AustraliawarnsonmigrantcutsAus-优题课

Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with doubts by many as being a major part of the “live now pay later” syndrome（综合症）．Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes（租赁项目）, they provide encouragement to spend more money．Of course, it is only the hotheaded who give way to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards．
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They prevent need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies．
All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet sensible purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit．Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further．
It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets（经销店）, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen．A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card．
However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty．
The hotheaded are people who ________．

A．spend more money than they have

B．spend less money than other people

C．save money

D．make money

The disadvantage of credit cards is ________．

A．to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash

B．to encourage people to spend more money

C．to be always useful in emergencies

D．to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty

Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider ________．

A．the amount of credit granted　　

B．the number and range of outlets

C．the possibility of loss of money

D．the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards

The underlined words in the last paragraph probably means ________．

A．floating with the tide of

B．going through a difficult period of

C．rising and falling with the tide of

D．attempting to go against the tide of

A round of applause, please, for the Indian man who recently sang for 80 hours straight, setting a new Guinness world record. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but let’s just hope he still has a voice．According to Indian newspapers, Rajesh Burbure has been told to keep silent for several days so his vocal cords（声带）can heal．
It was reported that Burbure and his family are in a celebratory mood. "It's a proud moment for all of us," his wife told DNAIndia.com．
I, on the other hand, am unable to share their enthusiasm．Don't get me wrong: I hope the 35-year-old Burbure lives forever, sells a million records and becomes an international celebrity．But his record—singing for 80 hours straight—is about as meaningful as most of the other curious but crazy feats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records．
Granted, I'm not qualified to speak on the subject．I've got no world records to my name, and I never expect to have any．Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley（集成曲）of pop songs．
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure．He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades（荣誉）．The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake．
To all of these enterprising souls I ask, simply, "What was it all for?"
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you became a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you, with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese．
After all, records are made to be broken．
From the text, we can conclude that the author _________．

A．thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless

B．feels it a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures

C．is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords

D．has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ feat

Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to ________．

A．become an international celebrity

B．know all about Guinness records

C．practice a great deal

D．bear great stress for fear of injury

We can infer from the article that ________．

A．after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak

B．Burbure’s wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record

C．many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior

D．challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health

The author’s attitude to some Guinness world records is ________．

A．positive

B．impressed

C．negative

D．touched

Abby, Steven, Jonathan, 和 Tina都想去电影院看电影。阅读下面的电影介绍（A、B、C和D），选出最适合他们的电影。
Abbyis 8 years old and shows great interest in cartoon films.
Steven is going through a difficult time in his life and needs a film to inspire him.
Jonathan is a college graduate and prefers science-fiction（科幻）films.
Tina hopes to enjoy an adventurous and thrilling film this weekend.

A
Charlotte’s Web
A live-action/ computer-animated（电脑动画）feature film, based on the popular book with the same name by E.B. White. Fern is one of the only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him into a terrific and bright pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn （畜棚）, he begins a second deep friendship with a spider named Charlotte and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family.

B
Babel
Richard and Susan are a couple from California who are vacationing in Morocco while their two children are at home with their Mexican housekeeper, Amelia. Meanwhile, a local young man, shot at a tour bus and hit Susan in the shoulder, causing her severe injury. Richard calls home to tell Amelia of the situation, who shortly leaves for Mexico to attend her son’s wedding along with their children. Disaster thus multiplies (增加), with the situation in Morocco owing to terrorists in the media, Amelia meets with trouble at the Mexican border when she returns.

C
Children of Men
Set in 2027, when no child has been born for 18 years and science is at loss to explain the reason, African and East European societies break down and their decreasing populations migrate to England and other wealthy nations. In a climate of violence, a London peace activist joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife Julian in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously became pregnant(怀孕).

D
The Pursuit of Happiness
Chris Gardner is a bright and talented, but marginally （在边缘）employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted（逐出）their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. He and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, dreaming of a better life for the two of them. Gardner finally becomes successful.

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
The passage shows that ______.

A．mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B．mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

C．mother cared much about her daughter in words

D．mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

The word “gulf” in the passage means ______.

A．deep understanding between the old and the young

B．different ideas between the mother and the daughter

C．free talks between mother and daughter

D．part of the sea going far in land

What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?

A．She had never received the letter.

B．For years, she often talked about the letter.

C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D．She read the letter again and again till she died.

What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My letter to Mother	B．Mother and Children
C．My mother’s Desk	D．Talks between Mother and Me

Christmas Eve means a warm get-together with friends, a candlelight dinner, or perhaps a celebration at a pub for students. But, for Cai Yingjie, the night has a different meaning: helping beggars（乞丐）and the homeless(people without homes).
Cai, who is a student in journalism at Tsinghua, could be found at Beijing’s Wudaokou Light Railway Station that special evening. When she saw an old beggar, she took the cold, rough hands of the woman with her warm, clean hands, and gave the woman some warm bread and helped her put on a pair of new gloves.
The woman was surprised for a few seconds, then burst into tears, saying “for the first time I feel respected”.
Cai said, “A beggar’s life is very hard. That’s why I want to help them.”
Cai was one of 14 Tsinghua students spendingChristmas Eve among the poor. They walked in the cold wind along the streets from 4to 7 pm on Friday, visiting 15 beggars in Beijing’s Haidian District.
They brought bread and gloves with them, and stopped to greet beggars and offer them some of the warm food. Each beggar greeted them with a look of surprise.
“I know the activity can’t help much, but it’s meant to show our respect and care for beggars and the homeless who have been neglected for so long,” said Sun, head of the group. “And Christmas is a good time for that.”
What does Christmas Eve mean to the 14 Tsinghua students?

A．Taking 15 beggars to Tsinghua.

B．Getting together with friends.

C．Showing care to the beggars and the homeless.

D．Selling bread and gloves to the beggars.

What does the beggar mean by saying “for the first time I feel respected”?

A．The beggar has been waiting for Cai for long.

B．The beggar hasn’t been shown care for so long.

C．The beggar has been respecting Cai for a long time.

D．This is the first time the beggar has seen Tsinghua students.

What did each beggar feel when they received greetings?

A．Sad.	B．Amazed.
C．Frightened.	D．Proud.

The word “neglected” in the last passage means _______.

A．protected	B．found
C．taken care of	D．given no enough care