Airlines must hire up to 62 000 new pilots in the next decade. But qualified pilots are few and far between in the United States. Every year there are more planes being flown. At the same time, 12 to 15 foreign countries are recruiting American pilots.

As a result, pilots are earning spectacular salaries. The going rate for skilled pilots is well over $90 000 a year. Some pilots can earn about $160 000 plus free housing working for foreign airlines.

Because of the shortage, some people say unqualified pilots are being allowed to fly planes. They fear the number of crashes will skyrocket. Each year, more and more pilots with less than 2 000 hours of experience are being hired. Airlines are also bringing on board many more pilots who are older than 50, although law requires pilots to retired at age 50.

Being an airline pilot is a difficult job that requires people to make life and death decision under pressure. Some pilots crack under the pressure.

The military is also having a hard time keeping pilots. Air Force pilots must commit to spending at least six years in the Air Force. The Air Force invests millions of dollars to train each pilot, so it doesn’t want to lose them.

Experts say this problem is going to get a lot worse. Congress may establish a commission to study the country’s pilot needs. In the meantime, salaries of pilots will continue to rise and the number of crashes may keep pace.

1. The main idea of the article is_______.

A. a shortage of pilots is caused by airlines and military

B. there have been more crashes because pilots have worse eyesight and higher salaries

C. a shortage of pilots may lead to more crashes

D. airlines should hire more pilots even if they’re unqualified

2. Today a pilot no longer needs_______.

A. perfect eyesight

B. military training

C. two college degrees

D. to be recruited

3. Air Force pilots should stay in the Air Force because________.

A. the Air Force is a good place to work

B. the Air Force pays more than airlines

C. the military should have hard time keeping pilots

D. the Air Force spends a lot of money training them

4. Some people wouldn’t be good pilots because__________.

A. they can’t make decisions quickly

B. they don’t earn spectacular salaries

C. they weren’t recruited by foreign countries

D. the number of crashes keeps pace with them

Shanghai won the honor after beating rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea.

“I’m very proud of being Chinese,” said Wang Kaibo, a Senior 2 student of the Middle School Affiliated to Beijing Medical University. “The winning of the expo is a victory, not only for Shanghai residents, but for the people of the whole Chinese nation.”

Bidding for the expo shows that China is more confident of playing a more important role on the international stage. It’s competing for large events and the next one could be the World Cup, Wang said.

The World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Beijing Olympics will become the twin shining stars of China’s development over the next 10 years, said experts.

The World Expo is known as “Olympics of the economic, cultural, scientific and technological fields.” It is usually held every five years and lasts  six months.

The Olympics, World Cup and World Expo are considered three top international events in the world.

China is the first developing country to win the expo bid in the event’s 151-year history.

Not only will it attract more foreign investment to China, but also experts say that the half-year-long exhibition will bring at least 70 million visitors to Shanghai.

The World Expo is a great event for different countries to exchange social, economic, cultural and scientific achievements, and also help to encourage new technology and ideas.

The expo was first held in London in 1851. It has a history of global influence.

The Eiffel Tower, built during the Paris World Expo in 1889, became the symbol of the French capital.

Many historic inventions, such as the telephone and airplane, all made their first appearance at a World Expo.

1. What does the underlined word “rivals” probably mean in the second paragraph?

A. competitors.　　    B. enemies.

C. players.　　　　    D. supporters.

2. The winning of bidding for the World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Olympic Games implies_______.

A. China is beginning to play a more important part on the international stage

B. China has played the most important role in the international affairs

C. China has become a developed country ever since 53

D. China is the first Asian country to win the expo bid in history

3. As we know, in general, the Word Expo is usually held every______ years, while the Olympics is usually held every______ years.

A.4；5　　　　  B.5；4

C.4；4　　　　  D.5；5

4. By bidding for the expo and the Olympics, we are sure that_______.

A. China will beat rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea

B. China will become a super country in the United Nations

C. China will build a famous tower like Eiffel Tower as the symbol of the capital

D. China will develop more quickly than before and will benefit a lot from them

But a Swedish company has developed a milking system, based on computer-controlled robotic arms, to solve these problems.

This new system allows the cows to be milked any time they are ready. And farmers can sleep without worrying about them.

When they are hungry, the cows enter the new milking station for food. They have to wear tags（标签）—their ID cards-which are automatically scanned（自动扫描）. The computer records each cow’s visit and checks if it is actually ready to be milked. Data on each cow allow the robotic arms to fit the milking machine properly to make sure the cow is comfortable.

As the milk begins flowing, the computer start to test the milk-checking for bacteria and other contaminants（污染物）. If there is any problem, the flow of milk will go to special tanks that don’t reach the main supply.

Once the milking ends, the system carefully cleans the cow, as well as itself and prepares for the next anxious beast.

The system is still being improved. But it is already widely used in Japan and across Europe, such as in Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Germany.

1. With the help of robotic arms, _______.

A. the hungry cows can enter the new milking station for food

B. cows can produce more milk during the night

C. cows feel more comfortable than being milked by man

D. cows can be milked any time they are ready

2. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A. The new milking system was developed by a Swedish company.

B. The new milking system can clean both the cow and itself once the milking ends.

C. The new milking system is perfect and it is widely used in Japan and across Europe.

D. The new milking system allows the cows to be milked any time they are ready.

3. The best title of the passage is ______.

A. Uncomfortable Cows

B. Robots Milk Cows

C. Flowing Milk

D. Improving New System

I am one of those unfortunate people who have poor sense of direction and I may have visited a place time after time but I still get lost on my way there. When I was young I was so shy that I never dared ask complete strangers the way and so I used to wander round in circles and hope that by some chance I would get to the spot I was heading for.

I am no longer too shy to ask people for direction, but I often receive replies that puzzle me. Often people do not like to admit that they didn’t know their hometown and will insist on telling you the way, even if they do not know it; others, who are anxious to prove that they know their hometown very well, will give you a long list of directions which you can not possibly hope to remember, and still others do not seem to be able to tell between their left and their right and you find in the end that you are going in the opposite direction to that in which you should be going.

If anyone ever asks me the way to somewhere, I always tell him or her I am a stranger to the town in order to avoid giving them wrong direction but even this can have embarrassing results.

Once I was on my way to work when I was stopped by a man who asked me if I would direct him the way to the Sunlight Building. I gave my usual reply, but I had not walked on a few steps when I realized that he had asked for directions to my office building. However, at this point, I decided it was too late to turn back and search for him out of the crowd behind me as I was going to meet with someone at the office and I did not want to keep him waiting.

Imagine my embarrassment when my secretary showed in the very man who had asked for directions to my office and his astonishment when he recognized me as the person he had asked.

1. What is the writer going to do when someone asks him for direction?

A. He will direct the right way to the person willingly.

B. He will reply to it by the means of being a stranger to the town.

C. He will give the very person long list of direction.

D. He is going to show the man an opposite direction.

2. Why did the writer consider himself to be an unlucky dog?

A. Because of his poor sense of direction.

B. Because he always forget the way to home.

C. Because he did not have any friend.

D. Because he used to be shy and dared not ask others the way.

3. How did the visitor feel when he was showed into the very room?

A. He felt strange.　　　　 B. He felt embarrassed.

C. He felt very sad.　　    D. He felt astonished.

4. Who showed the right way to the interviewee according to the passage?

A. Someone we don’t know.

B. The writer did it for himself.

C. The secretary did so.

D. A warm-hearted old lady did such a thing.

Check the listings in your neighborhood paper. Local colleges or schools often welcome the public to hear an interesting speaker or a good debate. The film or concert series at the local public library probably won’t cost you a penny. Be sure to check commercial advertisements, too. A flea market can provide hours of pleasant browsing. Perhaps you can find a free cooking or crafts demonstration in a department store.

Plan ahead for some activities. It is always more pleasant not to have people in front of you in a museum or at a zoo. You may have saved some money too, since these places often set aside one or two free admission days at slow times during the week. Pretend that you are a tourist from time to time, and get to know your city all over again including the indispensable sights that people travel miles to see. If you feel like taking an interesting walk, find a free walking tour, or plan one yourself. You will see your city in a new perspective once you know about its history or its architectural treasures. With imagination and a spirit of adventure you can quite easily find good entertainment at no cost at all.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Local colleges often hold meetings to debate the issues people are interested in.

B. There are many kinds of amusements you can enjoy without spending much money.

C. You should be a tourist if you want to know more about the city you live in.

D. The film shown at the local public library is often free of charge.

2. In the sentence “you will certainly see people of every age, size, and shape…”, “shape” refers to people being________.

A. old and young　　　　　　 B. fat and thin

C. tall and short　　　　　　  D. beautiful and ugly

3. The underlined part in Paragraph 3 means a time when______.

A. business is good　　　　　　　　   B. stroll is slow

C. people are slow in learning　　　　   D. business is bad

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. Amusement at NO Cost

B. The Most Enjoyable Street Musician

C. Movies, Concerts and Shows

D. The Cheapest Window-shopping

The president of Trinity College in Washington, D.C. said that by the end of the 1980s women began to recognize that studying at the same school with men did not mean women were having an equal chance to learn. The president of Smith College in Massachusetts says a women’s college permits women to choose classes and activities freely. For example, she says that in women’s college a higher percentage of students study mathematics than in a college with both men and women.

Educational experts say men students in the United States usually speak in class more than women students do. In a women’s college, women feel free to say what they think. Women’s schools also bring out leadership capabilities in many women. Women are represented everywhere. For example, at a women’s college every governing office is held by a woman. Recent studies reportedly show this leadership continues after college. The studies show that American women who went to women’s colleges are more likely to hold successful jobs later in life.

1. Most of women’s colleges are established_______.

A. to give women the education they could not receive anywhere else

B. to separate women from men

C. to offer women special chances for work

D. to help women have more study opportunities

2. Some women’s colleges decided to accept men students because_______.

A. teaching women is more difficult than teaching men

B. many young women chose to study at colleges with both men and women

C. study with men is more challenged

D. women and men can have equal chances of competition

3. From the passage we know that______.

A. more and more women’s colleges are being established now

B. more and more women like to study in colleges with both men and women

C. there are more women’s colleges than colleges with both men and women in the USA

D. both Trinity College and Smith College are women’s colleges

4. According to the passage, if a woman wants to hold successful jobs, she’d better_______.

A. study in colleges with both men and women

B. study in Trinity College

C. learn from the president of Smith College

D. study in women’s colleges

The United Nations is working to solve this problem. In December, it will hold a conference in Geneva, called the World Summit（峰会）on the Information Society. Political and business leaders will come together with delegates（代表）from nongovernmental organizations, educational groups and others. They will discuss the fast-growing information technology industry and its effects on the world.

UN organizers say they hope the gathering will lead to a political declaration and action plan. The goal is to bridge the digital divide between rich and poor nations. A second conference, to examine progress, will take place in Tunisia in 2005.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recently spoke to business leaders at a meeting in New York. Mister Annan urged them to take part in the World Summit on the Information Society. He told them that industry can play an important part in limiting technological differences between countries. He noted that some companies already made efforts to improve Internet skills among poor Americans. The UN Secretary General urged businesses to also look for projects in developing countries.

Cisco Systems in San Jose, California, is one company that already does that. In 1997, Cisco began a special program to teach Internet technology skills to people around the world. Today, the Cisco Networking Academy（学院）has spread to 145 nations.

Mister Annan says more ideas like this are needed to close the digital divide. He says information technology is not a magic（有魔力的）answer for poor nations, but it can lead to peace and development. He says news and information provided through the Internet help build trade, employment, good government and democracy around the world.

1. According to the passage, the so-called “digital divide” here mainly refers to it that_____.

A. people in poor countries don’t know how to use computers

B. the rich countries have more money than the poor countries

C. there’s no Internet system in poor countries

D. as a result of economic factor, poor nations cannot share information technology with rich nations equally

2. According to Kofi Annan, we can know_______.

E-cards are available for free on the Internet. Most electronic greeting card sites give you a wide selection of choices and let you personalize your card.

Unlike with traditional printed cards, you don’t schlep（拖曳）to a card store to make your selection, you don’t fork out any money. Delivery is immediate; there’s no postage required and you are not using paper.

But the best thing about these card sites is that they animate and play music, which makes them very cool to kids.

Most electronic greeting card sites are similar in setup. Upon entering the site, you select a category of card that interests you. The next screen shows you a series of possible card choice. By clicking on one that appeals（有感染力）to you, the card will enlarge and may animate. If there is music with the card, it will start to play.

Usually there is place to click to see the second (inside) page of the card. The site then offers you ability to personalize the card you have selected; you may be able to change the proposal message or add to it. At some sites, you can even add voice, video or photos to the cards.

Once you have personalized the e-card, you enter the e-mail address for delivery. Your recipient（接受者）will get an e-mail telling them to go to a specific Web address to view the card you have made. You may be able to send the same card to multiple recipients. The delivery can be immediate, or you can choose to have it delivered on a specific day.

Most electronic greeting card sites, like many other fields, have lots of advertising. Many make their money by enticing（诱惑）people to buy extra stuff like gift certificates to add to navigate through this commercialism（利润第一主义）and to land in areas that are fun and appropriate for them.

1. All of the following are the advantages of electronic greeting cards except that_______.

A. you still have to pay a small sum of money to send e-cards

B. e-cards are available for free on the Internet

C. e-cards are very cool to kids because they have cartooned pictures and some music to go with it

D. the delivery of e-cards is immediate

2. What’s the main topic of the first four paragraphs?

A. The advantages of using personal computer.

B. The development of modern postal and telecommunication service.

C. The reasons why children love to send and receive e-cards.

D. The advantages and disadvantages of traditional printed cards.

3. The underlined word “available” (in Paragraph 2) means_____.

A. interesting　　　　　　   B. buyable

C. existing　　　　　　　　 D. able to be got or used

Without most people realizing it, there has been revolution in office work over the last ten years. Before that time, large computers were only used by large rich companies that could afford the investment. With the advancement of technology, small computers have come onto the market which are capable of doing the work which used to be done by much larger and expensive computers, so now most smaller companies can use them.

The main development in small computers has been in the field of word processors, or WPS as they are often called. 40% of British offices are now estimated to have a word processor and this percentage is growing fast.

There are many advantages in using a word processor for both secretary and manager. The secretary is freed from a lot of daily work, such as re-typing letters and storing papers. He or she can use this time to do other more interesting work for the boss. From a manager’s point of view, secretarial time is being made better use of and money can be saved by doing daily jobs automatically outside office hours.

But is it all good? If a lot of daily secretarial work can be done automatically, surely this will mean that fewer secretaries will be needed. Another worry is the increasing medical problems related to work with visual display units（显示器）. The case of a slow loss of sight among people usingお word processors seems to have risen greatly. It is also feared that if a woman works at a VDU for long hours, the unborn child in her body might be killed. Safety screens to put over a VDU have been invented but few companies in England bother to buy them.

Whatever the arguments for and against word processors, they are a key feature of this revolution in office practice.

1. Ten years ago, large computers were only used by large companies because________.

A. small companies did not have enough money to buy such expensive computers

B. large computers could not do the work that small companies can do today

C. large computers did not come onto the market

D. small companies did not need to use this new technology

2. According to the writer, the main progress made in office work over the last ten years is______.

A. the saving of time and money

B. the use of computers in big companies

C. the wide use of word processors

D. the decreasing number of secretaries.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. There are both advantages and disadvantages in using a word processor.

B. The British companies care much for the health of the people using word processors.

C. The technology in the field of computers has been greatly advanced over the last ten years.

D. Using word processors, secretaries can get more time to do more interesting work for their bosses.

In 1991, he became a trainee with Manchester United. This meant that he could practice football as much as he wanted to and play for the highly successful Manchester United Youth Cup team and Under-21 team. In April, 1995 he played his first football league game against Leeds Untied. During 1995 and 1996, David became a regular member of the team and Manchester United won in both football seasons, with David scoring many goals.

His goals made him a household name. In the first game of the 1996～1997 season, he scored an surprising goal from beyond the halfway line; seeing the goalkeeper a little way out of his goal, Beckham became famous overnight. He continued to score astonishing goals, especially from free-kicks. The speed of one of his shots was timed at 157 kph. He also had the ability to make the ball go from left to right, or right to left, whenever he chose. Goalkeepers were never sure where the ball was going, and it regularly ended up in the goal.

1. Which word can take the place of the underlined word “passion” in Paragraph 1?

A. success　　　　   B. interest

C. prize　　　　　　 D. skill

2. The unusually surprising way that he scored goals______.

A. helped him to gain many prizes for Essex

B. kept him playing for Leeds United

C. offered him the chance to join the national team

D. made him popular in many British homes

3. Which of the following shows the right order of what Beckham experienced?

a. Beckham played his first football league game.

b. Beckham won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills award.

c. Beckham played for Manchester United Youth Cup team.

d. Beckham went to Spain to join a football training camp.

e. Beckham played for the schools of Essex.

A. e, d, a, c, b　　　　　　　　   B. b, e, d, a, c

C, e, b, a, d, c　　　　　　　　   D, b, d, e, c, a

4. The passage is mainly talking about______.

A. how Beckham became a successful football player

B. what abilities Beckham had to score so many goals

C. when Beckham became famous all over Britain

D. why Beckham could win in football league games