B
Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to 16 received a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up’. An application is calling on the next government to bring it back.
At school the children are taught to add up and subtract（减法） but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account — let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England. Children from five to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say. And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month — the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed. Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.
As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits of young children do not last long. Over 75% of seven- to 11-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends. By this age, 26% see a credit card or overdraft（透支） as a way of extending their spending power. Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school.”
The UK has been in the worst financial recession（衰退）for generations. It does seem odd that — unless parents step in — young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university. In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents.
61. The passage is mainly about _____________.
A. how to manage school lessons
B. how to deal with the financial crisis
C. teaching young people about money
D. teaching students how to study effectively
62. It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that __________.
A. the author complains about the school education
B. pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract
C. students have been taught to manage their finances
D. laws on financial education have been effectively carried out
63. The website and the consumer campaigner joined to _________.
A. instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money
B. promote the connection of schools and families
C. ask the government to dismiss the parliament
D. appeal for the curriculum of financial education
64. According to Pfeg, ___________.
A. it is easy to keep good habits long
B. teenagers spend their money as planned
C. parents are willing to pay the debt for their kids
D. it will be in trouble if the teenagers are left alone
65. A poll is mentioned to ___________.
A. stress the necessity of the curriculum reform
B. show the seriousness of the financial recession
C. make the readers aware of burden of the parents
D. illustrate some people are strongly against the proposal
I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was supper time, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分镍币). It was the first nickle I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
41．Why did the boy start his job young?
A．He wanted to be famous in the future
B．The job was quite easy for him.
C．His mother had high hopes for him.
D．The competition for the job was fierce.
42．From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
A．excited B．interested C．ashamed D．disappointed
43．What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
A．She forced him to continue. B．She punished him.
C．She gave him some money. D．She changed her plan.
44．The phrase “this battle”in the last paragraph refers to .
A．the war between the boy’s parents
B．the arguing between the boy and his mother
C．the quarrel between the boy and his customers
D．the fight between the boy and his father
45．What is the text mainly about?
A．The early life of a journalist.
B．The early success of a journalist.
C．The happy childhood of the writer.
D．The important role of the writer in his family.
So much to do, so little time．So much information, so little time to read．In this age, there is more information than ever before．There is not enough time to read everything we want to read．However, you can take in and understand more information in shorter time through speed-reading．This article will not make you read 3,000 words per minute, but it will show you how to increase your speed greatly．You will also learn the basic techniques of speed reading, along with the dos and don'ts of speed-reading．
When you first learned to read, you would say the word out loud and sound it out．Then you might whisper the word because people can become annoyed when you read aloud．The stage you are now at is saying the word in your head．Most people tend to read this way．Saying the word in your head will cut your reading speed tremendously (极大的)．
How do you calculate your reading speed? The speed is measured by how many words per minute you can read．Get some reading material, preferably （最好；尽可能地）a book．Find out how many words are on the page．Time yourself one minute．Start your timer and start reading．When the timer sounds, stop at once．If you counted 500 words on the page and you read half of the page, then you are probably reading at 250 words per minute．
The first thing about speed-reading is looking at the word and recognizing （辨认）it．Don't say the word in your mind, just look at it and recognize its appearance．Later you will recognize groups of four words or more to increase your speed．This is the first and most important step in speed-reading．
The next step is technique．As with any other skill, speed-reading requires technique．You should first be sitting up straight with your book on a horizontal (水平的) surface, such as a table or desk．Next, you should be able to see the entire page．This is necessary if you want to recognize clumps（结群） of words．Lastly, you should be focused．It's hard to read a lot of noise．Find a quiet place to read．This will help you understand the text．You need something to guide your eyes while reading．Then right, you should use your hand, Remember when you were little, you would read using your finger．That is a great technique, only now you're using your hand to underline each line．Move your finger smoothly across the page．No need to go rush , start our slow．Keep your eyes focused on words as you recognize them while using your hand as a guide．This will increase your speed．
The third step is practice．Practice makes perfect．Set time intervals(间歇)．Read using different techniques, but make sure you understand what you're reading．
1．Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A．Now there is limited information than ever before．
B．Now conditions ask people to use less time to know more information．
C．Now people can read what they like．
D．The less you read, the more time you will spend．
2．What is the subject discussed in the text?
A．What speed-reading is．
B．Why we need speed-reading．
C．Now it is much information time．
D．People should practice speed-reading in different kinds of ways．
3．Which of the following shows the right way for the speed-reading from the text?
a．Ask for some techniques．
b．Look at many words and recognize them．
c．Practice more．
A. c, a, b B. c, b, a C. b, a, c D. a, c, b
4．The underlined sentence “you should be focused” in the fifth paragraph means that _________________________．
A．a person should devote his attention to it while reading
B．your feelings will be hurt while reading
C．a person should smooth away difficulties while he reads
D．you should pay attention to your faults while you are reading
5．To speed up your reading, you should_______________________．
A．sit up straight with your book flat and use something to guide your eyes
B．say every word out loud and sound it out
C．know it is necessary to read quickly
D．underline some important words while you say them
Among rich countries, people in the United States work the longest hours. They work much longer than in Europe. This difference is quite surprising because productivity per hour worked is the same in the United States as it is in France, Spain and Germany, and it is growing at a similar speed.
In most countries and at most times in history, as people have become richer they have chosen to work less. In other words, they have decided to “spend” a part of their extra income on a fuller personal life. Over the last fifty years Europeans have continued this pattern, and hours of work have fallen sharply. But not in the United States. We do not fully know why this is. One reason may be greatly lower taxes in America, which increase the rewards（回报）to work.
Another may be more satisfying work, or less satisfying personal lives.
Longer hours do of course increase the GDP(国民生产总值). So the United States has produced more per worker than, say, France. The United States also has more of its people at work, while in France many more mothers and older workers have decided to stay at home. The overall result is that American GDP per head is 40% higher than in France, even though productivity per hour worked is the same.
It is not clear which of the two situations is better. As we have seen, work has to be compared with other values like family life, which often get lost in its interest. It is too early to explain the different trends(趋势) in happiness over time in different countries. But it is a disappointing idea that in the United States happiness has made no progress since 1975, while it has risen in Europe. Could this have anything to do with trends in the work-life balance (平衡)？
1. From the text we know that the author_________.
A. believes that longer working hours is better
B. prefers shorter working hours to longer ones
C. says nothing certain about which pattern is better
D. thinks neither of the patterns is good
2. Which of the following countries has more of its people at work?
A. Spain. B. France.
C. Germany. D. America.
3. In the last paragraph, the underlined word “which” refers to ________.
A. family life B. situations
C. other values D. trends
4. What message can we get from the text?
A. The GDP of Europe is higher than that of America.
B. Two possible reasons are given for working longer hours in the US.
C. People all over the world choose to work less when they are richer.
D. Americans are happier than Europeans.
5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text？
A. Americans and Europeans B. Staying at Home
C. Work and Productivity D. Work and Happiness
第三部分：阅读（共两节，满分40分)
阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，
并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The phone is ringing at the other end of the line and it clicks as it is being answered．A voice says quickly, “Hello, will you hold, please?” then there is another click, followed by silence．It seems like hours before someone comes back on the line — that is, if you don’t hang up first．
Office calls are, perhaps, the most difficult and the most important part of a secretary’s work．The first impression that a client（顾客）receives about a business is often through a telephone contact．A caller who is left hanging on “hold” will get the feeling that he or she has been forgotten or ignored．If a call is answered rudely, the caller may become angry．And if the call is not routed directly to the right person, the caller may feel that he or she is getting the “run-around”．
Laura Needham is a secretary in the executive offices of a large manufacturing company．As a good office secretary, Laura knows that all phone calls must be answered quickly and handled efficiently．She knows that a secretary must be pleasant and helpful, no matter how busy she is or what kind of mood she may be in．she knows she must keep calm if a caller gets impatient or becomes angry; also, of course, she knows she can never allow herself to lose her temper．If she does not have the information the caller asks for, she must know who does have the information．Finally, she knows that one of her most important responsibilities is to “screen” telephone calls and to know which calls to refer to her boss, which calls to refer to other people, and which calls to handle herself．
A well-handled telephone call will give the caller a good impression of the company he or she is dealing with．For this reason, an office secretary who can handle telephone calls cheerfully, tactfully（机敏）, and efficiently is a valuable asset（财富）to any organization．
1．The underlined phrase “run-around” probably means __________________.
A．a strange experience B．a flat refusal
C．a not-so-warm welcome D．a cold response
2．Laura knows quite well that a secretary must be______________________.
A．quick and busy
B．pleasant and helpful
C．calm and patient
D．both B and C
3．The underlined word “screen” means __________________.
A．give an answer to
B．show something on a piece of cloth
C．separate things of one sort from those of another
D．watch something on the screen
4．According to this passage a secretary can never be a good one unless she ________.
A．knows how to please her clients(委托人)
B．often asks her boss how to deal with telephone calls
C．has the information her clients need
D．can keep calm and never loses her temper
5．This passage is mainly about __________________.
A．well-handled telephone calls
B．the importance of handling office calls
C．a good secretary called Laura Needham
D．a secretary being a valuable asset to her company
第二节: 信息匹配 (共5小题;每小题2分，满分10分）
下面是一篇应用文及其应用场合的信息，请阅读下列应用文和相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
The people below are all looking for a hotel in Scotland for their holidays. After the description of these people, there is information about six Scotland hotels A~F. Decide which hotel would be most suitable for the people mentioned in questions 56~60 and then mark the correct letter (A~F) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph about one hotel which you don’t need to use.
56．Two women friends who want to do several all-day hikes in the mountains during the spring. They like a place with traditional decorations and superb views
57．A woman with two children aged six and ten, who will spend July in Scotland. The children are interested in animals and plants and the mother enjoys fashions.
58．A handicapped lawyer who must use a wheelchair but drives her own car. She enjoys concerts, museums, fine architecture and swimming. She will spend the first two weeks of October in Scotland.
59．A writer, a teacher and their one-year-old daughter. They want to be in a quiet place during August. They enjoy good food, and like to take long walks (the baby rides in a back-pack).
60．An old couple, aged 65 and 68. They love mountain scenery and still take easy walks by the lakeside when they can. They hope to enjoy fresh air and some relaxing activities.
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| A．Edinburgh. Post House A popular base for visitors to Edinburgh, this fine hotel stands next to the zoological Gardens within easy reach of the many famous sights, shops and entertainments of one of Europe’s most elegant capitals. |
| B．Gatehouse of Fleet. Cally Hotel This impressive hotel, well-known for its good Scottish cooking, is an ideal choice for a relaxing family holiday. Set in 100 acres of private grounds, the Cally, a former stately home, has something for everyone including its own fishing lake, outdoor heated swimming pool, green lawn, tennis court, children’s playground and sauna baths. |
| C．Glenborrodale. Glenborrodale Castle Hotel There can be few better places for a refreshing holiday than this picturesque hotel set in its own 120 acres of beautiful countryside by charming Lake Sunart on the Ardnamurchan Peninsular（半岛）. Boating and fishing are both available here. |
| D．Inverness. Royal Hotel! |
A unique feature of the Royal is its fine collection of antique (年代久远并有价值的) furniture, china and glass. This friendly comfortable hotel, a favourite meeting place for the townspeople, is an excellent base for getting to know the Highlands — Lake Ness, Great Gien and Culloden Moor are all within easy reach.
E．Peebles. Tontine Hotel
The Tontine had a fascinating beginning-it was built in 1808. This homely hotel has been extended to make it a really comfortable base for exploring the Tweed Valley and the attractive Lowland country.
F．North Berwick. Marine Hotel
This fine hotel overlooks the famous West Links golf course and is close to several sandy beaches. The Marine has its own open-air swimming pool and putting green as well as tennis courts, squash courts and saunas. Edinburgh, well-know for its art festivals, is only some 24 miles away.