Why doesn’t the unemployment rate ever reach zero? Economists, who generally believe that supply tends to meet demand, have long thought about this question. Even in good times, i.e. not now, there are people who can’t find work. And even in bad times, i.e. now, there are job openings. With over 14 million people out of work and looking for a job, you would think every available job would be filled. But that’s not the case. Not now and not ever.

　　On Monday, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize for economics to the three scholars who have done the most to explain this phenomenon. Two of the winners are Americans, Peter Diamond of MIT and Dale Mortensen of Northwestern. The third winner is Christopher Pissarides, who teaches at the London School of Economics and was born on Cyprus.

　　Like most of economics, what they have found about why the jobless and ready-employers don’t find each other seems obvious. You have to find out there is job opening you are interested in. Employers need to get resumes （简历）. It takes a while for both employers and employees to make the decision that this is what they want. And these guys came up with a frame-work to study the problem of why people stay unemployed longer than they should and what can be done about it.

　　So what would today’s Nobel Prize winners do to solve the current problem of the unemployed? And does the awarding of the prize contribute to the politicians’ lowering joblessness?

　　Speaking from his north London home, Pissarides told The Associated Press the announcement came as “a complete surprise” though his work had already helped shape thinking on both sides of the Atlantic.

　　For example, the New Deal for Young People, a British government policy aimed at getting 18-24-year-olds back on the job market after long periods of unemployment, “is very much based on our work,” he said.

　　“One of the key things we found is that it is important to make sure that people do not stay unemployed too long so they don’t lose their feel for the labor force,” Pissarides told reporters in London. “The ways of dealing with this need not be expensive training – it could be as simple as providing work experience.”

According to the writer, which is true about finding jobs?

　　A. It is always difficult to find a job.

　　B. Everyone can find a job in good times.

　　C. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to find a job in bad times.

　　D. It is possible to find a job even in times as bad as now.

What is it that leads to their winning the prize?

　　A. They have found the reason for unemployment.

　　B. They have put forward a set of ideas to deal with unemployment.

　　C. They have found out why people don’t want to be employed.

　　D. They have long studied the problem of unemployment.

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

　　A. Pissarides thinks his work surprising.

　　B. The work of Pissarides has influenced many economists.

　　C. Some of the winners’ ideas have been put into practice.

　　D. It is probable that unemployed young people in Britain benefit from Pissarides’ work.

According to Pissarides, _________ is effective in dealing with unemployment.

　　A. spending large sums of money on training

　　B. teaching some knowledge of economics

　　C. providing work experience

　　D. keeping people unemployed for some time

Manage your time well for each module(单元), but also make sure you get a good balance(平衡) between work and social life. That is vital for life in general.

Set aside time specifically for each subject. Try to study one subject a day. You need to balance time. If you are bad at balancing things, make a personal timetable. Even if you do not stick to it, you will have an idea what you should be doing each day. This is better than trying to do everything each day and, at the end of the week, not achieve anything. Also, try to keep your weekends free of studying. Only study at the weekend if you really have to.

I had to learn to balance work, study and family when I was at college. I was a retail assistant working part-time and had at least four modules to complete at the same time at college. I also had to help around the house doing household cleaning and shopping at times. I managed to finish my college work on time, which was very difficult and hard, and still hold down a job.

Why was it possible? Because I only thought about my part-time work when I was at work on the weekends and my college work had to be done from Mondays to Fridays before the weekends. This was hard—but you need to set a timetable for yourself. It was an achievement when I finally realized that things have to be done in order, and need to be organized as well.

Balancing study and other aspects(方面) of your life can be a problem if you have a job or a family, but planning in advance is helpful. Use the time you have well. Do not leave anything until the last minute, as this will only cause problems.

The underlined word“vital”(in Paragraph 1) means_____________.

  A. common               B. necessary                  C. easy                  D. difficult

According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the advice the writer gives?

  A. Try to study many subjects in a day.                  B. Try not to study on the weekends.

C. Plan in advance.                                           D. Try to set a timetable.

It could be inferred from the passage that__________.

A. the writer has a part-time job as an assistant when he was at college

B. you need to set a timetable for yourself

C. you should make a personal timetable if you are bad at balancing your time

D .the writer can arrange（安排） his time well when he was at college

What is the passage mainly about?

  A.I had a good time during my college.   B. How to study well at college.

C. Balance time between study and other aspects of your life.  D. How to plan your things in advance.

    Just because you are in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the competitiveness(竞争) —the all-around fun —that playing sports offers you. More and more wheelchair users are playing sports every day —some even on a professional level. The following are just a few examples of the different choices you have.

     Wheelchair basketball is a very common wheelchair sport. It was started over forty years ago as part of a medical recovery(康复) program. Over the years it has grown rapidly. Today wheelchair basketball is a professional sport that has more than 180 teams across the United States. In order to play wheelchair basketball, it is essential to have a lightweight wheelchair. Several different kinds of sports wheelchairs are on the market today just for sports fans.

     Another wheelchair sport, quad rugby(橄榄球), was specifically designed for people who can’t move their arms or legs and are unable to play wheelchair basketball. It is a mixture of wheelchair basketball and ice hockey. To play the game you must have two teams of four players each.

     Power soccer is another fun wheelchair sport that can be very fun and exciting. Players in power soccer must have an electric wheelchair. Two teams have two 30-minute halves to push the soccer ball over the other team’s goal line. The first team to reach the other team’s goal line most frequently wins.

     Based on the sport you choose to take part in, there are several things you can buy for your wheelchair, including belts, gloves, bags for carrying things, drink holders and special back supports.

In which part of the newspaper will you read this passage?

     A. Technology.  B. Society.  C. Culture.  D. Health.

In the beginning, wheelchair basketball was started for the purpose of ______.

A. holding professional games around the US

 B. spreading the sport all over the US

C. helping patients return to a normal life

D. making people want to play sports

What is the main idea of the passage?

 A. To introduce some possible sports to wheelchair users.

B. To introduce some products to the wheelchair users.

C. To encourage wheelchair users to compete with each other.

D. To talk about the differences between these sports.

We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very

good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.

You have to give a speech, and you’re terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank goodness, it’s over. I’m just no good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”

Cheer up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of time doing your research. Then spend plenty of time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they will help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience.  Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Just remember: be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.

If you follow these simple steps, you’ll see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.

The main idea of this article is      .

A. you can improve your speaking ability    B. a poor speaker can never change

C. always make a short speech                           D. it is hard to make a speech

The phrase “talk over their heads” means      .

A. speak too loudly              B. look at the ceiling

C. look down upon them             D. use words and ideas that are too difficult

All of the following statements are true except that      .

A. few people know how to make good speeches

B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech

C. research is important in preparing a speech

D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability

The title for this passage may be “     ”.

A. Do Not Make a Long Speech   B. How To Give A Good Speech

C. How To Prepare For A Speech        D. Try To Enjoy A Speech

Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors (统治者) and generals and soldiers, while the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all. We do not know who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year, or manured (施肥)a field; but we know all about the killers and destroyers.

People think a great deal of them, so much that on all the highest pillars (纪念柱)in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier. And I think most people believe that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors. It is just possible they are, but they are not the most civilized. Animals fight; so do savages（野蛮人）; so to be good at fighting is to be good in the way in which an animal or a savage is good, but it is not to be civilized. Even being good at getting other people to fight for you and telling them how to do it most efficiently — this, after all, is what conquerors and generals have done — is not being civilized.  People fight to settle quarrels. Fighting means killing, and civilized peoples ought to be able to find some ways of settling their disputes other than by seeing which side can kill off greater number of the other side, and then saying that the side which has killed most has won. And not only has it won, but, because it has won, it has been in the right. For that is what going to war means; it means saying that power is right.

This is what the story of mankind has on the whole been like. Even our own age has fought the two greatest wars in history, in which millions of people were killed or mutilated (disabled). And while today it is true that people do not fight and kill each other in the streets — while, that is to say, we have got to the stage of keeping the rules and behaving properly to each other in daily life — nations and countries have not learnt to do this yet, and still behave like savages.

In the opening sentence, the author indicates that           .

       A．most history books were written by conquerors, generals and soldiers

       B．history book tell us far more about conquerors, generals and soldiers than actual creators of civilization

       C．those who rally helped human civilization forward is not mentioned in history books at all

       D．conquerors, generals and soldiers should be least mentioned in history books

According to the passage, most people believe that the greatest countries are those that     .

       A．built the highest pillars for their conquerors

       B．were ruled by the greatest number of conquerors

       C．won the greatest number of battles against other countries

       D．were beaten in battle by the greatest number of other countries

In the author’s opinion, the countries that conquered a large number of other countries are

                 .

       A．certainly both the most powerful and most civilized.

       B．neither the greatest nor the most civilized in any way.

       C．possibly either the most civilized or the most powerful in a way.

       D．likely the most powerful in some sense but not the most civilized.

The meaning of the last sentence in Paragraph 2 is that          .

　　A．fighters believe that the winner is right and the loser wrong.

       B．only those who are powerful have the right to go to war.

       C．those who are right should fight against those who are wrong.

       D．only powerful nations might win the right to rule weak ones.