中国是全球最大的黄金生产国，最近还取代了印度成为全球最大的黄金消费国。中国黄金的年产量约为300吨，年消费量则约为400吨。这使得中国的黄金进口量激增。仅在今年l0月份，其黄金进口总量超过全球需求的四分之一。目前。国内黄金需求仍在快速上升。经济稳步增长，人民收入持续增加，新产品推出，再加上市场本身日益成熟和扩展，这些因素都推动了中国黄金市场向前发展，并使中国成为影响国际金价的一股强大力量。

Why Are Airlines Withholding Seats?[A] A few months ago I booked a flight for two and then went to select seats on the airline's site. Based on the destination and time of year, I was surprised to find only two adjacent seats were available without paying a premium (额外费用). But I was even more surprised a few weeks later, when we boarded the aircraft and a flight attendant announced that only 30% of seats were occupied, so we should all feel free to stretch out.[B] So how could a flight that looked nearly full a month earlier wind up with seven out of ten seats empty? That's a question only the airlines can answer, and they're not eager to provide many details.[C] Are some carriers intentionally holding back seat assignments, in the hope we'll all pay for "premium" seats? It's a fair question, and the evidence is intriguing.Behind the screen indeed[D] An awful plot goes on behind airline and travel booking screens, and much of it is strictly off-limits to consumers. What we do know is that for decades now airlines have become masters of what the industry calls yield management, offering millions of combinations of fares based on advance purchase patterns and other booking trends, so nearly everyone pays a different price based on when they buy. But now that paying extra for your seat selection has become common practice, securing your reservation is just half the battle.[E] Some industry experts have connected the dots. "They're trying to get people to buy premium seats," says George Hobica, USATODAY.com's Fly Guy columnist and the founder of Airfarewatchdog. Com. "They want to increase revenue. And we're getting more complaints about it." He notes that it "really annoys" passengers who want to sit together, particularly when traveling with small children. [F] He's echoed by Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition (联盟) : "With yield management, consumers are aware and they know that airlines are constantly changing prices on seats. But if this is true, it is unethical—they're grossly misleading us. The thing that I find so offensive is conveying to me that I have no options, but if I wait a week or two then I do have options. " [G] According to the airlines, the reason for ancillary (附加的) revenue is unbundling (分类计价) ticket prices, so passengers who desire a given service—say checking a bag or ordering a soft drink—pay for it, while those who don't are spared the cost. But as Mitchell notes, "There's another twist to this. The airlines are saying fees are for'optional services'. Well, seats aren't optional!" [H] Of course, securing a good seat isn't an issue if you're in first class or you're an elite member of a frequent flyer program. But what about the rest of us? As I've pointed out repeatedly in recent columns, we're faced with record-high load factors, the highest for the U. S. airline industry since World War Ⅱ. But even with the average percentage of occupied seats for domestic flights at 82. 7%, it's still an average—some flights will be fuller but others will not, particularly weeks in advance. Yet searching for seats keeps getting harder and harder. Seats for sale[I] Hobica cites the major airlines as the prime culprits (起因), but he also notes even low-cost carriers can make securing seats difficult. On the flip side, he credits JetBlue and Virgin America for providing customers with clear policies. And then there is British Airways, which allows passengers in economy and business classes to select seats only 24 hours in advance. I asked an airline representative if seeing fewer free seats is a trend, and the response was: "That's going to vary because there are so many variables." [J] I decided to check on seat availability at Delta, com. I inquired about economy-class availability for two seats on a busy route—Atlanta to Chicago—and conducted an apples-to-apples search for the same morning departure seven days in advance, and again 14 days in advance. For the flight one week out, a total of only eight seats were available, one preferred and seven standard, but only one set of two seats together. For the flight two weeks out, a total of 29 seats were available, consisting of 20 preferred and only nine standard, and still with only one set together. Remarkable how even twice the booking time still produced so few "free" seats, separately or together, yet there were plenty of seats that could be bought for the fight price. [K] I contacted Delta and a spokesman said the price for preferred economy varies, "depending on a number of different factors", so customers need to compare the costs on a flight-by-flight basis. The preferred seats are reserved primarily for Medallion (勋章) members, and become available without additional charge 24 hours prior to departure. When asked if Delta has received complaints about a dearth of free seats, he stated, "Overall, our seat program has been received very well." [L] But my findings dovetailed (吻合) with recent complaints filed with Airfarewatchdog: (1) When my husband tried to get a seat assignment on the first flight, there was just one "complimentary (免费的) seat"(near the back in the middle) available, the other available seats had to be purchased for $69. On the connecting flight there were no "complimentary seats" at all! Is this legal? He bought and paid for a ticket on these flights and now he is supposed to "buy" a seat! (2) (After) paying for the flight, a message popped up and said that I could only get a seat assignment when I checked in. In order to get a confirmed seat, I had to pay $129 extra! Unless I pay, without a confirmed seat, I am the first one to be bumped from the flight if they are overbooked. How do they get away with this? (3) Does checking in online at the 24-hour mark before the flight give me a number in line or let me select seats then? Or do we all rush the gate with our boarding passes (and no seat assignment) in order to get the seat assignment?How to respond?[M] So what can you do? It's a tough proposition. Usually I would offer strategies for countering such airline initiatives, but in this case the options are limited. That's why some believe the U. S. Department of Transportation should investigate these practices. As Mitchell says, "The airlines are holding all the cards with this one. There is a sore need for transparency on this. When people are confused, they make bad decisions. "[N] That said, consider the following: (1) When budgeting your airfares, make sure you consider not just baggage fees but the added cost of seat selection—for all travelers and in both directions. (2) If possible, book early, when there should be more seats available, and check in early too. Why the qualifier "should"? Because if availability is artificially manipulated, it's hard to be certain. (3) Book airlines that offer more transparent seat-selection policies. Of course, this is not an issue with Southwest and other carriers that offer "open seating" policies. (4) Finally, the last resort is what Hobica calls "horse trading": negotiating seat swaps with other passengers. But this has become a risky and undesirable option with flights so full, overhead bins (行李舱) so crammed and fellow passengers who may have paid for premium seats in advance.

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BSection C/B

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北京是中国的首都，是全国的政治、经济、文化中心。它是一座历史文化名城，其历史可追溯到3000年前。作为中国 四大古都 (Four Great Ancient Capitals)之一，北京有着800多年的建都历史，因而北京城内有很多传统而宏伟的 宫廷建筑 (imperial architectures)，如宫殿、园林和寺庙。北京旅游资源丰富，对游客开放的旅游景点达两百多处。北京也是全国教育最发达的地区之一，聚集了众多高校。北京这座将传统文化与现代文明完美融合的城市，具有重要的国际影响力。

中国学习英语的人口数量全球最多。数据显示，中国有4亿多人在学英语。约占全国总人口的1／3。目前，中国的小学，甚至幼儿园都开设英语课程。英语学习贯穿中国学生的整个学习生涯。英语是中国学生必须学习的一门科目。中国是世界上对英语学习最狂热的国家之一，“英语热”在中国的持续也引发了激烈的争论。很多人认为应该在高考中降低英语考试的分值，突出语文的重要性，让更多的人关注自己的母语。

中国许多地方都出产玉石，以新疆和田玉最为著名。

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For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay discussing how watching movies influences people. You should use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

BPart II Listening Comprehension/B

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西安，古称长安，是著名的古都，也是中华文明的发祥地。它断断续续作为13个王朝的首都达1200多年之久。西安是中国古代第一个对外开放的城市。汉唐时期，它是中国政治、经济、文化和对外交流的中心。西安有很多珍贵的文物和遗址。 秦始皇兵马俑 (the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses)，被誉为“世界第八大奇迹”。西安古城墙是世界上规模最大、保存最完整的古城墙遗址。灿烂的文化、悠久的历史以及丰富的文物和遗址，使得西安享有“自然史博物馆”的 美称 (laudatory title)。

When you think about the growth of human population over the last century or so, it is all too easy to imagine it merely as an increase in the number of humans. But as we【C1】______so do all the things associated with us, including our livestock. At present, there are about 1.5 billion【C2】______and domestic buffalo and about 1.7 billion sheep and goats. With pigs and poultry, they form a【C3】______part of our enormous biological footprint upon this planet. Just how enormous was not really【C4】______until the publication of a new report, called "Livestock's Long Shadow," by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Consider these numbers. Global livestock grazing and feed production use "30 percent of the land surface of the planet." Livestock—which consume more food than they【C5】______—also compete directly with humans for water. And the drive to expand grazing land destroys more biologically sensitive land, rain forests【C6】______than anything else. But what is even more striking, and【C7】______is that livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect, more than transportation's【C8】______Greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrogen, are resulted from their digestion. Grazing land, which destroys forests, adds to the effect. There are no easy trade-offs when it comes to global warming—such as cutting back on livestock to make room for cars. The human【C9】______for meat is certainly not about to end anytime soon. As "Livestock's Long Shadow" makes clear, our health and the health of the planet depend on pushing livestock production in more【C10】______directions. A)yield B)contribution C)stain D)ideally E)apparent F)multiply G)cattle H)passion I)scrape J)critical K)liable L)sustainable M)deposit N)alarming O)especially

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Campus Safety. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words following the outline given below. 1．校园安全的重要性。 2．对此学校应采取什么措施。 3．学生自身应该怎么做。

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