52. The underlined word “flocked” probably means __________.

   A. flew a long way                               B. rushed hurriedly

   C. drove long distances                         D. came in large numbers

51. How can you understand "fish scientists are now lending Thorrold their ears"?

   A. They want to know where they can find fish ears.

   B. They lend their fish to Thorrold for chemical studies.

   C. They are very interested in Thorrold's research findings.

   D. They wonder if Thorrold can find growth rings from their ears.

C

   LONDON ― A morning’s train rides away, across the Channel, English kids talk about Liverpool’s soccer team in a Paris pub.

   Some Parisians have even started to go to work in London.

   In the 19^th century, Charles Dickens compared the two great rival cities, London and Paris, in “A Tale of Two Cities (双城记).” These days, it might be A Tale of One City.

   These days Parisians probably smile in sympathy at a visitor’s broken French and reply in polite English.

   As it became harder to find jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the Channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.

   Paris, rich in beauty, is more attractive. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.

   “For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a banker.

   Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.

   There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.

   In fact, London and Paris, with their obvious new similarities, are beyond the old descriptions. As the European Union gave them more and more freedom, Londoners flocked into Paris to shop, eat and buy houses.

   “Both cities have changed beyond recognition.” said Larry Collins, a writer and sometimes a Londoner.

   Like most people who know both well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably.

   “I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s, and it is still a wonderful place,” Collins said.

   “But if I had to choose, it would be London. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”

   But certainly not cheaper.

   In fancy (high price) parts of London, the fee paid for an accommodation can be twice that on Avenue Foch in Paris.

   Deciding between London and Paris asks for a lifestyle choice.

   Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose.

   “I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is so structured,” she said. “In London, you can be who you want. No one cares.” 

50. Why is it important to study the chemistry elements of otolith rings?

   A. The elements of the otoliths can tell the history of the sea.

   B. Chemical elements of the otoliths can tell how fast fish can swim.

   C. We can know more about fish and their living environment.

   D. Scientists can know exactly how old a fish is.

49. Why does the writer compare the fish to trees?

   A. Trees get a growth ring each day.                    B. Trees also have otoliths.

   C. Their growth rings are very small.            D. They both have growth rings.

   Fish have ears. Really. They're quite small and have no opening to the outside world carrying sound through the body.  For the past seven years, Simon Thorrold, a university professor, has been examining fish ears, small round ear bones called otoliths（耳石）.

   As fish grow, so do their otoliths.  Each day, their otoliths get a ring of calcium carbonate (碳酸钙). By looking through a microscope and counting these rings, Thorrold can tell the exact age of a young fish. As a fish gets older, its otoliths no longer get daily rings. Instead, they get yearly rings, which can also be counted, giving information about the fish's age, just like the growth rings of a tree.

   Ring counting is nothing new to fish scientists. But Thorrold has turned to a new field. They're examining the chemical elements (元素) of each otolith ring.

   The daily ring gives us the time, but chemistry tells us about the environment in which the fish swam on any given day. These elements tell us about the chemistry of the water that the fish was in. It also says something about water temperature, which decides how much of these elements will get together within each otolith ring.

   Thorrold can tell, for example, if a fish spent time in the open ocean before entering the less salty water of coastal areas. He can basically tell where fish are spending their time at any given stage of history.

   The Atlantic croaker is a popular saltwater food fish. Thorrold and his assistant have successfully followed the traveling of young fish from mid-ocean to the coast, a journey of many hundreds of miles. Of course, this is important to managers in the fish industry because they know nearly nothing about the whereabouts (行踪) of the young fish for most food fish in the ocean. Eager to learn about his technology, fish scientists are now lending Thorrold their ears.

48. This passage is probably taken from         .

   A. a travel guide                                  B. a Chinese newspaper

   C. a Chinese report                               D. a magazine on shopping

B

47. Which of the following is Not true?

   A. The working days in China are from Monday through Friday.

   B. People in office usually work 9 hours a day, 5 days a week.

   C. Many shop assistants can speak English with foreigners.

   D. Tourists can exchange foreign currency in many shopping centers.

46. In December, people may go shopping at            .

   A. 9:00 a.m.      B. 7:30 p.m. C. 10:00 p.m.          D. 8:30 a.m.

45. If you want to know the time, you can call         .

   A. 113          B. 114                   C. 117                   D. 119

2. The tourist stores are the most popular place for shopping in China.

Work & Rest

The working days in China are from Monday through Friday. Most people do not work on Saturdays or Sundays. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with one hour for lunch.