It was a unique, eye-catching sight: an attractive woman in a shiny bullfighter's suit, sword in hand, facing the sharp horns of a black, 500-kilograrn beast.

　　Most people thought the days of female bullfighting were over in Spain（46）

　　The first woman fighter， Cristina Sanchez， quit in 1999 because of male discrimination （歧視）。 But Vega is determined to break into what could be Spain's most resistant male field.（47）

　　Spanish women have conquered almost all male professions（48） "The bull does not ask for your identity card，" she said in an interview a few years ago， She insisted that she be judged for her skills rather than her femaleness.

　　Vega became a matador （斗牛士） in 1997 in the southwestern city of Caceres（49） She entered a bullfighting school in Malaga at age nine and performed her first major bullfight at age 14. She has faced as much opposition as Sanchez did. And

　　the "difficulties have made her grow into a very strong bullfighter，" her brother Jorge says The 1.68-metre tall and somewhat shy Vega says her love of bullfighting does not make her any less of a woman（50）

　　A　She intends to become even better than Sanchez was

　　B　Her father was an aspiring （有雄心壯志的） bullfighter.

　　C　But many bullfighting professionals continue to insist that women do not have what it takes to perform the country's "national show"

　　D　"I'm a woman from head to toe and proud of it，" she once said.

　　E　She looks like a male bullfighter.

　　F　But recently， 29-year-old Mari Paz Vega became the second woman in Spanish history to fight against those heavy animals.

　　Is the Tie a Necessity？

　　Ties, or neckties, have been a symbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for centuries. But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them. Reports suggest that even the civil servants may stop wearing ties. So, are the famously formal British really going to abandon the neckties?

　　Maybe. Last week, the UK's Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a tieless era. He hinted that civil servants would soon be free of the costliest 12 inches of fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.

　　In fact， Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party. Many of them were celebrities （知名人士） without ties， which would have been unimaginable even in the recent past.

　　For some more conservative British, the tie is a must for proper appearance. Earlier, Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in public without a tie. For people like Callaghan, the tic; was a sign of being complete, of showing respect. Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church, to work in the office, to a party - almost every social occasion.

　　But today, people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions.

　　The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a "band". The term could mean anything around a man's neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear （頸飾） impressed Charles II， the king of England who was exiled （流放） to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660， he brought this new fashion item along with him.

　　It wasn't, however, until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful, flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then, clubs, military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to indicate the wearer's membership in the late 19th century. After that, the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.

　　But now, even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway, the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.

　　41 The tie symbolizes all of the following except

　　A　respect.

　　B　elegance，

　　C　politeness，

　　D　democracy.

　　42 Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie?

　　A　Because he wants to make a show.

　　B　Because he wants to attract attention.

　　C　Because ties are costly.

　　D　Because he wants to live in a casual way.

　　43 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion?

　　A　Going to church.

　　B　Going to work in the office.

　　C　Staying at home.

　　D　Going to a party.

　　44 Who brought the Frenchmen's neckwear to Britain?

　　A　Tony Blair.

　　B　Charles II.

　　C　Jim Callaghan.

　　D　Andrew Turnbull.

　　45 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly?

　　A　After the late 19th century.

　　B　In the 1630s.

　　C　In 1660.

　　D　In the late 18th century.

　　Forty May Be the New 30 As Scientists Redefine Age

　　Is 40 really the new 30? In many ways people today act younger than their parents did at the same age.

　　Scientists have defined a new age concept and believe it could explain why populations are aging, but at the same time seem to be getting younger.

　　Instead of measuring aging by how long people have lived, the scientists have factored in how many more years people can probably still look forward to.

　　"Using that measure, the average person can get younger in the sense that he or she can have even more years to live as time goes on," said Warren Sanderson of the University of New York in Stony Brook.

　　He and Sergei Scherbov of the Vienna lnstitute of Demography （人口統(tǒng)計學(xué)） at the Austrian （奧地利的） Academy of Sciences， have used their method to estimate how the proportion of elderly people in Germany， Japan and the United States will change in the future.

　　The average German was 39.9 years old in 2000 and could plan to live for another 39.2 years, according to research reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday.

　　However, by 2050 the average German will be 51.9 years old and will be expected to live another 37.1 years. So middle age in 2050 would occur at around 52 years instead of 40 years as in 2000.

　　"As people have more and more years to live they have to save more and plan more and they effectively are behaving as if they were younger," said Sanderson.

　　Five years ago, the average American was 35.3 years old and could plan for 43.5 more years of life. By 2050, the researchers estimate it will increase to 41.7 years and 45.8 future years.

　　"A lot of our ski/Is, our education, our savings and the way we dear with our health care depend a great deal on how many years we have to live," said Sanderson.

　　This dimension of how many years people have to live has been completely ignored in the discussion of aging so far.

　　36 People 40 years of age today seem to be as young as

　　A　their parents were at the same age.

　　B　their parents were at the age of 30.

　　C　their children will be at the same age.

　　D　their children will be at the age of 30.

　　37 The new age concept was developed out of the notion of

　　A　"future years".

　　B　"average years".

　　C　"past years".

　　D　"school years".

　　38 In 2000, middle age for the average German occurred

　　A　at 37.1 years.

　　B　at 40 years.

　　C　at 39.2 years.

　　D　at 52 years.

　　39 By 2050, the average American will live to

　　A　the age of 41.7.

　　B　the age of 45.8.

　　C　the age of 78.8.

　　D　the age of 87.5.

　　40 Which is NOT affected by the number of years we have to live?

　　A　Our education.

　　B　Our savings.

　　C　The way we handle our health care.

　　D　The number of years we have lived.

　　Happy Therapy （診療）

　　Norman Cousins was a businessman from the United States who often traveled around the world on business. He enjoyed his work and traveling.

　　Then, after returning to the United States from a busy and tiring trip to Russia, Mr. Cousins got sick. Because he had pushed his body to the limit of its strength on the trip, a chemical change began to take place inside him. The material between his bones became weak.

　　In less than one week after his return, he could not stand. Every move that he made was painful. He was not able to sleep at night.

　　The doctors told Mr. Cousins that they did not know how to cure his problems and he might never get over the illness. Mr. Cousins, however, refused to give up hope.

　　Mr. Cousins thought that unhappy thoughts were causing bad chemical changes in his body. He did not want to take medicine to cure himself. Instead, he felt that happy thoughts or laughter might cure his illness.

　　He began to experiment on himself while still in the hospital by watching funny shows on television. Mr. Cousins quickly found that ten minutes of real laughter during the day gave him two hours of pain-free sleep at night,

　　Deciding that the doctors could not help him, Mr. Cousins left the hospital and checked into a hotel room where he could continue his experiments with laughter. For eight days, Mr. Cousins rested in the hotel room watching funny shows on television, reading funny books, and sleeping whenever he felt tired. Within three weeks, he felt well enough to take a vacation to Puerto Rico where he began running on the beach for exercise.

　　After a few months, Mr. Cousins returned to work. He had laughed himself back to health.

　　31 Mr. Cousins got sick after returning from

　　A　a busy trip to the US.

　　B　a tiring trip to Russia.

　　C　a trip around the world.

　　D　a trip to Puerto Rico.

　　32 How did the doctors respond to Mr. Cousins' illness?

　　A　They promised to cure him.

　　B　They didn't think he was really sick.

　　C　They told him not to give up hope.

　　D　They said they were unable to help him in any way，

　　33 Mr. Cousins attributed the bad chemical changes in his body to

　　A　unhappy thoughts.

　　B　a severe illness.

　　C　weak bones.

　　D　too much sleep.

　　34 What didn't Mr. Cousins do in his experiments with laughter?

　　A　Watch funny TV shows.

　　B　Read funny books.

　　C　Sleep whenever he felt tired.

　　D　Take medicine.

　　35 Mr. Cousins cured his own illness

　　A　by laughing at others.

　　B　by acting in funny shows.

　　C　by taking a happy therapy.

　　D　by writing funny stories.

　　Breaking the News about Your Diagnosis

　　1　When I was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly a year ago， I found myself at a loss for words at first. Over time， however， I developed some pointers （點(diǎn)子）， which I hope will help others.

　　2　During the first few weeks of emotional "aftershocks" （余悸） from the diagnosis， I found myself unable to utter the word "cancer". Still， I wanted to share the news with my relatives and friends who already knew that I'd had a biopsy （活檢） and were anxiously awaiting my telephone call. I did the best I could， which is all anyone can do in this situation. When I called them， I said， "What we feared has happened." They immediately knew what I meant.

　　3　Nearly a year after my diagnosis， I find myself more comfortable telling people "I was diagnosed with cancer" instead of saying "I have cancer." On some deep level， I don't want to "own" this illness. Choose language that suits you when you share your new. And keep in mind that there is no one "right" way of doing this.

　　4　Most people， after hearing your announcement， will be curious about the next step.

　　They may wonder if you will be undergoing radiation therapy （診療） and/or chemotherapy （化療）。 They may wonder where and when you will have surgery. Answer their questions as best you can， but keep in mind that "I don't know right now" or "I'm still in too much shock to think about that" are good answers.

　　5　Wait until the initial wave of strong emotions has passed before telling the children in your life. Don't overwhelm （使不知所措） very young children with too much information. Assure them that， even if you will be in the hospital for a while， they will see you every day and they will be cared for. Older children may already fear the word "cancer"， so be prepared to reassure them. Emphasize the positive steps that doctors will be taking to treat your illness.

　　23 Paragraph 2

　　24 Paragraph 3

　　25 Paragraph 4

　　26 Paragraph 5

　　A　Break the news as calmly as possible to children

　　B　Break the news at your own pace

　　C　Share the good news with your friends

　　D　Choose language that suits you

　　E　Follow your doctor's advice

　　F　Be prepared for people's curiosity

　　27 You can break the news about your diagnosis without saying（）。

　　28 When breaking the news about your diagnosis， you can have（）。

　　29 After hearing about your diagnosis， people will ask questions（）。

　　30 Very young children won't feel comfortable（）。

　　A　your own choice of words

　　B　the word "cancer"

　　C　the positive steps

　　D　about the next step

　　E　on too many answers

　　F　with too much information. >

　　Health Care in the US

　　Health care in the US is well-known but very expensive. Paying the doctor's bill after a major illness or accident can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

　　In the US, a person's company, not the government, pays for health insurance.

　　Employers have contracts with insurance companies, which pay for all or part of employees' doctors' bills.

　　The amount that the insurance company will pay out to a patient differs wildly. It all depends on what insurance the employer pays. The less the boss pays to the insurance company, the more the employee has to pay the hospital each time he or she gets sick. In 2004, the average worker paid an extra US$558 a year, according to a San Francisco report.

　　The system also means many Americans fall through the cracks （遭遺漏）。 In 2004， only 61 per cent of the population received health insurance through their employers， according to the report. The unemployed， self-employed， part-time workers and graduated students with no jobs were not included.

　　Most US university students have a gap between their last day of school and their first day on the job. Often, they are no longer protected by their parents' insurance because they are now considered independent adults. They also cannot buy university health insurance because they are no longer students.

　　Another group that falls through the gap of the US system is international students. All are required to have health insurance and cannot begin their classes without it. But exact policies （保險單） differ from school to school.

　　Most universities work with health insurance companies and sell their own standard plan for students. Often, buying the school plan is required, but luckily it's also cheaper than buying direct from the insurance company.

　　16 In the US, a person's company buys him or her health insurance

　　A　Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

　　17 All employees in the US have the same kind of health insurance.

　　A　Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

　　18 In 2004, most of the unemployed in the US were women.

　　A　Right B　Wrong C Not mentioned

　　19 In the US, graduated students with no jobs can buy university health insurance

　　A　Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

　　20 All international students in the US have to buy health insurance

　　A　Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

　　21 The international students in the US work harder than the American students

　　A　Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

　　22 The health care system_ in the US takes care of everyone in the country.

　　A　Right B Wrong C Not mentioned.

　　Mall ofFew Words

　　Everyone chases success，but not all of us want to be famous outh African writer John Maxwell Coetzee is__(51)for keeping himself to himself hen the 63-year-old was named the 2003 Nobel Prize winner for literature earlier this month，reporters were warned that they would find him"particularly difficult to___（52）".

　　Coetzee lives in Australia but spends part of the year teaching at the University of Chicago e seemed___(53)by the news that he won the US$1 3 million prize"It came as a complete surprise.1 wasn't even aware they were due to make the announcement，he said.

　　His___(54)of privacy led to doubts as to whether Coetzee will attend nize-giving in Stockholm，Sweden，on December 10.

　　But despite being described as____（55）to track down，the critics agree that his riting is easy to get to know

　　Born in Cape Town，South Africa，to all English-speaking family，Coetzee___（56）his reakthrough in 1980 with the novel"Waiting for the Barbarians（野蠻人）"He____（57）

　　his place among the world's leading writers with two Booker prize victories，Britain's highest ur for novels He first_____(58)in l983forthe"Life and Times of Michael k"and his second title came in 1999 for"Disgrace" major theme in his work is South Africa's former apartheid（種族隔離）system，which ivided whites from blacks____（59）with the problems of violence，crime and racial ivision that still exist in the country his books have enabled ordinary people to understand

　　apartheid____(60)within.

　　'I have always been more interested in the past than the future，"he said in a rare interview.

　　'The past___（61）its shadow over the present.I hope I have made one or two people think——（62）about whether they want to forget the past completely."

　　In fact this purity in his writing seems to be__（63）in his personal life.Coetzee is a egetarian，a cyclist rather than a motorist and doesn't drink alcohol.

　　But what he has___（64）to literature，culture and the people of South Africa is far reater than the things he has given up."In looking at weakness and failure in life，"the Nobelprize judging panel said，"Coetzee's work____（65）the divine（神圣的）spark in man."

　　51A looked after B well known C locked D protected

　　52 A catch B hold C run into D bump into

　　53 A reported B influenced C distorted D shocked

　　54 A like B devotion C love D attraction

　　55A difficult B easy C ready D complex

　　56 A forced B made C caused D did

　　57 A gave B listed C tood D arranged

　　58 A received B obtained C won D had

　　59 A Dealing B Handling C Solving D Removing

　　60 A in B out C of D from

　　61 A covers B displays C spreads D casts

　　62 A once B twice C three times D four times

　　63 A written B hidden C mirrored D stricken

　　64 A contributed B distributed C attributed D showed

　　65 A tell B says C informs D expresses

　　Read with Greater Speed

　　Do you have difficulty reading in class?If so,a special reading program that helps match sounds with letters could speed up your brain.

　　At least one out of every five elementary school students in the US has trouble learning t0 read，even when the students are good at other subjects.____（46）

　　Researchers from Yale University,US,studied a group of children from New York and Connecticut State.As part of the study，37 struggling readers received special tutoring Every day,instructors worked with them on recognizing how written letters represent units of sound called phonemes（音素）____（47）.By the end of the school year，these children could read faster than before.They also made fewer mistakes，and understood more of what they read than they could earlier in the year，As part of their study，the researchers used a special machine to take action photos of the tudents'brains.

　　_(48)This is the same part of the brain that becomes active when good readers ead.This activated brain area appears to include a structure that helps people recognize familiar written words quickly.In lower level readers，this structure remains inactive.

　　A year later,the brain structure was still working hard in the students who had gone through he special tutoring，and they continued to do well in reading tests.___（49）

　　However，some researchers still doubt the study_____（50）

　　A Many adults are interested in matching sounds with letters

　　B The students also practiced reading aloud and spelling

　　C The biggest challenge for many of these kids，scientists say，is matching sounds with letters.

　　D Another group in the study who went through a more traditional reading program didn't how the same progress.

　　The pictures showed all increase in activity in the back of the brain on the left side

　　F They believe that reading without making any noise or linking words to sounds is moreefficient.