SINGAPORE - Singapore on Thursday stuck to its I8-year ban on the import and sale of chewing gum (口香糖), which has become an international symbol of the city-state's image as a strict society.                                     
"The government stands by its decision to ban chewing gum. Chewing gum has not been a significant problem since that ban took effect, there have been concerns that lifting the ban on chewing gum could result in chewing gum litter and weaken ongoing efforts to control littering." Maliki Osman, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of National Development, told parliament.
Osman said as the reason for the imposition (強(qiáng)迫接受) of the ban is still suitable,  "the government's position is that the ban shall remain." He was responding to a question in parliament from Denise Phua, a fellow member of the ruling People's Action Party who argued that the ban had been used to criticize its tough governance laws.
"I think this ban ... now needs a re-thinking. Surely Singapore will not consider banning sweets because of sweet wrapper litter or ice-cream stick litter," she said.
Singapore, known worldwide for its high-quality clean image, banned the import and sale of chewing gum in 1992 in a bid to cope with the problem of people sticking the gum on chairs, tables, lifts and other public areas.
One of the key reasons for the ban had been the disturbance of services on Singapore's subway train system because of chewing gum being stuck on the doors and causing delays. Singapore partially lifted the ban in 2004 by allowing the sale of chewing gum used for health reasons, such as dental health gum, after the conclusion of a US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
Australian tourist Hazel Lane, 48, said keeping the ban on chewing gum was sure Singaporeans wouldn't want to spoil their "ridiculous" and she told AFP that she's own environment and their own image. Angel Wong, 34, a tourist from Hong Kong, however, welcomed the news. She said,  "I come from a country that doesn't have the ban and there's always chewing gum all over the floor, To me the ban doesn't change my image of Singapore so it’s a good thing because it keeps the environment clean."
1. The ban on the import and sale of chewing gum was started in 1992 ______.
A. when people began to buy the gum everywhere
B. to bid to stop people sticking the gum in the public
C. because the gum delayed the subway
D. when the country was in a bid to show its city-state's clean image
2. What can we learn about the ban according to Maliki Osman?
A. The government will keep it ongoing forever.
B. It will lead to littering the chewing gum everywhere.
C. More and more concerns about the ban will make chewing gum out of control
D. Banning chewing gum is still one of the important jobs of the government now.
3. According to what Denise Phua said in paragraph 4, we can know that she ______.
A. would say yes to the ban
B. would think more about the ban again
C. would like the government to take the ban on second thought
     D. argued that the ban should be cancelled
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. whether the ban needs changing or not has become a problem to be discussed
B. Singapore's subway train system was delayed by chewing gum
C. chewing gum will soon be banned in many countries
D. only the ban has led to the friendly environment in Singapore
5. What's the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. There is such a ban in China and Australia.
B. Different people have their own ideas about the ban.
C. The ban is either welcomed by China or by Australia.
D. The ban does good to keep the environment clean.

There is nothing else but economy that occupies the minds of Americans at present times of economic crisis（危機(jī)）. The statistics on unemployment，housing costs and consumer confidence keep coming and coming，leaving people not just scared to spend money but also very stressed and emotionally exhausted. This stress has an effect on everything，starting with our sleep，mood，physical health，relationships and eating habits.
“Time of economic stress leads to increase rates of depression(憂郁)，”says Dr. Christopher Palmer，director of continuing education at McLean Hospital in Belmont，Massachusetts. “It worsens illness in people who have been constantly depressed. But it also causes new cases of depression. Just the fear of losing one’s job can put people over the edge. ”
And，without any doubt，just depression alone can create a variety of bad health effects.
●Sleep
33 percent of Americans reported that they have lost sleep due to the economic crisis. 26 percent say they are sleeping less than 6 hours per night，which is considered to be at least one hour less than the most favorable 7 to 8 hours recommended by sleep experts.
●Mental health，stress and heart attack
80 percent of Americans reported that last year the economy is a huge source of stress; 49 percent said the situation makes them feel nervous or anxious; 48 percent reported that they feel very sad and have developed depression.
Nearly twice the risk of heart attack or death was found in patients with the highest levels of depression or anxiety. Among those individuals，a 10 percent higher rise of heart attack or death was found in those whose anxiety rose over time.
●Relationships
The chances of violent behavior are nearly 6 times higher for individuals who are left without a job. Workplace stress can lead to domestic violence.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Now Americans don’t dare to spend money.
B. Now all Americans have problems in sleeping.
C. Economy is the most troubling problem for Americans now.
D. Economic crisis has destroyed many American families.
2. How does the economic crisis affect most Americans according to the passage?
A. They sleep fewer than six hours.                  B. They sleep less than the proper amount.
C. Diseases caused by economy make them sleepless.  D. They lose sleep at night.
3. If a person is out of work，he might   __________.        .
A. become more violent   B. get divorced    C. get rid of workplace stress   D. go mad
4. The best title of this passage is probably______________  .        .
A. The World Economic Crisis Is Getting Worse
B. Economic Crisis Affects Our Health
C. Economic Crisis Causes Trouble to Sleep
D. Ordinary People Suffer Greatly in Economic Crisis
5.What does the underlined word “favorable” mean?
A. proper    B. perfect    C. useful     D. fashionable

Sometime in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch (門廊) will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You’ll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will distribute stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You’ll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on this brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of broader home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers will unite print and broadcast reporting, and offer news and analysis with video images of news events.
Most of the technology is available now, but convincing more people that they don’t need to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realizes that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable.
Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace newsprint with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry.
1. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers?
A. They are cheaper than traditional newspapers.
B. They are more convenient to read.
C. You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear.
D. You can easily save information for future use.
2. Which of the following is a reason why it will take a long time to complete the changeover?
A. The technology is impossible now.
B. Computer newspapers are too expensive.
C. The popularization of computers needs a long time.
D. Traditional newspapers are easier to read.
3. It can be inferred that journalists are against computer newspapers because _______.
A. they don’t know how to use computers
B. they think computer newspapers take too much time to read
C. they think the new technology is bad
D. they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers
4. We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. all technological changes are good
B. new technologies don’t always replace old ones
C. new technologies will eventually replace old ones
D. traditional newspapers are here to stay for another century
5. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Computer newspapers are well liked.
B. Newspapers of the future will be on the computer.
C. Newspapers are out of fashion.
D. New communications technology.

Second Life is a 3D, online world in which computer users can create a new self and live a different life. Second Life is one of the most popular new online games. 
But unlike other games, Second Life is not about winning or losing. Second Life is technically a computer game. But people involved in it do not consider it a game because the players create everything. Second Life is more for socializing and creating communities.
Users of Second Life are called residents. To take part, they must create an avatar, or an electronic image of themselves. Some avatars look like humans, while others look like animals or imaginary creatures. 
Inside the Second Life world, residents live in different versions of themselves. They build homes, run businesses, buy and sell things, work, play, and attend school. They even have relationships and get married.
Second Life was created in 2003 by Linden Lab in San Francisco, California.  Linden Lab controls the Website where the ever-changing world is being created. There are now about one million people around the world who are active in Second Life. The number has grown quickly since the beginning of the year when there were about one hundred thousand users.
The average age of people involved with Second Life is about thirty. However, Linden Lab recently created Teen Second Life for younger users. Second Life has its own economy and its own money, called Linden dollars.
Millions of dollars are made and spent each month in Second Life. Users can enter Second Life for free. But they must pay for a membership if they want to own land or buy and sell goods and services.  
Recently, several major companies have become involved with Second Life. They wanted to be part of the growing business world that exists within the made-up reality.
1. What’s special about the game “Second Life”?
A. It’s a game about losing and winning.
B. It creates everything in life.     
C. It benefits one’s abilities to socialize and create.
D. It is simply a popular game to kill time.
2. What does the underlined word “avatar” mean?
A. An instrument someone uses.          B. A picture someone takes.
C. An imaginary identity of someone. D. A weapon used in Second Life.
3. Which is NOT true about the game “Second Life”?
A. A resident in Second Life lives a life somewhat like that of real life.
B. The number of users of Second Life is about ten times as large as that of 2003.
C. You can’t enter Second Life until you pay for the entrance fee.
D. To own possessions, a resident has to pay to be a member of Second Life.
4. Why do some big companies want to join in Second Life?
A. They want to experience life in the made-up reality.
B. They want to promote their products more widely.
C. The want to be a member of Second Life.
D. They want to build agencies in Second Life.

A pair of twin-brother ligers, a rare lion-tiger hybrid(雜種), have become superstars in China's southernmost island province of Hainan after becoming the first ligers in the country to reach their first birthday.
Tens of thousands of tourists visited the liger brothers at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park during the week-long May Day holiday that ended on Sunday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare animals. At least 10,000 people signed a red banner when the park celebrated the liger's birthday on May 2. People expressed the hope that the twins would be strong and healthy, the Hainan Daily reports. Zookeepers even made the twins a special birthday cake out of beef and eggs.
The ligers, born on May 2, 2005 , are named 'Ping Ping' and 'An An', which together translate as 'safe and sound'. Their mother Huan Huan is a six-year-old tigress and their father is a four-year – old lion named Xiao Erhei.  The couple first gave birth to a liger in June 2004 but the cub (幼獸)  died of respiratory(呼吸的）failure 72 hours later.
The pregnancy (懷孕) rate for lion-tiger couples is only between one and two percent and the cubs normally have a short life expectancy due to the differences in their chromosomes(染色體). Zoologists say only six to eight ligers are living in the world. China's first tiger-lion hybrid cub was born at Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, in 2002. But it died a week later.
Ping Ping and An An have broken the survival record set by a liger who lived for 113 days at Hongshan Zoo.
1. Why can Ping Ping and An An become superstars?
A. Because they are the most beautiful ligers.
B. Because they are the cleverest ligers.
C. Because they are the most attractive ligers.
D. Because they are the first ligers to live for a year.
2. Why can't ligers live long ?
A. Because their chromosomes are different.
B. Because they are too small when they are born.
C. Because their parents don't live long.
D. Because they are short of food.
3. How many ligers did the passage mention?
A. Three.         B. Four.          C. Five.         D. Six.
4. What is the best title of this passage?
A. China's longest living twin ligers celebrate their lst birthday
B. Why can't ligers in the world live long
C. How to raise ligers safely
D. The story behind the ligers

How would you like an easy way to earn $2,500? All you have to do is to sit around and wait for your meals. There’s a catch, however. You have to stay in a chicken cage with a stranger for a whole week. There are no books or television or radio for amusement. You can’t leave until the week is up. And a camera will be recording your every move.
Two people actually took the job. The idea came from Rob Thompson, a video artist. He wanted to make a film about the way animals are treated. His goal was to raise people’s awareness of the living conditions of animals that are raised for food. He decided to pay $5,000 out of his own savings to two people who were willing to live like chickens for a week.
To Rob’s surprise, quite a few people answered his advertisement. He had interviews and selected Eric, a 24-year-old restaurant worker, and Pam, a 27-year-old chemist. The plan was for them to spend seven days together in a chicken cage that was six feet long and three feet wide. A camera would record their experience, which would take place in an art museum.
The week was long and difficult. They slept on a hard wooden floor. They couldn’t stand up without banging their heads. They ate vegetables and drink water from a garden hose-pipe(橡膠軟管). Their only privacy was a toilet surrounded by a curtain. There were no sinks, mirrors, or toothbrushes in the cage. Their only inspiration was the two framed checks that hung on the wall outside the cage. Visitors who came here were warned, “Do not feed the humans.”
Finally it was over, and Pam and Eric came out of the cage. They had survived the week, and they each had a $2,500 check in their hands. When Rob Thompson opened the cage, Eric came out, changed into clean clothes, and ate a chocolate bar right away. “It’s great for me to be able to stand up.” he said. Pam just changed her clothes and left. After a week of visitors and reporters watching her, she didn’t want to talk to anyone.
1.What kind of person is Rob Thompson?
A. He is curious about people’s personal life   B.He is kind—hearted to animals
C.He dislike people around                 D. He likes to help poor people
2. The underlined word “catch”(in Paragraph 1) probably means _______.
A. unsolved problem                      B. surprising wonder
C. unbelievable condition                  D. hidden difficulty
3. What made it the most difficult for the two to stay in the cage?
A. That they had nothing for amusement.
B. That they couldn’t lie down to sleep in the cage.
C. That they had to do almost everything under others’ very eyes.
D. That they didn’t have meat to eat.
4. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. An Easy Way to Earn $2,500            B. Do Not Feed Humans
C. Living Like a Chicken                 D. Getting Along Well Anyway

　　On Wednesday, the Chinese government, decided to increase its medical subsidies(補(bǔ)貼)  for farmers from 10 Yuan (US$1.23) to 20 Yuan (US$2.47) a head a year from 2006.
　　 As part of the country's healthcare reform programme, the co-operative rural （農(nóng)村）medical system was first introduced in 2003 to set up self-help among farmers on a voluntary basis.  Due to insufficient government input to finance hospitals that are mostly State-owned, the country's healthcare reform has largely turned out to be a failure, adding hugely to the financial burden on the public.
While everyone complains about quickly-rising medical costs, rural residents are suffering more than their urban(城鎮(zhèn)) cousins because of a lack of money, as well as not being able to enjoy high quality health services. At present, farmers earn on average only one-third of what urban residents make. Most of the country's medical resources are located in cities even though rural residents make up two-thirds of the population.
　　Poor health conditions make it more difficult to help farmers get out of poverty; and poverty, in turn, refuses farmers the chance to improve their health.　To end this vicious circle, policy-makers tried the co-operative medical system, with a small sum of central and local financial support for each rural participant. But the system has proved to be less than perfect. Due to the limited financial input, the programme still does not benefit the majority of farmers in a significant way. This has reduced many farmers' enthusiasm for participating. A high percentage of involvement is of course a precondition for such a system.
　　The central government intends to expand the programme into a national medical system by 2008. Increasing government subsidies is a necessary step to make the co-operative medical system more attractive to farmers. But an increase of 10 Yuan for each participant is surely far from enough to perfect the system. The total cost is not particularly heavy compared to the rapid growth in government revenue(財(cái)政).
　　 Clearly, policy-makers are becoming increasingly aware of how urgent the narrowing of the development gap between rural and urban areas really is. Besides economic policies to push the rural economy, large amount of government investment on improving rural healthcare and education is badly needed.
1. Compared with that in 2006, what will be the rate of coming increase in China’s medical subsidies for farmers?
A. 100%               B. 50%                 C. 200%                      D. 150%
2. What is the reason for the failure in the country’s healthcare reform?
A. Bad management system.        
B. The government didn’t input enough money to support hospitals that are mostly
state-owned.
C. The health conditions in the country is too bad.
D. There are too many farmers that need medical care.
3. What is needed to narrow the development gap between rural and urban areas?
①. Large amount of government investment in economy.
②. Large amount of government investment on improving rural healthcare and education.
③. Economic policies to push the rural economy
④. A high percentage of farmers’ involvement in the medical system
⑤. A better management system
A. ①②③ B. ②③④             C. ①②③④⑤          D. ②③
4. Why are many farmers not enthusiastic in joining the co-operative medical system?
A. It doesn’t benefit most of the farmers in an effective way.
B. They cannot spare the needed money to join the programme.
C. They don’t believe in the system.
D. They don’t think it necessary.
5. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?
A. An increase of 10 Yuan in medical subsidies for each person is not enough.
B. The government can afford to increase the medical subsidies for farmers.
C. The government will get farmers of the whole country involved in a medical system by 2008. 
D. If the government increase subsidies, more farmers are likely to join the medical system.

A religious person will have a different thought from one who is not．And a Democrat usually doesn’t view issues the same way as a Republican．
Take the shoes for example．It has the same principle．Some like custom shoes for personalization．But some don’t．Someone will buy a shoes printer only for one desired image．That all depends on different conceptions．So when you have a negative thought about yourself, don’t consider it a fact until you also reflect on the opposite view．And if the alternative is more positive, accept that to be your truth．
An anorexic （厭食癥患者） looks in the mirror and thinks she’s fat．As a result she starves herself and rids her body of vital nutrition．But society thinks she’s too skinny．Unless she can change her perception, she’ll never agree with society．And she’ll never get better．What are you seeing in you that is preventing you from realizing how beautiful you are? Or how smart you are? Or how lovable? If you take the positive view, that is how other people will see you too．
More often than not the critical statements that damage your self-esteem come from your own mind．Now you know how you can silence them．A bad comment is usually not about you; it’s about something that is going on with the commenter．Don’t believe anything that is said to you that isn’t in your best interest．And don’t waste any time or brainpower on anyone who doesn’t think you are amazing．
It’s what you think that creates how you feel．Design your own custom shoes, despite other one’s critical eyes．If you like it, it will be the top one．If someone tells you you’re fat, or stupid or otherwise unappealing, the only person you should think badly about is them!
1．What is the passage mainly about?
A．Try to be different．         B．Different beliefs make different views．
C．You are actually amazing．    D．Trust what people say to you．
2．Which of the following sentences contains a metaphor （暗喻）?
A．A Democrat usually doesn’t view issues the same way as a Republican．
B．Some like custom shoes for personalization．
C．An anorexic looks in the mirror and thinks she is fat．
D．Design your own custom shoes, despite others’ critical eyes．
3．The reason why the writer wrote this passage is to        ．
A．confuse people as how to think
B．help people learn how to do self – reflection
C．tell people different ways of thinking
D．show he is smarter than most of the people

As you may expect, life in space is much different from life on earth. So of course people need some time to get used to it. How do they live, work and play up there?
Space food keeps getting more like the food we eat at home on the earth. In the past, astronauts could eat only freeze-dried food. But now the space station has water, microwave ovens and fridges. So astronauts can eat more usual kinds of food, like fruit, vegetables and ice cream!
All people in the ISS（國際空間站）have their own rooms. There’s no gravity, so they have to attach themselves to their beds, or they’ll float away! That may seem like a hard way to sleep, but astronauts say that sleeping in space is actually not too bad.
This is more important in space than on Earth. There’s not much gravity in space. Astronauts don’t stand up, sit down or walk in space, so their muscles don’t have to work much. They exercise on bikes and other machines for about two hours every day while they’re in space. In this way, they can still keep strong and healthy when they get back home.
Easy things like brushing your teeth can be hard in space with low gravity. Water doesn’t flow out of a tap, it floats in a bubble（水泡）! Astronauts used a special hose（軟管）to take showers. And when they’re finished, they use a vacuum（真空的）hose to suck the dirty water off of their bodies. How do you go to the toilet in space? They use a special “air toilet”. It uses air, not water, to take everything away.
What do astronauts do when they aren’t working? They read books, play cards, listen to music or send e-mail to their friends and family. Sometimes they just sit and look out the window. Doesn’t sound like much fun? But what if you could see planet Earth out of your window, with a sunset or sunrise every 45 minutes?
1． Which of the following can be the title of this passage?
A. Life In Space.    B. Space Food.      C. Showers In Space.     D. A Visit To Space
2．From this passage we know that _______.
A. astronauts eat quite different food in space from what they eat on the earth
B. astronauts ate only fruit in space in the past
C. astronauts can only eat freeze-dried food now
D. astronauts can only eat fruit and vegetables now
3．Astronauts attach themselves to bed so as to ________.
A. keep themselves warm                                 B. prevent themselves from floating away
C. have a good sleep                                         D. feel better
4．Astronauts have to do exercise for two hours every day because ________.
A. they have nothing to do in space             B. they are told to do so
C. they do so to keep healthy                      D. they do so to prevent them from sleeping
5．From the last paragraph we can guess that ________.
A. the sun moves fast around the earth 
B. the earth circles round the sun very fast
C. the earth is very small
D. the spaceship circles round the earth once every 90 imnutes

No one wants to look silly or do the wrong thing at a new job. It is important to make the right impression from the very first day. You will face new people. You will be in a new place. It may be difficult to know what to do. Here are five tips to help you make it through the first days at a new job:
First impressions can last forever: Make sure you make a good one. Before your first day, find out if your new job has a dress code. If so, be sure to follow it. No matter what, always be neat and clean.
Get to work in time: Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to make sure you arrive on time.
Pay attention to introductions: One of the first things that your supervisor may do is to introduce you to co-workers. These co-workers will be important to you. They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss is not around.
Ask plenty of questions: Make sure that your supervisor has told you what is expected of you. If he or she has not told you your duties, ask for a list. Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.
Never be the first one to leave: Observe what your co-workers do around quitting time. It does not look good for you to be eager to leave.
1. Before you arrive at work, you should_________.
A. introduce yourself        B. dress in a right way  
C. know your duties          D. know your co-workers well
2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is True?
A. You should be the first one to arrive at work.
B. You should ask your co-workers for your duties.
C. You are required to arrive 15 minutes earlier.
D. You should not be eager to go back home.
3. According to the passage, your supervisor is most likely your _____.
A. leader          B. teacher         C. workmate       D. visitor
4. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Getting a New Job.           B. Tips on How to Work.
C. The First-Day Work.          D. The Importance of Co-workers.