听力原文： The former leader of the so-called Provisional Irish Republican Army, Sean Mac Stiofain, died Friday at the age of 73.

听力原文： In spite of stories of prosperity in the United States, not only does poverty exist there, but crimes of various types have been increasing at an alarming rate. Most types of serious crime increased from 363.5 in every 100,000 people in 2003 to 535.5 in 2004. In that one year, there was one murder committed every 24 minutes, one case of robbery in every 10 minutes and one case of rape in every 7 minutes. The cases of murder involved 21,456 victims. Most acts of violence were committed by young people. 57% of the criminals arrested in 2004 were youths below 25 years of age. Everyone agrees that crime is partly a result of bad material conditions, poverty, lack of education, living without a settled home, being parentless, sufferings due to other kinds of misfortunes, etc. There are also other factors than material conditions which are responsible for the sharp increase of the crime rate. In the first place, some states have made laws approving the death penalty but some have not. Secondly, the constitution allows every citizen to carry weapons for his own protection. It is therefore possible aid easy for anyone in the country to get a gun. Finally, there has been too much violence shown on TV and too much violence reported in newspapers of all kinds. The details of the crimes are so accurately described that even children know how to repeat what they have seen or read. All these have resulted in a higher frequency of crimes committed both by professional criminals and by nonprofessional ones such as murder, drug smuggling, robbery, pocket-picking, etc. (33) A．The United States is faced with many social problems. B．Various factors are responsible for the crimes in the United States. C．New trends have been discovered in the crimes in the United States. D．The crime rate in the United States is on the rise.

听力原文： The Coast Guard does what its name says; it guards the coasts of the United States. During a war, the Coast Guard becomes part of the United States Navy, and helps to protect against enemy attacks. In times of peace, however, The Coast Guard is part of the United States Department of Transportation. It has responsibility for many different duties. The Coast Guard can be found at many large lakes in America, as well as in coastal waters. It enforces laws controlling navigation, shipping, immigration, and fishing. It enforces other laws that affect the thousands of privately-owned boats in the United States. Coast Guard planes, boats and helicopters search for missing boats and rescue people in dangerous situations. Last year, Coast Guards men saved the lives of almost 7,000 people. The Coast Guard does scientific research on the ocean. It also uses ice-breaking boats to clear ice from rivers or lakes, so boats can travel safely. One of The Coast Guard's most important duties now is helping to keep illegal drugs out of the United States. Coast Guard boats, armed with guns, use radios and radar to find boats that may be carrying drugs. They stop the boats suspected of carrying drugs and search them, They seize the drugs and arrest the people on the boats. Last year, Coast Guardsman seized more than 800,000 kilo grams of marijuana and cocaine. And-they arrested more than 700 persons trying to bring illegal drugs into the United States. This kind of action is exiting. Most of the time, however, Coast Guardsman say they see nothing more exciting than the ocean. (33) A．Guarding the coasts of the United States. B．Being part of the United States Navy. C．Guiding people along the coast. D．Protecting people from army attack.

W: I guess a lot of other people feel the way I do about modem art. What does the woman mean？ (19) A．She likes modem art. B．A lot of other people like modern art, too. C．A lot of people came to the opening. D．Modern art is not attractive to the woman.

What did the chairman do at the meeting？ A．He asked the board to prepare a development plan. B．He wanted the board to discuss the outline. C．He described what the company would do in the years to come.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korea's Kim Jong I1 ended three days of talks in Pyongyang on Thursday. They signed a joint declaration to support peace and economic growth on the Korean peninsula. It says the South and the North will closely cooperate to end military hostilities and ease tensions. The two Koreas have been increasingly cooperative, but technically they are still at war. The North invaded the South in nineteen fifty. A truce halted military action three years later. But it was never re-placed with an official peace treaty. At which year was Korean peninsula divided into two countries？ A．1938. B．1945. C．1950. D．1953.

The Conservative British paper The Daily Telegraph, granted an exclusive opportunity to photograph the 83-year-old former general, counted up to nine armed policemen in and around the property in Surrey, to the southwest of London. Three inspectors from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist unit are permanently posted in one of the building's nine rooms, close to the main door which is guarded by two porters. Other officers patrol with police dogs, searching visitors and their vehicles. Members of the Surrey police force also maintain surveillance on the property in the exclusive suburb of Wentworth. Home Secretary Jack Straw allocated an additional 200,000 pounds in early March to cover policing costs. That sum is trifling, however, compared to the millions of pounds already spent on legal costs. Police keep bystanders, including journalists, at a distance, as well as the protesters who each Saturday beat drums and chant "murderer" in Pinochet's direction. Authorities are also alert to the possibility of a commando operation aimed at freeing the former general, though this is considered improbable given the good relations between Britain and Chile. In permitting Pinochet to stay in the villa, British officials relaxed his conditions of detention. Pinochet is also allowed to step out onto the patio once the yard has been combed by inspectors with sniffer dogs. "The police follow him everywhere, even when he goes to the toilet. It's an intolerable situation, 'an unidentified person close to Pinochet complained to The Daily Telegraph. Until now, the former leader has only left Wentworth once, to hear Spain's formal request for extradition, while a request to attend Christmas Mass was refused. He receives visitors--Chilean political allies, diplomats, officials or supporters of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who are indignant at how a man they call a "friend of Great Britain" is being treated. Thatcher has spoken out in Pinochet's defense and cited support he gave Britain during its 1982 war with Argentina over the Malvinas Islands. Pinochet starts his day scouring the newspapers and surfing the Internet in search of items concerning himself. How many armed policemen were stationed to protect Augusto Pinochet？ A．9. B．12. C．14 D．11.

Luxembourg's Prime Minster Jean Claude Juncker vows to resign if the country says "no" to the treaty, which is aimed at streamlining decision-making in Europe after the trading bloc enlarged from 15 to 25 member states. French and Dutch voters have already sent a resounding "no" to European leaders that they do not want the 448-article treaty. Opinion polls taken in July last month indicate that the poll could go either way. Opinion polls are banned during the month prior to the election. Luxembourg's parliament ratified the treaty in its first reading on June 28th, but a second reading will be axed if the voters say no. Before Luxembourg goes to the polls, which country has already expressed their unwillingness to accept the treaty？ A．Germany. B．Switzerland. C．Spain. D．France.

听力原文： Sudanese opposition leader Sadeqal-Mahdi, who travels to Washington next week, says he will push the Bush administration to urge both sides in his country's civil war to make peace and create a true democracy. In an interview with Reuters news agency, Mr. Mahdi says the United States can play an important role in pressuring both sides to reach a just peace through political talks, not war-fare. Last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell visited the region and promised to try harder to end the Sudanese war, which has killed an estimated two million people. It pits the Muslim north against the largely Christian and animist south. Sudan's President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir and rebel leader John Garang are to hold proximity talks Saturday in Nairobi along with east African leaders trying to mediate an end to the 18 year conflict. In addition to the Kenyan host, President Daniel-arap Moi, the Ugandan, Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders are to attend the session. Who has visited Sudan last week？ A．Sadeqal-Mahdi. B．Colin Powell. C．Omar Hassan AL-Bashir. D．President Bush.

(29) A．I prefer a boss who speaks frankly. B．My former boss talks over the shoulder. C．A boss who straightens his shoulder while talking satisfies me more. D．The manager is a fast speaker.

听力原文： Technicians are making the last-minute preparations for the launch of the U. S. space shuttle Discovery on a flight to the International Space Station. Flight officials with the space agency NASA are aware of storm clouds near the Atlantic coast launch site in Florida, which could postpone the launch. This is the second shuttle flight since Columbia disintegrated on reentry three years ago, killing all seven astronauts on board. Since then NASA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to correct design flaw that caused a piece of foam insulation to break off from the fuel tank and puncture Columbia's wing. NASA is launching Discovery despite objections by the space agency's chief safety officer and chief engineer. They say the problems with the foam insulation have still not been resolved. Shuttle astronaut Steve Robinson says he is not worried. "The thing like this happened to every single flight and what's really great -- you remember how much we talked about culture change after Columbia. This is culture change. You are seeing it." The space agency's chief safety officer ______ NASA's plan to launch Discovery. A．vetoed B．sanctioned C．supported D．disapproved

What is true of his new book？ A．Mediocre. B．Bad. C．Not as good as was expected by the publishing house. D．A success.

(22) A．The editor in chief didn't know that the figures were accurate. B．The editor in chief expressed doubt about the accuracy of the figures. C．The editor in chief questioned the reporter about the accuracy of his article. D．The editor in chief had telephoned someone and requested for a draft report.

听力原文： The climate of the west coast is the most moderate in Canada. Summers are coast and fairly dry and winters are mild, cloudy and wet. Even in mid-winter, average temperatures are usually above freezing. The central plain from the Rocky Mountains to Great Lakes is characterized by cold winters, short but hat summers, and light snow and rain.The large water-surfaces of Central and Eastern Canada produce considerable modification in the climate. Southern Ontario and Quebec experience cold, damp winters and hot, humid summers. Most of Atlantic Canada has a humid climate owing to its marine character. Nevertheless, it experiences weather systems arriving from the dry continental interior as well as from the sea. The combined influence of these systems creates some of the most variable day-to-day weather conditions to be encountered anywhere in Canada. The north-central part of Canada is usually snow-covered for more than half of the year, with a frost flee period of barely two months. Rain is relatively light. Further north, on the islands along the Arctic coast and round Hudson Bay, the land is always frozen. Average temperatures stay above freezing for only a few weeks of the year. The Arctic Islands and the northern border of the mainland do not have a summer season of the kind known in Southern Canada. (33) A．The Arctic coast. B．The west coast. C．The east coast. D．The central plain.

When will the couple be married？ A．This July. B．Next June. C．This June. D．This Wednesday.

(29) A．The manager put a salesman in the spotlight. B．The salesman had a difficult time due to his bad performance. C．Many products have been sold at the end of the year. D．A salesman bought fewer products than he used to do.

(28) A．Single parent. B．Adults go back to live with their parents. C．Old people share a house. D．Married couples share a house.

听力原文： The main policy-making bodies of the EU are the Commission, the Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. The Commission has 17 members appointed by EU countries for four-year terms. It is an executive body with the right of proposing initiatives to the Council of Ministers. This Council is made up of the foreign ministers from the member nations. Although the Commission represents community interests, the Council represents the national interests of the members. Members of the Council rotate the presidency with each holding the office for six-month terms. The European Parliament had 626 members in 1995. The representatives are elected by citizens of member nations. The number of representatives differs according to the size of each country. Germany for example, has 99 representatives, while Luxembourg has six. When the Parliament meets, the representatives sit in political groups, not by nation. Some of the political groups are: the Socialists, the European People's party (or Christian Democrats), the Liberal Democratic and Reform. Group, the European Democrats, and the Greens (an environmental group). Other EU institutions are the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, and the European Investment Bank. The Court of Justice, founded in 1958, reviews the legality of acts of the Commission and Council. The Court of Auditors, founded in 1977, monitors the revenues and expenditures of the EU. Since 1958 the Economic and Social Committee has revised the Commission and the Council on general economic policy. The Committee has 189 members representing employers, labor unions, farmers, professions, consumers, and small businesses. The European Investment Bank, founded in 1958, is an independent public institution that oversees long-term investment. Whose interests does the Council of Ministers represent？ A．The community interests. B．The interests of the foreign ministers from the member nations. C．The interests of the Council members. D．The national interests of the members.

Israel suspended fuel supplies to those areas in the wake of the suicide bombing that killed 20 Israelis a week ago. The government lifted the ban on Wednesday. Now, the Israeli company that is the sole supplier of fuel to the Palestinians says it may be forced to stop pumping oil to those areas because of Israel's refusal to pay for the fuel with tax money collected on behalf of the Palestinians under the interim peace deals. The Israeli Company, Dor Energy, said the Israeli government had canceled an earlier arrangement to pay the company for fuel out of the taxes collected. Israel stopped transferring customs and tax funds to the Palestinian Authority shortly after the current conflict began last September in order to keep the Palestinians from using the money to support the uprising against Israel. What caused the death of 20 Israelis a week ago？ A．Battle between Israel and Palestine. B．A suicide bombing. C．A car bombing. D．A plane crashing accident.

President Fidel Castro holds talks today with Canadian _______. A．officials B．Foreign Minister C．Prime Minister D．President

(36) A．High school teachers. B．Taxi drivers. C．Waiters. D．Fruit sellers,

In Germany in particular the scale of the defeat for the governing Social Democrats was pretty staggering. While the number of people from Poland and Slovakia was a source of deep disappointment for officials in Brussels. Euro-sceptic parties gained ground in Britain, Sweden, the Czech Republic and elsewhere. But overall, the new parliament will not be too dissimilar from the old. Most MEPs will be pro-European, with the center-right parties forming the biggest group, followed by the socialists. The parliament meets for the first time next month but attention in the EU is already switching to the debate on the proposed European constitution. EU foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg today to discuss new compromise proposals in advance of a European summit in Brussels later this week. What do people think of the present European political leaders？ A．They are really bad as political leaders. B．They are good as political leaders. C．They are good, but also are opposed by some people. D．People do not care what they do.

In a written statement, Mr. Bush says the Taleban continues to provide safe haven and a base of operations for Osama bin Laden. He goes on to say the bin Laden operation has committed, and threatens to commit, acts of violence against Americans. Why does President Bush renew sanctions on the Taleban forces？ A．Taleban forces killed some Americans. B．Taleban forces attacked other countries. C．Taleban forces are a terrorist organization. D．Taleban forces continue to provide safe haven and a base of operations for Osama bin Laden.

A．Thirty percent of the German population can receive college education． B．American students enjoy a very high rate of admission to college in the worlD C．Comparatively speaking, there are more British people than the French attending collE D．American college students are envied by 60% of high school graduates around the worl D．

听力原文：America’s universities are the envy of the world with 60% of all U.S. high school graduates attending col A．Thirty percent of the German population can receive college education． B．American students enjoy a very high rate of admission to college in the worlD C．Comparatively speaking, there are more British people than the French attending collE D．American college students are envied by 60% of high school graduates around the worl D．