单选题 Several years ago I was teaching a course on the philosophical assumptions and cultural impact of massive multi-user online games at Williams College. The students in the course were very intelligent and obviously interested in the topic. But as the semester progressed, I began to detect a problem with the class. The students were working hard and performing well but there was no energy in our discussions and no passion in the students. They were hesitant to express their ideas and often seemed to be going through the motions. I tried to encourage them to be more venturesome with tactics I had used successfully in the past but nothing worked. One day I asked them what was or, perhaps better, was not going on. Why were they so cautious and where was their enthusiasm for lean, g? They seemed relieved to talk about it and their response surprised me. Since pre-kindergarten, they explained, they had been programmed to perform well so they could get to the next level. They had been taught the downside of risk and encouraged to play it safe. What mattered most was getting into a good elementary school, middle school and high school so that they would finally be admitted to a top college. Having succeeded beyond their parents' wildest expectations, they did not know why they were in college and had no idea what to do after graduation. In today's market-driven economy we constantly hear that choice is the highest good and that competition fuels innovation. But this is not always true. Choice provokes anxiety and competition can quell (压制) the imagination and discourage the spirit of experimentation that is necessary for creativity. In a world obsessed with ratings, well-meaning parents all too often train their children to jump through the hoops they think will lead to success. This was a bad bet—the course many young people were forced to take has not paid off. The lucrative jobs they expected as a reward for years of hard work have vanished and show little sign of returning in the near future. The difficult truth is that their education has not prepared them for the world they face. Though many young people have become disillusioned with Wall Street and all it represents and would like to pursue alternative careers, they have neither the educational nor financial resources to do so. The situation is critical—colleges and universities must be reformed in ways that allow students to develop the knowledge and skills they need for creative and productive lives. And parents must give their children the freedom to explore possibilities they never could have imagined.

单选题 When Morn and Dad Grow Old A. The prospect of talking to increasingly fragile parents about their future can be 'one of the most difficult challenges adult children will ever face,' says Clarissa Green, a Vancouver therapist. 'People often tell me they don't want to raise sensitive issues with their parents about bringing in caregivers or moving,' she says. 'They'll say, 'I don't want to see Dad cry.'' But Green usually responds, 'What's wrong with that?' Adult children, she says, need to try to join their parents in grieving their decline, acknowledge their living arrangements may no longer work and, if necessary, help them say goodbye to their beloved home. 'It's sad. And it's supposed to be. It's about death itself.' B. There are almost four million men and women over age 65 in Canada. Nearly two thirds of them manage to patch together enough support—from family, friends, private and government services—to live independently until virtually the day they die, according to Statistics Canada. C. Of the Canadian seniors who live to 85 and over, almost one in three end up being moved—sometimes kicking—to group living for the last years of their lives. Even in the best-case scenarios (可能出现的情况), such dislocations can bring sorrow. 'Often the family feels guilty, and the senior feels abandoned,' says Charmaine Spencer, a professor in the gerontology department of Simon Fraser University. Harassed with their own careers and children, adult children may push their parents too fast to make a major transition. D. Val MacDonald, executive director of the B.C. Seniors Services Society, cautions adult children against imposing their views on aging parents. 'Many baby boomers can be quite patronizing (高人一等的),' she says. Like many who work with seniors, MacDonald suggests adult children devote many conversations over a long period of time to collaborating on their parents' future, raising feelings, questions and options—gently, but frankly. However, many middle-aged adults, according to the specialists, just muddle (应付) through with their aging parents. E. When the parents of Nancy Woods of Mulmur Hills, Ont., were in their mid-80s, they made the decision to downsize from their large family home to an apartment in Toronto. As Woods's parents, George and Bernice, became frailer, she believed they knew she had their best interests at heart. They agreed to her suggestion to have Meals on Wheels start delivering lunches and dinners. However, years later, after a crisis, Woods discovered her parents had taken to throwing out the prepared meals. Her dad had appreciated them, but Bernice had come to believe they were poisoned. 'My father was so loyal,' says Woods, 'he had hid that my mother was overwhelmed by paranoia (偏执狂).' To her horror, Woods discovered her dad and morn were 'living on crackers and oatmeal porridge' and were weakening from the impoverished diet. Her dad was also falling apart with the stress of providing for Bernice—a common problem when one spouse tries to do everything for an ailing partner. 'The spouse who's being cared for might be doing well at home,' says Spencer, 'but often the other spouse is burned out and ends up being hospitalized.' F. Fortunately, outside help is often available to people struggling through the often-distressing process of helping their parents explore an important shift. Sons and daughters can bring in brochures or books on seniors' issues, as well as introduce government health-care workers or staff at various agencies, to help raise issues and open up discussions, says Val MacDonald, whose nonprofit organization responds to thousands of calls a year from British Columbians desperate for information about how to weave through the dizzying array of seniors services and housing options. The long list of things to do, says MacDonald, includes assessing their ability to live independently; determining your comfort level with such things as bathing a parent; discussing with all household members whether it would be healthy for an elderly relative to move in; monitoring whether, out of pure duty, you're overcommitting yourself to providing a level of care that could threaten your own well-being. G. The shock phone call that flung Nancy Woods and her parents into action came from her desperate dad. 'I got this call from my father that he couldn't cope anymore. My mother was setting fires in the apartment,' she says. 'He didn't want to see it for what it was. Up to then he'd been in denial.' H. Without knowing she was following the advice of experts who recommend using outside sources to stimulate frank discussion with parents, Woods grabbed a copy of The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons With Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life. She read sections of the book to her dad and asked him, 'Who does that sound like?' Her father replied, 'It's Mother. It's dementia (痴呆).' At that point, Woods said, her dad finally recognized their tragic plight. She told her father she would help them move out of their apartment. 'He nodded. He didn't yell or roar. He took it on the chin (忍受痛苦).' I. Woods regrets that she 'had not noticed small details signalling Mom's dementia.' But she's satisfied her dad accepted his passage into a group residence, where he and his wife could stay together in a secure unit where staff were trained to deal with patients with dementia. 'From the moment they moved into the Toronto nursing home, their physical health improved. On the other hand, it was the beginning of the end in terms of their mental abilities. Perhaps they couldn't get enough stimulation. Perhaps it was inevitable.' J. After my father died in 2002, the grim reality of my mother's sharply declining memory set in starkly. With her expanding dementia, Morn insisted on staying in her large North Shore house, even though she was confused about how to cook, organize her day or take care of herself. For the next three years we effectively imposed decisions on her, most of them involving bringing in caregivers, including family members. In 2005 Mom finally agreed, although she barely knew what was happening, to move to a nearby nursing home, where, despite great confusion, she is happier. K. As Spencer says, the sense of dislocation that comes with making an important passage can be 'a very hard adjustment for a senior at the best of times. But it's worse if it's not planned out.'

单选题 Questions23-25 are based on the recording you have just heard.

单选题 中国有4,000多年的历史，是世界最古老的文明之一。从公元前21世纪的夏朝开始至清朝结束，中国历史上经历过几十个朝代的变更。每个朝代在政治、经济、文化、科技领域等都有独特的成就。汉朝是当时世界上最先进的帝国。“汉族”(the Han Nationality)这一名称就得名于汉朝。唐朝因统一时间长、国力强盛而被国人铭记，因此在海外的中国人自称为“唐人”(Tang people)。宋朝和明朝是经济、文化、教育与科学高度繁荣的时代。但朝代的更替一般会导致连年战争，给人民大众带来了难以言表的痛苦。

单选题 Now listen to the following recording and answer questions24-26.

单选题 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled On Self-improvement by commenting on the saying 'There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.' You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

单选题 The first time your boss suggests that you formally present something to your department or a client, your reaction may be panic. But remember that being asked to present is a compliment. Someone believes that you have valuable information to share with the group, and wants to listen to your ideas. You need to decide exactly what you will say during the allotted time. Condense your topic into one sentence. What do you want your audience to remember or learn from your talk? This is your 'big idea'. Remember that your are dealing with the short attention spans of individuals who tend to have many things on their minds. Think of three main points you want to make to support your overall topic. Develop a story to demonstrate each of those concepts. This could be something that happened to you or someone you know, or something you read in a newspaper or magazine. We have all heard the saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' Think about how your presentation can be more interesting to watch. Props are a wonderful way to make your talk come alive. You could do something as simple as holding up a toy phone receiver when talking about customer service or putting on a hat to signal a different part of your talk. Think of dynamic and unusual way to start your presentation. This might involve telling anecdotes that relate to your topic. Never begin with, 'Thank you for inviting me here to talk with you today.' You will put your audience to sleep right away. Start off enthusiastically so they will listen with curiosity and interest. After your energetic introduction, identify yourself briefly and thank the audience for taking the time to listen to you. Plan your ending, and finish in a memorable way. Your listeners remember best what they hear at the beginning and end of a speech, so conclude with a game in which they can participate, or tell a humorous story and your audience will leave laughing. Don't try to memories your talk or read it word-for-word. It will sound stilted and boring. Instead, practice your dynamic introduction and conclusion until you can deliver them effortlessly. If you do this you'll feel a burst of confidence that will help you sail through the whole of the speech.

单选题 Questions16-19 are based on the recording you have just heard.

单选题 中国城市急剧膨胀，大量农村人口移居城镇，使城市变得拥挤不堪。城市人口的迅速增长，将对公共卫生、淡水供应、医疗保健、食品供应、住房、交通和就业造成极大压力，并且带来一些恶性(Vicious)社会问题。同时，由于城镇发展，我们失去了肥沃的农田(fertile farmland)，日益恶化的空气质量和水质的污染使农作物受到损害。所有这些将使农业发展更加步履维艰。地球资源日益匮乏也是一个不容忽视的问题。看来解决人口激增的问题，是摆在现代人面前的一项艰巨而迫切的(pressing)任务。

单选题Millions of Americans are entering their 60s and are more concerned than ever about retirement. They know they need to save, but how much? And what exactly are they saving for—to spend more time 26 the grandkids, go traveling, or start another career? It turns out that husbands and wives may have 27 different ideas about the subject. The deepest divide is in the way spouses envisage their lifestyle in their later years. Fidelity Investments Inc. found 41 percent of the 500 couples it surveyed 28 on whether both or at least one spouse will work in retirement. Wives are generally right regarding their husbands' retirement age, but men 29 the age their wives will be when they stop working. And husbands are slightly more 30 about their standard of living than wives are. Busy juggling (穷于应付) careers and families, most couples don't take time to sit down, 31 or together, and think about what they would like to do 5, 10 or 20 years from now. They 32 they are on the same page, but the 33 is they have avoided even talking about it. If you are self-employed or in a job that doesn't have a standard retirement age, you may be more apt to delay thinking about these issues. It is often a 34 retirement date that provides the catalyst (催化剂) to start planning. Getting laid off or accepting an early-retirement 35 can force your hand. But don't wait until you get a severance (遣散费) check to begin planning. A. assume B. confidential C. disagree D. formula E. forthcoming F. illustrating G. mysteriously H. observe I. optimistic J. package K. radically L. reality M. separately N. spoiling O. underestimate

单选题Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitledReasonsforTrafficAccidents.Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsbutnomorethan200words.1．根据下图简要描述交通事故产生原因的比例2．出现此现象的原因3．几点建议