Section C

Directions: Read the following passage and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph.  There is one extra heading which you do not need.

（D）

A. Value of rare skills

B. Dangerous jobs paid more

C. Social demand decides reward

D. Developing skills

E. Women’s skills rewarded

F. Reason for taking low-paying jobs

1. _________________________

The rewards of a skill that is in strictly limited supply depend upon the demand for that skill. Men’s professional basketball is extremely popular, and the top NBA players make millions of dollars per year. There are some great women basketball players, too, but because women’s professional basketball has not become popular, these women’s skills go comparatively unrewarded.

2. _________________________

Some people with very rare skills can make enormous salaries in a free market economy. Paula Abdel has a voice that millions of people are willing to pay to hear in person, and on tapes, CDs, records, and videos. Before Pablo Picasso died, he could sell small sketches for vast sums of money. Were they worth it? They were worth exactly what the highest bidder (出价人) was willing to pay.

3. _________________________

Not all skills are inborn, however. Some people have invested in training and schooling to improve their knowledge and skills. When we go to school, we are investing in human capital that we expect to yield dividends, partly in the form of higher wages, later on. Human capital is also produced through on-the-job training.

4. _________________________

Some jobs are more desirable than others. Entry-level positions in attractive industries such as publishing and television tend to be low-paying. Since talented people are willing to take entry-level jobs in these industries at salaries below what they could earn in other occupations, there must be other, non-wage rewards. It may be that the job itself is more personally rewarding, or that a low-paying apprenticeship is the only way to acquire the human capital necessary to advance.

5. _________________________

On the other hand, compensating differentials are required when an occupation is very dangerous. Workers on skyscrapers and bridges command additional wages. Fire fighters in cities that have many old, run-down buildings are usually paid more than those in relatively tranquil rural or suburban areas.

SectionＤ

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.

Building a new school is one thing, while keeping it running smoothly is quite ______.

       A. the other                         B. another                    C. neither                            D. others

Perhaps the best sign of _____ computer and internet use pushes up demand for paper comes from the high-tech industry itself.

　　A. how               B. what            C. why             D. that

 Imagine life as a game ____ you are playing with five balls. You name them---work, family, health, friends and spirit.

       A. where            B. that     C. as       D. which

Mobile phones should be banned from cars altogether, according to Dr Hole, senior lecturer in psychology, Dr Hole has emphasized the worrying combination of mobile phones and cars in his new book, The Psychology of Driving.

Mobile phones, fatigue(疲劳) , eyesight, drugs and age are among the issues considered by Dr Hole as he examines the factors that influence on driving. The book explores the role of each of these elements in increasing the chances of an accident and was inspired by the author's conversations with road safety experts across the country.

He says: “The government should have banned mobile phones in cars altogether. It has sent out the wrong message by forbidding hand-held phones because this gives the impression that hands-free phones are safe. The problem with mobile phones is not vehicular(车辆的) control and only having one hand on the wheel, but rather it is taking away attention from what is happening outside the car.”

Myths(荒诞的说法) about older people making worse drivers and claims(说法) about an improved reaction time among younger people are explored in the book. Questions about how drivers decide what to attend to while driving, the role of a driver's expectations in determining what they see and how they respond to the road are among the areas covered in the book. Satellite navigation systems and new design aimed at transforming cars into a mobile office, are among the modern developments which he says now compete for driver's attention behind the wheel.

Dr Hole says: “We need to be very careful about how we go about handling modern technology in cars, because we are opening a Pandora's Box. When anyone is driving there is a lot of information outside the car and if there is too much going on inside, then there is a danger of overloading the driver.”

1. Dr Hole’s strong belief that mobile phones should be banned from cars lies in __________.

      A. the inconvenience of having only one hand on the wheel caused by mobile phones

      B. the correct message of getting rid of hand-held phones sent out by the government

      C. the increase of chances of accidents

      D. the advice given by some road safety experts        

3. Which of the following is not included in his book?

      A. Hand-free phones are safer than hand-held phones.

      B. What drivers have to attend to while driving.

      C. Whether older age and slower reaction is related.

      D. Bad eyesight is one of the factors of causing an accident.                   

3. Which of the following is true?

      A. Older people are better at preventing accidents.

      B. Younger drivers’ reaction time is relatively shorter.

      C. It is a myth that some old people can still drive.

      D. A driver’s expectations are not covered in the book.

4. What can we know from the underlined sentence?

      A. What is going on outside is of equal importance to what inside.

      B. Modern developments call for drivers’ attention behind the wheel.

      C. Satellite navigation systems require more cars as mobile offices.

      D. Modern technology is responsible for the distraction (分心) of one’s attention while driving.

When she called at his studio, she__________that he had gone to Japan.

       A．is told      B．was told    C．tells   D．told

 _____in the office all day long, Wendy is more than tired when she arrives home.

   A. Engage      B. Engaged     C. To engage   D. Engaging

第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分50分）

第一节  阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a giant grandfather clock．Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one．The table was always spread with food containing love as the main ingredient．And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the laughter that was a part of our lives.

As a child, the old clock fascinated me．I watched and listened to it during meals．Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's routine．He wound (上发条) that clock with a special key carefully each day．That key was magic to me．It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming．I remember watching as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock．He inserted the key and wound — not too much, nor too little．He never let that clock wind down and stop．He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take turns winding the key．I remember the first time I did it I was so excited to be part of this family routine．

After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral before I remembered the clock!

"Mama! The clock! We've let it wind down."

The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room．The clock stood there quiet．It even seemed smaller without my grandfather's special touch.

Some time later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key．The old house was quiet．No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the clock — all was still．I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door．All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes．He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power.

I stood, lost in the moment for a long time．Then slowly and carefully I inserted the key and wound the clock．It came back to life．Tick-tock, tick-tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my heart．In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather lived again.

1．Why does the writer say the table was always spreading with food containing love as the main ingredient?

       A．The food was delicious and tasty.

       B．The meal was made by his dear grandparents

       C．The whole family talked about the love of each other over meals.

       D．Four generations lived joyfully and harmoniously to become one.

2．By describing Grandfather’s routine in detail in the 2nd paragraph, the writer expresses___________.

       A．It’s troublesome to make the clock work.

       B．It’s a fantastic thing to play with the clock.

       C．He greatly misses his late grandfather

       D．His grandfather had a preference for the clock.

3．What kinds of mood are shown in the essay?

       A．Sad and hopeful                 B．desperate and hopeful

       C．Heart-broken and hopeless        D．cheerful and hopeful

___________ progress you have made．Congratulations to you!

       A．What great       B．How great C．What a great    D．How great a

— When did you first meet Tom?

— On May 2, ____, the first day I came to this city.

A. or rather      B. at least          C. on the whole         D. in a word