C
Several years ago, I read a book Your Money or Your Life, written by Joe Domingguez and Vicki Robin. The major theme of the book is the idea that if you want to cut your spending, you’ll have to begin by stopping trying to impress other people.
The authors divide people into two groups : people whose opinions you care about, and people whose opinions you don’t care about one way or another. It’s easy to stop caring about people whose opinions you don’t care about. Who cares what they think ? As long as you’re not doing something truly immoral —— something that might potentially create a negative reputation for you —— it doesn’t matter what they think.
But shouldn’t you impress other people whose opinions you do care about ? Anyway, they are people you want to meet : customers, friends and family.
The answer is that you don’t need to impress those people with expensive, shiny things. The relationship you’ve built with them —— or you’re going to build with them —— is based on you, not on the material items. They’ll either like you for you or they won’t.
To put it simply, take care of the basics. Keep yourself clean. Keep your weight under control. Wear reasonable clothing. Work on your communication skills. If you have them covered, you don’t need to invest time and money in impressing other people.
Coming to this realization is incredibly valuable. It drops your clothing budget. It drops your automobile budget. It drops your electronics budget. It drops your housing budget. You don’t need a shiny car, an iPhone, or a ＄50 haircut.
Yes , you may actually still want one or two of these things, but the impetus(动力) comes from what your personal values are, not what other people around you seem to value or what marketing messages you receive.
For some people, it seems impossible. Their social cues come from advertising-laden media and from friends who also get their cues from advertising-laden media.They believe they need a slick cellphone and ＄100 casual clothes. Their self-worth revolves around that little burst they get from impressing others.
People should learn to break through that situation. In short, don’t play socially by the tiring old rules that revolve around needing to impress people. Instead, spend your time on things that bring real value to you and give real value to others.
46. Which of the following behaviours is “immoral”according to the second paragraph ?
A. Caring about other people’s opinion.
B. Dropping your clothing budget.
C. Copying existing works.
D. Obeying the traffic rule.
47. To build relationship with others, you should pay attention to the following EXEPT _______.
A. dressing casually
B. learning about weight control
C. improving communication skills
D. being a tidy person
48. As for people we care about, what does the author advise us to do ?
A. To impress them in a proper way.
B. To buy them special gifts.
C. To spare more time to be with them.
D. To impress them with shiny things.
49. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. An iPhone is totally unnecessary in our life.
B. Your family members’ opinions are always worth caring about.
C. Learning how to impress others helps people save money.
D. You should always be aware of what other people around you seem to value.
50. What is the best title for the passage ?
A. Whose opinions do you care about ?
B. Two different groups of people.
C. My favorite book : Your Money or Your Life
D. Stop trying to impress other people.
Tuvalu, north of Fiji, is a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean.
Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable.It fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered.
But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 20-50cm by 2050. A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine times a year. Nowadays, it happens more than 100 times.
While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming.
The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1-3 degrees over the nex
t 100 years.
Warmer wea
ther makes glaciers melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it takes up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen about 10-25cm in the last 100 years.
People have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2, through burning coal, oil and gas. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer.
Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one metre this century.
Should this come true, millions of homes would be swallowed up by the sea and the world will be flooded with "climate refugees" looking for somewhere else to live. We can infer from Paragraph 2 that ______.
| A．Tuvalu is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea |
| B．all Tuvalu’s islands are about five meters above the sea level |
| C．drinking water in Tuvalu has been destroyed |
| D．Tuvalu is often flooded by storms and waves |
The author uses Tuvalu and Venice as examples in order to explain ______.
| A．they are the first places sinking into the sea |
| B．they are both sinking into the mud where they stand |
| C．they will disappear in the future |
| D．their trouble is caused by global warming |
What does the underlined word “refugees” mean?
| A．People forced away from their homeland. |
| B．Sudden changes caused by world climate. |
| C．Animals whose lives are closely connected with weather. |
| D．Bad effect of climate changes. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
| A．The main cause of global warming is human pollution. |
| B．The average global temperature has risen by 1-3 centigrade degrees over the past 100 years. |
| C．The warmer temperature causes the sea level to rise. |
| D．There will be huge climate changes unless the warming is stopped. |
According to the passage, the root cause of global warming is _______.
| A．the burning of coal, oil and gas | B．the position change of the solar system |
| C．human pollution | D．carbon dioxide emission |
Ted Turner, achieved high goals and great success by the time he was 43. Best known for his CNN, Ted Turner launched a second nationwide all-news network, Headline News, purchased the Atlanta Braves baseball team, and became the world's best yachtsman at the America's Cup in 1977. In 1982 Ted Turner was named by Forbes one of the 400 richest people in the US. He was named Time magazine's "Man of the Year" in 1992. How did Ted Turner accomplish all of this at such a young age?
Ted Turner's father, Ed, was a self-made millionaire who demanded that his only son try to achieve similar success. He instilled in the boy a strong belief that hard work was good. Besides reading a new book every two days, Ted Turner was also charged rent at home during summer vacations from boarding school. Ed Turner was a strong influence in his son's life.
As a child, Ted Turner lived a very lonely life, often separated from his family. He was enrolled in a military academy in the fifth grade and eventually went to Brown University. He attended college off and on, became involved in sailboat racing, and became a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. In his early twenties, Ted Turner became general manager of one of his father's branch offices in Georgia.
Two years later after his father’s suicide, Ted Turner took over the company. He soon discovered that he was more skilled than his father in managing the business. During the next twenty years, Ted Turner worked hard to accumulate enough power and money to fulfill his father's dream.
Reflecting on his father's death, however, Ted Turner realized that it was dangerous to put too much emphasis on material possessions. He decided to use his hard-earned influence to serve the public. Concerned about the environment, Ted Turner established the Better World Society in 1985. The purpose of this organization was to produce documentaries to educate people about pollution, hunger, and the danger of building weapons of mass destruction. In 1986 Turner began sponsoring the Goodwill Games to promote world peace. The Turner Tomorrow Awards were created to encourage writers and thinkers to focus their attention on solving world problems. The Turner Family Foundation was established in 1992. What is CNN according to the passage?
| A．It’s a broadcast-news company. | B．It’s a basketball team agency. |
| C．It’s a charity organization. | D．It’s a publishing house. |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?
| A．The creation of CNN encouraged broadcasters to be more successful. |
| B．Towering goals and hard work led to fame and prosperity. |
| C．Ted Turner was expert at sailboat racing and playing basketball. |
| D．Ted Turner became very successful at an early age. |
As a student in a military academy, Turner ______.
| A．wasn’t as lonely as he looked because his many friends at school. |
| B．missed his family very much despite having friends at school. |
| C．served as a member of the US Coast Guard for a while. |
| D．showed little interest in studying but other affairs. |
The author seems to believe that Ted Turner is ______.
| A．slow moving | B．incompetent | C．goal-oriented | D．modest |
Which of the following best describes an important change in Ted Turner’s life?
| A．He became more determined and was feared by this workmates. |
| B．He developed respect and admiration for his employees. |
| C．H e revised his view of the world and his responsibility in it. |
| D．He demanded the same level of success as he father. |
For Chinese wanting to work as nurses in the United Sates, the arrival of the test of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) may be a welcome move.
The CGFNS has a certification programme for people wanting to work as registered nurses in the US. The first CGFNS test in China is to be held in Beijing in July. Registrations is open till April 9. According to US labour law, nurses have to pass the National Council License Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) before they can practise. However, the NCLEX-RN is only useful in the US, making it difficult for people from other countries to get in. But, the US expects a shortage of 50,000 nurses by 2010. So, the CGFNS has not replaced the NCLEX-RN, which is still needed for work as a registered nurse in the US.
So what exactly does CGFNS do?
First of all, it helps international nurses qualify for a work visa for the US. Nurses educated abroad who do not have a US license by the NCLEX-RN, must get the CGFNS certificate. “But not everyone who gets a CGFNS certificate can get a work 
visa. There are many requirements for a visa, and the CGFNS is just one,” said John Ratigan, immigration officer for the CGFNS.
The certificate helps applicants meet requirements for the NCLEX-RN. Forty-two states require a CGFNS certificate from nurses educated abroad before taking the NCLEX-RN examination.
About 85 percent of those who passed the CGFNS have passed the NCLEX-RN. According to Barbara Michols, chief executive officer of CGFNS, “the CGFNS is cost-efficient for the Chinese. If they can’t pass the CGFNS here in China, their chances of passing the NCLEX-RN for the US are tiny. This saves time and money on visa applications and the long trip. ” In a word, to get a CGFNS certificate, a person must have: a credentials review, the CGFNS qualifying exam of nursing knowledge and an English language proficiency exam. We can infer from the text that to people hoping to work as registered nurses in the US, CGFNS tests can be taken _____.
| A．nowhere but in the US | B．somewhere outside the US |
| C．in every country but the US | D．both in China and the US |
According to American labour law, people cannot work as nurses until they pass _____.
| A．NCLEX-RN | B．CGFNS |
| C．CGFNS and NCLEX-RN | D．CGFNS or NCLEX-RN |
We can learn from the text that _____.
| A．if you get a CGFNS certificate, you can pass the NCLEX-RN in the US and get visa applications |
B．if you pass the NCLEX-RN in the U S, you can get a CGFNS certificate and get visa applications |
| C．if you can't pass the NCLEX-RN in the US, you will not be able to pass the CGFNS examination |
| D．if you get a CGFNS certificate, you will be more likely to pass the NCLEX-RN examination |
The sentence "CGFNS holders have a higher rate of success on the NCLEX-RN examination" can be arranged at the beginning of Paragraph _____.
| A．Two | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
What is probably the best title of this passage?
| A．The CGFNS helps international nurses |
| B．The first CGFNS test in China |
| C．The CGFNS and the NCLEX-RN |
| D．Working as registered nurses in the US |
In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.C., the Qin army launched a more serious attack upon the State of Wei than ever. The king of the State of Wei gathered his officials, and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars, the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak of resistance.
At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the officials persuaded the king to sue for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counselor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said: "Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all. It is just because they are afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temporarily satisfy the ambition of Qin, but it will never stop attacking us until our land is totally given away."
He added,“Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. Isn't it similar to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?”
Though Su Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. As might be expected, the Qin army attacked the State of Wei in 225 B.C. again, surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes (堤防) of the Huanghe River. The State of Wei was finally destroyed. When asked how to defeat the Qin army, most officials _______.
| A．were scared and at a loss what to do |
| B．looked worried and turned to Su Dai for help |
| C．asked a large enemy force to bear down upon the border |
| D．were extremely frightened and decided to give up fighting back |
The underlined phrase“sue for”in Paragraph 2 probably means _______.
| A．demand | B．beg for | C．search for | D．negotiate for |
Su Dai used the example of“carrying faggots to put out a fire”to show _______.
| A．the ambition of the State of Qin |
| B．the serious results of giving in |
| C．the loss of the land of the State of Wei |
| D．the trembling consequences of defense |
The story is mainly developed by _______.
| A．time | B．logic | C．ma king comparison |
D．cause and effect |
The attitude of the writer towards Su Dai is _______.
| A．approval | B．praise | C．neutral | D．disapproval |
Some futurologists have assumed that the vast increase of women in the workforce may portend（预示）an increase in divorce. The opposite of this concern is that the outlook of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. The earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The effect of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its effect on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally reasonable. Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Meanwhile, an attractive woman who finds her value in work may play an important role in a stable marriage. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home, _________.
| A．they are more likely to control their marriage partners |
| B．their husbands are expected to do more housework |
| C．their marriage ties can be strengthened |
| D．they tend to put their career before marriage |
One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that ________.
| A．they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom |
| B．they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands |
| C．they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations |
| D．they tend to suspect their husbands loyalty to their marriage |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
Which of the following statements can best summarize the author’s view in the passage?
| A．The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic social position of women. |
| B．Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage. |
| C．In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent. |
| D．The effect of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case. |