It was the last day of final exams in a university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering students were discussing the exam. On their faces was confidence . This was their last exam and then they would graduate. With all these four years of college behind them, they felt ready to go into the world.

　　 The professor had said they could bring any book or note they wanted, but they could not talk to each other. They went into the classroom happily. The professor gave them the papers. They smiled when they found that there were only five questions.

　　 Three hours passed and the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked so confident . The professor faced the class. No one spoke. They just held papers in their hands.

　　 The professor then asked, "How many of you finished all five questions?"

　　 Not a hand was raised.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　 　 "How many answered four?"

　　 Still no hand.

"Three? Two?"　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　

　　 The students looked worried in their seats.

　　 "One, then?" Certainly somebody finished one.

　　 However, nobody replied. The professor put down the papers. "That is just what I thought," he said. "I just want to tell you that, even though you have finished four years of engineering, there are still many things about the subject you don't know. These questions you could not answer are quite common in everyday practice." Then he added with a smile, “You will all pass this course, but remember——even though you are now college graduates, your education has just begun."

42. When did the story happen?

　 A.At the beginning of a new term.

　 B. After graduating from the university.

　 C. On the first day of the final exams.

　 D. On the last day of the final exams.

43 Why were the student very confident at the beginning?

　 A. Because they knew the coming exam would be easy

　 B. Because they knew the coming exam would be difficult

　 C. Because they knew the coming exam would be strange

　 D. Because they knew the coming exam would be interesting

44. How did the students feel when the professor began to collect the papers?

　 A. Happy.　　　　 B. Confident.　 　　C. Worried 　　　　D.Proud

45. Which is the best title for the passage?

　 A. Confident Students B.A Common professor

　 C. An Easy Exam　　　　 　　　　　　 D. So Much to Learn

Even leaders pay tax

As the president of the US, Barack Obama earns a salary(薪水) of around $400,000 a year. But his income(收入) for 2008 was far more than that, according to the White House.

The White House recently published the tax returns of Obama and vice-president Joe Biden. Tax returns are reports of tax a person has to pay. They often include income information used to calculate（計算）the tax. In the US, people whose incomes are over a certain amount have to file (申請) tax returns every year. The tax returns of government officials are open to the public. This transparency (透明) helps to prevent corruption (腐敗).

From Obama's tax returns, we can see that the president and first lady Michelle made about $2.66 million in 2008.

Most of the money came from the sales of the president's two books Dreams From My Father, and The Audacity of Hope (《無畏的夢想》). The two books, published in 1995 and 2006, are very popular and have been on the bestseller (暢銷書) list for a long time.

The Obamas' income is down from 2007, when they made $4.2 million. However, that is still far more than former US president George W. Bush earned, who reported a total of $719,274 for his final year. The Obamas' income also greatly exceeded (超過) that of Biden, who reported a family income of $269,256. That's about a tenth of what the Obamas earned. As vice-president, Biden earns a salary of $220,000. US families earn an average income of about $50,000.

The Obamas' tax returns also show that together, the president and his wife paid about $933,000 in taxes. They gave $172,050 -- nearly 6.5 percent of their earnings – to different charity groups. In the US, if a person gives his money to churches and non-profit (非盈利的) organizations, the law reduces his or her taxes. This is one reason rich people in the US like to give to charity.

44. What are tax returns?

　 A. They are reports published by the White House.

　 B. They are reports made by the president.

　 C. They are reports of tax a person has to pay.

　 D. They are reports of people's incomes.

45. How much did Obama and his wife earn in 2008?

　 A. $400,000 　 　　　 　　　 B. $2,660,000 　　 　　　 C. $4,200,000　　 D. $7,191,274

46. In the US, which people have to file tax returns?

　 A. Everybody.　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Wealthy people. 　　

　 C. Government officials.　　　　　D. People whose incomes are over a certain amount.

　　Time spent in a bookshop can be most enjoyable, whether you are a book-lover or only there to buy a book as a present. You may even have entered the shop just to find a shelter from a sudden rain. Whatever the reason, you can soon totally unaware of your surroundings. You soon become interested in some books or others, and usually it is only much later that you realize you have spent too much time there and have to rush off to keep some forgotten appointment.
　　This chance to escape the realities of everyday life is, I think, the main attraction of a bookshop. There are not many places where it is possible to do this. A music shop is very much like a bookshop. You can walk around such a place as much as you wish. If it is a good shop, no assistant will come up to you with the greeting “Can I help you?” You needn’t buy anything you don’t want. In a bookshop an assistant should remain in the background until you have finished reading. Then, and only then, are his services necessary.
　　Once, a medical student had to read a textbook which was far too expensive for him to buy. He couldn't borrow it from the library and the only copy he could find was in a certain bookshop. Every afternoon, therefore, he would go along to the shop and read a little of the book at a time. One day, however, he was disappointed to find the book missing from his usual place. He was about to leave, when he noticed the owner of the shop beckoning to him. Expecting to be told off, he went towards him. To his surprise, the owner pointed to the book which was tucked (folded beautifully) away in a corner. “I put it there in case anyone tries to buy it,” he said, and left the delighted student to continue his reading.
　　shelter: 遮蔽　　 unaware: 未意識到 attraction: 吸引　 beckon: 示意
　　45. According to the passage, the main attraction of a bookshop is that________.
　　A. people can learn something from books 　 　
　　B. it can be a shelter from a sudden rain
　　C. the surroundings are all about new knowledge 　　
　　D. it offers a chance to get free from the realities

　　46. The writer thinks that the assistant in a good bookshop should ________.
　　A. always greet customers pleasantly and warmly 　　
　　B. help the readers to find what they want to read
　　C. not talk while the customers are reading 　　
　　D. not stand beside the bookshelf all the time

　　47. The purpose of the writer in writing the last paragraph is to ________.
　　A. tell us a story that happened in a bookshop 　　
　　B. tell us what a good bookshop assistant is like
　　C. teach us how to read in a shop without buying books
　　D. advise us to hide books if we need them