I am one of the many city people who are always saying that given the choice we would prefer to live in the country away from the dirt and noise of a large city. I have managed to convince myself that if it weren’t for my job I would immediately head out for the open spaces and go back to nature in some sleepy village buried in the county. But how realistic is the dream ?

Cities can be frightening places. The majority of the population live in massive tower blocks, noisy, dirty and impersonal. The sense of belonging to a community tends to disappear when you live fifteen floors up. All you can see from your window is sky, or other blocks of flats. Children become aggressive and nervous - cooped up at home all day, with nowhere to play; their mothers feel isolated from the rest of the world. Strangely enough, whereas in the past the inhabitants of one street all knew each other, nowadays people on the same floor in tower blocks don’t even say hello to each other.

Country life, on the other hand, differs from this kind of isolated existence in that a sense of community generally binds the inhabitants of small villages together. People have the advantage of knowing that there is always someone to turn to when they need help. But country life has disadvantages too. While it is true that you may be among friends in a village, it is also true that you are cut off from the exciting and important events that take place in cities. There’s little possibility of going to a new show or the latest movie. Shopping becomes a major problem, and for anything slightly out of the ordinary you have to go on an expedition to the nearest large town. The city-dweller who moves to the country is often oppressed by a sense of unbearable stillness and quiet.

What, then, is the answer? The country has the advantage of peace and quiet, but suffers from the disadvantage of being cut off: the city breeds a feeling of isolation, and constant noise batters the senses. But one of its main advantages is that you are at the centre of things, and that life doesn’t come to an end at half-past nine at night. Some people have found（or rather bought）a compromise between the two: They have expressed their preference for the “quiet life” by leaving the suburbs and moving to villages within commuting distance of large cities. However, this is a strange idea about change and improvement which they force on to the unwilling original inhabitants of the villages.

What then of my dreams of leaning on a cottage gate and murmuring “morning” to the locals as they pass by? I’m keen on the idea, but you see there’s my cat, Toby. I’m not at all sure that he would take to all that fresh air and exercise in the long grass. I mean, can you see him mixing with all those hearty males down the farm? No, he would rather have the electric imitation-coal fire any evening.

51. We get the impression from the first paragraph that the author___.

A. used to live in the country        B. used to work in the city

C. works in the city                            D. lives in the country

52. In the author’s opinion, the following may cause city people to be unhappy EXCEPT___.

A. a strong sense of fear                  B. lack of communication

C. housing conditions               D. a sense of isolation

53. According to the passage, which of the following adjectives best describes those people who work in large cities and live in villages?

A. Original.          B. Quiet.       C. Proud.             D. Stupid.

54. Do you think the author will move to the country?

A. Yes, he will do so.                  B. No, he will not do so.

C. It is difficult to tell.                       D. He is in two minds.

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

A. Country life--- a realistic dream

B. The longing for life in the country

C. Where to live---in the city or in the country?

D. A compromise between city life and country life

For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall. Soon, that will change. Electronic commerce（trade）is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices. There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from being cheated will be harder. Many governments therefore want to apply street regulations to the electronic world. But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation.

Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything for the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs or their rights to refund when goods are faulty. But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence is on the screen. Even in a country where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to get a refund for a clothes purchase.

One answer is for government to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s rules. But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules. And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober countries to accept. There is, however, another choice. Let the electronic businesses do the regulation themselves. They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so.

In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset. Governments, too, may compete to be trusted. For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead.

Customers will still need to use their judgment. But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than customers of the normal sort. And the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain when a company lets them down. In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more.

46. According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?

A. Self-regulation by the business.

B. Strict consumer protection laws.

C. Close international cooperation.

D. Government protection.

47. In case an electronic shopper bought faulty goods from a foreign country, what could he do?

A. Refuse to pay for the purchase.             B. Go to the seller and ask for a refund.

C. Appeal to consumer protection law.  D. Complain about it on the Internet.

48. In the author’s view, businesses would place a high emphasis on honest dealing because in the electronic world ________.

A. international cooperation would be much more frequent

B. consumers could easily seek government protection

C. a good reputation is a great advantage in competition

D. it would be easy for consumers to complain

49. We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is ________.

A. very quick            B. very cautious         C. very slow             D. rather careless

50. If a customer buys something that does not meet his expectation, what is the advantage of dealing through electronic commerce over the present normal one?

A. It will be easier for him to return the goods he is not satisfied with.

B. It will be easier for him to attain the refund from the seller.

C. It will be easier for him to get his complaints heard by other consumers.

D. It will be easier for him to complain about this to the government.

Psychiatrists（精神病專(zhuān)家）who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset（資產(chǎn)）in child rearing - older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents' biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, "end up retiring much later.” For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.

Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he's also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he's learned that young at heart doesn't mean young. Lately he's been taking afternoon naps（午睡）to keep up his energy. "My body is aging," says Metcalf. "You can't get away from that.”

Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. "They worry they'll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they'll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school," says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: "that they won't be alive long enough to support and protect their child," she says.

Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility（受孕）treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband. Randy, had twins. "We both wanted children," says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, "a sense of family. "

Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. 'The dads are older, more mature," says Dr. Silber, "and more ready to focus on parenting.”

46. Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?

A. Older parents can better balance their resources against children's demands.

B. Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.

C. Older parents are often better prepared financially.

D. Older parents can take better care of their children.

47. What does the author mean by saying "For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream"（Lines 7-8, Para. 1）?

A. They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.

B. They can't get full pension unless they work some extra years.

C. They can't obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.

D. They are reluctant to retire when they reach their retirement age.

48. The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show that ____________.

A. many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age

B. taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy

C. older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies

D. older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children

49. What's the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joan Galst?

A. Being laughed at by other people.           B. Being mistaken for grandparents.

C. Slowing down of their pace of life.         D. Approaching of death.

50. What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?

A. They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment.

B. Not until they had the twins did they feel they had formed a family.

C. They believed that children born of older parents would be smarter.

D. Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.

Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. It is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.

It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat（拍）yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!

62. You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.

A. dare to challenge yourself

B. feel it hard to change yourself

C. are unconfident about yourself

D. have a high opinion of yourself

63. How should you change your serf-image according to the passage?

A. To keep a different image of others.

B. To make your life successful.

C. To understand your own world.

D. To change the way you think.

64. What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to prepare for your success.

B. How to face challenges in your life.

C. How to build a positive self-image.

D. How to develop your good qualities.

65. Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A. Parents.  B. Adolescents.  C. Educators.   D. People in general.

British newspapers are among the oldest and most famous in the world. But recently big changes have seen these traditional publications try to fit the modern world. After 221 years, The Times (《泰晤士報(bào)》) has changed its size to become much smaller. In fact, the paper has cut its size in half from a broadsheet to tabloid.

In Britain the newspaper market is divided between the larger broadsheets and the smaller tabloids. These terms refer to the size of the papers’ pages, but there is also a clear difference in content. Broadsheets such as the Times, the Guardian (《衛(wèi)報(bào)》) and Daily Telegraph (《每日電訊報(bào)》) are serious papers. They cover a broad range of political, economic and international issues. Their stories are also reasonably long and use quite formal language.

Tabloids have far more stories about less serious issues such as celebrities’（名人） love lives. Their stories are shorter and use more simple language. Tabloids often have bigger pictures. Britain’s best-selling newspaper, the Sun, is a tabloid and has a naked (裸體的) girl on page three every day.

By changing to the size of a tabloid, the Times is following in the footsteps of a less famous broadsheet paper the Independent (《獨(dú)立報(bào)》). It changed to tabloid last year and saw its sales increase greatly. Although both papers have switched to the smaller size, the content of the papers has remained the same. They are both still serious papers.

The two papers claim that people find the smaller size easier to handle when they travel to work on the bus or the train in the morning. Instead of calling the new style of their paper tabloid, the paper says its new size is “compact” (緊湊型).

71. In which year was The Times born?

A. 1782             B. 1785             C. 1788                    D. 1786

72. Which is the most correct statement?

A. Broadsheets are larger in size while tabloids are smaller.

B. Tabloids are less serious than broadsheets.

C. Broadsheets contain more news than tabloids.

D. They are different in size, content and the style of language.

73. In which of the following newspapers would you find more news about the personal life of the famous soccer star Beckham?

A. The Sun          B. The Times       C. The Independent      D. The Guardian

74. According to the passage, we can infer the main reason for The Times' changing into the tabloid is that_____.

A. it wants to become convenient for people to carry.

B. it wants to increase its circulation (發(fā)行量).

C. it intends to copy what The Independent has done.

D. it is unlikely to stay in business if it does not change.

75. Which of the following statements is true according to the given information?

A. There are more tabloids than broadsheets in Britain at present.

B. After the change, there will be no differences between The Sun and The Times.

C. Although The Times has cut its size, it remains a serious paper.

D. All the papers will tend to have the same style in the future.

    If U.S. software companies don't pay more attention to quality, they could kiss their business good-bye. Both India and Brazil are developing a world-class software industry. Their weapon is quality and one of their jobs is to attract the top U.S. quality specialists whose voices are not listened to in their country.

      Already, of the world's 12 software houses that have earned the highest rating in the world, seven are in India. That's largely because they have used new methods rejected by American software specialists. For example, for decades, quality specialists, W. Edwards Deming and J. M. Juran had urged U.S. software companies to change their attitudes to quality. But their quality call mainly fell on deaf ears in the U.S -- but not in Japan. By the 1970s and 1980s, Japan was grabbing market share with better, cheaper products. They used Deming's and Juran's ideas to bring down the cost of good quality to as little as 5% of total production costs. In U.S. factories, the cost of quality then was 10 times as high: 50%. In software, it still is.

      Watts S. Humphrey spent 27 years at IBM heading up software production and then quality assurance. But his advice was seldom paid attention to. He retired from IBM in 1986. In 1987, he worked out a system for assessing(evaluating) and improving software quality. It has proved its value time and again. For example, in 1990 the cost of quality at Raytheon Electronics Systems was almost 60% of total software production costs. It fell to 15% in 1996 and has since further dropped to below 10%.

    Like Deming and Juran, Humphrey seems to be winning more praises overseas than at home. The Indian government and several companies have just founded the Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute at the Software Technology Park in Chennai, India. Let's hope that U.S. lead in software will not be eaten up by its quality problems.

48. What country has more highest-rating companies in the world than any other country has?

   A. India.              B. The US.            C. Brazil.            D. Germany.

49. Which of the following statements about Humphrey is true?

   A. He is now still an IBM employer.

   B. He has worked for IBM for 37 years.    

   C. India honors him highly.

   D. The US pays much attention to his quality advice. 

50. By what means did Japan grab its large market share by the 1970s and the 1980s?    

   A. Its advertising was most successful.

   B. Its products were cheaper in price and better in quality.

   C.The US hardware industry was lagging behind.

   D. Japan hired a lot of Indian software specialists.

More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers. Qinghai Lake is also the country’s biggest salt-water lake .

Located in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island.

The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called ‘Bird Islands’.

Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs.

During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away . These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.

To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997.

Meanwhile , the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.

Inspection officials and management employees often patrol the lake , improving local residents’ knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about  animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds.

At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area, to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’ nest-building, egg-laying and breeding. As a result , more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.

65. Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest?

A. Because it is getting warmer and warmer.

B. Because it is being reformed

C. Because environments there are getting more and more agreeable for them to live in.

D. Because the people there are becoming richer and richer

66. The birds feed on _______according to the passage.

A. floating fish and various grass

B. grass moving on the water surface and different kinds of fish

C. salt water and plenty of grains

D. corn from the local farmers

67. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage

A. The ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau doesn’t  change into water, unless more than 20 kinds of birds come to the Bird Islands

B. Flocks of birds fly up to the whole sky over islands to lay eggs

C. Visitors can listen to the singing of birds from miles away, but they couldn’t see any of the birds

D. “The ice on the Plateau begins to change into water” means spring is coming

68. The officials go around the lake mainly to _________

A. let the farmers there know the animal protection law

B. tell the farmers there some knowledge about animal protection.

C. call on people to love and protect the birds

D. all of the above

  Suppose that you, a college student of somewhat limited means, are in the market for a used pickup truck. The following ad in a local used car publication catches your eyes.

1993 Ford Ranger, bilk, 4WD,a/c,

AM/FM/cass., showroom condition.

Call 555-1234 after 5 p.m.

    This is exactly the kind of vehicle you want, so you call to ask the price. The price you have mentioned over the phone is $2,000 lower than the Price for this model with this equipment listed in a used car guidebook. Instead of being ecstatic (happy), however, you are suspicious (懷疑的).

     For many products, when you must pay less than the going rate, you believe you are getting a great deal. This is not necessarily the case for used cars or other durable goods (washing machines and television sets, for example) because with expensive products—or, what is essentially the same thing, products with high replacement costs—you must be particularly careful about getting a “l(fā)emon (檸檬),” or a product of substandard（低于標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）quality.

    In addition to asking the price, the age of a car —or any other consumer durable—is a factor when you are trying to determine whether a seller is attempting to unload a lemon. While people hold off until they have put many thousands of a car that is “too new” as you would have a car that is “too good” a deal. In fact, you are probably willing to pay a high for a high quality used car. While this price would certainly be acceptable to the seller, the competitive market might not facilitate such trades.

36. The beginning of this passage suggests that college students       .

   A. are very clever but not very rich

   B. are very capable but not very hard-working

   C. have limited material resources

   D. are not rich

37. The passage indicates that sometimes when you find a product of an unexpectedly low price,      

    A. you are very happy                  B. you are rather suspicious

   C. you feel uneasy                         D. you are filled with happiness as well as surprise

38. “Lemon” in this passage refers to        .

   A. a kind of fruit                                               B. a kind of new car

   C. a kind of expensive and high-quality car       D. a product of inferior quality (劣質(zhì))

39. It can be concluded from the passage that in the used car market,        .

   A. used cars are generally cheap           B. used cars are actually expensive

   C. used cars are actually brand new        D. car buyers are willing to pay a high price for a used car

If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.

Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.

The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration（登記）card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.

The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.

With so many loopholes（漏洞）in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.

60. The underlined words in this passage means to “______”.

A. be ready to help others                     B. make good use of one’s friends

C. be a little ahead of others               D. gain something at other’s expense

61. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. While taking a taxi in Finland, you can get off without first paying your fare.

B. In a big hotel in Finland, you can enjoy free meals if you’re living in the hotel.

C. The bosses in Finland pay the employees according to registration of their working hours.

D. The workers are always honest with their working hours.

62. We can learn from the passage that ______.

A. the Finnish society is of very high moral（道德）level

B. there are many loopholes in everyday life in Finland

C. in Finland, most taxi drivers will not charge you anything

D. everyone in Finland is like a gentleman, for they have faith in themselves

63. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A. Life in Finland                                B. A Society with “Foolish” People

C. What a Life                                          D. Honest accounts of the Finns

In Western countries people have been using the installment plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U. S. , the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.

The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.

Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment. There is, however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment. If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit, it becomes more likely to have a depression. This is why, in some countries, the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.

41. Which of the following is NOT true about the installment plan?

A. A lot of British families use the installment plan.

B. More than 10 percent American families buy things on installments.

C. Americans depend more on installment than British people do.

D. Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.

42. Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because ________.

A. the buyer has to pay extra money as interest

B. the delivery of the goods charges extra money

C. the buyer has to pay a down payment

D. the service offered by installment plan charged extra money

43. What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?

A. He might lose his job.

B. He will stop owning the item he has bought.

C. He will have to sell what he has bought.

D. He will go into debt.

44. The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that ________.

A. purchasing power is strengthened

B. employment might be increased

C. people develop a good habit of saving money

D. young couples are able to furnish their homes

45. In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to ________.

A. increase employment

B. avoid depressions

C. ensure that businesses make good profits

D. ensure that people can pay for what they buy