Some taxis do not have a meter, then it is easy for some dishonest drivers to ____ their passengers.

Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview. The interview is mainly about ______. A: the laws on taxis in London B: the life of Jack, a taxi driver in London C: how to be a taxi driver in London D: body-building in London

Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview. The Knowledge mentioned in the interview is ______. A: a test about the traffic rules and the routes taxi drivers will run in London B: the law on taxis in London C: a test about the routes taxi drivers will run in six-mile radius in London D: a driving test

26.[阅读理解] Subways are underground trains, which usually operate 24 hours a day. They are found in larger cities and usually run between the suburbs and the downtown area. Maps and schedules are available from the ticket office. If you take the subway often, you can save money by purchasing a monthly pass (月票). City-operated buses run on various routes (线路) and are designed to be at certain places at certain times. Maps and schedules may be posted at certain stops, or they may be available at local banks, libraries, the student union, or from the bus drivers. Buses run mainly during the day. Fare is paid by exact change in coins, or by monthly passes. Taxis are generally more expensive in the United States than in other countries. If you use a taxi, be sure you ask the amount of the fare before you agree to ride. The driver usually expects a tip(小费) of 15 percent of the fare.

Test 8 [音频] Section A Question 1 and 2 will be based on the following news item. 1.A) Christmas-time attacks made by Somali rebels. B) An explosion at a bus station in central Nairobi. C) The killing of more than Ugandans in Kampala. D) Blasts set off by a Somali group in Uganda’s capital. 2. A) On Christmas Eve. B) Just before midnight. C) During a security check. D) In the small hours of the morning. Question 3 and4 will be based on the following news item. 3.A)It is likely to choose many of its stores. B) It is known for the quality of its goods. C) It remains competitive in the recession. D) It will expand its online retail business. 4. A) Expand its business beyond groceries. B) Cut its DVD publishing business. C) Fire 25, 000 of its current employees. D) Sell the business for one pound. Question 5 to 7 will be based on the following news item. 5.A) All taxis began to use meters. B) All taxis got air conditioning. C) Advertisements were allowed on taxis. D) Old taxis were replaced with new cards. 6. A) A low interest loan scheme. B) Environmentalists’ protests. C) Taxi passengers’ complaints. D) Permission for car advertising. 7. A) There are no more irregular practices. B) All new cabs provide air-conditioning. C) New cabs are all equipped with meters. D) New legislation protects consumer rights. Section B Conversation One Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 8.A) It has a partnership with LCP. B) It is headquartered in London. C) It specializes in safety from leaks. D) It has a chemical processing plant. 9. A) He is a chemist. B) He is a salesman. C) He is a safety inspector. D) He is Mr. Grand’s friend. 10. A) The public relations officer. B) Mr. Grand’s personal assistant. C) Director of the safety department. D) Head of the personnel department. 11. A) Wait for Mr Grand to call back. B) Leave a message for Mr Grand. C) Provide details of their products and services. D) Send a comprehensive description of their work. Conversation Two Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 12. A) Teacher. B) Journalist. C) Editor. D) Typist. 13. A) Some newly discovered scenic spot. B) Big changes in Amazon valley. C) A new railway under construction. D) The beautiful Amazon rainforests. 14. A) In News weeklies. B) In a local evening paper. C) In Newspapers’ Sunday editions. D) In overseas editions of US magazines. 15. A) To become a professional writer. B) To be employed by a newspaper. C) To get her life story published soon. D) To sell her article to a news service. Section C Passage One Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard. 16.A) She is both a popular and a highly respected author. B) She is the first writer to focus on the fate of slaves. C) She is the most loved African novelist of all times. D) She is the most influential author since the 1930’s. 17. A) The Book Critics Circle Award. B) The Nobel Prize for Literature. C) The Pulitzer Prize fir fiction. D) The National Book Award. 18. A) She is a relative of Morrison’s. B) She is a slave from Africa. C) She is a skilled storyteller. D) She is a black woman. Passage Two Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard. 19.A) They are very generous in giving gifts. B) They refuse gifts when doing business. C) They regard gifts as a token of friendship. D) They give gifts only on special occasions. 20. A) They enjoy giving gifts to other people. B) They spend a lot of time choosing gifts. C) They have to follow many specific rules. D) They pay attention to the quality if gifts. 21. A) Gift-giving plays an important role in human relationships. B) We must be aware of cultural differences in giving gifts. C) We must learn how to give gifts before going abroad. D) Reading extensively can make one a better gift-giving. Passage Three Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard. 22.A) She tenderly looked after her sick mother. B) She developed a strong interest in finance. C) She learned to write for financial newspapers. D) She invested in stocks and shares on Wall Street. 23. A) She inherited a big fortune from her father. B) She sold her restaurant with a substantial profit. C) She got 7.5 million dollars from her ex-husband. D) Se made a wise investment in real estate. 24. A) She was dishonest in business dealings. B) She frequently ill-treated her employees. C) She abused animals including her pet dog. D) She was extremely mean with her money. 25. A) She carried on her family’s tradition. B) She made huge donations to charities. C) She built a hospital with her mother’s money. D) She made a big fortune from wise investment./module/audioplay.html?objectid=a0020f3ea3e9dc8aa36a7f783447606a

The strike for Wednesday and Thursday has been called by the two big unions that cover public and private sector workers. The 48-hour strike comes as parliament prepares to vote on the latest round of austerity measures, including more tax hikes, pay cuts and job losses. There have been lightning strikes across virtually every sector of the economy, with rubbish not collected and government ministries blocked by their own workers. Government departments, businesses, offices and stores are all expected to be shut, with small business owners and shopkeepers taking part in strike action for the first time. Air traffic controllers will stage a 12-hour walk-out. Trains, buses, taxis and lorries will not be operating. Law-makers are voting on two bills on Wednesday and Thursday that include cuts to the pay and pensions of public sector workers, higher taxes and the suspension (暂停) of collective labor agreements. Greece finds itself with rising unemployment and a stalled economy, with a government debt that is 162% of its gross domestic product. The long-term bond markets have shut Greece out over fears that it can no longer meet its debt obligations. The EU and the IMF have stepped in with two rescue packages but the second has not been finalised. Meanwhile, Greece says it needs further help in installment from the first package of assisting loans agreed last year or it will run out of money to pay its bills in November. With fears the problems besetting (包围，困扰) Athens might spread to other eurozone countries with heavy debts such as Spain and Italy, EU leaders meeting this weekend are struggling to forge a plan that will protect the region from a Greek default. Measures could include propping up banks exposed to Greek debt and enlarging the eurozone's rescue fund.

What college brings us? 1 The case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. There has been a general consensus that all high school graduates ought to go to college because college will help them get a job, earn more money, become "better" people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go. However, given the huge cost of attending a university and the shrinking job market, should we not re-examine the case for college? 2 The reality is that college has never been magical for everyone. Now that close to half our high school graduates are attending college, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more numerous. Excess college graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis. 3 Some adventuresome educators and campus watchers have openly begun to suggest that we revise our attitudes and reform the system. College may not be the best, the proper or even realistic place for every young person after the completion of high school. Critics suggest we may have been looking at all those surveys and statistics upside down through the rosy glow of our own remembered college experiences. 4 Many students confirm that they feel compelled to go to college because of pressure from parents and teachers and stay there because it seems to be an alternative to a far worse fate. They quiver at the thought of the army or a dead-end job, and almost anything is better than staying at home. Potential college graduates say that they don't want to work "solely for the money" and that they want to do work that matters. Their motive is to help people and save the world, but the numbers are stacked against them. Not only are there not sufficient jobs in the world-saving fields, but in the current slowdown it has become evident that there never are enough promising jobs, presumably never will be, that require a higher education. 5 Let's acknowledge the facts. The New York Times reports close to 80 percent of new jobs can be performed by someone without a college degree. The US Department of Education estimates that only 62 percent of those enrolled in four-year institutions had earned a bachelor's degree six years later! This dilemma means that 38 percent have likely wasted time and accumulated debt! In addition, in the US, the cost of college has risen tenfold over the last 30 years, a ratio that is three times as much as general inflation over the same time period. It is clear, from an objective point of view, that many more students should be attending technical schools or two-year colleges to prepare for the jobs that will actually be available to them. 6 Of course, for many jobs a higher education is absolutely necessary and required. So, for some people, obtaining a bachelor's degree is but the first step of lifelong learning. For them, a university degree is essential. 7 There is little doubt that attending college has the potential of exposing young people to new ideas and relationships and helps promote their critical thinking skills. It also accords them a relatively safe environment for experimentation and exploration. Nevertheless, many college graduates report that what they learned on campus was better described as personal rather than academic development. Likewise, they report that the real value of college has more to do with developing their identity and practicing social skills than anything to do with the college curriculum. If you accept that the prime reason for going to college is to provide a period for pure learning and maturation of a young person, the decision is made easy as it becomes a question of affordability for the individual student. 8 Whatever college graduates want to do, most of them are going to have to adjust. During the upcoming years, according to the US Department of Labor, the biggest demand will be for jobs that do not need a university degree. Those students who have gone to college to become urban planners, editors, and college professors will have a hard time to find jobs related to what they have learned. They may well find that the only jobs available are sales agents, carpenters, mechanics or cable installers. In fact, having a university degree may be a barrier to getting these jobs. On the other hand, students who have graduated in specialized fields often find that they have learned a lot of things in classrooms that they will never use. One gloomy architecture student, who had already designed and built houses, said, "I don't want to appear cynical. It's more the degree you need, not the breadth of knowledge you learn getting it." 9 College is an outstanding place for that rare breed, those young adults who love learning for its own sake, who would literally rather read than bother to eat, and who like nothing better than writing research papers. But they are a minority, even at the famous colleges which attract and recruit the intellectually oriented. 10 In brief, our high school graduates need to evaluate the college equation more closely and critically, calculate it as a consumer product, and decide if the value proposal is worth the very large investment each student and family must make.