.
Why is there no risk to the customer when a bank prints the customer’s name to his cheques?
When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he may demand at any time, either in cash or by drawing a check in favor of another person. Primarily, the bank-customer’s account is in credit or overdrawn. But, in addition to that basically simple concept, the bank and its customer owe a large number of obligations(义务) to one another. Many of these obligations can give rise to problems but a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.
The bank must obey its customer’s instructions, and not those of anyone else. When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit(把......记入借方) his account only in respect of checks drawn by himself. He gives the bank specimens(标本) of his signature, and there is a very firm rule that the bank has no right to pay out a customer’s money on a check on which its customer’s signature has been forged(伪造). It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skillful one: the bank must recognize its customer’s signature. For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer’s name on his checks. If this helps forgery, it is the bank which will lose, not the customer.
1. When you have a bank account, you ___
A.must always be in credit
B.can’t draw any money if you’re overdrawn
C.can draw money without notice
D.can’t pay money to anyone else
2. One of the obligations a bank has to a customer_____
A.is that it can’t take instructions from other people
B.is that it can avoid complications and problems
C.it must pay money to the customer even if he is seriously overdrawn
D.it must print the customer’s signature
3. The underlined part “the law is loaded against him” in the second paragraph is most likely to mean_____
A.the law is not of his interest
B.the law is unfavorable to him
C.the law is not in favor of him
D.the law is not in his honor
4. If someone forged your signature and drew money from your account___
A.the bank would always pay money to the forger
B.the bank wouldn’t lose any money
C.you wouldn’t lose any money
D.you wouldn’t lose your money
Three quarters of Britain’s parents are too busy to read bedtime stories to their children,according to a study. The study was carried out by CITV to start their new children’s show Bookaboo,which is designed to encourage anyone to pick up a book and read with their children at any time of the day.
Worryingly,the study showed that only three percent of fathers now find the time to read to the kids compared to 89 percent of mothers. Lucy Goodman,creator of Bookaboo,said,“It’s important for young boys to be able to share a book with dads,granddads or male carers and it can be fun and rewarding,too.” Of the dads who said they didn’t read to their kids,87 percent blamed work while more than a third said they were too tired. While 89 percent of mums said they did read to their children,more than half of them said cleaning distracted (使分心) them and 49 percent were distracted by other household things.
Researchers also found parents are now relying heavily on other people to lend a hand with reading to their children with grandparents doing the most,followed by sisters and brothers,aunts and uncles. While 95 percent of parents read to their children at some point,only five percent read to their children during the day. More than one in ten said they read every couple of weeks or less,and five percent could not remember the last time they shared a book.
The study found parents also seem content with allowing their children to immerse (使沉浸) themselves in TV programs or playing computer games rather than reading.
Exgoalkeeper David Seaman,who is a dad of two,has been a guest in Bookaboo.He says,“I think it’s important that fathers do read to their children because it’s a special time. Sometimes my two children will come to listen to the same book—it’s a magical moment and I advise fathers just to try it.”We can know from the passage that Bookaboo________.
| A.is a daily show | B.is an adults’ show |
| C.is a popular show | D.aims to encourage people to read to their children |
According to the study,fathers don’t read to their kids mainly because________.
| A.they are too busy with work |
| B.they don’t think it necessary to do so |
| C.they are distracted by household things |
| D.they like to play computer games in their free time |
Which group of people helped parents read to the kids the most?
| A.Aunts and uncles. | B.Grandparents. |
| C.Children’s carers. | D.Children’s sisters and brothers. |
According to the last paragraph,David Seaman________.
| A.is a goalkeeper now | B.has only one child |
| C.is the creator of Bookaboo | D.thinks it is great to read to children |
AAAGH! The Generation 90s is coming!
Wearing earphones, using complex Net language and constantly text messaging friends, the Gen-90s following the Gen-80s begin to make their world debut (初次登台).
Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle.Read on and judge for yourselves if you fit the Gen-90s group.
Earphones
These little devices seem to grow on the heads of the Gen-90s.They might lead to MP3, MP4 or MP101 players, giving these young people a plugged-in, cool and perhaps self-addicted look, of course, life is not always music to the ears.
Martian language
They have created their own code-like online language.It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand.This is an imaginative generation, though they need to be careful to keep it out of their term papers.
Self-Portrait
Saying “cheese” to their own digital cameras is usual for this generation.A little bit of narcissism (自恋) never hurts anyone.It helps them reflect a little on their own lives.But be aware of the risks of posting private photos online.
Text-messaging
They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak.This is a generation that respects efficiency.However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style.According to the text, the writer will choose ______ as a good example to the Gen-90.
| A.Li Hua likes music and always wearing ipod |
| B.Zhang Chao is not only an imaginative boy but do everything efficiently. |
| C.Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends. |
| D.Fangfang likes being taken photos and often posting them on line. |
According to this passage, which is FALSE?
| A.Not all teens are cautious about posting photos. |
| B.They type their mobile phones so fast that it can catch the speed of speaking. |
| C.The Gen-90s have a preference for some music players, and even regard them as a necessary part of life. |
| D.They don’t use the cool and complex online language in formal writing. |
The main idea of the passage is about________.
| A.the Gen-90s’ happy life |
| B.the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
| C.the Gen-90s’ unique lifestyle and some practical warnings |
| D.the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
A few years ago, I moved into a new house in Los Angeles. Soon after, a family moved in next door. It wasn’t the best of times for me. I had just divorced(离婚) from my second wife, and I wasn’t working. I’d come home each day and sit by myself in the backyard. One night, I heard someone from the yard next door, “Tom ! How are you, Tom? ”
I couldn’t see anybody through the trees, but I answered, “I’ m good.”
“Good!” said the voice.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Eric.” Then I heard someone say, “Eric, don’t bother him.”
“Okay!” Eric said. “Talk to you tomorrow!”
Months later, on Halloween, we finally met face to face. Eric came to the door dressed like a rap star. We became friends. We’d hang out in our yards, and Eric, who was almost 17 at the time and look liked a 13-year-old, would tell me his ideas and dreams. Eric’s dad, Alec Gores, is a billionaire(亿万富翁), the head of Gores Technology Group.
One day, Alec called me and said, “I know you are an actor. My son’s an actor, too. And he’s very good. I want you to write a movie for him. He wants to do something like True lies.” That’s the movie I made in 1994. His father has given Eric the great gif of confidence. He believes he can do anything he wants. He also offered to fund the movie. And that’s how The Kid & I, which opens in November, began.
Well, I really have to say that opportunity(机会)lies anywhere.What do we learn about the writer when he had just moved into his new house in Los Angele?
| A.He often came back very late. |
| B.He was working in the city at that time. |
| C.He and his second wife had just gotten divorced. |
| D.He often talks with others in the backyard. |
The writer of this passage is a(an) .
| A.teacher | B.actor | C.singer | D.doctor |
What do we learn about Eric from the passage?
| A.He lives alone with his father. | B.He has a very rich father |
| C.He often feels very lonely. | D.He is a rap star. |
The second last paragraph(倒数第二段)mainly tells us .
| A.how The Kid & I began | B.the roles in The Kid & I |
| C.how the writer met Eric’s father | D.what The Kid & I is about |
From his experience in Los Angeles, the writer learnt that.
| A.where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B.one should always learn from the past. |
| C.one can find opportunity anywhere. |
| D.life can always be better. |
Jenny,
I often think if I am as important to you as you are to me.
We had an unhappy time yesterday. I really felt sad after it and almost apologized (道歉) to you. However,you could still laugh and talk with others like nothing had happened. I suddenly realized that I was not that important to you. You didn’t even realize that I was angry and sad. What’s more,you even forgot my birthday this year.
Goodbye,my friend. I have closed my feeling toward you. It is sad to say goodbye,my friend. But it is meaningless for us to be friends any longer.
Lucy
Dear Lucy,
I’m sorry that I hurt you so much yesterday. But here is something I really need to tell you. I never thought the quarrel we had yesterday was as serious as you thought. I just felt tired and didn’t feel like going shopping. Susan and Lily are also my good friends. I couldn’t pretend (假装) not seeing them when they passed by. I also couldn’t let them know I was blue because of the quarrel. I didn’t want them to feel sad just because I was sad. I’m your best friend,but I don’t want to be your only friend. I don’t want to be with you all the time because sometimes I need to have my own time. I want to spend some time with my other friends and my brother. Please try to make more friends. You will feel much happier if you have more friends. And remember,I’m your best friend forever!
JennyWhat’s the purpose of Lucy’s letter?
| A.To tell Jenny that she is really sorry for what happened yesterday. |
| B.To tell Jenny she doesn’t want to be friends with her any longer. |
| C.To ask Jenny not to be friends with Susan or Lily. |
| D.To ask Jenny if she means much to her. |
What’s the cause of the quarrel yesterday?
| A.Jenny laughed and talked with others. |
| B.Jenny didn’t notice that Lucy was sad. |
| C.Jenny didn’t want to go shopping. |
| D.Jenny didn’t remember Lucy’s birthday. |
In the letter,Jenny suggests Lucy should________.
| A.make more friends | B.leave her alone |
| C.make friends with Susan and Lily | D.spend more time with her family |
According to the passage,if we say someone is blue,we mean he/she is________.
| A.angry | B.sad | C.kind | D.happy |
After reading Jenny’s letter,we learn that________.
| A.Jenny and Lucy are both students |
| B.Lucy doesn’t know how to keep a healthy friendship |
| C.A friend in need is a friend indeed |
| D.Lucy is Jenny’s only friend |
Bamboo(竹) is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe(欧洲). There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters(厘米)wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables(绳索) hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.
In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills(钻) can help to make the poor thirsty fields be watered.How is bamboo like grass?
| A.It is thin and easy to cut. |
| B.It grows everywhere. |
| C.It grows quickly after it’s cut short. |
| D.It is short and green. |
The underlined sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”
| A.short | B.strong | C.thick | D.tall |
From the text we know ______.
| A.All people call bamboo plant trees |
| B.a bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days |
| C.the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows |
| D.a bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago |
Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?
| A.Because it is cheap. | B.Because it is colorful. |
| C.Because it drills fast. | D.Because it is used by Asians. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A.There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors. |
| B.Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years. |
| C.Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects(工程). |
| D.Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world. |