rare bit of good news for the housing market, which remains in a deep rut(车辙). Home prices have shown little change.

Analysts expect the housing market to gradually improve as unemployment becomes less and the broader recovery gains steam. But so far, relief has been slow to come.

Monday’s report showed sales rose even in areas hit hard by poor weather in February. Sales climbed 9 percent in the Northeast and South, which were blanketed by snow in February.

The Realtors association bases its data on signed contracts, which usually take one or two months to translate into final sales.

81. What is the effect of the government tax credit? (No more than 5 words)

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82. Who is chief economist for the National Association of Realtors? (No more than 2 words)

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83. What could be a surprise according to Monday’s report? (No more than 10 words)

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84. If you are asked to describe the rise in home sales in February, which word do you think is the most appropriate? (No more than 1 word)

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SECTION B

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet

Imagine eating the dishes of 102 different countries in as many consecutive (连续的)days . That 's what Noah Galuten has done. He raced around the Southland (the name given to the are of towns and cities that surround Los Angeles county in California) for almost four months, indulging in (沉迷于)lunches, dinners and a few breakfast without a break.

Although he's not chef (厨师)，Galuten grew up around good food. His mother mainly cooked Italian food, and he recalled standing on a stool (板凳)making sauce when he was sue years old. He also cooked dinners for friends during his college years. And he had experimented and adapted food from many cultures.

Galuten's food journey began after he graduated from college. Unemployed and back in Los Angeles, he decided to try something that he had a passion for. And he hoped it would help him keep his mind off his unemployment depression.

Then he set up a blog and began his food journey. The requirement was to eat one dish at each place. After each meal, he would write a blog about the food, the cost, the environment and the company, It was indeed an incredible challenge. Sometimes Galuten searched online and contacted a friend of a friend for a restaurant tip or seeking out local food companies, he mostly dined at inexpen­sive restaurants.

His journey also used up his savings. Galuten figured that he spent about $ 11, 000 during the 102 - day experiment, including groceries, meals, gasoline, rent and other living cost. Now that he has used up all his money and is $ 4, 000 in debt, he is seriously joy 一 hunting.

But he pointed out, "I feel very happy now, although I am in debt. It's not to say that a lack of money has caused my happiness, because the feeling is not related to money at all. It* s more about doing that is important to you and sticking to what makes you happy, then making it the focus of your life."

81.What led Galuten to start his daily food journey? (no more than 10 words)

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82.How did Galuten collect information for his food journey? (no more than 8 words)

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83.What can we learn from Galuten's words in the last paragraph? (no more than 12 words)

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84.What is the passage mainly about ？ (no more than 6 words )

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SECTION B

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet

From bankers to factory staff, employees in the west face the bleak prospect of losing their jobs as a global recession starts to bite. For colleagues in the East the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut.

Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian firms try harder to keep jobs in difficult times, which will stop unemployment and may help keep Asian economies afloat at a time of slowing exports.

The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for firms to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, leaving some experts predicting Western shift to Eastern flexibility.

“In the Confucian attitude, the right thing to do is to share the burden. There is the sense of collective responsibility whereas in the west, it’s more about the individual survival,” said Michael Benotlel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University.

Steven Pang, Asian Regional director for Aquent, a headhunting firm, said in many East Asian companies there was an responsibility “ to take care of the members of the family and go through the pain together” even if that meant causing losses.

Us firms from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousands. But at the Asian units of Western multinationals, jobs cuts will probably less severe.

Japan’s jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong’s was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January.

Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals from abroad.

81. According to the passage, what does “to share the burden” mean?

(no more than 6 words)

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82. Why would firms in the west lay off workers when facing a bleak prospect?

( no more than 5 words)

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83. Why is it easier for the East Asian firms to recover quickly from the economic downturn? (no more than 12 words)

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84. What’s the passage talking about? (no more than 15 words)

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