In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartments. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent-controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.

Some theorists argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low-paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. The price, which is the wage that employers must pay, increases. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics claim, an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.

Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.

Economic theory predicts the results of economic decisions such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be correct only if “other things are equal”. Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.

There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may      .

a. cause a shortage of apartments

b. worry those who rent apartments as homes

c. increase the profits of landlords

d. encourage landlords to invest in building apartment

According to the critics, rent control        .

a. will always benefit those who rent apartments

b. is unnecessary

c. will bring negative effects in the long run

d. is necessary under all circumstances

The problem of unemployment will arise        .

a. if the minimum wage is set too high

b. if the minimum wage is set too low

c. if the workers are unskilled

d. if the maximum wage is set

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

a. The results of economic decisions can not always be predicted.

b. Minimum wage can not always protect employees.

c. Economic theory can predict the results of economic decisions if other factors are not changing.

d. Economic decisions should not be based on economic theory.

I find it pleasant to be alone the greater part of the time; to be in company, even with the best, is soon tiresome and wasteful, and I never found a companion so companionable as solitude (独处).

We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad than when we stay in the meeting-rooms, for solitude is not measured by the miles of space between a man and his fellows.

The farmer, who can work alone all day without feeling lonesome, but must do something with others to get pleasure at night, wonders how the student can sit alone at night; he does not realize that the student, though in the house, is actually at work in his field and cutting his wood as the farmer was in his.

Society is commonly too cheap：We meet at very short intervals (间隔) ,not having had time to get any new value for each other; we meet at meals three times a day and give each other a new taste of that unpleasant old cheese; we live thick and are in each other’s way, and I think that we thus lose some respect for one another.

We have had to agree on a certain set of rules, called etiquette and politeness, to make this frequent meeting tolerable (可忍受的); certainly less frequency would be enough for all important and hearty communications between men.

It would be better if there were but one to live within a square mile, as where I live ,for as the value of a man is not in his skin, we need not touch him.

72．The writer uses the example of the farmer and the student to show that _____.

A．men need to do something for pleasure after their work.

B．men are not lonely when they are working.

C．solitude is necessary for a student.

D．people have different ideas of solitude.

73．When the writer says：“Society is commonly too cheap” he means that ______.

A．we meet not frequently enough so we don’t understand each other well.

B．we eat cheap food and live a simple life so we don’t feel very happy.

C．our lives are too regular for us to find any happiness in them.

D．people don’t have enough hearty communication to realize the value in others

74．The writer’s opinion on the value of a man is that _____.

A．it is made too low by the rules of etiquette and politeness.

B．it can be discovered through frequent physical touch.

C．it can be found in a man’s appearance.

D．it doesn’t lie in physical touch.

75．The writer almost believes that ______.

A．a student and a farmer have no idea of solitude.

B．the same life we live every day is the cause of man’s loneliness.

C．etiquette and politeness are rules that make frequent meetings tolerable.

D．less frequent meetings can make us more clear about the value of men.

School violence is in the headlines again after recent shootings at schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado. After hearing the news, it’s natural for students — no matter how old they are or where they go to school — to worry about whether this type of incident may someday happen to them.

    So how safe are schools? It’s actually safer to be in a school than in a car. Twice as many 15-to-19-year-olds die in car accidents than in shootings (and that’s all shootings, not just the ones that happen in schools). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all homicides (杀人罪) among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. So the vast majority of students will never experience violence at school.

    However, some schools have re-evaluated their safety needs in response to the concerns of families and communities. Some now require that guests check in at the office or have more guards on duty. Some schools have fixed metal detectors. Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools have practiced programs to fight these problems and to help teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from this type of violence.

    The cause of school violence isn’t easy to understand. There is no single reason why students become violent. Some are just copying behavior they’ve seen at home, in the streets, or in video games, movies, or television. There’s one thing experts do agree on, though: Having access to guns or other weapons makes it easier for some people to lash out against the things or people they don’t like.

Which of the following statements can prove that schools are safe?

A. About 99% of 15- to-19-year-olds are safe at school.

B. Fewer students have died in car accidents than in shootings.

C. Students shot to death at school are half of all students.

D. Fatal shootings of students are less than 1% of all homicides.

After schools have re-evaluated their safety needs, ________.

A. families will be more concerned about schools

B. communities will be responsible for schools

C. teachers will pay more attention to shootings

D. administrators will arrange to have more guards on duty

From the last paragraph we can conclude that ______.

A. experts have found no reason for school violence

B. students with weapons are easily upset about things

C. school violence could be copied from violence in society

D. no single reason makes students violent

We could probably see this passage in ______.

A. an analysis report                 B. a realistic novel

C. a case investigation              D. a news journal

（C）
Texas——US President George W．Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to bridge their differences over a key arms control treaty last week, but that didn’t stop them from backslapping（喧闹的狂欢） as they ended a summit．
The two leaders also offered differing interpretations of the fate of nuclear warheads to be removed from missiles under arms reductions they each announced last week．Bush said he intended to destroy the warheads, but Putin said their fate should be negotiated．
The two men untied on the need for Northern Alliance forces——to allow for a broad based government that respects all parties there．
Bush and Putin had spent the night at Bush’s ranch．Despite the rain, the rural environment and friendly company appeared to have worked its magic．They slapped on the back and joked, at one point teasing each other about whether it is better to visit Texas in the heat of August or Siberia in winter．
Analysts say the dramatic warming in US-Russian relation could herald（预示） an era of pragmatism（务实的想法或做法） in global affairs as the two old rivals finally end decades of hostility and become friends．
“Washington and Moscow are no longer playing the ‘big game’ against each other, but with each other,” said Karl Heniz Kamp, an analyst at the Konrad Adenanaer Foundation，a German think tank．
72．It can be concluded that President Bush and President Putin__________．
A．didn’t agree on key arms control treaty
B．offered different explanations of the future of nuclear warheads under arms reductions
C．neither A or B
D．both A and B
73．The reason why the two men joined together is that．
A．they were needed by the Northern Alliance forces
B．they had taken the advice given by Karl Heniz Kamp, an analyst of German think tank．
C．they had already been partners
D．they had no different opinions on everything
74 The warming of US-Russian relations indicates that_______．
A．the two persons end hostility and become friends
B．US can benefit a lot from global affairs
C．there will be an end to all the armies of the world
D．it is a turning point to words being practical in global affairs
75．What the two men teased about shows that___________．
A．they appeared friendly but in fact they didn’t
B．they just made fun of each other
C．they are friendly and humorous
D．they invited each other to their countries in the bad weather

第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中(A、B、c和D)00，选出最佳选项，并在答卡上将该项涂黑。
Ryan  and Lowry had been friends  since high school，  but it wasn’t until after college
that they hit on the idea of a home—care-products company．“We were shocked to learn how  toxic  cleaning  products  were，”  says  Ryan．  Why  couldn’t they  create  green products that would be just as environmentally pure as Aveda’s skin—and—hair—care lines?
When Ryan’s mom heard about the plan，she stared at him blankly: “I’ve never even seen  you  clean your room!” Not discouraged，Lowry experimented with  nontoxic ways to clean．  while  Ryan  focused on marketing．  In  February 2001，they  mixed their first four   cleaning  sprays  and  convinced the  managers  of  20  grocers to try them·  Once  they had their  approval，they tapped  friends  and  family  and pooled their  savings to  come  up  with $90，000 in seed money．
From the start，“Go big or go home’’was their mantra(口头禅)．Their first financing— that $l million—was due to be signed on September 11, 2001. By the time they got it, two months later，says Ryan, "we had$16 in the bank and personally owed$300，000·”
Seeking a national retailer(零售商)proved just as troublesome．The friends set their sights on Target，known for its trendy，affordable goods．“But Target didn’t like the product or the brand，”recalled Ryan．“We thought the deal was dead，but then a new buyer saw that even though we weren’t selling big volumes, we were  profitable, just on a smaller scale．”They won over Target．
Consumers  were  hooked  on the  natural things  and  wonderful  fragrance. Today，the partners sell 130 products in more than 8,000 stores，and taxes are over$100 million. Such  rapid  growth has  at times  stressed the  men’s  friendship． “Eric  and  I  agree on ‘what’  but  never  on‘how，’”  says Lowry．  “Although  we  are  willing to  challenge  each  other，we come up with interesting and smarter solutions．There’s little fire and ice between us·
56．The underlined word“toxic”in Paragraph 1 most probably means——·
A．poisonous    B．dirty    C．expensive   D．troublesome
57．When Ryan told his mom his plan, ___________.
A．he knew his mom was sure to support him
B．his mom asked him to clean his room
C．his mom suspected his ability
D．he was discouraged by his mom
58．We can learn：from the third paragraph that __________________．
A．Ryan and Lowry wanted to gave up and go home at first
B．their plan didn’t go smoothly at the very beginning
C．they made profit two months later after their first financing
D．$1 million was not enough as their seed money
59．The partners’cleaning products are sold very well because——．
A．the products are made of natural material and smell nice
B．their friends and family offered to use their products
C．they cooperated with a well—known national retailer
D．they convinced 20 grocer managers to try them
60．It can be inferred from the—passage that——．
A．Aveda’s skin—and—hair-care lines are not so successful as Ryan and Lowry’s
B．Target is a famous environment-friendly cleaning brand
C．The friends "cooperation with Target was very successful
D．The partners get on well with each other in their business