1 . Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching one has been the inevitable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage.

It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once considered suitable for publication in general-circulation dailies.

We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament (装饰) to the publications in which it appeared. In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviewers who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. These men believed in journalism as a calling, and were proud to be published in the daily press. “So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are’.”

Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917 until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of essays on the game of cricket. During his lifetime, though, he was also one of England’s foremost classical-music critics, a stylist so widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of writings on music is unknown save to specialists.

Is there any chance that Cardus’s criticism will enjoy a revival? The prospect seems remote. Journalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern readers have little use for the richly upholstered Vicwardian prose in which he specialized. Moreover, the amateur tradition in music criticism has been in headlong retreat.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the first two paragraphs?

A．English-language newspapers with more arts coverage sell well.

B．Young readers nowadays enjoy reading high-quality arts criticism.

C．The criticism published in the 20th century lacked learned contents.

D．There were more arts reviews in English-language newspapers in the past.

2. Based on the third paragraph, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The newsprint was too cheap to make profits.

B．Not all writers were capable of journalistic writing.

C．Arts criticism was removed from the print newspapers.

D．Writers are likely to be tempted into journalism.

3. Why was Cardus’s criticism no longer popular?

A．Because he mainly wrote essays on the game of cricket.

B．Because people cast doubt on his reputation as a knight.

C．Because his music criticism failed to appeal to readers nowadays.

D．Because his works were quite amateur rather than professional.

4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A．The Distinguished Critics in Memory	B．The Lost Horizon in Newspapers
C．The Shortage of Literary Geniuses	D．The Newspapers of the Good Old Days

3 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the following passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

With the arrival of the age of “information economy”, intellectual work is becoming a more important source of wealth than manufacturing. Organizations in all walks of life are doing more to spread their information. So people of the Public Relations are hired to speak for them. A lot of our news is actually collected from press releases and reports of events intentionally staged for journalists. In the information age, journalists spend their time, not investigating, but passing on the words of a spokesperson.

There is a joke in the novel Scoop about the newspaper's owner, Lord Copper. The editors can never disagree with him. When he's right about something they answer “definitely”, and when he's wrong they say “to some extent, Lord Copper.” It seems reasonable to suppose that, in the real world, the opinions of such powerful people still influence the journalists and editors who work for them.

In countries where the news is not officially controlled, it may be provided by commercial organizations who depend on advertising. The news has to attract viewers and maintain its audience ratings. I suspect that some stories get air-time just because there happen to be exciting pictures to show.

There is an argument that with spreading access to the Internet and cheap technology for recording sound and images we will all be able to find exactly the information we want. People around the world will be able to publish their own eye-witness accounts and compete with the widely-accepted news-gatherers on equal terms.

Maybe the time has come to do something about it, and I don't just mean changing your choice of TV channel or newspaper. In a world where everyone wants you to listen to their version, you only have two choices: switch off altogether or start looking for sources you can trust.

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4 . 为了丰富同学们的课外活动，校学生会决定成立一个自行车俱乐部（cycling club）。假如你是学生会主席，请根据以下提示，用英语准备一份书面通知。
1. 俱乐部的主要活动内容：每周一次的基础训练，有教师辅导，安排在课外体育活动时间；
2. 参加俱乐部的好处（内容自拟，至少两点）；
3. 注意事项：器材自备，活动免费；
4. 如何加入俱乐部：9 月 20 号前到 5 号大楼 6 层 602 房间报名。
注意：
1. 通知应包括以上所有信息，可适当发挥；
2. 词数 100 左右。
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5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What kinds of stories can be heard in the program Talk Face-to-Face?

A．Stories about different countries.

B．Stories about people’s work and life.

C．Stories about making money.

2. When is the program Sport News?

A．At 6:00 p.m.

B．At 6:40 p.m.

C．At 7:40 p.m.

3. Which program is the most popular?

A．Talk Face-to-Face.

B．Beijing News.

C．Tell Me Your Problems.

4. Who will come to the program Talk Show?

A．Some children.

B．Famous writers.

C．Some stars.

6 . 广告在现代生活中随处可见，利弊明显。一方面，广告提供信息，促销产品。另一方面，广告有时具有欺骗性，误导消费者。请以The Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertisements为题，写一篇100词左右的英语文章。
注意：1．文章的开头已给出，不计入总词数；

2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：直观地visually控告accuse误导mislead

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertisements

The ad is around us every day and everywhere with its apparent advantages and disadvantages. We are involved in it, experiencing its good and bad sides.

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7 . Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium (水族馆)

The all-new Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, situated in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, is one of Victoria’s leading visitor attractions and an unforgettable outing for the whole family. Having 12 amazing zones of discovery, Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is the very place that you cannot miss when you visit the city.

* Opening Times

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is open from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm every day of the year, including public holidays. Last admission is at 5:00 pm, one hour before closing.

* Location

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is located on the comer of Flinders Street and King Street, Melbourne. It is situated on the Yarra River, opposite Crown Entertainment Complex.

* Getting to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium

Train

The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a short walk from either Flinders or Southern Cross train stations.

Tram

The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium tram stop is located on the free City Circle Tram route and also routes 70 and 75. City Circle trams run every 10 minutes in both directions.

Shuttle Bus

The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a free bus service, stopping at key tourist attractions in and around the City. Running daily, every 15 minutes from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

* Car Parking

While there is no public car parking at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, there are several public car parking lots available only a short walk away.

* Wheelchair Access

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium provides people in wheelchairs with full access to all 12 zones. Each floor also has wheelchair accessible toilets.

* Terms

Tickets will be emailed to you immediately after purchase or you can download and print your ticket once payment has been accepted. Please print out all tickets purchased and present at the front entrance of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. No ticket, no entry!

1. Which of the following about Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is true?

A．It is beside Crown Entertainment Complex.

B．It has 12 most attractive places in Melbourne.

C．It admits visitors from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm.

D．It is situated at the center of the CBD in the city.

2. To get to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, what traffic can visitors take?

A．trains from southern Cross train station	B．either tram route 70 or 75
C．boats across the Yarra River	D．shuttle buses around the train station

3. Tickets to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium       .

A．are free to all visitors	B．can be purchased only by email
C．are checked at the entrance	D．can be printed at the ticket office