阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　　A hundred years ago, Hong Kong was just a small fishing village. There were only a few thousand people. They lived a simple life.

　　Houses were two-storeyed then at most. There were no buses or cars. While poor people traveled on foot, the rich traveled by rickshaw(人力车). The roads were covered with stones. There were no big ships or ocean liners. People sailed on small boats or sampans(舢板).

　　Within the last hundred years, there has been great important everything. People worked hard to make Hong Kong a commercial(商业的) center. Multi-storeyed buildings, wide roads and flyovers can be seen everywhere we can travel by bus, tram, taxi or underground. Planes and ocean liners come from different parts of the world every day.

　　Hong Kong is now a famous city. Many people from other countries do business or work here, the city already has over six million people and there will be more in the future. Life in Hong Kong is not simple at all nowadays. People must work harder in order to make a living.

　　It is more than five years since Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. Our PLA soldiers have stationed there. We are sure Hong Kong will have a more beautiful future.

1．One hundred years ago, Hong Kong was ________.

[　　]

A．a small city

B．a small farm village

C．a small fishing village

D．a commercial center

2．At that time people went out to sea ________.

[　　]

3．There has been great improvement in Hong Kong within the last hundred years ________.

[　　]

A．because of the hard work of the people in Hong Kong

B．because Hong Kong is very famous

C．because lots of people have worked there

D．because of its return to China

4．Name four things which show Hong Kong is a modern city.

[　　]

A．small fishing village, underground, car and shops.

B．taxi, multi-storeyed buildings, flyovers and wide roads.

C．roads covered with stones, multi-storeyed buildings, tram and bus.

D．planes, sampan, ocean liners and big shops.

5．What's the passage mainly about?

[　　]

A．Hong Konga hundred years ago.

B．Hong Kongthe past and the present.

C．Hong Konga modern city.

D．Hong Kong's return to China.

When the six very best students from different cities in Guangdong Province all together chose universities in Hong Kong; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Beijing or Qinghua University; when the highest enrollment(录取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.

Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Beijing or Qinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact reaction without hesitation. The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.

It’s no doubt to call this HK craze (狂热), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.

How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Beijing and Qinghua and attract so many mainland students?

First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the sum scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.

Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (双语) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.

Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.

Can mainland top universities like Beijing or Qinghua University be calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it.

The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action-taking of mainland universities, they can perform better together with HK universities.

At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (学费) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities. It’s time to move.

1.What is the passage mainly talking about?

A. Some thoughts brought by the enrollment of HK universities.

B. Higher education in Hong Kong.

C. The competition between HK University and Beijing University.

D. The fall of mainland universities.

2.Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because________.

A. many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience

B. they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities

C. HK Universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study

D. Beijing University has lost its worldwide reputation

3.What is the author’s attitude toward the competition brought by HK universities?

A. The government should take relevant measures to stop this unfair competition.

B. Mainland universities had better lower their tuition fees and win back the top students.

C. Universities both in mainland and in HK would get an entire improvement during the competition.

D. It may probably cause a complete loss to both sides in the end.

4. From the passage we can see HK universities________.

A. didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland

B. didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular

C. have strict enrollment rules and only 1out of 48 students can get the chance to study there

D. are proud of their teaching staff and facilities

    BEIJING—Nine pieces of art relics from a temporary exhibition in the Palace Museum were stolen at midnight on May 8, 2011. It was the first theft in 20 years at the heavily guarded former home of emperors(皇帝), also known as the Forbidden City. The nine pieces—all small Western-style gold purses and cosmetics containers(化妆盒)covered with jewels and made between 1920 and 1945—were on loan(出借)from Hong Kong-based Liang Yi Museum and being on show in the Chengsu Hall of the Palace Museum.

    Police have recovered six stolen relics and returned them to the museum, but three pieces remain missing, according to the spokesman for the Beijing municipal police. The six stolen pieces were got from a man named Shi Baikui from Eastern China’s Shandong Province, who admitted stealing the pieces. Shi entered the museum as a visitor on May 8 and then hid himself inside and waited until closing time, according to police. He then broke a window on the northern side of the exhibition hall to gain entry and proceeded to steal relics.

    Police say Shi said he wanted to sell the relics to a store in Beijing but was turned away because the store owner said the pieces were fake(赝品). He then threw away the relics.

    The Beijing police are offering rewards to anyone who can provide them with any information or tips on the other three lost relics from the Palace Museum. The amount of the reward has not been determined yet, since authorities are evaluating the value of the stolen pieces. It is hoped that with all citizens’ help the other three can be recovered as soon as possible.

60. What’s the passage mainly about?

A. Many rewards were offered for Palace Museum stolen relics

B. Six stolen relics were returned to the Palace Museum

C. Shi Baikui, the first thief in the Forbidden City

D. Nine stolen relics were all recovered by police

61. According to Paragraph 1, the nine stolen relics _______.

A. were bought from Hong Kong-based Liang Yi Museum

B. don’t belong to the Palace Museum of China

C. were small daily items used by Chinese women in the 20s～40s

D. were being on show in the Chengsu Hall of the Summer Palace

62. How did the thief go into the Palace Museum?

A. He entered the museum by acting as a visitor.

B. He broke a door and climbed into the museum.

C. He worked there and had the key to the museum.

D. The passage doesn’t mention how the thief entered the museum.

63. The underlined phrase “turned away” (in Paragraph 3)possibly means _______.

A. criticized                  B. invited               C. accepted                  D. refused

If you boss asks you to work in Moscow this year, he’d better offer you more money to do so — or even double that depending on where you live now. That’s because Moscow has just been found to be the world’s most expensive city for the second year in a row by Mercer Human Resources Consulting.

       Using the cost of living in New York as a base, Mercer determined Moscow is 34.4 percent more expensive including the cost of housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment(娱乐).

       A two-bedroom flat in Moscow now costs $4,000 a month; a CD $24.83, and an international newspaper $6.30, according to Mercer. By comparison, a fast food meal with a hamburger(汉堡包) is a steal at $4.80.

       London takes the No.2 place, up from No.5 a year ago, thanks to higher cost of housing and a stronger British pound relative to the dollar. Mercer estimates(估算) London is 26 percent more expensive than New York these days. Following London closely are Seoul and Tokyo, both of which are 22 percent more expensive than New York, while No.5 Hong Kong is 19 percent more costly.

       Among North American cities, New York and Los Angeles are the most expensive and are the only two listed in the top 50 of the world’s most expensive cities. But both have fallen since last year’s study — New York came in 15^th, down from 10^th place, while Los Angeles fell to 42^nd from 29^th place a year ago. San Francisco came in a distant third at No. 54, down 20 places from a year earlier.

       Toronto, meanwhile, is Canada’s most expensive city but fell 35 places to take 82^nd place worldwide. In Australia, Sydney is the priciest place to live in and No. 21 worldwide.

What do the underlined words “a steal” in Paragraph 3 mean?

   A. an act of stealing                      B. something delicious

   C. something very cheap                D. an act of buying

London has become the second most expensive city because of ______.

   A. the high cost of clothing            B. the stronger pound against the dollar

   C. its expensive transportation        D. the high prices of fast food meals

Which city is the third most expensive on the list?

   A. Tokyo.         B. Hong Kong.             C. Moscow.                  D. Sydney.

Which city has dropped most on the list in North America?

   A. New York.   B. Los Angeles.             C. San Francisco.   D. Toronto.