The country"s biggest challenge now is the plight of lower-income Americans, who are under severe and sustained economic pressure. Today, America resembles a tale of two cities. Those who own homes or stocks have benefited from the recovery in these asset classes and are moving up again. But 40% of working-age families earn $ 40,000 a year or less. Generally they live within 250% of the official poverty level, which is the eligibility threshold for food stamps. Indeed, judging from current trends, half of today"s 20-year-olds will receive food stamps during their adult lives. More broadly, median household income is still 8% below the precrisis level, and those who have not completed college are seeing declines in anticipated lifetime earnings compared with their peers with college degrees. This is the primary economic challenge. If a third of the population has little purchasing power, it will be hard to achieve the desired rate of long-term growth. The US needs to improve the work skills of this group, strengthen the social safety net and increase the number of young Americans receiving a full college education. Although doing more to relieve the financial burdens of working Americans is good economics, it is also, and perhaps more important, a matter of values. For much of the 20th century Americans strove, with much success, to build a fairer and more inclusive society. But today, too many working families are living paycheck to paycheck or even in outright poverty, while the toeholds(克服困难的办法)to economic stability become fewer and farther between. With the economy"s near and medium term economic outlook strong, now is the time to remove the barriers that are keeping hardworking Americans walking a far too thin financial line.

Most people may drink only two liters of water a day, but they consume about 3 000 if the water that goes into their food is taken into account. The rich gulp down far more, since they tend to eat more meat, which takes far more water to produce than grains. So as the world's population grows and incomes rise, farmers will need a great deal more water to keep everyone fed; 2 000 more cubic kilometers a year by 2030, according to the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Yet in many farming regions, water is scarce and likely to get scarcer as global warming worsens. The world is facing not so much a food crisis as a water crisis, argues Colin Chartres, IWMI's director-general. The solution, Mr. Chartres and others contend, is more efficient use of water or, as the sloganeers put it, " more crop per drop". Some 1.2 billion people live in places that are short of water. Farming accounts for roughly 70% of human water consumption. So when water starts to run out, farming tends to offer the best potential for thrift. But governments rarely charge farmers a market price for water. So they are usually more wasteful than other consumers—even though the value they create from the water is often less than households or industry would be willing to pay for it. The pressing need is to make water go further. Antoine Frerot, the head of the water division of Veolia Environment, promotes recycling of city wastewater to be used in industry or agriculture. This costs less and cuts pollution. Yet as Mr. Frerot himself concedes, there are many even cheaper ways to save water. As much as 70% of water used by farmers never gets to crops, perhaps lost through leaky irrigation channels or by draining into rivers or groundwater. Investment in drip irrigation, or simply repairing the worst leaks, could bring huge savings. Farmers in poor countries can usually afford such things only if they are growing cash crops, says David Molden of IWMI. Even basic kit such as small rainwater tanks can be lacking. Ethiopia, for example, has only 38 cubic meters of storage capacity per inhabitant, compared to almost 5 000 in Australia. Yet modest water storage can hugely improve yields in rain-fed agriculture, by smoothing over short dry spells. Likewise, pumping water into natural aquifers for seasonal storage tends to be much cheaper than building a big dam, and prevents the great waste of water through evaporation. Agronomists are beginning to devise tools to help monitor the efficiency of water use. Some have designed algorithms that use satellite data on surface temperatures to calculate the rate at which plants are absorbing and transpiring water. That allows governments and development agencies to concentrate their efforts on the most prodigal areas. Raising yields does not always involve greater water consumption, especially when farms are inefficient. It would take little extra water to double cereal output in many parts of Africa, Mr. Molden argues. IWMI reckons that some three-quarters of the extra food the world needs could be provided simply by bringing yields in poor countries closer to those of rich ones. That is more realistic than the absolute alternative: giving up meat and other thirsty products altogether.[A] cultivating cash crops [B] leaking irrigation system [C] expenses and efficiency[D] surface temperature data[E] low water price [F] water shortage [G] food crisis

Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingchart.Youshould1)describethechartand2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150wordsontheANSWERSHEET.(15points)

Directions: Do you sometimes receive anonymous calls or massages, not knowing how those people get your name and phone number? In this section, you are asked to write an essay on one way to keep our information safe. You can provide specific reasons and examples to support your idea. You should write at least 150 words.

The unhealthy ingredients and low nutrition content of the food can make you less active and lazy, new research shows. No surprises there.【C1】______, what is more shocking is that the energy-weakening effects of a junk food diet can persist,【C2】______after you switch to a healthy【C3】______. Two groups of female rats were fed different diets by researchers for a six-month period. One group ate unprocessed foods such as corn and fish meal【C4】______the other ate a diet【C5】______to imitate junk food; high in sugar, and lower in【C6】______. While understandably the group eating the 'junk food' diet gained more weight than the other, they also【C7】______from fatigue and became less active and less【C8】______—ie: lazier. In fact, those rats fed junk food took twice as many, and longer breaks during tasks than the rats eating a healthy diet, even tasks which【C9】______rewards. What is even more【C10】______is that switching these rats back onto a nutritious diet at the end of six months for nine days didn't seem to reverse their weight gain or their 'learnt' laziness. This could suggest that while an【C11】______case of bad food—say on holiday, will not have too much of a【C12】______effect if you generally eat a good diet and lead a healthy lifestyle. But those who eat a poor diet【C13】______the long term may actually become lazy and fatigued, as well as gaining weight and suffering the health consequences【C14】______being overweight. The research shows that switching【C15】______a healthy diet in the short term is unlikely to be【C16】______to reverse any of the side effects of a diet high in junk food. "Overweight people are often regarded as lazy and lacking【C17】______," says Blaisdell, a professor of psychology at UCLA "We【C18】______our results as suggesting that the idea commonly【C19】______in the media that people become fat because they are lazy is wrong. Our data suggest that diet-induced obesity is a cause,【C20】______an effect, of laziness. Either the highly processed diet causes fatigue or the diet causes obesity, which causes fatigue."

BPart ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D./B

Suppose you applied to Central Washington University for admission 3 months ago, but have not received a reply. Write an email to Central Washington University to 1) inquire about your admission, and 2) inform it your phone number. You should write about 100 words. Do not use your own name. Use "Li Ming" instead. Do not write your address.

Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what are called business methods.Amazon.com received one for its" one-click" online payment system. Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy. One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box. Now the nation's top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz the U.S. court of Appeals for the federal circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents. In re Bilski, as the case is known, is "a very big deal", says Dennis D.Crouch of the University of Missouri School of law. It" has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents." Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the federal circuit itself that introduced such patents with is 1998 decision in the so-called state Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging internet companies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of online transactions. Later, move established companies raced to add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals that might beat them to the punch. In 2005, IBM noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method patents despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them. Similarly, some Wall Street investment films armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice. The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market. The Federal circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court's judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluate is whether it should "reconsider" its state street Bank ruling. The Federal Circuit's action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders. Last April, for example the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for "inventions" that are obvious. The judges on the Federal circuit are "reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court", says Harold C.Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.

You are going to read a list of headings and a text. Choose the most suitable heading from the list[A]to[G]for each numbered paragraph (41-45). There are two extra subheadings which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)[A]Never say goodbye[B]Open up channels of communication[C]Weigh your options[D]Surprise them[E]Commitment[F]Make sacrifices[G]Plan get-togethersWe all hope that our friendships will be enduring and vibrant. We also hope that despite our differences in gender, interests and careers, we would stick together through the thick and thin of life. Here are five ways you can save your friendship despite the changes in both your lives:【R1】______You will have to come to the point where you have to decide if this friendship is important enough to make sacrifices, this will be the only way you can commit to the revival and survival of your friendship. You will also have to make sure if your friend is in it for the long haul too, because it takes two to tango. If the feelings are mutual, the effort will be equal. It will be futile if you work on saving this friendship and he or she could not give two pennies worth about it. 【R2】______Once you have decided that the two of you have climbed Mount Everest long enough together and that this friendship is without a doubt worth saving, then I suggest you have a heart-to-heart like there is no tomorrow. It is not impossible—it all depends on what you put in, both of you. It is fundamental that you put in the time and the effort; it is then that you will see this friendship flourish like never before. 【R3】______Why not spend a fun weekend away? Just the two of you, a bottle of wine and the open road (just do not do the drinking and the driving at the same time). Be creative and make sure you make some remarkable new memories, especially the ones that extend the dorm room and hallway ones. You have grown up and moved along with your life, so should your memories. 【R4】______There is nothing like finding a signed, sealed and delivered a package from your best friend at your front door. It brings a solid feeling of gratitude with the excitement and you know that this friendship is one that will endure all the storms, especially if the college friend lives abroad and had to pay a lot to get that package there at the right place and at the right time, for instance, your birthday. 【R5】______Once you are faithful to each other, you will have no problem in saving the friendship and allowing it to be a success. It will entail you sacrificing some things in your life, but if the friendship is worth it, it will not be a problem. It is also important to remember that no relationship is perfect; you will most likely have some downs following the ups.

In this section, you are asked to write an essay based on the following information. Make comments and express your own opinion. You should write at least 150 words. 大学里有很多选修课可供选择。学生可以根据他们自己的需要来选择这些课程。你是怎样选择选修课的?

BSection I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D./B

Suppose your roommate Ken is moving to another dorm room this weekend. Write him a letter to 1) offer your help, and 2) send him a little gift. You should write about 100 words. Do not use your own name. Use "Li Ming" instead. Do not write your address.

BPart BDirections: Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following information./B

In this section, you are asked to write an essay based on the following information. Make comments and express your own opinion. You should write at least 150 words. 大学教育的费用是很高的，对于每个人而言都是一笔很大的经济负担。不同的学生用不同的方法来筹集自己的大学教育经费。你是怎么做的呢?

BSection III Writing/B

Exercise has innumerable health benefits, but losing weight may not be among them. A provocative new study shows that a substantial number of people who take up an exercise regimen wind up heavier afterward than they were at the start, with the weight gain due mostly to extra fat, not muscle. But the study also finds, for the first time, that one simple strategy may improve people' s odds of actually dropping pounds with exercise. As we all know, the fundamentals of weight loss should be simple. Burn more calories on any given day than you consume and, over time, you will lose weight. Theoretically, we can achieve that desirable condition by reducing the number of calories that we take in through dieting or by increasing the number of calories that we consume through exercise. But in reality, most people do not achieve or sustain weight loss, no matter what method they try.

BSection III Writing/B

Directions:Writeanessaybasedonthechart.Inyourwriting,youshould1)interpretthechart,and2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150words.

Advancing age means losing your hair, your waistline and your memory, right? Dana Denis is just 40 years old, but【C1】______ she's worried about what she calls "my rolling mental blackouts. " "I try to remember something and I just blank out," she says. You may【C2】______ about these lapses, calling them " senior moments " or blaming " early Alzheimer's (老年痴呆症) ". Is it an inescapable fact that the older you get, the【C3】______ you remember? Well, sort of. But as time goes by, we tend to blame age【C4】______ problems that are not necessarily age-related. "When a teenager can't find her keys, she thinks it's because she's distracted or disorganized," says Paul Gold. "A 70-year-old blames her【C5】______ " In fact, the 70-year-old may have been【C6】______ things for decades. In healthy people, memory doesn't worsen as【C7】______ as many of us think. "As we【C8】______ , the memory mechanism isn't【C9】______ ," says psychologist Fergus Craik. "It's just inefficient." The brain's processing【C10】______ slows down over the years, though no one knows exactly【C11】______ Recent research suggests that nerve cells lose efficiency and【C12】______ there's less activity in the brain. But, cautions Barry Gordon, "It's not clear that less activity is【C13】______ A beginning athlete is winded (气喘吁吁) more easily than a【C14】______ athlete. In the same way,【C15】______ the brain gets more skilled at a task, it expends less energy on it. " There are【C16】______ you can take to compensate for normal slippage in your memory gears, though it【C17】______ effort. Margaret Sewell says: "We're a quick-fix culture, but you have to【C18】______ to keep your brain【C19】______ shape. It's like having a good body. You can't go to the gym once a year【C20】______ expect to stay in top form."

Directions:Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingchart.Inyourwriting,youshould1)describethechart,and2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150wordsonANSWERSHEET2.(15points)