PASSAGE TWOWhat is the author's attitude towards vanishing languages throughout the world?

眼下政府需要解决的就是就业问题。

别听他们胡说八道，根本就没那回事。

Part-time jobs are beneficial to college students in many aspects, and some people believe that senior high school students should also be encouraged to do part-time jobs. This is allowable in law in most countries as long as the teens are above a certain age. The following article discusses this practice. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the article, and then 2. express your opinion on it, especially whether we should encourage senior high school students to take part-time jobs. Should Your Teen Keep Her Job into the School Year? It was just about a year ago that Saba Ghahari, who is now 18, decided against working part-time during the school year so that she could concentrate on her grades. It's a choice few students make: About 65 per cent of high-school students who can work part-time do. And with those jobs, school, homework and extracurricular activities, Canadian teens are busier than ever, according to a study from Statistics Canada. But experts disagree on whether that load should include a part-time job. Some say doing so gives teen much needed maturity in the work force, helps build a work ethic and improves organizational skills, as well as providing spending money. Others say it distracts students from their real job—learning and getting good grades. Jorgen Hansen, an associate professor of economics at Montreal's Concordia University, decided to look into whether teens' part-time job affects grades. In comparing work and grade-point averages, Dr. Hansen concluded that working part-time hurts grades. The more you work part-time, the greater the harm to grades. Another finding: the younger a teen, the greater the detrimental impact. At 15, teens just don't have the same maturity and organizational skills that they would at 17. But his survey also has a surprising twist: When students participate in school activities, the impact is beneficial—no matter how much time they spend on them. Alex Usher, a Toronto-based higher education consultant, says the question of whether to work part-time comes down to who the kids are and how to balance their goals. "If you're trying to get 90s and 95s in high school, it's very difficult to combine that with paid work." Judging an individual child's maturity level and ability to organize is crucial for parents, Mr. Usher says. Smart teens know what they can and can't handle and won't work more than they should. For others, taking on too much can be detrimental. Wendy Patton, a dean of the faculty of education at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, is an advocate of kids taking part-time jobs, but she agrees that moderation is important. Dr. Patton says her research shows that part-time work benefits most students—as long as teens don't work more than 12 hours a week. She found that working taught teens skills they didn't necessarily learn at school—knowledge of the workplace, how to work for other people, teamwork and time management. "Students have a greater confidence in their own ability to do a range of things when they work," she says. "They have a greater confidence in things like time planning, working with adults; they have a greater confidence in their ability to make decisions." One added benefit: Working helps teens become aware of the benefits of staying in school. "When they've been washing dishes or working in a fast-food place, they start thinking more about what it is they really want to do." Dr. Patton says.

Single-sex SchoolI.【T1】______【T1】______— Co-ed: the【T2】_____ of sexes, politically acceptable【T2】______II. Research— Single-Sex Versus Coeducational Schoolinga)Conducted by FDEb)Released in【T3】_____【T3】______c)Conclusion: single-sex and co-ed are【T4】_____【T4】______— UCLA StudyGirls from single-sex schools are【T5】_____ than co-ed peers【T5】______III. Advantages— Gentler【T6】_____: good for boys because they mature later than girls【T6】______— Teachers understand how their students learn— Homogeneity【T7】_____ planning events and activities【T7】______— Allow children to learn in their own individual waysIV. Reasons— Let children be themselvesa)Boys will be less【T8】_____ in single-sex setting【T8】______b)Girls will be more【T9】_____【T9】______—【T10】_____【T10】______a)Girls will learn mathematics, advanced science,【T11】_____ etc.【T11】______b)Boys will learn choirs and orchestras and【T12】_____【T12】______c)Break out of the【T13】______【T13】______— SocializationSingle-sex schooling will have more controlled【T14】_____ for children【T14】______V. Blended or【T15】______schools【T15】______— Colorado: two distinct high schools under one roof

Many parents have to think hard about the gifts that their children should give teachers on Teachers' Day. But should teachers accept these gifts from parents or their students? Read the excerpts carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the opinions about this issue; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks. Ave (the UK) I find the concept of Teachers' Day a bit odd. It is not something that happens in the UK as far as I know. In the UK, acceptance of gifts by teachers is strictly prohibited, especially gifts that have been purchased or giving cash as a gift. Obviously, if a child bestows a gift that he has made by himself to the teacher then that can be considered an act of endearment. To refuse in this case would probably do more harm to the child.Ted (the UK) In my school in England teachers may receive a few small gifts ( usually chocolates) at the very end of a school year, but usually these are given to the most popular female teachers. In no way are they intended as a bribe but an expression of liking, and as a goodbye gift. In China, I was delighted to receive little gifts: sweets and flowers, at this time last year, and gifts and thanks from the school. I must agree that some parents in China hold that they give teachers expensive gifts for the sake of their children. One father sent a van full of boxes of expensive cakes as gifts for all the teachers in one grade. Such gifts do nothing to induce teachers to give more attention to his child, yet are clearly seen as some sort of bribe. The most precious gifts are little things that students have bought or made by themselves as genuine offers of thanks and friendship.Seneca (China) I think gifts given to teachers are not the ideal way of showing a form of deference; it would be much better if teachers were treated with the respect they deserve throughout the whole year. If a Teachers' Day is needed it should be held in a uniform manner, possibly as a national holiday.Patrick (the US) Instead of buying gifts, why not encourage children to make small gifts, drawing or paper flowers, or even a simple card? A small gift of love should be the greatest gift of all to a good teacher. I got one, and nothing could make me happier.Mess (the US) Yes, but not necessarily for special care. When I was in school some parents used to give gifts at the end of the school year. As it was Christmas season, many people exchange gifts and in this case some parents give gifts to teachers to show their appreciation for their efforts. I don't think giving gifts before the work has been done or completed is a good idea. The teachers should do their job without expecting any monetary benefits from parents. Teaching system should be equal for everybody, and shouldn't involve special care or extra things.Sivester (the US) In Massachusetts, it's OK to give a gift to your teacher. However, if the gift costs more than the allowed amount, the teacher cannot accept it. Tammy (Singapore) It is simply a matter of ethics. If teachers show favoritism based on a gift they have received from a student or for any other reasons, then they need to be reprimanded. The school system should have confidence on the teachers. I see nothing wrong with showing appreciation to our teachers for what they have done. Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

Detroit seems to be where Wall Street meets Main Street. Tight credit is reckoned to have cost the American carmakers 40,000 sales in August, worth about $1 billion in revenue. The impact has been felt most by America's Big Three—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler—which have suffered this year as consumers shunned gas-guzzlers in favour of the smaller cars mostly made by Japanese firms in American factories. Overall light-vehicle sales hit a 15-year low in September, with a fall of 27% compared with a year earlier. The problem is finance. "We have plenty of customers—what we don't have is financing available to meet their needs," Mike Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation, a leading car-dealer chain, told CNBC this week. He reckons that tighter credit and limits on finance for leases have cost his firm a fifth of its sales this year. The Big Three have been hit by petrol prices pushing towards $4 a gallon, by more demanding federal fuel-economy rules and by the credit crunch Wrecking consumer finance. But the federal government came to their aid this week when George Bush signed an energy bill that includes $25 billion in loan guarantees to ease their pain. Supposedly this is to allow the Big Three to retool their factories to produce more economical vehicles. David Cole, director of the Centre for Automotive Research, an industry body, estimates that such retooling could cost at least $100 billion. But money is money, so the infusion of cheap credit will help the carmakers pay their bills next year. "Given the market position of the Big Three, things will get sticky by mid-2009, because they have to keep spending on new programmes," says Joe Philippi of Auto Trends, a consultancy. The rules are still being worked out, but the deal means that car companies—blessed with the government guarantee—should get loans with an interest rate of around 5% rather than the 15% they would face on the open market in today's conditions. The stipulation that the loans are only for firms with factories at least 20 years old rules out nearly all the "transplant" factories that foreign carmakers built in America to get around tariff barriers. And even if some Japanese carmakers do qualify for loans, they are not expected to ask for them. So a sum that seemed preposterous only a few months ago has won overwhelming approval from politicians. Compared with the demand for $700 billion to underpin the financial system, who can complain about a mere $ 25 billion for carmakers? And using government money to keep honest, hardworking car-industry workers in their jobs is easier for politicians to justify than handouts for greedy Wall Street bankers. The sales-pitch is even more compelling in an election year. Once industrial subsidies like this begin to flow, it is difficult to stop them. A recent study by the Cato Institute, a right-wing think-tank, found that the federal government spent some $92 billion subsidising business in 2006 alone. Only $21 billion of that went to farmers: much of the rest went to firms such as Boeing, IBM and GE in the form of export-credit support and various research subsidies. The Big Three are already complaining that it will take too long to dish out the money, and they want the process speeded up. They also want a further $25 billion, possibly attached to the second version of the Wall Street rescue bill. The logic of bailing out Wall Street is that finance underpins everything. Detroit cannot begin to make that claim. But, given its successful lobbying, can it be long before ailing airlines and failing retailers join the queue?

PASSAGE TWO

Should You Learn Thai?Here are eight features about Thai language to help students decide whether they want to learn Thai or not.I. Tonal Language— Each word in Thai holds a(n)【T1】_____ tone【T1】______— Different tones mean different【T2】_____【T2】______II. No Roman Alphabet— New alphabet of 28 vowels and【T3】_____ consonants【T3】______III. Vowel Placement— A vowel can go before, after,【T4】_____ a consonant【T4】______— Different placements of vowels mean different【T5】_____【T5】______IV. Not Many People Speak Thai— Only around【T6】_____people speak Thai【T6】______V. No Distinction Between【T7】_____【T7】______— Not as【T8】_____ as English【T8】______— Not as beautiful as Spanish when writing poetryVI. No Inflected Verbs or【T9】_____【T9】______— The verb remains the same regardless ofa)the personb)the【T10】_____【T10】______c)the numbersVII. So Many Pronouns— Pronouns will change according toa)【T11】_____【T11】______b)【T12】_____【T12】______c)being a monk or not, etc.VIII. Speak of Themselves by Name— It's impolite to use the word "I",because it denotes being too【T13】_____【T13】______— Speak of themselves in【T14】_____【T14】______— Refer to somebody by【T15】_____【T15】______

Mental health problems like feeling lonely are nowadays seen quite often among college students. Although the majority of people who experience such problems can get over them or learn to live with them, the debate on the best way to combat them has never stopped. What is your opinion on this? Read the following article carefully and write your response in NO LESS THAN 300 WORDS, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the author's opinion; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks. Write your article on ANSWER SHEET FOUR. Excerpt A life of booze, fags and slothfulness may be enough to earn your doctor's disapproval, but there is one last hope: a repeat prescription of mates and good conversation. A circle of close friends and strong family ties can boost a person's health more than taking exercise, losing weight or quitting cigarettes and alcohol, psychologists say. Sociable people seem to reap extra rewards from their relationships by feeling less stressed, taking better care of themselves and having less risky lifestyles than those who are more isolated, they claim. A review of studies into the impact of relationships on health found that people had a 50% better survival rate if they belonged to a wider social group, be it friends, neighbours, relatives or a mix of these. The striking impact of social connections on well-being has led researchers to call on GPs and health officials to take loneliness as seriously as other health risks, such as alcoholism and smoking. "We take relationships for granted as humans. " said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young University in Utah. " That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health. " Holt-Lunstad's team reviewed 148 studies that tracked the social interactions and health of 308 ,849 people over an average of 7. 5 years. From these they worked out how death rates varied depending on how sociable a person was. Being lonely and isolated was as bad for a person's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. It was as harmful as not exercising and twice as bad for the health as being obese. Holt-Lunstad said friends and family can improve one's health in numerous ways, from the help in tough times to finding meaning in life. " When someone is connected to a group and feels his responsibility to other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks. " Holt-Lunstad said there was no clear figure on how many relationships are enough to boost a person's health, but people fared better when they rarely felt lonely and were close to a group of friends, had good family contact and had someone they could rely on and confide in. Writing in the journal, the authors point out that doctors, health educators and the media take the dangers of smoking, diet and exercise seriously, and urge them to add social relationships to the list. A report by the Mental Health Foundation in May blamed technology and the pressures of modern life for widespread feelings of loneliness in all age groups across Britain. The survey of more than 2,200 adults found one in ten people often felt lonely and one in three would like to move closer to their family. Andrew McCulloch, of the Mental Health Foundation, said the latest study builds on work that links isolation to poor mental and physical health. "Trends such as increasing numbers of people living alone and the advent of new technologies, are changing the way in which we interact and are leading both the young and old to experience loneliness. It is important that individuals and policymakers take notice of emerging evidence and of the potential health problems associated with loneliness. "

中国认为，人权的实现离不开世界的和平与发展。和平与发展是当今世界的两大主题，也是实现普遍人权和基本自由必不可少的前提。没有和平稳定的国际环境，没有公正、合理的国际经济秩序，就不可能实现普遍的人权。国际社会只有将促进人权同维护世界和平、促进人类发展联系起来，系统地加以推进，才能取得持续有效的进展。

Studying abroad is increasingly popular for students, with tens of thousands of Chinese high school students going abroad for their education each year. Yet, there exists a debate among experts, families and schools on whether high school graduates should study overseas. Is it beneficial for high school students to study overseas? The following are opinions from different sides. Read the excerpts carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the opinions from different sides; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.Students Joe Roma of Ayusa: Everything from your exams to your host family's rules might be drastically different from what you are used to at home. Add a new language and customs to the mix, and suddenly everyday tasks can seem daunting. The reality of what it truly means to fully immerse oneself in a culture that has very different values, communication styles, world views and language differences can be very challenging for a young person. Yvonne: The cost of living may be higher. If you're studying in a major city, in Western Europe, or in a country where the currency exchange rate is unfavorable to the dollar, the cost of living will be relatively high. Things such as food, rent, and the Internet will cost more than they do at home, which means you'll be paying even more out of pocket just by living overseas. You can find coupons through sites like SumoCoupon and other deals at your home-away-from-home, but be sure to overestimate your study abroad budget to make sure you'll have enough money to get by. A Chinese student: Your education will be more meaningful. It's one thing to read about distant places in a textbook. It's something else entirely to actually go there and learn about them in person. For instance, learning about the construction of the Great Wall of China from a history textbook simply can't compare to walking along the wall with a knowledgeable tour guide. To fully understand why other cultures are different, studying abroad programs allow you to go beyond the classroom and discover the context for yourself.Experts and teachers A Chinese expert: Studying overseas is deemed risky for youngsters' normal development, and may not contribute significantly to their future career success. Also, it will most certainly put an inordinate financial burden on them and their families. A teacher from China: It is very important for high school students to study abroad. It gives them a more open approach to how other countries operate and they can learn something new they've never learned before. There are so many benefits from studying abroad that I don't even know where to begin. First and foremost, the students will be able to learn more about a certain group of people or culture. Ms. Zhang, a teacher from Shanghai: You will grow as a person. When you are studying in another country, you have a very unique situation. You're in an unfamiliar place that does things completely different than you used to. You will be able to experience a culture very different from your own, and you will be exposed to more different people and different ways of doing things. You will test habits and preconceived notions that you have held all your life that you did not even know existed before you saw a whole group of people doing something totally different from what you used to. Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

Sexism in English Sexism in English language reflects the traditional ethics that men are【T1】______to women. Here, four aspects will be discussed to explain the【T1】______causes.I. The cultural factorHoly Bible:【T2】______【T2】______—the order of the birth of man and woman—【T3】______committed by the woman【T3】______II. The physiological factor—men:【T4】______【T4】______—women: mature more rapidly—women being considered to be【T5】______in intelligence【T5】______III. The social factor:【T6】______【T6】______1. Feminists: the society we live in is【T7】______【T7】______2.【T8】______in allocating tasks, activities, rights and responsibilities【T8】______ —In history: women were responsible for housework and child-care,while men's mission is【T9】______【T9】______—In modern society:1)Half of women are employed【T10】______, but their main roles are wife【T10】______and mother. 2)Men also have family roles, but they are mainly defined by their【T11】______position.【T11】______IV.【T12】______【T12】______People treat women as men's appendix.—men: educated to be manly,【T13】______, and brave【T13】______—women:1)required to be polite, conservative, obedient, and gentle2)have to constrain their emotions to【T14】______men【T14】______3)mould themselves to be inferior in their potential sub-consciousness4)try to speak【T15】______to show their submission and politeness【T15】______

[此试题无题干]

现代社会无论价值观的持有还是生活方式的选择都充满了矛盾。而最让现代人感到尴尬的是，面对重重矛盾，许多时候你却别无选择。 匆忙与休闲是截然不同的两种生活方式。但在现实生活中，人们却在这两种生活方式间频繁穿梭，有时也说不清自己到底是“休闲着”还是“匆忙着”、譬如说，当我们正在旅游胜地享受假期，却忽然接到老板的电话，告诉我们客户或工作方面出了麻烦——现代便捷先进工具在此刻显示出了它狰狞、阴郁的面容——搞的人一下子兴趣全无，接下来的休闲只能徒有其表，因为心里已是火烧火燎了。

(1)He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat, which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his boat empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or harpoon(鱼叉)and the sail that was furled around the mast. The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat. (2)The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown spots of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The spots ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh. Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated. (3)"Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the boat was hauled up. "I could go with you again. We've made some money." The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him. "No," the old man said. "You're with a lucky boat. Stay with them." "But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks." "I remember," the old man said. "I know you did not leave me because you doubted." "It was papa made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him." "I know," the old man said. "It is quite normal." "He hasn't much faith." "No," the old man said. "But we have. Haven't we?" "Yes," the boy said. "Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home." "Why not?" the old man said. "Between fishermen." (4)They sat on the Terrace and many of the fishermen made fun of the old man and he was not angry. Others, of the older fishermen, looked at him and were sad. But they did not show it and they spoke politely about the current and the depths they had drifted their lines at and the steady good weather and of what they had seen. The successful fishermen of that day were already in and had butchered their marlin out and carried them laid full length across two planks, with two men staggering at the end of each plank, to the fish house where they waited for the ice truck to carry them to the market in Havana. Those who had caught sharks had taken them to the shark factory on the other side of the bay where they were hoisted on a block and tackle, their livers removed, their fins cut off and their hides skinned out and their flesh cut into strips for salting. When the wind was in the east a smell came across the harbour from the shark factory; but today there was only the faint edge of the odour because the wind had backed into the north and then dropped off and it was pleasant and sunny on the Terrace. (5)"Santiago," the boy said. "Yes," the old man said. He was holding his glass and thinking of many years ago. "Can I go out to get sardines for you for tomorrow?" "No. Go and play baseball. I can still row and Rogelio will throw the net." "I would like to go. If I cannot fish with you. I would like to serve in some way." "You bought me a beer," the old man said. "You are already a man." "How old was I when you first took me in a boat?" "Five and you nearly were killed when I brought the fish in and he nearly tore the boat to pieces. Can you remember?" "I can remember the tail slapping and banging and the thwart breaking and the noise of the clubbing. I can remember you throwing me into the bow where the wet coiled lines were and feeling the whole boat shiver and the noise of you clubbing him like chopping a tree down and the sweet blood smell all over me." The old man looked at him with his sun-burned, confident loving eyes. (6)"If you were my boy, I'd take you out and gamble," he said. "But you are your father's and your mother's and you are in a lucky boat." "May I get the sardines? I know where I can get four baits too." "I have mine left from today. I put them in salt in the box." "Let me get four fresh ones." "One," the old man said. His hope and his confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening as when the breeze rises. "Two," the boy said. "Two," the old man agreed. "You didn't steal them?" "I would," the boy said. "But I bought these." "Thank you," the old man said. He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride. (7)"Tomorrow is going to be a good day with this current," he said. "Where are you going?" the boy asked. "Far out to come in when the wind shifts. I want to be out before it is light." "I'll try to get him to work far out," the boy said. "Then if you hook something truly big we can come to your aid." "He does not like to work too far out." "No," the boy said. "But I will see something that he cannot see such as a bird working and get him to come out after dolphin." "Are his eyes that bad?" "He is almost blind." "It is strange," the old man said. "He never went turtle-ing. That is what kills the eyes." "But you went turtle-ing for years off the Mosquito Coast and your eyes are good."'T am a strange old man." "But are you strong enough now for a truly big fish?" "I think so. And there are many tricks." "Let us take the stuff home," the boy said. "So I can get the cast net and go after the sardines."

The process of acquiring the self-discipline for Japanese begins in childhood. Indeed, one may say it begins at birth—how early theJapanese child is given his own identity! If I was to define in a word【S1】______the attitude of the Japanese toward their children, I would put it in a【S2】______concise word—Love! Yes, abundance of love, warmly expressedfrom the moment which he is put to his mother's breast. For a【S3】______mother this nursing of her child is psychologically important. Rewards are frequent, a bit of candy bestowing at the right【S4】______moment, an inexpensive toy. For time to enter school comes, however,【S5】______discipline becomes firmer. To bring shame to the family is greatest【S6】______shame for the child. What is the secret of the Japanese teaching of self-discipline?It lies, I think, in the fact which the aim of all teaching is the【S7】______establishment of habit. Rules are repeated over and over, and continually practiced until obedience becomes instinctive. This repetition is enhanced by the expectation of the elders. They expect a child to obey and to learn through obedience. The demand isgentle at first and tempering to the child's tender age. It is no more【S8】______gentle as time goes on, but certainly it is increasingly inexorable. Now, far away from that warm Japanese home, I reflect what I【S9】______learned there. What, I wonder, will take place of the web of love【S10】______and discipline which for so many centuries has surrounded the life and thinking of the people of Japan?

类似的观点目前还有市场。

我在新闻片里看到你站在总裁的身旁。