Facing the threat of the Internet, the traditional newspaper is thinking about what it can do to meet the challenge. To make teens get into the habit of reading, the French government is considering what kind of efforts it should pursue.  It seems that the two questions have nothing to do with each other, but a recent announcement made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy has connected these two issues together. The announcement gives an answer to both of them.

  .  President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a rescue plan for France' s ailing print media, including measures to save printing and distribution costs. The plan also gives French teenagers a surprise as their 18-year-old birthday gift: France will offer all 18-year-olds a free daily copy of the newspaper of their choice.

     "The habit of reading the press should start at a very young age," Sarkozy said, presenting the conclusion after talking to a group of journalists and officials in Paris. The President said the newspapers themselves would provide free copies for 18-year-olds, while the state would cover the cost of delivering them to many thousands of homes.       

The plan is an attempt to introduce teenagers, who frequently only get their news online, to the delights of the printed world.  A similar idea has been tested by L'Ouest-France (法兰西部报) over the past few years.  It offered some 18 to 24-year-olds a free paper once a week for a year.  L' Ouest-France reported that 15% of young people wanted to continue with a paid subscription after the year was over.

    People in France welcomed the plan which should get more kids interested in current affairs and make reading be a pastime, as well as rescue the newspaper industry.

63. What does the underlined word " ailing" (in Paragraph 2) probably mean?

     A. newly established              B. in difficult situations

     C. most popular                  D. warm-hearted

64. It can be inferred from the passage that           .

     A. the government will pay for the delivery of newspapers to 18 -year-olds

     B. the government will buy newspapers for 18-year-olds for one day

     C. some of the government officials are against the plan

     D. President Nicolas Sarkozy would like to help the government

65. What is people' s reaction to the plan in France?

     A, They think it a waste of money.

     B. They will buy newspapers themselves for 18-year-olds.

     C. They think highly of it and support it:.

     D. They are worried the young will leave the Internet.

66. Which of the following can serve as the best for the passage?

     A. A surprising plan from the President

     B. Help rescue the newspaper industry

     C. Form the reading habit for the young

     D. Free newspapers fly to teens

There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual. The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they sought through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama.

Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances, and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the “acting area” and the “auditorium”. In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often impersonated other people, animals, or super natural beings, and mimed the desired effect －success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun －as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.

Another story traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, or other feats) are gradually elaborated, at first through the use of impersonation, action and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.

67. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. The origins of theater.                           B. The role of ritual in modern dance.

C. The importance of storytelling.                     D. The variety of early religious activities.

68. What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first paragraph?

A. The reason drama is often unpredictable.

B. The seasons in which dramas were performed.

C. The connection between myths and dramatic plots.

D. The importance of costumes in early drama.

69. According to the passage, what is the main difference between ritual and drama?

A. Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.

B. Ritual is shorter than drama.

C. Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.

D. Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not.

70. The passage supports which of the following statements?

A. No one really knows how the theater began.

B. Myths are no longer represented dramatically.

C. Storytelling is an important part of dialogue.

D. Dramatic activities require the use of costumes.

China supports international efforts to secure cyberspace but believes each nation’s “Internet sovereignty（主权）” must be respected, a top Chinese official said at a cyber security conference on Tuesday.

“China, like many other countries, is very concerned about cyber security,” said Liu Zhengrong, deputy director general of the Internet Affairs Bureau of the State Council Information Office.

“China faces severe cyber security threats,” Liu told participants here at the Worldwide Cyber Security Summit, a gathering of government and business leaders from 40 countries hosted by the EastWest Institute think tank.

“International cooperation is much needed to safeguard international cyberspace,” Liu said.

But “Internet sovereignty of each country needs to be respected,” the Chinese official added. “Different national and cultural conditions” should be taken into account.

Liu declined to answer repeated questions about cyber attacks last year on Google which the Internet giant said originated in China and led to the California company’s decision to reroute its searches through Hong Kong.

“The Chinese government firmly opposes cyber attacks in any form and Chinese law clearly states that any hackers will be held responsible for their actions,” he said.

Liu said China itself is a “a major victim of cyber attacks and network viruses” and has laws in place to deal with hackers.

“Internet-related crimes (in China) are showing a steady upward trend,” Liu said. “We suffer big economic losses from hacking networks and viruses - around $1 billion dollars (6.8 billion yuan) a year.”

In 2009, Chinese law enforcement authorities investigated about 48,000 cases, a 37 percent increase over 2008, he said.

While China has a dynamic Internet population of more than 400 million users and millions of bloggers, there is no “absolute freedom” on the Web, Liu said.

“I don’t think there is absolute freedom in this world,” he said. “When you are speaking via the Internet you must obey laws and respect others’ lawful rights.”

Last Thursday, Wang Chen, minister of the State Council Information Office, said China has been actively promoting a real-name registration system for Internet and cell phone users to better manage Internet information and services.

China needs laws that will step up monitoring for “harmful information” and block “overseas hostile forces from infiltrating（渗透）through the Internet,” Wang said.

Last week, China tightened its State Secrets law, holding Internet and mobile phone operators responsible for customers who try to leak State secrets.

Some 400 government officials, business leaders and cyber security experts are attending the summit, which features three days of discussions on ways to protect the world’s digital infrastructure from electronic threats.(427)

63. What was the top issue of Worldwide Cyber Security Summit?

   A. To fight against Internet-related crimes.

   B. To protect digital infrastructure in the world.

   C. To respect Internet sovereignty of each country.

   D. To make more laws to deal with hackers.

64. To respect a nation’s Internet sovereignty, _____________ must be considered.

   A. different national and cultural conditions

   B. attending Worldwide Cyber Security Summit

   C. stopping the leaking of State secrets

   D. safeguarding international cyberspace

65. According to paragraph 6, Internet giant refers to _____________.

   A. Hong Kong              B. hackers             C. Google              D. Liu Zhengrong

66. Which of the following is NOT the measure that China has taken to guarantee better Internet information and service management?

   A. Promoting real-name registration for Internet use.

   B. Promoting real-name registration for cell phone use.

   C. Tightening State Secrets law to stop leaking State secrets.

D. Monitoring for harmful information and blocking overseas hostile forces.

Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.

Yes, a rose is a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.

Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.

Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals.    

       While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.

Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”

       As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.

60．What is the central theme of this text?

       A．The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.

B．The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.

C．The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.

D．The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.

61．How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?

       A．By setting up more chain stores across the country.

B．By selling roses in supermarkets.

C．By selling high quality roses at a low price.

D．By selling roses by the dozen.

63．After reading the passage, we learn all of the following EXCEPT          .

       A．Selling roses is no longer as easy for traditional flower shops as it was.

B．Almost 90% of roses sold in US are imported from Colombia and Ecuador.

C．US rose growers are faced with intense foreign competition.

D．the Johnsons are trying to co-operate with foreign competitors instead of fighting them.

Everywhere you look, large quantities of information in the world are pouring. This data flood is already starting to transform business, government, science and everyday life. It has great potential for good — as long as consumers, companies and governments make the right choices about when to restrict the flow of data, and when to encourage it.

A few industries have led the way in their ability to gather and take advantage of the data. Credit-card companies monitor every purchase and can identify cheats with a high degree of accuracy. Stolen credit cards are more likely to be used to buy hard liquor than wine, for example, because it is easier to overlook. Insurance firms are also good at combining clues to spot doubtful claims: dishonest claims are more likely to be made on a Monday than a Tuesday, since policyholders (保险客户) who stage accidents tend to assemble friends as false witnesses over the weekend. By combining many such rules, it is possible to work out which cards are likeliest to have been stolen, and which claims are untrue. By analyzing “basket data”, supermarkets can make promotions to appeal to particular customers’ preferences. The oil industry uses supercomputers to help them before drilling wells.

But the data flood also poses risks. There are many examples of databases being stolen: disks full of social-security data go missing, laptops loaded with tax records are left in taxis, credit-card numbers are stolen by online purchase. The result can be privacy made public, identity stolen and cheats permitted large space. Rather than owning and controlling their own personal data, they very often find that they have lost control of it.

The best way to deal with the data flood is to make more data available in the right way, by requiring greater transparency in several areas. First, users should be given greater access to and control over the information held about them, including whom it is shared with. Google allows users to see what information it holds about them, and lets them delete their search histories or modify the targeting of advertising, for example. Second, organizations should be required to disclose details of security breaches, as is already the case in some parts of the world, to encourage bosses to take information security more seriously. Third, organizations should be subject to an annual security check, with the resulting grade made public (though details of any problems exposed would not be). This would encourage companies to keep their security measures up to date.

59. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Information Flood              B. Benefits of Data Flood

   C. Harms of Data Flood            D. How to Use Data in a Right Way

60. From the passage we can infer that ________.

A. lots of data are lost because of hardware problems

B. online purchases are becoming more and more popular

C. credit cards are not so secure to use and will go out of use very soon

D. insurance firms have to investigate before they confirm their policyholders’ claims

61. Which of the following is the writer’s opinion about how to deal with the data flood?

A. Personal information should be used for public benefits.

B. The users should be given the right to access public information.

C. Companies should update their measures to guarantee their data safety.

D. Organizations should keep their resulting grade of security checks unknown to the public.

62. From the passage we can conclude that _________.

A. the data flood makes peoples’ life less convenient and more expensive

  B. companies and insurance firms are responsible for the data flood

  C. the information flood is more useful to organizations than to individuals

  D. the information flood has both positive and negative influence on modern life

China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate (房地产) market, the International Finance News reported.

       Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.

       The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?

       At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate (控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.

56．Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is        even higher than in the United States?

       A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities.

       B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese        people.

       C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property        developers do when they sell their houses.

       D．There are more people who need houses in China than in the United States.

57．What is the main idea of this passage?

       A．The Chinese government should do something to control the housing price.

       B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market.

       C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.

       D．The Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.

58．How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?    A．Four      B．Three       C．Five  D．Two

……

       This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She is a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

       She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons, because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America: the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "we shall overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there’s so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves, if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? 

                                                                                                  (From Obama’s victory speech, 2008 )

56. What can be inferred from the passage?

       A. Ann Nixon Cooper was once a slave.              B. Ann Nixon Cooper is a black woman.

       C. Ann Nixon Cooper knows Obama and his family very well.

       D. Ann Nixon Cooper contributed much to the changes of America.

57. What does the underlined part“cast her ballot”in the first paragraph probably mean?

       A. expressed her happiness                                B. worked for Obama

       C. voted in the election                                     D. celebrated the victory

58. What message does this part of Obama’s speech mainly send?

       A. Ann Nixon Cooper has experienced the best time and the darkest hours of America in the last century.

B. America has undergone great development in the last century and is looking forward to more great changes.

       C. Ann Nixon Cooper has witnessed the development and democracy of America.

       D. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations.

It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants.

Despite her obvious pride, Ms. Fathi, a 22-year-old from Egypt, was amazed to find herself here. “I never in my life thought I’d work abroad,” said Ms. Fathi, who was a university student in Cairo when she began noticing newspaper advertisements employing young Egyptians to work at airlines based in the Persian Gulf.

A decade ago, unmarried Arab women like Ms. Fathi, working outside their home countries, were rare. But just as young men from poor Arab nations poured into the oil-rich Persian Gulf states for jobs, more young women are doing so.

Flight attendants have become the public face of the new mobility for some young Arab women, just as they were the face of new freedoms for women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They have become a subject of social anxiety and fascination in much the same way. 

For many families, allowing a daughter to work may call her virtue into question. Yet this culture is changing, said Musa Shteiwi, a sociologist at Jordan University in Amman. “We’re noticing more and more single women going to the gulf these days,” he said. “It’s still not exactly common, but over the last four or five years it’s become quite an observable phenomenon.”

Many of the young Arab women working in the Persian Gulf take delight in their status as pioneers, role models for their friends and younger female relatives. Young women brought up in a culture that highly values community, have learned to see themselves as individuals. The experience of living independently and working hard for high salaries has forever changed their beliefs about themselves, though it can also lead to a painful sense of separation from their home countries and their families.

—From New York Times (December 22, 2008)

56. It can be inferred from the passage that young Arab women _________.

A. go to work abroad after American women’s example

B. didn’t start to work abroad until the late 20th century

C. are commonly used to living and working separately

D. expect to take the same family responsibilities as men

57. According to the passage, the Arab women flight attendants can be described as _________.

A. proud, homesick or independent                  B. honest, outstanding or optimistic  

C. mature, enthusiastic or energetic                  D. painful, desperate or conservative

58. How do the public respond to young Arab women’s new mobility?

A. The public think highly of it.             B. The public care very little about it.

C. The public show both interest and anxiety.   D. The public are strongly against it.

59. The author intends to tell the readers that __________.

A. Arab women can hardly find any work

B. flight attendants are badly needed in the gulf

C. flight attendants lead quite a different life

D. young Arab women’s values are changing

Economists usually study markets．Now，two Americans have won the Nobel Prize in economics for not studying markets．They will share almost one and a half million dollars for their analysis of economic governance(治理)．The winners are Elinor Ostrom of Indiana University in Bloomington and Oliver Williamson of the University of California，Berkeley．The prize in economic sciences has gone to 63 men since it was first awarded 40 years ago．Elinor Ostrom is the first woman．And，like other winners over the years，her training is not limited to economics．She is a professor of political science and of public and environmental affairs．

    Today，economic theory suggests that good resource management requires ownership，either private or public．If not，the thinking goes，then self-interest will lead to overuse and destruction of shared resources．Ecologist Garrett Hardin described this idea in 1968 as“the tragedy of the commons．”

    Elinor Ostrom showed how local decision making can lessen the tragedy．Her research has deepened understanding of how people balance their needs with those of others who depend on the same resources．    

    She studied communities like farmers in Southern  California who depended on a common water supply． She documented how people who use resources often develop ways to share them．One example is forest management．She says，“One of the absolutely key，most important variables(变量)as to

whether or not a forest survives and continues is whether local people monitor each other and its use．Not officials，locals．”

    Oliver Williamson has studied big companies and found that they often are better than markets at doing complex jobs．Under his theory，businesses act as structures for conflict resolution．

    For example，companies that own their suppliers can avoid long-term contracts and disputes over prices．This can make production more efficient and make better use of limited resources．But businesses can also abuse their power．Professor Williamson says the best way to deal with this is not by limiting the size of companies，but through industry regulation．

  The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said economists need to do more than study markets and prices．The Nobel judges urged more research like the kind they recognized with this year’s award．

60．According to Elinor Ostrom，                 ．

      A．the tragedy of the commons is caused by local decision

      B．private ownership can cause the tragedy of the commons

      C．overuse of shared resources can cause the tragedy of the commons

      D．it is not the officials but the local people who can do something to avoid the tragedy

61．This year’s Nobel Prize for economics is shared by         ．

    A．Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson   B．Elinor Ostrom and Garrett Hardin

    C．Oliver Williamson and Garrett Hardin   D．63 economic scientists

62．Professor Williamson proved that long-term contracts and disputes over prices can be

      avoided by big companies by                   ．

      A．1imiting the size of other companies

      B．providing sufficient production

      C．sharing resources with their own suppliers

      D．setting up their own industry regulation

63．Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage?

      A．Two American Economists Won the Nobel Prize for Studying Markets．

      B．Researchers of Economic Governance Won the Nobel Prize for Economics．

      C．First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize for Economic Strategies．

      D．The Tragedy of the Commons and the Big Businesses．

  WASHINGTON--President Bush plans to meet next week with top Pentagon and State Department officials, and hopes to offer a revised Iraq plan within two weeks, aides (政府官员的副手)said Friday.                                                                        

     White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said today Bush wants to give a major speech on Iraq before Christmas, "but that is not set in stone."

     At a morning meeting with congressional leaders, Bush said, "We talked about the need for a new way forward in Iraq."

     Bush will visit the State Department on Monday and meetings with military officials will follow over the next two days, according to a tentative White House schedule. All are involved in an ongoing administration review of the situation in Iraq.

     "These are deliberative(慎重的) meetings and discussions," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council. "They will inform the president's thinking, and he will inform their thinking."

     Bush said he is also reviewing the Iraq Study Group report released Wednesday. Its suggestions include withdrawing US troops by early 2008, conditions permitting, and a new diplomatic(外交的) effort including Iraq's neighbors, Iran and Syria.

    The president said he also wanted the troops home too, but not until the new Iraq government can sustain(支撑) itself. He expressed skepticism(怀疑态度) about possible talks with Iran and Syria, saying they must stop efforts to undermine(削弱) Iraq's fledgling(年轻的) democracy.

60. The word “revised” in Paragraph One can be replaced by "_______".

   A. rewriting            B. changed            C. important            D. directed

61. The word "that" in Paragraph Two refers to ________.

  A. President Bush plans to meet next week with top Pentagon and State Department officials

  B. the thing that President Bush hopes to offer a revised Iraq plan within two weeks

  C. what White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said today

  D. the thing that President Bush wants to give a major speech on Iraq before Christmas

62. The last paragraph shows us that _____.

  A. President Bush wants to have a talk with Iraq's neighbors, Iran and Syria

  B. Bush will make his troops go home unless the new Iraq government can sustain itself

  C. Bush will make his troops go home if the new Iraq government can sustain itself

  D. President Bush is sure to have a talk with Iraq's neighbors, Iran and Syria