Limit the use of private cars, improve public transport and encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion(擁擠) during the 2008 Olympics, experts from foreign countries advised Beijing on Friday.
Professor Nigel Wilson, of the civil and environmental engineering department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he was "supportive to the limiting of private cars during the Olympic Games", saying that in foreign countries, the method is also adopted during big events, but he was unsure about the approach.
The government planned to keep an average of more than one million cars off the roads to improve traffic flow during the Olympics, said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Committee, at the China Planning Network First Urban Transportation Congress.
Sharing Wilson's view, Dr. Yoshitsugu Hayashi, dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies of Nagoya University, believed the reduction in car use should be achieved not by banning, but through incentives.
"Drivers who don't use their private cars could be given points," he said, "and the points could be exchanged for goods from online shopping."
Wetzel stressed limiting the use of company cars. "Governmental officials should also be encouraged to use public transportation or ride bicycles," he said, adding that he himself is a bicycle-rider in London.
Matthew Martimo, director of Traffic Engineering with Citilabs, said the bicycle was China's advantage. "Limiting private cars is an idea worth trying but it is just a temporary solution," he said. "The real cause of congestion is high density of people in Beijing and many have cars."
Beijing, with a population of 15 million, is home to more than three million automobiles, and the number is rising by 1,000 a day.
Professor Wilson said the Olympic Games was a great opportunity for Beijing to think about traffic problems and develop transportation, adding that the city had already been making public transport more efficient. Beijing has promised to stretch its 114-kilometer city railway to 200 kilometers before the opening of the Olympic Games.
“We are looking forward to borrowing Beijing's experiences and drawing from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics,” said Wetzel. 
51. The underlined word incentives in paragraph 4 means_______.
A. something that encourages people to try    B. online shopping
C. points could be exchanged for goods       D. award
52.It can be seen from the passage that ______.
A. the government planned to forbid over 1 million cars to run on the roads during the Olympics.
B. banning private cars is the best way to solve traffic congestion in Beijing
C. Beijing now has 200 kilometers of city railway
D. the use of company cars will not be limited
53. Why did Wetzel stress “ he himself is a bicycle-rider in London”?
A. To limit the use of company cars.
B. To encourage governmental officials to use public transportation or ride bicycles.
C. To show that riding bicycles is good for health.
D. To show that he loves riding bicycles.
54. Which of the following may be the reason for the traffic congestion in Beijing?
A. The 2008 Beijing Olympic games.
B. The number of cars in Beijing is rising by 1,000 a day.
C. The large population in Beijing and the large number of cars.
D. Public transport in Beijing is not efficient.
55. The purpose of the passage is ________.
A. to limit the use of private cars, improve public transport
B. to encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion during the 2008 Olympics
C. to borrow Beijing's experiences and draw from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics
D. to tell the advice given by foreign experts on traffic congestion during 2008 Beijing Olympics

As I was reading a recent story in Slate on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruining their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled children who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment: my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we too are burdened by student loans(貸款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the Slate story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought, what planet is she living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢華), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story despairs(絕望) that he can’t afford to get a Ph.D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations are slowly adjusting, but today’s 20-somethings grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be expanding. Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful－for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day－than on longing for some kind of luxury life.
41．What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
A．They expect everything to be easy for them.
B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans.
C．They are reluctant to face all of the challenges.
D．They are burdened by student loans.
42．The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means        .
A．baby production                                         B．pleasant
C．baby comfort                                             D．essential
43．Which of the following is not one of the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A．They can’t have children for at least a decade to buy a house.
B．They have only one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C．They can’t buy a house until 40 because of student loans.
D．They despair at not being able to afford a Ph.D. in literature.
44．What’s the author’s attitude towards the 20-somthings with high expectation in Paragraph 5?
A．Intolerant.
B．Negative.
C．Unbelieving.
D．Understanding.
45．What is the best title for this passage?
A．How Young People Afford to Continue Their Study
B．Why Young People Can’t Afford to Buy a House
C．When Young People’s High Hopes Create Despair
D．What the 20-somethings’ High Expectations Are

Anyone who doubts that children are born with a healthy amount of ambition need spend only a few minutes with a baby eagerly learning to walk. No matter how many times the little ones stumble in their first efforts, most keep on trying, determined to master their amazing new skill. It is only several years later, many psychologists and teachers agree, that a good number of kids seem to lose their natural drive to succeed. For the parents of such kids, whose own ambition is often tied to their children’s success, it can be a painful experience.
Figuring out why the fire went out is the first step. Assuming that a kid doesn’t suffer from a learning disability, or isn’t involved in some family crisis(危機) at home, many educators attribute a sudden lack of motivation to a fear of failure or classmate pressure. “Everything is within the kids’ control; their intelligence is changeable,” says Lisa Blackwell, a research scientist at Columbia University. More than any teacher or workshop, Blackwell says, “parents can play a key role in conveying this message to their children by praising their effort, and progress rather than emphasizing their ‘smartness’ or praising high performance alone. Most of all, parents should let their kids know that mistakes are a part of learning.”
Some experts say our education system, with its strong emphasis on testing and separation of students into different levels of ability, also bears blame for the disappearance of drive in some kids. “These programs shut down the motivation of all kids who aren’t considered gifted and talented. They destroy their confidence,” says Jeff Howard, a social psychologist. Howard and other educators say it’s important to expose kids to a world beyond homework and tests, through volunteer work, sports, hobbies and other extracurriculum activities.
“The problem of the issue is that many students experience education as irrelevant to their life goals and ambitions,” says Michael Nakkual, a Harvard education professor. The key to getting kids to aim higher at school is to free them of the idea that class work is irrelevant, to show them how doing well at school can actually help them fulfill their dreams beyond it. They need to understand that you have to learn to walk before you can run.
46．According to the passage, the parents of kids with no ambition        .
A．don’t do a very good job teaching them to walk
B．a(chǎn)re to blame if the kids do poorly in school
C．feel pain because ambitions are connected to their success
D．should take part in extracurriculum activities with kids
47．The underlined part “the fire went out” probably means        .
A．the motivation was suddenly lost
B．the fear of failure was suddenly gone
C．the learning disability was suddenly lost
D．the fire was suddenly gone
48．All the following can contribute to a sudden lack of ambition except        .
A．learning disability                                      B．classmate pressure
C．emphasis on testing                                    D．extracurricular activities
49．What is the most important thing for parents in motivating their kids?
A．By punishing kids who don’t display ambition.
B．By emphasizing smartness and high performance.
C．By telling kids that mistakes are a part of learning.
D．By praising the effort and progress they have made.
50．We can infer from the passage that        .
A．children who have lost their ambition will never succeed in life
B．school performance has much to do with students’ later success
C．both the parents and the school are to blame for the lost ambition
D．younger kids learning to walk are more ambitious than older ones

  Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.
Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.
Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine and an attractive man more manly than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally' female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly" qualities required.
This is true even in politics. "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently," says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of
women, ir o_nler of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.
51. The word "liability" most probably means       
A. disadvantage     B. advantage         C. misfortune        D. trouble
52. In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness       
A. makes women look more honest and capable
B. strengthens the feminine qualifies required
C. is of no importance to women
D. often enables women to succeed quickly
53. Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to polities, attractiveness        
A. turns out to be a disadvantage to men
B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women
C. affects men and women alike
D. has as little effect on men as on women
54. It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often      
A. practical     B. supportive      C. old-fashioned    D. one-sided
55. The author writes this passage to
A. give advice to job-seekers who are attractive
B. discuss the disadvantages of being attractive
C. demand equal rights for women
D. state the importance of appearance

During the twentieth-century there has been a great change in the lives of women. A woman marrying at the end of the nineteenth century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which chance and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and can be expected to live another thirty-five years and is likely to take paid work until sixty.
This important change in women's life has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school and took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life.
46. We are told that in a family in about 1900        .
A. few children died before they were five
B. seven or eight children lived to be more than five
C. the youngest child would be fifteen
D. four or five children died when they were five
47.One reason why the woman of today may take a job is that she         .
A. is younger when her children are old enough to look after themselves
B. does not like children herself
C. needn't worry about food for her children
D. can be free from family duties when she reaches sixty
48. According to the passage, it is now quite usual for women to        .
A. stay at home after leaving school         
B. marry men younger than themselves
C. start working again later in life          
D. marry while still at school
49.Many girls are now likely to       .
A. give up their jobs for good after they are married
B. leave school as soon as they can
C. marry so that they can get a job
D. continue working until they are going to have a baby
50. Now a husband probably        .
A. plays a greater part in looking after the children
B. helps his wife by doing more of the housework
C. feels dissatisfied with his part in the family
D. takes a part-time job so that he can help in the home

Before her 21-year-old daughter died in an accident in early 2007, Pam Weiss had never logged on to Facebook, a social-networking site. At that time, social-networking sites were used almost only by   36 . But she knew her daughter Amy Woolington, a UCLA student, had a(n)  37 , so in her sadness Weiss turned to Facebook to look for photos. She found what she was looking for and more. She was soon communicating with her daughter’s many friends,   38  memories through passages that her daughter had written. “It makes me feel   39  that Amy had a positive effect on so many people, and I wouldn’t have had a clue if it hadn’t been   40  Facebook,” says Weiss.And she wouldn’t have had a   41  if she had waited too long. She managed to copy most of her daughter’s profile in the three months before Facebook   42 .
Like a growing number of sad relatives, Weiss tapped into one of the most powerful treasures of memories available: a loved one’s online presence. As people spend more time at   43 , there’s less being stored away in dusty attics(閣樓).These pieces of our lives that we put online can feel as eternal as the Internet itself, but what happens to our   44  identity after we die?
Facebook   45  its policy a few months after Woolington died. “We first realized we needed a protocol(協(xié)定書) for  46  users after the Virginia Tech University shooting, when students were looking for ways to remember and   47  their classmates,” says Facebook spokeswoman Elizabeth Linder.
(  ) 36.   A. men    B. the youthful       C. women       D. students
(  ) 37.   A. status  B. post    C. account      D. memory
(  ) 38.   A. sharing      B. storing       C. accumulating     D. devoting
(  ) 39.   A. enthusiastic       B. upset   C. well    D. good
(  ) 40. A. with     B. for      C. on      D. of
(  ) 41.   A. blueprint    B. poet    C. picture       D. clue
(  ) 42.   A. took it up   B. took it on   C. took it over       D. took it down
(  ) 43. A. television     B. music  C. keyboard    D. sports
(  ) 44.   A. digital B. virtual C. real     D. false
(  ) 45. A. made    B. declared     C. fixed   D. changed
(  ) 46. A. dying   B. active  C. alive   D. dead
(  ) 47.   A. honor B. recognize   C. recall  D. observe

237 West Palmdale Boulevard Fresno, California 93706 AmToy Corporation Suite 15 TransAm Building San Francisco, California 94115 November 20, 2008 Dear Sirs, As a concerned parent, I am writing to protest your recent advertisement for Electro—Robo seen in local media is California. Specifically, I am referring to newspaper and magazine ads（attached to this letter）published the week of November 15. Children respond to your type of advertising in an immature way; that is, they are unable to understand how expensive some toys are for middle-class parents. Further, you product is violent in nature. Youth advertisement gives children the impression that it’s fine to have “two guns and laser eyes.” You also suggest that children need your toy to protect them “when you go outside.” This is not a healthy attitude for children to have. I hope you will stop advertising your product in such a way that may harm our children. Sincerely yours, （Mrs.） Alma Hernandez President, Parents for Non-violent Toys Enc.

 

It’s here! Ready for You, Now! It’s Electro-Robo! Every boy dreams of being in control of a robot, and AmToy can make your dream come true! Electro-Roho is the world’s first fully automatic robot with radio control. Standing 80 centimeters tall, Electro-Robo is like a friend at home. He can walk, talk, and even shake your hand! He has two guns and laser eyes to help you defend yourself when you go outside with him. Every boy needs Electro-Robo! Ask your Mom and Dad to buy Electro-Robo for your birthday or for Christmas, which is coming up soon. Imagine that you are in control of your friend for life, Electro-Robo! Available at all toy stores and department stores NOW!

 
小題1:What is the purpose of the letter?

A．To complain about a broken toy.	B．To oppose the advertising.
C．To order a gift for Chrismas.	D．To apply for a job in a toy company.

小題2:Why does the writer of the letter that Electro-Robo is violent?

A．It is controlled by radio water.	B．It is expensive to buy.
C．It is 80 centimeter tall.	D．It bears arms.

小題3:What dose “Enc.” at the end of the letter mean?

A．Something attached to the letter.	B．A complaint to the toy company.
C．A hidden message	D．An encouraging response.

小題4:Electro-Robo can do all the following EXCEPT ______-.

A．sitting down

B．shaking hands

C．talking

D．walking

Many people write to newspaper and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are held responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous（匿名的）for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter if responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honour our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we honour what we say.
小題1:What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?

A．Writers need to provide their personal information in the game.

B．Publication must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number.

C．Writers should be responsible for their names.

D．Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say.

小題2:The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may _______.

A．help to end a relationship	B．not get a reply
C．be accepted all the same	D．become a family problem

小題3:Some people don’t want their names known because they are ________.

A．hesitant to make a donation	B．unwilling to draw public attention
C．a(chǎn)fraid of an accusation	D．ready for involvement

小題4:The passage is mainly about _______.

A．honour and writers	B．identity and signature
C．signature and responsibility	D．a(chǎn)nonymity and signature

Happiness, rather than working hard, is the key to success, according to research published yesterday. Cheerfu1 peop1e are more 1ikely to try new things and challenge（wk戰(zhàn)）themselves， which strengthens their good emotion and leads to success in work，good relationships and strong health，say psychologists（心理學家）.
The findings suggest that happiness is not a “ feel-good” luxury（奢侈品），but is necessary for people’s well-being. What is more, happiness can also reach an entire nation，with people in” happy” nations being more likely to help others.
The link between happiness and success was studied by a team from the University of California Riverside，led by Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky.
First, they examined questionnaires that ask peop1e about their 1ives. “ For example, they show that happy people are likely to earn higher incomes” said Lyubomirsky. Having established the link，they wanted to discover the cause.
“Almost always it has been taken for granted that things that connect closely to happiness are the causes of happiness，but it could be just the opposite that those things are likely to be caused by happiness，” said Professor Ed Diener from the University of Illinois，another author on the paper.
“ There was strong evidence that happiness leads people to be more sociable，more generous and more productive at work，to make more money，and to have stronger immune（免疫）systems，”said Lyubomirsky.
The research shows that while success can put a spring in someone’s step，peop1e need happiness in the first place to achieve success.
According to the study， around 4 out of 5 people in modern industrialized nations arc happy at any one time.
Success was not just about earning lots of money. “ We describe success as having the things that culture or society values，whether it be friends，close family, money and income，or long life，”said Diener.
However，sorrowful people arc not predetermined to lead a life of failure.
小題1:In this passage，which of the following viewpoints does Professor Lyubomirsky state？

A．People in less happy countries are more likely to help others.

B．Things connected to happiness are brought about by happiness.

C．Happiness results in richer and healthier people.

D．Success means possessing things that a cu1ture or society thinks highly of.

小題2:The underlined phrase “ put a spring in someone’s step” means          .

A．put you in good spirits	B．put spring water on your feet
C．have a pleasant walk in spring	D．step into a cheerful spring

小題3:According to the passage，which of the following is true？

A．People arc happy because they earn more money.

B．People earn more money because they are happy.

C．Working hard is important for being successful.

D．We can do whatever we like as 1ong as we feel happy.

小題4: We can infer from the passage that          .

A．fee1ing good is a cause and not an effect of achievement

B．our life would be a failure if we were not happy

C．happiness is just a personal problem

D．being successful mainly means being wealthy

Compulsive(狂熱的) shoppers may have a new psychological excuse to blame for their shopping. Psychologists at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand are studying the “shop-till-you-drop” habit as a behavioral disorder similar to compulsive eating. Compulsive shoppers frequently buy more than they can afford or more than they need, and it causes them anxiousness.
“ It becomes a problem when you are out of control,” psychology lecturer Neville Blampied said. “ When you are feeling bad and blue, what do you do? Some people eat chocolate cake and ice cream. Some people take the credit card and go out to the shop.” Bank managers understand the problem because they have to deal with people who have to be persuaded to stop using their cards drawing money.
An advertisement in a Christchurch paper, calling for people to take part in an experimental treatment program designed by Mr. Wilson, attracted 10 replies. But the problem, said Mr. Wilson, is “clearly not rare.” He thinks that compulsive shopping should be treated with drugs. “As psychologists We are interested in non-drug treatments for behavioral difficulties,” Mr. Wilson said.
Compulsive eaters or shoppers get a kick from their habit. “ Both activities provide an immediate kind of kick and you feel a bit better,” he said. “ You have long-term problems, but human beings are extremely good at not seeing long-term problem and are very sensitive to short-term benefits,” he said.
The aim of the treatments was to help people find better ways of managing their emotions. The program, consisting of 10 one-hour weekly lessons and two follow-up treatments, is loosely based on teaching stress management.
“ You often have to start to get people to correctly recognize their emotions. Not being able to know what you really feel weakens your ability to solve the problems.” Mr. Wilson said.
小題1:What is this article mostly about?

A．Signs of compulsive shopping.

B．Studies of compulsive shopping.

C．A comparison of shopping and eating.

D．An experimental treatment program.

小題2:The compulsive shoppers will go shopping when they        _.

A．have lots of money	B．a(chǎn)re taking drugs
C．a(chǎn)re feeling sad	D．win a prize

小題3: Which of the following is considered important in treating compulsive shoppers?

A．Teach them to understand their emotions.

B．Teach them to manage their money better.

C．Persuade them not to draw money from the bank.

D．Treat them with some right drugs.

小題4:When the writer says that compulsive shoppers get a kick from their habit, he means that they           _.

A．feel anxious after their wild shopping

B．feel better after treatment from psychologists

C．a(chǎn)re better able to deal with stress problems

D．have a feeling of excitement after shopping