London is the most expensive city in the world to live and rent a property (財產(chǎn)), while residents of Zurich can get the most for their (typically large) pay packets, according to research published today.
In a comparison of prices and earnings in 71 cities around the world, the Swiss banking giant ‘UBS’ found those living in London faced higher living costs than those in any other major capital.
When rents were excluded (剔除) from the calculations, those living in London fared slightly better, with the prices of common goods and services ranking third highest behind Oslo and Copenhagen.
Salaries in the two cities make up for the high cost of living: according to UBS ，Copenhagen has the highest wages before tax, and is closely followed by Oslo.
London only makes it to 10th on the list, after cities such as Dublin and Frankfurt.
Zurich ranks number three in terms of gross salary (毛收入), but when tax and other deductions have been made and net earnings are compared, the citizens of the Swiss city take home the most cash.
Zurich citizens also possess the highest purchasing power, UBS said, with workers having the most to spend for the hours they work.
The report said unstable exchange rates had pushed European countries up the cost-of-living rankings.
These include Dublin, which has seen rising living costs push it from the 13th most expensive city in which to live in 2005, to the fourth this year.
"Other cities known for their high prices have ceded (轉(zhuǎn)讓) their places," the report said.
"The US dollar's sharp decline in value — at the time of our editorial deadline, down almost 18% against the euro since our last survey — has made New York a much more affordable place for European shoppers.
"London is now 26% more expensive."
65. What makes London the most expensive city to live in?
A. The cost of rent. B. The cost of goods.
C. The cost of services. D. Low salaries.
66 Which city has the highest wages before tax?
A. London. B. Dublin. C. Oslo. D. Copenhagen.
67. Where is Dublin on the cost-of-living rankings?
A. 13th. B. 10th. C. 4th. D. 1st.
68. What has made New York more affordable?
A. The US Dollar’s rise in value.
B. The US Dollar’s fall in value.
C. A 26% rise in the value of the Pound Sterling.
D. A 26% fall in the value of the Pound Sterling.
（C）
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（偶像）” on April 6.
The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version（改寫本）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 was “I already did my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s good, because any common person would have plenty to regret: the off-key singing, the blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high, the terrible dancing, the hips jerking（搖擺）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 this 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 show 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.
69. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.
B. Returning to normal isn’t easy.
C. How an unsuccessful person became famous.
D. Success sometimes does not require hard work.
70. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 6 refer to?
A. William Hung. B. Hung’s bad act.
C. Hung’s website. D. The public’s opinion.
71.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.
A. dbca B. acdb C. adbc D. dbac
72. 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 before the contest.
C. He was good-looking though he didn’t sing well.
D. He developed his own special manner of performance.
(D)
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD,has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops .
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting（起訴）,said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms.
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that .
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this ,” Miss Duff said . “She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it . She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”
Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50, and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have.”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK.
73.What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things .
B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops .
C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops.
D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions.
74．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting”
used in the passage?
A．Carrying goods in a lift for a shop.
B．Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet .
C．Selecting some goods from a display.
D．Taking goods from a shop without paying.
75.From the passage we can learn that .
A．Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK
B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so
C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more
D．Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer
76.What would be the best title for the passage ?
A．Shoplifting Shame of a PhD Student
B．Apologizing for the Actions in Shops
C．Seeking Professional Help from Experts
D．Controlling the Desire to Steal from Shops
(E)
The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad .Unless watched ,she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father ,who died 30 years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this ,but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75.
It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s .In the early stages ,people may exhibit short term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality , easy to be angry .As the disease progresses ,patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers ,their effect is certain .Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients ,but also spouses（配偶）,friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss ,its early diagnosis and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s disease ?A person will often go through the various stages of sadness ,shock ,anger ,and so on .If the spouse develops the disease ,you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’t remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses ,bringing a deep sorrow ,loss and even anger towards God .No matter what feelings are present ,facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.
77．What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired lady?
A．She has been living with her father.
B．She was sad about the death of her father.
C．She can’t search for her father without being watched.
D．She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
78．When people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease , ________.
A．their families and friends will suffer from the same disease
B．their families and friends will experience mental sufferings
C．they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years
D．they will forget everybody but their spouses
79．Memory loss occurs ________.
A．from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else
B．from sadness ,shock ,anger ,and so on
C．for a number of reasons
D．with changes in personality
80．From the passage we know that .
A．early treatment may stop Alzheimer’s disease occurring
B．it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain’s nerve fibers
C．nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer’s disease
D．when one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease ,he will be buried
四：書面表達題目（20分）（請直接寫在答題紙上）
今年元月國家下發(fā)通知，從2008年6月1日起所有商品零售場所將所實行塑料購物袋有償使用制度。此舉一出，引起社會廣泛關(guān)注。請根據(jù)下面的信息，寫一篇英語短文，介紹有關(guān)情況，并談談你對此事的看法：
1. 購物塑料袋的大量生產(chǎn)造成嚴重資源浪費；
2. 大量使用過的購物塑料袋因得不到正確處理，造成了嚴重的環(huán)境污染；
3. 政府通過立法限制使用購物塑料袋旨在保護資源和環(huán)境，但也將給人們的生活帶來不便；
4. 你的看法和建議。
注意：1．對所給要點不要簡單翻譯，要有適當發(fā)揮；
2．字數(shù)150左右。