Talking on a mobile phone is expensive, so a lot of people send text messages. Text messages are much cheaper than talking on a mobile phone, and you can make it cheaper by making the words shorter. You can do this by taking out “unimportant” letters in the words and using numbers instead of words (2 = to, 3 = free, 4 = for, 8 = ate, so h8 = hate, etc.). You can also keep away from using punctuation (标点). Here is an example: Do U wnt 2 g 2 th cnma tnite (Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?)

What do you think these text messages mean?

Whr hv U bn? Iv bn wtng hrs fr a cll.

Im hm nw, why nt gv me a cll.

I gt a txt mssge frm my frnd. Shes hvng a prty on Strdy.

Mobile phone users have developed a group of symbols (符号) to show how they feel. They are called emoticons, and there are some examples below. To read an emoticon, you have to look at it sideways. For example, if you say something in a text message that is a joke, you can follow it with a smiling face. Like this: Why didt u call me? I’m so sad.   (

Here are some others. Can you think of text messages where you could use them?

) laughing     ( sad     ＜ really sad

Ⅴ shouting    |·| asleep    ：0 shocked

8·| surprised    \·o bored

Why are text messages popular?

A. Because they are expensive.             B. Because they are cheap.

C. Because they are hard to write.          D. Because they are not important.

The first paragraph tells us that we can make the text messages shorter in             ways.

A. one          B. two          C. three          D. four

What does this text message “Do U wnt 2 cm?” mean? It means “                    ?”.

A. Do you want to come                      B. Do you wear two caps

C. Do you want two cakes                    D. Do you go home early

Why do people use emoticons?

A. Because they can show how users feel.  B. Because the symbols are beautiful.

C. Because text messages are short.         D. Because the users can’t make the words shorter.

A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（药剂）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．

Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．

Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．

“And now，ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever.”?

“And，ladies and gentlemen,” the man continued，“I'm not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine．I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle．I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle. Now，ladies and gentlemen，I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle. Think，my friends，for ten dollars you can live forever.”?

Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．

One person shouted，“If it can make you live forever，why don't you drink it?”

Then another person cried，“Yes，you look as if you're at least sixty years old．?

“Thank you，sir，thank you,” the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine.”?

The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man. One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by, “Is that true？”?he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？”?

“Don't ask me,” the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years.”?

1.What did the man sell at first at the fair？

   A．a cure for colds  

   B．bottles   

C．a cure for old age

D．a medicine that made people live forever 

2.How much did the man charge for the cure for old age？

   A．one dollar a bottle      

   B．twenty-five dollars a bottle

   C．ten dollars a bottle       

D．fifty dollars a bottle

3.What does the word “assistant” mean in this passage？

   A．仆人    B．朋友   C．同伴    D．助手

4.What does this passage really mean？

   A．The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive．

   B．The man is not honest，and neither is his assistant．

   C．The cheaper the medicine is，the more people will buy．

   D．The two men are very honest，and they would like to help people live forever．

第二节：语法填空 (共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31-40的相应位置上。

Many patients who don’t want to tell their doctor how much they really drink are often more honest with a computer. The computer __31__ (use) for this purpose is programmed to be friendly. For example, if a patient called Ann says that __32__ her parents are dead, the computer will say: “I’m sorry to hear that, Ann.” Apart from expressing sympathy, the computer __33___ also question and remind. If a patient says he __34__ drinks alcohol, the computer can ask him, “Never? Not even at parties or at Christmas?” Does this direct contact __35__the patient and the computer mean that we do not need doctors any more?

It depends. Computers are useful __36__ they do not look shocked if you say you drink two bottles of whisky __37__day. And they do not stop to talk on the phone as doctors often do.

But ___38___ a doctor said, “We smile and we give a patient a handkerchief or put arm around her shoulder if she __39__ (cry). That is ___40___ people will always want us.”

It's killed at least two dozen people, damaged hundreds of homes, cost some 22 billion Yuan in direct economic losses so far and has left thousands of family-bound travelers stranded. The massive snow and ice storm that has swept through the southern part of China has put this country into full disaster management mode. Tens of thousands of soldiers have been activated and the government has already provided 126 million Yuan in aide to six provinces in the south slammed by the unexpected winter blast. But is enough being done? And what else can be done to ensure that the effects of natural disasters like the one in southern China are minimized in the future?

“Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. In this edition of the show, we'll be talking about the southern China snow and ice storm. So let's get started.

First, let's get a Chinese perspective of how well the ice and snow storm in southern China is being handled from a logistical point of view. For this we're joined on the line by Professor Peng Xizhe, Dean of the School of Social Development and Public Policy at Fudan University in Shanghai.

(Dialogue with Peng)

    And after a short break, we'll talk about the broader view of disaster management.”

   “Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. I'm Paul James in Beijing. In this edition of the show, we're talking about the massive winter storm that has ravaged southern China. For a broader look at disaster management, we're joined on the line now by Mr. Aloysius Rego and Ms. Jiang Lingling, both with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Thailand.

(Dialogue with Jiang and Rego)

    And with that we close out this edition of People In the Know, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. Though it may seem small consolation now for the thousands who remain stranded because of the storm, it's important to remember that as long as patience prevails, you will get home. Questions or comments for us can be sent to crieng@crifm.com. For Executive Director Wang Lei and Producers Yang Jingjie and Xu Yang, I'm Paul James in Beijing. Take care.”

What style does this passage according to?

   A. 说明文   B. 议论文   C. 描写文   D. 新闻报道

What’s the main idea of this article?

   A. Tell the stories about the snow storm in the southern part of China

   B. Tell us some facts about the people in the disaster.

   C. What have been done or will be done to rescue the people in the disaster.

   D. Let’s know the measures about the disaster.

How many people died from the snow disaster before this report?

   A. more than 30    B. more than 24    C. many    D. 50

It was on a summer burning afternoon in Denver．The sky was blue and the wind was blowing slightly．A man from a big 36  with a new wagon （马车） and a beautiful pair of horses was 37 along a country road．He did not 38  much attention to 39  he was going．Pretty soon he realized that he was 40  , but he continued to drive, 41  to find his way or to meet someone who could tell him how to 42  to the town．
It was a long 43  road．For several hours he kept on driving．44  it was almost dark, he saw in a cornfield a tall farmer plowing （犁） the land．He stopped his 45  team of horses near the fence and called out, "Hello, farmer"
"Hello, yourself" the farmer replied, 46  plowing．
"Where does this  47  go ?"
"I haven't ever seen it go anywhere．It always 48  right where it is " , said the farmer, without stopping his work．
"How far is it  49  the next town?" said the stranger, speaking a little louder．
"Don't know, never  50  it " replied the farmer．
By this time the city man was getting 51  , "What do you know? You're the biggest 52  I ever saw"
The farmer 53  the plow and turned and looked for a long time at the city man．Then he said scornfully （轻蔑地） , "Maybe I don't know much．54  I am a fool．But 55  I'm not lost!"