C

With smart phones taking the world by Storm，a phone that Can only send and receive voice

calls and text messages may seem like a relic from a bygone age．Yet in East Africa，simple

phones like these are changing the face of the economy，thanks to the mobile money services that are spreading across the region．

Usilng the text-messaging function built into the GSM system(全球通)used by most cell

phone networks，these services allow people without a bank account or credit card to use their

phone as an electronic walletthat can be used to store．send or receive cash．

It works like this：you pay cash to your local agent who then tops up your mobile money

account using a secure form of text messaging．That money can be transferred(转账)to another

person by sending a message to their cell phone account．

For some the system is a lifeline．“If I didn,t have my mobile phone．1 would be very

poor，”says Neyasse Neemur，a mother of four children who lives in northern Kenya．“Now I

can sell fish．”

Neemur took up fishing in July last year，but making money from it was a little tricky，

especially as Turkana people do not usually eat fish．A truck from Ethiopia to Tanzania passes

through her village once a week，and she arranged to have the driver transport the fish several

hundred kilometres south to market in Kisumu．where relatives sell the fish．

“I get the money transfer immediately．”says Neemur．“Then I can pay for my children to go to school and for vegetables and beans，”she adds，“so I don’t need to eat fish．”

According to the Central Bank of Kenya，payments worth around l billion Kenyan shillings

($13 million)per day were transferred through Kenya,s mobile money systems in 2009，equalling

the country,s credit card transactions(业务)．The bank expects mobile money transfers to overtake credit cards in 2010．

49．In Paragraph l，the author uses“simple phones”to________.

A．make a comparison    B．introduce a topic

C．describe a scene     D．offer an argument

50．What can we learn about the simple phones in East Africa?

A．They might help the local people apply for a bank account．

B．They will replace the banks completely in the near future．

C．They provide a safe means for the locals to do business．

D．They can do nothing except send and receive calls or messages．

51．The word“it”in the third paragraph refers to_______.

A．the GSM system    B．the mobile money service

C．the credit card service D．the cell phone networks

52．The story of Neyasse Neemur suggests that_______.

A．the mobile money service plays a key rote in the locals, life

B．Neemur uses her mobile phone to contact her customers

C。her relatives tricks Turkana people to eat the fish they sell

D．the Bank of Kenya helps her improve her living condition

  I still remember the days when l was a youthful student in an engineering school．I lived a casual life，without caring about the future．I smoked，drank with friends and made girl friends．Little did I realize that casualness would certainly lead to loss．
Two years had passed and l was staring down a report card that highlighted FAII in more than half the subjects．I didn’t care，at least not till my dad found out about it．You see．I studied in India and unlike the United States where the students are expected to finance their own education，my dad financed me．
Then came the day when my dad found out my habit of smoking．He lost his temper but he just told me，“Son，your allowance is cut in half from this moment on”．It hit me like a roundhouse kick（回旋踢） from Bruce Lee．I was jolted（震摇）out of my bones！I couldn’t comprehend how to pay off the debts that I had accumulated in college．I owed everybody money：the grocery store，the bars．the restaurants，my friends，etc．I was living a life filled with credit．
When I went back to college，I knew that if I don’t change the way I live my life I won’t be able to pay everybody off．So I decided to make some changes．drastic changes．I quit smoking，cut off from my friends who led me down the wrong road，starting hanging out in libraries and reading my engineering books．
One year later，I went from a miserable failure to a magna curn laude（优等成绩）．Life was never the same again．This incident made me know that anything is possible if you take action and do something about it，however small or large．Even today it still motivates me when I feel that l’m about to lose or give up．It reminds me that I can do it！
【小题1】The author wrote this text with the purpose of       ．

A．he was in heavy debt he couldn’t bear	B．he decided to give up smoking
C．his allowance was cut in half	D．he entered the engineering school

完形填空 （共20小题；每小题l分，满分20分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
My husband and I went into a shop that sold handcrafted items in hopes of finding a few last-minute Christmas gifts.
There was a lot  36  . Every shelf and   37 was loaded with different crafters' handiwork. As I walked through the store, I noticed a wooden plaque(瓷花金属板) hanging on a wall. I turned to take  38  look and remember shaking my head "yes" at   39  printed on the plaque.
"Life isn't about waiting for the   40 to pass," the plaque proclaimed（宣布）. "It's about learning to dance in the rain."
As I pulled my husband over and directed his attention to the plaque, I could see that he too   41 the simple lesson the plaque shared. How often in our daily lives had we put conditions on our   42 ? When we get the house paid off, then we can be happy. When things settle down with the kids, then we'll be able to do more together. There is so little joy for the here and now in the uncertainties of the   43 and thens.
Looking at the plaque, I found myself  44  to a hot and muggy day the summer before, when I unknowingly   45 the plaque's message. Light rain continued to fall as I walked out to get my mail. Water was still running   46  through the gutters（屋顶檐槽）. I don't know what came over me,  47 I suddenly felt forced to do something a little crazy   48 my fifty-plus years.
I   49 my shoes and stockings and began walking barefoot through the water. It was deliciously   50 , heated by the pavement that had been   51 by the summer heat.
I'm sure my neighbors thought that I had   52 my last vestige of sanity（神智健全）, but I didn't care. For in that moment, I was alive. I wasn't worried about bills, the future or any other day-to-day cares. I was   53 a gift — a pure and simple moment of joy!
The plaque now hangs in my living room, a Christmas gift from my husband. I walk past it multiple times each day and  54  pause to ask myself, "So, am I   55 in the rain?"
I think I am. I know I try to. One step at a time, I am learning to dance in the rain!

完形填空(共20小题；每小题l.5分，满分30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。

    Twenty years ago，I drove a taxi for a living．I met  2l  people．But none touched me  22  than a woman I picked up late one night．

    I received a call from  23  in a quiet part of town．When I arrived at 2：30 a．m．,the building was  24  except for a single light in a ground floor window．I  walked to the door and  25  ．“Just a minute，”answered a  26  ，elderly voice．After a long pause，the door opened．A small woman  27  her 80s stood before me．Beside her was a small suitcase．I took it to the taxi．and then returned to  28  the woman．She took my arm and we walked  29  toward the roadside．

    Seated，she gave me  30  ．“I’m on my way to a hospice(临终关怀医院)．I'm in no hurry．Can you drive through downtown?” I saw her eyes shining with  31  in the rearview mirror．“I don’t have any  32  left．”she continued．“The doctor says I don’t have very long．”

    During the next two hours’  33  , sometimes she asked me to  34  in front of a particular building or corner and she  35  stare into the darkness．When we got to the destination，she asked，“How much do I   36  you?” “Nothing，”I said．“You             37  make a living．”she answered．“I have  38  passengers，”I replied，and gave her a hug． She held onto me  39  ．“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said．“Thank you.”

    After that，I drove aimlessly，lost in thought．People usually believe that our lives center upon great moments．  40  great moments often catch us unaware，beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one．

1.A．honest    B．familiar    C．various    D．similar

2.A．worse    B．more    C．better    D．1ess

3.A．a store    B．an office    C．a clinic   D．an apartment

4.A．dark    B．tall    C．old    D．empty

5.A．looked    B．knocked    C．1istened    D．pushed

6.A．clear    B．10ud    C．sharp    D．weak

7.A．of    B．by    C．in    D．over 

8.A．help    B．call    C．early    D．pull

9.A．freely    B．rapidly    C．carelessly    D．slowly

10.A．a notebook    B．an address    C．a present    D．an envelope

11.A．anger    B．delight    C．tears    D．surprise

12.A．family    B．money    C．trouble    D．idea

13.A．discussion    B．ride    C．silence    D．cry

14.A．hurry    B．park    C．slow    D．circle

15.A．would    B．should    C．might    D．could

16.A．provide    B．charge    C．afford    D．owe

17.A．want to    B．used to    C．have to    D．seem to

18.A．some    B．other    C．few    D．rich

19.A．doubtfully    B．warmly    C．honestly    D．tightly

20.A．And    B．But    C．So    D．although

The laptop on the teacher’s desk is not yours. It b_____ to Harry.

While shopping, we always b______ with the shopkeeper in order to reduce the price.

The children waited until the policeman s_________ to them to cross the street.

I don’t know how to choose a mobile phone. Science and t________ is changing so fast!

I really a________________ it that you helped me so much when I was in need.

When people found the missing boy in the forest, they all smiled in r__________.

On hearing the funny story, the whole class burst into l___________________.

To be h______________, to start a business of my own is not as easy as I expected.

When I opened the letter, I found some photos a__________________ it.

The p_____ we saw last night was really wonderful. It was worth my time and effort.