Washington, April 4----- The United States has more than 90 million families for the first time, but each contains fewer people on average than ever, the Census Bureau(统计局) reported today.

The 90,031,000 families in the United States averaged 2.64 members each as of last July 1.“The reason is, in effect, changes in the age structure,” explained Campbell Gibson, a population researcher for the bureau. Most Americans born in the great explosion of births are now in their 20’s and 30’s when they most likely to set up families, he said.

The fact that many are doing so increased the number of families from 80.4 million in 1980 t0 88.8 million in 1986 and past the 90 million mark last summer.

At the same time, the average number of people per family dropped from 2.75 in 1985 to 2.65 in 1986 and then to 2.64, Mr Gibson said.

By comparison, the 1970 Census found the average family contained 3.14 people. Families averaged more than four people in 1939 and more than five in 1880.

The growing number of ever---- smaller families is still going on, but Mr Gibson pointed out that family growth was not the same as population increase in the 1970’s.

The same age factors that are increasing the number of families also happened then, but in the 1970’s the proportion(比例) of families in each age group was also growing.

That hasn’t continued in the 1980’s for a number of possible reasons, Mr Gibson said. For example, in the 1980’s more young people have chosen to remain home with their parents instead of setting up housekeeping on their own, as many did in the 1970’s.

This could be caused by the increasing cost of housing, he said. Delays in marriage while young people go to work and school, have also been widely reported as a factor, but it was not the only factor for the family changes.

1.The smaller figure of families reported here is _________.

2.What’s the reporter’s attitude towards the present situation?

A. People should get married at later age.

2. The average number of family members should be 2.64.
3. It’s not clear in the report.
4. Young people should set up housekeeping on their own, as many did in the 1970’s.

3.From the last paragraph we may infer that________.

A. delay in marriage will not help the number of the families

2. delay in marriage is the major factor of the family changes
3. the writer felt sorry that many young people now delay their marriages
4. there must be some other factors which have led to the slower growth in the 1980’s

4. The underlined word “factor” in the passage means_________.

阅读理解

　　Enduring Storms

　　Several more rounds of severe storms, tornadoes and flash flooding struck many parts of the American Midwest and Northeast as bad weather continued across the US for a second month.

　　Monsoon Storms

　　A south-west monsoon has caused havoc in parts of SriLanka. Government meteorologists said that unexpected monsoonal winds blew directly across the country from the Southern Hemisphere at about 100 km/h, producing several rounds of stormy weather. Nearly 250 houses in the capital Colombo were damaged.

For the week ending 3 July 1998

　　Mt. Etna Erupts

　　Sicily’s Mount Etna volcano erupted shortly after midnight on July 1, shooting“bombs”of lava nearly 1.5 metres in diameter on the eastern side of the mountain. The 30-minute eruption could be seen for several miles, but did not threaten any nearby villages.

　　Hurricane

　　Hurricane Blas lost strength as it moved over cooler waters in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Mexico. Blasformed off southwest Mexico during the previous week, but squalls on the outer fringes of the storm lashed western Michoacan State, killing four people when their wood and cardboard home collapsed.

　　Monkey Repellent

　　After years of unsuccessful attempts to keep crop-eating monkeys out of Japanese fields, a Tokyo research team believes that it may have finally found a way to prevent the damage caused by the monkeys. Animal raids on crops were successfully prevented by shooting chilli powder into the air, irritating the eyes and noses of monkeys that passed in front of carefully-placed warning sensors.“We’ve tried…all kinds of preventive measures, but the monkeys are smart enough to outwit the tricks,”said Toshiaki Wada, Director of the Tokyo Forestry Experiment Station in western Tokyo.

1．The monsoon is Sri Lanka ________.

[　　]

A．was of average strength

B．destroyed more property than previous monsoons

C．was not typical for that time of the year

D．affected only the outer areas of the nation

2．What aspect of Hurricane Blas does the map show?

[　　]

3．According to the information, which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．The eruption of Mt. Etna lasted thirty days.

B．Hurricane Blas was formed off the coast of Italy.

C．The American Midwest had fine weather throughout July 1998.

D．The eruption of Mt. Etna did not destroy local villages.

4．According to the information, the monkeys in the Japanese fields ________.

[　　]

A．destroy crops

B．kill unsuspecting humans

C．spread eye diseases to humans

D．stop farmers from working

5．Toshiaki Wada, Director of the Tokyo Forestry Experiment Station, would describe the monkeys as ________.

[　　]

★Money and Happiness★

A Guide to Living the Good Life

Author: Laura Rowley

Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2008)

Laura Rowley helps us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers insights that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term.

★Happiness★

The Science Behind Your Smile

Author: Daniel Nettle

Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2008)

This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more.

★The Happiness Makeover★

How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day

Author: M. J. Ryan

Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2008)

Ryan’s own desire to be happier first led her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world. The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you:

Clear away happiness problems like worry, fear, envy, and dislikes.

Learn to think confidently.

Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life.

★Health and Happiness★

Hormones and Qualities Llives

Author: Steven F. Hotze

Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2008)

Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare. Unlike the popular medical way of treating individual symptoms(症状) with the familiar “anti” drugs, Dr Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health.

In Hormones, Health, and Happiness you are shown how to reach and keep the best body functioning.

Based on a process of biologically the same hormones(荷尔蒙) and other natural treatments, it can help you enjoy a better quality of life.

1. According to the passage, which of the following books was the first to come out?

2. If you want to know more about whether happiness has something to do with success, you should turn to _________________________________.

3. Whose model will possibly help readers obtain health and wellness naturally?

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

Taiwan will finalize a plan by the end of June to open up the island to tourists from mainland China, though no date has been fixed for formal implementation（执行）, an official at the Mainland Affairs Council（MAC）said on Monday．

The official said the reports in the local press on Monday that the MAC has decided to postpone its plan to announce the implementation of the new plan on July 1 were inaccurate．

The official said cooperation between different organizations was still underway．The United Daily news quoted the director of the MAC’s legal affairs department, Liu Thehsun, as saying the plan to open up to mainland tourists would not be implemented as scheduled due to a lack of cross-strait communication．

Although relevant authorities, including the Bureau of Immigration and the Tourism Bureau, have complete reports on how to deal with visitors from mainland China, the decision has been taken not to press, ahead with announcement of the plan’s implementation on the first of July, Liu was quoted as saying．

The report also said that while no restrictions would be imposed on the mainland visitors in terms of age or residence in China, the visitors would need to hold a steady job or have more than 50,000RMB（about 6,000, U．S．dollars）in bank savings before they would be eligible（有资格的）to visit Taiwan．

In addition, Taiwan bound mainland tourists would have to come as part of a tour group and would be allowed to stay a maximum of 10 days each time．

The number of mainland tourists allowed to enter the island would also initially be limited to 1,000 people a day．

Although most people from Taiwan are free to travel to China, only a small number of mainland Chinese have been able to visit the island due to restrictions imposed by both sides of the Taiwan Strait after the end of a civil war in 1949．

1.At the moment, according to the passage,      ___________．

    A．no mainland Chinese can visit Taiwan now

    B．any mainland Chinese can visit Taiwan now

    C．many mainland Chinese have ever visited Taiwan since 1949

    D．a few mainland Chinese have ever visited Taiwan since 1949

2.When Taiwan opens up the island to tourists from mainland China,_____________．

    A．there will be no restrictions to mainland visitors

    B．mainland visitors who want to travel in Taiwan must have at least ￥50,000 in the bank savings account

    C．there will be no age restrictions to the mainland visitors

    D．mainland visitors will be free to travel to Taiwan

3.We can infer from the passage that ______get（s）involved in the implementation of the plan．

    A．MAC                              B．United Daily

    C．several organizations            D．Bureau of Immigration

4.Which of the following statement is TRUE?

    A．The implementation of the plan has not been fixed．

    B．It was originally fixed on July 1 to announce the plan’s implementation．

    C．For lack of cross-strait communication, the plan will not be officially completed until July．

    D．When the plan is finalized, it will be announced immediately．

Ⅳ、阅读理解（每小题2分; 满分30分）
A 
Beijing’s markets will soon be flooded with more and cheaper colorful fruit such as orange mangos and green durian all year around.
Thanks to a new free trade agreement signed last Monday between China and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations(ASEAN), more and more tropical（热带的）South-east Asian fruit will enter the country.
The agreement means that from July 1, 2010, China and ASEAN countries will begin to cut tariffs（关税）. There are about 7,000 products included in the cuts.
As global communication develops, countries are trading more and more goods with each other. When products are sold across national boundaries（边界）,countries put a tax on them. This type of tax is called a tariff.
Just like removing an obstacle（障碍）from the path of these goods, the reduction of tariffs will encourage trade between China and ASEAN countries. It means more productions and lower prices.
The agreement will bring real benefits for Chinese customers, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. “In the Beijing markets you will easily find more tropical fruit like durian, which used to be very, very expensive. Now they will be cheaper.” The current tariff rate on durian is 22 percent but will fall to zero in 2010.
In the first 10 months of this year China did US $84.6 billion of trade with ASEAN countries. Experts believe this may reach US $100 billion next year.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN now includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
56. More and more tropical fruits will enter China because_________.
A. there are too many of them in foreign countries
B. an agreement to cut tariffs was made
C. Chinese people are rich enough to afford them
D. The trading business is developing^
57. Which of the following statements about the agreement is NOT true?
A. It will lead to an increase in trade between China and ASEAN countries.
B. It might cause the prices of ASEAN products to fall.
C. It may greatly benefit the Chinese customers.
D. It won’t bring any benefits to producers of ASEAN countries.
58. We can infer from the story that_______ .
A. China is short of fruit                
B. tariffs are an important factor in foreign trade
C. tropical countries have cheaper fruit
D. China prefers to trade with ASEAN countries
59. The best title for this passage is            
A. Tariff Cut Increases Trade           B. Best Ways To Sell Fruits
C. Tropical Fruit To China               D. China Joins ASEAN