It seems that politicians around the world are thinking about the health of their countries. While in China, Chen Zhu has announced his plans for a universal（全体的，普遍的）health service and reform across health services. Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, has also announced he is planning to make some changes in our health service.

    The crux（关键）of Mr. Brown's proposals are related to giving the NHS (National Health Service) a greater focus on prevention, rather than just curing patients.

    He is planning to introduce increased screening for common diseases such as heart disease, strokes（中风）, and cancer, for example, breast cancer. In Britain there are 200,000 deaths a year from heart attacks and strokes, many of which might have been avoided if the condition had been known about.

    Initially, the diagnostic (诊断的) tests will be available for those who are vulnerable, or most likely to have the disease. One example is a plan to offer all men over 65 an ultrasound test to check for problems with the main artery (动脉), a condition which kills 3,000 men a year.

The opposition have criticized Mr. Brown's proposals, saying that they are just a trick, and claiming that there is no proper timetable for the changes. They also say that Mr. Brown is reducing the money available for the treatment of certain conditions while putting more money towards testing for them.

    The NHS was founded in 1948, and is paid for by taxation. The idea is that the rich pay more towards the health service than the poor. However in recent years there has been a great increase in the use of private healthcare, because it’s much quicker. NHS waiting lists for operations can be very long, so many people who can afford it choose to pay for medical care themselves.

The underlined word vulnerable in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.

   A. sick     B. weak     C. wounded     D. old

All the following statements are true except that _________.

   A. all people should pay for their healthcare at the NHS.

   B. some people are against the reform of the healthcare.

   C. the writer is likely to come from Britain.

   D. more money will be spent on testing people than before.

Which of the following is the reason for the increasing private healthcare?

   A. People are paying more attention to their own health.

   B. People are well off enough to pay their healthcare.

   C. The NHS was not available for most of the people.

   D. It’s not so convenient for people to go to the NHS for their healthcare.

According to the passage, the purpose of the health reform plan in the UK is to _______  

   A. encourage more private healthcare.

   B.focus on the prevention rather than on curing the patient.

   C. deal with the main artery problems.

   D. fight against the opposition in the UK.

The author of this passage intends to tell us _________.

   A. the NHS should be reformed right away.

   B. more and more people are dying from diseases.

   C. the plan to reform the NHS in the UK.

   D. the criticism of Mr. Brown's proposals.

The _______ income of the common people has been greatly increased in the past thirty years ______ the reform and opening-up policy in China.

BEIJING, Oct. 8(Xinhua)——There are ten times as many Chinese newspapers and magazines than there were 30 years ago. That’s when the country adopted the reform and opening-up policy.

    Figures from the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP)show there were 186 newspapers and 930 magazines in China in 1978. Today, the country has 2,081 newspapers and 9,363 different magazines.

    In the meantime, official figures show China has some 600 publishing houses producing nearly 300,000 kinds of books. That’s a dramatic increase from the 105 publishers of the past that produced only 10,000 different books.

    Rapid economic development and universal education since China adopted the reform has helped fuel the need for more information sources.

    Under the market economy, hundreds of publishing houses and newspapers have taken steps to restructure management systems into corporations listed on the stock market.

    The legal system overseeing the news and publishing industries in China has also changed over the last three decades. Since 1990 a law and five relevant(相关) regulations were adopted in 1990 to govern the sectors.

    Since it started in 1993, digital publishing has flourished. Its industrial volume amounted to 20 billion yuan (2.93 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006. More than 500,000 kinds of digital books were produced last year alone in China, which is more than any other country in the world.

Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

    A. Digital books take the place of common ones in China.

    B. China has more newspapers and magazines.

    C. More information sources are developing with the economy.

    D. A law should be adopted to govern the publishing industries.

There are ten times as many newspapers and magazines because ________.

    A. the publishing houses want to make more money.

    B. there are more readers along with the bigger population.

    C. economic and education have developed under the policy.

    D. the legal system overseeing the publishing industries has changed.

Which is true according to this text?

    A. The development of publishing industry in the past was out of control.

    B. Hundreds of publishing houses have closed down and turned to stock market.

    C. China adopted the reform and opening-up policy about 20 years ago.

    D. China produces more digital books than any other country.

The underlined word “flourished” in Paragraph 7 probably means ________.

    A. first appeared                   B. fell down

    C. well developed                   D. successfully ended

You will probably read this text in the ________ column of XINHUA NET?

    A. culture and education                B. entertainment

    C. science and technology           D. business

BEIJING --Seven prestigious universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the same independent exam -- besides the national one -- to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in 2011.

The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University.

Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent exam, according to the joint announcement.

"This will help lighten the students' load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities," said the announcement.

Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities.

China's college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based on independent criteria rather than just using the results of the national exam.

In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot (试用) the reform by using their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students.

Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their own exams.

Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as conducive (有助的) to better understanding where the students' talents lie.

Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams as they often apply for a number of universities.

To relieve students from such pressures, the national education outline (2010--2020) released in July this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams.

1.If students want to be admitted to the seven prestigious universities , they can ______。

2.What's the purpose of students sitting one independent exam to gain entrance to the seven universities ?

3.If students pass the independent exam , they will ______.

4. What is the advantage of universities selecting students according to independent examinations?

FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields (梯田) and "splendid" irrigation systems.

It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries.

"I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams."

"We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds (资金), but also create job opportunities and cultivate (培养) talents."

In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic (松下) came to China as the first foreign business to invest (投资) here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth.

However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism (资本主义).

"The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng.

"China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical (制药的) company.

1.Guo Fenglian was ______ at the sight of the modern equipment in harvesting when she visited the US in 1978. 

A. shocked     B. delighted C. excited         D. attracted

2.______ was the first big country to invest in China. 

A. America  B. Japan C. Swiss D. Panasonic

3.Many people have doubts about the reform ________. 

A. in 1978              B. in 1980        

C. in 1981              D. at the end of the 1980s

4.According to remarks by Deng, which one is NOT the criterion for judging the success or failure of our work in various fields?

A. whether it helps develop socialist productive forces.

B. whether it strengthens the overall capacity of the country.

C. whether it brings about better investment and more profit.

D. whether it improves the peoples living standards.