People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. Most of the money today is made of metal or paper. But people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells. Shells were not the only things used as money. In China, cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks, monkey tails, and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.
Some animals were used as money too. The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the center. People strung them together and carried them from place to place. The first coins in England were made of tin (锡). Sweden and Russia used copper (铜) to make their money. Later countries began to make coins of gold and silver.
Later the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. They began to use paper money. Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today.People used different kinds of things as .
| A．gold | B．metal | C．money | D．silver |
Tin was first made as money in .
| A．China | B．Philippine Islands | C．England | D．Russia |
The word "strung" in the passage probably means ."
| A．came | B．tied | C．put | D．made |
The best topic of the article is” .”
| A．How Many Kinds of Money Are There in the World | B．The History of Money |
| C．Money in Different Countries | D．The Use of Money |
A couple of years ago,before a trip to China,Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (显著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,”said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球),Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s.She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics,Lang,48,who is from Beijing,had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：While the US team was playing in a packed gym,at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said.“They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country,but they love her so dearly that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday,when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match,but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won,since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli,a spectator.“We also cheered for
Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet.“It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players,said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,”she said.“The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous.The whole event has been unbelievable.”What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Staying professional. | B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer. |
| C．A match between China and the US. | D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach. |
Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.
| A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy |
| B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to |
| C．disliked to be with her fans |
| D．didn’t want to disturb public order |
What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?
| A．destroyed completely | B．tore into pieces |
| C．spread out to the wind | D．rolled up |
What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”？
| A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team. |
| B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams. |
| C．She just tried to stay professional. |
| D．The results of each match will be the same. |
What impressed the US team players most?
| A．The tolerance of Chinese people. |
| B．The popularity of volleyball in China. |
| C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills. |
| D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese. |
Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities(operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government's Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100 000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20 000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10 000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other's patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _______.
| A．a church | B．a corporation | C．a city | D．a state |
The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.
| A．schooling and retraining | B．practice in a hospital |
| C．facilities he or she uses | D．education he or she receives |
According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?
| A．About seven years. | B．Eight years. |
| C．Ten years. | D．About twelve years. |
Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.
| A．there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them |
| B．they can take turns to work long hours |
| C．facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder |
| D．no one wants to assume too much responsibility |
Which of the following statements could fully express the author's view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?
| A．For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay. |
| B．It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous. |
| C．Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions. |
| D．Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded. |
Most Americans get what money they have from their work; that is, they earn an income from wages or salaries. The richest Americans, however, get most of their money from what they own — their stocks, bonds, real estate, and other forms of property, or wealth. Although there are few accurate statistics to go by, wealth in American society appears to be concentrated in very few hands. More than 20 percent of everything that can be privately owned is held by less than one percent of the adult population and more than 75 percent of all wealth is owned by 20 percent of American adults. The plain fact is that most Americans have no wealth at all aside from their homes, automobiles, and a small amount of savings.
Income in the United States is not as highly concentrated as wealth. In 1917 the richest 10 percent of American families received 26.1 percent of all income, while the poorest 10 percent received 17 percent, mainly from Social Security and other government payments. The most striking aspect of income distribution is that it has not changed significantly since the end of World War II. Although economic growth has roughly doubled real disposable (可自由使用的) family income (the money left after taxes and adjusted for inflation) over the last generation, the size of the shares given to the rich and the poor is about the same. By any measure economic inequality is great in the United States.
The reality behind these statistics is that a large number of Americans are poor. In 1918, 14 percent of the population was living below the federal government’s poverty line, which at that time was an annual income of $ 9 287 for a nonfarm family of two adults and two children. In other words, about one out of seven Americans over 31 million people was officially considered unable to buy the basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter. The suggested poverty line in 1981 would have been an income of about $11 200 for a family of four. By this relative definition, about 20 percent of the population or more than 45 million Americans are poor. What does the majority of the Americans have in terms of wealth?
| A．Their income and savings. |
| B．Everything they own in their homes. |
| C．Actually, they have no wealth at all. |
| D．Their house, cars and small amounts of savings. |
What is the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of most Americans?
| A．More than 25%. | B．Less than 25%. |
| C．More than 75%. | D．Less than 20%. |
Why is economic inequality still great in the US in spite of the economic growth?
| A．Because the proportion of income received by the rich and the poor remains almost the same as in 1917. |
| B．Because the economic growth has widened the gap of the family income between the rich and the poor. |
| C．Because income in the US is still concentrated in the hands of the richest 10% of American families. |
| D．Because some Americans made great fortunes during the Second World War. |
What can we learn from comparison of the two poverty lines in the last paragraph?
| A．The poverty line of 1918 is more favorable to the poor than that of 1981. |
| B．The 1981 line didn’t leave much to the poor. |
| C．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1981 line. |
| D．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1918 line. |
From the last two sentences we can see that 1981 government’s poverty line _______.
| A．was of no good for the poor | B．was not put into operation then |
| C．was officially approved | D．was not helpful to the poor |
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine, infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, where as if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary(当代的) societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile (衰老的) or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent (疗养的) hospitals have been built. These are often profit making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping (倒垃圾的) grounds” for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly paid, overworked, and under skilled personnel.The author believes that the population explosion results from _______.
| A．an increase in birthrates | B．the industrial development |
| C．a decrease in death rates | D．human beings’ cultural advances |
It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering cultures _______.
| A．it was a moral responsibility for the families to keep alive the aged people who could not work |
| B．the survival of infants was less important than that of their parents in times of starvation |
| C．old people were given the task of imparting the cultural wisdom of the tribe to new generations |
| D．death was celebrated as a time of rejoicing for an individual freed of the hardships of life |
According to the passage, which of the following statements about the old people in the United States is true?
| A．Many of them live on social security money which is hardly enough. |
| B．Minority of them remain in a state of near poverty after their retirement. |
| C．When they reach a certain age, compulsory retirement is necessary and beneficial. |
| D．With the growing inflation, they must suffer more from unbearable burdens than ever. |
The phrase “this need” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.
| A．prolonging the dying old people’s lives |
| B．reducing the problems caused by the retired people |
| C．making profits through caring for the sick or weak people |
| D．taking care of the sick or weak people |
Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes and convalescent hospitals?
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Approving. | C．Optimistic. | D．Critical. |
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion. Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio?
| A．At the Bull’s Head on Sunday. |
| B．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
| C．At the Bull on Saturday. |
| D．At the Black Horse on Saturday. |
Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
| A．At the Derby Arms on Friday. |
| B．At the Black Horse on Friday. |
| C．At the Star and Garter on Saturday. |
| D．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
| A．789—6749. | B．789—4536. | C．682—1158. | D．688—4626. |
You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
| A．Disco at The Lord Napier. |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse. |
| C．The electric accordion at The Derby Arms. |
| D．Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?
| A．The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms. |
| C．Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull. |
| D．Musical Hal lat The Star ＆Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier. |