In the past ten years, America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) has grown increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to supply players.

    When Michael Jordan and Larry Bird won gold in Barcelona in 1992, the Americans were praised for teaching the world how to play basketball. This season, however, 20 percent of NBA rosters（花名册） will be filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stem happily embraces the trend. On a visit to Paris in October, Stern outlined his vision for the future, which is likely to see Europe hosting NBA games by 2010.

The NBA is now planning to take China by storm.

“Our experience in China has been that it is going to be explosive in its growth,^” said Stem. The strategy (战略，策略)in China is television. ^“We^’ve made 14 deals in China with local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success of Chinese centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China. The NBA, which is broadcasted in more than 200 countries in 42 languages, will put that to the test in October 2004 when the Houston Rockets play two pre-season games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. The NBA knows that it needs a global market to condensate for tough times on home soil.

 “It doesn’t matter where the players come from, all the NBA teams now know that they have to scout（寻找，觅得） internationally,” said Terry Lyons, the NBA’s vice-president of international public relations. “It has increased the level of competition here.” As Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentine Emanuel Ginobili showed in winning championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs last season, many people can earn the respect of their American peers. Others, such as the Houston Rockets’ Chinese centre Yao Ming — number one draft pick in 2002 — and the Detroit Pistons’ 18-year-old Serb Darko Milicic — number two overall in this year’s draft — are icons（偶像）in-waiting. It is the ultimate（最后的，根本的） revolution — the rest of the world teaching the US how to play basketball.

1.According to the report,                 .

A. Michael Jordan is still playing a very important role in NBA

B. the part played by the foreign players in NBA will be great

C. Yao Ming is to play two pre-season games in NBA

D. European countries will host the 2004 NBA games

2.The underlined phrase “take China by storm” has the meaning of      _______ ___.

A. NBA intends to make China its “marketing center”

B. NBA is planning to set up some training centers in China

C. there’ll be a big storm when NBA comes to China to play against the Sacramento Kings

D. the NBA’s live basket games will be broadcasted on all the TVs in China

3.What seems to be the biggest change that is happening to NBA?

A. NBA is expecting more foreign players to join the league.

B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.

C. Yao Ming has taken the place of Michael Jordan.

D. The NBA will stop teaching the world how to play basketball.

4.When the writer talked of “home soil”, he was referring to        _        _.

A. farms in the States         B. native Americans

C. the NBA training center     D. the USA

5.Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?

A. The Non-American Basketball Players

B. NBA Is Coming to China

C. The Foreign Ties That Bind the NBA

D. NBA Is Making Big Progress

完成句子（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下列各小题，根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末内的英语单词完成句子，并将答案写在答题卡上的相应题号后。

____________________ (虽然很恼怒), the headmaster listened to us with great patience. (as)

When the American war of Independence ____________________ (使得不可能) for England to send prisoners to North America, Australia was chosen as a new place where prisoners and criminals were sent. (make)

In order to apply for the 2008 Olympic Games, they did _______________________________

(他们所能做的) to show that Beijing is suitable to host the world’s largest athletic event over the past 2 decades. (what)

____________________ (被分离) from other continents for millions of years, Australia has many plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. (separate)

I’m trying to catch up with my classmates. If only I ____________________ (没有落后) them! (fall)

With each classroom ____________________ (装上) a computer, the students have easy access to whatever information they are in want of. (equip)

There are many kinds of birds on the island, and over 140 species of snakes, _______________ (其中许多) are extremely dangerous. (many)

In later years, the question arose who was the first ___________________ (登上顶峰) of Mount Qomolangma. (reach)

The town has changed beyond recognition; now it is ____________________ (五倍大) what it was 20 years ago. (size)

As is reported in the newspaper, dozens of people were arrested but none of them ___________ (被指控) the robbery. (charge)

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

A

BEIJING—Beijing is to spend up to us $ 20 billion to change the Chinese capital into a 21st century one for the 2008 Olympics.

The government manages to host the 2008 games. The general aim is for Beijing to have the same environmental standards as Paris, London or Washington by 2008.

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent to pipe natural gas to the city’s home, taking away dirty coal burning gradually while 60,000 buses will be changed to liquefied(液化的)gas.

The money also will be used for relocating(重新部署) the polluting factories and building green belts. By 2008 around 90 percent of Beijing’s waste will be treated, compared to only 40 percent at present.

Olympic officials have already announced that around 50 large projects are being dealt with to improve traffic congestion(拥堵) and cut down pollution. They include construction of Beijing’s first light railway, a 40.5-kilometer line which is expected to be completed in 2006.

Beijing, besides, plans to build an 82.25-kilometer-long subway to add to the existing 53 kilometers. Nine major roads will be rebuilt or widened.

Beijing also plans to build a 70-meter-wide green belt along the waterways to protect water quality as well as increase the green areas.

56．The government will pipe natural gas to the city’s home in order to_________.

A．solve the problem of being short of fuel

B．reduce the pollution of our capital

C．bring down the cost of daily life

D．keep up with the development of modern society

57．From the last three paragraphs we know the fact that _________.

A．lengthening the existing 53-kilometer subway is among the 50 large projects

B．a 40.5-kilometre line will be added to Beijing’s first light railway

C．the length of the subway will be up to 135.25 kilometers in 2006

D．a 70-meter-wide green belt will supply us with enough water

58．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The environment of London is better than Toronto.

B．In the first paragraph “a 21st century one” refers to a modern and advanced capital.

C．Beijing is badly polluted mainly by coal burning

D．Liquefied gas is more expensive than petrol.

59．This news report mainly talks about ___________.

A．how Beijing is becoming a 21st century city

B．how many projects are being dealt with to improve traffic of Beijing

C．how Beijing is being built into a first class Olympic host city

D．the use of the 20 billion US dollars

完成句子（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下列各小题，根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末内的英语单词完成句子，并将答案写在答题卡上的相应题号后。

1.____________________ (虽然很恼怒), the headmaster listened to us with great patience. (as)

2.When the American war of Independence ____________________ (使得不可能) for England to send prisoners to North America, Australia was chosen as a new place where prisoners and criminals were sent. (make)

3.In order to apply for the 2008 Olympic Games, they did _______________________________

(他们所能做的) to show that Beijing is suitable to host the world’s largest athletic event over the past 2 decades. (what)

4.____________________ (被分离) from other continents for millions of years, Australia has many plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. (separate)

5.I’m trying to catch up with my classmates. If only I ____________________ (没有落后) them! (fall)

6.With each classroom ____________________ (装上) a computer, the students have easy access to whatever information they are in want of. (equip)

7.There are many kinds of birds on the island, and over 140 species of snakes, _______________ (其中许多) are extremely dangerous. (many)

8.In later years, the question arose who was the first ___________________ (登上顶峰) of Mount Qomolangma. (reach)

9.The town has changed beyond recognition; now it is ____________________ (五倍大) what it was 20 years ago. (size)

10.As is reported in the newspaper, dozens of people were arrested but none of them ___________ (被指控) the robbery. (charge)

       阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为16—25的相应位置上。

London was awarded __16__ 2012 Olympic Games on Wednesday, __17___ (defeat) European rival Paris in the final round of voting to take the games back to British capital __18___ the first time since 1948.

__19___ Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated (淘汰) in the first three rounds London beat Paris 54 : 50 on the fourth ballot(投票表决) of the IOC.

In London crowds cheered and waved flags as __20___ watched the announcement from Singapore __21___ a giant screen in Trafalgar Square and in the east London area __22___ the main Olympic complex (建筑群) will be based.

Blair spent two days in lobbying(游说) in Singapore __23__ leaving to host the G8 summit (8国峰会) in Scotland. “My promise to you is that we will be your very __24___ (good) partners,” Blair said.

It’s the fourth bid (申办) from Britain after __25___ (fail) attempts(尝试；企图) by Birmingham for the 1992 Olympics and Manchester for the 1996 and 2000.