People in China, as in other parts of the world, are waiting to see how U.S. President-
elect Barack Obama will deal with global problems such as the current economic slowdown
once he takes office. As Sam Beattie reports from Beijing, there is widespread hope for
closer U.S.-Chinese cooperation.
    For many students in Beijing, Mr. Obama symbolizes all that is possible in the United
States. He's a popular winner here, seen as a self-made man who has made it to the top.
    "I think he is very charming, and a president who can create a new era," said Zhang
Wei, a university student. "I like him very much and most of my friends do too." Ni Weibo,
another university student, agrees. "Sino-U.S. relations still need more cooperation,"
she said. "I think he will help take it to a new era."
    China's President Hu Jintao congratulated Mr. Obama within hours of his victory, saying
he hoped bilateral ties could be made stronger.
    Political analysts here say China will be looking for the incoming president to avoid
contentious issues such as Taiwan's independence, human rights and Tibet.
    Instead, they say Beijing would like Mr. Obama to focus on solving the global economic
crisis, and to help China's slowing economy by opening up U.S. markets.
    But trade relations might be a sticking point, says Renmin University's Professor of
International Studies, Shi Yinhong.
    He warns, "There is a possibility that President Obama will take some protectionist
measures which China will not accept, then trade disputes could develop to a degree that
we have not seen ever before."
    Despite making the headlines, Mr. Obama faces some tough challenges in managing the
U.S. relationship with China. China is now a stronger and more confident country than the
China his predecessors dealt with. And in this time of economic uncertainty, analysts say
it's a country with which Mr. Obama will want to maintain a good relationship.

1. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?

A. Mr. Obama was popular with many students in Beijing mostly because he will take office
   soon.
B. Economic slowdown is the big problem that the world is facing and looking forward to
   solve except US
C. China's President Hu Jintao congratulated Obama on his victory within hours.
D. Through Obama's being elected, we can see all is possible in US and a new relationship
   may come.

2. What is not mentioned in this passage?

A. What Barack Obama is expected to do in dealing with the US-China relationship.
B. Why Barack Obama will maintain a good relationship with China.
C. How Barack Obama will deal with the current economic slowdown.
D. What image Barack Obama has given to Chinese people.

3. What does "a sticking point" (in para.7) mean?

A. a twist point
B. a disputed point
C. a good beginning
D. a understanding point

4. What is the best title for this report?

A. US-Chinese Cooperation Under the Current Economic Slowdown
B. Obama, Seen As A Popular Winner In China
C. Chinese Want Stronger Ties With US Under Obama Administration
D. The Current Economic Problem faces China As Well As US

    The United Nations says more than 900 million people worldwide do not have enough
to eat. Officials say 100 million more could go hungry this year because of the food and
financial crises.
    To deal with the situation, the UN World Food Program has started a project to help
small farmers. These farmers are mainly women. Many cannot produce enough food even
to feed and support their own families.
    The new effort is called Purchase for Progress, or P4P. It aims to connect local farmers
with dependable markets. That way, they could get a chance to sell their surplus (剩余) at
competitive prices. P4P will be tested in as many as 21 countries during the next five years.
    The biggest contributor to the project is Bill Gates, through the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation. Another donor (捐款者) is the Howard Buffett Foundation, led by a son of the
American investor Warren Buffett. The government of Belgium is also supporting the project
in a former colony (殖民地), now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    Together these donors have provided more than 76 million dollars for projects in Africa and
Central America.
    Purchase for Progress will work with United Nations agencies, governments and non-
governmental organizations to help increase crop production. The World Bank Group and other
partners are to help train farmers in better crop management and marketing skills.
    The World Food Program says it expects to buy 40,000 tons of food in the first year using
methods carried out by the project. That will be enough to feed 250,000 people.
    P4P is expected to develop food cooperatives and long-term agreements for buying corn,
wheat and other food crops. About 350,000 farmers could be assisted.
    Officials say the project will change the way the World Food Program buys food in developing
countries. Executive Director Josette Sheeran says this is the first time her agency will buy a large
amount of food from small farmers. The agency has traditionally bought most of its food from
developing countries,but through larger trading organizations.

1. From the passage, we know that _____.

A. in all 900 million people worldwide lack food
B. a project has been started to help women farmers
C. there are only two donors to help the project
D. some farmers still cannot support their families

2. According to the passage, _____ will work hard to deal with the situation.

A. the United Nations
B. the combined efforts
C. some governments
D. some non-governmental organizations

3. Which of the following will NOT be done to help small farmers?

A. To donate money.
B. To reform the way of food purchase.
C. To provide them with food.
D. To buy a large amount of food from them.

4. What's the best title for this passage?

A. Project to Help Small Farmers
B. Contribution to Small Farmers
C. Food Problems
D. P4P Is Being Carried Out

     This year I'm buying presents for 16 children, as well as my own daughter, Mia-Grace, who will be two
on Christmas Day. My tree will be beautifully decorated, I'm bringing the turkey to the family Christmas lunch
and having an open house on Boxing Day. And the whole thing's only going to cost me ￡150.
     We're very careful now and we don't overspend or owe anything on credit cards. I work for an electrician
and my husband Neil, 33, works in construction business. We're concerned about our jobs because our
companies are quiet at the moment.
     We've also been hit by rising prices, particularly food, petrol, gas and electricity. Everyone I know is
worried. One of my friends' husbands has just gone self-employed and if he doesn't work, they have no money
coming in.
     Christmas has been playing on my mind for the past three or four months. We decided on a budget of ￡150
because that's just under my weekly wage and it meant we could afford Christmas while using Neil's salary for
our essential bills.
     We quickly realized that we buy some things every year just for the sake of it. Even though we have loads
of decorations, we usually buy something new for the tree but this Christmas we're not going to. We've already
got our tree-a big artificial one which I bought half-price in the January sales. It will last us for years.
     After all, no one can escape from this financial crisis (經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)) which is spreading throughout the globe.

1. From the passage, we can infer Boxing Day most probably falls on _____.

A. January 20
B. May 5
C. October 24
D. December 26

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the author?

A. She has bought an artificial Christmas tree at a low price.
B. She has bought Christmas presents for 16 children altogether.
C. Both the author and her husband are already out of work now.
D. She'd like to buy a new Christmas tree for this Christmas.

3. Why can the author only spend $150 for Christmas?

A. Because she and her husband have little earnings.
B. Because she is always careful with money.
C. Because she wants to save for the future.
D. Because she is a mean woman.

4. According to the passage, we can conclude that _____.

A. the author often quarrels with her husband about their little earnings
B. nobody but the author was worried about the rising prices
C. the author has never been worried about her job
D. the author and those around her are suffering from the financial crisis

5. Which is the best title for the passage?

A. An Unexpected Christmas
B. A Christmas during Financial Crisis
C. An Unforgettable Christmas
D. A Christmas without Christmas Tree

     China loves exhibitions. Exhibitions provide people with a chance to see what is available, and perhaps
more importantly, what may be available. In order to make your visit more efficient, the rules listed below
may be of some help to you.
     Avoid attending the opening ceremony
     Unless your company is sponsoring (主辦) the exhibition, find out when the opening ceremony is and
show up about 30 minutes after that. The opening ceremony is like a starting gun as soon as it's over, the
gathered crowds will rush to the doors to get inside the exhibition halls.
     Don't be distracted (分散注意) by pretty models
     Hot cars and pretty girls may go well together, but don't be distracted by them. Remember what you
really want to see at an exhibition.
     Go early.
     Unlike the western competitors, Chinese exhibitors don't give away a lot of freebies during exhibitions.
So, if you want the freebies, go to the show on the first day, right after the opening ceremony.
     Don't go during lunch hour
     Lunch is like a daily national holiday in China, Lunch hour, unfortunately, leaves exhibition booths (攤位)
manned by guys who are more interested in stuffing (塞滿) food into their mouths than explaining the product
or promoting  (促進(jìn)) the company.
     Avoid any booth with a big screen TV, a video game, or a loudspeaker
     These are cheap ways of attracting consumers to visit a booth, and it doesn't always guarantee that the
vendor (買主) has a good product to show. Its purpose is to attract people with an electronic dog-and-pony
show.
     Hand your name cards out to everyone
     Take plenty of business cards in both Chinese and English with you when going to an exhibition. Hand
them out to every exhibitor whose booth you visit. This method helps advertise the name or your company,
so don't leave home without them!
     Follow the guards
     Guards are available to assist anyone in need of help and to keep order. So follow them and look for the
best products to see at an exhibition.
     Set a time limit
     Prepare for what you want to see, how much time you want to spend and where you want to spend your
time.
     Remember these rules and you will have a fruitful experience at an exhibition.

1. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A. Lunch hour is a good time for you to visit a booth.
B. You'd better set a time limit.
C. You can ask for help from the guards.
D. Exhibitors usually hand out freebies on the first day of an exhibition.

2. What is the clever way to advertise your company according to the text?

A. To hold an exhibition.
B. To hand your name cards out to every exhibitor you visit.
C. To attend the opening ceremony.
D. To visit all the booths at an exhibition.

3. What does the underlined word "freebies" mean?

A. A kind of toy
B. A kind of food
C. Something that is given to somebody without payment
D. Something that is given to somebody with payment

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A. Why Do You Attend an Exhibition
B. Rules for Attending an Exhibition in China
C. Rules for Holding an Exhibition in China
D. An Exhibition Means an Advertisement

     The engineer Camillo Oliver was 40 years old when he started the company in 1908.
     At his factory in Ivrea, he designed and produced the first Italian typewriter. Today the company's head
office is still in Ivrea, near Turin, but the company is much larger than it was in those days and there are
offices all around the world.
     By 1930 there was a staff of 700 and the company turned out 13,000 machines a year. Some went to
customers in Italy, but Olivetti exported more typewriter to other countries.
     Camillo's son, Adriano, started working for the company in 1924 and later he became the boss. He
introduced a standard speed for the production line and he employed technology and design specialists. The
company developed new and better typewriters and then calculators (計算機(jī)). In 1959 it produced the ELEA
computer in Italy.
     After Adriano died in 1960, the company had a period of financial problems. Other companies, especially
the Japanese, made faster progress in electronic technology than the ITalian company.
     In 1978, Carlo de Benedetti became the new boss. Olivetti increased its marking and service networks and
made agreements with other companies to design and produce more advanced office equipment. Soon it
became one of the world's leading companies in information technology and communications. There are now
five independent companies in the Olivetti group-one for personal computers, one for systems and services,
and two for telecommunications.

1. From the text we learn that _____.

A. by 1930 Olivetti produced 13,000 typewriters a year
B. Olivetti earned more in the 1960s than in the 1950s
C. some of Olivetti's 700 staff regularly visited customers in Italy
D. Olivetti set up offices in other countries from the very beginning

2. What was probably the direct result of Olivetti's falling behind in electronic technology?

A. Adriano's death.
B. A period of financial problems.
C. Its faster progress.
D. Its agreements with other companies.

3. What do we know about Olivetti?

A. It produced the best typewriter in the world.
B. It designed the world's first mainframe computer.
C. It exported more typewriters than other companies.
D. It has five independent companies with its head office in Ivrea.

4. The best title for the text would be _____.

A. The Origin of Olivetti
B. The Success of Olivetti
C. The History of Olivetti
D. The Production of Olivetti

     American cities are similar to other cities around the world: In every country, cities reflect the values of the
culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
     After World War Ⅱ, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population shifts
(轉(zhuǎn)移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s,
city residents (居民) became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out
of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs (郊區(qū)).
     Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many,
unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the
Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the
suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
     This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their
apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for
rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these
same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
     Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now
see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive
again.

1. What does the author think of cities all over the world?

A. They are alive.
B. They are hopeless.
C. They are similar.
D. They are different.

2. Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Ⅱ?

A. Because older American cities were dying.
B. Because they were richer and needed more space.
C. Because cities contained the worst parts of society.
D. Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.

3. According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities _____.

A. are faced with housing problems
B. are forced to move to the suburbs
C. want to sell their buildings
D. need more money for daily expenses

4. We can conclude from the text that _____.

A. American cities are changing for the worse
B. people have different views on American cities
C. many people are now moving from American cities
D. the population is decreasing in older American cities

     Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of
hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.
     Sounds unusual, doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic, with the development of China's high-speed railway
system. And that's not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan-to connect the country with
Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe.
     China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15 years,
eventually reaching London and Singapore.
     China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via
Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly
to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
     If China's plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in
under two days.
     The new system would still follow China's high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go
346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes.
     China's bullet train (高速客車), the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the World's fastest
average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.
     Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be
settled,such as safety, rail gauge (軌距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it's important to pay attention to
every detail.
     But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic
railway expansion.
     China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources
from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.
     It'll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities
for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those counties.
     For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed
resources, but would also help develop China's far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of
people will migrate to the western regions,where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed
trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they'll trade with
Central Asian and Eastern European countries.

1. China's new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because _____.

A. China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B. China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C. China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D. the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation,business and tourism

2. According to the passage,the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is _____.

A. technical issues
B. safety of the system
C. financial problems
D. maintenance of railway tracks

3. Which of the following words best describes the author's attitude towards China's high-speed railway plan?

A. Critical.
B. Reserved.
C. Doubtful
D. Positive.

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A. New Railway Standards
B. Big Railway Dreams
C. High-speed Bullet Trains
D. International Railway Network

     Today, more and more people are using credit cards (信用卡) instead of money to buy the things they need.
Almost anyone who has a steady income (收入) and continuous work record can apply for a credit card.
     If you have a credit card, you buy a car, eat a dinner, take a trip, and even get a haircut by changing the cost
to your account (帳戶). You can pay for purchases a month or two later, without any extra charge. Or you may
choose to spread out your payments over several months and pay only part of the total amount each month. If
you do this, the credit card company of the bank who sponsors the credit card will add a small service charge
to your bill. This is very convenient for customers. With the credit card in your wallet or purse, you don't have
to carry much cash (現(xiàn)金). This saves your trips to the bank to cash checks. Also if you carry credit cards
instead of a lot of cash, you don't have to be concerned about losing your money through carelessness or theft.
     Credit cards are big business. Americans spend $16 billion a year on cards. Credit card companies make a
profit from the fees they charge the store and also from the fees collected from customers who pay for their
charges in monthly installments (注冊). However, credit card companies sometimes have problems collecting
overdue payments from unreliable customers if they charge more than they can pay for.
     Yet, in many ways, the big loser in the credit card system is not the credit card company, the store, or the
card user, but rather the general customer. The store makes up for the fees it pays to the credit card company
by increasing prices for goods and services. Stores may have more sales if they accept cards, but the added
cost to the store when credit cards are accepted instead of cash is actually passed on to all consumers in higher
prices. In this way, the cash customer suffers for the convenience the credit card customer enjoys.

1. According to the passage, nearly everyone can apply for(申請) credit cards if he or she can prove to be ____.

A. a dependable and honest person
B. a person with an income and work experience
C. a person with work experience but no regular income
D. a person with a regular income and an unbroken work record

2. If you are a credit card holder, you don't have to carry _____ on you.

A. many coins
B. much cash
C. many credits
D. much change

3. We can infer from the passage that _____ suffer most financially from the credit card system.

A. the shops
B. the card holders
C. the ordinary customers
D. the credit card companies and banks

     WASHINGTON-Worldwide sales of personal computer in 1995 rose 24.7 percent over 1994 with Compaq
(美國康柏電腦公司) holding its first-place position while IBM overcame (擊敗) Apple for the No.2 slot (表上
排名), according to Dataquest.
     A total of 59.7 million computers were sold around the world with important gains (獲得) in Japan and
Europe.
     Compaq sold 5.99 million computers, or 10 percent of the market, unchanged from 1994.
     IBM sold 4.7 million with an 8 percent share of the market compared with 8.2 percent in 1994.
     Apple sold 4.7 million, or 7.8 percent of the trade, compared with 8.4 percent in 1994.
     Their lost market share was taken up by Packard Bell and NEC, which sold 3.1 million and 2.8 million
computers separately.

1. Which company was the first in selling computers in 1994?

A. Compaq
B. IBM
C. Apple
D. NEC

2. Which company sold the third most computers in 1995?

A. Compaq 
B.IBM 
C. Apple 
D. NEC

3. What was the market share of Compaq in 1994?

A. 5.99%
B. 8.2%
C. 8.4%
D. 10%

4. Packard Bell and NEC take up about _____ of the market share in 1995.

A. 8.2%
B. 52%
C. 10%
D. 5%