American author Mark Twain once noted that “life would be surely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.” Twain’s words were only one of many complaints about aging. The ancient Greek poet Homer called old age “hateful”, and William Shakespeare termed it “terrible winter”.

Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world before he died around 323 B.C., may have been looking for a river that healed the ravages of age. During the 12^th century A.D., a king called Prester John ruled a land that had a river of gold and a fountain of youth.

But the name linked most closely to the search for a fountain of youth is 16^th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. He thought it would be found in Florida. In St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., there’s a tourist attraction. It is said to be the fountain of youth that Ponce de Leon discovered soon after he arrived in what is now Florida in 1513. However, elderly visitors who drink the spring’s water don’t turn into teenagers.

But the tale of the search for a fountain of youth is so appealing(有吸引力的) that it survives anyway, says Ryan K. Smith, a professor of history. “People are more attracted by the story of looking and not finding than they are by the idea that the fountain might be out there somewhere.”

Still, a few grains of truth have helped to support the story. Kathleen Deagan, a professor of archaeology, says a graveyard and the remains of a Spanish mission dating back to St. Augustine’s founding in 1565 have been discovered near the so-called fountain of youth. Michelle Reyna, a spokesperson for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, says the fountain has been a tourist attraction since at least 1901 and may have been attracting visitors since 1860.

1.According to the passage, who searched for a fountain of youth?

A. Ponce de Leon  B. William Shakespeare. C. Kathleen Deagan   D. Michelle Reyna

2.What does the underlined word “ravages” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. Growth. B. Limits.      C. Damages.         D. Benefits.

3.What is the attitude of people towards the fountain of youth?

A. People find much pleasure in looking for it.    

B. People believe the existence of it somewhere.

C. People have no interest in searching for it.    

D. People consider the idea of the fountain of youth absurd(荒谬的).

4.The passage mainly tells us _____.

A. how the fountain of youth came into being   

B. why some famous people hate becoming old

C. how to remain young forever         

D. whether the fountain of youth exists

5.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The underlined words “the story” refers to Alexander the Great ruling a land that had a river of gold and a fountain of youth.

B. Augustine, which is the oldest city in the U.S, lies in Florida.

C. Some elderly visitors find themselves younger after drinking the water from the fountain of youth.

D. Kathleen Deagan is the spokesperson for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.

If the world were a village of 1,000 people it would include:
? 584 Asians   ? 124 Africans   ? 95 Eastern and Western Europeans  ? 84 Latin Americans
? 55 former Soviets ( including Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, and other national groups)
? 52 North Americans    ? 6 Australians and New Zealanders
The people of the village would speak:            ? 165 Mandarin（普通话）    ? 86 English   ? 83 Hindu/Urdu   ? 64 Spanish  ? 58 Russian  ? 37 Arabic
The above list covers the mother tongues of only half the village.
One-third of the people in the village are children, and only 60 are over the age of 65. Just under half of the married women in the village have access to modem equipments.
This year 28 babies will be born. Ten people will die, 3 of them for lack of food, 1 from can­cer. Two of the deaths will be of babies born within the year. With the 28 births and 10 deaths, the    population of the village next year will be 1,018.
In this village of 1,000 persons, 200 people receive 75 percent of the income; another 200 re­ceive only 2 percent of the income.
About one-third have access to clean, safe drinking water.
Of the 670 adults in the village, half can not read nor write.
The village has a total yearly budget (预算) , public and private, of over $3 million—$ 3 ,000 per person if it is distributed evenly. Of the total $3 million:
$ 181,000 goes to weapons and warfare
$ 159,000 to education
$ 132,000 to health care
These weapons are under the control of just 100 of the people. The other 900 are watching them with deep anxiety, wondering whether they can learn to get along together.
77. Which of the following is true about Mandarin according to the text?
A. Nearly one-third of Asian people speak Mandarin in the village.
B. About 8.25 percent of the people speak Mandarin in the village.
C. About 16. 5 per cent of the people speak Mandarin in the village.
D. Nearly all the Mandarin-speaking people are from Asia in the village.
78. Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned in the text?
A. Poverty.        B. Education.      C. Environment.    D. Marriage.
79. The underlined part “have access to” (in Para. 4) means_____.
A. use       B. buy        C. produce         D. try
80. The last sentence in the text implies that most of the people long for _____.
A. a peaceful world            B. good education
C. better health care          D. a life without anxiety    

The striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent’s Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place—at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union’s present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.

Unlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.

However, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of “self-rallying”. It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.

At the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.

The International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world’s best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.

So far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora’s box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. “The EU’s whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,” says a nervous Eurocrat.

But the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe’s largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on . Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.

“Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,” says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.

One big snag is that Europe’s Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies’ shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from “being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.”

And they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some—and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.

That is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU’s agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.

1.    The Best Title of this passage is

[A]. Gypsies Want to Form a Nation.         [B]. Are They a Nation.

[C]. EU Is Afraid of Their Growth.           [C]. They Are a Tribe

2.    Where are the most probable Gypsy territory origins?

[A]. Most probably they drifted west from India in the 7th century.

[B]. They are scattered everywhere in the world.

[C]. Probably, they stemmed from Central Europe.

[D]. They probably came from the International Romany Union.

3.    What does the International Romany lobby for?

[A]. It lobbies for a demand to be accepted by such international organizations as EU and UN.

[B]. It lobbies for a post in any international Romany Union.

[C]. It lobbies for the right as a nation.

[D]. It lobbies for a place in such international organizations as the EU or UN.

4.    Why is the Europe Commission wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation?

[A]. It may open a Pandora’s Box.

[B]. Encouragement may lead to some unexpected results.

[C]. It fears that the Basgnes, Corsicans and other nations seeking separation may raise the same demand.

[D]. Gyspsies’ demand may highlight the difference in the EU.

5.    The big problem lies in the fact that

[A]. Gypsies belong to different and antagonistic clans and tribes without a common language or religion.

[B]. Their leaders prove corrupt.

[C]. Their potential unity stems from “being regarded as sub-human”.

[D]. They are a bit more pragmatic.

Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to join in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to show the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China．

I．Basic Requirements for Volunteers

● Be willing to join in voluntary services of Expo 2010;

● Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary 

      Service Station volunteers before April 30, 1994;

● Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC;

● Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010;

● Have necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position;

● Be in good health to meet the requirements of voluntary positions．

II．Further Information for Volunteers

● Source

   Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers．

● Signup methods

   Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup．They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations．

● Time

   May 1 - December 31, 2009

III．Volunteer Training

Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training．General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice．

IV．Volunteer Types

● Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in   the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation, assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and volunteer management．

● Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site．They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid．

If you were born in April 1993, where can you be a volunteer

A．In the Expo City．           B．In the host country．

C．In the Expo Site．               D．In Chinese mainland

Which of the training will be done on the Internet

A．Position training．              B．General training．

C．Classroom training．         D．Special training．

Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?

A．Visitor flow management．        B．Helping the disabled

C．Assistance in media service．    D．Emergency First aid．

Almost every child is scared of something, from monsters in the cupboard to dogs in the park. But the fact that such fears are common and normal doesn’t mean they can be taken lightly. Kids experience fears and phobias(恐惧症) much more strongly than adults. And the influence of the fear can be physical as well as psychological(心理的). It can build up so they almost seem scared of everything－a kind of childhood anxiety. Dr. Creswell says: “Your child may always seem to expect the worst to happen and lack confidence in his or her ability to deal with any challenge.” So don’t make the same old mistake of treating them as if they’re silly for being a “scaredy cat”. Handling the fears is essential.

Children can be born nervous and, if you have such a baby, you’ll tend to prevent them from getting worried. So if they fear dogs, you’ll keep them away from dogs, but in fact that can just confirm to the child that dogs are scary. What is worse, keeping your child away from what they fear can turn that feeling into a phobia. Instead, you should encourage them to get in touch with the thing they fear, in a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Andy Field, a researcher of childhood fears, says: “You shouldn’t force, for example, a dog anxious child to go up to a dog. But you can approach it yourself, show them there is nothing to be afraid of, stroke(抚摸) it, and talk about the dog being friendly. Once your child dares to stroke a dog－one that’s good with children, of course－then you should encourage them to carry on until they feel calmer, and reward them for ‘being brave’.”

Children’s fears are usually taken lightly because __________.

A．they will not develop into phobias

B．their influence is psychological

C．they exist widely in the world

D．they will disappear gradually

If we fail to help children to overcome fears, they will ___________.

A．make the same old mistake

B．overcome them by themselves

C．experience the worst of things

D．grow up lacking self confidence

According to Dr. Andy Field, if a child is afraid of a cat, parents should __________.

A．tell the child not to be afraid of it

B．show the child how to approach it

C．keep the child away from it

D．ask the child to stroke it