With the Indian economy predicted to grow by 7．5 percent this year, experts say it could be time for Western CEOs to learn some lessons from Indian CEOs．The key differences between Indian and Western bosses are:
Social purpose
One of the most important things is that Indian leaders lead with a sense of social purpose．Every leader in India gave a specific social purpose as being the goal of their business．Those purposes ranged from improving healthcare to getting cell phones to people who didn't have access to communication tools．Having a social purpose motivates workers．
Invest in employees
Indian firms invest an enormous amount in their employees' training and development．IT firms typically offer 60 days of formal training for newly hired workers and they even spend months training experienced workers．A study said that Western firms have largely abandoned investing in employees, seeing it as a waste if they quit．But Indian bosses believe that investing in employees ensures the quality of those who stay at the company．
Take the long view
Indian bosses stress far less on shareholders than it is typical at Western business．As a result they're more able to take a long-term view．Western companies can't just ignore their shareholders, but their CEOs can do more to protect their -employees from short-term financial pressures, letting them get on with their jobs．
Work fromtheir strengths
Western companies often think about strategy in terms of chasing customers or pursuing market opportunities, but Indian firms will more often start by identifying their strengths and customers’ needs, and then try to meet those needs．
Act as a role model
Being a personal role model for their employees is an amazing thing for a CEO．If Western bosses could think of themselves as role models, it would have a real impact on their workers．
【小題1】Indian CEOs use their sense of social purpose to _________．

A．improve the workers' healthcare system

B．provide cell phones to people in need

C．motivate and encourage their employees

D．promote the development of communication systems

【小題2】Western firms have largely abandoned investing in employees’ training and development because _______．

A．it takes too long to complete the formal training of newly hired workers

B．they often hire experienced workers who don't need much training

C．they are afraid of the losses brought about by the resignation of employees

D．they don't care about the quality of the employees in their firms

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE about Western bosses?

A．They stress on workers more than shareholders．

B．They always act as role models for employees．

C．They are good at identifying their own strengths．

D．They pay closer attention to market opportunities．

The Wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992. in 1992, the people of the town decided that it was time to restart some long-forgotten traditions. Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area. He was said to only accept men as members of his gang who proved their worth in challenges. At that time, it was also a common practice to steal women from neighboring villages.
The Wife-carrying World Championship is becoming increasingly popular. A large number of competitors, people, and journalists from Finland to Canada attend the Wife-carrying World championship every year.
The event is well-known for its warm and humorous atmosphere. The Wife-carrying World Championship is held on a 253.5 meters long official track. The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about a meter deep.
There are a few basic rules and the winning team is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time. The wife to be carried may be your own, or your neighbor’s. the minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49kg. if she is less than 49kg, the wife will be given a heavy bag to carry. Each time a competitor drops his wife, that couple will be fined 15 seconds.
Along with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there is also a team competition. The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns. At the exchange point the carrier has to drink the official “wife-carrying drink” before continuing the race. A special prize is awarded to the team with the best costumes.
Alongside with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there are bands playing music, a wife-carrying dance and other forms of entertainment.
【小題1】According to the passage, the Wife-carrying World championship ___________.

A．was first celebrated in 1992.

B．was first held by Rosvo-Ronkainen

C．is celebrated in Finland or Canada every year

D．will award “wife-carrying drinks” to the winners

【小題2】 The Wife-carrying World championship is famous because ___________.

A．it is held on a 253.5 meters long track

B．many competitors take part in it

C．it has a pleasant atmosphere

D．the winner will be awarded a lot of money

【小題3】 If a husband drops his wife three time in the competition, he will be fined ________.

A．15 seconds

B．35 seconds

C．45 seconds

D．60 seconds

【小題4】 compared with the Wife-carrying World championship, the team competition _______.

A．is more exciting	B．has a special prize
C．has a different track	D．has three teams altogether

【小題5】The passage is written mainly to ____________.

A．warn people that the competition is dangerous

B．a(chǎn)ttract more visitors to the Wife-carrying World championship

C．introduce how the Wife-carrying World championship has become popular

D．tell us something about the Wife-carrying World championship

According to legend, the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy, which connects the Palazzo Ducale to an ancient prison, got its name because the walk across it gave prisoners on their way to jail a final chance to appreciate the beauty of the city.
The view from the bridge today, however, is more likely to be of a giant billboard selling Bulgari or Coca – cola. Beyond the billboards, monuments are being restored. The money comes from advertising profits.
But when the Coke billboards went up this summer on buildings near the Piazza San Marco, which is at the historic heart of Venice, there was a public debate.
“We can’t commercialize everything,” said Alessandra Mottola Molfino, a Venetian. “The lesson that goes out is that a price is for everything.”
“We couldn’t stay quiet,” said Maria Camilla Bianchini d’Alberigo, president of a heritage protection association. “Too much is too much.”
There needed to be rules, she added, rules that prevent the advertising billboards clashing (沖突) with the monuments of the city.
City of officials, however, argue that without these ads, the city could not afford to maintain its heritage. Many have been damaged by centuries of wear and are even a threat to public safety.
“I can’t turn down the image of bottle when there are pieces of the Palazzo Ducale falling to the ground,” said Renata Codello, a Cultrue Ministry official.
The Culture Minister has a budget of about $ 47 million (315 million yuan) for restoration of monuments, but Italy has a rich architectural heritage, and funds are always tight．Of that amount,
$ 1.8 million was given to the entire Vector region,  which includes Venice．
Two years ago, the city signed an agreement with the Dotter Group, a company responsible for the restoration of the Bridge of Sighs and the Palazzo Ducale．It allows it to sell ad space．
But there is a condition in the agreement: The ads should not offend public taste,
In August, Venice banned US actress Julianne Moore's Bulgrari ad from a billboard in the Piazza San Marco．
The photo shows a naked Moore covered with lion cubs, handbags and jewelry, Mayor Giorgio Orsoni called the image too racy (猥褻) and unsuitable for the Piazza San Marco．
"I take account of the fact that Venice is part of the real world… but we cannot accept these Hollywood-style images．There arc intelligent sponsors, and we need to come up with advertising that suits Venice, not Times Square," he said in a speech．
【小題1】The article is mainly about        in Venice

A．restoration of cultural heritage

B．widespread commercialization

C．the conflict between ads and cultural heritage

D．the difficulty of restoring monuments

【小題2】In the first paragraph, the beautiful view from the Bridge of Sighs is mentioned to      .

A．introduce other monuments of the ancient city

B．show how much many ancient structures need restoring

C．indicate that the view is blocked by huge ads

D．create interest in the famous city

【小題3】From the article we can conclude that Rcnata Codello        the advertising．

A．is in favor of	B．is worried about
C．objects to	D．doesn't mind

【小題4】Why do many Venetians complain about the ads?

A．They are intolerant of commercialization．

B．They feel the ads are damaging the city．

C．The ads are usually racy and in an American style．

D．The ads don't present a traditional view of Venice,

【小題5】It can be inferred from the passage that

A．Hollywood stars' ads cannot go up in Venice

B．the mayor of Venice is expecting new advertising

C．the Dotter Group may stop its restoration work for lack of funds

D．people can buy Bulgaria or Coca-cola on the Bridge of Sighs

When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (how-ever, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐館). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.
In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don’t expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief — it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”,  where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning — looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!　
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE about motels?

A．You can only find motels in the big National Parks.

B．They are free for people who arrive by car.

C．If you want to stay at a motel, you must have a car.

D．The word “motel” is formed by two words.

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT provided by motels?

A．Baths.	B．Swimming pools.
C．TV.	D．Meals.

【小題3】The underlined word “crept” in the second paragraph probably means “______”.

A．moved slowly	B．rushed out
C．threw away	D．ran fast

【小題4】The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A．a(chǎn)n interesting story

B．the experience of the author’s friend

C．we may meet animals in the National Parks

D．bears usually look for food at night

【小題5】From the last paragraph, we can learn that in New York during the tourist season ______.

A．tourists can find gold there

B．tourists can have a sweet dream there

C．it is difficult to find a room there

D．there is warning for tourists to New York

      Imagine, one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high-speed railway system．And that’s not all．China has an even greater high-speed railway plan — to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
China’s bullet train（高速客車），the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge（軌距），maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．
But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’ll be a win-win project．For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countries．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all．And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．
【小題1】China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ________．

A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions

B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways

C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries

D．the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation, business and tourism

【小題2】According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is ________．

A．technical issues	B．safety of the system
C．financial problems	D．maintenance of railway tracks

【小題3】Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?

A．Critical．

B．Reserved．

C．Doubtful．

D．Positive．

【小題4】Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．New Railway Standards.	B．Big Railway Dreams.
C．High-speed Bullet Trains.	D．International Railway Network

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(錄取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught in school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
In 1849, after graduation from medical school. She decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科醫(yī)師) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children.  Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital, she also set up the first medical school for women.
【小題1】Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?

A．She couldn’t get admitted to medical school

B．She decided to further her education in Paris

C．A serious eye problem stopped her

D．It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States

【小題2】 How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?

A．Eight years

B．Ten years

C．Nineteen years

D．Thirty-six years

【小題3】 According to the passage, all of the following are “firsts” in the life of Elizabeth Blackwell, except that she ______.

A．became the first woman physician

B．was the first woman doctor

C．a(chǎn)nd several other women founded the first hospital for women and children

D．set up the first medical school for women

【小題4】Elizabeth Blackwell spent most of her life in _______.

A．England

B．Paris

C．the United States

D．New York City

Unusual incidents are being reported across the Arctic. Inuit（因紐特人）families going off on snowmobiles to prepare their summer hunting camps have found themselves cut off from home by a sea of mud. There are also reports of sea ice breaking up earlier than usual, carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters. Climate change may still be a rather abstract（抽象的）idea to most of us, but in the Arctic it is already having great effect—if summertime ice continues to shrink at its present rate, the Arctic Ocean could soon become almost ice-free in summer. The knock-on effects（連鎖反應(yīng)）are likely to include more warming, cloudier skies and higher sea levels. Scientists are increasingly eager to find out what’s going on in the Arctic.
For the Inuit the problem is urgent. They live in unsteady balance with one of the toughest environments on earth. Climate change, whatever its causes, is a direct danger to their way of life. Nobody knows the Arctic as well as the locals, which is why they are not content simply to stand back and let outsider experts tell them what’s happening. In Canada, where the Inuit people are trying hard to guard their hard-won autonomy（自治權(quán)）in the country’s newest land, Nunavut, they believe their best hope of survival in this changing environment lies in combining their ancestral (祖先的) knowledge with the best of modern science. This is a challenge in itself.
The Canadian Arctic is a vast, treeless polar desert that’s covered with snow for most of the year. Adventure into this area and you get some idea of the hardships facing anyone who calls this home. Farming is out of the question and nature offers few pickings. Humans first settled in the Arctic a mere 4,500 years ago, surviving by taking advantage of sea first. The environment tested them to the limits: sometimes the settlers were successful; sometimes they failed and disappeared. But around a thousand years ago, one group appeared that was uniquely well adapted to deal with the Arctic environment. These Thule people moved in from Alaska, bringing dogs, iron tools and the like. They are the ancestors of today’s Inuit people.
【小題1】 Which of the following is likely to be the effect of climate change?

A．Shorter and shorter summertime.	B．Ice-free summer around the Arctic.
C．Lower sea levels.	D．More rainy skies.

【小題2】The Inuit people believe the solution to the climate change problem is ________.

A．to change their way of life

B．to do as their ancestors

C．to try to protect the environment from now on

D．to use their ancestral knowledge and modern science

【小題3】It can be concluded from the last paragraph that ________.

A．the first settlers in the Arctic survived there quite easily

B．it’s hard to farm in the Arctic due to climate change

C．the ancestors of Inuit people stood out among the settlers

D．the Thule people from Alaska invented iron tools

【小題4】 Which of the following is the best title for this text?

A．Climate Change and the Inuit

B．Climate Change around the Arctic

C．Global Warming around the World

D．The Inuit and Their Ancestors around the World

When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak scornfully of the poor old Romans because they enjoyed the seemingly excited killing that went on in their arenas（競技場）. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority（優(yōu)越）really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the audience who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remain as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long ago.
　　It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men punch each other in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is merely hypocrisy（虛偽）. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Audience are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they haven’t experienced the exquisite pleasure of witnessing continuous violence.
　　Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally—though with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen imprisoned in cages, or public punishment of any of the countless other barbarous (野蠻的) practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the harsh forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is unworthy of human beings.
【小題1】It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is ________________

A．not very high.

B．high.

C．scornful.

D．neutral

【小題2】Why does the author mention the old Romans in this article?

A．To reveal that the old Romans first started violent sports.

B．To prove that the old Romans were not civilized.

C．To show human beings in the past knew nothing better.

D．To indicate human beings today are as bloodthirsty as the old Romans.

【小題3】How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小題4】     What does the author want to illustrate in this article?

A． By banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve ourselves.

B． By banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law.

C． We must take positive steps to improve social welfare system.

D． Law is the main instrument of social change.

  The idea of “l(fā)aw” exists in every culture. All societies have some kind of law to keep order and to control the interactions of people with those around them. The laws of any culture tell people three things: what they can do (their right), what they must do (their duties), and what they may not do. In addition, there are usually specific types of punishment for those who break the law.
Although all societies have laws, not all have the same idea of justice—which is “right” and “wrong” and how “wrong” should be punished. In most Western cultures, it is thought that punishing criminals will prevent them from committing other crimes. Also, it is hoped that the fear of punishment will act as a deterrent(威懾) that prevents other people from committing similar crimes; in other words, people who are considering a life of crime will decide against it because of fear of punishment. In most non-Western cultures, by contrast, punishment is not seen as a deterrent. Instead, great importance is placed on restoring balance in the situation. A thief, for example, may be ordered to return the things he has stolen instead of, as in Western societies, spending time in prison.
Another difference in the concept of justice lies in various societies’ ideas of what laws are. In the West, people consider “l(fā)aws” quite different from “customs”. There is also a great contrast between “sins” (breaking religious laws) and “crimes” (breaking laws of the government). In many non-Western cultures, on the other hand, there is little separation of customs, laws, and religious beliefs; in other cultures, these three may be quite separate from one another, but still very much different from those in the West. For these reasons, an action may be considered a crime in one country, but be socially acceptable in others. For instance, although a thief is viewed as a criminal in much of the world, in a small village where there is considerable communal（公共的） living and sharing of objects, the word thief may have little meaning. Someone who has taken something without asking is simply considered an impolite person.
Most countries have two kinds of law: criminal and civil. People who have been accused of acts such as murder or theft are heard in the criminal justice system, while civil justice deals with people who are believed to have violated others’ rights. The use of the civil system reflects the values of the society in which it exists. In the United States where personal, individual justice is considered very important, civil law has become “big business.” There are over 600,000 lawyers in the United States, and many of them keep busy with civil lawsuits; that is, they work for people who want to sue others. If a man falls over a torn rug in a hotel and breaks his arm, for instance, he might decide to sue the hotel owners so that they will pay his medical costs. In a country like Japan, by contrast, there is very little use of the civil justice system. Lawsuits are not very popular in Japan, where social harmony is even more important than individual rights, and where people would rather reach agreement outside court.
【小題1】 The main point of paragraph 1 is that____.

A．a(chǎn)ll societies, Western or non-Western, have some kind of law to keep order.

B．most countries in the world have two kinds of law “criminal and civil ”

C．there are usually specific types of punishment for those who break the law.

D．the laws of any culture dictate people’s rights, duties and what they are not supposed to do

【小題2】 Which is TRUE in most Western cultures?

A．Punishment has double functions.

B．A thief may be referred to as an impolite person.

C．Punishment is not regarded as a deterrent.

D．There is lots of communal living and sharing of objects.

【小題3】Which statement is NOT true according to the article?

A．In the West, people think laws and customs are rather different.

B．In the West, there is little difference between “sins” and “crimes”.

C．An action that is considered a crime in one country may be socially acceptable in another.

D．There is far less use of the civil justice system in Japan than in the United States.

【小題4】Which of the following cases are not heard in the criminal justice system?

A．Robbing a pedestrian.	B．Kidnapping people for ransom.
C．Breaking into a bank.	D．Failing to pay back the money.

Spanish men will have to learn to change diapers and do dishwashing under the terms of a new law designed to strike a blow.
The law, due to be passed this month, is likely to cause a revolution in family affairs in a country where 40% of men reportedly don’t do housework at all. It will oblige men to “share domestic responsibilities and the care and attention” of children and elderly family members, according to the draft approved by the Spanish parliament’s justice commission.
“This will be a good way of reminding people what their duties are. It is something feminists (女權(quán)主義者) have been wanting for a long time,” said Margarita Uria, of the Basque Nationalist Party, who was behind what is an amendment to a new divorce law.
Failure to meet the obligations will be taken into consideration by judges when determining the terms of divorces. Men who refuse to do their part may be given less frequent contact with their children.
Spanish women spend five times longer on housework than husbands. Even when both have jobs outside the home, Spanish women still do three times as much work in the house.
“It is not just about housework, though,” said Ms. Uria.
A study five years ago by Spain’s Center for Sociological Investigation concluded that fathers spent an average of 13 minutes each day looking after their children.
Only 19 % of Spanish men thought it was right for mothers of school-age children to have a full-time job. More than a third thought mothers should not work outside the home at all.
The Change to the Spanish legal code will see domestic obligations added to a list of marital(婚姻的) duties that currently includes fidelity, living together and helping one another.
That should guarantee that, when the law—which will also make divorce proceedings faster and easier—is voted on in parliament in the next few weeks, the obligation to share domestic chores will be added to the statute books.
【小題1】 What is the percentage of Spanish men who don’t do any housework?

A．19%

B．40%

C．60%

D．80%

【小題2】About the new law, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Men are obliged to do housework.

B．Men will have to take care of children.

C．Women have to have full-time jobs.

D．Men will have to take care of the elderly.

【小題3】According to the fourth paragraph, which of the following is TRUE?

A．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will get a divorce.

B．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will be thrown to the jail.

C．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will be in an unfavorable condition in a divorce.

D．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will not be allowed to see the child any more.

【小題4】What is the general topic of the passage?

A．Spain will pass a new law to oblige men to share domestic responsibilities.

B．Men have to share more domestic responsibilities.

C．There will be a revolution by provoked (被激怒的) feminists.

D．Marital laws in Spain are not enough yet.