Pingyao, in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site (世界文化遗址). It’s 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.

People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a country government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial (商业的) groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang(Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its Lacquer ware (漆器) became well known.

In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi’s history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, and ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.

In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as “ World Culture Heritage Site”.

1.What does the underlined word “them”(in the 2^nd paragraph) refer to?

A．Historic buildings and sites.	B．The three temples.
C．The country government seats.	D．The 2,700-year history.

2.Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Its location (位置).	B．Its tourism.
C．Its business.	D．Its history.

3.During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pingyao was a leading center in __________.

A．agriculture	B．raising cattle
C．commercial trade	D．making gold coins

4.If you want to know about the history of banking in China, you’ll visit __________.

A．Sunrise Prosperity	B．Zhengguo Temple
C．A lacquer ware store	D．A commercial house

 

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

The central problem of economics is to satisfy the people's and nation's wants.

The problem we faced with is that our resources, here identified as money are __50__. The only way we can solve the problem is to make choices. After looking at our resources, we must examine our list of __51__ and identify the things we need immediately, those we can postpone, and __52__ we cannot afford. As individuals, we face the central problem involved in economics---deciding how to allocate(分配) our limited resources to provide __53__ with greatest satisfaction of our wants.

Nations face the same problem. As a country's population __54__, the need for more goods and services grows correspondingly. Resources necessary to production may increase, but there are __55__ enough resources to satisfy the total desires of a nation. Whether the budget meeting is taking place in the family living room, in the conference room of the corporation __56__ of directors, or in the chamber of the House of Representatives in Washington, the basic problem still exists. We need to find __57__ of allocating（分配） limited resources in order to satisfy unlimited wants.

A short time ago, economists divided goods into two categories, free and economic. The former, like air and water, were in __58__ abundance(丰富) that economists had___59____ them. After all, economics is the __60__ of scarcity and what to do about it. Today many of these "free goods" are __61_ very expensive to use. Population has made clean air and water expensive for producers extra cost, and __62__ taxpayers who pay for the government's involvement in cleaning the environment.

In the 1990s, almost all goods are __63__. Only by effort and money can they be obtained .

Meeting needs of people and the demands from resource available __64__ the basic activity of production. In trying to meet unlimited wants from limited economic goods, production leads to new problems in economics.

50.A. limited    B. unlimited     C. scarcity       D. abundant

51.A. want       B. problem      C. wants          D. resources

52.A. those      B. some C. others         D. many

53.A. them       B. themselves C. ourselves    D. ours

54.A. expand   B. extends        C. grows          D. increase

55.A. always    B. sometimes          C. often D. never

56.A. management         B. function      C. board           D. group

57.A. people    B. economists C. way     D. methods

58.A. so   B. great   C. such    D. such an

59.A. much concern forB. no concern with     C. no concern for     D. much concern in

60.A. form        B. study C. means         D. source

61.A. possibly          B. in practice C. in fact          D. practically

62.A. from       B. at        C. for       D. with

63.A. plentiful          B. scarce         C. abundant    D. in full supply

64.A. are led to       B. leading to   C. lead to         D. leads to

 

Violin prodigies（神童）, I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists, the reason for this phenomenon. “It’s very clear, “he told me. “They were all Jews and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.

Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field and is able to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stern, “children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well.” The Koreans and Chinese, as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.

That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.

Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because ______.   

   A. it would allow them access to a better life in the West

   B. Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent

   C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional fields

   D. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country

Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that ______.

   A. enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence

   B. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development

   C. encourage people to compete with each other

   D. promise talented children high positions

Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to ______.

   A. all-rounded development                  B. the learning of Western music

   C. strict training of children                  D. variety in academic studies

Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?

   A. A natural gift.                    B. Extensive knowledge of music.

   C. Very early training.                D. A prejudice-free society.