Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

The central problem of economics is to satisfy the people's and nation's wants.

The problem we faced with is that our resources, here identified as money are __50__. The only way we can solve the problem is to make choices. After looking at our resources, we must examine our list of __51__ and identify the things we need immediately, those we can postpone, and __52__ we cannot afford. As individuals, we face the central problem involved in economics---deciding how to allocate(分配) our limited resources to provide __53__ with greatest satisfaction of our wants.

Nations face the same problem. As a country's population __54__, the need for more goods and services grows correspondingly. Resources necessary to production may increase, but there are __55__ enough resources to satisfy the total desires of a nation. Whether the budget meeting is taking place in the family living room, in the conference room of the corporation __56__ of directors, or in the chamber of the House of Representatives in Washington, the basic problem still exists. We need to find __57__ of allocating（分配） limited resources in order to satisfy unlimited wants.

A short time ago, economists divided goods into two categories, free and economic. The former, like air and water, were in __58__ abundance(丰富) that economists had___59____ them. After all, economics is the __60__ of scarcity and what to do about it. Today many of these "free goods" are __61_ very expensive to use. Population has made clean air and water expensive for producers extra cost, and __62__ taxpayers who pay for the government's involvement in cleaning the environment.

In the 1990s, almost all goods are __63__. Only by effort and money can they be obtained .

Meeting needs of people and the demands from resource available __64__ the basic activity of production. In trying to meet unlimited wants from limited economic goods, production leads to new problems in economics.

50.A. limited    B. unlimited     C. scarcity       D. abundant

51.A. want       B. problem      C. wants          D. resources

52.A. those      B. some C. others         D. many

53.A. them       B. themselves C. ourselves    D. ours

54.A. expand   B. extends        C. grows          D. increase

55.A. always    B. sometimes          C. often D. never

56.A. management         B. function      C. board           D. group

57.A. people    B. economists C. way     D. methods

58.A. so   B. great   C. such    D. such an

59.A. much concern forB. no concern with     C. no concern for     D. much concern in

60.A. form        B. study C. means         D. source

61.A. possibly          B. in practice C. in fact          D. practically

62.A. from       B. at        C. for       D. with

63.A. plentiful          B. scarce         C. abundant    D. in full supply

64.A. are led to       B. leading to   C. lead to         D. leads to

The story of Madame Tussaud is as fascinating as that of the exhibition itself. From a housekeeper's daughter to a successful business woman, her life has all the marks of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Madam Tussaud was born in 1761 and named Marie Grosholtz. Her father was killed in battle only two months before Mane's birth. For the first five years of her life, Marie lived in Berne with her mother, who worked as housekeeper for Dr Philippe Curtius. A doctor, with a talent for wax modeling, Curtius became her teacher.

It was Curtius who opened the original wax exhibition in Paris in 1770 and introduced Marie to some famous people. At only 17, she modeled the famous writer Francois Voltaire, followed by a portrait of American statesman Benjamin Franklin when he was in Paris as US ambassador. Both figures are still on display at Madame Tussaud's, London today.

Her work at Curtius successful wax exhibition led to an invitation to the court of Louis XVI and his queen. For nine years she lived at the palace of Versailles guiding the artistic education of the king's sister. Meanwhile the French Revolution was about to erupt. Aware of the political  nrest,Philippe Curtius called Marie back to Paris. Marie7 s connection with the royal family made her guilty. Both she and her mother were arrested. After she was set free, Marie was forced to make death masks (a death mask is a model of a dead person's face, made by coving their face with a soft substance and letting it become hard) of executed (被处决的) nobles. Many were former friends at court, including her former employers, the king and queen.

By 1800 Marie was married with two young children and a poor business inherited from Curtius. Madame Tussaud made the decision to take her exhibition on tour. In 1802, she left France. For the next 33 years, Madame Tussaud traveled the British Isles, exhibiting her growing collection of portraits. In those pre-television days, this was the only way most people had direct contact with the famous people of the time. The exhibition became permanently based in London in 1835, moving to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884. Her last work, a remarkable self – portrait that is still on show, was completed only eight years before her death aged 89.

1.The underlined part in Para. 1 implies that Madame Tussaud’s life was         .

2.Marie got a job at that court of Louis XVI because of        .

3.Marie was arrested during the French Revolution because         .

4.The last paragraph is mainly about         .

5.According toe the passage, how many of the following statements about Marie are TREU?

a. She hadn’t seen his father since she was born.

b. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.

c. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.

d. She guided the artistic education of the king’s daughter.

e. In 1842, she completed her last work.

Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蜡) in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or people as it leads them to the nest. When they
finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
【小题1】Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?

Have you ever heard the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.”? This is a good rule to follow when trying to judge the intelligence of others. Some people have minds that shine only in certain situations. A young man with an unusual gift in writing may find himself speechless before a pretty girl when he speaks. He may not be able to find the right words. But don’t make the mistake of thinking him stupid. With a pen and paper, he can express himself better than anybody else.

    Other people may fool you into overestimating(过高估计) their intelligence by putting up a good front. A student who listens attentively and takes notes in class is bound to (一定会) make a favourable impression on his teachers. But when it comes to exams, he may score near the bottom of the class.

     In a word, you can’t judge someone by appearance. The only way to determine a person’s intelligence is to get to know him. Then you can see how he reacts to different situations. The more situations you see, the better your judgment is likely to be. So take your time. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

1. The passage suggests that ______.

     A. a good writer may not be a good speaker   

     B. a good writer is always a good speaker

     C. a speechless person always writes well   

     D. a good writer will find himself speechless

2. According to this passage, a student who listens attentively and takes notes

in class ______.

     A. is an intelligent student

     B. may not be an intelligent student

     C. will score better in exams

     D. will not be a good student

3. The passage suggests that we should judge a per-son’s intelligence through

______.

     A. his teachers

     B. his deeds in the classroom

     C. his appearance

     D. his reactions to different situations

4. The writer of this passage wants to tell us not to______.

     A. judge a book by its cover

     B. make the mistake of thinking a young man stupid

     C. overestimate a student’s intelligence

     D. judge a person’s intelligence by his appearance

We can stay young forever. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging.
His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging.
Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called “shen”.
According to Shen, it is the kidney（肾脏）which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the shen system slow the aging process, says a report in The Telegraph newspaper.
We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness in general, and wrinkles, among others. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves.
So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young?
This is where Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell.
【小题1】 How did Dr. Shen find the solution to the problem of aging?