The Growing Credit Crisis Forces Many Companies to Seek Government Help
On September fifteenth, Lehman Brothers, a one hundred fifty-eight year-old investment bank, sought legal protection from its creditors. It had failed to find a buyer after months of searching. With over six hundred billion dollars in debt, Lehman’s failure was the largest bankruptcv in United States history At the same time，the nation’s biggest insurance company，American International Group, had gotten into trouble selling credit default swaps These are contracts Similar to insurance that protect the holder against credit risk.
Credit rating agencies downgraded A.I.G because of concerns it could not honor its contracts. Unable to get new loans, A.I.G asked for government help The Federal Reserve agreed to loan A .I.G. eighty-five billion dollars in return for eighty percent of the company but it was not enough. By November, the government had extended a total of about one hundred fiftv billion doliars in aid to A .I.G—the most to any single company during the crisis.
As banks refused to lend, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a plan to loosen credit markets by buylng risky assets. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of Two. Thousand eight on October third The bill provided seven hundred billion dollars to buy hard to-value securltles from banks. But within weeks, the government changed plans. The Treasury moved to invest two handred fifty billion dollars directly in banks to help them lend money again.
Lack of credit not only hurt banks but manufacturers, too. Falling car sales threatened America’s carmakers The big three automakers—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler—told Congress that they needed loans or they faced bankmptcy. In December, President Bush offered G.M and Chrysler over seventeen billion dollars in loans.
As the year ended, the Federal Reserve tried to support economic growth by lowering its main interest rate to nearly zero for the first time. But there was one more bad surprise New York money manager Bernard Madoff admitted he had cheated investors out of fifty billion dollars. The news only added to the sense that two thousand eight was the worst economic year since the nineteen thirties. Which of the following is NOT the problem in the passage Lehman Brothers was faced with?
| A．lt is an Investment bank with more than one and a half centuries history. |
| B．It didn’t find a buyer after months of searching. |
| C．It has over six hundred billion dollars in debt. |
| D．Its failure was the largest bankruptcy in United States history. |
The reason why A.I.G turned to the U.S government for help was that .
A. A.I.G would give eighty percent of the company in return for the loan
B. A.I.G couldn’t get new loans from credit rating agencies
C. the government extended a total of about one hundred fifty billion dollars in aid to A.I.G
D. the Federal Reserve agreed to loan A.I G eighty-five billion dollarsAccording to the passage, which of the following is probably NOT suffering from the lack of_______ .
| A．Banks． | B．Manufacturers | C．Carmakers | D．Barbers |
The last sentence of this passage indicates that the author’s attitude towards the U.S economy in 2008 is
| A．pessimistic | B．optimistic | C．objective | D．subjective |
CALCUTTA, IndiaMar 24, 2006(AP) —One of the world’s oldest creatures, a giant tortoise believed to have been about 250 years old, has died in the Calcutta zoo where it spent more than half its long life.
Addwaita, which means “the one and only” in the local Bengali language, was one of four Aldabra tortoises brought to India by British sailors in the 18th century. Zoo officials say he was a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company, who was instrumental in establishing British colonial rule in India, before he returned to England in 1767. Long after the other three tortoises died, Addwaita continued to thrive, living in Clive’s garden before being moved to the zoo in 1875.
“According to records in the zoo, the age of the giant tortoise, Addwaita, who died on Wednesday, w
ould be about 250 years,” said zoo dir
ector Subir Chowdhury. That would have made him much older than the world’s oldest documented living animal: Harriet, a 176-year-old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane, according to the zoo’s Web site. She was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century.
Aldabra tortoises come from the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelle islands in the Indian Ocean, and often live to more than 100 years of age. Males can weigh up to 550 pounds. Addwaita, the zoo’s biggest attraction, had been unwell for the last few days, said local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman.
“We were keeping a watch on him. When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead,” Burman said.
1. According to the passage, Addwaita ________.
A. was sent to India as a gift by British government
B. was sent to India by British sailors i
n 1767
C. lived together with three other Aldabra tortoises in India
D. belonged to Lord Robert Clive for some time
2. By now, the oldest animal in the world is about at ________.
A. 176 years old B. 100 years old C. 250 years old D. 200 years old
3. In the last few days before Addwaita died, he ________.
A. had been sent to hospital for treatment
B. had been playing with travelers
C. had been found not better than before
D. had stayed in his enclosure for days
4. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. An Old Aldabra Tortoise Died in India
B. A Remarkable Life: Tortoise Dies at 250
C. A Special Kind of Tortoise — Addwaita
D. The Oldest Animal Aldabra Tor
toise Died
CARDIFF, Wales Poets, singers and musicians from across the globe gathered in Wales to celebrate the tradition of storytelling.
“It might seem strange that people still want to listen in age of watching television, but this is an unusual art form whose time has come again,” said David Ambrose, director of Beyond the Border, an international storytelling festival in Wales.
“Some of the tales, like those of the Inuit from Canada, are thousands of years old. So our storytellers have come from distant lands to connect us with the distance of time,” he said early this month.
Two Inuit women, both in their mid 60s, are among the few remaining who can do Kntadjait, or throat singing, which has few words and much sound. Their art is governed by the cold of their surroundings, forcing them to say little but listen attentively.
Ambrose started the festival in 1993, after several years of working with those reviving (coming back into use or existence) storytelling in Wales.
“It came out of a group of people who wanted to reconnect with traditions. and as all the Welsh are storytellers, it was in good hands here.” Ambrose said.
1. From the tales told by the Inuit, people can learn _______.
A. about their life as early as thousands of years ago
B. why they tell the stories in a throat-singing way
C. how cold it has been where the Inuit
live
D. how difficult it is to understand the Inuit
2. According to the writer, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Storytelling once stopped in Wales.
B. Storytelling has a long history in Wales.
C. Storytelling is always well received in Wales.
D. Storytelling did not come back until 1993 in Wales.
3. The underlined phras
e in good hands means _______.
A. controlled by rich people B. grasped by good storytellers
C. taken good care of D. protected by kind people
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.
In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englis
hman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however, it wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac S
inger five years later.
Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effor
t. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.
It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.
1. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?
A. Thomas Saint’s. B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.
C. Elias Howe’s. D. Isaac Singer’s.
2. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .
A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much
B. only imitate the first washing machine
C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity
D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time
3. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards”
probably means __________ .
A. useless B. ugly-looking C. rough D. not skillfully made
4 The article mainly tells us about __________ .
A. the great inventors in the world
B. the important inventions in the world
C. the short history of household machines
D. the importance of the machines used in the home
Sightseeing Tours in Germany
Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich. Thankfully, these major German cities offer sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country’s most historic sites.
Berlin on Bike
berlin image by Jürgen Remmer from Fotolia.com
Berlin on Bike takes visitors through the German capital via five bicycle tours, all with guides. Regular tours include the Wall Tour and Berlin’s Best, with stops at some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Reichstag and the Berlin Wall. Specialty tours include the East Unplugged, which explores what life was like in East Berlin under Communist rule. The cost of the tour includes
the bike and helmet rental, and tourists may choose to continue renting their bikes once the tour has ended.
berlinonbike.de/english/index.php
Munich City Sightseeing Tour
The Munich City Sightseeing Tour transports travelers throughout the city via an open-air, double-decker bus. Passengers can hop on and off at various stops throughout the day. This tour includes stops at such sites as the Munich central train station, the 1972 Olympic Stadium Park, Munich’s opera house and Karlsplatz, the gate to the historic city. The bus features a narrated tour guide and offers an English-language option.
raileurope.com/activities/munich-city-sightseeing-tour/index.html
Nice City Tours－Cologne
Nice City Tours offers three tours of Cologne, available to private or business groups in a variety of languages. The Old Town Tour runs for two hours and includes a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral and some of the city’s old squares. The Brewery Pub Tour explores some of the city’s most beloved breweries and pubs, and details the history behind Kolsch, Cologne’s resident beer. Finally, the Old Town and Rhine Tour begins by visiting some of old town’s most historic sites and ends with a ride down the Rhine River.
nicecitytours.com/tours.htm
1. The similarity of the three tours lies in that they all include ________.
A. bus tours B. English service C. three routes D. guide’s service
2. If you take a great interest in beer, which tour might be suitable for you?
A. The Wall Tour B. The Brewery Pub Tour
C. The Old Town Tour D. The Munich City Sightseeing Tour
3. Where can you probably see this passage?
A. In a textbook B. On a website C. In an encyclopedia D. In a journal
Dr. Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish. It’s not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low. It’s not because they’re bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water. It’s because they’re smart.
“Fish are sensitive, they have personalities,” says the marine biologist. For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat. “I would never eat anyone I know personally.”
There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human. They can remember things and learn from experience. Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether.
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket. “While it may seem obvious that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables,” says Dr. Lynne Sneddon. “Really, it’s kind of a moral question. Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?”
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are doubtful. “I’ve never seen a smart fish,” says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant. “If they were very smart,
they wouldn’t get caught.”
“For years, everyone’s been telling us to eat fish because it’s so good for us,” says another diner. “Now I’ve got to feel guilty while I’m eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don’t eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?”
1. Dr. Sylvia Earle discourage people from eating fish because _____________.
A. there are not that many wild fish in the ocean
B. fish actually are sensitive and have personalities
C. some ocean fish contain poisonous substances
D. fish are like dogs or cats that people know personally
2. We can infer from the passage that _____________.
A. all people don’t agree with the idea to stop eating fish
B. people will be persuaded not to eat fish in the future
C. stopping eating fish will lead to people’s not eating vegetables
D. we shouldn’t care too much about the feeling of fish
3. By saying “There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye,” the writer means ____________.
A. there are far more fish than other animals in the world
B. there are more fish in the world than people can see
C. people can see more fish if they pay more attention
D. fish are not that simple as they appear to people’s eyes
4. What is the writer’s attitude towards people eating fish?
A. Neutral. B. Indifferent. C. Approving. D. Opposed.