A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.

“You are employed,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start. ”

The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail. ”

“I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job. ”

The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.

The man realized that he can survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.

He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan.

When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, “I don’t have an e-mail. ”

The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”

1.Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?

A．Because he was lazy.                     B．Because he didn’t pass the test.

C．Because he didn’t have an e-mail.          D．Because he didn’t have a computer.

2.The underlined word “triple” can be replaced by ______.

A．become large                          B．become 3 times

C．increase quickly                        D．decrease quickly

3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world.

B．The man didn’t give up though he failed the interview.

C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket.

D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft.

4.The man can be described as _______.

A．helpful and considerate                  B．positive and generous

C．smart and hardworking                   D．stubborn and unselfish

5.Which proverb can best describe the story?

A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing.

B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

C．Accidents will happen.

D．No pains , no gains.

11. According to the message board, Orion Books        .

A. opposes the reading of original classics           

B. is embarrassed for cutting down classics

C. thinks cut-down classics have a bright future       

D. is cautions in its decision to cut down classics

12. In Mr. Edwards’ opinion, Orion Group is shortening classics to        .

  A. make them easier to read            B. meet a large demand in the market

  C. increase the sales of literary books   D. compete with their original versions

13. By describing the shortened classics as “a breath of fresh air”, Ms. Weir        .

  A. speaks highly of the cut-down classics     

B. shows her love for original classics

  C. feels guilty of not reading the classics     

D. disapprove of shortening the classics

14. Mr. Crockatt seems to imply that        .

  A. reading the classic works is a confusing attempt

  B. shortening the classics does harm to the original

  C. publishing the cut-down classics is a difficult job

  D. editing the classic works satisfies children’s needs

15. How many classics are involved in the massage board?

A. Two.          B. Three.               C. Four.         D. Five.

Two Christmas traditions have come under attack in recent years from environmentalists: Christmas cards and Christmas trees.

Paper cards are seen as wasteful and, for some people, going card-free is another way of going green. They also argue that in a world of e-mail, Skype, Facebook and Twitter, people are in touch all the time anyway; they no longer need the yearly card that connects them with long lost friends. If you want to send Christmas greetings, there are free e-cards, which get the job done with no postage or wasted paper.

However, especially for people who didn’t grow up with e-mail, there is something missing from a Christmas e-mail. The first Christmas cards appeared in London in 1843 and were designed by the same man who had introduced the world’s first postage stamp three years earlier. His name was Sir Henry Cole.

They rose in popularity throughout the 20th century. Many people sent cards that were sold for charity. The most famous of these are the ones sold for UNICEF. In the UK this year, in the three weeks before Christmas, the post office expects to handle 100 million cards every day. Environmental awareness also means that nowadays many people recycle their cards; this helps raise money to plant more trees, as well as recreating more paper.

When we think of trees at Christmas, there is one that immediately springs(跃入)mind---the evergreen tree that people decorate with ornaments and place their presents under. The custom dates back almost a thousand years to Germany. Nowadays 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America and 50 to 60 million in Europe each year. Some trees are sold live with roots and soil so people can plant them later and reuse them next year.

Some people prefer artificial trees as they are reusable and much cheaper than their natural alternative. However, environmentalists point out that they are made from petroleum (石油) products and so have many pollution issues.

1.What is the main idea of the article?

A．To introduce the history of two typical Christmas traditions.

B．To explain the debate about some Christmas traditions.

C．To analyze how two Christmas traditions grew in popularity.

D．To point out the problems caused by celebrating Christmas.

2.What does the underlined word “They” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?

A．Many people       B．Christmas e-mails    C．Postage stamps     D．Christmas cards

3.Some people suggest getting rid of paper cards because     .

a. they cannot be recycled         b. they are not environmentally friendly

c. they are mostly sold for charity  d. the e-cards have many advantages over them

e. they are not as necessary as they used to be for people

A．a, b, d            B．a, c, d             C．b, d, e            D．b, c, e

4.What can we conclude from the article?

A．The first Christmas cards were designed earlier than the world’s first stamps.

B．This year has seen a dramatic drop in Christmas card sales.

C．Environmentalists advise people to buy cards that are sold for charity.

D．Growing environmental awareness is encouraging people to recycle their cards.

5.Which of the following statements in TRUE according to the article?

A．There is always a wider Christmas tree market in America than in Europe.

B．The custom of decorating Christmas trees first appeared in Britain.

C．Some people prefer to buy live trees that can be reused next year.

D．Artificial trees are better than natural ones in all aspects.

The car, running along the well-lit road now sank in darkness. I broke the   36     on purpose, for fear that the driver was too tired to drive. “When do you go back home in the evening?”“9 o’clock after this trip.” Then when do you come out in the morning?”I   37   another question. “9 o’ clock, too—just as if I worked at an office.” His easiness surprised me, because every time I ride a taxi, what I        38   from the driver are only complaints that they have to work from morning till night, it’s hard to earn money, they’re often  39  by the police, or that their leaders are seated   40  , enjoying the fruits. But this driver told me, “I find it   41  to be a section chief as I was before. I like driving just for pleasure. It’s fortunate that I      42   drive without a passenger. So I earn two or three thousand Yuan a month with ease. Yes, I never   43   an empty taxi. If it goes southward, I go northward. If it goes along a highway, I turn into a narrow street…”

His words showed his   44   with his life and the pride he   45   in his

job. Such feelings are so  46   among people nowadays as oxygen in high mountain. How many people nowadays can show high ideals by simple living and go far with a calm mind? I couldn’t help feeling moved when finding such a state of mind in a stranger on a cold  47  .

1.                A．window        B．car            C．silence   D．promise

2.                A．threw out       B．gave away       C．put up    D．led to

3.                A．suffer          B．request         C．benefit   D．hear

4.                A．detected       B．ordered        C．fined D．seized

5.                A．noisy          B．lazy            C．tired D．hungry

6.                A．exciting        B．disappointing    C．tiring D．amazing

7.                A．hardly          B．usually         C．actually   D．immediately

8.                A．follow          B．admire         C．envy D．meet

9.                A．intelligence     B．satisfaction      C．competition   D．honesty

10.               A．made          B．held           C．caught    D．took

11.               A．rare           B．comfortable     C．special    D．unique

12.               A．morning        B．night           C．moment   D．season

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US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is likely to visit China at an “ appropriate” time this year, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Colonel Tu Qiming, director of the American and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office at the National Defence Ministry, made the remark during Sino -US defence talks this week. This is the first ever “special defence policy dialogue” between the two defence ministries, according to the Chinese military.

●●●

FRANCES Agriculture Ministry has confirmed (证实) the first case of mad cow disease detected in a goat last Friday. The goat killed in 2002 tested positive for mad cow disease. It is the first case in the world of the fatal disease being found in an animal otwww..comher than a bovine. The human form of mad cow disease causes brain - wasting, personality change, loss of body function, and ends in death. The European Commission has not advised any change in farming and consuming goats, said the French Ministry in a statement published last Friday.

●●●

MOBILE phone sales hit a new record in 2004, with some 684 million units sold around the world, the US research institute Strategy Analytics said on Thursday. The number represents an increase of 32 per cent over 2003, when 571 million units were sold. Strategy Analytics predicts a more modest rise of 8 per cent for this year, to 735 million. Finnish cellphone provider Nokia stayed out in front in 2004, with sales of 207.6 million units, giving it a market share of 30.4 per cent. Motorola moved to No 2, just ahead of the South Korean company Samsung.

●●●

SIX male penguins (雄企鹅) at a German zoo are proving stubbornly resistant to females brought in from Sweden to make them into breeding (繁殖). Of the ten male penguins at the zoo, six have formed into " homosexual" couples and have shown no interest in the females, making breeding an impossibility. So the zoo imported the four female penguins from Sweden last month, full of hope that the new arrivals could “turn” the males. But so far, the boys are remaining strictly with the boys.

How many countries are mentioned in the pieces of news?

   A. Six.            B. Five.                 C. Three.           D. Seven.

From the fourth piece of news we know that           ．

   A. the scientists haven’t succeeded in doing their experiment

   B. the scientists have successfully got six female penguins into breeding

   C. the Sweden girls made the boys show interest in them

   D. German boys don’t like Sweden boys

Which of the following are the suitable headlines for the pieces of news?

   A. a. US Defence Secretary Visit Likely         B. a. US Defence Secretary Visit Likely

     b. France Confirms 'Mad Goat" Case            b. France Confirms ' Mad Goat" Case

     c. Nokia Stays on Top                        c. Mobile Phone Sales 

     d. Male Penguins and Female Penguins          d. Birds of a Feather

   C. a. Defence Policy Dialogue                 D. a. Sino - US Talks

     b. Mad Goat Disease                         b. Mad Goat Case

     c. Mobile Phone Sales                        c. Motorola' s Sales Reduced

     d. Importing Female Penguins                  d. Boys and Girls