The cartoon is jokingly updating Shylock, a leading figure from William Shakespeare’s classic play The Merchant of Venice, to fit into the new age of the Internet. In the play, the Christian merchant Antonio has borrowed money from Shylock ,who is Jewish. Because of their religion Jews like Shylock have been regarded as low and worthless and badly mistreated by the noble-styled gentleman Antonio and his friends, who at that time contained the very Christian society of Venice and indeed all Europe .On account of the conflict between members of the two religions, despite their being willing to enter into business deals, there is little love or friendship between the two.

Shylock agrees to lend Antonio the money but as part of the written agreement he insist that should Antonio fail to repay him on time he must cut a pound of his own flesh from his body and present it to Shylock. This of course would kill him but nonetheless Antonio agrees. In the end, Antonio’s business fails as the ships carrying his goods sink （Antonio is truly a gentlemen but not much of a businessman）,and Antonio has to be forced to threateningly face Shylock and his demands.

In the cartoon, Shylock is a merchant who operates, as many businessmen do today, on the Internet. His website, www.poundoffflesh, com. is probably where Antonio would log on to get terms of his loan. The humor lies in the contrast between the very modern business technology and the very old-fashioned costume Shylock is wearing.

1.We may learn from the text that the writer of the article is for the purpose of ____.

A. grandly advertising the new cartoon to the audience

B. warning us not to borrow money from the merchants like Shylock

C. simply introducing a new cartoon on the net to the public

D. telling readers to be sincere and honest when you deal with your friends

2.The underlined word “contain” probably means ____.

A. control　 B. cover　　　　　　 C .include　　　　　 D. create

3.You will find it very funny when you see the cartoon that ____.

A. large amounts of money go into Shylock’s cashbox

B. Antonio doesn’t suffer from his flesh being cut off his body

C. many famous actors and actress are invited to perform the updated classic play

D. all the characters in the cartoon are not in today’s clothes though they do nowaday business

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. The E-merchant of Venice

B. Business between Shylock and Antonio

C. Never Borrow Money from Shylock

D. Sow the Wind and Reap（gain） the Whirlwind

       A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman, recently found his brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before.

　　While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on, Mrs. Bussman said that the workman was closely like her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz laughed at the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs. Bussman knew this story quite well, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right.

　　A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman. And he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.

After having being wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit. The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his family house, but the house had been bombed. Guessing that his family had been killed during an air-raid(空袭), Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.　

50. Which of the following can be used as the best title of the passage?

　　A. Living Not Far

　　B. A Chance in a Million

　　C. Coming Back to Life

　　D. Back after the War

51. How to understand the sentence "There was a chance in a million that she might be right. "?

　　A. There was a little possibility of what she suggested, though little.

　　B. It was impossible for her to be right.

　　C. She had no chance to meet his brother any more.

　　D. There were many chances for her to meet his brother again.

52. Which of the following orders is right?

　　a. He walked back to Western Germany.

　　b. He was wounded when the war was coming to the end.

　　c. The hospital was destroyed by bombs.

　　d. He came back to his family house.

　　e. He was sent to hospital.

　　f. His unit of German didn't exist any longer.

　　A. b, a, e, d, f, c  B. b, e, c, a, f, d

　　C. b, e, a, c, d, f   D. b, c, f, d, a, e

The concept of solitude (独处) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be 　 36 . Solitude can be hard to discover 　37 it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have 　38 our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) 　39 as we’ve known it. People have become so 　40 in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted 　41 they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog (写博客), not only from our 　42 , but from our mobile phones as well.

Most developed nations have become 　43 on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it, and at this point not 　44 it would make them an outsider. 　45 , many jobs and careers require people to be 　46 . From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a 　47 to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.

I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who 　48 wants it. Computers can be shut 　49 and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many 　50 , as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up 　51 on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel　 52　 and forced to answer unwanted calls or 　53 to unwanted texts.

Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society 　54 across generations, Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like 　55 daily advancements in technology.

36. A. updated　　 B. received　 　　 C. shared　　 　 D. collected

37. A. though　　 B. until　 　　　　 C. once　　　　 D. before

38. A. respected　 B. shaped　　　 C. ignored　　 　 D. preserved

39. A. edge　　　 　 B. stage　　　 　 C. end　　　　 　 D. balance

40. A. sensitive　　 B. intelligent　　 C. considerate　 D. reachable

41. A. even if　 　 B. only if　　　 C. as if　　　 　 D. if only

42. A. media　　 　 B. computers　 C. databases　　 D. monitors

43. A. bent　　　 B. hard　　　　 C. keen　　　 　 D. dependent

44. A. finding　　 B. using　　　 　 C. protecting　　 D. changing

45. A. Also　　　 B. Instead　　 　 C. Otherwise　 D. Somehow

46. A. connected　 B. trained　　　 C. recommended 　　　 D. interested

47. A. pleasure　 　　 B. benefit　　　 C. burden　　　 D. disappointment

48. A. slightly　　 　 B. hardly　　　 　 C. merely　　　 D. really

49. A. out　　　　 B. down　　　 C. up 　　　　　　　　　 D. in

50. A. aspects　　 B. weaknesses　 C. advantages　 　 D. exceptions

51. A. hidden　　 B. lost　　　　 C. relaxed　　　 D. deserted

52. A. trapped　　 B. excited　　　 C. confused　　 D. amused

53. A. turn　　　 B. submit　　　 C. object　　 　　 D. reply

54. A. vary　　　 B. arise　　　　 C. spread　　 　 D. exist

55. A. beyond　　 　 B. within　　　 C. despite　　 　 D. without

The concept of solitude(独处) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be 　36 . Solitude can be hard to discover 　37 it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have 　38 our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) 　39 as we’ve known it. People have become so 　40 in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted 　41 they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog(写博客), not only from our 　42 , but from our mobile phones as well.

Most developed nations have become 　43 on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it, and at this point not 　44 it would make them an outsider. 　45 , many jobs and careers require people to be 　46 . From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a 　47 to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.

I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who 　48 wants it. Computers can be shut 　49 and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many 　50 , as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up 　51 on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel 　52 and forced to answer unwanted calls or 　53 to unwanted texts.

Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society 　54 across generations. Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like 　55 daily advancements in technology.

36. A. updated　　 　　 B. received　 　　　 C. shared　　 　 D. collected.

37. A. though　　 　　 B. until.　　 　　　 C. once　　　 　　 D. before.

38. A. respected　 　　 B. shaped　　 　　 C. ignored　 　　 D. preserved.

39. A. edge　　　 　　　 B. stage　　　 　　 C. end　　　 　　　 D. balance.

40. A. sensitive　 　　　 B. intelligent　 　　 C. considerate 　　 D. reachable.

41. A. even if　 　　　　 B. only if　　 　　 C. as if　 　　　　 D. if only

42. A. media　　 　　　 B. computers 　　　 C. databases 　　　　 D. monitors

43. A. bent　　 　　　　　 B. hard　 　　　　　 C. keen　 　　　　 D. dependent

44. A. finding　 　　　　　 B. using　 　　　　　 C. protecting 　　 D. changing

45. A. Also　　 　　　　　 B. Instead　 　　　 C. Otherwise 　　 D. Somehow

46. A. connected 　　　 B. trained 　　　　 C. recommended D. interested

47. A. pleasure 　　　　 B. benefit 　　　　　 C. burden 　　　 D. disappointment

48. A. slightly　 　　　　 B. hardly　　 　　　 C. merely　 　　　　　　 D. really.

49. A. out　 　　　　　 B. down 　　　　 C. up　 　　　　 D. in

50. aspects　 　　　　 B. weaknesses 　 C. advantages 　　　 D. exceptions.

51. A. hidden　 　　　　　 B. lost　 　　　　　　 C. relaxed　 　　　　 D. deserted

52. A. trapped 　　　　 B. excited 　　　　 C. confused 　　　　　　 D. amused

53. A. turn　 　　　　　　 B. submit 　 　　 C. object　 　　　　 D. reply

54. A. vary　 　　　　　 B. arise　 　　　　　 C. spread　 　　　　 D. exist

55. A. beyond 　　　　 B. within　 　　　　 C. despite 　　　　　 D .without

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Jean is a clever young woman who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a(n) __1__ university and has everything that money can buy. Well, __2_ everything. The only problem is that the people in Jean’s family are so __3__ that they can hardly find time to be with her.

So Jean _4___ a lot of her time on MSN. She likes being anonymous(匿名的), __5__ to people who do not know about her famous family and her _6___ life. She used the name Linda on MSN and has _7__ a lot of friends who she contacts(联系) quite __8__.

Last year Jean made a very _9__ friend on MSN. His name was David and he lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common (共同的) _10___ in rock music and modern dance. __11__ it always took them hours to talk __12__ on MSN and sometimes they even __13__ the time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David __14_ a picture of himself: a tall, good-looking young _15__ with a big, happy smile. As __16__ went by , they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.

When Jean’s father told her that he was going _17__ a business trip to San Francisco, she asked her father to let her _18__ with him, so that she could give David a __19___ for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite __20__ singer. But when Jean knocked on David’s door in San Francisco, she found that the special friend she had been contacting was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim.

1. A. strange　　　 B. good　　　　　 C. usual　　　　 D. important

2. A. just　　　　 B. hardly　　　　 C. almost　　　　 D. only

3. A. busy　　　　 B. boring　　　　 C. careless　　　 D. far

4. A. chooses　　　 B. costs　　　　 C. takes　　　　　 D. spends

5. A. singing　　　 B. talking　　　 C. writing　　　　 D. e-mailing

6. A. rich　　　　 B. poor　　　　　 C. active　　　　 D. simple

7. A. lost　　　　 B. made　　　　　 C. known　　　　　 D. visited

8. A. often　　　　 B. long　　　　　 C. easily　　　　 D. closely

9. A. honest　　　 B. handsome　　　 C. special　　　　 D. loyal

10. A. sense　　　　 B. interest　　　 C. history　　　 D. experience

11. A. Though　　　 B. But　　　　　　 C. So　　　　　 D. Because

12. A. loudly　　　 B. happily　　　　 C. freely　　　　 D. badly

13. A. left　　　　 B. overdid　　　　 C. stayed　　　　 D. forgot

14. A. received　　 B. brought　　　　 C. sent　　　　　 D. drew

15. A. star　　　　 B. child　　　　　 C. boy　　　 　　 D. man

16. A. time　　　　 B. age　　　　　　 C. conversation　 D. space

17. A. into　　　　 B. at　　　　　　 C. in　　　　　　 D. on

18. A. work　　　　 B. go　　　　　　 C. study　　　　　 D. play

19. A. surprise　　 B. wish　　　　　 C. hope　　　　　　 D. party

20. A. opera　　　　 B. pop　　　　　 C. rock　　　　　 D. classical