A wife’s level of education positively influences both her own and her husband’s chances of having a long life, according to a new Swedish study.
In the study, researchers from the Swedish Institute for Social Research in Stockholm found that a woman’s level of education had a stronger connection to the likelihood of her husband dying over education. What’s more, they discovered that a husband’s social class, based on his occupation,  had a greater influence on his wife’s longevity（長壽）than her own class.
“Women traditionally take more responsibility for the home than men do, and, as a consequence, women’s levels of education might be more important for determining lifestyles－for example, in terms of food choices－than those of men,” say Srs. Robert Erikson and Jenny Torssander of the Swedish Institute for Social Research in Stockholm.
The results show that a husband’s level of education does not influence his longevity, but that men with partners who had quit studying after school were 25 per cent more likely to die early than men living with women hodling university degrees. In turn, those married to women with university degrees were 13 per cent more likely to die early than those whose wives had post-graduate qualifications.
According to the researchers, a woman with a good education may not marry a man who drinks and smokes too much or who drivers carelessly, and men with such habits may not prefer highly educated woman. Drs. Erikson and Torssander also suggest that better-educated woman may be more aware of what healthy eating and good health care consist of.
The findings suggest that education has a huge impact on how long and how well people live. It also reflects social factors, since educated individuals usually have better jobs, which allow them to afford healthier diets and lifestyles, as well as better health care.
68. In this passage the author intends to_______.
A. encourage women to get higher education
B. present the results of a study.
C. analyze the relationship between education and life
D. discuss why women usually live longer than men
69. A wife’s education has more effect on a family than a husband’s because______.
A. women make more sacrifices to their families than men do
B. most women have higher degrees than their husbands
C. most men marry women with higher degrees
D. women have a leading role in the home life of most families
70. A woman with higher education is likely to_____.
A. choose a husband with a higher degree than hers.
B. marry a man without many bad habits
C. earn more money than her husband
D. teach her children well
71. We learn from the passage that_______.
A. a man with a lot of education live longer than one with little.
B. a man’s longevity depends on not only his wife’s level of education but also his own.
C. educated wives tend to choose healthy lifestyles for their families.
D. highly-educated women don’t marry uneducated men.

When I was 19 years old, I was at a dance club. As we were walking to my car one cold night, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman carrying a small child. The child had a jacket on but it wasn’t buttoned up（扣上）. The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night to get his wife and kid into a hotel. He had a job but no place to live in and was waiting for he first paycheck. He said he could get our mailing address and mail the money back.
The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friends’ hand and said, “ Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I told him that every day people asked my mother for money on her way to work. She said they made more money than she did, simply begging for money. These people were scamming those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child suffering from the cold, they would have at least buttoned his jacket or covered him with his blanket.
My new friend looked at me with disappointment and said, “Michelle, I know there are people out there that take advantage of others. I also know there are people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I give $ 20 to 10 people and only one of them really needs it and uses it for the right thing, it is worth it.”
I am now 37 years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don’t even remember his name. But I do remember that that experience changed the way I look at different situations.
56. What do we know about the stranger according to the passage?
A. He had been begging for a long time near the dance club.
B. He would spend the cold night at an expensive hotel.
C. He was careless and didn’t take good care of his child.
D. He might be just lying in order to get some money.
57. Why did the author put her hand on her new friends’ hand?
A. She wanted to tell him to give some more money to the stranger.
B. She believed her mother had already given the stranger some money.
C. She wanted to warm him not to be cheated by the stranger.
D. She asked her friend to pay more attention to the baby instead.
58. Which of the following can take the place of the underlined word “ scamming ” in the 3rd paragraph?
A. cheating                     B. respecting            C. disappointing                D. understanding
59. We can safely say that the author’s friend was_________.
A. funny                           B. kind                         C. rich                         D. brave

One of the traditions which is now a necessary part of Christmas is that of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. According to the modern legend, he is a magical figure who visits all the children of the world during the night before Christmas Day, leaving presents which they find the next morning. He flies through the night sky in a sledge pulled by reindeer, and enters houses by climbing down chimneys. This strange legend is based on the life of a man called Nicholas, but in fact we know very little about him. Historians think he was a Christian bishop(主教) in Turkey in about 285－350 A. D. One of the stories about him is that he helped three poor girls. No one would marry them because they were so poor. To provide them with money for their weddings, Nicholas secretly dropped some gold coins down the chimney of their house. After Nicholas died, he was made a saint(圣人) by the church. (The name Santa Claus thus comes from St Nicholas.) His feast day was celebrated in December, and parents started giving their children secret presents from St Nicholas. Over the years, this custom became part of our Christmas traditions.
Recently, a psychologist has claimed that Father Christmas is “the perfect fantasy” for children. According to Professor Anthony Clare, children love the character of Father Christmas because he is like an ideal father: he loves children and gives them presents, but he never criticizes them, is never angry, and children do not even need to thank him for the presents. Other writers, however, point out that Father Christmas can be a frightening character to some children. Jane Bidder says that some children are terrified of this fat, bearded old man. It can certainly confuse many children. As parents, we warn our children to be careful of strangers and never to let them into the house, and yet we tell children that a strange man will come into their bedroom at night! Some children can become very worried about this idea and fear that he is a kind of burglar.
Most children, however, understand from their parents and from the media that Father Christmas is basically a benign character, and look forward to his annual visit with joy and excitement.
46. The main point of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. Father Christmas is an important part of Christmas 
B. the tradition of Father Christmas is a modern idea
C. Father Christmas is a magical figure who can fly   
D. the legends about Father Christmas are not true
47. The writer mentions details such as Father Christmas’s sledge, the reindeer and the way he climbs down chimneys because he/she ____________.
A. wants to make it clear that these things are impossible   
B. is describing the history of St Nicholas   
C. wants everyone to believe that Father Christmas is real
D. is explaining the modern legend of Father Christmas
48. Why does the writer mention the story about St Nicholas helping three poor girls?
A. It shows us that historians know very little about him.
B. This story explains why parents give secret presents to children.
C. It supports the writer’s main point that Father Christmas is based on an untrue story.
D. This story explains why we celebrate Christmas in December.
49. In the last paragraph, the word “benign”means _________.
A. religious           B. friendly
C. frightening        D. unreal
50. The best title for this passage would be __________.
A. Is Father Christmas Dangerous?       B. The True History of St Nicholas
C. The Legend of Santa Claus       D. The Traditions of Christmas  

Luggage
We ask you to keep a medium-sized suitcase per person, but a small holdall(手提箱) can also be taken onto the coach
Seats
Requests for particular seats can be made on most coach breaks(巴士旅游)when booking, but since seats are booked on a front come, first serve basic，early booking is advisable．When bookings are made with us，you will be offered the best seats that are available on the coach at that time．
Travel Documents
When you have paid your deposit(訂金), we will send you all the necessary documents, so that you receive them in good time before the coach break leaving date Certain documents，for example，air or boat tickets, may have to be reserved保存 and your guide will then give them to you during the break．
Special Diets
If you require a special diet，you must inform us at the time of booking with a copy of the diet. This will be told to the hotels on your coach break. The hotels for certain coach breaks are tourist class and they may not have the equipment to deal with special diets. Any extra costs must be paid by yourself before leaving the hotel．
Accommodation(住宿)
On any coach break there are only a limited number of single rooms．When a single room is available，it may be subject to an extra charge and this will be shown on the brochure(小冊子) page．
Entertainment
Some of our hotels arrange extra entertainment which could include music，dancing，films, etc. The nature and frequency (頻率)of the entertainment presented is decided by the hotel and therefore not guaranteed and could be withdrawn (撤銷)if there is a lack of demand or insufficient不足的 numbers in the hotel．
57. If you want to choose certain seats of the coach, you should         
A. take little luggage                  B. avoid traveling in holidays
C. book your seats web in advance       D. arrive early on the leaving date
58. What should you do if you need a special diet?
A. Bring your own food with you．     B. Tell the organizer while booking．
C. Inform the hotel when you arrive．   D. Pay extra money with the booking．
59. It may be necessary to pay extra for          ．
A. single rooms       B. particular seats     C. entertainment   D. hand luggage
60. Where is the passage mostly taken from?
A. A fashion magazine．            B. A business report．
C. A legal document．              D. A travel brochure．

We could all see the Murray Uiver slowly moving back, but now all the water was gone . I couldn’t believe that the Murray had dried up, not one drop of water left.
One morning I went down to the river to try and catch some fish when I saw my boat high and dry (擱淺) on the bank . I rushed down the river and saw all mud—no water . The fish were just lying there, dying . I looked up to see if my friend was there . There was the nest but no eagle（鷹）. I called out to her with my special whistle which I made out of steel.
Suddenly a big shadow came over to me and the eagle landed in her nest and gave her young the food she was out getting while I whistled. But then I suddenly noticed she was getting thinner and had a bit of sheep’s wool in the side of her talon（利爪）. It was deadly quiet by the river bank , except for some sound from my dog. And also I couldn’t see one native animal or bird.
When I walked inside the kitchen. Mum and Dad had sad looks on their faces. “It’s time for us to move ,Son, because the river can no longer provide for（養(yǎng)活）us,” said Dad . I ran out of the kitchen door with tears in my eyes , and down to the river bank, to my favorite spot. I said goodbye to my eagle , crying.
When it was time to go , I saw my eagle fly up into the air with her chicks in her talons , going away to try and find another home ,just like us.
59. The passage is mainly about     
A. the author’s travel away from his hometown
B. the author’s feeling about being away from his friend
C. the author’s idea about being away from home
D. the author’s plan to leave for a new place
60. The underlined word “chicks” in the last paragraph refers to “     ”
A. the eagle’s children                B. the eagle’s food  
C. the eagle’s nest beside the river       D. the dog
61. According to the passage ,the eagle looked thinner most probably because      
A. the eagle had to feed its children     B. the eagle was seriously sick
C. the eagle lost many of his friends     D. there was not enough food for her
62. According to the passage , it can be inferred that       .
A. the eagle lived on the ground beside the author’s house
B. it was winter when the writer went away
C. the writer’s parents didn’t like to leave , either
D. some native animals and birds still lived in the place

Self-esteem is all about how much we are valued, loved, accepted, and thought well of by others and how much we value, love and accept ourselves. People with healthy self-esteem are able to do better in school and find it easier to make friends. They tend to have better relationships with others, feel happier, find it easier to deal with mistakes and failures, and are more likely to stick to something until they succeed. People with low self-esteem may feel as if no one will like them or accept them or that they can’t do well in anything.   
The following ways may help you improve your self-esteem.
Try to stop thinking negative thoughts about yourself. If you’re used to focusing on your shortcomings, start thinking about positive aspects of yourself that outweigh them. It is good to aim high, but your goals for yourself should be within reach. That’s why you should set practical goals and never expect the impossible. Mistakes are part of learning, so view mistakes as learning opportunities. Accept that you make mistakes because everyone does.
Also, you should recognize what you can change and what you can’t. If you realize that you’re unhappy with something about yourself, you can change and start from today. If it’s something you can’t change (like your height), start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.
Feeling like you’re making a difference or that your help is valued can do wonders to improve your self-esteem. So don’t hesitate to make a contribution. You can lend a hand to a classmate who’ s having trouble, help your neighborhood clean up, or volunteer to do some other things.
Self-esteem plays a role in almost everything you do. It’s never too late to build healthy self-esteem. It takes some work, and it’s a necessary skill you’ll have for life.
1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 refers to “______”.
A. your classmates                                   B. your shortcomings
C. your strong points                                 D. your goals
2. According to the passage, which of the following can help improve your self-esteem?
A. Setting high goals similar to others’.
B. Never forgiving yourself for your mistakes.
C. Lending a hand to a classmate in trouble.
D. Changing all the things that make you unhappy.
3. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. the old tend to have healthier self-esteem than the young
B. we should build healthy self-esteem when young
C. there are more people with low self-esteem
D. it is not easy to build healthy self-esteem
4. The passage is mainly about ______.
A. how people improve their self-esteem                  
B. what self-esteem means
C. what people with low self-esteem are like             
D. what people with healthy self-esteem are like
5. How many ways of improving your self-esteem are mentioned in the passage?
A. Five                 B. Six                          C. Seven                      D. Eight.

  Young visitors to museums often complain(抱怨)about having museum feet，the
tired feeling one gets after spending too much time in a museum．A case of museum feet
makes one feel like saying：“This is boring．I could have done the painting myself．
When can we sit down? What time is it?
Studies of museum behavior show that the average visitor spends about four sec．
onds looking at one object．For young visitors，the time call be even shorter．Children
are more interested in smells，sounds，and the“feel’’of a place than looking at a work of
art．If they stay in a museum too long，they will feel tired and become impatient．
To avoid museum feet，try not to have children look at too many things in one vis-．
it．It is reported that young visitors get more out of a visit if they focus on no more than
nine objects．One and a half hours is the ideal(理想的)time to keep their eyes and
minds sharp，and their feet happy.
65．When a child gets“museum  feet”,he or she feels     ．
A．bored    B．interested    C．pleased D．a(chǎn)ngry
66．To attract more children，museums should offer more    ．
A．reading materials    B．works of art
C．1ively things        D．comfortable shoes
67．Children can benefit most from a visit to a museum if they spend        .
A．1ess than 4 seconds looking at 1 object
B．a(chǎn) whole morning focusing on 19 objects
C．the time together with their parents
D．1.5 hours focusing on 9 objects
68．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．The cause of museum feet and how to avoid them．
B．How to build better museums for children．
C．How to prevent children from getting museum feet．
D．Why more children get museum feet than adults．

第三部分：閱讀（共兩節(jié)，滿分40分）
第一節(jié)：閱讀理解（共15小題，每小題2分，滿分30分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項。
What is a creepy crawly?
A few years ago, I was on a bicycle trip when I got off my bike for a rest. I sat down on the grass. A few seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all over me so I got up and brushed them off. It was a strange experience but I soon forgot about it.
A couple of years later, I was living in Jordan. I had just moved into a modern flat and was unpacking plates when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the kitchen drawer and there was a cockroach crawling out of it. I screamed. Then I grabbed a can of insecticide and sprayed it on the cockroach. He ran under the nearby bathroom door. It took me three days before I found the courage to open the bathroom door to see if he was still alive. He wasn’t.
Why did I react so violently to one lone insect when a closer encounter with hundreds of ants hardly affected me? The answer is easy: because cockroaches are creepy crawlies and ants aren’t. Creepy crawlies are those little bugs which provoke feelings such as uneasiness, anxiety or dislike – they make your skin crawl.
Did you know that some people feel such a fear of bugs that it becomes a phobia? Psychologists have offered many explanations. Some say we associate them with dirt and disease. Or that these are life forms that are so alien to us, that we find them repulsive(令人厭惡的) for their dissimilarity.
Insects, however, don’t follow our rules – they just do what they want and invade our space. Unfortunately, although insects and bugs have been a successful animal species up to now, many of them, like many other species nowadays, are under threat of extinction. Entomologists warn that this could upset entire ecosystems and lead to all kinds of disastrous consequences.
So my plea to you is: the next time you feel the urge to stamp on, splatter or spray a creepy crawly, give a thought to the planet and stop.
1. Why did the author mention the ants in the beginning?
A. Because the experience with the ants presents a sharp contrast to that with the cockroach later.
B. Because the author wants to show her preference to the ants and her dislike for the cockroach.
C. Because both ants and cockroaches are creepy crawlies that the author dislikes.
D. Because meeting the ants is an unusual experience that the author can hardly forget.
2. What does “insecticide” in the second paragraph probably mean?
A. a kind of fruit juice.                             B. a kitchen knife.
C. liquid for killing insects.                        D. cleanser for the bathroom.                                                                                                                                                                       
3. How does the author feel about the bugs like cockroaches?
A. The author doesn’t mind the contact with those harmless small creatures.
B. They make the author feel so awful that they should be killed.
C. They invade our space and become a threat to humans.
D. They still deserve a place for keeping the balance of the nature.
4. Which of the following is NOT the reason why the cockroach makes the author’s skin crawl?
A. It looks so strange and different that the author can’t accept its appearance.
B. It can make the author feel sick and cause a strong dislike.
C. The author may relate it to something dirty or disease at the sight of it.
D. It reminds the author of the experience of meeting hundreds of ants.
5. Which of the following statements about bugs is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Some people may be frightened so much by bugs that it leads to a psychological barrier in some degree.
B. People can enjoy a cleaner living environment if more bugs like cockroaches are killed.
C. Many bugs are in danger of extinction so they should be placed under human’s protection.
D. Some bugs are extremely unpleasant that people have a strong wish to destroy them.

E
Win a week in England!
You still don’t know what to do this summer? Well, here’s your chance to win a one-week language course in Kent, England! Free4Fun and ETC (English Travel Connections) are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour’s drive from London and close to the sea resort of Herne Bay. It is also the home of one of England’s most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. His home, Gad’s Hill, is there, too. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle, a large Norman fortress（堡壘）. It was built in the 11th century and rebuilt during the 14th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honour of Dickens himself.
The trip to England includes:
*  travel by train (via the Eurotunnel) to and from any railway station in Germany
*  room and full board with a guest family for one week
*  language course in small groups
*  two trips to London
*  large choice of sports and entertainment
*  German-speaking advisors available 24 hours a day
Interested? All you have to do is to answer the following question:  When was Charles Dickens born?
So, take the chance and send your answer by 1 May to:
Free4Fun "Rochester"
Free4Fun, 24 Elphinstone Road, Hastings, 2FQ6VJ
fax: 089 / 85 763-103    e-mail: free4fun@netlight.com
The two winners will be contacted directly before 5 May. They will also be announced in the June issue of Free4Fun. Good luck!
For further information contact:
phone: (03212) 144 43    fax: (03212) 144 42       e-mail: info@etc. com
67. What activities can you participate in during the trip?
A. Working as a language advisor.         
B. Learning the German language.
C. Traveling by train with a guest family.       
D. Enjoying sports and entertainment.
68. If you want to win a prize you have to send your answer to  _______ .
A. the June issue of Free4fun                     B. free4fun@netlight. com
C. info@etc. com                               D. ETC
69. The persons ______ are likely to win the free trip.
A. who know the birth date of Charles Dickens    
B. who are attracted by Rochester Castle
C. who are contacted and announced by Free4Fun and ETC
D. who know more about Charles Dickens’ works
70. This ad was probably designed to target            .
A. Italians             B. Europeans         C. Germans           D. Americans

Attitudes differed to small errors of grammar and usage, or inappropriateness of vocabulary and idiom, with the native speakers finding such errors a little irksome(令人厭煩的)，though sometimes amusing, while the Chinese panel members paid hardly any attention to such errors as, for example, misuse of phrasal verbs and similar usages: “When I saw the job description, I decided to apply the position.” “I expect to find out a lot of challenge in the job.” “I can deal the emergency situations efficiently.”?
Errors of idiom or appropriateness caused more comment, during the post interview discussion, from the native speakers than from the Chinese panel members, on whom the errors were sometimes lost. For example, one candidate, when asked what salary he expected, replied: “I don’t care about it.” The message was clear enough, namely that he was primarily interested in the job, but the formulation of the message was not quite right. Even such ribticklers(笑話)as “I am a well planned person .”and “I would like to expose myself in another field”(both actually heard at interviews) tended to cause lipbiting among the expatriate rather than the Chinese interviewers.?
Panels with two Chinese and one expatriate used to be more common, but are becoming less common. The reason is that with more of the interview now being conducted in Chinese, the non Chinese speaker does not know what has already been asked and is liable to repeat in English questions that have already been covered in Chinese. This caused, naturally enough, confusion in the interviewee and can adversely affect the whole interview.?
The sensible procedure would seem to be to open the interview in the mother tongue of the candidates, to put them at their ease, then at a later stage turn to English, to test English proficiency. In practice, however, possibly because of the problem mentioned in the previous paragraph when the panel contains a foreigner, it is often the reverse, with a few, fairly standard, opening questions in English, and if these are successfully answered, then the job interview properly gets underway in Cantonese.?
One of the worst interview scenarios(方案)is when a foreigner who thinks she/he can speak Cantonese (but does so, in fact, badly) decides to question the interviewee in Cantonese. In other circumstances of a social nature the interviewee would no doubt politely compliment the foreigner on his or her good Cantonese, but in the seriousness of a job interview situation, the Chinese is confused and slightly embarrassed for the foreigner. These forays(初步嘗試)into Chinese usually end pretty quickly with one of the Chinese members of the panel rescuing the foreigner and continuing the interview in English.?
64．Concerning misuses of phrasal verbs,____.
A．both Chinese and the native speakers of English find them amusing
B．the Chinese interviewers tend to be tolerant
C．the Chinese interviewers and the English native speaker interviewers often have a discussion
D．might sometimes become a laughing stock to the native speakers of English but draw hardly any attention from the Chinese
65．It is implied in the passage that ____.
A．Chinese are generally liable to make mistakes in English grammar and vocabulary usage
B．expatriate interviewers are generally more friendly with interviews
C．braver candidates can often get the upper hand
D．the candidates often deliver an improper message for the use of inappropriate expressions
66．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．The non Chinese speaking interviewer might ask the questions which have already been asked by the Chinese and hence cause confusion.
B．It is more practicable to start an interview with a few fairly standard questions in English before switching to Chinese.
C．The best procedure of an interview would seem to be beginning in Cantonese and then testing English proficiency.
D．The Chinese interviewee often politely compliments the foreign interviewer if he or she speaks cantonese if it is not actually so good in the interview.?
67．This passage is mainly concerned with ____.
A．whether language proficiency or work ability counts in job interviews
B．how to avoid awkward situation in a job interview in HongKong
C．the language used in a job interview with both Chinese and expatriate panel members
D．the sensible procedure of getting on with an interview where the Chinese interviewee’s English is to be tested