Today's Britain is full of TV shows like Fame Academy, which claim to offer young hopefuls an instant passport to fame and riches. But a very different kind of academy may provide a new generation of Brits with a slower, steadier path to wealth.
A 'pig academy' in the east of England is aiming to train up new pig farmers to help promote local agriculture and meet the UK's growing demand for pork. Last year consumption of pork products increased by 6,000 tonnes. But British farmers have not benefited from this rise in demand. A combination of increasing feed prices, competition from cheaper imports and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease have all eaten into their profits. Pig numbers in the UK have actually almost halved in the last decade.
Now, Fresh Start Pig Academy in Lincolnshire is launching a course which intends to redress (修复) the balance. They say pig husbandry (养猪业) is a growth industry and newcomers are welcome. For those of you who fancy getting your hands dirty, the course will teach you everything you need to know, from keeping pigs healthy to raising the capital needed to start up.
Pig farmer Anne Longthorp followed her father into the industry and believes that farming pigs is very rewarding work: "They're great, curious animals to work with. Just watching their behaviour – it's really interesting work. There is a lot more to pig farming than people give us credit for. It's very scientific."
So, while most of Britain's young people may continue to dream of overnight stardom, others will hope a more traditional career will help them bring home the bacon.
【小题1】The second paragraph is mainly about          the pig academy come into being. 

Being able to multitask---doing several things at the same time---is considered a welcome skill by most people. But if we consider the situation of the young people aged from eight to eighteen, we should think again.

What we often see nowadays is that young people juggle an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. While working, they also surf on the Internet, send out emails, answer the telephone and listen to music on their iPods. In a sense, they are spending a significant amount of time in fruitless efforts as they multitask.

Multitasking is even changing the relationship between family members. As young people give so much attention to their own worlds, they seem to have no time to spend with the other people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house, nor can they eat at the family table.

Multitasking also affects young people’s performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their opinion of the effect of modern gadgets on their performance of tasks, many young people gave a positive response. However, the response from the worlds of education and business was not quite as positive.

Educators feel that multitasking by children has a serious effect on later development of study skills. They believe that many college students now need help to improve their study skills. Similarly, employers feel that young people entering the job market need to be taught all over again, as modern gadgets have made it unnecessary for them to learn special skills to do their work.

What does the underlined word “juggle” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A. Want to buy.            

B. Take the place of.

C. Use at the same time. 

D. Seek for information from.

In Paragraph 3, the author points out that  ________.

A. family members do not eat at the family table.

B. family members do not greet each other.

C. young people live happily in their families

D. young people seldom talk with their family members

What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. multitasking is harmful to young people’s development.

B. Young people benefit a lot from modern gadgets.

C. Multitasking is an important skill to young people.

D. Yong people must learn skills for future jobs.

The author develops the passage mainly by ________.

A. providing typical examples    

B. following the natural time order

C. comparing opinions from different fields

D. presenting a cause and analyzing its effects

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四册选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Most people give little thought to the pens they write with , especially since the printers in modern homes and offices mean that very 36things are handwritten .All too often,people buy a pen based only on 37,and wonder why they are not satisfied 38 ,they begin to use it ,However, buying a pen that you’ll enjoy is not 39 if you keep the following in wond.

First of all, a pen should fit comfortably in your hand and be 40 to use .The thickness of the pen is the most important characteristic(特征)41comfort. Having a small hand and thick fingers, you may 43 a fatter pen .The length of a pen can 44 influence comfort. A pen that is too 45 can easily feel top-heavy and unstable.

Then, the writing point of the pen should 46 the ink to flow evenly(均匀的) while that pen remains in touch with the paper 47 will make it possibly for you to creat a 48 line of writing .The point should also be sensitive enough to 49 ink from running when the pen is lifted.A point that does not block the 50 may leave drops of ink, 51 you pick the pen up and put it down again. 

52 ,the pen should make a thick , dark line. Fine-line pens may 53 bad handwriting, but fine, delicate  lines do not command  54  next to printed  text ,as ,55,  a  singnature  on  a printed  letter  .A   broader line, on  the  other   hand  ,gives  an  impression of  confidence  and  authority (权威)。

36.A.many    B.few    C.pleasant       D.important

37.A.looks     B.reason  C.value        D.advantanges

38.A.once      B.if      C.because      D.though

39.A.coveenient  B.practocal   C.strange    D.difficult 

40.A.heavy B.easy C. hard                  D.safe

41.A.taking        B.finding      C.determining    D.seeking

42.A.strong         B.weaker      C.smaller       D.larger

43.A.prefer          B.recommend   C.prepare     D. demand

44.A.hardly         B.also     C.    never      D。  still

45.a.thick           B.light              C.  rong        D.   soft  

46.A.change        B.allow            C.  reduce     D .press

47. Athey           B. one        C.  this       D.  some

48.  A. from        B. rough         C. black         D. smooth

49.  A. prevent      B. free           C. protect        D. remove

50.  A. way         B. sight          C. flow          D. stream

51.  A. so          B. as             C. and          D. yet

52.  A. Meanwhile   B. Generally       C. Afterwards    D. Finally

53.  A. show up     B. differ from      C. break down    D. compensate for

54.  A. attention     B. support         C. respect       D. admission

55.  A. at most      B. for example      C. in brief      D. on purpose

London is the capital of Britain. It is located in the southeast plain of England. The Thames River goes through this city.

       The British have lived there for about 3,000 years. The Roman Empire intruded into (侵入)Britannia Island in 54 BC. The Romans built the first wooden bridge over the Thames River.

       London is a world-famous cultural city. There are many famous cultural sites. It is one of the world's great tourist destinations. About eight million people visit London every year.

      The largest museum is the British Museum, which was built in the 18th century. There are many ancient cultural relics of Britain and of other countries in the museum. The London Tower stands on the southeast of Tower Mountain. It was once a palace, and it is now an exhibition center. Westminster Hall is located on the west bank of the Thames River and was built in 750 AD. It is the largest Gothic building of the world and was a palace in the past, too.

      The Clock Tower, which is about 97 meters high, is located northeast of the parliament. The famous “Big Ben” weighs about 21 tons and its big pendulum（钟摆）is about 305 kilograms. Hyde Park is one of the great parks in the world and it is in the west district of London. There is a free forum(论坛) there and some people give speeches there every week. They can say almost anything, but they can't attack the Queen or support violent revolution.

1.Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A. London lies in the southeast plain of England.

B. The British first lived in London thousands of years ago.

C. People can enjoy a walk along the Thames River in London.

D. The Roman Empire intruded into Britannia Island over 2,100 years ago.

2.We learn from the passage that _________.

A. London receives millions of visitors every month

B. only in the British Museum can you see ancient cultural relics of Britain

C. the famous "Big Ben" in the Clock Tower is about 97 meters high

D. not everything can be talked about in the forum at Hyde Park

3.This passage is most probably taken from a website about ___________ .

A. traveling       B. kids       C. museums      D. Holidays

Recently, a professor of philosophy in the U. S. has written a book called Money and the Meaning of Life. He has discovered that how we   41  money in our day-to-day life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to   42  every penny they spend for a week.   43  they spend their money, they can see what they really   44  in life.
He says our relation with others often becomes clearly   45  when money enters the picture. You might have   46  with somebody and you think that you are very good friends. But you will   47  him only when you ask him to lend you some money. If he does, it brings   48  to the friendship that seems stronger than ever before. Or it can suddenly  49 the friendship if he doesn’t.
Since money is so important to us, we consider those who possess a lot of it   50  very important. The author interviewed some millionaires for   51 . Question: What is  52  thing you have discovered about being rich, because you are a self-made man? Answer: What makes me surprised most is how people give me  53 . I am nothing. I don’t know much. All I   54  money
People just   55  making more and more money, but what is it   56 ? How much do I need for a given purpose in my life? In his book, the professor uncovered an important need in modern society: to bring back   57  that money is an instrument   58  the end．  59  plays an important role in the material world, but expecting money to give happiness may be  60   the meaning of life.