Now，perhaps，more than ever before，people are wondering what life is all about，and what it is for.Seeking material success is beginning to　26　large numbers of people around the world.They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is　27　up their lives，leaving them very little   28   or energy for family or hobbies.Many are turning to   29 　ways of living and downshifting is one of them.

Six percent of the workers in Britain took the decision to　30　last year.One couple who downshifted are Daniel and Liz.They　31　to work in central London.He was a newspaper reporter and she worked for an international bank.They　32　go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs，　33　their two children with a nanny.Nearly twice a month Daniel had to　34　New York for meetings.They both earned a large amount of  money　35　began to feel that life was passing them by.

Nowadays，they run　36　in the mountains of Wales.“I always wanted to have one here，”says Daniel，“and we took almost a year to　37　to downshift.It’s taken some time getting used to，but it’s been　38　it.We have to think　39　now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any　40　.However，I think it’s made us stronger as a family，and the children are a lot　41　.”

Liz，however，is not quite sure.“I used to enjoy my job，　 42　it was hard work and long hours.I’m not really a country girl，but I suppose I’m　43　getting used to looking after the animals.One thing I do　44　，though，is being able to see more of my children.My advice for other people wanting to do the　45　is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.”

26.A.trouble                 B.attract                       C.encourage                  D.frighten

27.A.putting                 B.looking                            C.building                    D.eating

28.A.money                  B.material                    C.spirit                         D.time

29.A.other                    B.simple                       C.free                          D.many

30.A.retire                    B.downshift                  C.rest                           D.travel

31.A.wanted                 B.liked                         C.used                          D.planned

32.A.should                  B.would                       C.might                        D.could

33.A.keeping                B.sending                     C.letting                       D.leaving

34.A.fly                       B.walk                         C.move                        D.run

35.A.and                      B.so                             C.but                           D.however

36.A.company                     B.farm                         C.house                        D.school

37.A.discuss                 B.study                        C.have                         D.make

38.A.worthy                 B.worth                        C.worthless                   D.worthwhile

39.A.once                     B.twice                        C.hardly                       D.worriedly

40.A.money                  B.holidays                    C.friends                      D.difficulties

41.A.more bored          B.more worried             C.happier                            D.cleverer

42.A.even though          B.when                        C.as if                          D.unless

43.A.directly                B.particularly                C.especially                  D.gradually

44.A.doubt                   B.admire                      C.like                           D.admit

45.A.job                       B.research                    C.experiment                D.same

________is no doubt that the Dallas Mavericks will defeat the Washington Wizards in the next game?

　　A. It　　　　　 B. As　　　　　　C. That　　　　　D. There

Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises. Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can’t be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation（模仿）leads on to deliberate（有意的）imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech. It is a problem we need to get out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world .Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

. Before children start speaking，what is greatly different?________.

A. the amount of listening     

B. a number of listening

C. the sound of listening

D. the meaning of listening

starters are often long listeners, the sentence means one can ________.

A. be hard to speak fluently

B. begin to speak quickly

C. start with listening

D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

these can not be said to show a baby’s intention to speak, these refer to  ________.

A. pain　　  B. happiness  C. Kindness   D. above of all

according to the writer, we can draw a conclusion that  ________.

A. children are fond of imitating

B. these imitation can be considered as speech

C. children get more experience of the world

D. children’s use  of  words are often meaningless

When a child is six months, he can  ________.

A. call his mama

B. imitate many languages

C. store new words

D. play with sounds

五、Cloze test(完形填空)20分
When Dave was eighteen,he bought a second-hand car for ￡200 so that he could travel to and from work more 　1　 than by bus.It worked quite well for a few years,but then it got so old,and it was costing him 　2　 much in repairs that he decided that he had better 　3　 it.
He asked among his friends to see if anyone was particularly 　4  to buy a cheap car,but they all knew that it was falling to pieces,so  5  of them had any desire to buy it.
Dave's friend Sam saw that he was  6  when they met one evening,and said,“What's  7 ,Dave?” Dave told him and Sam answered,“Well,what about advertising it in the paper? You may   8  more for it that way than the cost of the advertisement!” Thinking that Sam's   9  was sensible,he put an advertisement in an evening paper,which read:“For sale:small car,  10  very little petrol,only two owners.Bargain at ￡50.”
For two days after the advertisement first appeared,there was no   11 .But then on Saturday evening a man rang up and said he would like to  12  him about the car.“All right,” Dave said,feeling happy.He asked the man whether ten o'clock the next morning would be   13  or not.“Fine,” the man said.“And I'll  14  my wife.We intend to go for a ride in it to   15  it.”
The next morning,at ten quarter,Dave parked the car in the square outside his front door,  16  to wait there for the person who had   17  his advertisement.Even Dave had to   18  that the car really looked like a wreck.Then soon after he had got the car as   19  as it could be,a police car stopped just behind him and a policeman got out.He looked at Dave's car and then said,“Have you reported this   20  to us yet,sir?”
1.A.directly           B.safely                 C.properly                    D.easily
2.A.so                          B.such                          C.very                          D.too
3.A.keep               B.repair                 C.sell                           D.throw
4.A.anxious                  B.lucky                        C.ashamed                    D.generous
5.A.some               B.neither               C.none                         D.no one
6.A.calm               B.upset                         C.delighted                   D.astonished
7.A.no                         B.up                            C.it                       D.that
8.A.learn               B.miss                          C.get                            D.find
9.A.message                 B.advice                C.request               D.description
10.A.uses                     B.loses                         C.has                           D.spends
11.A.doubt                   B.help                          C.trouble               D.answer
12.A.tell                B.see                            C.agree                        D.call
13.A.exact                    B.suitable                     C.early                         D.late
14.A.follow                  B.meet                         C.bring                        D.introduce   
15.A.test               B.obtain                C.admire               D.recognize
16.A.failing           B.meaning                    C.turning               D.happening
17.A.read                     B.placed                C.answered                   D.understood
18.A.forget                   B.show                         C.disagree                    D.admit
19.A.clean                    B.crowded                    C.fast                           D.light
20.A.bargain          B.sale                           C.accident                    D.result

This play, ______, is very wonderful: there are many interesting characters in it.

   A. out of the question　　　　　　　    B. on the whole

   C. in doubt　　　　　　　　　　　           D. under no condition