Text 4
The city of Venice may not be the obvious place for a call for the moral revival of Europe. This is where Lord Byron used to swim naked down the Grand Canal between pink palaces and swaying gondolas in the early morning hours after nights of carousing. This is where Thomas Mann a century later celebrated the beauty of decline in "Death in Venice".
For the past four years, however, Venice has also been home to the "Venice Colloquium", sponsored by the Fondazione Liberal, an Italian free-market group, headed by member of parliament Ferdinando Adornato. The purpose of the event is to bring likeminded Europeans and Americans together in an effort to bridge the transatlantic divide. It is a call to common values, mostly perhaps directed at Europeans, for whom values these days seem like archaic encumbrances.
Americans are therefore a great puzzle to many Europeans. So are President Bush and his newly nominated secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. Many Europeans cannot get over the fact that 22 percent of American voters in the presidential election stated that they considered "moral values" their most important issue, and the reaction here has greatly resembled the hysterical hyperventilating of the Hollywood-New York elite after the US election.
"In Europe, people are embarrassed to talk about moral values," says Tessa Keswick of the Center for Policy Studies in London. Or if they do, it is a new kind of moral value, closely identified with political correctness, which can be "frighteningly intolerant". The need for Europe to re-establish its moral identity is becoming evident to people here, even if this is still a minority view. While 40 percent of Americans attend church at least once a week, on average 4 percent of Europeans do. Outbreaks of anti-Semitism and xenophobia keep cropping up in large part because of growing Muslim immigrant populations that have not been socially integrated.
And there is an overall reluctance to accept the global war on terror as an actual war. Europe’s resident troublemaker, French President Jacques Chirac, speaks of the European Union as a multilateral model for the world, yet this model is incapable of defeating terrorism. Therefore, politicians here, with the exception of Britain’s Tony Blair, like to pretend that police action is all we need to take care of al Qaeda.
But not all Europeans are resigned to the decline in values and vigor that they see around them. If 70 percent of Frenchmen, for instance, would have preferred Sen. John Kerry to win the 2004 election, then 30 percent supported George Bush.
What kind of values are we talking about More than family values per se, many are worried about the fundamental values of the Western, Judeo-Christian tradition, from which spring our concepts of human, political and religious rights.
The fact is that Europe needs the United States, more than the other way around, to exert global influence. And while the French love to talk about counterbalancing the United States on the world stage, the Italian government has no such desire.

We can infer from the last paragraph that（）

A:Europe has no other way to influence the world but to gain help from the United States. B:the Italian government has desire to exert global influence. C:the Italian government hopes that Europe could side with the United States. D:the Italian government desires to be more powerful than the United States.'

Passage One
Guglielmo Marconi was born in Italy in 1874. He studied in Bologna and since his childhood, he showed great interest in physics and electricity. Basing his studies on Hertz’s findings, Marconi concluded that the electromagnetic waves could transmit messages, so he conducted his research in that direction.
As Marconi did not get any financial incentives from the Italian government, he moved to England where he got funds for his research.
In 1897, Marconi was able to communicate via radio through the Brisiol Channel. In 1901, he transmitted long-wave radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, Marconi was already recognized as a great name in science and technology.
In ,1909, he shared the Nobel Prize in physics with Karl Ferdinand Braun, a German physicist, who worked on wireless telegraphy and cathode rays.
Marconi died in 1937.

The text is about（）

A:a famous Italian physician B:a famous Italian inventor C:a famous Italian electrician D:a famous Italian novelist

Ⅳ Reading Comprehension Directions: There are five reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by five questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B,- C and D. Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet. Passage One Guglielmo Marconi was born in Italy in 1874. He studied in Bologna and since his childhood, he showed great interest in physics and electricity. Basing his studies on Hertz’s findings, Marconi concluded that the electromagnetic waves could transmit messages, so he conducted his research in that direction. As Marconi did not get any financial incentives from the Italian government, he moved to England where he got funds for his research. In 1897, Marconi was able to communicate via radio through the Brisiol Channel. In 1901, he transmitted long-wave radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, Marconi was already recognized as a great name in science and technology. In ,1909, he shared the Nobel Prize in physics with Karl Ferdinand Braun, a German physicist, who worked on wireless telegraphy and cathode rays. Marconi died in 1937.

The text is about （）

A:a famous Italian physician B:a famous Italian inventor C:a famous Italian electrician D:a famous Italian novelist

Dreams of Flight
The story of man’s dream of flight, of his desire to reach the stars, is as old as mankind itself. According to Greek legend, Daedalus was the first man to fly. He and his son had been kept on an island, in order to escape, Daedalus shaped wings of wax (蜡) into which he stuck bird feathers. During their flight, his son flew too high and the sun melted the wax. He was drowned in the sea. The father was supposed to have continued his Night and reached Sicily, several hundred miles away.
There is also an English legend of King Bladud who, during his rule in the ninth century B.C., used wings to fly. But his flight was short-lived and he fell to his death. The dream of flying continued, but in all the legends, the flier rose like a bird only to fall like a stone. It took hundreds of years that men flew up into the air and returned to earth safely.
The first man to approach flying on a scientific basis was an Englishman who lived during the thirteenth century. He looked at the air about us as a sea, and he believed that a balloon could float on the air just as a boat did on water. Almost four hundred years later, an Italian priest applied his principle of air flight. He designed a boat, which would be held in the air by four hollow spheres (空心球). Each of the four balls was to be 20 feet in diameter (直径) and made of very thin copper. But his boat was never .built since it was not possible to make spheres of such thin metal and such size in those days.
After studying the flight of birds and the movement of the air, a great scientist of the fifteenth century concluded that birds flew because they flapped (摆动) their wings and that it was possible for man to do the same. So a kind of flapping-wing flying machine was invented. Many men tried and failed to fly with flying machines. It was not until 1890 that people discovered why this method would never succeed-man could not develop sufficient power with his arms and legs.

The first scientific air flight was designed by（　）

A:a Greek. B:an Englishman. C:a Chinese. D:an Italian.

This summer’s World Cup competition will see teams competing to play the world’s best football. But the football they play will not all be of the same kind. The fans expect different styles of play from Brazil, Germany, or Italy.
What makes Brazilian football Brazilian Our style of playing football contrasts with the Europeans because of a combination of qualities of surprise, accuracy and good judgment. This style has won Brazil five world cups. Yet many Brazilian fans only count four of these victories. In 1994, the team abandoned this style for modern, scientific training and tactics. The team won the cup, but in a boring way.
The Italians think differently. "To many Italians, the score 0-0 has a glorious quality, suggesting perfection," says the British football writer Simon Kuper. In the Italian culture, the idea of face is very important. This is why Italian teams are traditionally built around strong defences. The Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff once said that Italian teams never exactly beat you. It’s just that you often lose to them.
In Holland, there is a tradition of decision making through argument and discussion. It is a society where everybody is expected to have a point of view. "Every Dutch player wants to control the game," says Arnold Muhren. "You play football with your brains and not your feet. "
"A Dutch player argues," says Simon Kuper. "An English player obeys his superior. He is a soldier. " The qualities valued in English football are military-strength, aggression and courage. This can make for exciting football. But it also means that the English find it difficult to use skillful players. David Beckham is usually criticized for his failure to defend-despite the fact that he is an attacker.
If the English like to fight, the Germans like to win. In recent years, Germany has tried to change its image as a country of ruthless efficiency and a desire for victory at all costs. But Germans are quite happy for these qualities to remain in their national football team. "Football is a simple game," Gary Lineker once said. "You kick a ball about for ninety minutes and in the end the Germans win. "
It’s difficult to predict who will win this year’s World Cup. There is no strong favorite. But a look at the track record of previous winners shows that it is the nations with the strongest national characteristics in the football that perform best. It seems that you need to know where you come from if you want to get to the top.
Why do many Italians think that the score 0-0 has a glorious quality

A:Because it makes no one lose face. B:Because the Italian team is not very strong. C:Because Italians are nice people. D:Because that score is what their team could obtain.

This summer’s World Cup competition will see teams competing to play the world’s best football. But the football they play will not all be of the same kind. The fans expect different styles of play from Brazil, Germany, or Italy.
What makes Brazilian football Brazilian Our style of playing football contrasts with the Europeans because of a combination of qualities of surprise, accuracy and good judgment. This style has won Brazil five world cups. Yet many Brazilian fans only count four of these victories. In 1994, the team abandoned this style for modern, scientific training and tactics. The team won the cup, but in a boring way.
The Italians think differently. "To many Italians, the score 0-0 has a glorious quality, suggesting perfection," says the British football writer Simon Kuper. In the Italian culture, the idea of face is very important. This is why Italian teams are traditionally built around strong defences. The Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff once said that Italian teams never exactly beat you. It’s just that you often lose to them.
In Holland, there is a tradition of decision making through argument and discussion. It is a society where everybody is expected to have a point of view. "Every Dutch player wants to control the game," says Arnold Muhren. "You play football with your brains and not your feet. "
"A Dutch player argues," says Simon Kuper. "An English player obeys his superior. He is a soldier. " The qualities valued in English football are military-strength, aggression and courage. This can make for exciting football. But it also means that the English find it difficult to use skillful players. David Beckham is usually criticized for his failure to defend-despite the fact that he is an attacker.
If the English like to fight, the Germans like to win. In recent years, Germany has tried to change its image as a country of ruthless efficiency and a desire for victory at all costs. But Germans are quite happy for these qualities to remain in their national football team. "Football is a simple game," Gary Lineker once said. "You kick a ball about for ninety minutes and in the end the Germans win. "
It’s difficult to predict who will win this year’s World Cup. There is no strong favorite. But a look at the track record of previous winners shows that it is the nations with the strongest national characteristics in the football that perform best. It seems that you need to know where you come from if you want to get to the top.
Who will win this year’s World Cup

A:The Brazilian team. B:The Italian team. C:The German Team. D:It is unpredictable.

第三篇The World Cup This summer’s World Cup competition will see teams competing to play the world’s best football. But the football they play will not all be of the same kind. The fans expect different styles of play from Brazil, Germany, or Italy. What makes Brazilian football Brazilian? Our style of playing football contrasts with the Europeans because of a combination of qualities of surprise, accuracy and good judgment. This style has won Brazil five world cups. Yet many Brazilian fans only count four of these victories. In 1994, the team abandoned this style for modern, scientific training and tactics. The team won the cup, but in a boring way. The Italians think differently.” To many Italians, the score 0-0 has a glorious quality, suggesting perfection,” says the British football writer Simon Kuper. In the Italian culture, the idea of face is very important. This is why Italian teams are traditionally built around strong defenses. The Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff once said that Italian teams never exactly beat you. It’s just that you often lose to them. In Holland, there is a tradition of decision making through argument and discussion. It is a society where everybody is expected to have a point of view.” Every Dutch player wants to control the game,” says Arnold Muhren. “You play football with your brains and not your feet.” “A Dutch player argues,” says Simon Kuper. “An English player obeys his superior. He is a soldier.” The qualities valued in English football are military-strength, aggression and courage. This can make for exciting football. But it also means that the English find it difficult to use skillful players. David Beckham is usually criticized for his failure to defend-despite the fact that he is an attacker. If the English like to fight, the Germans like to win. In recent years, Germany has tried to change its image as a country of ruthless efficiency and a desire for victory at all costs. But Germans are quite happy for these qualities to remain in their national football team.” Football is a simple game,” Gary Lineker once said.” You kick a ball about for ninety minutes and in the end the Germans win.” It’s difficult to predict who will win this year’s World Cup. There is no strong favorite. But a look at the track record of previous winners shows that it is the nations with the strongest national characteristics in the football that perform best. It seems that you need to know where you come from if you want to get to the top. Why do many Italians think that the score 0-0 has a glorious quality?

A:Because it makes no one lose face. B:Because the Italian team is not very strong. C:Because Italians are nice people. D:Because that score is what their team could obtain.

第三篇The World Cup This summer’s World Cup competition will see teams competing to play the world’s best football. But the football they play will not all be of the same kind. The fans expect different styles of play from Brazil, Germany, or Italy. What makes Brazilian football Brazilian? Our style of playing football contrasts with the Europeans because of a combination of qualities of surprise, accuracy and good judgment. This style has won Brazil five world cups. Yet many Brazilian fans only count four of these victories. In 1994, the team abandoned this style for modern, scientific training and tactics. The team won the cup, but in a boring way. The Italians think differently.” To many Italians, the score 0-0 has a glorious quality, suggesting perfection,” says the British football writer Simon Kuper. In the Italian culture, the idea of face is very important. This is why Italian teams are traditionally built around strong defenses. The Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff once said that Italian teams never exactly beat you. It’s just that you often lose to them. In Holland, there is a tradition of decision making through argument and discussion. It is a society where everybody is expected to have a point of view.” Every Dutch player wants to control the game,” says Arnold Muhren. “You play football with your brains and not your feet.” “A Dutch player argues,” says Simon Kuper. “An English player obeys his superior. He is a soldier.” The qualities valued in English football are military-strength, aggression and courage. This can make for exciting football. But it also means that the English find it difficult to use skillful players. David Beckham is usually criticized for his failure to defend-despite the fact that he is an attacker. If the English like to fight, the Germans like to win. In recent years, Germany has tried to change its image as a country of ruthless efficiency and a desire for victory at all costs. But Germans are quite happy for these qualities to remain in their national football team.” Football is a simple game,” Gary Lineker once said.” You kick a ball about for ninety minutes and in the end the Germans win.” It’s difficult to predict who will win this year’s World Cup. There is no strong favorite. But a look at the track record of previous winners shows that it is the nations with the strongest national characteristics in the football that perform best. It seems that you need to know where you come from if you want to get to the top. Who will win this year’s World Cup?

A:The Brazilian team. B:The Italian team. C:The German Team. D:It is unpredictable.

{{B}}第三篇{{/B}}

Who will win this year’s World Cup?

A:The Brazilian team. B:The Italian team. C:The German Team. D:It is unpredictable.