BSection A/B

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BPart III Reading Comprehension/B

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. University students are busy with preparing for exams to get all kinds of certificates for English proficiency, computer skills, accounting, etc. They believe they have more chances of getting a good job with their certificates. However, some people argue that certificates do not necessarily indicate more abilities and better jobs. What is your opinion?

There was a time, not that long ago, when women were considered smart if they played dumb to get a man, and women who went to college were more interested in getting a "Mrs. degree" than a bachelor's. Even today, it's not unusual for a woman to get whispered and unrequested counsel from her grandmother that an advanced degree could hurt her in the marriage market. "There were so many misperceptions out there about education and marriage that I decided to sort out the facts," said economist Betsey Stevenson, an assistant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. So along with Wharton colleague Adam Isen, Stevenson calculated national marriage data from 1950 to 2008 and found that the marriage penalty women once paid for being well educated has largely disappeared. "In other words, the difference in marriage rates between those with college degrees and those without is very small," said Stephanie Coontz, a family historian at Evergreen State College. The new analysis also found that while high-school dropouts (辍学学生) had the highest marriage rates in the 1950s, today college-educated women are much more likely to marry than those who don't finish high school. Of course, expectations have changed dramatically in the last half century. "In the 1950s, a lot of women thought they needed to marry right away," Coontz said. "Real wages were rising so quickly that men in their 20s could afford to marry early. But they didn't want a woman who was their equal. Men needed and wanted someone who knew less." In fact, she said, research published in 1946 documented that 40 percent of college women admitted to playing dumb on dates. "These days, few women feel the need to play down their intelligence or achievements," Coontz said. The new research has more good news for college grads. Stevenson said the data indicate that modern college-educated women are more likely to be married before age 40, are less likely to divorce, and are more likely to describe their marriages as "happy". The marriages of well-educated women tend to be more stable because the brides are usually older as well as wiser, Stevenson said.

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ANDREW CARNEGIE, a 19th-century tycoon, famously said that "inherited wealth deadens talents and energies"—one reason why he gave most of his fortune to charity. Business research tends to support the Carnegie thesis. Companies controlled by heirs often underperform competitors that have professional managers. Except, apparently, in Japan. A forthcoming paper in the Journal of Financial Economics finds not only that inherited family control is still common in Japanese business, but that family firms are "puzzlingly competitive" , outperforming otherwise similar professionally managed companies. ? These results suggest family control 'causes' good performance rather than the converse,'' say the authors. Japan boasts some of the world's oldest family-run businesses, and many family firms—-Suzuki, Matsui Securities, Suhtory—break the rule of steady dynastic decline. So how do Japanese firms do it? The answer, says the paper, is adoption. Last year more than 81,000 people were adopted in Japan, one of the highest rates in the world. But, amazingly, over 90% of those adopted were adults. The practice of adopting men in their 20s and 30s is used to rescue biologically ill-fated families and ensure a business heir, says Vikas Mehrotra, of the University of Alberta, the paper's lead author. "We haven't come across this custom in any other part of the world." Though the phenomenon has been previously documented, its impact on a company's competitiveness has not. Japan's sliding birth rate has created many one-child families, and although daughters can manage the company back-office, in Japan its outward face must still be male, says Chieko Date. She is one of several marriage consultants who help match ambitious young men and the marriageable daughters of business families. If the meetings go well, the men agree to drop their own surname and are adopted by their new bride's family, becoming both the head of the clan and of its business. Ms. Date's consultancy claims to have brokered 600 of these marriages, known in Japan as mukoyoshi (literally "son-in-law adoption"). Most of her clients are families who own small and medium-sized businesses. She says the union cannot be just a business transaction. If the couples do not like each other, both marriage and business will fail. In theory, this gives family businesses access to the same-sized talent pool as a professionally managed firm would have, he writes, and may even induce a sturdier work ethic among biological children. Frustratingly, the paper's research stops in 2000. Mariko Fujiwara, a sociologist, says more Japanese parents are now willing to accept the end of the family line. But she adds that Japanese marriages will always have cultural and legal implications because the future of so many businesses depends on who takes them over.

{{B}}Section A{{/B}}

What is pop culture? Well, pop is【C1】______for popular. The beginning of pop culture can often be related to popular movies, television shows, music stars and sports figures. Pop culture is also improved by business and【C2】______. The most common examples of American pop culture【C3】______among high school and college students.【C4】______set by famous people quickly become part of young people's lifestyles. American pop culture has spread around the world. One major reason for its【C5】______is that English is a worldwide language. English is the language of diplomacy, international business and communication. Since language and culture go together, learning English means becoming【C6】______of English-speaking cultures. Also, America is a world leader in movies, music and magazines. The kind of American culture communicated in those【C7】______is pop culture. Finally, pop culture is easy to【C8】______and to export. For that reason, it is easy to "sell" to the world. Many people consider that American pop culture is what America is all about. Does pop culture【C9】______the true culture of America? Yes and no. Pop culture does express a part of American society—【C10】______urban young people that pay much attention to the media. But American pop culture is not fixed and ever-changing. It is a man-made and superficial picture of America. If you want to learn about real American culture, you'll have to go a little farther than McDonald's. A. trends B. immediately C. reflect D. advertising E. orderly F. aware G. short H. media I. especially J. opponents K. package L. appear M. inspiring N. utmost O. popularity

{{B}}Section C{{/B}}

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过去的七年，中国的 房地产 (real estate)业经历了前所未有的高速增长。对于那些月薪较低却渴望在大城市拥有一套属于自己的体面、舒适的栖身之所的人来说，高昂的房价是他们无法承受的负担。鉴于这一状况，政府近来采取了一系列的措施来防止房价过快增长，包括提高利率及增加房产税等。目前，这些措施在部分城市已经取得了初步的成效。

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For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic Water Shortage. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words following the outline given below:1．水的重要性。2．造成水资源缺乏的原因。3．如何解决缺水问题。

{{B}}Part II Listening Comprehension{{/B}}

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BPart Ⅳ Translation/B

据说 《茉莉花》 (Jasmine Flower)是流传到海外的第一首中国民歌。许多国外学者在研究中国音乐史时都提到了《茉莉花》，不少外国人学唱中文歌时首选这首歌。2004年 雅典奥运会 (Athens Olympics)闭幕式上，一位中国小姑娘唱起《茉莉花》，给所有观众留下了深刻的印象。2008年北京奥运会，《茉莉花》被选为 颁奖典礼 (awarding ceremony)的音乐。这首歌带给我们美好艺术享受的同时也带给我们骄傲。