单项选择题 W: Look at those beautiful parrots over there. I think you can teach them to talk.M: Yes, but look at the price tag on them. I’d rather have a pigeon instead.Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place?（）

单项选择题 根据短文回答 16～21 题。 They Say Ireland's the BestIreland is the best place in the world to live for 2005, according to a life quality ranking that appeared in Britain's Economist magazine last week.The ambitious attempt to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the principle that wealth is not the only measure of human satisfaction and well-being.The index of 111 countries uses data on incomes, health, unemployment, climate, political stability, job security, gender equality as well as what the magazine calls 'freedom, family and community life'.Despite the bad weather, troubled health service, traffic congestion (拥挤), 9ender inequality, and the high cost of living, Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points out of 10.That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland, which managed 8.07. Zimbabwe troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest (最差的), picking up only 3.89 points.'Although rising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued,' the report said, 'some of the factors associated with modernization such as the breakdown (崩溃) in traditional institutions and family values in part take away from a positive impact.''Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new with the preservation of certain warm elements of the old, such as stable family and community life.'The magazine admitted measurin9 quality of life is not a straightforward thing to do, and that its findings would have their critics.No. 2 on the list is Switzerland. The other nations in the top 10 are Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden, Australia, Iceland, Italy, Denmark and Spain.The UK is positioned at No. 29, a much lower position chiefly because of the social and family breakdown recorded in official statistics. The US, which has the second highest per capita GDP (人均国内生产总值) after Luxembourg, took the 13th place in the survey. China was in, the lower half of the league at 60th. 第 16 题 For 2,005 years, Ireland has been the best place for humans to live in.（ ）A．RightB．WrongC．Not mentioned

单项选择题 根据短文回答 16～22 题。 Norwich Norwich, the capital of the part of Britain known as East Anglia, has been existence for more than two thousand years It began as a small village beside the River Wensum. At the time of the Norman invasion in 1066 it had grown to become one of the largest towns in England.With two cathedrals and a mosque (清真寺), Norwich has long been a popular centre for various religions. The first cathedral was built in 1095 and has recently celebrated its 900th anniversary, while Norwich itself had a year of celebration in 1994 to mark the 800th anniversary of the city receiving a Royal Charter. This allowed it to be called a city and to govern itself independently.Today, in comparison with places like London or Manchester, Norwich is quite small, with a population of around 150,000, but in the 16th century Norwich was the second largest city of England. It continued to grow for the next 300 years and got richer and richer, becoming famous for having as many churches as there are weeks in the year and as many pubs as there are days in the year.Nowadays, there are far fewer churches and pubs, but in 1964 the University of East Anglia was built in Norwich. With its fast-growing student population and its success as a modern commercial centre (Norwich is the biggest centre for insurance services outside London), the city now has a wide choice of entertainment: theatres, cinemas, nightclubs, busy cafes, excellent restaurants, and a number of arts and leisure centers. There is also a football team, whose colours are green and yellow. The team is known as 'The Canaries (金丝雀)', though nobody can be sure why.Now the city's attractions include another important development, a modern shopping centre called 'The Castle Mall'. The people of Norwich lived with a very large hole in the middle of their city for over two years, as builders dug up the main car park. Lorries moved nearly a million tons of earth so that the roof of the Mall could become a city centre park, with attractive water pools and hundreds of trees. But the local people are really pleased that the old open market remains, right in the heart of the city and next to the new development. Both areas continue to do good business, proving that Norwich has managed to mix the best of the old and the new. 第 16 题 The River Wensum flows by Norwich.（ ）A．RightB．WrongC．Not mentioned