C

On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African Lady has found herself sitting next to a black man. She called a stewardess (女乘务员) over to complain about her seating.

“What seems to be the problem, Madam?” asked the stewardess. “Can’t you see?” she said, “You’ve sat me next to a kafir（异教徒）. I can’t possibly sit next to this disgusting man. Find me another seat!” “Please calm down, Madam,” the stewardess replied. “The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do — I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class.”

The woman cocked a snooty look at the black man beside her.

A few minutes later the stewardess returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who could not help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin. “Madam, unfortunately, as I suspected, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”

Before the lady had a chance to answer, the stewardess continued, “It is the most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it was outrageous（令人不能容忍的） that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious（讨厌的） person.” Having said that, the stewardess turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, “So if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you.”

At that point, the surrounding passengers stood up and gave an ovation（喝彩） while the black man walked up to the front of the plane.

64. Why did the middle-aged lady complain about her seating?

A. Because her seat was not near a window.

B. Because she sat next to a black man.

C. Because she wanted to have a seat in first class.

D. Because the stewardess didn’t answer her question.

65. The underlined words “an obnoxious person” in Paragraph 5 refers to “__________”.

A. the middle-aged lady               B. the black man

C. the stewardess                          D. the captain

66. From the passage we can infer that _________.

A. the middle-aged lady got a seat in first class

B. both the middle-aged lady and the black man got seats in first class

C. neither the middle-aged lady nor the black man got a seat in first class

D. the black man got a seat in first class

67. What can we conclude from the passage?

A. The white people always prefer seats in first class on a plane.

B. More and more passengers travel by plane.

C. The black people are still looked down upon by some whites.

D. Only whites are served well on a plane.

                                   C

On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African Lady has found herself sitting next to a black man. She called a stewardess (女乘务员) over to complain about her seating.

“What seems to be the problem, Madam?” asked the stewardess. “Can’t you see?” she said, “You’ve sat me next to a kafir（异教徒）. I can’t possibly sit next to this disgusting man. Find me another seat!” “Please calm down, Madam,” the stewardess replied. “The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do — I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class.”

The woman cocked a snooty look at the black man beside her.

A few minutes later the stewardess returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who could not help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin. “Madam, unfortunately, as I suspected, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”

Before the lady had a chance to answer, the stewardess continued, “It is the most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it was outrageous（令人不能容忍的） that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious（讨厌的） person.” Having said that, the stewardess turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, “So if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you.”

At that point, the surrounding passengers stood up and gave an ovation（喝彩） while the black man walked up to the front of the plane.

64. Why did the middle-aged lady complain about her seating?

A. Because her seat was not near a window.

B. Because she sat next to a black man.

C. Because she wanted to have a seat in first class.

D. Because the stewardess didn’t answer her question.

65. The underlined words “an obnoxious person” in Paragraph 5 refers to “__________”.

A. the middle-aged lady                B. the black man

C. the stewardess                           D. the captain

66. From the passage we can infer that _________.

A. the middle-aged lady got a seat in first class

B. both the middle-aged lady and the black man got seats in first class

C. neither the middle-aged lady nor the black man got a seat in first class

D. the black man got a seat in first class

67. What can we conclude from the passage?

A. The white people always prefer seats in first class on a plane.

B. More and more passengers travel by plane.

C. The black people are still looked down upon by some whites.

D. Only whites are served well on a plane.

●A 78-year-old grandmother whose education was cut short by the second world war celebrated an A-level with her 50-year-old daughter. Betty Allen and daughter Chris Branton of Sprotbrough, South Yorkshire, opened their results together on TV after completing the UK's only online English A-level course. Mrs Allen received a D and Ms Branton a C

●Actor Holly Grainger, 18, from East Didsbury, Manchester, achieved two As and two Bs. She is a regular face on television screens with roles in Terry Pratchett's Johnny and the Bomb and new legal drama New Street Law. She learned yesterday that she had landed a main part in a new school drama called Waterloo Road

●A teenage hockey star who hopes to play for England in the 2012 Olympic Games won three A-grades. Will Miles, 18, from Formby, Merseyside, who attends Merchant Taylors' school in Crosby, plans to study maths at Manchester University 

● Andrew Nowell, a student at Nottingham high school, got five grade As, including one of the top five marks in the country for his design and technology paper. He won the Young Engineers for Britain contest this year with an invention he produced for his Design and Technology A-Level - a "remote control and security interface system". He is off to Cambridge to study engineering .

● Jed McQueen Jones got A grades in chemistry, maths and physics, despite being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2003 and being hospital for three months. Jed, a pupil at Richard Huish College in Taunton, restarted A-levels in September 2004 and continued chemotherapy(化疗)into that Christmas. He is going to Exeter University on a science scholarship to study physics.

1. How did Betty Allen learn English and complete the course?

   A. On TV     B. On the Internet      C. By herself    D. Through her daughter

2. The underlined word “landed” in Paragraph Two means_______.

   A. moved down   B. arrive at   C. catch up     D. got successfully

3. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?

   A. She and her daughter were invited to appear online to celebrate.

   B. Her daughter did worse than her in the English A-level course.

   C. They completed the English A-level course on the internet.

   D. Betty Allen’s education was stopped by the Second World War.

4. What really made Andrew Nowell prouder and more successful?

   A. getting five grade As.

   B. an invention.

   C. his study on engineering

   D. His job as an engineer

5. The best title of the passage is probably_________

   A. Super students and their achievements

   B. Super gifts account for great achievements

   C. Hard work results in success

   D. Star pupils and super students

A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure（闲暇）. As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.

The figures support the western prejudice（偏见） that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.

But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised（隐性的） pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.

The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that           .

    A．the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people

    B．the government needs to get more goods from abroad

    C．the Japanese have been working too hard

    D．the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice

The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is           .

    A．the small companies          B．the industrialists

    C．the unions                   D．the younger generation

The unions think that           .

    A．the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get

    B．the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy

    C．the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have

    D．the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be

The best title for this passage can be           .

    A．Oh no! Not Saturday Again!   B．Leisure: the Greatest Threat!

    C．Enjoy While You are Young!   D．Less Work and More Play!

In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop. They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take. About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along. They prepared to get on. Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted insulting remarks about the foreigners. The bus conductor   came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus.

Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to ensure a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, you might see a man apparently（显然地）shaking his head at another and assume (认为) that he is disagreeing. But in many parts of India a rotating (旋转) movement of the head is a gesture that express agreement or acceptance. Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty. In that country you shake your head to express “yes” — a nod means “no”.

In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting talking to someone, even at an important meeting. Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand, however, could cause offence (冒犯). It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion. Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult — it’s just not done.

Attitudes to women vary considerably（相当地）around the world. In Japan, for example, it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home.

Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are travelling, but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality (礼节).

The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed because __________________.

   A. they didn’t know the English language        B. someone called their names

   C. they didn’t know the custom of lining up for a bus

   D. they knocked someone down while getting on the bus

According to the passage, which attitude to women is usual in Japan?

   A. Men always go to parties with women.  

B. Men plan evening entertainments for their wives.

   C. Men and women have equal rights to go to parties.

   D. Men plan evening entertainments for themselves, while their wives stay home.

What’s the meaning of the underlined word “insulting” in Para. 1 ?

   A. 善意的           B. 咨询的            C. 商量的         D. 无礼的