You know Australia is a big country, but you may not know how easy it is to get around. The
untouched beaches that go for miles and deserts that touch the horizon are just there, waiting to be
reached and explored. Following are the different ways you can explore our vast country.
Getting around Australia
     Air
     Flying is the best way to cover large distances in a short time. You can spend more time on the
Australia's can't-miss landscapes and relaxing lifestyle. Moreover, competition among airlines makes
great flying fees available for you.
     Drive
     Australia has a vast network of well - maintained roads and some of the most beautiful touring
routes in the world. You have no difficulty finding car rental companies at major airports, central city
locations, suburbs and attractions.
     Bus
     Bus travel in Australia is comfortable, easy and economical. Buses generally have air conditioning,
reading lights, adjustable seats and videos. Services are frequent, affordable and efficient.
     Rail
      Train travel is the cheapest and gives you an insight into Australia's size and variety, all from the
comfort of your carriage. Scheduled services are a great way to get quickly between our cities and
regional centers.
     Ferry (輪渡)
     The Spirit of Tasmania runs a passenger and vehicle ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania
nightly. Extra services are running during summer rush hours. Sea - link ferries connect South Australia
and Kangaroo Island several times a day. Ferries connect suburbs in our capital cities
     Walk
     With easy - on - the - feel pedestrian streets, walking is a great way to get around our cities.
Besides all of above, you can also experience some of the longest tracks and trails in the world in central
Australia - impressive journeys of a thousand kilometers or more that can take several weeks to complete.

1. The underlined word "untouched" (in the 1st paragraph) means______.

A. ordinary        
B. dangerous        
C. natural        
D. boring

2. Which of the following is TRUE about traveling in Australia? ______.

A. More travelers make the flying fees among airlines higher than before
B. You can easily rent a car to explore its most beautiful touring routes
C. Taking a bus tour is the cheapest way
D. Train travel is uncomfortable

3. Ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania usually runs ______.

A. only at night hours                    
B. only during rush hours
C. several times a day                    
D. between different cities

4. From the passage, we know that ______.

A. pedestrian walking is a great way to travel between cities
B. it takes much time to travel in Central Australia
C. you can also experience the impressive journeys of a thousand meters in central Australia
D. you have to walk over a thousand kilometers in Australia.

     If cars had wings,they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2011.The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by
the end of 2011.
     "It's the next 'wow' vehicle,"said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh. "Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly."
     The car plane has wings that unfold for flying-a process the company says takes one minute-and fold
back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
     The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both.
The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
     The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to
fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go. When you land, you fold up the
wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an
airport-you park it in the garage at home.
     The car-plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of
1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an
accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal (臨界) conditions.
The Transition's price tag: $194,000, But there may be additional charges for options like a radio,
transponder or GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.
     "If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option," Gersh said.
     So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. "We're working very closely with them,
but there are still some remaining steps," Brown said.

1.We can learn from the first paragraph that       .

A. both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land  
B. people might drive a car-plane in 2011
C. car-planes will be popular in 2011  
D. Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts

2. It takes the car-plane one minute to       .

A. fold and unfold its wings          
B. unfold wings for flying
C. land in the airport                
D. meet flying safety regulations

3. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. The car-plane needs a runway to take off and land.
B. To mcet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA.
C. The car-plane may fly as high as normal planes.
D. People can park the car-plane in the garage at their home.

4. The underlined word "it" in the last but one paragraph refers to       .

A. the radio            
B. the transponder    
C. the GPS              
D. the full-plane parachute

5.What's the best title for the passage?

A. Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Corner.
B. Which to Choose: A Ferraris or a Car Plane?
C. A more Convenient and Cheaper Way to Fly.
D. Cars With Wings Can Fly as Fast as Planes.

     Barcelona December 22,2007.
     Spain's "El Gordo," the word's biggest lottery (彩票), gave out 2.2 billion euros (歐元) (1.6 billion pounds)
in Christmas prizes on Saturday.
     El Gordo, Spanish for "The Fat One", is designed so that as many people as possible across Spain get a
festive windfall. The top prize this year was 3 million euros -- going to the series of tickets with the magic
number 06381.
     Because the tickets are sold in a series of 10, only those who paid 200 euros for the whole strip get the
full prize.
     The biggest share of winning tickets was bought by people in the town of Nava, in the north-western
Asturias region.
     The draw lasts three-and-a-half hours and is carried live on national television with children from the San
Ildefonso school, a former orphanage in Madrid, in turn chanting the winning numbers and the amount won.
     Lotteries have two centuries of history in Spain. The country spent 2.87 billion euros on the lottery -- 5.7
percent more than last year. Seventy percent is paid out in prizes. Most of the rest goes in costs. Eight out of
ten Spaniards bought tickets for the lottery, spending on average 64 euros. Spaniards often choose lottery
numbers matching significant dates although there was no particular favourite in 2007. In 2006, one of the
most sought-after series was 22105, the date on which Fernando Alonso became Formula 1 world champion
for the second year running.

1. The underlined word "windfall" in paragraph two probably means _____.

A. fat gift
B. unexpected fortune
C. big feast
D. wind and snow

2. Who is likely to win the full prize in El Gordo?

A. People who paid 200 euros for the wole group of series.
B. People who bough tickets with the magic number 06381.
C. People who lived in a town in the northwestern Asturias.
D. People who chose lottery numbers matching Alonso's date.

3. According to the text, children from the San Ildefonso School in Madrid will _____.

A. host the draw of lottery live on TV
B. offer a show of three-and-a-half hours
C. perform with the lottery draw as Christmas celebration
D. help make some declarations for the draw as invited guests

4. What can we learn about the history of lotteries in Spain?

A. Most of the money people spent on lotteries goes in the cost.
B. The majority of Spaniards have the experience of buying lotteries.
C. Lottery numbers matching significant dates help people win every year.
D. As the biggest in the world, Spanish lotteries have a history of two centuries.

     A child-like robot. Wakamaru, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and combining the roles
of nurse, companion and security guard, will soon be in the market to look after the growing number of old
people with no one to look after them.
     Cameras fixed under the "eyebrows" of the robot enable it to "see" as it moves around in a house. The
images can be sent to the latest mobile phones, which can show the pictures. Wakamaru speaks with either
the voice of a boy or a girl. It is also designed to provide companionship, saying hello to its "papa" when he
comes home. Based on a vocabulary of around 10,000 words, it is the first household robot which is able to
hold simple conversations. It can not only speak, but also understand answers and react accordingly. It will
ask "Are you all right?" if its owner doesn't move for some time. If the answer is no, or there is no answer, it
will telephone preset numbers, send images and work as a speakerphone. It can recognize up to 10 faces and
be set to tell forgetful people when it is time to take medicine, eat and sleep.
     However, like most robots, it cannot climb stairs. Mitsubishi developed Wakamaru from robots which have
already been made to go around nuclear power facilities."Looking at the ageing of society and the falling birth
rate we decided that this could work as a business. We want to offer it as a product that helps society,"said the
project chief. The developers plan to sell the robot from April this year at between5,000 and 6,000 pounds.
     The life expectancy (壽命) of Japanese women has shot up to almost 85, the highest in the world. At the
same time, large families are being replaced by nuclear families. This has left many Japanese anxious about
their elderly parents. Therefore, the technology has gained nation-wide publicity in Japan.

1. The passage is written with the purpose to _____.

A. introduce a new robot
B. solve the ageing problem
C. tell people the rapid development of technology
D. tell people how to use the robot

2. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. the robot can dial proper number for help
B. the robot is likely to have a promising market
C. the robot enables the Japanese to live longer
D. many elderly Japanese are anxious about their future

3. The underlined part "nuclear families"in the last paragraph probably means "_____ ".

A. families with nuclear power facilities
B. small families without a parent
C. families with children and old people
D. families with parents and their children only

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Latest Development of Robot
B. Japanese Robot and the Ageing Society
C. Large Market of the New Robot
D. Japan-made Robot Helps the Old

     In 1837, the historian Carlyle made the first recorded use of the word "queue" (排隊). He spoke of the
French and their "habit of standing in a queue". Forty years later Paris was the best place to wait in line.
     However, queuing became popular in Britain too. The Second World War was the golden age of queuing,
and people joined any line in the hope that it was a queue for something to buy. This was the source of many
Second World War jokes:
      Shopkeeper to customer: Excuse me, miss, are you pregnant (懷孕)?
     Customer: Well, I wasn't when I joined the queue.
     Today, according to research in America, we (in Britain) can spend up to 5 years of our lives queuing-as
compared to twelve months looking for things we have lost. But things may be changing. Many people no
longer have the patience to stand in a queue. The law of the jungle (叢林) has begun to operate at bus stops,
with people using their arms to push others out of the way.
     One way to make life easier is to introduce "queue management". Customers at supermarket cheese
counters can now take a ticket with a number which appears on a screen when it is their turn. And while they
wait for their number, they can do a bit of shopping. In some booking offices there is also a system telling
customers how long they may have to wait before they are served.
     One of the latest technical progress is the use of an electronic scanner (電子識別器) which can read all
the contents of your shopping basket or trolley in just a few seconds. If these become popular, queuing in
supermarkets may become a thing of the past.
     But some people just like queuing. One man queued all night for Harrods famous January sale, and then
returned home for breakfast at nine o' clock the next morning without going into the shop.

1. The joke in Paragraph 2 implies that the young woman ______.

A. has been waiting in the queue for a long time
B. doesn't need to stand in the queue
C. enjoys standing in the queue
D. has stood in the wrong line

2. According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. The British spend more time queuing than looking for lost things.
B. The Americans criticized the British for their way of queuing.
C. The British are always patient when they wait in line.
D. People queue only when they want to buy something.

3. The British try to solve the problem of queuing by all the following EXCEPT _____.

A. making a law to prevent queuing
B. telling the customers the waiting time
C. using numbered tickets to put the customers in order
D. checking the price of the goods customers buy with a scanner

4. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. queue management doesn't work well
B. there is still queuing in England
C. we don't see much queuing in Paris
D. the French like queuing more than the British

     The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it
kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.
     Many wrong ideas about the Atlantic made early sailors unwilling to sail far out into it. One idea was
that it reached out to "the edge of the world" . Sailors were afraid that they might sail off the earth.
Another idea was that at the equator (赤道) the ocean would be boiling hot.
     The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the Pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000
miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,00 miles (3,200
km) wide.
     Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so large an ocean it has few islands. Also,
it is the world's saltiest ocean.
     There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no
more rain fell into it and no more water was brought to it by rivers, it would take the ocean about more
than 4,000 years to dry up. On the average, the water is a little more than two miles (3.2km) deep, but in
some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246
feet-almost six miles (9.6km).
     One of the longest mountain ranges of the world rises from the floor of the Atlantic. This mountain
range runs north and south down the middle of the ocean. The tops of a few of the mountains reach up
above the sea and make islands.
     Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea.
Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. In the days of sailing vessels(船) the crew were afraid they would be becalmed (can't move) here. Sometimes they were.
     Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is, however, not always a smooth and safe one. Storms
sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the far North across the paths of
ships.
     We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus
sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four
days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in
four!

1. What caused people to be unwilling to explore the Atlantic?

A. There were no ships big enough to get across the Ocean.
B. Sailors were afraid of being lost in the Ocean.
C. The Atlantic Ocean was very unusual because it has few islands and the saltiest water.
D. Many incorrect ideas such as "the edge of the world", "the equator with boiling hot
     water" made people think the Ocean was full of danger.

2. What is the main idea of the fifth paragraph?

A. How deep the water is.              
B. How to measure the water in the Atlantic.
C. How much water the ocean holds.    
D. How rain affects the Ocean water.

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

A. High road  
B. Broad way  
C. Fast road  
D. Main water way

4. Why does the writer think "this big ocean seems to have grown smaller"?

A. The water in the ocean is becoming less.
B. We have more and more advanced traveling tools now
C. The distance between the ocean and us is shorter.
D. The steamship has a higher speed.

     Money really can't buy happiness. According to a new survey, lawyers and   1   well-paid
white-collar workers were more likely to suffer from depression. A national survey of more than 7500
professionals has found that almost one   2   ten reported moderate (中度) to severe depressive
symptoms. The legal profession had the worst result,   3   almost 16 percent reporting symptoms of
clinical depression (臨床抑郁癥). Next  4  (be) accountants and insurance underwriters, both on 10
percent. People in IT services, architecture and engineering also had depression rates above the average.
     The survey conducted by Beyondblue, an organization   5   (devote) to fighting depression, also
showed that   6   under 30 who had the   7   (high) rates of depression were the most likely to
"self-medicate" with drugs and alcohol. Dr. Nicole Highet, a psychologist, said the survey was first to
reveal the extent of the problem. "We often associate depression with the most socially disadvantaged
and people under   8   (finance) pressure,   9   here's a whole different group." Dr. Highet said, She said
while it was difficult to know exactly  10  made some groups more prone to depression, they were likely
to be driven by work pressure.

     There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have
generally viewed personal growth as an external (外在的) result or a product that can easily be identified
and measured. The worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns
a new language-all these examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts．
     By contrast (對照) , the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it is a
journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but
the attitudes, feelings people have , and their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and
unexpected difficulties. In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to
experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept．
     In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the
unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may "fail" at first. How we see ourselves as we try a
new way of being is necessary for our ability to grow．Do we see ourselves as quick and curious? If
so, we tend to take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences. Do we think we're shy
and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly, and we think we are
slow to adapt to change or that we're not smart enough to deal with a new challenge．Then we are likely
to take a more passive role or not try at all.
     These feelings of insecurity (不安全) and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to
change and grow. If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing. We become trapped inside a
shell of our own making．

1. In the author's eye, one who views personal growth as a process would ____.

A. succeed in climbing up the social ladder  
B. grow up from his own achievements
C. face difficulties and take up challenges  
D. aim high and reach his goal each time

2. Which of the following can be viewed as the process of personal growing?  

A. Our manager was always willing to accept new challenges．
B. Jane won the first prize in the speech competition．
C. Jerry picked up French during his stay in Paris．
D. Father's salary rose from 5, 000 to 7,000．

3. For personal growth, the author is in favor of all the following EXCEPT _______.

A. being curious about more changes
B. being quick in self-adaptation
C. having an open mind to new experiences
D. staying away from failures and challenges

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?  

A. It is not so easy to measure personal growth．
B. To try and fail on the new road facing the unknown is unavoidable．
C. There are only two ways to see a person's growth．
D. If you are too shy to take any risks in life, you cannot grow up．  

5. The best title for this passage should be ______.

A. Facing New Challenges    
B. Growth-Product or Process
C. Two Basic Ways of Growth    
D. Overcoming Internal Fears