The American newspaper has been around for about three hundred years. In 1721, the printer James
Franklin, Benjamin's older brother, started the New England Courant, and that was what we might recognize
today as a real newspaper. He filled his paper with stories of adventure, articles on art, on famous people,
and on all sorts of political subjects.
     Three centuries after the appearance of Franklin's Courant, few believe that newspapers in their present
printed from will remain alive for long. Newspaper companies are losing advertisers (廣告商), readers,
market value, and in some cases, their sense of purpose at a speed that would not have been imaginable just
several years ago. The chief editor (主編) of the Times said recently,"At places where they gather, editors
ask one another, 'How are you?', as if they have just come out of the hospital or a lost law case. "An article
about the newspaper appeared on the website of the Guandian, under the headline"NOT DEAD YET."
     Perhaps not, but the rise of the Internet, which has made the daily newspaper look slow and out of step
with the world, has brought about a real sense of death. Some American newspapers have lost 42% of their
market value in the past three years. The New York Times Company has seen its stock (股票) drop by 54%
since the end of 2004, with much of the loss coming in the past year. A manager at Deutsche Bank suggested
that stock-holders sell off their Times stock. The Washington Post Company has prevented the trouble only
by changing part of its business to education; its testing and test-preparation service now brings in at least half
the company's income.

1. What can we learn about the New England Courant?

A. It is mainly about the stock market.
B. It marks the beginning of the American newspaper.
C. It remains a successful newspaper in America.
D. It carries articles by political leaders.

2. What can we infer about the newspaper editors?

A. They often accept readers' suggestions.
B. They care a lot about each other's health.
C. They stop doing business with advertisers.
D. They face great difficulties in their business.

3. Which of the following found a new way for its development?

A. The Washington Post.
B. The Guardian.
C. The New York Times.
D. New England Courant.

4. How does the author seem to feel about the future of newspapers?

A. Satisfied.
B. Hopeful.
C. Worried.
D. Surprised.

     It's only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country
where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in "Fiji time"?
     Viti Levu-Great Fiji-is the largest island. Here you'll find the capital Suva and the international airport at
Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands,
many of them with places to stay.
     Whit less than a million people living on islands, you'll never feel crowded. And with a climate (氣候)
that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there's never a bad time to come.
     From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give
you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
     Whenever you come, wherever you go, you're sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances
to religious (宗教的) songs. From market days to religious days. It's not just staged for tourists; it's still a
part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji's spirit by being part of the traditional (傳統(tǒng)的)
sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
     So why not join us for the experience of a life me?

1. Where is the international airport of Fiji?

A. In Suva.
B. In Sydney.
C. On the island of Vatoa.
D. On the island of Viti Levu.

2. What does the text tell us about Fijian people?

A. They invented "Fiji time" for visitors.
B. They stick to a traditional way of life.
C. They like to travel from place to place.
D. They love taking adventures abroad.

3. What does the text tell us about Fijian people?

A. They invented "Fiji time" for visitors.
B. They stick to a traditional way of life.
C. They like to travel from place to place.
D. They love taking adventures abroad.

4. Where can we most probably read this text?

A. In a personal diary.
B. In a science report.
C. In a travel magazine.
D. In a geography textbook.

     Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers
fried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally,
in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that
today there are two "Irelands". Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The republic
of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
     In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of bunger.
This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK,
Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6
million in 1851.
     For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work
on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the
cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
     The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly, Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said
that the Irish were "the greatest talkers since the Greeks". Since independence, Ireland has revived (復興) its
own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish song
which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the
violin, whistles, etc.

1. What does the author tell us in paragraph 1?

A. how the Irish fought against the English.
B. how Ireland gained independence.
C. how English rulers tried to conquer Ireland.
D. how two "Irelands" came into being.

2. We learn from the text that in Ireland _____.

A. food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population
B. people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside
C. it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker
D. different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments

3. The last paragraph is mainly about _____.

A. the Irish character
B. Irish culture
C. Irish musical instruments
D. a famous Irish writer

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

A. life in Ireland
B. A Very difficult history
C. Ireland, past and present
D. the independence of Ireland

                                                    Public Speaking and Critical thinking
     What is critical thinking? To a certain degree, It's a matter of logic (邏輯)-of being able to spot
weakness in other people's arguments and to avoid them in your own. It also includes related skills such
as distinguishing fact from opinion and assessing the soundness of evidence. In the broad sense, critical
thinking is focused, organized thinking-the ability to see clearly the relationships among ideas. 1_____ the
greatest thinkers, scientists, and inventors have often taken information that was really available and put
it together differently to produce new ideas. That was readily available and put it together differently to
produce new ideas. That, too, is critical thinking. 
     2_____ As the class goes on, for example, you will probably spend a good deal of time organizing
your speeches. While this may seem like a purely mechanical (機械的) exercise, it is closely connected
with critical thinking. If the structure of your speech is loose and confused, chances are that your
thinking is also disordered and confused. If, on the other hand, the structure is clear, there is a good chance
your thinking is too. Organizing a speech is not just a matter of arranging your ideas you already have.
3_____
     What is true of organization is true of many aspects of public speaking. 4_____. As you work on
expressing your ideas in clear accurate language, you will improve your ability to think clearly and accurately.
5_____ As you learn to listen critically to speeches in class, you will be better able to assess the ideas of
speakers in a variety of situations.
     If you take full advantage of your speech class, you will be able to develop your skills as a critical
thinker in many circumstances. This is one reason public speaking has been regarded as a vital part of
education since the days of ancient Greece.

A. Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves.
B. This may seem like a lot of time, but the rewards are well worth it.
C. It may also help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech.
D. It has often been said that there are few new ideas in the world, only reorganized ideas.
E. If you are wondering what this has to do with your public speaking class, the answer is quite a lot.
F. The skills you learn in your speech class can help you become a more effective thinker in a number 
    of ways.
G. As you study the role of evidence and reasoning in speechmaking,you will see how they can be used
     in other forms of communication as well.

     Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and Toronto.
But what about really young filmmakers who aren't in film school yet and aren't, strictly speaking, even adults?
     They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Film Festival tomorrow, in a setting any director might envy:
Lincoln center. Complete with "red carpet" interviews and various awards, the festival has much in common
with events for more experienced moviemakers, except for the age of the participants: about 8 to 18.
     "What's really exciting is that it's film for kids by kids," said Cori Gardner, managing director of Wingspan
Arts, a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the New York area. This year the festival will
include films not only from Wingspan but also from other city organizations and one from a middle school in
Arlington, Virginia. "We want to make this a national event," Ms. Gardner added.
     The nine shorts to b shown range from a Claymation biography of B.B. King to a science fiction adventure
set in the year 3005. "A lot of the material is really mature," Ms. Gardner said, talking about films by the New
York branch of Global Action Project, a media arts and leadership-training group. "The choice is about the
history of a family and Master Anti-Smoker is about the dangers of secondhand smoke." Dream of the Invisibles
describes young immigrants' (移民) feelings of both belonging and not belonging in their adopted country.
     The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music
video and a full-length film whose title is Pressure.

1. Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival _____.

A. is organized by a middle school
B. is as famous as the Toronto Festival
C. shows films made by children
D. offers awards to film school students

2. Which of the following is true of Wingspan Arts?

A. It helps young filmmakers to make money.
B. It provides arts projects for young people.
C. It's a media arts and leadership-training group.
D. It's a national organization for young people.

3. The underlined word "shorts" in Paragraph 4 refers to _____.

A. short trousers
B. short kids
C. short films
D. short stories

4. Movies to be shown in the festival _____.

A. cover different subjects
B. focus on kid's life
C. are produced by Global Action Project
D. are directed by Ms. Gardner

5. At the end of this film festival, there will be _____.

A. various awards
B. "red carpet" interviews
C. an open reception
D. a concert at Lincoln Center

     The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the fanning culture of China. In the farming
economy (經(jīng)濟), oxen are the major animals pulling plows (犁).
     Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as "boats on land" for their
ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full
of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded
as generous creatures.
     In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a
special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who1ire in southwest China will cook cattle bone
soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe
that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their
love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by
the lunar calendar (農(nóng)歷), and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the
creature as human.
     Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In
addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional
customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.

1. The words "boats on land" underlined in Paragraph 2 refer to _____.

A. animals for taking goods
B. creatures for pulling plows
C. treasures of the folk culture
D. tools in the farming economy

2. From the third paragraph, we know that _____.

A. oxen are no more important today than in the past
B. ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup
C. oxen are treated as human in some areas of China
D. people run with oxen to shake off diseases every month

3. Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs?

A. The special role of oxen in frowning.
B. People's respect and love for oxen.
C. The practical value of an ox's body.
D. The contribution of oxen to the economy.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A. To stress the importance of oxen in farming.
B. To introduce the Chinese folk culture.
C. To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox.
D. To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen.

     New archaeological discovers suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk Road probably
began in some form many countries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range
of scientific and historical research could add a fascinating new page to the epic of the Silk Road.
     The latest and most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of and Egyptian mummy from
about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was
previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even
further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.
     The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2nd century BC
which was the agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission (使命) across
the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan
back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome.
Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way
for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world's two superpowers,
China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthians of old
Persia in exchange for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants
to the luxury markets in Rome.
     But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han
emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history
of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands
first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.

1. The word "coupled" in the first paragraph could best be replaced by _____.

A. produced
B. contributed
C. doubled
D. combined

2. The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that _____.

A. Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk
B. trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought
C. historical research often achieves fascinating results
D. new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

3. Until recently most historians believed that trade along the Silk Road _____.

A. originated in the 2nd century BC
B. extended human migration into eastern Asia
C. began a million years ago
D. primarily benefited the Egyptians

4. Historians have always considered Zhang Qian's mission important because they believe _____.

A. be brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor
B. be discovered the Silk Road
C. be helped establish East-West trade
D. be travelled as far as Afghanistan

     It is true that good writers rewrite and rewrite and then rewrite some more. But in order to work up the
desire to rewrite, it is important to learn to like what you write at the early stage.
     I am surprised at the number of famous writers I know who say that they so dislike reading their own
writing later that they even hate to look over the publishers' opinions. One reason we may dislike reading
our own work is that we're often disappointed that the rich ideas in our minds seem very thin and plain when
first written down. Jerry Fodor and Steven Pinker suggest that this fact may be a result of how our minds
work.
     Different from popular belief, we do not usually think in the works and sentences of ordinary language
but in symbols for ideas (known as "mentalese"), and writing our ideas down is an act of translation from
that symbolic language. But while mentalese contains our thoughts in the form of a complex tapestry (織錦),
writing can only be composed one thread at a time. Therefore it should not be surprising that our first attempt
at expressing ideas should look so simple. It is only by repeatedly rewriting that we produces new threads and
connect them to get closer to the ideas formed in our minds.
     When people write as if some strict critics (批評家) are looking over their shoulder, they are so worried
about what this critic might say that they get stuck before they even start. Peter Elbow makes an excellent
suggestion to deal with this problem. When writing we should have two different minds. At the first stage,
we should see every idea, as well as the words we use to express it, as wonderful and worth putting down.
It is only during rewrites that we should examine what we excitedly wrote in the first stage and check for
weaknesses.

1. What do we learn from the text about those famous writers?

A. They often regret writing poor works.
B. Some of them write surprisingly much.
C. Many of them hate reading their own works.
D. They are happy to review the publishers' opinions.

2. What do people generally believe about the way human minds work?

A. People think in words and sentences.
B. Human ideas are translated into symbols.
C. People think by connecting threads of ideas.
D. Human thoughts are expressed through pictures.

3. What can we conclude from the text?

A. Most people believe we think in symbols.
B. Loving our own writing is scientifically reasonable.
C. The writers and critics can never reach an agreement.
D. Thinking and writing are different stages of mind at work.