What do those countries have in common? People are killing each other or drive others out of their homes. Why is this happening? Very simple, in each of these, one group of people believes another group is different from them and dangerous to them. It has been thus through history. How different are humans from each other?

  We come in different colors: red, black, white, yellow and brown; we have a variety of political systems, social systems, religious views or none at all; We are different in mind, have different educational systems, different economic classes. We speak different languages, and have different customs and dresses.

  If we were to break each of these further, we would have quite a long list of qualities and characteristics that make humans appears to be different from each other. I say they appear to be different, because most of what have been listed stand for what we see or hear, not what is true of human. Man is man everywhere. It is only where he lives, when he lives there, with whom he lives there, and al the others that have effect on how he lives, that is, what he believes, what he wears, his customs, his language and so on. These are man-made facts that each group develops over tome, living together, facing the same problems, needing and desiring the same things. They are his culture. The truth is that we are much more same than different. If you wear one type of clothing and I wear another, we both wear some kind of clothing. Our culture demands it. If you speak one language and I another, we both speak so that others will understand us; we must communicate with each other. Nothing is gained by giving too many differences, but much is lost. If we understood our differences as the ones of culture, then we could make our world more peaceful.

  Differences does not mean better or worse, right or wrong. It means only that differences have been made by society. Differences produce variety of thoughts, work out human problems peacefully.

Which of the following is the best tile for this passage?

 A. Differences.  B. Humans   C. Cultures.   D. Customs.

People in those countries fight each other because______

 A. They have different colors.

 B. They have different customs and dresses.

 C. They have different education systems.

 D. They think that others are different and harmful.

If you pay much attention to differences, ________.

 A. we will get something.

 B. we will produce problem.

 C. we will develop further.

 D. Nothing will be lost.

From this passage it can be inferred that ________.

 A. Our world would be more peaceful if we understand and communicate with each other.

 B. People don’t know how differences are caused.

 C. It is only differences that can solve man’s problems.

 D. Man is man everywhere but not woman.

“The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful,” says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral (道德上的) freedom.

A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.” “Keep cool”, says George Herbert, “for fierceness (狂怒) makes error a fault.”

To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. “Anger,” says Pythagoras, “brings with folly(愚蠢) and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.

Self-control is man’s last greatest victory.

If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.

What does the reader learn from the first paragraph?

A. The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself.

B. One’s moral freedom is based on the control of himself.

C. To control oneself is the most difficult in one’s life.

D. If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful.

What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad” ?

A. If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first.

B. If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished.

C. If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy.

D. If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods.

If a man lacks self-control, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _______.

A. the very backbone and nerve of character 

B. the patience and power to control himself

C. strong feelings

D. self-confidence

The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to _______.

A. explain that self-control is the key to success

B. teach people how to control everything in order to make a great success

C. distinguish all kinds of self-control and suggest ways for keeping it

D. advise people not to lose temper so as to make and keep more friends

Dangerous Sports

Around the world more and more people are taking part in danger ous sports and activities．Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure—those who have climbed unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans．Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate thrill, a risky activity, which may only last a few minutes or even seconds．

I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity．You jump from a high place（perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon） 200 meters above the ground with an elastic（有弹性的） rope tied to your feet．You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground．It is said that about 2 million people around the world have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping include jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.

　　Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring．Not very long ago, people’s lives were constantly in danger. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and there was a continuous battle for survival．

Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement．They live and work in comparatively safe environments; they buy food in shops; there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill．The answer for some of these people is to look for danger in activities such as bungee jumping．

The best title for the text is          .

       A．Dangerous Sports: What and Why

       B．The Boredom of Modern Life

       C．Bungee Jumping: Is It Really Dangerous.

       D．The Need for Excitement

More and more people today           .

       A．are tying activities such as bungee jumping

       B．are climbing the highest mountains

       C．are coming close to death in sports

       D．are looking for adventures such as traveling into unknown places

The writer of the text has a        attitude towards dangerous sports.

       A．positive    B．negative    C．neutral（中立的）  D．nervous

China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.

   Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.

The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?

   At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.

What is the average housing price per square meter in China?

A. 8,000 yuan    B. 10,000 yuan     C. 7,000 yuan    D. It’s not mentioned here

Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?

A. Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality,

environment and supporting facilities.

B. American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.

C. The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property

developers do when they sell their houses.

D. There are more people who need houses in China.

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it.

B. There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market

C. The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States

D. Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.

How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high

housing prices?

A. Four    B. Three    C. Five    D. Two

A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found thai most of them are ignorani when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a scries of reports from NatWesl that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, arc particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts man any before.

University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at ??3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.

In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average ?? 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just ?? 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than ?? 10.000. Average debts for graduates are ?? 12，363.

Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they arc to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."

Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr. aged 15. from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted thai she still had a lot to learn about money.

Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?

A. Students understand personal finances differently. 

B. University tuition fees in England have been rising.

C. Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings.

D. The students' payback ability has become a major issue.

 The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".

A. to raise the student loans                             

B. to improve the school facilities

C. to increase the upper limit of the tuition     

D. to lift the school building roofs

According to Stephen Moir, students_______.

A. are too young 10 be exposed 10 financial issues

B. should learn 10 manage their finances well

C- should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans

D. benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance

What can we learn from the passage?

A. Many British teenagers do not know money matters well

B. Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts.

C. Financial planning is a required course at college.

D. Young people should become responsible adults.