Beijing, June 10 (Xinhua) --- Torrential (傾瀉的) rains that troubled southern China for days have
killed 66 people and resulted in 12 missing by 6:00 p.m. (Beijing time) on Sunday, according to the
Ministry of Civil Affairs. “Floods caused by heavy rains have affected about 294,800 hectares of crops,
completely destroying 53,000 hectares of them,” said an official with the ministry. The floods have torn
down 48,000 and damaged 94,000 houses in southern China, and forced about 591,000 people to move
from their homes, the official said.
      From Wednesday to Saturday, continuous torrential rains, mudslides and floods hit Hunan,
Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian, affecting more than 8.97 million people. The disasters
have caused an overall economic loss of more than 2.9 billion yuan, according to the ministry. The ministry has sent rescue teams to the disaster areas to assist relief work. In Guangdong, heavy rains have killed 18 people and left four missing by 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, according to local authorities. A total of 1.72 million people were affected in the province.
      Floods have damaged 49 roads in the seriously affected Meizhou City, of which 29 remained closed to traffic by 7:00 p.m. The number of people who died in floods in Guangxi has reached 13 and one remained missing by Sunday, according to local civil affairs authority. More than 1.97 million people have been
affected after the floods caused by continuous heavy rains hit some 40 counties since Wednesday.
      According to the local civil affairs bureau, 9,200 houses were knocked down and 75,181 hectares of crops were affected, resulting in 529 million yuan in direct economic losses. There are fewer rainstorms
and the rain belt is moving out of Guangxi, but the water levels in major rivers will keep rising in next few
days, according to the latest forecast of the region’s meteorological bureau on Sunday afternoon.

1. The underlined phrase “torn down” (para. 1) is closest in meaning to __________.

A. knocked down
B. placed down
C. set down
D. torn open

2. In Meizhou city, 49 roads were damaged and by 7:00 p.m. only __________ roads can be used again after the repair work.

A. 66.
B. 29.
C. 20.
D. 19

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the news?

A. Hubei is one of the provinces struck by the torrential rains.
B. The floods have caused a total loss of nearly 3 billion yuan.
C. 13 people died in Guangdong province as a result of the floods.
D. The rain belt will remain in Guangxi in the next few days.

4. What’s the best title for this news story?

A. A Disaster.      
B. Heavy rains.
C. A Flood.
D. Heavy rains in Southern China.

5. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. The rainstorms are becoming stronger.
B. The water levels in major rivers are to go down soon.
C. The rainstorms are becoming less powerful.
D. In the next few days, rainstorms will stay in Guangxi.

     TAIBEI-Increasing numbers of Taiwanese students are joining the island's "China rush", seeking
education on the Chinese mainland.
     According to official Chinese figures, the number of Taiwanese students admitted into college and
postgraduate programmes on the mainland totaled 461 in 1996, 928 in 1997 and 839 in 1998. Although
no latest official numbers were available, Netbig.com said this number had risen between 30 to 50 per cent
annually in the past two years with well over 1,000 entering mainland campuses last year. 
     The Internet site, based in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, provides education service and information on
Chinese mainland colleges and universities. "Many Taiwanese believe a Chinese education giving more
knowledge about the people and culture in the mainland will increase their chances in the Chinese job
market," Netbig.com vice-president Ingrid Huang said. "I believe it will give me hands-on experience in the business field in the Chinese mainland and a better understanding of the Chinese mainland people," said
Lydia Chang, a 19-year-old majoring in journalism at Shi Shin University. Chang plans to go on to get a
master's degree in business administration in Shanghai, which she says offers the best environment for such
studies.
     A journalism graduate student, Lin, at the National Taiwan University said he would like to study law
on the Chinese mainland since "there will be better career prospects for me now that more Taiwanese
companies are going there".
    Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland. "They hope the
children could build up connections which could later become useful in their business operations," said
Yang Chingyao, professor of the Chinese mainland studies.
     A Netbig.com survey showed the campuses favoured by Taiwanese students included Beijing,
Qinghua and Renmin universities in Beijing, and Jinan and Zhongshan universities in Guangzhou. The most
popular studies were law, business and Chinese medicine.
     At present, Chinese Taibei doesn't recognize diplomas earned in the Chinese mainland nor help with
any inquiries about studying there. But recognizing the trend, education authorities are giving a final form
to a policy accepting certificates (iiE45) from selected universities.

1. More Taiwanese students study on the Chinese mainland because _____.

A. Taiwan will reunite with the mainland sooner or later
B. the fees asked for are lower than those of Taiwan
C. what they have learned on the mainland will bring them a bright future
D. there are many famous universities for them to choose

2. Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland so that their
children _____.

A. could receive better education
B. could learn more about the policy there
C. could do well in their business operations
D. could make more friends there

3. The underlined word "it" in paragraph 3 refers to _____.

A. Netbig.com B. a Chinese education on the mainland
C. the Chinese job market D. the university

4. The main idea of paragraph 4 is _____.

A. law in the Chinese mainland is pleasant to learn
B. Taiwanese companies are coming to the Chinese mainland because the law there is perfect
C. more Taiwanese companies coming to the mainland makes it better to learn laws
D. the mainland is short of lawyers for the Taiwanese companies

5. The author wrote the article to tell us _____.

A. the number of Taiwanese students going to universities on the mainland had been increasing year after
     year
B. more Taiwanese students are studying on the mainland
C. education on the mainland is more attractive compared with that of Taiwan
D. Taiwan and the mainland should co-operate with each other in every field.

     A 10-year-old boy fatally shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a
SUV to pick up the boy from his mother's home for a weekend visit.
     The incident happened about 3:45 p.m. on a cul-de-sac (死胡同) in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court,
said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. 
     An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back
seat of the man's Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. The
shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh's ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a
7-year-old brother. 
     "We're not certain of anything until we finish our investigation," Williams said. "The information we have
at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon."
     The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams.
      Williams said the gun belonged to the boy's mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy
exited (退出) the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car.
     The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital. Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas
Medical Branch. The man and woman shared custody (監(jiān)護(hù)) of the children. Williams said the mother and the
boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night.
      Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves.
      Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. "We've had a suicide (自殺)
in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this," Gray said.

1. The best title for the news should be _____.

A. A Boy Shot His Father
B. Shooting Kill a Father
C. An Unbelievable Tragedy
D. A Ten-Year-Old Boy's Cruelty

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the news?

A. The father is not responsible for the boy.
B. The family don't like associating with their neighbours.
C. The boy lives with Rick James Lohstroh.
D. The boy has no brothers or sisters.

3. What can we infer from the report?

A. The tragedy happened because the boy had seen too many films showing violence.
B. The boy killed his father after he quarreled with his father.
C. Such things often occurred in this neighbourhood.
D. The boy's parents got divorced (離婚).

4. The reason why the boy shot his father _____.

A. is clear
B. can't be made out
C. is not known
D. is quite simple

     NASA scientists said on June 1 , 2008 they had found ice on Mars-a step towards finding
evidence of life.
    " Sharp  new  images  received  from  their  Phoenix  lander convinced  scientists  that  the 
 spacecraft ' s  thrusters (推進(jìn)器) had uncovered a large patch of ice just below the Martian
surface, " team members said.
     That bodes (預(yù)示) well  for the  mission ' s  main  goal  of digging for ice that can be tested
for evidence of organic compounds that are the chemical building blocks of life.
     Washington University scientist Ray Arvidson said the spacecraft' s thrusters may have blown
away dirt covering the ice when the robot landed one week ago.
      Scientists said a detailed image taken under the lander shows one of the craft's three legs
sitting on rough dirt and a large patch of what appears to be ice-possibly 3 feet(0. 9 metres) in
diameter(直徑) -that apparently had been covered by a thin layer of dirt.
      " We were worried that it may be 30-,40-,50-centimeter deep, which would be a lot of
work. Now we are fairly certain that we can easily get down to the ice table, " said Peter Smith,
a University of Arizona scientist who is in charge of the project.
     The spacecraft is equipped with a shovel-like robot arm that will be used to dig into the ground
and collect samples for testing in the lander's small laboratories.
     The lander was sent to a spot on Mars' northern regions in hopes of finding frozen water, but
just how deep underground it would be found was unknown.
     The robot arm is expected to begin its first digging operations after several more days of testing.
Once the arm starts digging, dirt and  ice  it  scoops  up will  be deposited(存放 ) in  several  small
  ovens to be heated. Measuring devices will test the resulting gases.
     The University of Arizona in Tucson is leading and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing
the three-month scientific mission.

1. What was the Phoenix lander meant to do?    

A. To search for frozen water on Mars.
B. To explore life in outer space.
C. To study the minerals in the soil.
D. To discover new resources in outer space.

2. Why did NASA scientists feel worried about the finding?  

A. Because the ice is too large for NASA scientists to dig up.
B. Because it takes some time to deal with the large patch of ice.
C. Because it' s impossible for Phoenix lander to collect the ice.
D. Because it's hard to carry the ice back to laboratories on the earth .

3. "The spacecraft" in Paragraph 7 refers to"_______".

A. The project                      
B. The ice table
C. The robot arm                
D. The Phoenix lander

4. Which of the following is WRONG according to the text?

A. A large patch of ice had uncovered.
B. The goal of sending Phoenix lander to Mars is to look for frozen water.
C. The goal of sending Phoenix Iander to Mars is to discover new resources.
D. It takes some time to deal with the large patch of ice for Phoenix lander.

5. What is the text mainly about?

A. New findings about space exploration.
B. NASA sent another spacecraft to Mars.
C. NASA Phoenix lander finds frozen water on Mars.
D. Washington University scientists study Mars.

     BBC News (May 11, 2008)-Edinburgh Zoo plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland.
Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China. They signed a letter of intent (意向
書(shū)) there, making a promise to bring giant pandas to the Zoo. 
     It has been suggested that the pair of giant pandas should be on loan (暫借) to the Royal Zoological
Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years. The pair of giant pandas would give birth to babies during that time.
Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the Western world to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
     Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill, chief
of RZSS, said, "Working with giant pandas means so much more to us than introducing a new species to our
collection. It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better
understanding of the giant pandas, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival."
     At present, there are only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for
almost a year, hoping to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2009, the year of the society's centenary (一百
周年紀(jì)念日). Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish
Governments. He also said that this must continue if the Zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese. As
part of the agreement with the Chinese Government, Edinburgh Zoo will work together with Chinese scientists
on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
     RZSS will also provide money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant pandas live
in mountainous regions in central China and almost mainly feed on bamboo, which makes up 99% of what they
eat.

1. What do we know from the first two paragraphs?

A. China will give a pair of giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.
B. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have been to China.
C. The Scottish Government has signed a letter of intent with China.
D. Edinburgh Zoo is the first Western zoo to have giant pandas.

2. According to the text, RZSS may be _____.

A. a company that deals with international business
B. an organization that researches endangered animals
C. a government department in charge of Western issues
D. an activity having something to do with animals

3. We can know from the text that _____.

A. David Windmill is Edinburgh Zoo's chief
B. the number of giant pandas in the wild is still unknown
C. RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2009
D. RZSS knows the threats the giant pandas face well

4. What's the main idea of the text?

A. Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China.
B. Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas.
C. Scotland supports giant panda conservation.
D. Giant pandas live happily in central China.

     The high-protein, low-carbohydrate (碳水化合物) diets many people turn to for weight loss might have
potentially harmful long-term effects on the colon, a small study indicates.
     In the study, UK researchers found that a protein-heavy, low-carb diet created certain changes in the colon
that could contribute to colon cancer risk The study itself does not show whether high-protein diets really raise
the risk of any colon diseases, but the findings raise that possibility.
     Diets relatively high in protein and lower in carbs have been shown to help heavy people lose weight. "People
should not be discouraged from losing weight," Dr Flint said. However, he added, they should make sure that
any weight loss plan includes adequate amounts of fiber and a high protein intake over months to years might
have ill effects on the colon.
     The findings are based on 17 overweight men who followed three short-term diets: a one-week menu plan
to keep their weight; a four-week high-protein diet with reasonable amounts of carbohydrates; and a four-week
high-protein diet low in carbs.
     On average, the study found when the men were on the high-protein diets, they had higher levels of
substances known as N-nitroso compounds (亞硝基化合物) and other metabolites (代謝物) that have been
linked to cancer. And when they were on the high-protein, low-carb diet, they had lowered amounts of fiber-
originated compounds thought to be protective against cancer.
     Exactly what those changes might mean for a person's health is not clear. But Flint said that the findings
suggest that people should be cautious about consuming too much protein and too little fiber over a long period.
In general, experts recommend that adults get about 28 grams of fiber per day-though it's not known whether
that's enough for someone on a high-protein weight-loss diet.

1. What is the best title of the text?

A Plan a Healthy Diet
B. Take Care of Your Colon
C. How to Lose Weight
D. How to Protect against Cancer

2. The underlined word "colon" in Paragraph 1 probably refers to "_____".

A. an organ
B. intelligence
C. a habit
D. behaviour

3. The study shows that high-protein, low-carb diets may _____.

A. affect your mood
B. lower cancer risks
C. harm your body
D. keep your figure

4. It can be inferred from the text that _____.

A. we shouldn't take the study seriously
B. weight problems are hard to solve
C. it is better to follow a low-carb diet
D. people should be cautious to lose weight

5. The author is intended to _____.

A. advise how to lose weight
B. introduce a scientific finding
C. describe a research process
D. talk about healthy diets

     Cannes will rock to the sound of a cancan dance this year when Moulin Rouge by the Australian director
Baz Luhrmann opens the French film festival (電影節(jié)) in May. The musical stars Nicole Kidman as a singer,
and John Leguizamo as the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It will be competing for the Palme d'Or, the
festival's top prize. The festival runs to May 21.
     The American actor Tommy Lee Jones, 54, has married his longtime girlfriend, Dawn Maria Laurel, 36,
in a private wedding in San Antonio. "It wasn't a big to-do,"  said Fred Biery, a U. S. District Judge who
performed the service. He refused to discuss things further. "These are very private people," he said.
     Loretta Lynn is being treated for a very bed cold in Tennessee and will miss several appearances. The
country singer, 65, was admitted to a hospital near her home in Hurricane Mills. "She is in good condition,
but the doctors are watching her closely," a spokeswoman said.
     The French-Algerian singer Enrico Macias was named a United Nations peace messenger. Enrico joins
eight other people who act as goodwill envoys (使者) for the United Nations, among them are the writer Elie
Wiesel and the basketball player Magic Johnson.

1. We can learn from the text that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is ______.

A. a figure in a film
B. a dancer in a show
C. a country singer
D. a prize winner

2. We know from the text that ______.

A. Moulin Rouge won the top prize in a film festival
B. Loretta Lynn is under the doctors' care
C. eight people serve as the UN goodwill envoys
D. Fred Biery was Tommy Lee Jones' assistant

3. This text most probably appears in ______. 

A. a book on film stars
B. a film review in a magazine
C. a newspaper
D. a notice

     True to their reputation as leisure-loving gourmets(美食家),the French spend more time
sleeping and eating than anyone else among the world's wealthy nations,according to a study
published on Monday.
     The average French person sleeps almost nine hours every night,more than an hour longer
than Japanese and Korean,who sleep the least in a survey of 18 members of the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).Despite their siesta(午睡)habit,Spaniards
rank only third in the poll after Americans,who sleep more than 8.5 hours.
     And while more and more French people grab a bite at fast-food chains these days or,wolf
down a sandwich at their desk,they still spend more than two hour's a day eating.
     That means their meals are twice as long as those of the average Mexican,who dedicates just
over an hour a day to food,the OECD's "Society at a Glance" report on work,health and leisure
in Asia,Europe and North and South America found. The Japanese,scrimping (吝嗇) on sleep
and burdened with long working hours,still manage to spend close to two hours a day eating and
drinking,placing them third behind New Zealanders.  
     Despite the limited amount of time Americans spend eating each day-about an hour and a
quarter-U.S. obesity肥胖) rates are the highest in the 30 members of OECD.
     The Japanese like to spend what remains of their rare free time watching television or listening
to the radio. This takes up 47 percent of leisure time in Japan. Norwegians spend the most time at
leisure,just over a quarter of their day,while at the low end,Mexicans spend just 16 percent of their
time having fun.  
     The OECD has 30 members. The survey covers only the countries for which appropriate figures
were available.

1. According to the text,which of the following spends the most time at sleeping and eating?

A. Norwegians.
B. Americans.  
C. The French.  
D. Japanese  

2. As to eating time,the CORRECT order is______.

A. The French > New Zealanders> Japanese> Mexicans
B. The French > The Japanese > New Zealanders > Mexicans
C. Mexicans> The Japanese > New Zealanders > The French      
D. New Zealanders > The Japanese >Mexicans> The French

3. In the 30 members of OECD,U.S ranks first at______

A. leisure  
B. sleeping time      
C. eating time      
D. obesity-rates

4. What can we learn from the text?

A. Japanese and Korean sleep the least in a survey of 30 members of OECD.      
B. The Japanese spend 47﹪of leisure time watching TV or listening to the radio.
C. Mexicans spend most of their time having fun.
D. Spaniards who sleep more than 8.5 hours,rank only third after Americans.    

5. The main purpose of the text is______.        

A. to tell us the French is leisure-loving gourmets
B. to show which country spends the least time on sleeping
C. to show a survey about the time of leisure,sleeping,eating in some countries
D. to make a comparison to find out the best living styles of OECD countries

     BEIJING --Seven prestigious universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the
same independent exam -- besides the national one -- to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in
2011.
     The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University,
Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University.
Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent
exam, according to the joint announcement.
    "This will help lighten tile students' load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities," said the announcement.
    Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities.
    China's college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based
on independent criteria rather than just using the results of the national exam.
     In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot (試用) the reform by
using their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students.
     Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their
own exams.
     Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as
conducive (有助的) to better understanding where the students' talents lie.
    Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams
as they often apply for a number of universities.
     To relieve students from such pressures, the national education outline (2010--2020) released in July
this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams.

1. If students want to be admitted to the seven prestigious universities , they can ______.
A. only pass the interview.B. only take the national exam.
C. only take the independent exam.
D. either take the national exam or the take the independent exam.

2. What's the purpose of students sitting one independent exam to gain entrance to the seven universities ?
A. It can reduce students' load to take several exams.
B. The universities will have the same standard to test students.
C. There will be less trouble marking students' test papers.
D. It can avoid fierce competition among these universities.

3. If students pass the independent exam , they will ______.
A. take the national exam.B. have one or more interview chances.
C. be admitted to one of the universities.
D. he trained to be adapted to universities life and studies.

4. What is the advantage of universities selecting students according to independent examinations?
A. Students needn't take the national exam.B. Students' education cost can be lowered.
C. Students abilities and talents can be better found.
D. It can encourage middle schools to recommend more qualified students.