How strange!These years my birthday always falls _____.

A.on the Sunday    B.on a Sunday    C.on Sunday  D.at a Sunday

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

  The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品雜貨），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

  I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

  People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影響）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

56. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

  A. The man’s job was bike racing.                 B. It was their only possession.

  C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.                        D. They used it for work and daily life.

57. We can infer from the text that ____________.

  A. the couple worked 60 hours a week.               B. people were busy before Christmas

  C. the stranger brought over the bike             D. life was hard for the young family.

58. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

 A. From radio broadcasts.                            B. From a newspaper.

 C. From TV news.                                      D. From a stranger.

59. What do the couple learn from their experience?

 A. Strangers are usually of little help.                    B. One should take care of their bike.

 C. News reports make people famous.              D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

It was very cold ____ they still went swimming.

A. although  B.but  C. however   D. though

—Where is Xiao Wang?

—I don't know．He__________ be in the library.

    A．can            B．must          C．might         D．may

How much should the man pay if he is to buy 2 shirts?

    A.90 dollars.     B.39 dollars     C .78 dollars.             

_____ and out of breath, we reached the top of the mountain and stopped _____ the beautiful scenery.

　　A. Tiring; to admire     B. Being tired; admiring

　　C. Tired; to admire      D. Tired; admiring

_____, the subject was always in my mind.

A. Walking or sleeping       B. Walking or slept

C. Having walked or slept    D. To walk and sleep

BEIJING, China (CNN)-- China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday--in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.

Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound (反彈) in 2009.

Since 2001, China has been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.

Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.

Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure (基礎設施的建設) is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.

Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.

Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.

For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007.

1. Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth China has seen is ___.

    A. 6.8%    B. 8.8%    C. 9%    D. 11.9%

2. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is ____.

    A. export    B. infrastructure    C. consumer confidence   D. consumer spending

3. Which of the following is NOT the difficulty China is facing?

    A. Tens of thousands of factories have closed.

    B. Millions of people are looking for jobs.

    C. An uncertain number of migrant workers may be leaving cities forever.

    D. The terrible situation will erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009.

4. In which quarter of 2008 did the slowdown of China's economic growth first appear?

    A. 1st.    B. 2nd.    C. 3rd.    D. 4th.

5. The best title of this passage should be _____.

    A. China's Economic Growth Slows.

    B. Economic Crisis in China.

    C. Economists Analyze China's Economy.

    D. Several Factors Determine China's Economy

Each of the students, working hard at his or her lessons,___to go to university.”  “So do I.”?

　　A. hope   B. hopes?  C. hoping   D. hoped??　　

       is known to all that Taiwan is part of China and it shall not be separated from the mainland.

  A. That         B. As           C. It             D. What