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

52. 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

53. 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

54. The underlined word “extent” probably means ________.

  A. sense       B. degree           C. size               D. depth 

55. 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

When I was a child, our dining room had two kinds of chairs―two large ones with arm rests and four small ones without. The larger ones stood at the ends of the table, the smaller ones on the sides. Mom and Dad sat in the big chairs, except when one of us was away; then Mom would sit in one of the smaller chairs. Dad always sat at the end, at the “head” of the table. Sitting where he did, Dad was framed by the window through which the yard could be seen with its trees and grass. His chair was not just a place for him at the table; it was a place in which he was situated against the yard and trees. It was the holy (神圣的) and protected place that was his, and ours through him.

After Dad retired, he and Mom moved out into a small flat. When they came to visit me at their old house. Dad still sat at the end of the table though the table was no longer his but mine. Only with my marriage to Barbara, did I hear a voice questioning the arrangement. She requested, gently but firmly, that I sit at the head of the table in our home. I realized then that I was head of the family, but I also felt unwilling to introduce such a change. How would I feel sitting in that “head” place in my Dad’s presence? And how would he handle it? I was to find out on the occasion of our youngest child’s first birthday.

Mom and Dad arrived for lunch, and went into the dining room. Dad moved toward his usual seat in front of the window. Before he could get around the side of the table, I took a deep breath and said, “Dad, this is going to be your place, next to Mom, on the side.” He stopped, looked at me and then sat down. I felt sad, and angry at Barbara for pushing me to do this. It would have been easy to say, “My mistake, Dad. Sit where you always sit.” But I didn’t.

When he and Mom were seated, Barbara and I took our places. I don’t know how Dad felt. I do know that, though removed from his usual place, he continued to share his best self with us, telling stories of his childhood and youth to the delight of his grandchildren. As I served the food, our lives experienced a change, which we continue to live with.

It wasn’t easy, but I sense that there is also something good in the change which has occurred. I am beginning to learn that “honoring one’s father” is more than the question of which place to occupy at the dining table. It also means listening, wherever we sit and whatever positions we own, to the stories Dad longs to tell. We may then, during these magical moments, even be able to forget about whose chair is whose.

48. Where did the writer’s mother sit when one of the children was away?

       A. She didn’t change her chair.                    B. She moved her own chair next Dad’s.

       C. She moved to an empty chair on the side.   D. She sat opposite to Dad.

49. How did the writer feel when he told his father to sit on the side?

       A. He didn’t feel bad because his father was going to sit there anyway.

       B. He felt happy at having carded out the difficult task.

       C. He was thoroughly satisfied with the new seating arrangement.

       D. He regretted what he had done and wanted to blame his wife.

50. What happened during the meal after the family had all taken their new seats?

       A. The writer’s children removed their grandfather from his usual place.

       B. The writer’s father didn’t appear to mind where he sat.

       C. The writer’s father shared his favorite dishes with the grandchildren.

       D. They became tense and nervous about their future as a family.

51. What did the writer learn about “honoring one’s father”?

       A. Fathers always long to tell stories about their early years.

       B. Providing the fight chair is the only way to honor one’s father.

       C. Respect for one’s father doesn’t depend only on where he sits.

       D. The family should dine together at the same table as often as possible.

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 realworld 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 (簡(jiǎn)歷) 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 (潛在的) 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.

44. 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

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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.

An old man decided to write a letter to God:

Dear God,

I am nearing the end of my life. The doctors tell me I am dying of cancer and have a few months to live. In fact, as You know, throughout my entire life I’ve had nothing but bad luck. But no matter what You have inflicted (施加) on me, I have never lost my faith in You.

In return for this loyalty (忠誠(chéng)), I ask just one thing of you. Please prove Your existence to me by sending me $100 in cash, and I will die a happy man.

                                                        Yours insignificantly,

                                                           An Old Man

The letter arrived at the local post office where the employees noticed it was addressed To God: Heaven. They all knew the old man and, after reading the letter with tears in their eyes, took pity on him, ninety dollars was raised and posted to him. The old man was overjoyed and immediately wrote a “thank you” letter to God. The post office received the letter and all gathered around to read it.

Dear God,

I thank You with all my heart for taking time from Your busy schedule and answering my request…I am now a happy man.

                                                Yours (in the very near future),

                                                       An Old Man

P.S.  I only received $90 of the $100 I asked for. I bet those thieving bastards down at the post office pinched (偷取) the rest.

41. The old man believed that ______.

  A. God sent him $100 in cash.

  B. the post office employees sent him $100 in cash

  C. he would not die with getting $100

  D. the post office employees kept $90

42. What’s the meaning of the underlined word?

  A. joyless      B. extremely pleased        C. sad           D. uneasy

43. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

  A. The old man believed in God piously (虔誠(chéng)地).

  B. The post office employees were moved by the first letter of the old man.

  C. The post office employees didn’t feel joyful after reading the “thank you” letter.

  D. The old man needed $100 very much.

I was having a bad week. Christmas was over and the weather was very cold.  21   was piling up. Every teacher seemed to  22  lots of homework. I walked home in the 18-degree cold,  23  overwhelmed （壓得喘不過氣來） and a little sorry for myself. And then I  24  him, a man obviously  25 , pushing a shopping cart he no doubt “  26  ” from a local supermarket. It probably held most of his earthly possessions, which  27  a disheveled sleeping bag and a few bottles to be returned for a nickel （5分錢）  28 . He stood miserably, clapping his hands and stomping his feet,  29  this action would replace central heating.

And then I  30  how close I was to home and  31 , eventually, I would be warm and safe. It made me  32  about how lucky I was that my primary focus was not warmth or  33 , but academics.  34  so 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  35 . My spirits  36  as I remembered barbecues, babies and birthdays. How glad I was  37  had caring teachers, and chicken wings. As I slid my key into the door, I realized that I had only  38  the letter C. I felt warm and grateful. I told myself  39  the next overwhelming day, I would remember to begin  40  the letter D.

________ of the land in that county ________ covered with trees and grass.

A. Two fifth…is      B. Two fifth…are    C. Two fifths…is       D. Two fifths…are

Scarcely ________ his homework when she went out.

A. finished she       B. she had finished  C. did she finish         D. had she finished

 Martin borrowed a car from his brother and gave his friend Tim ________ ride to ________ center of the city.

A. /…a             B. the…a          C. a…the              D. /…the

 I tried to explain the matter to my mom, but she was so angry that she ________ listen.

A. couldn’t          B. wouldn’t        C. shouldn’t            D. might not

The residents, ________ had been damaged by the fire, were given help by the Red Cross.

A. all of their homes  B. all of whose homes  C. whose all homes    D. all their homes