听力原文：Less than 10 years after the birth of worldwide web, some 260 million people are on line around the world and the internet population is expected to be over 500 million by the time of its 10 year anniversary.

W: I know that, but I needed it immediately. I had an important meeting to attend. Q: What are the two speakers discussing？ (19) A．They are discussing how to celebrate the coming Christmas holidays. B．They are discussing whether the woman should buy the new dress. C．They are discussing when the woman will attend the meeting. D．They are discussing what to do after the Christmas holidays.

M：Yeah, it's a huge increase. How are you managing your budget？ W：Well, (23)I got a student loan, which is just over ￡3 000, but also I get some money from my parents as well. They're happy to help out because it's towards an education；as long as we're not just wasting it all in drinking it all away. I am in the 3rd year.1 went to the end of my overdraft a couple of times and I'm lucky to have middle class parents who can help me out really. M：But mostly your finances have been poor! W：(24)That's because of the summer. If I just 1ived as a normal student and then worked during the summer it wouldn't be so bad—but I go on big holidays and things. This year I went to the Philippines and then came back overland from Singapore, which is a wicked experience, but eats into your finances obviously. What about you？ M：My parents came to the arrangement that first of all they paid the fees for me；secondly they paid my hall fees； and thirdly they gave me an allowance. W：That's quite practical. But can you manage？ M：Yeah, I did excellently. I decided first of all I was going to get a first, which I did, and secondly 1 was not going to have any debts.(25)I put the money in a high interest account, so I came out with no debts at all. But I did live on Marmite sandwiches almost for three years. (20) A．She earned a scholarship which covers all her studies. B．She got both a student loan and support from parents. C．She received a student loan and had a part-time job. D．She had overdrawn her loan and let parents help out.

(29) A．With such a big order, our side demands a discount which is 10% or over. B．At least 10% of the expenses should be devoted to solving the problem. C．Although we have spent much on the project, a 10% increase in our budget is necessary. D．We asked for a 10% discount, which has caused all the trouble on our side.

W: I know that, but I needed it immediately. I had a wedding reception to attend. When did the woman buy the dress？ A．Shortly after the New Year’s Day. B．In the spring. C．During the New Year's holidays. D．During a sale.

听力原文： In America, self-improvement is a national pastime. Every year, more and more Americans spend their leisure time trying to improve themselves one way or another. One popular form. of self-improvement is the search for physical fitness. Thousands of Americans who never exercised are now out on the streets jogging in fashionable running suits and expensive gym shoes. They boast of how many miles they nm each day and of how many pounds they lose each week. Others are turning to swimming, tennis, dance and the martial arts to improve their physical fitness. Instead of running around the park in the morning or evening, other Americans are studying yoga or meditating quietly in their homes. They are seeking to improve themselves by finding peace and quiet. Adult education is another form. of self-improvement. After a hard day's work, many Americans take evening courses at a kraal high school or a community college. There they can study a variety of subjects. Often these people am preparing to return to the job market or trying to qualify themselves for better jobs. For example, a mother busy raising her children might attend a night school to learn secretarial skills. A secretary might return to study accounting. Some retired people may go back for the education they missed at an earlier age. (30) A．Entertainment. B．Studying in a local college. C．Seeking physical fitness. D．Finding peace and quiet.

M: It might be time to invest in a more recent model. Q: What does the man mean？ (14) A．The woman should buy a famous brand. B．The washing machine should have worked longer. C．The woman should consider buying a new one. D．The washing machine was not a good investment.

W: You'll never be able to get spare parts for it. It might be time to invest in a more recent model. Q: What can be inferred from the conversation about the washing machine？ (16) A．It should have lasted longer. B．The man should buy new parts for it. C．The man should consider buying a new one. D．It wasn't a good investment.

News of John Paul's passing was delivered to tens-of-thousands of people who gathered in Saint Peter's Square to light candles and pray for the pope. As they heard the news, some in the crowd raised their hands to their faces in disbelief, while others began sobbing uncontrollably. For many, John Paul was the only pope they ever knew. John Paul's death marks the end of a reign that revolutionized the papacy. He traveled to more than 120 countries t6 minister to his widespread {lock of more than one-billion people. He built bridges to other faiths and confessions, and he spoke out forcefully in favor of the world's poor and oppressed. How long had Pope John Paul been leading the Roman Catholic Church？ A．For more than 84 years. B．For more than 26 years. C．For more than 60 years. D．For more than 30 years.

Sharks do not have bones, and a shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find. small amounts of substances in the water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. Sharks also sense electrical and magnetic power linked to nerves and muscles of living animals. These powerful senses help them find their fond. Some sharks will eat just about anything. Many unusual things have been found in the stomachs of some large sharks. They include shoes, dogs, a cow's foot and metal protective clothing. About forty percent of the different kinds of sharks lay eggs. The others give birth to live young. Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies like humans do. Scientists are beginning to understand the importance of sharks to humans. Medical researchers want to learn more about the shark's body defense system against disease. They know that sharks recover quickly from injuries. Sharks appear never to suffer infections, cancer or heart diseases. What is this passage mainly about？ A．The necessity of protecting sharks. B．The living environment of sharks. C．The dangers of sharks to human beings. D．An introduction to sharks.

M: Yes.I suppose that's right. W: When was your worst accident？ M: I'd say last year.It was during the British Grand Prix last September.In the middle of the race I smashed into a wall.The car was completely mined and my left leg was broken.Luckily,nobody was,killed. W: Is that the only time you've been...er...close to death？ M: No.Once,during the Mexican Grand Prix,two cars in front of file had a bad accident.One of them ran into the other.I sheered off to avoid them and hit a fence.My car was badly damaged but luckily I wasn't even hurt. W: You must enjoy danger.I mean,you wouldn't be a racing-driver if you didn't,would you？ M: I don't know about that.I had a very frightening experience quite recently.I was frightened to death! I thought I was going to be killed at any moment. W: Really？When was that？During your last race？ M: No.It was on my way to this studio.I had to drive through London streets during the lunch hour. There were so many cars all around me and they are so close each other. Why does the woman say the man has led a dangerous life？ A．He often goes on exploring expeditions. B．He is a racing driver for many years. C．He likes to join in extreme sports. D．He often drives fast during the night.

听力原文： An almost 100-year-old English textbook might be the earliest such book published in China, its owner, Mr. Wang, told reporters last week in Beijing. The 440-page textbook, entitled "English with Chinese Phonetics", was possibly published in 1904 or before, predating another early textbook, "English Words at Entrance Level", which was thought to be the earliest English textbook in China. Though almost a century old, with pages yellow with age, the various letter types listed in the book are still clearly recognizable, displaying the high standard of print quality at that time. As the title of the book suggests, the textbook uses Chinese characters to provide phonetic equivalent for English words, thus constituting a major drawback of this early school tutorial work, since there was no such a thing as standardized Mandarin at that time, the phonetics were arranged in line with the so-called "orthodox" Cantonese, resulting in misleading and what today seems a quite funny effect. Nevertheless, the book has been hailed as a "revolutionary guidebook inventing creative study methods for those ambitious people doing foreign businesses". The book was acquired by its present owner, Mr. Wang, quite by chance. In 1992, when he was living in Papua New Guinea, an old local Chinese, originally from Guangdong Province presented him the book as a gift. (33) A．In 1904. B．In 1905. C．In 1914. D．In 1915.

听力原文： A world-champion body builder has no more muscles than does a 90-pound weakling. So what makes him so strong？ What other qualities does be need？ Muscles are made of thousands of stringy fibers—a number that is fixed during childhood—which contract when doing work. Strength does not depend on the number of fibers but on the function of their thickness and how many of them contract simultaneously. Exercise actually damages the muscles. During the recovery stage, the muscle fibers increase in size. Exercise also trains more muscle fibers to work at one time. If a muscle is weak or untrained, for example, only about 10 percent of its fibers will contract, whereas up to 90 percent of the fibers in a weight lifter's bulky biceps will contract. Aside from strength, two other ingredients go into making an athlete: fitness and endurance. Fitness is related to the condition of the heart. During exercises, there is an increase in the amount of blood returning to the heart from the muscles. A typical volume for a runner at rest is about 5 quarts a minutes, compared with 30 quarts during a vigorous trial. This greater volume means more work for the heart a muscular balloon that expands and contracts to take in blood and squeeze it out. Like any other muscle, the heart enlarges and gets stronger with routine exercise. Endurance, or the length of time muscles can work, depends in part on how much fuel—in this case sugar—the muscles can store. A muscle that is continually exercised until it is exhausted of sugar tends to store more when it refuels at the next meal. And more sugar can translate into greater endurance the next time the muscle is put to the test. (33) A．Because the fibers of his muscles are very thick. B．Because he has more muscles. C．Because his muscles are made of more stringy fibers. D．Because the number of his muscles was fixed during his childhood.

W: Yes, now that all the students are returning, the only apartments left are distant and expensive. What is the man's problem？ A．He doesn't like his neighbor． B．He is dissatisfied with the present apartment． C．He lived in a near and cheap apartment．

A．prolonged B．external C．protracted D．excessive

听力原文： A twenty-one-year-old American named Philo Farnsworth built the first working television receiver in nineteen twenty-seven. Many scientists around the world had made important discoveries that led to the development of television. But Philo Farnsworth had recognized as a boy that electrons could capture a picture sent as light and sound waves through the air. Over the years, the technology has changed and improved. But the idea behind the television broadcast is still the same. TV stations send a powerful signal from a transmitting antenna. An antenna connected to a television set receives the signal. The problem with this system is that the receiver antenna has to be in line with the transmitting antenna. Mountains or tall buildings can interfere. One solution is cable television. This system began in the nineteen forties in Pennsylvania. Only a few television stations existed then, and they were in large cities. People in small towns could not receive the signals. So a store owner put an antenna on top of a pole and placed it on a nearby mountain. This antenna received the television signal. Wires led from the antenna to the store. The cable brought clear pictures to the television sets inside. Later, the idea of cable television spread to cities, to provide people with more stations to watch. Today, people can watch hundreds of stations. And another way to receive them is with a satellite dish antenna. A small round device of the size of a pizza can receive signals from satellites .high above the Earth. The antenna is connected to a special receiver which connects to the television set. Some broadcasts over satellite can be watched free of charge. But the others cost money, just like cable service. The passage mainly focuses on ______. A．the importance of TV B．the function of TV C．the production of TV D．the evolution of TV

When you go to a blood bank to give plasma, they ask you a series of questions to determine if you are eligible to donate. Obviously, they don't want to risk accepting contaminated blood, so they will ask about your sexual history, current health status and other related questions, including whether or not you have gotten a tattoo or piercing within the last 12 months. All blood that is donated is screened for disease such as HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis and other common blood- born ailments. However, it goes without saying that it is a waste of the blood bank's and the donor's time to harvest blood that is tainted and thus worthless. So, in order to avoid wasted time, they ask these questions to screen the potential donor. And although even I would be quick to say that tattooing and piercing are much safer than some medical professionals like to indicate, there is still always a chance of getting and carrying a disease unknowingly from a tattoo or piercing, especially Hepatitis. That has been the object of many heated arguments and stringent regulations. If you should happen to contract a disease from a tattoo or piercing, it should show up in a screening after 12 months, which is the reason for the waiting period. Yes, maybe it's a little over-precautious, but would you want to be the one on the receiving end of dirty blood？ If there, is even a chance, it is better to be safe than sorry. (37) A．Swim in public pools. B．Give blood. C．Over exert yourself. D．Expose your skin to the sun.

President Fidel Castro holds talks today with Canadian _______. A．officials B．Foreign Minister C．Prime Minister D．President

M: I saw that article, too. But think, if someone runs into a drug store for 10 minutes, he is usually there to make a specific purchase. W: And someone who spends more time there may be just looking？ M: Exactly. Haven't you ever gone into a store thinking that you'll buy something and then talk yourself out of it？ W: Yes, I have. Especially when I thought I could get it for less elsewhere, or I really didn't need it after all. M: Exactly, but, if you run in to buy something specific and have very little time, you pick it up, pay for it immediately, and then leave. W: That's true. Maybe we should learn a lesson from that. Take your time end you'll spend less money. M: I doubt if that would be true in all stores though. In a department store, for instance, you may see a sweater or some thing you never intend to buy, and buy it because you have time to look around. (20) A．A druggist's suggestion. B．An advertisement. C．An article. D．A salesclerk's comment.

听力原文： Michael Dell, the 39-year-old chairman and founder of Dell Computer, was at the top of the annual list of the "40 Richest Americans under the Age 40". His first business idea was to take apart an Apple computer in the bedroom of his parents' Houston, Texas home. From there, he went on selling computers out of his dorm room. He had developed a brand new approach to do business: sell computers directly to the consumers without going through retailers. And, in the process, he decided to design and deliver a computer based upon the customers' special needs. Prior to this there was absolutely no idea about make the PC special for each customer. In 1984, he founded the Dell Computer Corporation with US $1,000. Dell gave a short version of his success secrets at a conference in Texas. He said:" First of all, don't start a business just because everybody else is doing it or it looks like it's a way to make a lot of money. Start a business because you found something you really love doing and have a passion for. Start a business because you found something unique that you can do better than anyone else. And start a business because you really want to make a big contribution to society over a long period of time." (33) A．Between the age of 20 to 30. B．Between the age of 30 to 40. C．Between the age of 40 to 50. D．Between the age of 50 to 60.

听力原文：Interviewer: With us today is Steve Thomas, a 23 year-old chef who delights TV audiences with his imaginative cooking programme. Steve, what's the secret of your success？ Steve: Well, I think I'm different from other TV chefs in that I want people to see how I prepare a dish from the word go, so I don't present them with a dish that's half prepared already. If anything should go wrong during the programme, know, suppose something gets burned, well, that's part of the experience. When they try preparing it themselves, then they'll see the beauty of the finished product, but not on the screen. Interviewer: So how did you come to get your own TV series？ Steve: I was working in a restaurant called the Gala in December last year when they came to make a documentary about the place. I didn't even look at the camera.I was too busy making pasta and cooking fish. But the producer spotted me and the following week they phoned me to offer me a job... The Gala owner wished me all the best and let me go without a complaint. Interviewer: Wow!! Now, is it true that you come from a family of cooks？ Steve: Well, you could say that ... I started cooking at the age of eight. My mum and dad have a restaurant and Dad used to do all the cooking back then. My mum was too busy looking after us ... Dad insisted that if I wanted some money, I should work for it. And it seemed a lot more interesting to help out in the kitchen and see how things were made than to earn my money washing Dad's car ... Interviewer: You attended a catering course at college. How did you like that？ Steve: At school I wasn't very good at anything much. At that time, my mind wasn't on anything other than cooking. I found sitting in a classroom trying to pay attention to things very very trying. I managed to get to college though and there I was fine, because when it came to the actual cooking, I knew what I was doing. I realised that a bit of academic work didn't do you any harm either and I found it much easier when I was interested in the subject, and so I've no regrets, really. Interviewer: And now you have a TV programme and several cooks working under your orders. How do you get on with them？ Steve: Oh, I love working with them. But on my programme everyone has to be really special. They need to have gone through college training before they even apply for the job. I suppose the problem is that fairly frequently I tend to raise my voice if they don't work emciently ... but I'm just as likely to praise them if they do well ... What I say to them is, you want the audience to say we are the best, so we need to make a special effort ... Interviewer: Is there any chef celebrity that you admire especially？ Steve: I definitely think that Ron Bell is the best, and I'm pleased that he's now got his own food column in a newspaper. I had the great privilege of working with him for a while. What's so special about him is that he's always been enthusiastic about using ingredients that come from the area where he works ... For example the fish of the day would be the catch from the river close to his restaurant. He's been criticised for sticking to old-fashioned recipes, maybe that's a weakness, but I think that's his decision ... Interviewer: I heard that you are also going to write a book. Steve: Yes, I’m writing it at the moment. It may disappoint readers who expect a lot of glossy pictures, as most cookbooks nowadays seem to be things to look at rather than read ... I've gone for a style. that may be less attractive with fewer colour pictures but it will be more useful for most types of reader. What I say in my book is that we must remember the success of a meal does not depend on how it looks ... it's what it tastes like and the company of the friends you'll share it with that matters ... Interviewer: Well, thank you, Steve, I look forward to trying some rec A．the process of cooking. B．amusing incidents. C．attractively presented dishes.

听力原文： Recently a five-year study was conducted by the Center for Childhood Development in Los Angeles, California regarding the way babies react to different types of people. The findings of the study suggest that infant children seem to be more comfortable around other babies than they are with strange adults. The result confirm the ideas of Dr. Richard Perelman, a well-know pediatrician, who has written many books about raising children. Dr. Richard Perelman supports the findings of the study and adds that it is a sounder idea to keep children with other children, as in a day care center, than it is to have children cared for by a baby-sitter. According to the results of the study, infants benefit from being in the company of other babies on a daily basis. Whereas some babies seem to show fear of strange adults. They are likely to reach out to try to touch an unfamiliar baby. The study even suggests that children as young as one year old can form. friendships According to the study, what is the way the babies react to different people？ A．They seem to be more comfortable around other babies than with strange adults. B．They seem to be more nervous around other babies than with strange adults. C．They seem to be as comfortable around other babies as with strange adults. D．They have no special interest.

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