It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial (商業(yè)的) world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (學(xué)術(shù)界) outweigh any financial (金錢的) considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70％cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects (前景) of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.
The influence of a salary cut is probably less serious for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a medicine company before returning to university as a post doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual chances.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more important, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the change to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential (潛力) in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”
小題1:By “a one-way street” in Paragraph 1, the author means ______.

A．university researchers know little about the commercial world

B．few university professors are willing to do industrial research

C．few industrial scientists would leave to work in a university

D．there is little exchange between industry and academia

小題2:The underlined word “deterrent” most probably refers to “something that ______”.

A．helps to move the traffic	B．a(chǎn)ttracts people’s attention
C．brings someone a financial burden	D．keeps someone from taking action

小題3:What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?

A．Less work hours.

B．More freedom to choose research fields.

C．Better prospects of a commercial return.

D．Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.

小題4:What can industrial scientists do when they come to teach in a university?

A．Make its research more practical.

B．Develop its students’ potential in research.

C．Help it to obtain financial support from industry.

D．Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market.

He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental（精神的）illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But after his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of
the leading artists of all time.
　　Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 “The van Gogh Year”in his honor. And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary（周年紀(jì)念）with exhibitions throughout the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a pastor（牧師）. He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery（畫廊）salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes（筆畫）.“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly,” he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888.
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on the support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His portrait of Dr. Gacher sold for $89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. “I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colors in them are attractive to people,” said a Van Gogh’s fan.
小題1:All through his life, Van Gogh __________.

A．depended on his brother	B．worked hard on art studies
C．was not recognized by people	D．expressed himself in paintings

小題2: Van Gogh killed himself because of ___________.

A．the poor life	B．his illness
C．his pain from left ear	D．the objections from the artists of his time

小題3: One of the characteristics of Van Gogh’s paintings is ______________.

A．the likeness between his paintings and the reality

B．the short time for him to complete a painting

C．the various styles mixed together

D．the special strokes he made

小題4: The selling of his paintings is considered to be the most successful because ________.

A．more and more people like his paintings

B．people can understand him through his paintings

C．1.3 million people visit his painting museum every year

D．Zundert has made 2003 “The Van Gogh Year” in his honor

小題5: We can infer from the passage that _______.

A．his powerful art came from his poor life

B．his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly

C．a(chǎn)ll his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life

D．most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown

The Elysee Palace in France enjoys equal popularity in the world with the Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the Kremlin in Russia as well as the White House in the U. S. It is the residence of the president of the French Republic and the symbol of the supreme authority in France.
The Elysee palace, with an area of 11,000 square metres, is at the eastern end of the Champs Elysee in the city of Paris proper and backed by a large and peaceful garden of more than twenty thousand square metres. Its main building, quite handsome and graceful, is a two-story classical stone architecture of European style, and beside it are two side buildings facing each other and with an extensive rectangular courtyard in the middle. There are altogether 369 halls and rooms of different sizes.
The Elysee Palace, built in 1718, has a ling history of close to300 years to date. This house was at first a private residence of a count named d’Evreau, so it was called Hotel d’Evreau. It had later gone through many changes and its owners had been changed for many times, but all the residents in it were distinguished persons and high officials. The house was renamed Bonaparte Mansion when it was owned by Louis X V and Louis X VI successively when they acted as emperors. Napoleon I signed his act of abdication here when he had suffered defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Nopoleon III moved in the   Mansion in 1848 when he was elected president, and the house became a Royal Palace when he declared himself as emperor. The Third French Republic issued a decree in 1873, appointing officially the Elysee Palace as the residence president of the French Republic. Over the hundred years since then, almost all the president of the French Republic worked and lived there. Starting from 1989, the Elysee Palace is open to the public every year in September on the French Castles Day.
小題1:The number of the buildings of the Elysee Palace is ______.

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

小題2: Why does the writer mention the Buckingham Palace?

A．To tell us it’s very famous in the world

B．To tell us the Elysee Palace is as large as it.

C．To show that the Elysee Palace is also a symbolic building.

D．To show that it is also the living place of the president.

小題3:What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us the long history of the Elyseee Palace.

B．To make an introduction of the Elysee Palace.

C．To show the political importance of the Elysee Palace.

D．To explain how the Elysee Palace became the residence of presidents.

小題4: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．The time when the Elyusee Palace is open to the public.

B．The reason why Napoleon I signed his act of abdication.

C．The time when the Elysee Palace became the residence of president of the French Republic.

D．The reason why there’s the French Castles Day.

English is the native or official language of one-fifth of the land area of the world. It is spoken in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In South Africa and India it is one of the official languages.
More people study English than any other language. In many countries, the textbooks in universities are in English. Many university classes are taught in English even though the native language is not English.
English is the language of international communication. It is the language of international business, research, and science. More than three-fourths of the world’s mail is written in English. More than half of the scientific research journals are in English. Most other languages have borrowed many English words.
Why did English become the international language? In the middle of the nineteenth century, French was the international language. The Britain became very powerful in the world. England started colonies in North America and India in the seventeenth century. By 1900 England also had colonies in other parts of Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. The people in the colonies had to use English. Slowly it became more important than French internationally. After the Second World War, the United States became very powerful, and even more people began to learn English.
Is English a good international language? It has more words than any other language. The grammar is simpler than in other major languages. However, English spelling is difficult. Foreigners all have trouble spelling English. So do native speakers!
Since 1880, people have invented over fifty artificial (not natural) languages. No one speaks them as a native language. However, none of them has ever become popular. Some people don’t want to study English, but it is the international language. There is no way to change that now.
小題1:English is the native language of ______.

A．South Africa

B．Australia

C．All of Canada

D．Malaysia

小題2:England started a colony in India in the ______.

A．1600s

B．1800s

C．1700s

D．1900s

小題3:Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text?

A．The English grammar is simple in general.

B．It has a good vocabulary.

C．Its pronunciation sounds pleasant.

D．It is difficult to spell correctly.

小題4:The author concludes that____.

A．it is necessary to invent a new language.

B．English is the international language whether you like it or not

C．English is much better than other languages

D．English should be spoken all over the world

Italian Lakes and Greek Islands(12days)
Prices starting from$1999
Your tour begins in Milan, Italy, and moves on to the pretty Italian Lake District and the attractive resort（勝地） of Stresa, your home for two nights. Collette Vacations has carefully chosen the Costa Victoria as your home away from home for your 7-night journey along the waterways of the Mediterranean. The cruise ship is filled with the warmth and culture of Italy and is richly designed with entertainment（娛樂） areas and very good living conditions. It will take you to the places of your dreams.
You’ll spend 4 days touring Greek cities you’ve always heard about. In Katakolon, you will have the only unguided tour to nearby Olympia on the whole journey. Then with a local guide you will visit the Greek islands of Santorini, which is often related to the story of the lost city Atlantis, and Mykonos, a wonderful island with beautiful beaches.
Your journey ends in Verona, home of the love story Romeo and Juliet, with a fun-filled farewell dinner--- a perfect ending to a pleasant journey.
12Days, 25 Meals, 10 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 9Dinners
Day 1      Overnight fight to Italy
Day 2-3    Regina Palace, Stresa, Italy
Day4—10  Costa Victoria (Costa  cruises)
Day11     Hotel Leopardi, Verona, Italy
Day12     Leave for home
Please Note

Leaving date	Price for one person
April 7	$ 2 099
June 2	$ 2 199
October 6	$ 2 099
November 3	$ 1 999

小題1:How is the journey planned?

A．It starts and ends in Italy.

B．It starts and ends in Greece.

C．It starts in Italy and ends in Greece.

D．It starts in Greece and ends in Italy.

小題2:What can be inferred from the travel plan?

A．The price may get lower than those in the plan.

B．The price include three meals a day.

C．The price is the highest in summer.

D．The prices include entertainment service.

小題3:What does the underlined part “the Costa Victoria” most probably refer to?

A．A famous hotel.	B．A beautiful resort.
C．A comfortable ship.	D．A long-distant bus.

小題4:Tourists will travel on their own in _____.

A．Stresa

B．Olympia

C．Mykonos

D．Verona

A trip with your family and friends to Disney World can be one of the best vacations of your life. When you decide to travel to this destination, you can be sure in the knowledge that you are going to have a great time.
Many travelers may be worried about the exorbitant amount of money that one has to pay for a comfortable and fun trip to Disney World. We all want to give our family and children the best time since it may only be a once in a lifetime vacation. However it would not be wise to end up in debt over a week-long stay in Disney World. A few handy tips and a little planning can make a lot of difference and can reduce some of your financial (經(jīng)濟(jì)上的) worries.
You need to start planning for a vacation to Disney World well in advance. The first step is deciding what time of year you wish to visit it. The peak seasons of the year will be costly for the accommodations (膳宿) whether you are staying within or outside the theme park. Staying outside the resort is a choice that may save you a large amount of money if you plan to stay for a week or two. Also, there are plenty of budget (價(jià)格低廉的) hotels outside Disney World that offer cheap and pleasant accommodations with shuttle services. Another money saving tip is to buy food ahead of time. If you have most of your meals at your hotel or at cheaper restaurants, it will save you a lot of money. You can try not to buy food in and around Disney World. Carrying food and beverages and enough cold water would help you reduce the cost, too.
小題1:The first paragraph mainly tells us that ______.

A．a(chǎn) trip to Disney World must be the best vacation of your life

B．you are sure to have a good time by visiting Disney World

C．when you decide to travel to Disney World, you should bring your family and friends with you

D．you can get rich knowledge during your travel to Disney World

小題2:The underlined word “exorbitant” in Paragraph 2 probably means “______”.

A．too low	B．too high
C．too expensive	D．too small

小題3:Why do you need to start planning for a vacation to Disney World well in advance?

A．You can get more information about Disney World ahead of time.

B．You can make it more economical to travel to Disney World.

C．You can spend longer time traveling in Disney World.

D．You can receive a warm welcome in Disney World.

小題4:How can you save money if you visit Disney World according to the passage?

A．By going there in the peak seasons.

B．By staying outside the resort for a week or two.

C．By buying food ahead of time in Disney World.

D．By carrying enough food and drinks.

Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her.   Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk (民間) music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys (牛仔) who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
小題1:Which of the following is talked in this passages?

A．pop music, folk music

B．popular, folk and country music

C．pop music and western music

D．folk, pop and classical music

小題2:When pop singers _________ , they will become national stars.

A．make much money

B．make a CD or tape

C．a(chǎn)re loved by all the young people

D．a(chǎn)re wanted to sing on the radio

小題3:From the passage we know that country music is about the ________.

A．common life of Americans

B．country life and love stories

C．life of cowboys

D．school life in America

小題4:What would be the best title (標(biāo)題) for this passage？

A．American Music	B．Popular Music
C．History of Music	D．Western Music

Sport is very popular in England. In other words lots of English people like the idea of sport． A lot watch sport on TV． But the number who take part in（參加）sport is quite small． On the whole English people prefer to be fat rather than thin．
The most popular sport in England is football． Football is played on Saturday afternoon in most towns and the supporters（球迷）of a certain team will travel from one end of the country to the other to see their team play． There are four divisions（級別）of the football league．Not surprisingly the best teams are in the first division． But the best supporters are often in the fourth division． You have to be a good supporter to watch the fourth division football!
Many other sports are also played in England, such as golf, in which you try to knock a ball into a hole; basketball, in which you try to got a ball through a net（籃筐）; tennis, in which you try to hit a ball so that your opponent（對手）can not hit it． As you see, if the ball had not been invented, there would have been no sport．
　　Actually（其實(shí)）, that is not quite true． Athletics（田徑）isn’t played with a ball; nor horseracing（賽馬）． Perhaps that is why they are not so popular as football!
小題1:________ is the most popular sport in England．

A．Basketball

B．Football

C．Golf

D．Tennis

小題2:You have to be a good supporter to watch ______division football．

A．the first

B．the second

C．the third

D．the fourth

小題3:Why do many English people not take part in sport?

A．They are too busy．

B．They like watching sport on TV．

C．They would like to be fat．

D．They prefer to be thin．

小題4:Why are English people interested in sport?

A．They have their football team．

B．The sport games are played on Saturday afternoon．

C．They like the idea of sport．

D．They like the famous players．

News that Microsoft was making a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo was greeted with heated discussion by many Internet users on Friday. Here are some responses:
Mark Galeassi of Kansas City, Missouri
This is the best move for both parties. Yahoo has the ideas and Microsoft has the money to finally market these ideas correctly. Microsoft and Yahoo are a perfect fit and the deal will be good for consumers.
Scott G of New Jersey
I was a Yahoo user for years along with Hotmail from Microsoft. Then Google came along: Google Earth, Google Toolbar and Gmail. Google is so innovative (創(chuàng)新的) with everything they do. Yahoo and Microsoft... same old story... I don’t think the merger (合并) will do anything for either company except improve the Yahoo shareholders’ bank accounts.
Michael Glosser of Estero, Florida
Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.
Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California
Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!
Antonio Simmons of Parkville, Maryland
Microsoft purchasing Yahoo would be nothing more than an attempt from Microsoft to further impose upon the users their poor-quality software and obtain more wealth for the company. In my opinion, they will never be able to compete with Google because Yahoo and Microsoft’s current search engines are too inferior (差的) to compete. Even if combined, they still lack.
小題1:Who is in favor of the merger of Microsoft and Yahoo?

A．Antonio Simmons.	B．Michael Grosser.
C．Scott G.	D．Mark Galeassi.

小題2:In the opinion of Scott G , _______.

A．the merger will contribute to Microsoft

B．Yahoo and Microsoft are lacking in innovation

C．Google is getting short of management experience

D．the merger will allow Microsoft to overtake Google

小題3:Michael Grosser is afraid that _______.

A．the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features

B．the merger will lead to Microsoft’s defeating Yahoo

C．the increased competition will force Google out of the game

D．Internet users will have to buy Microsoft’s expensive software

小題4:What is Antonio Simmons’ attitude towards Google?

A．Doubtful.

B．Disapproval.

C．Positive.

D．Negative.

Beijing opera or Peking opera （Pinyin: Jīngjù） is a form of Chinese opera which arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century．The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China．Major performance troupes （劇團(tuán)，戲班子） are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north，and Shanghai in the south．The art form is also enjoyed in Taiwan，and has spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.
Beijing opera features four main types of performers．Performing troupes often have several of each variety，as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers．With their elaborate （認(rèn)真的，精心的） and colorful costumes，performers are the only focal points on Beijing opera's characteristically small stage．They make use of the skills of speech，song，dance，and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive，rather than realistic．Above all else，the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements．Performers also hold a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production．The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music．The music of Beijing opera can be divided into the Xipi and Erhuang styles．Melodies include arias （唱腔），fixed-tune melodies，and percussion patterns．The repertoire of Beijing opera includes over 1,400 works，which are based on Chinese history，folklore，and，increasingly，contemporary life.
In recent years，Beijing opera has attempted numerous reforms in response to sagging audience numbers．These reforms，which include improving performance quality，adapting new performance elements，and performing new and original plays，have met with mixed success．Some Western works have been adopted as new plays，but a lack of funding and an adverse political climate have left Beijing opera's fate uncertain as the form enters the 21st century．
小題1:How long has Beijing Opera become a popular art form?

A．About one and a half centuries.

B．More than two centuries.

C．More than one century.

D．About half a century.

小題2:How many art forms of Beijing Opera at present?

A．Two including Beijing and Tianjin，and Shanghai in the south.

B．Two including Beijing and Tianjin in the north.

C．Three including Beijing and Tianjin，and Shanghai in the south and Taiwan.

D．Five including Beijing and Tianjin，and Shanghai in the south，Taiwan，US and

小題3:What are the features of the performers’ movements of Beijing Opera?

A．Elaborate.	B．Colourful.
C．Realistic .	D．Representative.

小題4:Which of the followings is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Performers can take different stylistic traditions in the plays.

B．The standard to estimate a performer is the amount of his/her movements.

C．It’s necessary to keep movements along the music in time.

D．The content of Beijing Opera is plentiful but much fixed.

小題5:What will be the future of the Beijing Opera?

A．Very bright.	B．Certainly good.
C．Much uncertain.	D．More popular.