A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found that most of them are ignorant when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a series of reports from NatWest that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, arc particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts man any before.
University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at £3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average £ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just £ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than £ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are £ 12，363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they arc to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr. aged 15. from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted that she still had a lot to learn about money.
1. Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?
A. Students understand personal finances differently.
B. University tuition fees in England have been rising.
C. Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings.
D. The students' payback ability has become a major issue.
2. The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. to raise the student loans B. to improve the school facilities
C. to increase the upper limit of the tuition D. to lift the school building roofs
3. According to Stephen Moir, students_______.
A. are too young 10 be exposed 10 financial issues
B. should learn 10 manage their finances well
C- should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans
D. benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance
4. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many British teenagers do not know money matters well
B. Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts.
C. Financial planning is a required course at college.
D. Young people should become responsible adults.
C
What should I eat for breakfast? Who should I go out with on weekends? What should I do if I miss the bus to school? What colleges should I apply for? Again and again Chinese kids ask these questions to their teachers and parents. They can’t make their own choices.
Kids in America would be very surprised to hear how much Chinese children depend on adults. When they are ten years old, kids decide what clothes they want to wear and buy. By twelve they know what classes to take for middle school. Thirteen years old is the beginning of being what Americans call a “teenager”. Now the child is up to almost all his / her decisions. Finally at sixteen the kid usually gets a car from his / her parents.
Why should kids be independent? Think about it. After high school most of us will be by ourselves. Will our parents be able to tell us what to eat for breakfast in college? Can our teachers decide what we should do at work?
Making our own choices can be quite hard and scary. But we can start with making small choices, and then slowly make bigger and more important choices.
64. The first paragraph is written to tell the readers that Chinese kids ______.
A. don’t know what to do B. always have many questions
C. believe in their teachers and parents D. depend on adults too much
65. At what age can an American kid make most decisions by himself or herself?
A. Ten.B. Twelve. C. Thirteen. D. Sixteen.
66. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. American kids are more independent than Chinese kids.
B. American kids will more easily adapt themselves to society.
C. American parents don’t care for their children.
D. A sixteen American youngster can drive his / her own car.
67. In the writer’s eyes, ______.
A. dependence on adults is shameful in China
B. independence from adults is worth encouraging
C. kids have no ability to make a real choice
D. making decisions is rather easy
B
Today, robots come in all shapes and sizes. They can’t complain, even if the work is heavy and dangerous. And they can work or play all day without getting bored. Unlike a human’s arms, a robot’s joints will never get stiff (僵硬的). The end of the arm can be fitted with devices (装置) to perform different tasks. These could be a welding (焊接) point, suction cups (吸附杯) or gripping fingers (钳形指) for lifting and moving objects. Such an arm of these computer controlled industrial robots can work 24 hours a day.
Robopets (机器人宠物) are high-tech robots programmed to play. They can communicate with their owners and recognize their voices. Each one will develop a different “personality”. They can be a lot of fun to play with, but these robots can also be helpful to people who are sick and can’t look after a real animal. Many doctors believe that when a person is happy and laughing, their body recovers faster. A robopet might be just what the doctor ordered.
NeCoRo is a robot cat that has been developed to be more than a toy. The robot uses sensors (传感器) that can detect movement and sound. It can even store helpful information in its memory. Its behaviour changes over time, just like a real pet.
60. From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.
A. a human’s arms never get stiff
B. robots sometimes get bored just as humans do
C. robots can do some work which humans can’t
D. robots can work all day but they can’t play
61. Rob pets are especially useful in ________according to the passage.
A. schools B. Hospitals C. cinemas D. factories
62. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. A robot never says “NO” to the dangerous work.
B. A robot can “remember” useful information.
C. NeCoRo is a robot dog.
D. NeCoRo’s behaviour changes over time.
63. What does the underlined word “detect” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Recognize. B. Create. C. Store. D. Destroy.
第三部分阅读理解 (满分30分)
A
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels (分贝) in oceans. They have observed that noises at the level can frighten and confuse (使困惑) whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises could seriously injure some animals. They found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died.
Some researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to (反对) a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research. Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists agree that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures (生物) in the ocean.
56. According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
A. The man-made noises.
B. The noises made by themselves.
C. The sound of earthquakes.
D. The sound of ice-breaking.
57. Concerning the effect of noises on whales, which of the following is TRUE?
A. They are deaf to noises.
B. Noises at a certain level may hurt them.
C. Noises could kill them.
D. Noises will cause them to lose their eyesight.
58. Some scientists think that the noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels would _________.
A. prevent them doing their research work
B. benefit them a lot in their research work
C. do good to their health
D. increase the industrial output
59. According to the last paragraph, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
A. They will study the effect of different noises in the sea.
B. They will work hard to make no noise.
C. They will never do any scientific research in the sea.
D. They will protect sea animals from harmful noises.
D
Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking.
He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty-three or-four. There was all unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes.
“Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?” said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss: “Never mind me, I am Mr. d’Urbervilles. Have you come to see me or my mother”
This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered-“I came to see your mother, sir.”
“I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed,” replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alec, the only son of the noble family. “What is the business you wish to see her about?”
“It isn’t business-it is-I can hardly say what.”
“Pleasure”
“Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem…”
Tess’s sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved（弯曲）towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
“It is so foolish,” she stammered（结结巴巴地说）; “I fear I can’t tell you”
“Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear,” said he kindly.
“Mother asked me to come,” Tess continued, “and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this. I came, sir, to tell you that we are of the same family as you.”
“Ho! Poor relations!”
“Yes.”
“Stokes”
“No; d’Urbervilles.”
“Ay, ay; I mean d’Urbervilles.”
“Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d’Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are, …and…and we have an old seal（印章）and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we’ve lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living.”
“Very kind of your mother, I’m sure.” Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. ”And so, my pretty girl, you’ve come on a friendly visit to us, as relations.”
“I suppose I have,” looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
“Well—there’s no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?”
—Tess of the d’Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy
67. How does Tess feel in the whole course of the meeting with Alec？
A. Excited and hopeful B. Nervous and uncomfortable
C. Surprised but comfortable D. Pleased but embarrassed
68. In the eyes of Tess, Alec is ________.
A. forceful and daring B. unfriendly and talkative
C. a gentle and reliable man D. older than she had expected
69. Why does Tess pay the visit to the d’Urbervilles？
A. To see Alec himself.
B. To see Alec’s mother.
C. To confirm that they are of the same family.
D. To make known their relationship and seek help.
70. Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because ________.
A. Tess is his distant relation B. Tess looks polite to him
C. Tess is a pretty girl D. Tess looks ridiculous
C
Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unequally heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the gap. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And as long as the wind blows, people will manage it to power their lives.
Ancient sailors used sails to capture the wind and explore the world. Farmers once used windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, more and more people are using wind turbines to make electricity from the breeze. Over the past decade, wind turbine use has increased at more than 25 percent a year. Still, it only provides a small part of the world's energy.
Most wind energy comes from turbines that can be as tall as a 20-story building and have three 200-foot-long (60-meter-long) blades. These devices look like giant airplane propellers(螺桨)on a stick. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft connected to a generator.
The biggest wind turbines generate enough electricity to supply about 600 U.S. homes. Wind farms have tens and sometimes hundreds of these turbines lined up together in particularly windy spots, like along a ridge. Smaller turbines set up in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business.
Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. And since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected. Mass production and technology advances are making turbines cheaper, and many governments decrease tax to encourage wind-energy development.
Some people think wind turbines are ugly and complain about the noise the machines make. The slowly rotating blades(螺旋风片) can also kill birds and bats, but not nearly as many as cars, power lines, and high-rise buildings do. The wind is also changeable: If it's not blowing, there's no electricity generated.
Nevertheless, the wind energy industry is increasing sharply. Globally, generation more than quadrupled(四倍) between 2000 and 2006. At the end of last year, global capacity was more than 70,000 megawatts. In the energy-hungry United States, a single megawatt is enough electricity to power about 250 homes. Germany has the most installed wind energy capacity, followed by Spain, the United States, India, and Denmark. Development is also fast growing in France and China.
Industry experts predict that if this pace of growth continues, by 2050 the answer to one third of the world's electricity needs will be found blowing in the wind
63. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. The rotating blades can kill as many birds as high-rise buildings do
B. Single families are not encouraged to build turbines.
C. The USA produces more wind power than any other country in the world.
D. The noise the turbines make may discourage people from building them.
64. The underlined word “generator” in the third paragraph probably means_______.
A. 电动机 B. 发电机 C. 机翼 D. 飞机引擎
65. If the USA wants to build wind turbines in an area with 30,000 homes, how many
should they build at least?
A. 50. B. 150. C. 250. D. 200.
66. All the following are the advantages of wind energy EXCEPT that_________.
A. it is environmentally friendly B. it is free to build and operate
C. the government supports it D. the energy is clean and renewable