Britain and France are separated by the English Channel, a body of water that can be crossed in as few as 20 minutes. But the cultures of the two countries sometimes seem to be miles apart.

　　Last Thursday Britain and France celebrated the 100th anniversary(周年纪念) of the signing of a friendship agreement called the Entente Cordiality. The agreement—signed in London on April 8, 1904—marked a new beginning for the countries following centuries of wars and love-hate partnership.

　　But their relationship has been ups and downs over the past century. Just last year, there were fierce disagreements over the Iraq war—which British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported despite(不管, 尽管) French President Jacques Chirac speaking out against it. This discomfort is expressed in Blair and Chirac's body language at international meetings. While the French leader often greets German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a hug (拥抱), Blair just receives a handshake.

However, some political experts say the war in Iraq could in fact have helped ties. “The British population was against war, ” said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research(战略基金研究会). “So it could have actually helped bring the two sides closer. ”

　　The history of divisions(分割, 区分) may well be because of the very different ways in which the two sides see the world. “The French think Britain is not doing its best to become part of Europe by not introducing the single European currency(货币), ” said Geoff Hare, a former lecturer in French politics and language at Newcastle University in Britain. “France has spent the past 15 to 20 years making itself seen as part of the European Union. ”

　 But this doesn't stop 12 million Britons taking holidays in France each year. However,only 3 million French come in the opposite direction. Surveys show that most French people feel closer to the Germans than they do to the British. And the research carried out in Britain has found that only a third of the population believes the French can be trusted.Perhaps this bad feeling comes because the British dislike France's close relationship with Germany. Or because the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.

　　Whatever the answer is, as both sides celebrate 100 years of “doubtful friendship”, they are at least able to make jokes about each other. Here's one:What's the best thing about Britain's relationship with France? The English Channel.

1. For centuries, the relationship between England and France is______.

A. friendly

B. impolite

C. brotherly

D. a mixture of love and hate

2. The war in Iraq does ______ to the relationship between France and England.

A. good

B. harm

C. neither good nor harm

D. both good and harm

3. The British are not so friendly to ______ and the French are not so friendly to ______.

A. Germany;America

B. America;Germany

C. Germany;Germany too

D. America;America too

4. What does the last sentence mean?

A. As long as the English Channel exists, no further disagreement will form between France and Britain.

B. The English Channel can prevent anything unfriendly happening in both France and Britain.

C. France and Britain are near neighbors, and this will help balance the relationship between them.

D. The English Channel is the largest enemy between France and Britain.

5. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The British differ greatly from the French in culture, origin and custom.

B. The British and The French are against each other because of the very different ways in which they see the world.

C. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement mark-ed the mixture feeling of love and hatred over the last century between Britain and Franc-e.

D. The British dislike France's close relationship with Germany, while the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.     

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）

(A)

Fang Wei had planned to study in Britain for his master's degree,but had to keep putting it off. These days,however,Fang is quite happy about the delay since the exchange rate of the British pound against the RMB has been descending.

“The change means I can save a large sum of money for my studies.” said Fang. “I pay a lot of attention to the pound­to­RMB exchange rate every day now.” Last Tuesday the rate broke the 10­yuan mark for the first time since 2005.

So，what is an exchange rate？

This is the standard term for the comparison of two currencies and tells how much one currency is worth when measured by the other. For example,the pound­to­RMB exchange rate last Wednesday was 9.88，meaning that one pound was worth the same as 9.88 yuan.

But how could this affect our lives？

The exchange rate is important for anyone wanting to travel to or study in a foreign country.

A higher RMB value is good news for Chinese tourists and students. That's because any given amount of RMB can be exchanged for a larger amount of foreign money than with a lower RMB value. It therefore buys more abroad.

For example,according to Chinese agencies that handle study abroad,the cost for university study in Britain used to be around 20,000 pounds a year. At the beginning of 2008，when the pound­to­RMB exchange rate stood at 14,Chinese students had to have 280,000 yuan for a year. But now that the rate has fallen to less than 10 yuan，200,000 yuan is enough for a year in Britain.

However，the stronger yuan may be bad news for Chinese exporters. A rising RMB means that Chinese products are becoming expensive and less attractive on foreign markets.

56.Why did Fang Wei have to put off his study in Britain？

A. Because he didn't have enough money.

B. Because the exchange rate of the pound­to­RMB was too high.

C. Because he didn't get the letter from the university he had applied for.

D. The passage didn't tell us.

57.What's the meaning of the underlined word “descending” in Paragraph 1？

A. Turning down.              B. Putting off.

C. Falling down.                D. Going up.

58.If the pound­to­RMB exchange rate was 12, Fang Wei would have paid 240,000 yuan for a year's study. Now the rate is 9.6，how much can he save if he goes to study in Britain？

A.46,000 yuan.                  B.42,800 yuan.

C.192,000 yuan.                D.48,000 yuan.

59 .When RMB has a higher value in the currency exchange market，the following are right except that 　　　　.

A. it shows we have a strong economic potential

B. it indicates we have a stable political environment

C. it will help our export business

D. it is beneficial for Chinese students and travelers to foreign countries

Britain and France are separated by the English Channel, a body of water that can be crossed in as few as 20 minutes. But the cultures of the two countries sometimes seem to be miles apart.
　　Last Thursday Britain and France celebrated the 100th anniversary(周年纪念) of the signing of a friendship agreement called the Entente Cordiality. The agreement—signed in London on April 8, 1904—marked a new beginning for the countries following centuries of wars and love-hate partnership.
　　But their relationship has been ups and downs over the past century. Just last year, there were fierce disagreements over the Iraq war—which British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported despite(不管, 尽管) French President Jacques Chirac speaking out against it. This discomfort is expressed in Blair and Chirac's body language at international meetings. While the French leader often greets German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a hug (拥抱), Blair just receives a handshake.
However, some political experts say the war in Iraq could in fact have helped ties. “The British population was against war, ” said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research(战略基金研究会). “So it could have actually helped bring the two sides closer. ”
　　The history of divisions(分割, 区分) may well be because of the very different ways in which the two sides see the world. “The French think Britain is not doing its best to become part of Europe by not introducing the single European currency(货币), ” said Geoff Hare, a former lecturer in French politics and language at Newcastle University in Britain. “France has spent the past 15 to 20 years making itself seen as part of the European Union. ”
　 But this doesn't stop 12 million Britons taking holidays in France each year. However,only 3 million French come in the opposite direction. Surveys show that most French people feel closer to the Germans than they do to the British. And the research carried out in Britain has found that only a third of the population believes the French can be trusted.Perhaps this bad feeling comes because the British dislike France's close relationship with Germany. Or because the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.
　　Whatever the answer is, as both sides celebrate 100 years of “doubtful friendship”, they are at least able to make jokes about each other. Here's one:What's the best thing about Britain's relationship with France? The English Channel.
1. For centuries, the relationship between England and France is______.
A. friendly
B. impolite
C. brotherly
D. a mixture of love and hate
2. The war in Iraq does ______ to the relationship between France and England.
A. good
B. harm
C. neither good nor harm
D. both good and harm
3. The British are not so friendly to ______ and the French are not so friendly to ______.
A. Germany;America
B. America;Germany
C. Germany;Germany too
D. America;America too
4. What does the last sentence mean?
A. As long as the English Channel exists, no further disagreement will form between France and Britain.
B. The English Channel can prevent anything unfriendly happening in both France and Britain.
C. France and Britain are near neighbors, and this will help balance the relationship between them.
D. The English Channel is the largest enemy between France and Britain.
5. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The British differ greatly from the French in culture, origin and custom.
B. The British and The French are against each other because of the very different ways in which they see the world.
C. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement mark-ed the mixture feeling of love and hatred over the last century between Britain and Franc-e.
D. The British dislike France's close relationship with Germany, while the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.     

Britain and France are separated by the English Channel, a body of water that can be crossed in as few as 20 minutes. But the cultures of the two countries sometimes seem to be miles apart.

　　Last Thursday Britain and France celebrated the 100th anniversary(周年纪念) of the signing of a friendship agreement called the Entente Cordiality. The agreement—signed in London on April 8, 1904—marked a new beginning for the countries following centuries of wars and love-hate partnership.

　　But their relationship has been ups and downs over the past century. Just last year, there were fierce disagreements over the Iraq war—which British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported despite(不管, 尽管) French President Jacques Chirac speaking out against it. This discomfort is expressed in Blair and Chirac's body language at international meetings. While the French leader often greets German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a hug (拥抱), Blair just receives a handshake.

However, some political experts say the war in Iraq could in fact have helped ties. “The British population was against war, ” said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research(战略基金研究会). “So it could have actually helped bring the two sides closer. ”

　　The history of divisions(分割, 区分) may well be because of the very different ways in which the two sides see the world. “The French think Britain is not doing its best to become part of Europe by not introducing the single European currency(货币), ” said Geoff Hare, a former lecturer in French politics and language at Newcastle University in Britain. “France has spent the past 15 to 20 years making itself seen as part of the European Union. ”

　 But this doesn't stop 12 million Britons taking holidays in France each year. However,only 3 million French come in the opposite direction. Surveys show that most French people feel closer to the Germans than they do to the British. And the research carried out in Britain has found that only a third of the population believes the French can be trusted.Perhaps this bad feeling comes because the British dislike France's close relationship with Germany. Or because the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.

　　Whatever the answer is, as both sides celebrate 100 years of “doubtful friendship”, they are at least able to make jokes about each other. Here's one:What's the best thing about Britain's relationship with France? The English Channel.

1. For centuries, the relationship between England and France is______.

A. friendly

B. impolite

C. brotherly

D. a mixture of love and hate

2. The war in Iraq does ______ to the relationship between France and England.

A. good

B. harm

C. neither good nor harm

D. both good and harm

3. The British are not so friendly to ______ and the French are not so friendly to ______.

A. Germany;America

B. America;Germany

C. Germany;Germany too

D. America;America too

4. What does the last sentence mean?

A. As long as the English Channel exists, no further disagreement will form between France and Britain.

B. The English Channel can prevent anything unfriendly happening in both France and Britain.

C. France and Britain are near neighbors, and this will help balance the relationship between them.

D. The English Channel is the largest enemy between France and Britain.

5. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The British differ greatly from the French in culture, origin and custom.

B. The British and The French are against each other because of the very different ways in which they see the world.

C. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement mark-ed the mixture feeling of love and hatred over the last century between Britain and Franc-e.

D. The British dislike France's close relationship with Germany, while the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.     

第三部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）

(A)

Fang Wei had planned to study in Britain for his master's degree,but had to keep putting it off. These days,however,Fang is quite happy about the delay since the exchange rate of the British pound against the RMB has been descending.

“The change means I can save a large sum of money for my studies.” said Fang. “I pay a lot of attention to the pound??to??RMB exchange rate every day now.” Last Tuesday the rate broke the 10??yuan mark for the first time since 2005.

So，what is an exchange rate？

This is the standard term for the comparison of two currencies and tells how much one currency is worth when measured by the other. For example,the pound??to??RMB exchange rate last Wednesday was 9.88，meaning that one pound was worth the same as 9.88 yuan.

But how could this affect our lives？

The exchange rate is important for anyone wanting to travel to or study in a foreign country.

A higher RMB value is good news for Chinese tourists and students. That's because any given amount of RMB can be exchanged for a larger amount of foreign money than with a lower RMB value. It therefore buys more abroad.

For example,according to Chinese agencies that handle study abroad,the cost for university study in Britain used to be around 20,000 pounds a year. At the beginning of 2008，when the pound??to??RMB exchange rate stood at 14,Chinese students had to have 280,000 yuan for a year. But now that the rate has fallen to less than 10 yuan，200,000 yuan is enough for a year in Britain.

However，the stronger yuan may be bad news for Chinese exporters. A rising RMB means that Chinese products are becoming expensive and less attractive on foreign markets.

56.Why did Fang Wei have to put off his study in Britain？

A. Because he didn't have enough money.

B. Because the exchange rate of the pound??to??RMB was too high.

C. Because he didn't get the letter from the university he had applied for.

D. The passage didn't tell us.

57.What's the meaning of the underlined word “descending” in Paragraph 1？

A. Turning down.               B. Putting off.

C. Falling down.                 D. Going up.

58.If the pound??to??RMB exchange rate was 12, Fang Wei would have paid 240,000 yuan for a year's study. Now the rate is 9.6，how much can he save if he goes to study in Britain？

A.46,000 yuan.                   B.42,800 yuan.

C.192,000 yuan.                 D.48,000 yuan.

59 .When RMB has a higher value in the currency exchange market，the following are right except that 　　　　.

A. it shows we have a strong economic potential

B. it indicates we have a stable political environment

C. it will help our export business

D. it is beneficial for Chinese students and travelers to foreign countries