A

BEIJING—Family planning officers will handle the illegal birth case of film director Zhang Yimou by following legal procedures, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, December 10, 2013.

When asked to comment on Zhang’s case at a press conference, Yao Hongwen, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission(NHFPC), said “Every citizen is equal before the law and nobody is allowed to have privileges（特权）to give birth to more children than allowed.”

Yao’s comment came after media stories claimed that Zhang had remarried and fathered a total of seven children: one with his former wife, three with his present wife, Chen Ting, and another three from two lovers.

“The NHFPC’s attitude towards citizens’ birth violations（违法）is consistent and clear. Every Chinese citizen should obey and safeguard the seriousness of laws and regulations.” NHFPC spokesman Yao Hongwen said.

China’s family planning policy, introduced in the late 1970s to slow down the country’s growing population, limits most urban couples to one child and most rural couples to two. The policy was recently relaxed, allowing couples to have two children if one of them is an only child.

Those who break the policy face severe fines. The amount of the fine is generally several times the yearly annual income of the two spouses（配偶）. Some media calculations put the fine that Zhang may face at as much as 160 million yuan(over $26 million).

Zhang’s birth case has caused criticism online about famous people who have more children than the policy allows.

In an open letter on December 1, Zhang admitted that the couple has two sons and daughter and they are willing to accept investigation and punishment according to China’s laws and regulations. He apologized to the public.

However, the letter denied that Zhang had lovers and was father to as many as seven children from various mothers.

Zhang, one of the “fifth generation” of Chinese filmmakers, made his first directorial work in 1987 with “Red Sorghum” and has won a number of award worldwide. He was chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games.

21. The purpose of the news report is to ______________

A. inform us that Zhang’s illegal birth case will be dealt with by the government

B. claim that Zhang Yimou remarried and fathered a total of seven children

C. convince us that Zhang is a famous director and his case will be pardoned

D. confirm that Zhang’s illegal birth case has resulted in lots of criticism online

22. According to Yao Hongwen, which of the following statements is true?

A. Zhang will be fined as much as 160 million yuan for his violations.

B. Few people have the privileges to give birth to more children than allowed.

C. China’s family planning policy has never been relaxed since introduced.

D. Every Chinese citizen should obey and safeguard laws and regulations.

23. Judging from the recent relaxed policy, a couple_______________

A. can give birth to two children if one of them is an only child

B. will definitely be fined if they have two children nowadays

C. can have as many as three children if they live in a rural area

D. can only give birth to two children if they live in an urban area

B

We live in a sweet world. The average American kid consumes more than 20 teaspoons of sugar per day, and adults eat 50% more sugar today than they did in the 1970s. We all know that too much sugar isn’t good for you. But did we know it could be dangerous? A team of researchers at the University of Utah used mice to conduct a study on the negative effects of sugar. They found it could have serious effects on people’s health.

Sugar is found not only in sweets and candies, but also in many household items like pasta and crackers.

During the 58-week-long study, mice were fed a diet containing 25% more sugar. This percentage equals a healthy human diet along with three cans of soda daily. The team found that these mice were twice as likely to die as mice fed a similar diet without the sugar. Though the mice did not show signs of obesity or high blood pressure, male mice were 26% less territorial and produced 25% fewer offspring than the other mice.

Scientists often use mice for research because they have a similar genetic（基因） structure to humans. “Since most substances that are dangerous in mice are also dangerous in people, it’s likely that those physical problems that cause those mice to have increased deaths also work in people,” says study author James Ruff of the University of Utah. Findings from this study reveal negative effects that are not as noticeable as weight gain or heart problems. Sugar can contribute to long-term changes in the body that can change development and even shorten lives.

Cutting sugar out of the American diet altogether may be difficult. But making the effort to control our nation’s sugar desire will provide for a truly sweeter future.

24. The study conducted by researchers aimed at learning about________

A. the advantages and disadvantages of sugar

B. the negative effects of sugar on people’s health

C. the genetic structure of mice

D. American’s diet

25. According to the study, which of the following statements is wrong?

A. Sugar can even shorten lives.

B. Sugar’s negative effects are not noticeable.

C. Mice are more likely to diet when fed a diet containing 25% more sugar.

D. Eating much more sugar can make mice put on weight and get high blood pressure.

26. From the passage we can infer_______

A. sugar plays a very important role in Americans’ diet

B. kids consume more sugar than adults in America

C. the study on human beings lasted 58 weeks

D. the genetic structure of mice is totally different from that of people

27. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Living a sweet life B. Kids consume much more sugar

C. Genetic structure of humans D. Danger of sugar

C

Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, was born in Kingfish, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. He was raised in Missouri where he worked in his father’s store while attending school. This was his first retailing (零售业) experience and he really enjoyed it. After graduation, he began his own career as a retail merchant.

He soon opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart specialized in name brands at low prices and Sam Walton was surprised at the success. Soon a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America.

Walton's management style was popular with employees and he founded some of the basic concepts of management that are still in use today.

After taking the company public in 1970, Walton introduced his “profit sharing plan”. The profit sharing plan was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to improve their income dependent on the profits of the store. Sam Walton believed that “individuals don't win, teams do”. Employees at Wal-Mart stores were offered stock options (认股权) and store discounts. These benefits are commonplace today, but Walton was among the first to implement (实现) them. Walton believed that a happy employee meant happy customers and more sales. He also believed that by giving employees a part of the company and making their success dependent on the company’s success, they would care about the company.

By the 1980s, Wal-Mart had sales of over one billion dollars and over three hundred stores across North America. Wal-Mart’s unique decentralized (分散的) distribution system, also Walton’s idea, created the edge needed to further encourage growth in the 1980s during growing complaints that the “superstore” was stopping smaller and traditional stores from developing. By 1991, Wal-Mart was the largest US retailer with 1,700 stores. Walton remained active in managing the company, as president and CEO until 1988 and chairman until his death. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death.

28. Sam Walton first made a hit in retailing when __________.

A. he worked in his father’s store

B. he created Walton's management style

C. a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America

D. he specialized in name brands at low prices

29. What is the purpose of Walton’s carrying out “profit sharing plan”?

A. To make sure all the employees had their own shares.

B. To encourage the employees to work hard and make joint efforts.

C. To select excellent employees for his stores.

D. To make more profit for himself.

30. Which of the statements is TRUE?

A. With Walton’s management style, employees treated the stores as their own.

B. Walton wasn’t one of the merchants who first implemented stock options.

C. The smaller and traditional stores were well affected by Walton’s stores.

D. In his old age, Walton gave all the management to his men.

31. What does the underlined word “edge” in the last paragraph mean here?

A. Danger. B. Disadvantage. C. Advantage. D. System.

D

Most children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones. They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. Some are shy “in real life” but are confident to communicate with others online; others find support from people of their own age on relationship issues, or problems at home.

Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can introduce problems, such as arguments. Going online is great fun, but there are also a few people who use the Internet for offensive (冒犯性的) or illegal aims. Children must be made aware of both the good things and the dangers.

To keep children safe your management must cover the family computer. Just as you decide which TV programs are suitable, you need to do the same for the websites and chat rooms your children visit. Remind your children that online friends are still strangers. Reminding them of the risks will keep them alert (警惕).

Computer studies are part of schoolwork now, so it’s like