An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.

In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.

In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.

   The only problem arose in New York , where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.

As Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.

1.What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

A. To invite authors to guide readers

B. To encourage people to read and share.

C. To involve people in community service

D. To promote the friendship between cities.

2.Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?

A. They had little interest in reading.

B. They were too busy to read a book.

C. They came from many different backgrounds.

D. They lacked support from the local government.

3.According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?

A. In large communities with little sense of unity

B. In large cities where libraries are far from home

C. In medium-sized cities with a diverse population

D. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached

4.The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably mean       .

A. exchanged ideas with each other

B. discussed the meaning of a word

C. gained life experience

D. used the same language

5.According to Nancy, the degree of success of the project is judged by        .

A. the careful selection of a proper book

B. the growing popularity of the writers

C. the number of people who benefit from reading

D. the number of books that each person reads

An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.

In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit(追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched(发起) the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.

In Chicago, the mayor(市长) appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.

The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.

Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.

1.What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

2.According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?

3.The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably mean      .

4.According to Nancy, the degree of success of the project is judged by       .

The girl looking for the job turned out to be excellent but she ended up giving her employer a headache when it also turned out that she used an unreal diploma(文凭).

In December, a Civil Administration Bureau in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, an­nounced that it needed five new staff members. Some 120 people applied and took the exam. Ap­plicants were required to show proof of a college degree at least.

Mei Jing beat everyone in the test and the interview. When a follow-up check was done, however, her education certificate(证书) was discovered to be an unreal one.

This was a bit of an embarrassment for the employers. A dilemma, one might say. If she were hired because of her excellent performance, she still wouldn't have the qualifications on pa­per. But, if she were dropped because she didn't meet the education requirements, they would lose a good worker. Tough problem!

While Mei's future hangs in the balance, the public having learned of the case got involved. Some people said the Bureau should employ her, since results are the only important thing. “After all, ability is more important than a diploma, ”said one office worker.

Others, however, have attacked Mei's dishonesty. They said that morality was, after all, more important than talent, especially in the case of a government position. Mei wasn't honest, so she shouldn't be hired.

But, Shen Ronghua, the head of the Shanghai Public Administration and Human Resources Institute, tries to be a bit more philosophical.

“There is still a sort of  'diploma means this'  prejudice among people,”  Shen explains, “Many employers regard a diploma as the only sign of ability and talent.”

So, with this in mind, people may pay little attention to whether someone has real ability or not. They turn to chasing a diploma instead. The unreal diploma is the natural product of this thought.

The conclusion? "China needs a new human resource system. The new system will not define a person only by his or her diploma, " Shen says.

1.What's the meaning of the underlined word “dilemma” in Paragraph Four?

A. A problem easy to deal with or solve.

B. A situation in which it is difficult for you to make the decision.

C. A difference in two or more statements, ideas, or stories.

D. Something said or done that is funny.

2.What can we infer from this news report?

A. The Civil Administration Bureau of Wuhan employed the girl.

B. The girl was not employed because of dishonesty.

C. It remained to be seen whether the girl was to be employed or not.

D. Another Human Resource Institute employed the girl.

3.What does Shen Ronghua mean by saying “diploma means this”?

A. A diploma can tell whether a person is honest or not.

B. A diploma is the only sign of ability and talent.

C. A diploma is what you get after you finish a course.

D. A diploma means a job.

4. Which of the following do you think is the best title of this news report?

A. A Girl's Unlucky Experience.       B. Unreal Diploma.

C. Dishonesty Has Been Attacked.     D. Can A Diploma Be All There Is.

The mayor says that the new hospital ____________by the end of 2011.                        

A. has been completed                   B. has completed

C. will have been completed               D. will have completed

The mayor of Beijing says that all construction work for the Beijing Olympics ____ by 2006. 

A. has been completed            B. has completed  

C. will have been completed       D. will have completed