In Germany, English expressions are used in conversations and increasingly in written form. Advertisements are often expressed completely in English. When I go to the gym, there are “aerobic-classes (增氧健身法课程)”. We “warm up”. We go “jogging.” In business, we attend a “meeting” and we have “good connections.”

Other nations, like France, have taken action to protect their language from the influence of “Americanization”. In Germany, however, there is concern that those rules could be connected with Hitler’s Third Reich (帝国), when the language had to be pure. If the government curbed（限制）the use of English words now, this could be considered by some as a return to that terrible past.

Some German citizens are now trying to stop the use of English vocabulary in German. However, I think generally it is not a big deal to use some common English expressions as they often describe things more directly. But we should know that it is important to use English correctly. All too often, bad English is spoken or even written instead of good German. The proper use of the German language would be the better choice. However, there are some fields that require the use of English words, for example, in the high-tech communication and the Internet fields, there is no alternative to English. Also, I think sometimes I have to speak English when I introduce some scenic places to tourists.

I think you have to find a balance and decide when it is better to use good German in place of bad English or when the use of correct English words is more suitable. Languages have always changed naturally, and I disagree with a restriction by law. Some nice expressions borrowed from other languages can make a conversation more vivid.

69. By giving many examples in the first paragraph, the writer shows that __________.

A. most Germans have no difficulty in understanding English

B. English is more and more widely used in Germany

C. it is more convenient to use English in some situations

D. English has completely replaced German in Germany

70. From the passage, we can learn that when Hitler was in power, _________ in Germany.

A. all languages except English could be used

B. some foreign languages could be used

C. only the upper class could speak English

D. only the German language could be used

71. What job does the writer probably do?

A. A travel guide     B. A lawyer       C. A computer engineer     D. A teacher

72. What is the writer’s attitude towards the use of English in Germany?

A. There should be a law to protect the German language

B. It is foolish for Germans to worry about their native language

C. Germans should be encouraged to speak more English

D. Proper use of English can make conversations more colorful

    A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.

    First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible,  a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose.  But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.

    Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility, to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.

    In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows,  this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.

    One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.

    To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

   A. The problems faced by the old in society.

   B. Why we should take responsibility for the old.

   C. How we can improve the lives of the old.

   D. Where the old can go to get their pensions.

3. According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

   A. Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.

   B. Increase savings levels of people during their working years.

   C. Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.

   D. Make available pensions for those who have retired.

3. The underlined word "viable" most probably means"        ".

   A. impossible     B. practical    C. useful   D. successful

4. What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?

   A. To point out the need for government support for old people.

   B. To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.

   C. To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.

   D. To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.

After we meet people it is up to us to make them our friends．Let us stop a moment and consider what really makes a friend．The major qualities like faithfulness, devotion, friendly company, flash through our minds．But it is the large number of very small particular qualities that make up one’s whole character, such as cheerfulness, friendliness, and punctuality (守时).After all, “ to make a friend, be a friend” is not such a big and difficult order．There are particular favorable qualities, which attract others to us, and some elements which do have an effect on people in fundamental psychology(基础心理学) or not.

If you are in the presence of a shy person, talking and asking casual (随意的) questions may bring him out of his shell．Think of what would be most acceptable to the other person, for you to talk, or to listen．Either way the goal is to make yourself pleasant.

Always remember to listen, but listen intelligently．To have anyone “ hang on our words” is the most unnoticeably clever way in the world to please somebody．For a few extremely happy seconds we are the centre of attraction, but when it is our turn to be audience, let us remember how we felt as the actor, and let’s be genuinely (真正地) interested in what the other fellow is saying.

Other people will like us, if we like them．If you want friends, keep your mind and heart open to friendship．Be alive to the other person’s world.

This passage is mainly about_________________.

     A．the ways of talking to a shy person

     B．some favorable qualities to be a psychologist

     C．how to make yourself attractive to your listeners

     D．how to make a friend and be a friend

The words “ bring him out of his shell” in this passage most probably means ____.

     A．make him become active    

       B．make him feel more nervous

     C．help him understand the question better

     D．help him listen intelligently

According to the passage, an important way in making friends is to ________.

     A．attract them               B．be attracted 

       C．listen attentively            D．talk widely

The words “ Be alive to” in the last sentence of this passage most probably means________.

     A．be aware of                 B．keep with   

       C．deal with             D．be ignorant of

My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. While the other coats drooped, this one looked as if it were   36  itself up. The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a(an)  37  price of $28, which was popular just then with   38  , but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better, bearing that   39  of classic elegance. John tried it on and the fit was perfect.
John   40  the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big smile "Did the kids like your coat?" I asked. "They loved it," he said,   41  folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a   42  came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness and reasoned discussion replaced fierce   43 . He became more mannerly and   44 , eager to please. He would generously loan his younger brother his tapes and lecture him   45  his behavior.
When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and   46  what caused the changes, she said laughing. "It   47  be his coat!" Another teacher told him she was giving him a good   48  not only because he had earned   49  but because she liked his coat. At the library, we ran into a friend “Could this be John?" he asked surprisingly,   50  John's new height, assessing the cut of his coat and extending his hand, one gentleman to another.
John and I both know we should never   51  a person's clothes for the real person within them.   52  there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for   53  what is on the inside to what is on the outside.
For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different approaches to   54  as it is to try on a coat. The whole world, the whole future is stretched out ahead, a vast landscape   55  all the doors are open. And he could picture himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.

The Red Panda isn’t much bigger than an average size house cat. At first you may think it’s a bear because of its name. They’re actually a member of the raccoon(浣熊) family which you can tell if you look at their appearance. The Red Panda has a long bushy tail that is useful in two ways. It helps them stay balanced when they are high up in the trees and it keeps them warm in cold weather. Their fur is thick and reddish brown, which may be why they’re known as the fire fox.
The Red Panda can be found in forested mountains. They’re originally from the forested mountain in the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Southern China. Bamboo is the most important part of their diet. They only eat the young leaves and shoots (嫩芽) of a bamboo plant. Red Pandas have a very low metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate in order to deal with their low energy diet and cool environmental temperatures.
They’re very shy and gentle and don’t hang around the wild too much during the day. If they feel endangered, they’ll stand on their back legs and make a hissing(嘶嘶) sound. Red Pandas are good climbers and spend most of their time living mainly in trees. Their claws are very strong and help them hold onto the branches. They sleep in an unusual way by curling up tightly and wrapping their tails around their heads while sitting on a branch. Sometimes they’ll sleep with their head beneath their chest and behind their back feet. This is the same position as an American raccoon sleeps.
【小题1】You can tell that the Red Panda is a member of the raccoon family from ____.