In his 1930 essay “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren ”, John Keynes, a famous economist, wrote that human needs fall into two classes: absolute needs ,which are independent of what others have , and relative needs ,which make us feel superior to our fellows. He thought that although relative needs may indeed be insatiable (無(wú)止境的) , this is not true of absolute needs.
Keynes was surely correct that only a small part of total spending is decided by the desire for superiority. He was greatly mistaken, however, in seeing this desire as the only source of insatiable demands.
Decisions to spend are also driven by ideas of quality which can influence the demands for almost all goods, including even basic goods like food. When a couple goes out for an anniversary dinner, for example, the thought of feeling superior to others probably never comes to them. Their goal is to share a special meal that stands out from other meals.
There are no obvious limits to the escalation of demand for quality. For example, Porsche, a famous car producer, has a model which was considered perhaps the best sport car on the market Priced at over $120,000, it handles perfectly well and has great speed acceleration. But in 2004, the producer introduced some changes which made the model slightly better in handling and acceleration. People who really care about cars find these small improvements exciting. To get them, however, they must pay almost four times the price.
By placing the desire to be superior to others at the heart of his description of insatiable demands, Keynes actually reduced such demands. However, the desire for higher quality has no natural limits.
【小題1】According to the passage, John Keynes believed that_______.

A．desire is the root of both absolute and relative needs

B．a(chǎn)bsolute needs come from our sense of superiority

C．relative needs alone lead to insatiable demands

D．a(chǎn)bsolute needs are stronger than relative needs

【小題2】What do we know about the couple in Paragraph 3?

A．They want to show their superiority.

B．They find specialty important to meals.

C．Their demands for food are not easily satisfied.

D．Their choice of dinner is

【小題3】What does the underlined word “escalation” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Understanding.

B．Increase

C．Difference

D．Study

【小題4】The author of the passage argues that ______.

A．a(chǎn)bsolute needs have no limits

B．demands for quality are not insatiable

C．human desires influence ideas of quality

D．relative needs decide most of our spending

There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit of whisky(威士忌)at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873, she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot ,” And she didn’t even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light, the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold . As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle , any frustration(煩惱) will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple, pink, white flowers, seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains, and reaching its 1343-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain’s north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language “usquebaugh” or “water of life”; and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland’s best known drink: whisky.
【小題1】The story of Queen Victoria is to show that _____.

A．the queen is rich in tour experience

B．the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland

C．tasting whisky is better than going fishing

D．1873 is a special year for the queen

【小題2】How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?

A．By giving descriptions.	B．By following time order.
C．By analyzing causes.	D．By making comparisons.

【小題3】What is Ben Nevis special for?

A．The Inverlochy Castle Hotel .

B．The beauty of its surroundings.

C．The water from the mountain.

D．The challenge up to its top.

【小題4】What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.

B．To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.

C．To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland.

D．To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland.

The United States is already one year into a depression That was the news this week from the Na-tional Bureau of Economic Research. The downturn is the longest since a depression that began in 1981and lasted sixteen months.
Economists generally wait for production to shrink for six months in a row before they declare a re-cession. But the bureau, a private group, uses a wider set of information to measure the economy. Thenews only confirmed what many people already knew: that the world's largest economy is weak and maynot recover soon.
Worsening conclitions have led to a big drop in spending, especially on costly products like new cars. Even Japanese automaker Toyota saw its sales fall thirty - four percent in the United States in November from a year ago.
The heads of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors retumed to Congress this week to again ask for federal aid.  Congressional leaders denounced(指責(zé)) them two weeks ago after they came in private jets with no clear plans for saving their industry. This time, the chiefs drove to Washington in fuel- saving hybrid vehicles. And their companies presented detailed restructuring plans. The reguest for aid has risen from twenty-five billion dollars two weeks ago to thirty-four billion in loans and credit lines.
G.M. wants almost half of that, and says it needs four billion dollars this month. It warned that without support it cannot continue to operate.
Ford is in a better position, But the sharing of suppliers means it could be affected if G.M. or
Chrysler fails. Ford is asking for a nine billion dollar credit line in case it needs it.
Chrysler is the smallest and most trouble of America's Big Three. It says it needs a seven billion dollar loan by the end of the month.
Two days of congressional hearings began Thursday in the Senate Banking Committee. The chairman, Democrat Chris Dodd, said he would support helping the automakers for the good of the economy.
But the committee's top Republican, Richard Shelby, continued to express opposition to a bailout(賄政援助）．
A main root of the world financial crisis is the weak housing market in the United States. The Trea-sury Department has been under pressure to help troubled homeowners. Now comes news that the depart-ment is developing a plan aimed at reducing interest rates on mortgage loans(汽車貸款) for some buyers of homes. That could be good for homeowners trying to sell.
【小題1】From the first two paragraphs, we know       .

A．the United States is expected to recover soon

B．the depression has lasted more than 16 months

C．the depression is much more severe than expected

D．the depression will last no more than 6 months

【小題2】Why were the automakers refused for federal aid two weeks ago?

A．Because the government had no extra money to help.

B．Because they didn't have a ciear plan to save their industry.

C．Because they had wasted too much on costly new cars.

D．Because they had enough money to save their industry.

【小題3】Which of the following is asking for the largest federal aide

A．G.M.

B．Toyota.

C．Chrysler.

D．Ford.

【小題4】From the passage we may know Richard Shelby        tile automakers' request for federal aid?

A．was for

B．was against

C．didn't care about

D．took no notice of

【小題5】Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The hearings on Thursday agreed on a federal aid to the automakers.

B．The main cause of the crisis is weak housing market in the U.S..

C．The government is taking measures to save t he housing market.

D．The Treasury Department had to help the troubled homeowners.

With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into one of several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part of all their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort＆Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is yet another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet.
【小題1】The underlined part in the first paragraph means _______.

A．lovers like staying at an eco-hotel when traveling

B．eco-hotels are very much loved by the travel industry

C．people choose to stay in a tree house while vacationing

D．romantic love stories often happen in eco-hotels

【小題2】According to the passage, which of the following can be part of the idea of eco-hotel?

A．It has wall of glass.

B．It is comfortable and fashionable.

C．It uses renewable energy.

D．It’s home to endangered species.

【小題3】From the passage, we know the Rosario Resort＆Spa is a kind of hotel that____

A．conserves ecologically important habitats.

B．encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities.

C．harvests food from its own garden on its property

D．has courses on the environment for its guests.

【小題4】 People who choose to stay at eco-hotels ______.

A．love to take a hike

B．enjoy the green atmosphere

C．have environmental awareness.

D．want to live comfortably

Nowroz: Iranian New Year or Nowroz is celebrated on the first day of spring sometime in March. People sing, dance and parade as in a carnival through the streets with drums and trumpets to spread the news of the coming new year.
Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year is called “Rosh Hashanah”, and is celebrated in the month of September. It is a holy (神圣的) time when people think of the things they have done wrong in the past, and promise to do better in the future. Special prayers are held, and an instrument called a Shofar is played. Children are given new clothes, and New Year loaves are baked and fruits are served to remind people of harvest time.
Shogatsu: In Japan, the New Year (Shogatsu) celebrations are from January 1 to January 3 and most Japanese don’t work during these days. In Japan, the New Year is a fresh start. This means that in December all duties should be completed. Parties are held to forget the worries and troubles of the old year. Homes and cars are decorated. On New Year’s Eve, most people spend their time with their families.
Bahai New Year: The Bahai people have their own calendar consisting of nineteen months of nineteen days plus a couple of extra days between the eighteenth and nineteenth months. They have, however, adopted the Iranian custom of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox (春分). The New Year celebrations are held on the evening of March 20th.
【小題1】During the Jewish New Year,        .

A．people don’t mention things they have done wrong

B．children often wear new clothes

C．loaves and fruits are often not allowed to be served

D．Shofar is their favourite food

【小題2】Which of the following festivals are celebrated in the same month?

A．Nowroz and Shogatsu.

B．Rosh Hashanah and Shogatsu.

C．Nowroz and Rosh Hashanah.

D．Nowroz and the Bahai New Year.

【小題3】What can we learn from the text?
A. Japanese families often stay together to celebrate Shogatsu.
B. The Bahai people usually hold a carnival to celebrate the New Year.
C. The Jewish harvest fruits to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

How much do you want to pay for a CD by your favorite singer Jay Chou? Five Yuan for a pirated(盜版的) one, or more for a real one? Wang Ye, 14, said she would like the real one although the pirated one is cheaper.” A real one is worth keeping for years.” said the girl from No.1 middle school in Wu Han, Anhui. “Real CDs always sound better to me.”
What can we do? People want to do more to help those like Wang to get real CDs.
This week the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry asked many countries to act against piracy(盜版行為).
In many places in China, the government is checking audio and video products. Pirated ones are broken into pieces.
Piracy is in your daily life. Don’t believe it? A study by 21st Century Teens found that more than 75 percent of juniors had listened to pirated music. They say this is because pirated products are usually much cheaper than the real ones.
Why are real CDs so expensive? When a music company makes music, it needs to pay the song writers and singers. It costs a lot of money! This makes the price of the CDs go up. Piracy like stealing. People who make pirated copies of CDs take away the writers’ and singers’ work without paying them. They even don’t ask them if they can.
So next time you’d better keep your eyes brightened when you see cheap CDs. Remember you’re helping someone to do something wrong if you buy them.
How do you know what’s real.
Already made up your mind to buy real ones? Well, you should get to know what real CDs look like. A real CD has the name and trademark(商標(biāo)) of the music company on the cover. The company’s address, telephone number and fax number are on it.
If you open the CD box you'll see the singer's name and the album title. Most important of all, a real CD has a number from the IFPI on it.
But people who make pirated CDs only need the real CD and disks to copy them. That’s why some CDs are only five Yuan, but some many sell for 150 Yuan.
【小題1】Real CDs are more expensive because ______.

A．it takes longer to make them

B．more people are needed to make them

C．a(chǎn) lot of money is paid to singers and writers.

D．better ways are used to make them

【小題2】Buying pirated CDs is just like _______.

A．stealing

B．robbing

C．helping someone to do something wrong

D．helping someone

【小題3】From the passage we get to know that some pirated company are_______.

A．moved away

B．doing something wrong

C．broken

D．made smaller

The crisis at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy center caused by the terrible earthquake has raised questions about the future of the nuclear energy industry. Arjun is president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in the United States. He says the disaster in Japan is historic.
This week, the chairman of America’s nuclear agency said there is little chance that harmful radiation(輻射) from Japan could reach the United States. Gregory also said America has a strong program in place to deal with earthquake threats. No new nuclear power centers have been built in the United States since 1979. That was when America’s worst nuclear accident happened at the Three Mile Island center in Pennsylvania. The accident began to turn public opinion against nuclear energy. At present, about twenty percent of electricity in the United States comes from nuclear energy.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would close seven nuclear power centers for the time being while energy policy is reconsidered. The European Union is planning to test all centers in its twenty-seven member nations.
Developing nations are less willing to slow down the development of nuclear. China says it will continue with plans to build about twenty-five new nuclear reactors(核反應(yīng)堆). And India, under a cooperation agreement with the United States, plans to spend billions on new centers in the coming years.
Nuclear reactors supply fourteen percent of global electricity. Nuclear energy is a clean resource, producing no carbon gases. But radioactive waste is a serious problem to be solved. So is the presence of nuclear power centers in earthquake areas like the one near Bushehr, lran.
【小題1】We can learn from the text that America ________.

A．experienced a terrible nuclear accident 32 years ago

B．has a strong program to deal with radiation danger

C．depends heavily on nuclear energy to produce electricity

D．will check all the reactors before cooperating with India

【小題2】According to the text, which country will be most likely to have a similar disaster?

A．German.

B．Iran

C．India.

D．China.

【小題3】How does the author seem to feel about the future of nuclear energy?

A．Satisfied.

B．Pleased.

C．Worried.

D．Surprised.

【小題4】The best title of the text is ______.

A．Various Opinions on Japan’s Nuclear Disaster

B．Japan’s Disaster is Likely to Run Out of Control

C．America Shows Great Concern for Japan’s Nuclear Crisis

D．Japan’s Disaster Throws Doubt on Nuclear Energy Industry

Death Valley, one of America’s great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The water in Badwater is 86 meters below the level of the ocean.

B．The highest air temperature in summer can reach as high as 74℃.

C．The ground has been pushed up violently by explosions of volcanoes.

D．There might have been marine lives living in Death Valley.

【小題2】Why were some people killed by Death Valley?

A．Because they didn’t respect Death Valley and thus they were punished.

B．Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter.

C．Because they were not careful enough to take with them what they needed.

D．Because several volcanoes erupted and caused huge explosions.

【小題3】The underlined word “twisted” in Paragraph 4 most possibly mean ______.

A．bent and turned	B．created and developed
C．built and shaped	D．changed and ruined

【小題4】The purpose of the article is to _______.

A．encourage people to visit Death Valley, a beautiful national park in America

B．warn people not to visit Death Valley because it is quite dangerous there

C．introduce to us readers a special national park in America, Death Valley

D．raise money for the protection of Death Valley because it is in danger now

Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable (可生物降解的) material inspired by insects' hard outer shells. The material's inventors say it has a number of possible uses and someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from shrimp ('蝦) shells and proteins produced from silk, is called "shrilk." It is thin, clear, flexible and strong.
A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic's toughness and flexibility represented a revolution in materials science during the 1950s and '60s. Decades later, however, plastic's very durability (耐用性) is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?
Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer(肥料), and so will enrich the soil.
Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature, found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plants. That makes shrilk low cost, and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.
Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexible when wet, so they're exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They're also developing simpler production processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products inside the home. They're even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it new properties.
【小題1】Paragraph I of the passage is mainly about shritk's_____.

A．remarkable design	B．interesting name
C．major features	D．basic elements

【小題2】What has become a concern about plastic?

A．Using it properly.

B．Producing it cheaply.

C．Developing its properties quickly.

D．Evaluating its contributions fairly.

【小題3】According to the inventors, shrilk has great potential partly because_____.

A．it can help plastic degrade

B．it can be found in living things

C．its mass production has been realized

D．its raw materials are abundant in mature

【小題4】What are the inventors doing in the lab?

A．Replacing carbon fibers with shrilk.

B．Testing ahrilk's use in wet conditions.

C．Making shrilk out of used household goods.

D．Improving shrilk's flexibility for medical purposes.

【小題5】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Recent Progress in Environmental Protection

B．Benefits of Insects in Scientific Research

C．The Harm of One-time Products

D．A Possible Alternative to Plastic

Wilderness
“In wilderness(荒野) is the preservation of the world.” This is a famous saying from a writer regarded as one of the fathers of environmentalism. The frequency with which it is borrowed mirrors a heated debate on environmental protection: whether to place wilderness at the heart of what is to be preserved.  
As John Sauven of Greenpeace UK points out, there is a strong appeal in images of the wild, the untouched; more than anything else, they speak of the nature that many people value most dearly. The urge to leave the subject of such images untouched is strong, and the danger exploitation(開(kāi)發(fā)) brings to such landscapes(景觀) is real. Some of these wildernesses also perform functions that humans need—the rainforests, for example, store carbon in vast quantities. To Mr.Sauven, these ”ecosystem services” far outweigh the gains from exploitation.
Lee Lane, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, takes the opposing view. He acknowledges that wildernesses do provide useful services, such as water conservation. But that is not, he argues, a reason to avoid all human presence, or indeed commercial and industrial exploitation. There are ever more people on the Earth, and they reasonably and rightfully want to have better lives, rather than merely struggle for survival. While the ways of using resources have improved, there is still a growing need for raw materials, and some wildernesses contain them in abundance. If they can be tapped without reducing the services those wildernesses provide, the argument goes, there is no further reason not to do so. Being untouched is not, in itself, a characteristic worth valuing above all others.
I look forwards to seeing these views taken further, and to their being challenged by the other participants. One challenge that suggests itself to me is that both cases need to take on the question of spiritual value a little more directly. And there is a practical question as to whether wildernesses can be exploited without harm.
This is a topic that calls for not only free expression of feelings, but also the guidance of reason. What position wilderness should enjoy in the preservation of the world obviously deserves much more serious thinking.
【小題1】John Sauven holds that_____.

A．many people value nature too much

B．exploitation of wildernesses is harmful

C．wildernesses provide humans with necessities

D．the urge to develop the ecosystem services is strong

【小題2】What is the main idea of Para. 3?

A．The exploitation is necessary for the poor people.

B．Wildernesses cannot guarantee better use of raw materials.

C．Useful services of wildernesses are not the reason for no exploitation.

D．All the characteristics concerning the exploitation should be treated equally.

【小題3】What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?

A．Objective.	B．Disapproving.
C．Sceptical.	D．Optimistic.

【小題4】Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?

A．	B．
C．	D．

CP: Central Point           P: Point            Sp: Sub-point(次要點(diǎn))       C: Conclusion