Microsoft founder Bill Gates has recovered his spot at the top of the US money heap, taking the place of investor Warren Buffett as America's richest person, Forbes magazine's latest list reveals.
With 57 billion dollars net worth Gates again leads the list of 400 richest individuals in the world's wealthiest country. He displaced Buffett who briefly held the position this year but who has seen his Berkshire Hathaway investment group's shares slip 15 percent since February and is now worth 50 billion.
According to Forbes, whose list was published late Wednesday, the golden 400 have 1.3 billion dollars net worth or more. However, their combined net worth rose only 30 billion dollars, or two percent, to 1.57 trillion dollars.
Forbes said that rising oil and dizzy art prices fuelled the entry of 31 new members into the ultra-rich club and the return of eight previous members.
A notable arrival was Mark Zuckerberg, 24, founder of the social networking site Facebook(脸谱网). Forbes estimates his worth at 1.5 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, turmoil(动荡)on the stock and housing markets saw 33 others drop off the list, including the former head of the troubled insurance giant AIG, Maurice Greenberg, and a former head of the online auction site eBay, Margaret Whitman.
Biggest gainers were led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who took eighth place with 20 billion dollars worth after a transaction(交易)put a new value on his Bloomberg media and financial data network.
The biggest loser was casino(赌场,娱乐场)tycoon Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune fell 13 billion dollars over 12 months -- the equivalent to 1.5 million dollars an hour -- although he still has 15 billion dollars and occupies 15th place.
About two thirds of the list are self-made billionaires and just over 10 percent are women, led by television star Oprah Winfrey whose fortune rose 200 million dollars to 2.7 billion dollars. According to Forbes, Warren Buffet is worth _____.
| A.57 billion dollars | B.50 billion dollars | C.1.5 billion dollars | D.20 billion dollars |
31 new members entered the ultra-rich club as a result of _____.
| A.turmoil on the stock and housing market |
| B.media and financial data network |
| C.rising oil and dizzy art prices |
| D.investment |
The purpose of the author using the television star Oprah Winfrey as an example is to _____.
| A.tell the readers that television stars make money easily |
| B.prove that a millionaire can become a billionaire |
| C.women can also be billionaires |
| D.tell the readers that most of the billionaires are self-made |
It can be inferred from the story that _____.
| A.one earns much and also loses much |
| B.stability of markets has much effect upon people’s wealth |
| C.the computer industry makes more billionaires |
| D.young people can also be billionaires |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A.Bill Gates Leading World’s Richest People Again |
| B.What Made Billionaires |
| C.Self-Made Billionaires |
| D.Biggest Gainer and Biggest Loser |
The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one. An estimated 90 percent of all illnesses may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat whatever foods we want, and live a completely sedentary life style without any exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do.
A multitude of factors, both inherited and environmental, influence the development of health related behaviors, and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all these factors as they may affect any given individual. However, the decision to adopt a particular health related behavior is usually one of personal choices. There are healthy choices and there are unhealthy choices. In discussing the morals of personal choice, Fries and Grapo drew a comparison. They suggest that to knowingly give oneself over to a behavior that has a statistical probability of shortening life is similar to attempting suicide. Thus, for those individuals who are interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life, personal health choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statistical probability of increased vitality and longevity.
The concept of personal choice concerning health is important because ____.
| A.personal health choice help cure most illness |
| B.it helps raise the level of our medical knowledge |
| C.it is essential to personal freedom in American society |
| D.wrong decisions could lead to poor health |
Sound personal health choice is often difficult to make because ____.
| A.current medical knowledge is still insufficient |
| B.there are many factors influencing our decisions |
| C.few people are willing to trade the quality of life for the quantity of life |
| D.people are usually influenced by the behavior of their friends |
To knowingly allow oneself to pursue unhealthy habits is compared by Fries and Crapo to ____.
| A.improving the quality of one’s life |
| B.limiting one’s personal health choice |
| C.deliberately ending one’s life |
| D.breaking the rules of social behavior |
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Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Free Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available.
Beach Plaza Hotel
625 N.Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft.Lauderdale, FL 33304
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The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach.Each room features direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service.The very affordable efficiency studios even include full kitchens! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard.
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Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel
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Guest rooms feature TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and balconies.
Check-in Time:7:00 A.M.
Hotel Amenities:Parking,Heated Pool, Television with Cable, and Coffee Maker in Room.
Which hotel gives a promise?
| A.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. | B.Beach Plaza Hotel. |
| C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
| A.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. | B.Beach Plaza Hotel. |
| C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel.
| A.enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room |
| B.are fond of swimming in heated water |
| C.want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel |
| D.are a cigarette smoker |
Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
| A.All of the three hotels provide television with cable. |
| B.You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
| C.In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available. |
| D.While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet. |
These days, it's easy to fly across oceans for vacation. Centuries ago, however, crossing the open seas
required thorough and accurate planning, handmade boats, and courage. Scientists and historians have long been looking for clues to explain who crossed which oceans first. When it comes to the trip between Polynesia (玻利尼西亚中太平洋群岛) and South America, chickens may have been among the first ocean voyagers, according to new evidence.
After studying an ancient chicken bone, anthropologists (人类学家) from the University of Auckland in New Zealand now say that people and chickens traveled from Polynesia to what is now Chile (智利) by about 620 years ago. By then, the Inca people were already living in South America, but the Polynesians would have been the first to get there by sea. Previous theories claimed that European explorers and their chickens sailed to South America first -- but those voyagers didn't arrive until about a century later.
In 2002, archaeologists dug up 50 chicken bones from a site in Chile called El Arenal. The team from New Zealand analyzed one to these bones. According to their calculations, the bone is about 650 years old.
The researchers also compared the genetic material, or DNA, from the South American chicken bone with DNA from 11 chicken bones that had been found on the Polynesian islands of Tonga and American Samoa. These islands are 6,000 miles west of Chile. The bones found on the Polynesian islands are been 600 and 2,000 years old.
Results of the comparisons showed that the chicken bones from both the Polynesian and South American sites had part of DNA in common. The researchers found the same part of DNA in feathers of two living chickens in Chile that belong to a modem breed that lays blue eggs. That DNA evidence suggests a close relationship among the chick
ens.
"However, the weight of scientific evidence is now behind the hypothesis (假设) that it was seafaring ( 航海) Polynesians who sailed from the islands to South America and returned," says archaeologist Patrick V. Kirch of the University of California, Berkeley.
What is the passage mainly about?
| A.It was difficult for ancient people to travel between Polynesia and South America. |
| B.The first people who lived in Chile and Polynesia. |
| C.Valuable chicken bones have been found in Chile. |
| D.Chickens -- the first to travel between Polynesia and South America. |
When did the first European explorers reach South America?
| A.About 520 years ago. | B.About 2.000 years ago. |
| C.About 600 years ago. | D.About 620 years ago. |
People found that chickens were among the first to travel from Polynesia to South America by _____.
| A.comparing the colors of eggs laid by chickens from the two places |
| B.comparing the DNA of chicken bones dug up on the Polynesian islands and that of the chicken bones from South America |
| C.studying some previous theories |
| D.asking the natives of South America |
What do we learn from the passage?
| A.European explorers and their chickens were the first to sail to South America. |
| B.Chickens in South America have the same ancestors as those in Polynesia. |
| C.In ancient times, a 6,000-mile channel separated Polynesia from South America. |
| D.Before the Polynesians arrived in South America, the Inca people had lived there. ' |
I’m seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work.
While working, you wear a plate with your name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, “Mr. Castle, how are you?” We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, “It was nice talking to you, Brett.” I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh no. He didn’t remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put “Irving” down on my name plate. If he’d have said, “Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?” I’d have been ready for him. There’s nothing personal here.
The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: You couldn’t accept tips. Okay, I’m outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. I’d say, “I’m sorry, I can’t.” They’d get angry. When you give someone a tip, you’re sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hands and you expect them to say, “Oh, thanks a lot.” When you say, “I’m sorry, I can’t,” they feel a little put down. They say, “No one will know.” And they put it in your pocket. You say, “I really can’t.” It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store’s belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feel good. I just couldn’t understand the strangeness of some people’s ideas. One lady actually put it in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something.
I
had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford
to hate it and give it up.
What can be the best title for this text?
| A.How Hard Life is for Box Boys |
| B.Getting along with Customers |
| C.Why I Gave up My Job |
| D.The Art of Taking Tips |
From the second paragraph, we can infer that ________.
| A.the writer didn’t like the impersonal part of his job |
| B.with a name plate, people can easily start talking |
| C.Mr. Castle mistook Irving for Brett |
| D.Irving was the writer’s real name |
The box boy refused to accept tips because ________.
| A.customers only gave small tips |
| B.some customers had strange ideas about tipping |
| C.the store forbade the box boys to take tips |
| D.he didn’t want to fight with the customers |
The u
nderlined phrase “put down” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A.misunderstood | B.defeated | C.hateful | D.hurt |
The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one. An estimated 90 percent of all illnesses may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat whatever foods we want, and live a completely sedentary life style without any exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do.
A multitude of factors, both inherited and environmental, influence the development of health related behaviors, and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all these factors as they may affect any given individual. However, the decision to adopt a particular health related behavior is usually one of personal choices. There are healthy choices and there are unhealthy choices. In discussing the morals of personal choice, Fries and Grapo drew a comparison. They suggest that to knowingly give oneself over to a behavior that has a statistical probability of shortening life is similar to attempting suicide. Thus, for those individuals who are interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life, personal health choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statistical probability of increased vitality and longevity.
The concept of personal choice concerning health is important because ____.
| A.personal health choice help cure most illness |
| B.it helps raise the level of our medical knowledge |
| C.it is essential to personal freedom in American society |
| D.wrong decisions could lead to poor health |
Sound personal health choice is often difficult to make because ____.
| A.current medical knowledge is still insufficient |
| B.there are many factors influencing our decisions |
| C.few people are willing to trade the quality of life for the quantity of life |
| D.people are usually influenced by the behavior of their friends |
To knowingly allow oneself to pursue unhealthy habits is compared by Fries and Crapo to ____.
| A.improving the quality of one’s life |
| B.limiting one’s personal health choice |
| C.deliberately ending one’s life |
| D.breaking the rules of social behavior |