单选题Speaker A: Aren’t you excited about your new job?Speaker B: ____, but it’s too demanding. A．It’s OK. B．I am fine. C．Sure I am. D．I think so.

单选题Woman: I don"t think it"s a good idea to discuss our problem with your sister. Man: I feel it"s done me good to get it off my chest. Question: What does the man mean?

单选题M: Maria, I want you to have all my laundry ready by the time I get home. W: You must be kidding! Question: What does the woman mean? A. She doesn't understand the man's request. B. She thanks the man for his kindness. C. She must get the laundry ready. D. She will not have the man's laundry ready.

单选题{{B}}Passage One{{/B}} Who to believe? Nokia or Ericsson? IBM or Sun Microsystems? Microsoft or Siebel? Rarely have the fortunes of technology companies appeared to differ so widely. Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile phones, this week reported better-than-expected sales for the latest quarter, holding out the prospect that its market share would soon reach new highs. By contrast, Ericsson, a rival, was full of gloom.' Reporting bigger losses than expected, the company said that sales of its mobile phones were likely to tumble by 20%this year. Motorola, another maker of mobile phones, is in a similar boat. On October 15th, the company reported a return to profit in its most recent period after a run of losses, but lowered its forecasts for the rest of the year and for 2003．Demand in wireless, broadband and semiconductors continued to slow, said the company. Unimpressed, investors marked down Motorola's shares to a ten-year low. The pattern of haves and have-nots is repeated in software too. While Microsoft was in chipper mood this week—revelling in a 26%crease in sales and a doubling of its profits after tax for the quarter to the end of September—Siebel Systems and PeopleSoft, two of America's leading suppliers of business software, were down in the dumps. While PeopleSoft managed a modest profit, Siebel reported a loss for the last quarter and said it expected the present quarter to be equally tough. Despite (or because of) their contrasting fortunes, Microsoft and Siebel announced a joint marketing deal on October 21st: Microsoft is to sell Siebel's customer management software through. NET, its web-services product. Why are some companies doing better than others? One reason is that, now more than ever, those that are competitive seem to be punishing those that are not. Nokia has stretched its lead over Ericsson which, in addition to lower sales of mobile phones, has suffered from the severe fall in demand for telecoms infrastructure, its biggest business. There was, however, some good news for Ericsson's shares on October 18th , when the company said that the infrastructure unit came close to breaking even in the most recent quarter. Cost-cutting has also helped SAP, Europe's largest developer of business software, has reduced its expenses by 8%. As a result, its margins have improved a lot compared with those of its competitors. Microsoft has employed different tactics. It has capitalized on customers' fears that the cost of upgrading their software, such as the company's Windows XP operating system, could climb．Many have rushed to buy now in case prices rise. In tune with the times, Microsoft is also keen to demonstrate how its products can save its customers money. Understandably, this is winning its sales.

单选题______ from space, our earth, with water covering 70% of its surface, appears a "blue planet". A. Seen B. Seeing C. To be seen D. Having seen

单选题Speaker A: Sorry for being late. You see, I was held up by the traffic. Speaker B:______

单选题Man: Can I borrow your maths textbook? I lost mine on the bus. Woman: You've asked the right person. I happen to have an extra copy. Question: What does the woman mean? A. She can find the right person to help the man. B. She can help the man out. C. She's also in need of a textbook. D. She picked up the book from the bus floor.

单选题It shows how economic and social and, above all, political changes have played their part, so that, correctly ______, the postage stamp in which millions of people, young and old, find pleasure, knowledge and even profit, has always been a faithful mirror of the. times.

单选题M: Hi. Melissa, how's your project going? Have you thought about going to graduate school? Perhaps you can get into Harvard.W: Everything is coming along really well. I have been thinking about graduate school. But I'll talk to my tutor Dr. Garcia first and see what she thinks.Q: What do we learn about the woman from the conversation? A. She has been longing to attend Harvard University. B. She'll consider the man's suggestion carefully. C. She has finished her project with Dr.Garcia's help. D. She'll consult Dr.Garcia about entering graduate school.

单选题Woman: We heard about you and Julie! Man: You mean about our engagement? Who"s got the big mouth? Question: What does the man imply about his engagement to Julie?

单选题Woman: The people next door are making so much noise. I just can't concentrate, Tom. Man: Why didn't you stay at the library? It was much quieter there. Question: What does Tom mean? A. The woman should have complained to her neighbor. B. The woman should stay out until the neighbors are quiet. C. The woman should have stayed at the library. D. The lab will be a better place for reading.

单选题The budget is unrealistic ______ it disregards increased costs.

单选题You did tell me what to do. If only I ______ your advice! A. would take B. took C. have taken D. had taken

单选题Man: I'm frustrated. We're supposed to do our assignment on the computer, but I have difficulty getting access to the computers in the library. Woman: I understand the way you feel. I'm looking forward to the day when I can afford to get my own. Question: What does the woman mean? A. She can't finish her assignment, either. B. She can't afford a computer right now. C. The man can use her computer. D. The man should buy a computer right away.

单选题The managing director took the ______ for the accident, although it was not really his fault. A. guilt B. charge C. blame D. accusation

单选题Man: Betty is always complaining about her son. Woman: She should take care of my three teenage boys and see what it's like. Question: What does the woman mean? A. Betty's life is easy compared with her own. B. Betty has a more difficult life than she does. C. Betty would like to take care of the three boys. D. Taking care of her three teenage sons is easy.

单选题Woman: I want to talk with Tom now.Man: You can't do that. He is in a bad mood.Question: Why can't the woman talk to Tom now?

单选题{{B}}Passage Two{{/B}} Britain's emissions of greenhouse gases, blamed by many scientists for contributing to global warming, have fallen by 14 percent since 1990, according to the latest government report. British lakes and rivers are also on the road to recovery from acid rain poisoning, following successful curbs to air pollution from cars and heavy industry. The report by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) attributed the drop in greenhouse gas emissions to several factors including: the introduction of catalytic converters on cars, a move toward low sulphur and lead-free petrol and a switch to gas from coal and oil in power generation. Environment Minister Michael Meacher said the downward trend was welcome, but warned of complacency. "Even though these figures are encouraging, we must not be complacent. There are still significant problems where we need to do more, for example, to further reduce greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants (污染物) such as ammonia and particulate matter," he said in a statement. The government has a target to cut greenhouse gases by 23 percent by 2010 on 1990 levels. This is almost double the target of 12.5 percent to which the UK is committed under the Kyoto Protocol and there are signs that emissions are rising as generators return to using coal-fired power stations in the face of rising natural gas prices. The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said substantial curbs on sulphur dioxide emissions across the UK and Europe had cut acid rain by half over the last 12 years. "Damaged freshwater lakes and streams are showing signs of recovery," it said. But DEFRA warned of a new threat. "Nitrogen oxides and ammonia are the main air pollutants that must be tackled to stop future damage. " The bulk of Britain's ammonia emissions come from farm animal manure (粪肥), causing over-enrichment of land and waterways, said the report. Certain species rampage unchecked through this ultra-fertile environment, smothering the slower growing plants beneath them and choking streams and rivers. Nitrogen oxides enter the atmosphere from car exhausts and industry, creating health-damaging ozone and contributing to acid rain.

单选题Woman: I don't agree with Mr. Johnson on his views about social welfare. He seems to suggest that the poor are robbing the rich. Man: He might have used better words to express his ideas. But I find what he said makes a lot of sense. Question: What does the man mean? A. Mr. Johnson's ideas are nonsense. B. He quite agrees with Mr. Johnson's views. C. Mr. Johnson is good at expressing his ideas. D. He shares the woman's views on social welfare.

单选题Speaker A: What's the rate for sending a package of books surface mail to Japan?Speaker B: ______