5、PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 ― At 26, many people haven’t even decided on a career. Luke Ravenstahl, cashing in on his family’s political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh, the youngest mayor of any major city in the country. Although mayors elsewhere have been younger, Jeff Dunkel was 18 in 2001 when he was elected mayor of Mount Carbon, small towns in New York, and elsewhere have also elected teenagers as mayors. But, Tallahassee, is the only other city with a population over 100,000 that has had a mayor as young as Mr. Ravenstahl. A supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl said concerns about Mr. Ravenstahl’s age would dissipate once the city saw his work ethic.

But now comes the hard part. As he strives to be taken seriously and take charge of a city only recently back from the brink of bankruptcy, the baby-faced mayor said that even the smallest decisions felt weighty, even what to wear in the Steelers game matters.

And another pressing issue is to strengthen the city’s economy. Pittsburgh has lost all its mills, nearly half its population and much of its downtown commercial district in the last several decades. “But Pittsburgh has 50,000 college students, and our challenge is to figure out how to retain them and to increase downtown development.” He said.

But one of the biggest uncertainties is how long he will remain in office. According to the city charter, Mayor Ravenstahl’s term will not expire until November 2009. Some city lawyers, however, have argued that he must face the electorate next year. And residents in Pittsburgh are still withholding judgment on him. Deli, Jimmy Cvetic, a sandwich shop owner, said “I call him Cool Hand Luke. He’ll be all right, but he’s going to need a cool hand to get through this.”

Mayor Ravenstahl said he was still coming to terms with the challenge he faced.

51. About Luke Ravenstahl, which of the following statements is correct?

A．He is the youngest mayor in the U.S.A.

B．His family background has contributed to his successful political career.

C．His young age has won support from media and young voters.

D．He will be mayor of Pittsburgh at least until 2009.

52. The underlined word “dissipate” in the first paragraph probably means________.

A. disappear                  B. appear                      C. spread               D. reduce

53. What can you infer from the article about Pittsburgh?

A. It is a small town in New York famous for steel mills.

B. It has always enjoyed prosperous economic success.

C. Many young college students there are the new hope of the district.

D. It is a major city in the U.S.A with a population slightly smaller than 100,000.

54. Where can you find this article?

A. A magazine                       B. A brochure about politicians

C. A newspaper                     D. An advertisement about some mayor candidates

55. What kind of Challenges will not Luke Ravenstahl cope with?

A. Distrust from his citizens                       B. pressure from other outstanding young majors

C. economical standstill of his city              D. decreasing population in his city

4、NASA is moving ahead with plans to put a long-armed Lander on Mars’ icy North Pole to search for clues for water and possible signs of life.

The $386 million Phoenix Mars is planned to touch down in the Martian arctic in 2008. The stationary probe will use its robotic arm to dig into the icy land and pick up soil samples to analyze. In 2002, the Mars Odyssey orbiter spotted evidence of ice-rich soil near the arctic surface.

Scientists hope the Phoenix mission will find clues to the geologic history of water on the Red Planet and determine whether microbes existed in the ice.

Phoenix will be the first mission of the Mars Scout program, a renewed, low-cost effort to study the Red Planet. “The Phoenix mission explores new territory in the northern plains of Mars analogous to the permafrost regions on Earth,” Peter Smith said.

True to its name, Phoenix rose from the ashes of previous missions. The lander for Phoenix was built to fly as part of the 2001 Mars Surveyor program. But the program broke down after the well-known disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999. The Polar Lander lost contact during a landing attempt near the planet’s south pole after its rocket engine shut off prematurely, causing the spacecraft to fall about 130 feet to almost certain destruction.

The Phoenix probe had been in storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver before it was reused for its present mission. It will carry science instruments that were designed for the Mars Surveyor program including an improved panoramic camera and a trench-digging robotic arm. Phoenix will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in August 2007 and land on the planet nine months later.

46. The passage mainly tells readers that _________.

A. clues of water will be found in Phoenix 

B. Phoenix will be sent to find clues of water on Mars

C. August 2007 will see Phoenix lift off   

D. the Mars Scout program will be carried out

47. The underlined word “prematurely” （paragraph 5） means _________.

A. on time     B. behind the time      C. out of work       D. ahead of time

48. According to the passage, we know Phoenix will land on Mars _________.

A. in May 2008                       B. in August 2007

C. in August 2008                    D. in September 2008

49. According to the passage, the name “Phoenix” is after the meaning of _________.

A. rebirth          B. death          C. energy         D. hope

50. After Phoenix lands on Mars, we can infer it will firstly _________.

A. find soil samples and send them to the earth  B. look for the icy land to dig for the soil samples

C. take photos and send them to the earth          D. find the remains of the Mars Polar Lander

3、We're all connected. You can send an e-mail message to a friend, and your friend can pass it on to one of his or her friends, and that friend can do the same, continuing the chain. Eventually, your message could reach just about anyone in the world, and it might take only five to seven e-mails for the message to get there.

Scientists recently tested that idea in a study involving 24,000 people. Participants had to try to get a message forwarded to one of 18 randomly chosen people. Each participant started by sending one e-mail to someone they knew. Recipients could then forward the e-mail once to someone they knew, and so on.

Targets, who were randomly assigned by researchers from Columbia University in New York, lived in 13 countries. They included an Australian police officer, a Norwegian veterinarian, and a college professor.

Out of 24,000 chains, only 384 reached their goal. The rest petered out, usually because one of the recipients was either too busy to forward the message or thought it was junk mail.

The links that reached their goal made it in an average of 4.05 e-mails. Based on the lengths of the failed chains, the researchers estimated that two strangers could generally make contact in five to seven e-mails. The most successful chains relied on casual acquaintances rather than close friends. That's because your close friends know each other whereas your acquaintances tend to know people you don't know. The phenomenon, known as the strength of weak ties, explains why people tend to get jobs through people they know casually but aren't that close to.

So, start networking and instant messaging now. As they say in show business: It's all about who you know.

41. If you want to get into touch with a stranger in the world, how many e-mails might it take for the message to reach him/her?

A. 5 to 7        B. 18           C. 13         D. 384

42. Which of the following is Not true about the test?

A. 24,000 people took part in the study and sent e-mails to people they knew.

B. The 18 targets were chosen by chance.

C. About 98.4% of the mails didn’t reach their goal because some people were too busy or they mistook the message for junk mail.

D. The targets come from 13 countries, such as Australia, Norway and New York.

43. What does the word “estimate” mean in the passage?

A. make sure     B. suppose         C. think over         D. imagine

44. Why do people tend to get jobs more easily through casual acquaintances than close friends?

A. Because close friends don’t talk with each other so much.

B. Because casual acquaintances can help you know more people and make more friends.

C. Because close friends don’t spend so much time gathering together.

D. Because casual acquaintances are kinder and more willing to help others.

45. In which part of a newspaper will readers read this passage?

A. Culture       B. Entertainment     C. Information and Technology    D. Health

2、Money really can’t buy happiness. According to a new survey, lawyers and 31____________well-paid white-collar workers are more likely to suffer depression. A national survey of more than 7500 professionals has found that almost one in ten reported moderate （中度） to severe depressive symptoms. The legal profession had the worst result, 32_____________ almost 16 percent reporting symptoms of clinical depression （臨床抑郁癥）. Next 33______________ （be） accountants and insurance underwriters, both on 10 percent. People in IT services, architecture  and engineering 34___________ had depression rates above the average.

The survey 35____________（conduct） by Beyondblue, 36______________ organization devoted to fighting depression, also showed that those under 30 years old 37_____________ had the highest rates of depression were the most likely to “self-medicate” with drugs and alcohol. Beyondblue deputy chief executive and 38_______________ （psychology）, Dr. Nicole Highet, said the survey was first to reveal the extent of the problem. “We often associate depression with the most socially disadvantaged and people under financial pressure, 39_____________ here’s a whole different group.” Dr. Highet said. She said while it was difficult to know exactly 40____________ made some groups more prone to depression, it was likely to be driven by work pressures.

1、It’s an age-old saying: Men are from Mars; women are from Venus. Males and females __21_ different behaviors almost from birth. Researchers say these behaviors are due to basic differences in __22_ structure and activity. Studies show men are better at hitting targets and __23_ math problems while women are better at memorizing words and_24_ faces. Why the differences?

A test of the brain’s electrical activity shows that women commonly use both sides of their brain while men rely more on one. Scientists already know that the two sides of the brain control different functions---one controlling the sense of space, __25__, the other controlling language. Some researchers believe that the different ways men and women use their brains _26__ from ancient times, when cave men hunted and women cared for the children. Men had to have good aim. Women had to talk to the kids.

Whatever the _27_, the battle of the sexes continues. And although their brains are constructed _28__ differently, men and women may be equally capable. They may simply _29_ different abilities. Take a couple arguing over the location of their car in a parking lot. The man might use his sense of space to find it, while the woman relies on her _30_ of landmarks. Both of them find the car. But chances are, they’ll still argue about who’s the better driver and who’s better at finding the way home.

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5、It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce （回憶） about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.

“I told that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.

Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before the had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.

“The box is gone,” he said.

“What box?” Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box, He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.

Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.

“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.

Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.

Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”

“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.

51. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

A. College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser.

B. Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

C. Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

D. His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.

52. Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.

A. Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing

B. Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

C. Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

D. Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

53. Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

A. Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

B. Because he had no children or relatives.

C. Because he thought he had to keep his word.

D. Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

54. Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

A. He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

B. He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

C. He had missed his son and his family for days.

D. He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

55. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A. The Good Old Times                                    B. What He Valued Most

C. An Old Gold Watch                                      D. The Lost Childhood Days

4、Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day-to-day life of the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is “to face the music.”

When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music,” it does not mean he’s planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you didn’t do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At sometime or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice, “ I want to talk to you!” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!

The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Looper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, “Well, it’s time to face the music.” And that is exactly what they did―facing the orchestra which was just below them. And actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of an audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” come to mean “ having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.”

Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced inspection by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean, shinny enough to pass inspection? Still the men had to go out and face the music of the band as well as the inspection. What else could they do?

Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As for example, when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse.

46. How many explanations are mentioned about the phrase “to face the music” in the passage?

A. 1.                          B. 2.                    C. 3.                    D. 4.

47. What’s the meaning of “face the music?”

A. To face something far less pleasant.          B. To face the stage.

C. To face the back of one’s horse.            D. To face one’s leader.

48. Which of the following occasions is the one we may have to face the music?

A. When we are playing basketball.                  B. When we are making a speech.

C. When we are having a party.                       D. When we are talking with somebody.

49. The underlined word “hostile” in the third paragraph means ________.

A. unfriendly                 B. dislike                     C. unkind                    D. unnecessary

50. Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A.      The explanation to the phrase “to face the music” is closely related with the army life.

B.      When a man is forced out of the army, the band doesn't play.

C.      The three explanations to the phrase “to face the music” are given by an American novelist.

D.     Japanese, like every language, is also full of special expressions, phrases that come from daily life.