The United States is already one year into a depression That was the news this week from the Na-tional Bureau of Economic Research. The downturn is the longest since a depression that began in 1981and lasted sixteen months.
Economists generally wait for production to shrink for six months in a row before they declare a re-cession. But the bureau, a private group, uses a wider set of information to measure the economy. Thenews only confirmed what many people already knew: that the world's largest economy is weak and maynot recover soon.
Worsening conclitions have led to a big drop in spending, especially on costly products like new cars. Even Japanese automaker Toyota saw its sales fall thirty - four percent in the United States in November from a year ago.
The heads of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors retumed to Congress this week to again ask for federal aid.  Congressional leaders denounced(指责) them two weeks ago after they came in private jets with no clear plans for saving their industry. This time, the chiefs drove to Washington in fuel- saving hybrid vehicles. And their companies presented detailed restructuring plans. The reguest for aid has risen from twenty-five billion dollars two weeks ago to thirty-four billion in loans and credit lines.
G.M. wants almost half of that, and says it needs four billion dollars this month. It warned that without support it cannot continue to operate.
Ford is in a better position, But the sharing of suppliers means it could be affected if G.M. or
Chrysler fails. Ford is asking for a nine billion dollar credit line in case it needs it.
Chrysler is the smallest and most trouble of America's Big Three. It says it needs a seven billion dollar loan by the end of the month.
Two days of congressional hearings began Thursday in the Senate Banking Committee. The chairman, Democrat Chris Dodd, said he would support helping the automakers for the good of the economy.
But the committee's top Republican, Richard Shelby, continued to express opposition to a bailout(贿政援助）．
A main root of the world financial crisis is the weak housing market in the United States. The Trea-sury Department has been under pressure to help troubled homeowners. Now comes news that the depart-ment is developing a plan aimed at reducing interest rates on mortgage loans(汽车贷款) for some buyers of homes. That could be good for homeowners trying to sell.
【小题1】From the first two paragraphs, we know       .

George selected his food in Value Mart carefully. He estimated he had ___36___ 80 cents today. He was pleased he had got good ___37___ for his money again.

At the exit, the freezing wind ___38___ him of his gloves. He was sure he was wearing them when entering the___39___. He made a search of his pockets. Then he thought they must have been ___40___ somewhere in the store. George had bought the black gloves for ＄35 ten years ago. They were leather, soft and durable. Until then, he had worn cheaper man-made material that never lasted long. His ___41___ to buy the gloves turned out to be good, which even ___42___ his position on the bus, as poorer passengers stared at him ___43___.

George re-entered the store. He followed the same ___44___ he had walked before, ___45___ at the bread counter, to the dairy section, the shelf where salt and sugar were placed. It did not take long to be ___46___ that the gloves were not there. His ___47___ grew heavier.“People have changed”,he ___48___ .“Years ago, if somebody ___49___ something lost, they would give it back.”

Yet he did not give up .This time he focused on the gloves on other shoppers’ ___50___ .Suddenly he ___51___ a lady nearby wearing a black pair of gloves. He said“Hi !”But when the surprised lady returned his ___52___, his eyes dropped to the floor, for the fingers of her gloves were too small for him.

Without gloves, he had to ___53___ his hands into his sleeves. Back home, George was ___54___. He could not do without gloves. George decided to buy another leather pair. But before that, he stepped into Value Mart again to see if by any ___55___ his gloves hand been returned to the lost and found office. The girl looked into her drawer and took out a pair of men’s leather gloves.“Are they ?” 

“Yes ! Mine !”George shouted with joy.

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和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。

I have two friends who are eager to go hiking. There is a High Peaks region 1 46 mountains in New York. A mountain club gives special recognition（奖赏） to 2 who climbs all the 46 mountains. My two friends decided to go for this 3. The mountains were really 4 to climb. It  5  them several years to achieve it. My friends had climbed 45 of the mountains, and the 6 one was the most distant and the highest.

Early one morning they left their campsite hiking path to the 7 of a chain of mountains. When they reached the base, they found that they had left their 8 and map in the camp. 9 returning to the camp, they decided to navigate(导航，定位) without them. 10, they reached the top of a mountain. They were worn-out 11 extremely happy.

However, the 12 lasted only for a short time. When they 13 , they saw another higher mountain. They had climbed the 14 mountain! 15 the time problem, they had to wait for another four months to climb the right mountain.

I think this story tells an important 16：often in life we put great 17 into some of our goals, but without the right map and compass, it is easy to get 18. Knowing your 49 in life gives you a powerful personal map and compass, 20 that you are always climbing the right mountain.

1.                A．consisting of     B．consisted of     C．making of D．made of

2.                A．everyone       B．anyone         C．no one   D．someone

3.                A．relax           B．award          C．admission D．result

4.                A．easy           B．visual          C．hard     D．fragile

5.                A．cost           B．wasted         C．spent D．took

6.                A．first            B．second         C．third D．last

7.                A．top            B．side            C．edge     D．base

8.                A．map           B．guide          C．water    D．compass

9.                A．Rather than      B．Other than      C．Or rather D．Except for

10.               A．Consequently    B．Eventually       C．Endlessly  D．Mentally

11.               A．and            B．but            C．or    D．so

12.               A．delight         B．sorrow         C．stress D．preference

13.               A．looked up       B．looked forward   C．looked back    D．looked around

14.               A．right           B．left            C．wrong D．highest

15.               A．In spite of       B．Due to         C．Thanks to  D．Instead of

16.               A．class           B．lesson          C．aim   D．ban

17.               A．strength        B．load           C．effort D．faith

18.               A．abused         B．addicted        C．accustomed    D．lost

19.               A．purpose        B．dream         C．quality    D．pleasure

20.               A．making sure     B．making out      C．making up D．making from

Today I am known for my voice. Perhaps the greatest honor came when I was asked to read a book on tape.

But it   1   a long time to believe such good things could happen to me. When I was a youngster I stuttered(口吃)   2   badly that I was completely   3   to speak in public.

  4  , when I was 14, Professor Donald Crouch came to our school. He was a retired college professor. English was his   5   subject; poetry was his deepest love. He held a book of poems   6   it were a diamond necklace, turning pages as if uncovering treasures. When he heard our school was teaching Shakespeare and other classics, he could no longer   7   not being a part of our school.

When he   8   that I not only loved poetry but was   9   it, we became closer. There was, however, one   10   between us－Professor Crouch could not stand the   11   that I refused to read my poems to the class.

“Jim, poetry is   12   to be read aloud,” he said. “You should be able to speak those beautiful words.” I shook my head and   13  .

Then he tricked me. After handing in a poem, I waited for his   14  . It didn’t come. Instead, one day as the students gathered together, he challenged me.” Jim, I don’t think you wrote this.”

I   15   him in disbelief. “Why,” I started, anger flooding me. “of course I   16  !” “Well, then,” he said, “you’ve got to prove it by getting up and reciting it   17   memory.”

By then the other students had settled at their desks. With knees shaking, I walked up. For a moment I stood   18  . Then I began, and kept going. I recited my poem all the way through!

Afterwards, Professor Crouch congratulated me and 19   me to read other writers’ poetry before public.

Before long I discovered I did have a(n)   20   and found my fellow students actually looked forward to hearing me recite.

1．A．lasted                    B．took                    C．spent                  D．wasted

2．A．so                        B．fairly                   C．such                   D．rather

3．A．uncertain               B．unlikely               C．unbelievable         D．unable

4．A．So                        B．Besides                C．Then                   D．Therefore

5．A．good                     B．important             C．selected               D．favourite

6．A．even if                  B．so that                 C．as though            D．if only

7．A．protect                  B．help                    C．keep                   D．stand

8．A．learned                  B．recognized           C．decided               D．proved

10．A．difference            B．difficulty             C．promise               D．similarity

11．A．truth                   B．idea                     C．fact                    D．belief

12．A．said                    B．meant                  C．taught                 D．prepared

13．A．answered back     B．turned up             C．turned away        D．stuck to

14．A．correction           B．praise                  C．return                 D．comment

15．A．replied to             B．laughed at            C．pointed to            D．stared at

16．A．could                  B．did                      C．should                 D．had

17．A．with                    B．of                       C．from                   D．in

18．A．changeless           B．hopeless              C．careless               D．breathless

19．A．enabled               B．persuaded            C．encouraged          D．supported

20．A．voice                 B．sound                  C．appearance         D．interest