China's economic growth 'hard to predict'
The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday.
“How fast China’s economy will grow next year is uncertain,” Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily.
“To a large extent, the rate will be decided by the external（外部的）situation,” Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing.
This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year, he said. However, the impact of the current financial turbulence “on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world”, he said.
Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world.
“We don’t know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short,” he said.
Liu said China can use the downturn（衰退）as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years.
“When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies,” Liu said.
“The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance（提高）their competitive edge through better technologies.”
From China Daily
2008-10-25
1.How many people are mentioned in this passage?
A. only 2 B. no more than 3 C. not more than 4 D. at least 5
2.It can be inferred from Liu’s words that the impact of the current financial turbulence on China’s economy is ________ in the world.
A. more B. less C. the most D. the least
3.The underlined word “extent” probably means ________.
A. sense B. degree C. size D. depth
4.According to the passage, the reason why Liu said this downturn is an opportunity for China to restructure its economy is that ________.
A. China’s economy will not depend on government investment in the future
B. Foreign trade will grow in the future
C. The downturn will force China’s companies to upgrade their technologies
D. Low-cost technologies will not exist in China
1.Showcase your grades. Grades are still important to potential employers.
2. Get out into the real world. An internship or part-time co-op job tells employers that you have already experienced a real–world work environment and know what to expect.
3. Communicate well with others. No matter what career path you choose to follow—from nurse to computer programmer—you have to have solid written and oral communication skills to get a job.
4. Network, network, network. Most graduates land jobs through people they know—not by answering newspaper ads. So, make a list of your own contacts, such as professors, family and friends, and add to it by attending career fairs and other professional associations and activities.
5. Be computer literate. It is the information age—you need to be able to show solid computer literacy that is related to your field.
6. Put your best resume (简历) forward. A resume should be a short and clear, error-free, reader-friendly, one-page document that can be easily looked through.
7. Research. Take the time to learn about the company you are targeting by visiting its Website or researching the company at the library.
8. Use examples. Using detailed examples from school and internships to answer questions about your experiences and paint a clearer picture of your strengths and skills for the employer.
9. Smile! It is hard to smile when you are on the hot seat—but a smile during an interview shows enthusiasm for the position and the company. Potential (潜在的) employers might interpret a non-smiling face as a lack of interest.
10. Show your thanks. A thank-you note following a phone or a face-to-face interview reinforces your interest in the position and the company.
1.If you , you cannot give the potential employers a good impression.
A. make a list of your contacts B. prepare a fine resume
C. show enthusiasm D. write a thank-you note
2.What does “you are on the hot seat” probably mean?
A. The seat is very hot. B. You are in a difficult situation.
C. Nobody else is helping you. D. Everybody else is laughing at you.
3.We can infer from the passage that .
A. It is hard to find a job if you can not write well and communicate well.
B. You have to be an expert on computer to get a job.
C. It is not necessary to visit the Web site of the company you are interested in.
D. A resume can be a several-page document if you have a lot to show to the company.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. You can get a good job if you have good network.
B. The ability to get a good job.
C. Tips for landing a job.
D. How to communicate with potential employers.
As we have seen, the focus of medical care in our society has been shifting from curing disease to preventing disease—especially in terms of changing our many unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits, smoking, and failure to exercise. The line of thought involved in this shift can be pursued further. Imagine a person who is about the right weight, but does not eat very nutritious foods, who feels OK but exercises only occasionally, who goes to work every day, but is not an outstanding worker, who drinks a few beers at home most nights but does not drive while drunk, and who has no chest pains or abnormal blood counts, but sleeps a lot and often feels tired. This person is not ill. He may not even be at risk for any particular disease. But we can imagine that this person could be a lot healthier.
The field of medicine has not traditionally distinguished between someone who is merely “not ill” and someone who is in excellent health and pays attention to the body’s special needs. Both types have simply been called “well.” In recent years, however, some health specialists have begun to apply the terms “well” and “wellness” only to those who are actively striving to maintain and improve their health. People who are well are concerned with nutrition and exercise, and they make a point of monitoring their body’s condition. Most important, perhaps, people who are well take active responsibility for all matters related to their health. Even people who have a physical disease or handicap (缺陷) may be “well,” In this new sense, if they make an effort to maintain the best possible health they can in the face of their physical limitations. “Wellness” may perhaps best be viewed not as a state that people can achieve, but as an ideal that people can strive for. People who are well are likely to be better able to resist disease and to fight disease when it strikes. And by focusing attention on healthy ways of living, the concept of wellness can have a beneficial impact on the ways in which people face the challenges of daily life.
1.Today medical care is placing more stress on ________.
A. removing people’s bad living habits
B. monitoring patients’ body functions
C. keeping people in a healthy physical condition
D. ensuring people’s psychological well-being
2.In the first paragraph, people are reminded that ________.
A. good health is more than not being ill
B. drinking, even if not to excess, could be harmful
C. regular health checks are essential to keeping fit
D. prevention is more difficult than cure
3.Traditionally, a person is considered “well” if he ________.
A. does not have any unhealthy living habits
B. does not have any physical handicaps
C. is able to handle his daily routines
D. is free from any kind of disease
4.According to what the author advocates, which of the following groups of people would be considered healthy?
A. People who have strong muscles as well as slim figures.
B. People who are not presently experiencing any symptoms of disease.
C. People who try to be as healthy as possible, regardless of their limitations.
D. People who can recover from illness even without seeking medical care.
Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word "critical" here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking out view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen - beyond the picture on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher - order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today's world: fast food, instant coffee, and self- developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first thing Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein. Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, "Please go slowly, I don't understand things quickly,"
1.Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically, ____.
A. it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast
B. we might be controlled by other people's ideas
C. we will follow the ideas of others naturally
D. we might be fooled by other people's ideas
2.If you are a critical thinker, you will ____.
A. think deeply about different ideas B. trust the reports in the newspapers
C. take one view again another view D. criticize other people for their mistakes
3.In the last paragraph, "something new" suggests that ____.
A. the smarter you are, the faster you do things
B. the faster you do things, the smarter you become
C. speed can improve intelligence
D. intelligence is not decided by speed
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Thinking and Critical Thinking. B. Understanding Critical Thinking.
C. Thinking is Natural and Human. D. Thinking Past Means Intelligence
In the age of reality television, success isn’t the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.
Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled “The True Idol” on April 6.
The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” on the television show “American Idol 3”, on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act.
Hung’s response? “I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: The off-key singing. The blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high. The terrible dancing. The hips jerking (摇摆) to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad.
But, it was this very bad act that sold well.
Marc Juris, president of Fuse, explained it this way: “Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That’s what William did and immediately won the hearts of America.”
Whatever it is, for the moment it’s big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno-music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.
So, what does Hung think of this?
“There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn’t have much respect for me and some were kind of mean.”
Now he says he’s not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour (魅力) or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn’t been easy.
1.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.
B. Hung’s performance attracted the public eye.
C. How an unsuccessful person became famous.
D. Success sometimes does not require hard work.
2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to?
A. William Hung. B. Hung’s bad act.
C. Hung’s website. D. The public’s opinion.
3.Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?
a. The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.
b. The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.
c. Hung became popular among Americans.
d. Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.
e. Three websites put Hung’s funny performance on the Internet.
A. d, b, e, c, a B. a, c, d, b, e
C. a, d, b, c, e D. d, b, a, e, c
4.Why was Hung able to win the hearts of America?
A. His success was based on his own hard work.
B. He attracted people’s attention in the contest.
C. He was good-looking though he didn’t sing well.
D. His character was completely different from other idols’.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从题各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
I was having a bad week. Christmas was over and the weather was very cold. _1_ was piling up. Every teacher seemed to 2_lots of homework. I walked home in the 18-degree cold, 3_overwhelmed （压得喘不过气来） and a little sorry for myself. And then I 4him, a man obviously 5, pushing a shopping cart he no doubt “ 6” from a local supermarket. It probably held most of his earthly possessions, which 7a disheveled sleeping bag and a few bottles to be returned for a nickel （5分钱） 8. He stood miserably, clapping his hands and stomping his feet, 9this action would replace central heating.
And then I 10how close I was to home and 11, eventually, I would be warm and safe. It made me 12about how lucky I was that my primary focus was not warmth or 13, but academics. 14so I thought, I have a lot to be thankful for.
I began an alphabetic list of the things I should be thankful for, like April vacation, apple pie, and 15. My spirits 16as I remembered barbecues, babies and birthdays. How glad I was 17had caring teachers, and chicken wings. As I slid my key into the door, I realized that I had only 18the letter C. I felt warm and grateful. I told myself 19the next overwhelming day, I would remember to begin 20the letter D.
1.A. Schoolwork B. Housework C. Farm work D. Brain work
2.A. give B. receive C. offer D. prepare
3.A. to feel B. felt C. feeling D. felt
4.A. watched B. found C. met D. noticed
5.A. worthless B. careless C. homeless D. priceless
6.A. bought B. owed C. lent D. borrowed
7.A. includes B. including C. to include D. included
8.A. every B. each C. per D. any
9.A. as if B. even if C. what if D. only if
10.A. reminded B. realized C. noted D. thought
11.A. where B. when C. why D. how
12.A. talk B. care C. think D. worry
13.A. water B. food C. money D. cold
14.A. And B. But C. However D. While
15.A. agreement B. autumn C. access D. attitude
16.A. raised B. rising C. raising D. rose
17.A. having B. had C. to have D. to be
18.A. arrived B. got C. reached D. approached
19.A. that B. how C. what D. whether
20.A. from B. with C. to D. at
