4．In the third news the underlined part “Mercer HR” is　　　　 .

　　　 A．an office to set the prices of goods and services

　　　 B．a Russian company to release the prices of goods

　　　 C．a UK company to do some social surveys

　　　 D．a news agency

1-4 BDDC　

No. 8

This March is a busy month in Shanghai. There’s a lot to do. Here are the highlights.

Live Music – Late Night Jazz

Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player. He’s coming with his new 7 – piece band, Herbie’s Heroes. Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don’t expect to get much sleep. This is Herbie’s third visit to Shanghai. The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.

Scottish dancing

Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop. Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn. Instructors will demonstrate the dances. The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.

Exhibitions – Shanghai Museum

There are 120,000 pieces on show here. You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof. It’s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition. There are lots of mummies and more gold than you’ve ever seen before. Let us know if you see a mummy move!

Dining – Sushi chef in town

Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai. In Japan, it’s become an art form. The most famous Sushi ‘artist’ is Yuki Kamura. She’s also one of the few female chefs in Japan. She’ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.

For a full listing of events, see our website.

3．Moscow was the　　　　 most expensive city in 2005 in the world according to the news.

　　　 A．first　　　　　　　　　　 B．second　　　　　　　　 C．third　　　　　　　　　 D．fourth

2．What can we infer from the second news?

　　　 A．Africa is the worst place to be a mother.

　　　 B．Mothers in Sweden are the best.

　　　 C．The quality of children’s life is linked to their countries.

　　　 D．The poor health and education of mothers should be improved to improve the living quality of their children in many African nations.

1．The train trip from Xining to Lhasa will take you　　　　 hours and　　　　 yuan.

　　　 A．48; no more than 389　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．less than 48, ; less than 1262

　　　 C．less than 48, ;2540　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．more than 48; not more than 1262

4. The underlined phrase “are wary of” means “__________ ”.

　 A. are good at　　　　　 B. are in favour of　　　　 C. are afraid of　　　　　　 D. are aware of

1-4 CABC　

No. 7

Beijing: Qinghai – Tibet Railway was unfolded to the public on Monday. From July 1 the service will cost a minimum of 389 yuan(hard seat) and take about 48 hours from Beijing to Lhasa. A hard sleeper(bottom bed) will cost 813 yuan, and a soft sleeper(bottom bed)1,262 yuan. The fare for an air ticket is about 2,540 yuan. Trains will run to and from Lhasa in three directions: through Beijing, chengdu/Chongqing and Xining/Lanzhou

New York: The aid group Save the Children says that African nations south of the Sahara are among the worst places to be a mother. The group examined the quality of life for mothers in 110 countries. It found that Northern European nations such as Sweden were at the top of the list. Many African nations were at the bottom. The group said the study shows that the quality of children’s lives is linked to the health and education of their mothers.

UK: the world’s costliest(最昂贵的)city MOSCOW is this year’s most expensive city for big consumers in the world, a study released by British human resources firm Mercer HR suggests. Seoul was in second place, followed by Tokyo – which topped the list in 2005, when the Russian capital was in fourth position – then Hong Kong and London. The findings were based on prices for 200 goods and services, especially housing, transport, food, clothing and entertainment. In the 144 cities surveyed, Beijing and Shanghai ranked 14th and 20th.

3. Which of the following is NOT the reason for young people’s staying at home?

　 A. Strong family ties.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Father’s complaining.

　 C. Parents’ tolerance.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Good life with mother’s help.

2. According to this passage, economists think that __________.

　 A. job opportunities and housing prices are responsible for young people’s family dependence　

B. young people should be blamed for staying at home

　 C. staying at home causes an increase in housing prices

　 D. housing prices have risen 17 percent each year since 2000

1. The passage mainly tells us __________.

　 A. about some social problems caused by young people

　 B. that parents are to blame for their children’s staying at home

　 C. why young people are unwilling to leave their homes

　 D. young people’s dependence on their parents is common in European countries

4．The word “buzzword” (Paragraph1) means all of the following EXCEPT_________.

　　　 A．a word that cause a lot of trouble　　　　　

B．a word well-known

　　　 C．a word often used

D．a word people think very important

1-4 AACA

NO. 6

Around 55 per cent of people aged 18-34 in Spain still sleep in their parents’ homes, says the latest report from the country’s state-run Institute of Youth.

To persuade young people to leave their homes, the institute started a “Youth Independence” programme this month. The programme offers guidance in finding rooms and jobs.

Economists blame young people’s family dependence on the unstable labour market and increasing housing prices. Housing prices have risen 17 per cent a year since 2000.

Cultural reasons also contribute to the problem, say sociologists. Family ties in south Europe-Italy, Portugal and Greece-are stronger than those in middle and north Europe, said Spanish sociologist Almudena Minguez in her report “The Late Independence of Spanish Youth: Keys for Understanding”.

“In general, young people in Spain firmly believe in the family as the main body around which their private life is organized,” said Minguez. In Spain, especially in the countryside, it is not uncommon to find entire groups of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews all living on the same street. They regularly get together for Sunday dinner.

Parents’ tolerance is another reason. Spanish parents accept late-night partying and are wary of setting bedtime rules. “A child can arrive home at whatever time he wants. If parents complain he’ll put up a big fight and call the father a Fascist,” said Minguez.

Mothers’ willingness to do children’s household chores (杂务) worsens the problem. Dionisio Masso, a 60-year-old in Madrid, has three children in their 20s. The eldest, 28, has a girlfriend and a job. But life with mum is good. “His mum does the wash and cooks for him; in the end, he lives well,” Masso said.

3．According to your understanding, what will the writer think about “ecotourism” after this trip?

　　　 A．He thinks it as a brilliant idea.

　　　 B．He likes the swimming pool and the golf course.

　　　 C．He is disappointed and will have some doubts about it.

　　　 D．He will still strongly support “ecotourism”.