In recent years, the world has made progress in reducing deaths among children under the age of five. A new report says an estimated 6.9 million children worldwide died before their fifth birthday. That compares to about twelve million in1990.
The report says child mortality rates have fallen in all areas. It says the number of deaths is down by at least 50 percent in eastern, western and southeastern Asia. The number also fell in North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ties Boerma is head of the WHO’s Department of Health Statistics and Informatics. He says most child deaths happen in just a few areas.
TIES BOERMA: “Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia face the greatest challenges in child survival. More than eighty percent of child deaths in the world occur in these two regions. About half of child deaths occur in just five countries—India, which actually takes twenty-four percent of the global total; Nigeria, eleven percent; the Democratic Republic of Congo, seven percent; Pakistan, five percent and China, four percent of under-five deaths in the world.”
Ties Boerma notes that, in developed countries, one child in one hundred fifty-two dies before his or her fifth birthday. But south of the Sahara Desert, one out of nine children dies before the age of five. In Asia, the mortality rate is one in sixteen.  
The report lists the top five causes of death among children under five worldwide. They are pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and problems both before and during birth.
Tessa Wardlaw is with the U-N Children’s Fund. She is pleased with the progress being made in Sub-Saharan Africa. The area has the highest under-five mortality rate in the world. But she says the rate of decline in child deaths has more than doubled in Africa.
TESSA WARDLAW: “We welcome the widespread progress in child survival, but we importantly want to stress that there’s a lot of work that remains to be done. There’s unfinished business and the fact is that today on average, around nineteen thousand children are still dying every day from largely preventable causes.”
The World Health Organization says one way to solve these problems is to make sure health care services are available to women. In this way, medical problems can be avoided or treated when identified.
【小题1】Since 1990, the number of the children who died before 5 in the world has dropped by about__________.

The Happiest Cities On Earth

If you’re looking for a cheery destination for your next vacation, consider these four spots and get ready to take notes on how to really live the good life.

Singapore

    With one of the highest population densities（密度）in the world and residents known for being workaholics, it’s hard to imagine the city-state of Singapore having one of the happiest populations on earth. And yet in a recent survey, 95% of them said they were either very happy or quite happy.

They give their city high marks for cleanliness and safety—subways are pristine (洁净的) and unfailingly arrive on time, and police are seen as helpful and good at their jobs. What’s more, they feel they can count on their neighbours—all 5.1 million of them.

Arhus, Denmark

The residents of Arhus cheerfully part with 68% of their income in taxes, knowing that in return they will be guaranteed free healthcare, free daycare, and a top-notch (第一流的) education for their children.

An energetic city of 300,000 with a lively cultural scene and a diverse number of religions represented, the sense of equality (the range in incomes is narrow), as well as easy access to the nearby sea and surrounding countryside, make Arhus seem more like a small town.

San Luis Obispo, CA

According to a 2008 Gallup-Healthways study, people who live in San Luis Obispo are more likely than residents of other U.S. cities to smile and experience joy and are less likely to experience pain or depression. About 64,000 of the 260,000 people in the greater metropolitan area (都市区), located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, volunteer at over 11,000 non-profit organizations.

Few journeys to work are longer than 10 minutes (one reason its members rank in the upper third for job satisfaction), so “it’s easy to be involved,” resident Pierre Rademaker said. Business signs are unobtrusive (不显眼的) by law, fewer than 11% of residents smoke—the lower rate in the U.S.—there are lots of bike lanes, and the city’s plaza draws crowds of people for free concerts on summer Fridays. What’s not to love?

Monterrey, Mexico

The people of Monterrey don’t enjoy high household incomes or access to good healthcare. Instead, there’s a profound sense of gratitude for the new political freedom enjoyed since the oppressive Institutional Revolutionary Party lost power in 2000—the first time in nearly a century—as well as an emphasis on social life over work.

Another reason Monterrey residents may be so happy is their faith in God and family, and their ability to tough it out through bad times.

“We laugh at sickness, poverty and even death,” says Basanez, a political scientist who lives in Monterrey. “We even have a holiday to celebrate death. November 2, the Day of the Dead, is one of the biggest holidays of the year.”

1.According to the passage, what do the residents in the four cities have in common?

A. All the residents can make great fortunes by working hard.

B. The residents there are mostly educators. 

C. All the residents enjoy enough material wealth.

D. The majority of the residents are satisfied with their current life.

2.According to the passage, we can infer that _______.

A. the people of Singapore expect their neighbours to come to their help when necessary

B. the people of Monterrey even observe one’s death on a special day of a year

C. the residents of Arhus happily pay 68% of their income for their children’s education fee

D. the people who live in San Luis Obispo have job satisfaction because they can enjoy good working conditions

3.According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A. The people of Monterrey didn’t enjoy political freedom until 2000.

B. The residents in Singapore feel happy because of its low population density.

C. The people of San Luis Obispo can enjoy free concerts in summer.

D. Arhus is handy to the seaside and countryside.

4.What can we learn from the underlined part “the sense of equality”?

A. The residents of Arhus have no racial discrimination.

B. Arhus is considered as a family sharing everything with each other.

C. There is no wide gap between the rich and the poor in Arhus.

D. The residents of Arhus can depend on their neighbours to help.

Like many other nations, China has been busy putting together evacuation （撤侨）plans for its citizens stuck in crisis-torn Libya．The real surprise has been just how many Chinese are living there．The foreign ministry does not know for sure but puts the figure at 30-40,000．
The huge contingent （代表团） in Libya, who work for at least 27 Chinese companies, has brought to light one of the new dilemmas facing China as its economic interests expand．For a mixture of reasons that are partly political, partly business, Chinese workers are now present in many of the most unrest and dangerous parts of the world, including places where anti-Chinese sentiment over jobs and working conditions is on the rise．One of the first wake-up calls was in 2007, when a group of Chinese women were kidnapped in Pakistan, an event which led to the siege of the Red Mosque in Lahore．In the same year, nine Chinese oil workers were killed in Ethiopia．In recent years, Chinese workers have been kidnapped in Cameroon, Congo and Afghanistan．
Publicly, Chinese diplomats admit that the country needs better contingency plans to deal with this sort of situation．Privately, they worry about a different issue: that such incidents will force them to get much more involved in domestic political disputes in far-off lands, pulling the government away from its commitment to a policy of non-interference．The nightmare, a few diplomats and academics admit, would be a large, violent attack on a group of Chinese which then prompted an intense nationalist reaction at home, forcing the government to take the sort of interventionist （干涉主义的） actions it tries to shun．
Beijing gave some indication of how it will respond in the future with the decision on Thursday to send the frigate（护卫舰） Xuzhou, currently conducting anti-piracy tasks off the coast of Somalia, to Libya．Its mission will be to help the evacuation effort, but it is also a warning to any in Libya who might attack Chinese interests, as well as the latest indication of the growing global reach of China’s navy．As Andrew Erickson, a China expert at the US Naval War College says: “This latest initiative（方案） is part of a larger ongoing increase in Chinese power, presence, and influence around the world, and should come as no surprise．China has global interests, cannot free ride forever, and requires a presence in critical areas and situations in order to have a voice．”
【小题1】What is the main idea of the passage?

Everyday, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050, half of the world’s population will be using it. What are we talking about? That global language—English.
The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for communication.
Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean . Many other countries and regions use it for politics and business, for example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong.
But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English. Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about "burgers". "fries" and "milkshakes". Songs by Madonna, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!
English is a messy (杂乱的) language. Every year, dictionaries include new words that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chatroom". Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know "cool", "OK" and “hello” ?
Other languages also influence English. Many English words come from French. Words like "cafe" and expressions like "c'est la vie" (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part of English. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.
Recently, British people have become interested in "yoga". But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India.
【小题1】The English language has a history of  ______.

阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。若选择E，请涂AB; 若选择F，请涂CD。
Thomson中学学生Mike、Joseph、Anna、Ian和Susan正在计划下学期各自的选修课程。阅读第46~50题中的各人情况说明和A和F六门选修课的介绍，选出符合各人个性特长的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项标号涂黑。选项中有一项是多余选项。
THOMSON HIGH SCHOOL
A
Creative Writing — by Mrs. A. McClellan
Creative writing is a course in which we study and apply the methods used in various forms of fiction writing. Writing is a skill of art in itself. We are guided by Ezra Pound’s opinion: “Make it new.” Creative writing does not only provide us with an opportunity to express ourselves, but also holds our attention to word choice, paragraph development, and other skills useful in writing.
B
Journalism — by Dr. E. Brandt
Journalism is a course for seniors, in which we will cover how to gather, write, and report the news. We will discuss how information is, or can be, organized. This course also aims to develop communication skills required of journalists.
C
A classic is a literary work that has stood the test of time. Generations of readers have turned to classics to discover which is ever-lasting. Through both the works themselves and the people they mirror, we may better be able to see ourselves. In this course, we will read works in both British and American literature. We will write reviews of what we read.
D
Technical Writing — by Mr. J. Allen
What is technical writing? It is the course devoted to improving your communication skills in, for, and through technology. Activities for this course will help you develop communication skills that are necessary for writers and speakers working with technology or in business.
E
Non-fiction — by Dr. M. Tim
The course is a study of non-fiction through reading many different types of non-fiction. The course will also be about the possible changes in journalistic reporting and the sharing of personal stories of various people on various topics such as travel and adventure. We will examine some of the best writing in the world and deal with the techniques used in this text type.
F
World Literature — by Mrs. A. McClellan
World Literature examines the common people found in quality Literature worldwide, from Europe to America, from Asia to Africa, and introduces a variety of cultural background at different points in history. In these worlds, we find not only what is unique to each culture, but what is universal. We are also able to tell what makes a good story, no matter from where or whom the story springs.
【小题1】 Mike spent his childhood mostly in his father’s study, where he read novels by British and American writers. Next term he will become a senior student. He thinks it’s time that he read more of their works and learned to write about them.
【小题2】Joseph is good at the language arts, and in his spare time he likes to write short stories. It is his wish that his stories would be printed in local newspapers. So he is thinking of taking a course to develop his writing skills, such as wording and paragraph organization.
【小题3】A lively and caring girl, Anna takes an active part in social activities. She is trying to write reports for newspapers about what she sees and hears. But few of them are accepted because of poor organization of information. She feels the need to improve her writing and communication skills next term.
【小题4】 Ian traveled worldwide with his parents when he was very young. Under their influence, he becomes greatly interested in stories of travel and adventure. He hopes to write his own stories in the future. So next term, he will choose a course to study the best writing of this type.
【小题5】Susan comes from China. As a junior back home, she wrote quite a lot of short stories, some of which were published in newspapers. Her parents suggest she read some classics by Asian and Western writers. She thinks it helpful in her writing. So she is going to take a course of this kind next term.