From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face a cold prospect of losing their jobs as a
global recession(衰退) starts to bite. For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through
a pay cut.
     Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian companies try harder to preserve
jobs in difficult times, which will prevent unemployment and may help Asian economies survive at a time
of slowing exports. The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for companies to recover quickly
from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, but build up a more
loyal and devo ted group.
     "In the Confucian mindset(儒家思想), the right thing to do is to share the burden, which is the sense
of collective responsibility. While in the West, it's more about individual survival," said Michael Benoliel,
associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University (SMU).
     In contrast, local Western companies from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off
workers by the thousands, but at the Asian units of Western multinationals or western units of Asian
groups, job cuts will probably be less severe.
      Japan's jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong
Kong's was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last
month from below 5 percent in January.
     Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap
will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best
practices of rivals(對手) from abroad.

1. The underlined word "prospect" in the first paragraph most probably means _________.

A. weather    
B. scene    
C. future    
D. place

2. Compared with job cuts, pay cuts can bring the following benefits EXCEPT that _________.

A. it's helpful to the economy recovery
B. it costs the company less money to survive
C. it will keep the experienced and skilled workers
D. it can form a team working harder and more loyally

3. According to Michael Benoliel, the Confucian mindset focuses on _________.

A. human rights  
B. sharing responsibility
C. personal profits
D. individual survival

4. In which company can we infer the job cuts will be probably the most severe?

A. A local American group.  
B. A small Japanese company.
C. A German branch of a Korean multinational.  
D. A Hong Kong's unit of a French company.

5. The passage mainly tells us ________.

A. the difficulties all the companies around the world will meet with today
B. the cultural differences between Eastern and Western world at present
C. the ways to cut down the cost of the companies in economic downturn
D. the different labor solutions of Asian and Western in global recession

     The name "cowboy" conjures up many different images from movies, songs and TV. These imagined
cowboys range from white-hat-wearing heroes to gun-shooting hooligans(流氓).But, cowboys are
actually real people from US history?
     When the US Civil War ended, many soldiers had no place to call home. So, they began to drift to
the country's rural West. Ranchers(農(nóng)場主) hired these men to take care of the cattle and work around
the ranch. When the ranch owner wanted to sell the cattle, the cowboys would round up the herd from
the open prairie(牧場) and drive the cattle miles to the market.?
     With the invention of barbed wire(鐵絲網(wǎng)),the cowboy era(1865-1890) began to come to an end.
But people in the East had always been curious about their lifestyle. Many country/western songs during
this time tried to capture the true cowboy spirit. Newspapers published cowboy tales in serial form and
adventure novels followed. The bigger the fiction,  the better the sales. These novels often portrayed
cowboys as cruel and violent men. Cowboys carried the bad reputation for many years afterwards.
     When movies began to be popular in the 1920s, the cowboy image changed again. Now, a cowboy
became the great white knight(騎士) that loved his horse more than the beautiful ladies he rescued. As
the cowboy of the "Old West" spent more time with his horse than the ladies, this era's image was not
entirely false.
     Then, in the 50s,Hollywood began producing so-called "spaghetti westerns(意大利西部片)".They
earned the nickname because Italian companies financed the films and TV shows. This started the
decade's "Cowboy Craze". While this didn't last long, it made modern country / western music, fashion
and dance extremely popular.?
     In recent years, with the help of musicians, radio stations and bars, cowboy nostalgia(懷舊情緒) has
returned. Even though his image is still changing - somewhere between ballad singing country boy and
bar room fighter - there's one thing for sure, you can't keep the cowboy down..

1. The purpose of this story is to ______.

A. introduce cowboy movies and novels?
B. introduce various productions associated with cowboys?
C. show the cowboy's everlasting charm?
D. inform us about the cowboy's spirit?

2. Before they became cowboys, they ______.

A. served in the army          
B. worked as bar-room fighters?
C. owned ranches              
D. were adventurous explorers?

3. During "the cowboy era" mentioned in the story, _______.?

A. the cowboy often came to the rescue of ladies in newspaper tales?
B. the distant Wild West appealed to people in the East?
C. cowboys were shown as cruel and violent men on the silver screen?
D. country music started the cowboy craze which swept the whole country

4. By saying "you can't keep the cowboy down", the writer means that ______.

A. cowboys are real people in history      
B. cowboys still fascinate people?
C. you can't make cowboys unhappy  
D. you can't grasp the cowboy spirit

5. Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

A. The cowboy has been presented in different lights in different eras.?
B. Cowboys are gun-shooting hooligans, without doubt.?
C. Cowboys have always been a passing phenomenon.?
D. Cowboys enjoy Italian foods, for example, spaghetti.

     There are many American expressions about insects-like bees, for example. Bees always appear
to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of
activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for
something if you went there right away.
     Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think
it was first used in the nineteen twenties. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the
bee's knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not
even know if bees have knees!
     If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say
she has a bee in her bonnet. If someone asks you a personal question, you might say "that is none of
your beeswax". This means none of your business.
     Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression people sometimes use when their children
ask, "where do babies come from?" Parents who discuss sex and reproduction say this is talking about
the birds and the bees.
     Hornets are beelike insects that sometimes attack people. If you are really angry, you might say you
are mad as a hornet.
     Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That
means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also
not want to have ants in your pants. That is, to be restless and unable to sit still.

1. When Tom spends his weekend cleaning his house, we can say he is as busy as ________.

A. an insect              
B. a hornet              
C. a butterfly                
D. a bee

2. Which of the following expressions can NOT be often heard in daily life?

A. Make a beeline.
B. That is none of your beeswax.
C. It's the bee's knees.
D. My house is a beehive of activity.

3. When you say to Mary "you have a bee in your bonnet", what do you really mean?  

A. She should stop talking about something.
B. You care about her very much.
C. She is in danger and needs help.
D. What she talks about is really important.

4. Which of the following would be discussed next? 

A. Some expressions about pigs.
B. Some expressions about noses.
C. Some expressions about bugs.
D. Some expressions about colours.

     There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed
is unknown.  They probably came about just to give children something to do.
     In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with
others. In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities
of their fathers and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities
of the adult world.
    What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries
but how much they have remained the same.  The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship,
mechanics, and technology. It is the universality (普遍性) of toys with regard to their development in
all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, America, China,
Japan and among the Arctic (北極的) people, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Variations
depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitate their surroundings. Nearly every
civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
     Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to
technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use.  The progress from the wheel to the
cart to the automobile is a direct line of ways up. The progress from a rattle (撥浪鼓) used by a
baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness
(獨創(chuàng)性). Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations
of available materials.

1. The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that ____.

A. their social roles are rigidly determined
B. they like challenging activities
C. most boys would like to follow their fathers' professions
D. boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers

2. One aspect of "the universality of toys" lies in the fact that ________. 

A. the basic characteristics of toys are the same all over the world
B. technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys
C. the exploration of the universe has led to the creation of new kinds of toys
D. the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universities

3. Which of the following is the author's view on the historical development of toys? 

A. Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child's character.
B. The toy industry has witnessed great leaps in technology in recent years.
C. The craftsmanship in toymaking has remained essentially unchanged.
D. Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries.

4. Regarded as a kind of art form, toys ________. 

A. reflect the pace of social progress
B. are not characterized by technological progress
C. follow a direct line of ascent
D. also appeal greatly to adults

5. The author uses the example of a rattle to show that ________.

A. it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toymaking
B. even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology
C. even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time
D. in toymaking there is a continuity in the use of

     Chinese Valentine's Day (情人節(jié)) is on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar
calendar (陰歷). It is a traditional festival for Chinese people. It comes from a romantic ancient
Chinese story. Niu Lang and Zhi Nv, two lovers who got separated by the Queen Mother of the
Western Heavens, can only meet that night. Thanks to this touching story, Chinese people regard
people also call it "Qixi".
     Meanwhile, February 14 of the solar calendar is European Valentine's Day. It is related to a
moving story too. The story goes that, there was a cruel king in ancient Rome whose name was
Claudius. He forbade the youth to get married during the wars, which made the lovers angry. There
was a monk named Valentine who was very angry at the rule and the king. One day a couple of
lovers came to his temple to ask for help to get married. Valentine helped them. Later, many couples
got married with Valentine's help. But Claudius knew it soon. He put Valentine to death cruelly. And
that day was February 14, the year of 270.
     Compared with European Valentine's Day, Qixi is less popular in China though it is a traditional
Chinese festival. There may be many reasons. First of all, the lunar calendar is not easy to remember
for most of the young people who are used to the solar calendar. Secondly, to many businessmen,
European Valentine's Day is not only a festival for lovers but also a good chance to make money.
Most of the flower shops can sell their flowers at a good price on European Valentine's Day while
the business drops in Qixi, because on European Valentine's Day lovers know more about how to
enjoy it. They exchange cards, flowers and go out to date. But most of them don't know the culture
of  Chinese Valentine's Day or how to celebrate it.

1. This text is mainly about __________.

A. two moving romantic stories
B. something about Qixi and Valentine's Day
C. why young people prefer Western festivals
D. how Qixi is different from European Valentine's Day

2. Qixi is less popular than European Valentine's Day because __________.

A. businessmen think that European Valentine's Day is more important than Qixi
B. the government encourages people to celebrate foreign festivals
C. the costs on Qixi are higher than those on European Valentine's Day
D. the lunar calendar is not easy to remember and people don't know how to enjoy Qixi

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

A. Lovers exchange cards, flowers and go out to date on Qixi.
B. Valentine helped a couple of lovers kill the cruel king.
C. European Valentine's Day was named after a person.
D. Old people in China dislike young people celebrating European Valentine's Day.

4. If the text goes on, what will probably be talked about in the next paragraph?

A. Young people should fight for love and happiness.
B. Chinese people should treasure traditional Chinese festivals more.
C. Qixi will also become an international festival in the future.
D. Chinese people should stop celebrating European Valentine's Day.

     Tom goes everywhere with Catherine Green, a 54-year-old secretary. He moves around her office at work and goes shopping with her. "Most people don't seem to mind Tom," says Catherine, who thinks he
is wonderful. "He's my fourth child," she says. She may think of him and treat him that way as her son. He moves around buying his food, paying his health bills and his taxes, but in fact Tom is a dog.
      Catherine and Tom live in Sweden, a country where everyone is expected to lead an orderly life
according to rules laid down by the government, which also provides a high level of care for its people.
This level of care costs money.
      People in Sweden pay taxes on everything, so aren't surprised to find that owning a dog means yet
more taxes. Some people are paying as much as 500 Swedish kronor in taxes a year for the right to keep
their dog, money that is spent by the government on dog hospitals and sometimes medical treatment for a
dog that falls ill. However, most such treatment is expensive, so owners often decide to offer health and
even life premium for their dog.
      In Sweden dog owners must pay for any damage their dog does. A Swedish Kennel Club official
explains what this means: if your dog runs out on the road and gets hit by a passing car you, as the owner, have to pay for any damage done to the car, even if your dog has been killed in the accident.

1. Catherine pays taxes for Tom because             .    

A. Tom follows her everywhere            
B. Tom is her child
C. Tom is her dog                        
D. Tom often falls ill

2. The money paid as dog taxes is used to              .  

A. keep a high level of care for the people  
B. pay for damage done by dogs
C. provide medical care for dogs            
D. buy insurance for dog owners

3. The underlined world "premium" possibly means                .  

A. payment for risks                    
B. medical check
C. entertainment expense                
D. protection fee

4. If a dog causes a car accident and gets killed, who should pay for the damage done to the car?       

A. The owner of the car.                
B. The owner of the dog.
C. The insurance company.              
D. The government.

5. From the text it can be inferred that in Sweden             .     

A. dogs are welcome in public places  
B. keeping dogs means asking for trouble
C. many car accidents are caused by dogs    
D. people care much about dogs.

     Decision-making can be extremely difficult. Decision-making styles are significantly different. in different
cultures.
     In any approach to a problem and in any negotiations, the Western world turns to the "I to you" approach
while Japan, the "you to you" approach. The former means both sides present their arguments openly from
their own point of view. Naturally, often comes a confrontation (沖突) situation, which Westerners are very
skillful in dealing with. The latter is based on each side trying to understand the other person's point of view.
Thus, the direction of the meeting is a mutual (相互的) attempt to reduce confrontation and achieve harmony.
     Besides, Western decision-making goes mostly from top management (管理人員) and often does not
consult middle management or the worker. However, in Japan great consideration is given to the thoughts and
opinions of everyone at all levels. Based on "bottom-up direction", ideas can be created at the lowest levels,
travel upward through an organization and have an effect on the final decision.
     Difference in decision-making also comes from different communication styles. The Japanese business
person works to achieve harmony, even if the deal falls through, and will spend whatever time is necessary to
determine a "you to you" approach, communicating personal views only indirectly. They put a thorough job
above the Western deadline approach. So the Japanese are thorough in their meetings. Thus Americans are
often annoyed by the many meetings in many Japanese businesses. But where the American is pressing for a
specific decision, the Japanese is trying to think up a rather broad direction.
     On the other hand, once a given agreement is made, it is the Japanese who sometimes wonder at the slow
pace in which Westerners carry out the decision. The Japanese are eager to move forward and Westerners,
perhaps, lag (落后) behind as they take the time for in-depth planning.

1. A Japanese business bases its decision _____.

A. on top-down direction
B. on nothing but its workers' views
C. on bottom-up direction
D. only on its top leaders' opinions

2. The text mainly tells us that Japan and the Western world _____.

A. face great difficulty in making decisions
B. are different in decision-making styles
C. have all members contribute to a decision
D. have two approaches:"I to you" and "you to I"

3. Which of the following is TRUE of the Westerners?

A. They carry out the decision once it is made.
B. There are many meetings in their businesses.
C. They work to achieve harmony in doing business.
D. They are good at handling confrontation situation.

4. The author's attitude towards Japanese decision-making is _____.

A. positive
B. critical (批評的)
C. negative
D. casual (無所謂的)

     Full of beauty, happiness and a healthy love of life, the Bulgarian (保加利亞人的) festivals and customs
date back to old time when man tried to live in peace with nature. The merriest and richest festivals are
Christmas and the New Year, when the so-called. "sourvakari" makes the round of house with wishes for
health and wealth. Other main festivals include "ladouvane"-a holiday for young girls on New Year's Day or
Midsummer Day (24th June), Shrovetide and Mummers' Games which mark the start of spring, and
"lazrouvane"-a traditional festival for love and family, health and richness. And among them, the widely popular
and typical Bulgarian customs and festivals are "martenitsas" and rose-picking.
     Every year on March lst, the Bulgarians give each other "mar-tenitsas"-a small doll made of white and red
strings, a symbol of the beginning of spring, health and happiness.
     In late May and early June every year, the rose-picking season starts in the Valley of Roses which is
between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rose-picking starts at dawn, before sunrise and
before the pleasant smell of the rose has disappeared. The Bulgarian rose produces 70 percent of the world's
rose oil which is used by the very well-known perfume (香水) company as a basic element of its products.
This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, happy activities, folk songs and dances in
Karlovo and Kazanluk on the first Sunday in June.

1. The passage is mainly about _____.

A. Christmas and the New Year in Bulgaria
B. the origin of Bulgarian festivals and customs
C. rose-picking and perfume industry in Bulgaria
D. typical customs arid festivals of Bulgaria .

2. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. "Martenitsas"-the Beginning of Spring
B. Beauty, Happiness and Love
C. Bulgarian Festivals and Customs
D. Rose-picking and "Martenitsas"

3. The author of this passage intends to _____.

A. let us know some knowledge of Bulgarian culture
B. tell us the differences between customs and festivals
C. explain the connection between customs and industry
D. find the origin of the Bulgarian customs

4. The second and the third paragraphs of the passage _____.

A. tell us how popular rose-picking is
B. link two festivals with health and richness
C. show us two merriest and richest festivals
D. talk about two typical Bulgarian festivals

5. This passage is most likely to appear in a _____.

A. magazine of travel
B. book on world culture
C. history book
D. daily newspaper

     Henderson Island is a coral island raised above the South Pacific Ocean. No people live on it. The island is
9. 6 kilometers long and 5. 1 kilometers wide. It has an area of 37. 3 km2. Henderson Island became a World
Heritage Site in 1988 because of its bird life.
     All the four kinds of special land birds ( Henderson Crake, Henderson Fruit Dove, Henderson Lorikeet and
Henderson Reed-warbler) can only be seen on Henderson Island. There are also fifteen nonlocal seabirds. Other
local things include nine kinds of plants ( of the sixty-three kinds on the island),four kinds of land snails (蝸牛) ( of the sixteen kinds),and one butterfly ( the only kind on the island).
     Although no people live on Henderson Island, archaeological (考古的) evidence suggests that a small
Polynesian group lived here between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries until it disappeared. The reasons for its
disappearance are unknown, but are probably related to the similar disappearance of the Polynesians on Pitcaim
Island. The Hendersonians would have depended on them for many of the basics of life.
      On January 29,1606, Henderson Island was discovered by Portuguese sailor Pedro Femandes de Queiros,
who named it San Joao Baptista. On January 17, 1819, the island was rediscovered by British Captain
Henderson of the British East India Company ship Hercules, and named Henderson Island. On March 2,1819,
Captain Henry King, sailing on the Elizabeth, landed on the island to find the Union flag already flying. His crew
scratched (刻) the name of their ship on a tree, and for some years the name of the island was Elizabeth or
Henderson.
      In the early 1980s, American businessman Arthur M. Ratliff expressed interest in buying Henderson Island,
and establishing a small settlement with an airstrip (飛機跑道), farm, and large houses. But the British Foreign
and Commonwealth Office refused it at last, after environmentalist groups persuaded them to protect the natural ecology and environment(生態(tài)環(huán)境) of the island which became a World Heritage Site later.

1. Henderson Island is a World Heritage Site because ______.

A. some of its birds can' t be found in other places
B. it is above the South Pacific Ocean
C. no people live on it
D. it is a coral island

2. Who first came to Henderson Island?

A. Portuguese.
B. Polynesians.
C. Henderson.
D. Henry King.

3. When did the island get its present name?

A. On January,29,1606.
B. On March,2,1819.
C. On January,17,1819.
D. In the early 1980s.

4. Ratliff' s offer to buy the island was refused because _____.

A. it was a World Heritage Site
B. environmentalists had bought it
C. Ratliff wanted to buy it at a lower price
D. the environment of the island can' t be destroyed