27. A. site 28. A. state 29. A. thinks 30. A. For instance 31. A. in time 32. A. Since 33. A. amount 34. A. However 35. A. greatly 36. A. live 37. A. Until

B. spot B. stage B. reckons B. As a result B. in part B. Because B. account B. Whatever B. handsomely B. living B. Unless

C. location C. start C. considers C. In brief C. in case C. As for C. accord C. Whenever C. meaningfully C. alive C. Whether C. revenues C. chances C. tempting

D. place D. sponsor D. calculates D. On the whole D. in common D. Because of D. acclaim D. Wherever D. significantly D. lively D. Once D. returns D. circumstances D. feasible

38. A. incomes B. interests 39. A. cases 40. A. safe

B. conditions B. risky

Section Ⅲ Reading Comprehension

Directions: There are four passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C, and D. You should decide on the best choice and blacken the corresponding letter on ANSWER SHEET 1 . (40 points) Questions 41 to 45 are based on the following passage:

Last weekend Kyle MacDonald in Montreal threw a party to celebrate the fact that he got his new home in exchange for a red paper clip. Starting a year ago, MacDonald bartered the clip for increasingly valuable stuff, including a camp stove and free rent in a Phoenix flat. Having announced his aim (the house) in advance, MacDonald likely got a boost from techies eager to see the Internet pass this daring test of its networking power. “My whole motto (座右铭) was ‘Start small, think big, and have fun’, ” says MacDonald, 26, “I really kept my effort on the creative side rather than the business side. ”

Yet as odd as the MacDonald exchange was, barter is now big business on the Net. This year more than 400,000 companies worldwide will exchange some $10 billion worth of goods and services on a growing number of barter sites. These Web sites allow companies to trade products for a virtual currency, which they can use to buy goods from other members. In Iceland, garment-maker Kapusalan sells a third of its output on the booming Vidskiptanetid exchange, earning virtual money that it uses to buy machinery and pay part of employee salaries. The Troc-services exchange in

France offers more than 4,600 services, from math lessons to ironing.

This is not a primitive barter system. By creating currencies, the Internet removes a major barrier—what Bob Meyer, publisher of BarterNews, calls “the double coincidence of wants.” That is, two parties once not only had to find each other, but also an exchange of goods that both desired. Now, they can price the deal in virtual currency.

Barter also helps firms make use of idle capacity. For example, advertising is “hugely bartered” because many media, particularly on the Web can supply new ad space at little cost. Moreover, Internet ads don’t register in industry-growth statistics, because many exchanges are arranged outside the formal exchanges.

Like eBay, most barter sites allow members to “grade” trading partners for honesty quality and so on.. Barter exchanges can allow firms in countries with hyperinflation or nontradable currencies to enter global trades. Next year, a nonprofit exchange called Quick Lift Two (QL2) plans to open in Nairobi, offering barter deals to 38,000 Kenyan farmers in remote areas. Two small planes will deliver the goods. QL2 director Gacii Waciuma says the farmers are excited to be “liberated from corrupt middlemen.” For them, barter evokes a bright future, not a precapitalist past. 41. The word “techies” (Line 4, Para 1) probably refers to those who are ＿＿＿.

A. afraid of technology B. skilled in technology C. ignorant of technology D. incompetent in technology 42. Many people may have deliberately helped Kyle because they ＿＿＿. A. were impressed by his creativity B. were eager to identify with his motto C. liked his goal announced in advance D. hoped to prove the power of the Internet 43. The Internet barter system relies heavily on ＿＿＿.

A. the size of barter sties B. the use of virtual currency

C. the quality of goods or services D. the location of trading companies] 44. It is implies that Internet advertisements can help ＿＿＿.

A. companies make more profit B. companies do formal exchanges C. media register in statistics D. media grade barter sites 45. Which of the follow is true of QL2 according to the author?

A. It is criticized for doing business in a primitive way. B. It aims to deal with hyperinflation in some countries. C. It helps get rid of middlemen in trade and exchange. D. It is intended to evaluate the performance of trading partners. Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage:

The lives of very few Newark residents are untouched by violence: New Jersey’s biggest city has seen it all. Yet the murder of three young people, who were forced to kneel before being shot in the back of the head in a school playground on August 4th, has shaken the city. A fourth, who survived, was stabbed and shot in the face. The four victims were by all

accounts good kids, all enrolled in college, all with a future. But the cruel murder, it seems, has at last forced Newarkers to say they have had enough.

Grassroots organizations, like Stop Shooting, have been flooded with offers of help and support since the killings. Yusef Ismail, its co-founder, says the group has been going door-to-door asking people to sign a pledge of non-violence. They hope to get 50,000 to promise to “stop shooting, start thinking, and keep living.” The Newark Community Foundation, which was launched last month, announced on August 14th that it will help pay for Community Eye, a surveillance(监视) system tailored towards gun crime.

Cory Booker who became mayor 13 months ago with a mission to revitalize the city , believes the surveillance program will be the largest camera and audio network in any American city. More than 30 cameras were installed earlier this summer and a further 50 will be installed soon in a seven-square mile area where 80% of the city’s recent shootings have occurred. And more cameras are planned.

When a gunshot is detected, the surveillance camera zooms in on that spot. Similar technology in Chicago has increased arrests and decreased shootings. Mr. Booker plans to announce a comprehensive gun strategy later this week. Mr. Booker, as well as church leaders and others, believes(or hopes)that after the murder the city will no longer stand by in coldness. For generations, Newark has been paralyzed by poverty ----almost one in three people lives below the poverty line----and growing indifference to crime.

Some are skeptical .Steve Malanga of the conservative Manhattan Institute notes that Newark has deep social problems: over 60% of children are in homes without fathers. The school system, taken over by the state in 1995, is a mess. But there is also some cause for hope. Since Mr. Booker was elected, there has been a rise in investment and re-zoning for development. Only around 7% of nearby Newark airport workers used to come from Newark; now, a year, the figure is 30%.Mr Booker has launched a New York-style war on crime. So far this year, crime has fallen 11% and shootings are down 30 %( through the murder rate looks likely to match last year’s high). 46. What happened in Newark, New Jersey on August 4th?

A. The Newark residents witnessed a murder. B. Four young people were killed in a school playground. C. The new mayor of Newark took office. D. Four college students fell victim to violence. 47. Judging from the context, the “Community Eye”(Line5,Para 2)is_____

A. a watching system for gun crime B. a neighborhood protection organization C. an unprofitable community business D. a grassroots organization 48.We learn from the passage that Newark has all the following problems EXCEPT_____ A. violence B. flood C. poverty D. indifference

49. Mayor Booker’s effort against crime seem to be ______

A. idealistic B. impractical C. effective D. fruitless 50. The best title for the passage may be _____

A. Stop Shooting, Start Thinking, and Keep Living B. Efforts to Fight against Gun Crimes C. A Mission to Revitalize the City D. Violent Murders in Newark Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage:

According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection.

With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship.

The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ”escape fund”.

Margaret’s story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings.

Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension.

Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he’d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn’t sure of the marriage.” He’d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure.” Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money.

Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ”I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day.”

“When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have