What do Chinese college graduates have in common with ants? The recent         Ants Tribe about the lifeof some young people         flock (聚集) to Beijing after        university, describes the graduates, like ants, as smart but         as individuals, drawing strength from living together in communities.
The book, which is based         two years’ interviews with about 600 low-income college graduates in Beijing,         in mid September, about a month before an announcement from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security that 74% of the 6.11 million new graduates had been         by Sept. 1.
For the book’s chief editor, Lian Si, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, that piece of statistic says        about the real situation for many of these graduates. “I am always         how many of these employed college graduates are leading a decent life,” Lian said. “I hope this book could offer a window on these graduates, whose stories are         known.”
The setting of the book is several so-called “settlement villages for college students” on the outskirts of Beijing,         large number of college graduates        . Most of these graduates work for         or medium-sized businesses,         less than 2,000 yuan a month. They live together because it’s        : the rent in these communities is only around 350 yuan a month. Many of them travel several hours a day for short-term jobs or job interviews.
Tangjialing, a small         20 kilometers from Tiananmen Square, has around 3,000         villagers, but has become a         for more than 50,000 migrants, most of them         from all over the country. Lian describes the students’        as five-or-six-storey buildings with two or three people crammed together in each room of about 10 square meters. Up to 70 or 80 people share the same toilet and kitchen.
小題1:  

A．film

B．story

C．book

D．magazine

小題2:  

A．who

B．what

C．which

D．whose

小題3:  

A．leaving

B．studying

C．going

D．working

小題4:  

A．meaningful

B．meaningless

C．important

D．tiring

小題5:  

A．up

B．on

C．a(chǎn)t

D．out

小題6:  

A．camp up

B．came on

C．came along

D．came out

小題7:  

A．fired

B．interviewed

C．employed

D．graduated

小題8:  

A．much

B．little

C．some

D．more

小題9:  

A．wondering

B．researching

C．studying

D．telling

小題10: 

A．rarely

B．well

C．a(chǎn)lways

D．often

小題11: 

A．which

B．that

C．why

D．where

小題12: 

A．work

B．study

C．relax

D．live

小題13: 

A．small

B．big

C．famous

D．unknown

小題14: 

A．earning

B．thinking

C．shopping

D．paying

小題15: 

A．expensive

B．comfortable

C．cheap

D．convenient

小題16: 

A．city

B．town

C．community

D．village

小題17: 

A．original

B．young

C．rich

D．poor

小題18: 

A．school

B．hotel

C．home

D．company

小題19: 

A．benefit

B．differ

C．come

D．suffer

小題20: 

A．lives

B．dormitories

C．buildings

D．restaurants

Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis—had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can’t sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity.
The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York—had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being.
I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates?
First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!
Next, let’s try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don’t we ask them? Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey 2010 reported:
75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense.
67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.
When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers):
78% said it was a good place to raise children.
75% said because they would feel safe.
70% said because you have control of your own space.
If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn’t be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space.
小題1:Which of the following is a fact?

A．People in Los Angeles earn high incomes because of its low homeownership rate.

B．New York’s low homeownership rate increases people’s happiness levels.

C．Detroit’s high level of homeownership causes its economic problems.

D．St. Louis has a higher level of homeownership than Los Angeles.

小題2:In his article, Richard Florida tried to express that _________.

A．people in Los Angeles are happier than those in St. Louis

B．renting a house is better than owning a house

C．Detroit’s economy is healthier than New York’s economy

D．New York and Los Angeles are happiest cities

小題3:The writer believes that New York City and Los Angeles _________.

A．pay employees highest wages in America

B．benefit from low levels of homeownership

C．a(chǎn)re leading cities across the globe

D．a(chǎn)re best American cities to live in

小題4:From Fannie Mae’s survey report, we can know that _________.

A．paying rent makes more sense

B．most homeowners plan to sell their houses

C．most renters prefer to become homeowners

D．parents need to buy a house for their children

We are already familiar with computers—computers work for us at home, in offices and in factories. But it is also true that many children today are using computers at schools before they can write. What does this mean for the future? Are these children lucky or not?
Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with. They worry that children do not learn from experience but just from pressing a button and that this is not good for them. They think that children are growing not knowing about the real world.
But people who understand more about computers say that computers can be very good for children. A computer can help them to learn about the real world more quickly, to learn what they want to learn and think for themselves. And for the future, don’t we need people who can think clearly, who know how to get information quickly and use it well? What do you think?
小題1:“To be familiar with” means to ______.

A．know nothing

B．know about

C．dislike

D．like

小題2:Does everyone think computers are good for children?

A．Yes, they do.	B．No, not everyone thinks so.
C．They don’t know.	D．They are not sure.

小題3:What can computers help children to do?

A．To think clearly, to do homework and to write.

B．To play games, to do math and to copy.

C．To think clearly, to get information and to use it well.

D．To count, to clean the house and to get information.

There is no question that fewer teenagers are on the roads in the US.
In 1978, 50% of 16-year-olds had got their first driving licence. In 2008, according to the US Transportation Department, it was just 30%. The number of those aged 19 and under with driving licences has also been declining since 1978, when 11, 989, 000 had licence. In 2010, it was 9, 932, 441, or 4.1% of American drivers.
In the UK, 683, 273 teenagers have driving licences- just 1.85% of total licence holders, according to Department of Transport figures from September 2010.
But the decline in the US may have more to do with tougher tests and the introduction of the new rule in many states, which force drivers aged under 16 to be with licensed drivers of 21 years and older when driving.
In recent years, the annual number of journeys being made by American drivers of all ages has declined clearly for the first time ever. Car use began falling in 2007, when average petrol prices almost doubled to $4.12 a gallon, and the economy became worse.
But there are signs that it is getting back to normal and American remains a country on wheels. It has a higher number of cars per head of population than any other country in the world.
“Cars will always be a popular means of transportation in America. You have to take into consideration some places don’t have access to public transportation. Cars are the only way some people can get around,” says Kristin Nevels. This makes driving necessary in some rural states, where about twice as many teenagers are on the road than in big cities.
小題1:The underlined word “declining” in the second paragraph most probably means “__________”.

A．rising

B．dropping

C．improving

D．holding

小題2:In recent years cars are used less than before mainly because of __________.

A．traffic jams

B．harder tests

C．expensive petrol

D．worst economy

小題3:We can learn from the last paragraph that Kristin Nevels __________.

A．doubts the popularity of the car use in the future.

B．thinks American people can not live without cars.

C．holds confident attitude to the cars’ future in America.

D．believes America should build up its public transportation.

小題4:What can be inferred from the text?

A．The UK has more teenager drivers than the US.

B．A 15-year-old boy cannot drive alone in the US.

C．The US has very developed bus transportation system.

D．Big cities have more teenager drivers than rural areas in the US.

Many Chinese kids, known as "left-behind" children, hardly ever see their parents, because their parents are migrant workers.
Li Ling, 11, is a left-behind child. Her parents have been working in Zhejiang for 10 years, while she lives with her grandparents in Guangdong. She was reunited with her parents last Spring Festival. As the number of migrant workers in China increases, the number of left-behind children is rising fast. Li is one of the 61. 02 million left-behind children under 17. They account for 37. 7 percent of rural children and 21. 88 percent of all Chinese children
The large number of left-behind children has already become a social issue. If left unsolved, it will cause serious problems, Wang Zhenyao, director of the China Philanthropy Research Institute, told China Daily. The education level of adults supervising（監(jiān)管） these children is generally not that high. They can only take care of the children's personal safety and daily living, being unable to care for their educational and spiritual needs. Meanwhile, the absence of parental support will make some left-behind children lack self-confidence. They may be slower in physical and emotional growth than their peers. Others may even become "problem youths".
To solve this problem, the government is taking action. For instance, 30 provinces and cities have allowed certain children to attend school and take the college entrance exam in the city where their parents are. However, Wang suggested that the country do more, such as making policies encouraging migrant workers to work in their hometowns. He also said that a well-balanced child welfare system is needed. "These children are the future of the nation, so they deserve our loving care and protection," Wang said.
小題1:Left-behind kids hardly see their parents because _______.

A．they are poor and in rural areas

B．they are brought up by their grandparents

C．their parents are making a living in other cities

D．their parents don't go back home on Spring Festival

小題2:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Li Ling hasn't seen her parents for about 10 years.

B．Left-behind children have become problem youths.

C．There are 61. 02 million left-behind children in China.

D．Much remains to be done to settle the left-behind kids issue.

小題3:The purpose of the passage is _______.

A．to criticize the migrant workers who leave their children at home

B．to focus on the present situation of the left-behind children

C．to worry about the present situation of left-behind children

D．to call on the government to educate the migrant workers

小題4:In which column of a newspaper can we most probably find this passage?

A．Education.

B．Society.

C．Entertainment.

D．Employment.

In countries around the world, food has been used to celebrate at our holidays, our rituals and our family gatherings. The food eaten at holiday time has made the deepest impact on our culture and memories. Different holidays bring different types of food. Much of the food we eat during the holidays comes from old traditions handed down for hundreds of years.
New Year's Eve always brings parties and get-togethers, but where you live in the world may determine what food graces your table. In the southern US, partiers eat black eyed peas, which are thought to bring good luck and prosperity(繁榮). The Japanese also eat food for good luck on New Year's, but their choice is red snapper, the color red being considered good luck in Japan. The Jewish celebrate New Year by eating apples dipped in honey and in Madrid, Spain the last minutes of the New Year are counted down with the popping of grapes into the mouth. A pet is a cake prepared by the Greek with a coin baked into it. The person who gets the slice of cake with the coin in it should have good luck in the upcoming year.  
In the United States, a typical Christmas feast can contain a variety of foods ranging from turkey to chicken, from ham to goose, but other countries celebrate this holiday differently. Perhaps these choices have been taken from the traditions of our heritage(遺產(chǎn)). In Denmark, a traditional Christmas meal is roast goose, Greece, leg of lamb. Traditionally, Italians keep their Christmas Eve meal meatless. The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand is a picnic eaten on the beach.  
Though holidays around the world are celebrated in different ways, it is food, feast and family that bring us together.
小題1:According to the passage, in different holidays people usually ______.

A．have different kinds of food to eat

B．recall the interesting life when they were young

C．have a wide variety of parties.

D．get together to play games.

小題2:All the following can bring people good luck except_____.

A．a(chǎn) cake with a coin

B．red snapper

C．black eyed peas

D．a(chǎn)pples dipped in honey.

小題3:We can know from the third paragraph that ______.

A．roast goose is American’s favorite food during Christmas

B．people in Denmark and Greece share the same food during Christmas

C．Italians don’t have meat during Christmas

D．people in New Zealand like playing games on the beach

小題4:Which of the following can be the main idea of the passage?

A．Holiday foods vary from culture to culture.

B．Different countries have different cultures.

C．People have a good appetite during holiday.

D．Different foods are served during Christmas.

“I pity the empress. Poor empress.” “Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?” From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.
Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.
The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(陰謀) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
The heroine, Zhen Huan, initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem(后宮) of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.
　 However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.
Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are carefully chosen. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written. “The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.” More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways. “For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said, “Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”
Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace. Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way. “Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com. “There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.” “But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”
小題1:What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．People have pity on the empress.

B．Zhen Huan really loves the emperor.

C．Legend of Zhen Huan is very popular.

D．Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere.

小題2: What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 most probably refer to?

A．The imperial palace.

B．The life of women.

C．Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.

D．The story of Zhen Huan.

小題3:When Legend of Zhen Huan finds the palace is a cruel one, she ______.

A．learns to survive on her own

B．a(chǎn)sks others for advice

C．feels down and disappointed

D．becomes an innocent young lady

小題4:We can learn from Niu Hanting that she ______.

A．thinks Zhen has had effects on newcomers

B．makes little of Legend of Zhen Huan

C．speaks highly of Legend of Zhen Huan

D．wants newcomer to follow Zhen’s example

小題5: This text is most probably taken from a(n) _________.

A．textbook	B．newspaper
C．a(chǎn)dvertisement	D．story book

In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
　　We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
　　Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
　　After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
　　The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain. Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士氣). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
　　Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
　　Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
小題1:In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.

A．tear many troubled families apart

B．bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C．contribute to enduring family ties

D．cause a lot of conflicts in the family

小題2:In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because_______.

A．starting a new family would be hard

B．they expected things would turn better

C．they wanted to better protect their kids

D．living separately would be too costly

小題3:In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A．Mounting family debts

B．A sense of insecurity

C．Falling housing prices

D．Difficulty in getting a loan

小題4:What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?

A．It will irreparably damage their relationship

B．It will undermine their mutual understanding

C．It will help strengthen their emotional bonds

D．It will force them to pull their efforts together

小題5:What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate

B．Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships

C．A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

D．Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage

Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home’’, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American’’is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side”, living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in Churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
小題1:More than 215 million people call America “home” because          .

A．they buy their houses there	B．they settle there now
C．they get married there	D．they were born there

小題2:“Side-by-side” living style means       .

A．making friends with native people

B．the groups of people who live nearby

C．keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas

D．that they get closer to American society

小題3:According to the passage, people in the USA       .

A．share American customs and culture

B．1ive in a kind of “side-by-side'' society

C．keep their own customs and habits firmly

D．make no choice to accept American customs

小題4:Which of the following statements is true?

A．They always stick to their own customs and habits.

B．“Side—by—side’’living style is not suitable.

C．They face the society they are not familiar with.

D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.

小題5:Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?

A．Advantages and Disadvantages.

B．Different Customs and Habits.

C．Home for the People

D．“Side—by—side”Living Style in America.

If you live in America in the 21^st century you'll probably have to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It's become the default response when you ask anyone how they are doing: “Busy!” “Crazy busy!”. It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:“ That's a good problem to have, ”or“ Better than the opposite.”
Notice it isn't generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs who tell you how busy they are. What those people are is not busy but tired. Exhausted! Dead on their feet. It's almost always people whose busyness is purely self-imposed work and obligations they've taken on voluntarily, classes and activities they've “encouraged” their kids to participate in. They're busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they're addicted to busyness and dread that they might have to face in its absence.
Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they aren't either working or doing something to promote their work. It's something they have chosen. Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance(令人安心的保證），a measure against emptiness, obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or tiny or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.
Idleness is not just a vacation. It is as necessary to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as ugly as rickets. The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration.” Idle dreaming is often the essence of what we do”, wrote Thomas Pynchon. Archimedes' “Eureka” in the bath, Newton's apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.
小題1:When many Americans say “Crazy busy”, they mean______.

A．they are really tired of their present situation

B．they are really proud of their present life

C．they are complaining about their current work

D．their life are full of all kinds of problems

小題2:The writer mentions Archimedes'“Eureka” and Newton's apple to show that________.

A．history is full of interesting stories

B．Archimedes and Newton were very busy, so they made great discoveries

C．people may get inspiration when they are idle

D．inspirations come from hard work

小題3:The word “its” in the second paragraph refers to_________________.
ambition      B. anxiety         C. busyness        D. dread
小題4:From the article, we can infer that ___________________.

A．generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU tell you they are busy

B．“Dead on their feet” means “being tired out”

C．a(chǎn)ll the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivation

D．The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness