The Year of the Dragon May Encourage a Baby increase in Asia

Monday marks the beginning of the Year .f the Dragon State news agency Xinhua says China is expecting a 5% increase in the number of babies horn in 2012. The dragon, considered the luckiest sign in Chinese culture, is often associated with good fortune and intelligence and is believed to be the sign of success.

Dragon years typically generate more births than other years in the zodiac cycle, including in 2000, when Hong Kong saw a more than 5% increase in births. The zeal for the lucky sign that ancient Chinese cultures associated with the emperor has not changed. A recent poll conducted in Hong Kong revealed that 70% of couples desired “dragon babies,” CBS reports.

In places like China, an already with 1.3 billion people, the increase might put pressure on parents who must adhere to the country’s one-child policy as well as compete for places in the best schools. But in places like Taiwan, which carries one of the world’s lowest birth rates, parents and government officials are welcoming the baby increase.

Chu Hong-min, 30, told CBS she is excited to give birth to her second child under the dragon sign. But she is worried about the big competition for her baby’s future education. “Many of my friends and colleagues are either expecting or plan to have a dragon baby this year,” she said. “We really have to try harder to make the children do well at school.”

　　　 But Asian mothers shouldn’t fret, Zhang Yanxia told the BBC. She said the increase will likely have little influence on long –term birth rates. The year 2013 marks the year of the snake, and my see a fall in births.

　　　 Some famous dragon babies include martial arts star Bruce Lee, Spanish artist Salvador Dalí and President Bill Clinton.

72．The dragon is a sign standing for many things EXCEPT　　　　 .

A． hard work　 　　　 B．good luck　 　　　　 C．success　　　　　　　　 D．cleverness

73．Why do many couples in Hong Kong want dragon babies?

　 A．Because they think this is the last Year of the Dragon.

　 B．Because they think dragon babies are the luckiest babies

　 C．Because they want to compete for places in the hest schools

　 D．Because government officials are welcoming dragon babies.

74．The underlined phase "adhere to" in Paragraph 3 probably means　　　　 ．

A. give up　　 　　　　　 B. make up　 　　　　　　 C. stick to　　　　　　　　　 D．turn to

75．From what Chu Hong-min said we can learn _　　　 　　 ．

A．Taiwan is the world ' s lowest birth rates

B．her friends don't expect her to have a dragon baby

C．she has to try hard for her baby’s future education

D．schools will like dragon babies more than other babies

     Rail workers in California have been banned from using cell phones while trains are moving after 25 people were killed in a crash near Los Angeles two weeks ago．

       Investigators say the train engineer was sending text messages while at work. Rajesh Mirchandani reports.

       Investigators have included engineer Robert Sanchez, who was in charge of a busy passenger train---failed to stop the train before a red light and crashed into an oncoming freight train.Twenty-five people including Sanchez, died and more than 130 got hurt in the crash. Sanchez was sending text messages from his mobile phone that day and some teenagers told a local news station they received one such message from him one minute before the crash.

       The California Public Utilities Commission, which manages transportation in the state, has now banned rail employees from using mobile phones while working on a moving train. If they do so, they could face a fine of up to $20,000. The measure strengthens an existing ban issued by the train company.

       There was another crash in June---14 people got hurt when two San Francisco trams crashed. Investigators believe one of the drivers in that accident may also have been using a mobile phone.

68．How many passengers lost their lives in the crash near Los Angeles?

       A．155                      B．130                        C．25                          D．24

69．How many crashes are mentioned in the passage?

       A．One                       B．Two                      C． Three                   D． Four

70．What caused the accident that happened near Los Angeles ?

       A．The train engineer didn’t stop the train in time.

       B．The train engineer was receiving text messages.

       C．Some teenagers were receiving text messages.

       D． Up to the present, the cause is unknown yet

71．What is the main idea of the passage?

       A．No receiving text messages in the moving train.

       B．No sending text messages in the moving train.

       C．No mobiles for San Francisco rail workers.

       D．No mobiles for Californian rail workers while working on a moving train.

　　　 Everybody in this world is different from one another．But do you know that understanding differences can help you better manage your money?

　　　 As we grow up, we gradually develop a set of our own values or beliefs. These are influenced by society, our family, the education we receive and so on. Once this value system is set up, it’s not easy to change later in life. Financial experts say that everyone also has their own belief of how to manage their finances. This is part of our value system and it has a great impact on the way we look after our money. According to our different values, experts put us in three categories. They are the ant, the cricket and the snail.

The ant—works first

Just like ants who work heart and soul in summer in order to store food for winter, these people don’t care about enjoying the moment. They work very hard and save money they earn so that they can enjoy life when they get old and retire. The ant loves to save but they could make more out of their money if they were willing to invest in some funds and stocks with low risk.

The cricket—fun first

The cricket wants to enjoy everything now and doesn’t think too much about the future. They even borrow money when they really want something. Many young people now belong to this group. These people have little savings. When they get old, they might have problems. They should learn to save and buy insurance.

The snail—lives under pressure

The snail refers to people who make life difficult for themselves. They take big long-term loans（代款） from the bank in order to buy things such as luxury houses. They are happy to take big loans even though they are not sure they can afford it. This can cause problems in the future. They should plan more carefully.

64．According to this passage, one's values _　　　　　　 .

A．may not change easily in one's lifetime 　　　 B． may he his ways of managing money

　 C．may he his beliefs about society　　　 　　　 D． determine his family and education

65．Mr．Smith always, enjoys spending a weekend with his friends, fishing hunting and playing cards．Moreover, he spends money in a very luxurious way．So Mr．Smith belongs to_　　　　 ．

　 A．the ant type　　 B．the snail type　　 C．the cricket type　　 D．none of them

66．The writer of the passage seems to be in favor of 　　　　　　　 ．

　 A． the cricket　 　　 B． the snail　　 　　 C． the ant　 　　　　　 D． all of them

67．Which is the most suitable title of this passage?

　 A． How to understand your values　　　　 　 B．What comes first

　 C． Work and fun　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．Spending kinds

Froli Cat Dart

　　　 While cats require less attention compared to dogs, that doesn’t mean you can just leave them at home all day long. No, sir, they too, need some level of attention and will have to keep themselves occupied mentally and physically too. Well, Froli Cat Dart makes it possible. Just what is the Froli Cat Dart all about? Well, for starters, this device delivers 360^o rotation that wil project laser pictures on the floor, letting your catlike friend run after it.

　　　　　　　　 Portable USB Power Supply

　　　 With modern devices, running out of power happens to some of us more often, simply because today’s seem to use up more power than before. That’s why the Portable USB Power Supply comes in handy, being a hest emergency charger（充電器）for cell phones and other devices．Capable of holding a charge for up to three months when in standby（待機(jī)）,it will ship with adapter（適配器）tips that satisfy a variety of cell phone brands.

Battery Powered Gloves

　　　 For those living in the northern hemisphere（半球）,we are pretty sure that you have already stored your winter supplies to make sure you remain nice and warm throughout the upcoming freezing months Well, wearing a pair of the Battery Powered Hand Warming Cloves is necessary so as to keep your palms and fingers warm． These gloves come with battery-powered heating elements which is capable of keeping your hands nice and warm for up to eight hours． It requires four AA batteries in each glove, and since both gloves are fully lined with a waterproof, breathable material, they might just come in handy during your nest snowball fight. Too bad it comes only in one colorblack.

60．According to this passage, what is the Froli Cat Dart ?

　 A． a real cat　　 　　　 B． a device　　 　　 C a dog　　　 　　　　　 D a picture

61．How does Froli Cat Dart work?

A．It can make cats run around your house．

B．It can project laser pictures to make cats run after it．

C．It can make cats much sleepier than before．

D．It can provide food and drink for cats．

62． From the second paragraph, we know that　　　　　 ．

A．Lack of power happens to some of us less often than before．

B．The adapter tips satisfy all kinds of cell phone brands．

C．The Portable USB Power Supply can only charge for some phones.

D．The Portable USB Power Supply can only last three months．

63．Where do the Battery Powered Cloves sell well?

A．Iceland　　 　　　　 B． India．　　 　　　 C． Australia． 　　　 D． Singapore．

Olivia Rusk－an excellent bald girl

Olivia Rusk has filled a lot of roles for someone who’s 14．She is a model．She delivers encouraging speeches, she’s a talk-show host for Radio Disney．

Now the high school freshman from Indianapolis has published a book, Just Your Average Teenager Who Happens to Be Bald(禿頂) ．She hopes to give 20, 000 free copies to young people．

　 Where does she get her motivation to do so many things? At least partially, she credits her baldness. "Something that could have traumatized me has actually given me so many opportunities that I would have never had," she says. “Most people assume I have cancer," she says, "which is totally fine. (But) I'm not sick or anything."

　　　 She was hired by Radio Disney at age 10 after another on-air personality interviewed her about what it was like as a girl living without hair. Managers at Disney were so impressed with her articulate answers and maturity that they offered her a job.

　　　 She decided early in her childhood — months after losing most of her hair — not to cover up her condition. "When I was 8 years old, I got a custom wig(假發(fā))," she says. "No one knew I was bald. It looked completely natural. But one day I woke up and said, 'Mom, I'm not wearing my wig to school. I want people to know the real me.' "

　　　 She speaks out against bullying（斯侮）through her group, Olivia's Cause. She does not recall ever being bullied herself — which she attributes to her confidence in dealing with others. She knows others with alopecia have been bullied, however, and has felt it necessary to form this group.

　　　 Her mom daily admires her daughter's pluck. "She's one of the strongest and most determined people I've known," Sandy Rusk says. "She's been that way since she was little."

56．Although Olivia Rusk is very young, she _　　　 ．

　 A． has played many roles in films B． is at college in Indianapolis

C． has got a job in Radio Disney　　　　 D． has written 20,000 books

57．According to the passage Olivia Rusk's baldness 　　　　　 ．

　 A． is very important as a model　　　　 　　 B．has hurt her too much

　 C． is a kind of terrible cancer　　　　　　 D．gives benefit instead of harm

58．Why did Olivia Rusk decide not to wear her wig?

　 A． Because her wig looked completely natural．

　 B． Because she has been offered a job at Disney

　 C． Because she wanted to he real herself．

　 D． Because she was bullied by other students．

59．Olivia Rusk formed the organization of Olivia's Cause to　　　　　 ．

　 A．show her self-trust 　　　　　　　　　　　 B． fight against bullying

C． learn about baldness　　　　　　　　 　 D． help the strongest people

I had applied for a very important program, and Rickover was interviewing me for the job．It was the first time I met him, and we sat in large room 36 ourselves for more than two hours, and he let me_37 any subjects I wished to discuss Very 38 I chose those about which I knew most at those time-current events, music, literature…，and then he began to ask me a series of questions of increasing_ 39 . In each case, he soon 40 　 that I knew 41 about the subjects I had chosen．

　 He always looked right 42 my eyes, and he never smiled．I was wet with cold_ 43 ．

　 Finally, he asked me question and I thought I could regain__ 44 He said, "How did you 45 in your class at Georgia Tech 46 entering our Annapolis as a freshman?" I had done very well, so I answered with__ 47 ,"Sir, I stand 8th in class of 60!"I sat back to wait for the 48 which never came．_49 , came the question: "Did you do your best?" I started to say, "Yes, Sir," but I suddenly realized who I faced and then 50 several of my times at Georgia Tech 51 I could have worked harder and learned more about our friends and so on．I was just an ordinary student. I__ 52 my throat and finally said, “No, Sir．I didn't always do my best．”

He looked at me for a long time, and then turned his chair around to end the 53 .He asked one final question, which I have never been able to forget 54 to answer． He said, "Why not?" I sat there for a while, 55 , and then slowly left the room．

36．A．beside　　　　　　　　　　 B．by 　　　　　　　　　　　 C．for　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．with

37．A．choose　　　　　　　　　 B．consider　　　　　　　　 C． elect　　　　　　　　　　 D．search

38．A．excitingly　　　　　　　 B． curiously　　　　　　　 C． patiently　　　　　　　 D．carefully

39．A．humor　　　　　　　　　 B． interest　　　　　　　　 C． difficulty　　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)bility

40．A．proved　　　　　　　　　 B． showed　　　　　　　　 C． meant　　　　　　　　　 D．imagined

41．A．much　　　　　　　　　　 B． little　　　　　　　　　　 C． anything　　　　　　　 D．everything

42．A．into　　　　　　　　　　　 B． for　　　　　　　　　　　 C． back　　　　　　　　　　 D．up

43．A．a(chǎn)ir　　　　　　　　　　　　 B． water　　　　　　　　　 C． sweat　　　　　　　　　 D．tears

44．A．consideration B． permission C． self-confidence　　 D．self-defense

45．A．stand　　　　　　　　　　 B． seat　　　　　　　　　　 C． do　　　　　　　　　　　 D．go

46．A．a(chǎn)fter　　　　　　　　　　　 B． before　　　　　　　　　 C． while　　　　　　　　　 D．since

47．A．delight　　　　　　　　　 B． satisfaction　　　　　 C． happiness　　　　　　 D．pride

48．A．celebrations B． expectations　　　　 C． explanations D．congratulations

49．A．Thus　　　　　　　　　　 B． However　　　　　　　 C． Instead　　　　　　　　 D．Therefore

50．A．recalled　　　　　　　　　 B． tried　　　　　　　　　　 C． reminded　　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)nalyzed

51．A．what　　　　　　　　　　 B． that　　　　　　　　　　　 C． when　　　　　　　　　 D．which

52．A．examined　　　　　　　 B． cleaned　　　　　　　　 C． treated　　　　　　　　 D．cleared

53．A．meeting　　　　　　　　 B． lesson　　　　　　　　　 C． interview　　　　　　　 D．class

54．A．so　　　　　　　　　　　　 B． and　　　　　　　　　　　 C． or　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．but

55．A．moved　　　　　　　　　 B． shaken　　　　　　　　 C． delighted　　　　　　　 D．excited

— What are you busy with?

—The exhibition ____　　 in the city next week．

　 A． held　 　　　　　　　 B． will be held　 　　 C． to be held　 　　　 D． being held

____    ,he talks a lot about his favorite singers after class．

      A． A quiet student as he may be                   B． Quiet student as he may be

      C． Be a quiet student as he may                   D． Quiet as he may be student

According to common practice, the president ____       hold office for five years．

      A．must                   B．shall                    C． need                  D． will

Our head teacher was careful－as we realized later－to talk to each of us____      ．

      A． partly                 B． separately           C． smoothly             D． properly