Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.
　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.
　　All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static(稳定的)measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
　　What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.
【小题1】How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A．By its impact on the environment	B．By its contribution to economic growth
C．By its productivity	D．By its sustainability

【小题2】Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in              .

A．Localized pollution	B．The shrinking of farmland
C．the decrease of biodiversity	D．competition from overseas

【小题3】 What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

A．They are not necessarily sustainable	B．They have not kept pace with population growth
C．They have remained the same over the centuries	D．They are environmentally friendly

【小题4】What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

A．It will abandon traditional farming practices	B．It will mainly keep traditional farming
C．It will go through complete changes	D．It will cause zero damage to the environment

【小题5】What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To remind people of the need of sustainable development.

B．To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

C．To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.

D．To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same colour may mean differently in different places of the world?
In the English-speaking world, black is the colour of mourning. People wear black clothes at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed (流血). Yellow is the word for fear. If you are afraid, you are yellow. Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world. In China and Korea white is the colour of mourning. In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.
Even within the English-speaking area it is not difficult to find colour contradictions. A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station. In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker.
One does not have to cross an area to find colour differences. Would you rather be red-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression "blueblood" comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly said that they had "blue blood". But then why "blue" blood? Because they were fairskinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels (血管) stood out appearing blue.
【小题1】Yellow is concerned with anger in                .             

A．Russia

B．China

C．Britain

D．Germany

【小题2】 The two meanings of the term "redcap" form a difference in                .     

A．pronunciation

B．logical relationship

C． custom

D．climate

【小题3】 Both Britain and America would probably agree that                .         

A．a black-coated worker is employed in an office	B．black is the color of mourning
C．red stands for beauty and excellence	D．a redcap is a porter in a station

【小题4】The best title for this passage is              

A．The Development of the Symbolic use of Colors	B．The Meaning Concerned With Certain Colors
C．Colors that Carry Bad Meanings	D．The Origin of Blue Blood.

【小题5】When some Spanish called themselves “blueblood”, they actually meant              .

A．they came from a noble family	B．their faces looked blue
C．they had blue blood in their vessels	D．they were fairskinned

There were quite a lot of things that the philosophers of the old times got right and one of those things was that there is a very strong need for lawyers and government in a society. The government looks to protect and help you in times of need and the lawyers are there to fight for your case if you are treated unfairly. Just like then, there is still a need for government to help people when they need help now in today’s world. This sort of help can come from when people need social security benefits because they become disabled after some sort of accident.
If you have become disabled in recent days, then you certainly have rights go to find out whether you are qualified to receive the social security disability benefits. The social security disability is for those who have become disabled or are disabled due to some sort of accident that may have happened and that forces you to be out of work. This can be very frustrating because being out of work means that you cannot make money that you need in order to provide for yourself and those you are possible taking care of. This is where the government comes into play. The government will help you out with this and possibly give you money in order to keep yourself from ending up on the streets.
They understand that accidents do happen and that there needs to be some sort of help for those who get into accidents and cannot provide for themselves. If you are sure that you have a disability, get in touch with the social security department for more information. Meyers Law Firm can help you get the social security disability benefits you have rights to gain.
【小题1】This passage talks mainly about              .

A．suggestions for you to contact related department	B．the disabled need protection from lawyers.
C．how you ask for help when having an accident	D．the government helps the disabled people

【小题2】 If you are disabled the author suggests you              .

A．find out whether you can get the money	B．go to the related department to treat
C．ask your family members to give a hand	D．provide evidence for the social department

【小题3】When having an accident and becoming disabled people need to                .

A．ask the lawyers for help	B．turn to the government for help
C．fight for their benefits	D．seeking money from the accident

【小题4】What does the underlined part mean in the 2nd paragraph?

A．Make you homeless.	B．Get you to live a happier life.
C．Stop you wandering in the street.	D．End your poor life.

【小题5】The social security disability is given to those who              .

A．are out of work making no money	B．have a deadly illness in the hospital
C．become disabled after an accident	D．have the disabled in their family

Visitors to Britain may find the best place to sample local culture is in a traditional pub. But these friendly pubs can be dangerous places of potential gaffes (失礼) for the newcomers. A team of researchers have discovered some of the unknown customs of British pubs-starting with the difficulty of getting a drink. Most pubs have no waiters-you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. A group of Italian youths waiting 45 minutes before they realized they would have to fetch their own. This may sound inconvenient, but there is a hidden purpose.
Pub culture is designed to promote sociability (社交) in a society known for its reserve. Standing at the bar for service allows you to chat with others waiting to be served. The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely suitable and really quite normal behavior. “If you haven't been to a pub, you haven't been to Britain.” This tip can be found in a booklet, Passport to the Pub: The Tourists' Guide to Pub Etiquette, a customers' rule of conduct for those wanting to sample “a central part of British life and culture”．
The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules, the experience may fall flat. For example, if you are in a big group, it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. Nothing annoys the regular customers and bar staff more than a group of strangers blocking all access to the bar while they chat and hesitate about what to order.
【小题1】 The underlined word “sample” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．

A．taste

B．experience

C．test

D．record ．

【小题2】The culture of pub in Britain is so developed to ______.

A．encourage people to communicate with each other

B．encourage more people to consume drinks

C．attract more tourists to the pubs

D．form its own character of culture

【小题3】If you don't follow the local rules in a pub, ________.

A．you won't buy good local drinks

B．you may annoy the regular customers and bar staff

C．you may fail to feel the local culture

D．you might get into a dangerous place

【小题4】What may be the best title for the passage?

A．Self-service Pubs in Britain	B．British Local Pubs: Special Chat Places
C．Local Pub Culture in Britain	D．Manners in British Local Pubs

For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas” shortened versions(剧本) of child-friendly operas. This summer's production is Hansel ＆ Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program.
【小题1】 Which is the main idea of this passage？

A． Opera is famous for its long history.

B． Opera is only performed for rich people.

C． Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive.

D． Young people are not interested in opera.

【小题2】The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means ______.

A． breaking up the old rules	B． changing the dresses
C． making the audience at ease	D．advertising themselves

【小题3】Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because ______ .

A． they can be performed in public libraries

B． short versions are easy to perform

C． it is hard to find long versions

D． they can make more people come to opera

【小题4】The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to ______.

A． celebrate its 75th anniversary	B． reduce the cost
C． attract young people	D． make Cinderella popular

Some people argue that the pressures on international sportsmen and sportswomen kill the spirit of sport: the pursuit (追求) of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The sportsman representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself, he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for an entire nation’s hopes and dreams.
A good example is the football World Cup. Football is the world’s most important sport. It is even more important now that the United States is seriously taking it up. Winning the World Cup is perhaps eh greatest of international sporting success. Mention “ Argentina ” to someone and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup “ put Argentina on the map ”.
Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won the World Cup. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money traveling to Argentina, where the finals were played.
So am I arguing that international competitions kill the idea of sport? Certainly not! Do the Argentineans really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their nation is better than all others? Not really. But it’s nice to know that you won, and that in one way at least your country is best.
【小题1】What is mainly discussed in this passage is _________.

A．why international sport is necessary

B．what international sport is like

C．how international sport goes on

D．what disadvantages international sport has

【小题2】Those who are against international competitions think that ________.

A．sport should not be so popular	B．sport should not be competitive
C．sport should be for personal purpose	D．sport should be made easier

【小题3】We can infer from the passage that the underlined word “ irrational ” means_________.

A．against reasonable behavior	B．having much knowledge
C．unable to understand	D．eager to know

【小题4】What does the writer mean by saying that winning the World Cup “ put Argentina on the map”_____

A．Argentina has the best football player

B．Argentina has become world-famous for football

C．Football is very popular in Argentina

D．Argentina has begun to pay much attention to football

It's really true what people say about English politeness: it's everywhere．When squeezing past someone in a narrow aisle, people say "sorry"．When getting off a bus, English passengers say "thank you" rather than the driver．In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things．
After all, squeezing past others sometimes can't be avoided．and the bus driver is merely doing his job．I used lo think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles and came to appreciate some more polite ways of communicating with people．
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time．When people buy something in a shop, customer and retail assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more．In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation．British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room．English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs as opposed to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough．
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others．Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me．my employers stressed several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism．It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable．This also is shown in other ways．British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men．However, 1 do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men' Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted．
【小题1】What is the author's attitude towards English politeness?

A．He appreciates it	B．He gives no personal opinion
C．He thinks it is artificial	D．He thinks it goes too far．

【小题2】What can we learn about customers and retail assistants in Germany?

A．It's always a retail assistant who says thank you．

B．A customer never says thank you to a retail assistant．

C．They always say thank you to each other．

D．They may say thank you only once．

【小题3】We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men _____．

A．are more likely to be involved in a fighting．

B．are not so willing to spend money for women．

C．are more polite than English men.

D．treat women in a polite way.

【小题4】The author develops the text through the method of        .

A．giving comments	B．telling stories
C．making comparisons	D．giving reasons

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（登记）card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration 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”.
【小题1】 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

【小题2】 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.

【小题3】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

【小题4】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

Most laws in the United States and Canada are similar to laws in other countries. For example, it is against the law everywhere to murder a person, and it is illegal to steal money. Everyone knows these laws, but foreign students or tourists in a new country may not know some of the local laws. For instance, a legal action in Peru may be against the law in Korea, and an illegal activity in an Asian city may be perfectly legal in a European city. On the other hand, laws may be the same in various countries but vary in different cities or states of the same nation.
In many cities in the United States, for instance, it is not legal to “jaywalk.” This law may seem strange to visitors. Sometimes they cross a street, and a police officer gives them a ticket. Then they need to pay a fine of $10 to $25. They soon learn to cross a street only in a crosswalk or at a corner. It’s against the law to cross in the middle of the street.
Most people know that states in the United States have different laws about the legal drinking age; this age varies, but in most states no one under twenty-one can buy alcohol, even beer or wine. Also, in most U.S. cities, it is illegal to drink alcohol in public. Of course, liquor is legal in restaurants and bars, but it’s against the law to drink a can of beer, for instance, on a public street. Some people put the can in a paper bag and drink; nobody can see the beer, but it still isn’t legal. In addition, it is illegal to have an open liquor bottle inside a car.
【小题1】 We can learn from Paragraph 1 that ______.

A．it is legal to steal money in some countries

B．Peru and Korea have completely different laws

C．there may be different local laws in a country

D．an Asian city and a European city can’t have the same law

【小题2】The word “jaywalk” underlined in the second paragraph most probably means ______.

A．to talk with others while crossing a street

B．to have a drink while crossing a street

C．to cross in the middle of the street

D．to cross a street at a corner

【小题3】 Which of the following is legal in the United States?

A．Selling a can of beer to teenagers.

B．Having a bottle of wine in a Chinese restaurant.

C．Having an open bottle of beer inside a car.

D．Drinking a can of beer in a street without being seen.

Olivia and Jack are the most popular names in Britain for babies born in 2008, according to a survey made by the website Bounty. Jack has been top for 14 years since it took over from Thomas.
Grace — made famous by the Hollywood star Grace Kelly — slipped back into third place behind Ruby, the name of singer Charlotte Church’s daughter.
Summer climbed 28 places from 44th to 16th. Ava — the name of singer Myleene Klass’s daughter — also leapt 15 places to 19th.
The troubles of the singer Amy Winehouse perhaps had an effect on the popularity of the name. It dropped three places to 23rd. Rebecca is also on the wane(变弱), ranking 48th. So is Courtney, which ranked 88th.
Theo, obviously inspired by England’s teenage football hero Theo Walcott, is among the biggest climbers in the boy’s list, rising from 70th to 58th.
An employee of Bounty said, “Baby names have witnessed the biggest changes over the last decade as parents are increasingly influenced by celebrities. The Bounty baby name poll also shows parents are continuing to be creative and inspirational about the names they choose for their children. Some parents want a name that’s totally unique, and names such as Zebedee, Selim and Zenon are now emerging and growing in popularity. Others are simply breaking with convention and becoming bolder in their choice of names.”
“While politicians’ names may be growing in popularity in America, British politicians don’t influence our choice of names in the UK. Traditional royal names continue to be supreme(最高的) in the boys’ top 100,” The employee said.
【小题1】Which of the following girl names ranks the second?

A．Grace.

B．Ruby.

C．Kelly.

D．Charlotte.

【小题2】Baby names changed a lot mainly because of the influence of ______.

A．stars

B．parents

C．media

D．politicians

【小题3】What kind of names covers the most in the top 100 boys’ names?

A．Unique names.	B．Creative names.
C．Famous people’s names.	D．Traditional royal names.

【小题4】It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．Thomas was the first in boy names in 1994

B．Summer ranked 28th in the girls’ list in 2007

C．Rebecca might be 50th in the girls’ list in 2007

D．Courtney climbed in the boy’s list in 2008 compared with 2007