California is a land of variety and contrast. Almost every type of physical land feature ， sort of arctic ice fields and tropical jungles can be found within its borders. Sharply contrasting types of land often lie very close to one another. People living in Bakersfield ， for instance，can visit the Pacific Ocean and the coastal plain ， the fertile San Joaquin Valley ， the arid Mojave Desert ， and the high Sierra Nevada， all within a radius of about 100 miles. In other areas it is possible to go snow skiing in the morning and surfing in the evening of the same day ， without having to travel long distance. Contrast abounds in California. The highest point in the United States (outside Alaska ) is in California ， and so is the lowest point (including Alaska )。 Mount Whitney ， 14，494 feet above sea level，is separated from Death Valley ， 282 feet below sea level，by a distance of only 100 miles. The two areas have a difference in altitude of almost three miles. California has deep ， clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe ， the deepest in the country， but it also has shallow， salty desert lakes. It has Lake Tulainyo ， 12，020 feet above sea level， and the lowest lake in the country ， the Salton Sea， 236 feet below sea level. Some of its lakes ， like Owens Lake in Death Valley ， are not lakes at all： they are dried up lake beds. In addition to mountains ，lakes， valleys，deserts， and plateaus，California has its Pacific coastline， stretching longer than the coastlines of Oregon and Washington combined.

1. Which of the following is the lowest point in the United States?

A. Lake Tulainyo B. Mojave desert C. Death Valley D. The Salton Sea

2. Where is the highest point in the United States located ?

A. Lake Tahoe.

B. Sierra Nevada. C. Mount Whitney.

D. Alaska.

3. How far away is Death Valley from Mount Whitney?

A. About 3 miles.

D. 14，494 feet.

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as being within a radius ofabout 100 miles of Bakersfield ?

A. The Pacific Ocean.

B. San Joaquin Valley.

C. Mojave Desert.

D. Oregon andWashington.

5. Which statement best demonstrates that California is a land of variety and contrast ?

A. The highest lake in California is Lake Tulainyo.

B. It is possible to go surfing and snow skiing in some parts of California without having totravel long distance.

C. Sierra Nevada， San Joaquin Valley， Mojave Desert and the Pacific Ocean all lie withina radius of about 100 miles.

D. Owens Lake ， in Death Valley ， is not really a lake at all.

Writing:

In China, to restore lost property to its original owner is regarded as one of the most cherished virtues. However, the draft property rights law stipulates that property Owners should pay some money to the one who returns the property. Is it a deviation from traditional values? Write a composition of about 400 words to state your view.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing：

The 76th Annual Academy Awards attracted the attention o{an unprecedented number of Chinese thanks to complete live TV coverage. However, except for Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon, directed by Taiwanese filmmaker An Lee, no other Chinese film has even been nominated for an Oscar award. Should our domestic films aim at this Hollywood award or is it someone else's game? Write a composition of about 400 words to state your view.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing:

A statement goes that "both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing." To what degree do you agree with this statement? Write an essay of about 400 words.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing:

Some people claim that, in the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once was and that people can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write an essay of about 400 words.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing:

The present world witnesses invention and use of various robots, some of whom even can play games with human and defeat the latter. Such being the case, many are worried that robots will surpass human beings in intelligence and enslave them, while others believe that the human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds. What is your opinion? Write an essay of about 400 words.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing:

“Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them”. To what degree do you agree with this statement? Write an essay of about 400 words.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing:

Nowadays a lot of Chinese celebrate Western festivals. Some people are afraid that this would lead to the loss of Chinese culture. What do you think? Write an essay of about 400 words.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing：

A statement goes that “only through mistakes can there be discovery or progress”. To what degree do you agree with this statement? Write an essay of about 400 words.

In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.

You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Writing：

Piracy is still a serious problem in China. Write a composition of about 400 words to state your view.