Turning China’s economy in a different direction will be a long-term challenge. And many provincial governments may resist. “Local government officials won’t be happy with this idea,” says Li. Local authorities chase quantifiable achievements that come with making and building things. Most serve threeto five-year terms in office, so they want to see the kind of tangible results that lead to promotions—more factories, rising exports. 

　　Li says that Beijing may have to choose between “slower economic growth with high quality, or rapid economic growth with low quality.” That’s an unappealing trade-off in a nation that must generate at least 17 million new jobs every year for young people entering the work force. It needs to balance feeding people adequately while doing a good job of environmental protection. To succeed at that task, Hu and his Politburo colleagues may well be hoping for a second economic miracle.

第一篇：

        According to some authoritative anthropological studies in the last five decades, life expectancy of human beings was short for millennia. The few people who grew old were assumed, because of their years, to have won the favor of the gods. The typical person was fortunate to reach 40. 

        Beginning in the 19th century, that slowly changed. Since 1840, life expectancy at birth has risen about three months with each passing year. In 1840, life expectancy at birth in Sweden, a much-studied nation owing to its record-keeping, was 45 years for women; today it’s 83 years. The United States displays roughly the same trend. When the 20th century began, life expectancy at birth in America was 47 years; now newborns are expected to live 79 years. If about three months continue to be added with each passing year, by the middle of this century, American life expectancy at birth will be 88 years. By the end of the century, it will be 100 years. 

        Viewed globally, the lengthening of life spans seems independent of any single, specific event. It didn’t accelerate much as antibiotics and vaccines became common. Nor did it retreat much during wars or disease outbreaks. A graph of global life expectancy over time looks like an escalator rising smoothly. The trend holds, in most years, in individual nations rich and poor; the whole world is riding the escalator. 

        Projections of ever-longer life spans assume no incredible medical discoveries—rather, that the escalator ride simply continues. If anti-aging drugs or genetic therapies are found, the climb could accelerate. Centenarians may become the norm, rather than rarities who generate a headline in the local newspaper.

三、閱讀測驗

passage one

The people of Taiwan have been proud of Taiwan's development experience, as the key to success has required the combined efforts of the entire nation. However, only rarely does one hear about me major role international assistance has played in Taiwan's economic construction and development. From the 1950s to 1980s, Taiwan received large amounts of money from donations and assistance from international organizations, as well as the United States and other wealthy nations. The total amount exceeded US$2.4 billion, not including US military assistance for safeguarding Taiwan. Most people remember the old days, when they consumed flour, drank milk and wore pants made from flour sacks, all of which came from me United States. However, they may not realize that many major infrastructures, including highways, electric railways, the Shih Men Dam and drinking water systems, were completed with preferential loans provided by international organizations and foreign countries. Even the eradication of malaria depended on assistance from the World Health Organization. Taiwan now has the ability to reciprocate as a result of the foreign aid it received in the past. In order to "give back to the international community and fulfill our responsibility as a member of the international community," Taiwan provides foreign aid to and shares our development experiences with friendly nations and diplomatic allies. This not only consolidates Taiwan's relations with them, but also lets us fulfill our obligations to the international community.

二、選擇題(閱讀測驗):共5題，單選，每題4分共20分，答錯不倒扣

Intercampus buses will leave the main hall every hour on the half hour and make all of the regular stops on their route around the campus. The cafeteria will serve breakfast, lunch, and early dinner from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and from noon to 7 p.m. weekends. The library will maintain regular hours during the week, but shorter hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend hours are from noon to 7 p.m. 

All students who want to use the library borrowing services and the recreational, athletic, and entertainment facilities must have a valid summer identification card. This announcement will also appear in the next issue of the student newspaper.

    Barter is an ancient way of commerce: people exchange goods or services directly without using a medium of exchange such, as currency. Usually, the things exchanged or traded have almost the same value in terms of money. Barter is most useful when two people each have something that the other wants. That being the case, they decide on the items to be exchanged and then make the trade. This is also true of services. For example, a plumber can fix a tap in a grocery store and get a few daily necessities in return as payment. 

    Now, this old method of conducting business has taken a new form. In the old days, barters usually took place between two parties. Over time, organized barter exchanges have developed, which means we now have third-party bartering. A barter exchange serves as a broker and also as a banlc in which each member has an account. When a purchase is made, “trade dollars” are taken away from the buyer’s account and added to the seller’s account. Of course, this can be done electronically now. There are online barter networks available that make it much easier to trade with many businesses. 

    Bartering tends to become more popular in times of struggling economies. Since trade dollars are used, this form of exchange appeals especially to businesses that are short of cash. Also, it helps get rid of excess goods or services, that is, those that aren’t sold. If, say, a restaurant needs to have its carpet cleaned, it can provide catering service in its opening yet free hours for a carpet cleaner that needs a feast. What’s more, it can draw in many new customers through this expanding network. Next time, when you find yourself in need of something, don’t buy but try bartering!