.
Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled---to $1.01 per pack---smokers have jammed telephone “quit lines” across the country seeking to kick the habit.
This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They’ve studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase.
The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they deter people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely.
In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S.C., where the 7-bent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation. The price was $4.78.
The influence is obvious.
In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys----13.8%,far below the national average. By comparison, 26% of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records.
Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans “who choose to smoke.”
That’s true, But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today’s adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better.
41. The text is mainly about___________.
A. the price of cigarettes B. the rate of teen smoking
C. the effect of tobacco tax increase D. the differences in tobacco tax rate
42. What does the author think is a surprise?
A. Teen smokers are price sensitive. B. Some states still keep the tobacco tax low.
C. Tobacco taxes improve public health. D. Tobacco industry fiercely fights the tax rise.
43. The underlined word "deter" in Paragraph 3 most probably means .
A. discourage B. remove C. benefit D. free
44. Rogers’ attitude towards the low-income smokers might be that of .
A. tolerance B. unconcern C. doubt D. sympathy
45. What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. The new tax will be beneficial in the long run.
B. Low-income Americans are more likely to fall ill.
C. Future generations will be hooked on smoking.
D. Adults will depend more on their families.
Some young engineers from the United States have brought the Internet to several areas of rural Kenya.
Their idea was to connect the communities to the Web by satellite. But there was a problem. The areas are not even connected to Kenya’s electric power supply. The answer: solar panels. Energy from the sun powers the satellite dishes (蝶形卫星天线) and computers that link the areas with the world outside.
Kelly Moran, Joan Ervin and Tricia Donajkowski spent ten days in Kenya in November. The women recently earned master’s degrees in space systems engineering from the University of Michigan.
Another engineer, Drew Heckathorn, did not go to Africa but worked on parts of the project.
Kelly Moran says there was excitement when the team would arrive to connect communities to the Internet. People would sometimes run alongside the car carrying the engineers to welcome them. And local residents would offer to help the team build the Internet stations.
People now have access to educational, medical and all kinds of other information. Farmers, for example, can easily find weather, crop and price information online.
The project began back at the college of engineering in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2007. That was when twenty-five students in a class taught by Thomas Zurbuchen first talked about the idea.
The goal was to test whether Internet stations could be set up, how much they would cost, and how long they could operate. But the engineers also had to consider other things — like social needs. Students from the public health and business schools offered advice.
The young engineers also had to design the equipment to survive the heat in Africa. Professor Zurbuchen praises his former students for “making something work in a different climate far away from home. ”
Google paid for the final design of the equipment. The company is also supporting the costs of the satellite bandwidth needed for the connections. Google has invested in a new company that wants to put up a system of satellites over Africa. The availability of more satellites would reduce the costs.
Just five percent of Africans have Internet connections. The International Telecommunication Union says one-third of Kenyans have mobile phones. But mobile phones may or may not work well with the Internet.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Solar energy has been used to operate the Internet. |
B.Engineers from America help the communities in Kenya. |
C.The Internet Stations are to be set up in some areas of rural Kenya. |
D.The Internet plays an important part in people’s life in Kenya. |
Why did Google give the project financial support?
A.Because it is willing to help to rid Kenya’s residents of poverty. |
B.Because the use of satellites would benefit a lot its business in Kenya. |
C.Because the project is one of its investments in Africa. |
D.Because it wants to test whether its equipment is the best in the world. |
The underlined part in the ninth paragraph suggests that_____ .
A.what Kelly and her partners to do will make a difference to the residents in Kenya |
B.it is difficult for Kelly and her partners to build the Internet stations in Kenya |
C.the climate in Kenya is so bad that Kelly and her partners will have difficulty in building the Internet stations |
D.to help Kenya build the Internet stations, Kelly and her partners have to leave their homes |
From the passage we can learn that______ .
A.the idea of building the Internet stations in Kenya was put forward by Professor Zurbuchen |
B.the Internet stations are powered by solar energy |
C.the project hasn’t got any support from Kenya’s government |
D.Professor Zurbuchen is giving the project the technical direction |
I will never forget what my old headmaster told me. Normally when you are only 15 years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us.
This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was filthy, and a stench (恶臭) came out of the house and it smelled horrible. The neighbours could not stand the smell any more, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
He said nothing at all. he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment(专心,敬业). We should remain true to our course, although it may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Just keep it in mind that commitment attracts wealth. Why did the headmaster tell us the story?
A.To enjoy ourselves. |
B.To teach us how to make money. |
C.To tell us the importance of commitment. |
D.To tell us not to look down upon beggars. |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.The old man made a living by begging. |
B.The old man was excited to be a millionaire. |
C.The old man became a millionaire by begging every weekday. |
D.The old man planned to become a millionaire. |
Why did the police officers clean the old man’s house?
A.Because the old man hired them to. |
B.Because they wanted to know how much money the old man had begged. |
C.Because the old man wanted to live comfortably. |
D.Because the neighbours could not stand the smell coming out of the old man’s house. |
CWU
The communication union
Head of Research
Salary:£55.271
We are looking for a Head of Research to manage the CWU Research Department and Information Centre. You would be required to exercise control of all research work of the department and manage a team of three researchers and four support staff.
The person appointed would be expected to carry out research work of a strategic nature across the range of businesses in which the CWU has or seeks membership and to contribute to the strategic thinking and direction of the union as a whole.
You will need: proven line management skills, especially in managing and motivating a team; good research skills, holding a good degree in a related subject or other similar experience; a high level of mathematical and calculating skills; the ability to produce high quality work under pressure; a commitment to and knowledge of the trade union movement and social democratic politics; and knowledge and/ or experience of the postal and/ or telecommunications industry.
To apply, please request an application pack by emailing hr@cwu.org or by telephoning HR( Human Resources ) on 020 8971 7482. When applying please state your source.
Closing Date for Applications: 4th August 2010
Anticipated interview date: 17th August 2010
No agencies pleaseIn which column of a newspaper could we find this advertisement?
A.Arts. |
B.Sales. |
C.Jobs. |
D.News. |
One of the duties of the person to be appointed is .
A.taking charge of research work. |
B.seeking membership for the trade union. |
C.managing a team of three or four members. |
D.running a telecommunications company. |
If you want to apply for this position, you can do all EXCEPT .
A.ask an agency for an application form. |
B.dial 020 8971 7482 for more information. |
C.email hr@cwu.org for an application pack. |
D.send in your application before 4th August 2010 |
Which of the following applicants is most likely to be employed?
A.A school teacher with a master’s degree. |
B.A university graduate majoring in computer science. |
C.A director from a research centre with a master’s degree. |
D.A clerk from a telecommunications company. |
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously—but without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it.”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he lived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
A.He was riding to school. |
B.He was listening to a strange sound. |
C.He was going fishing with his father. |
D.He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
A.They crowded like a black cloud. |
B.They shocked and terrified Andy. |
C.They tried to attack Andy in a mass. |
D.They made Andy stay in hospital for two days. |
How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
A.He asked Mr. Nelson for help. |
B.He did himself under the water. |
C.He rushed into the Nelson house. |
D.He rode off in the opposite direction. |
Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
A.No pains, no gains. |
B.Once bitten, twice shy. |
C.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
D.In time of danger, one’s mind works fast. |
One trip for their Jack Russell terrier in a plane’s cargo hold was enough to convince Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel that owners needed a better option to get their pets from one city to another.
On Tuesday, the first flight for the husband-and-wife team’s Pet Airways, the first-ever all-pet airline, took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY.
All commercial airlines allow a limited number of small pets to fly in the cabin. Others must travel as checked bags or in the cargo hold — a dark and sometimes dangerous place where temperatures can vary wildly.
Binder and Wiesel used their consulting backgrounds and business savvy to start Pet Airways in 2005. The last four years have been spent designing their fleet of five planes according to new four-legged requirements, dealing with FAA regulations and setting up airport schedules.
The two say they’re overwhelmed with the response. Flights on Pet Airways are already booked up for the next two months.
Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities—New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet fees at the largest US airlines.
For owners the big difference is service. Dogs and cats will fly in the main cabin of a Suburban Air Freight plane, retooled and lined with carriers in place of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) will be escorted to the plane by attendants that will check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. And at each of the five airports it serves, the company has created a “Pet Lounge” for future fliers to wait and sniff before flights.
A trip from New York to Los Angeles, for example, will take about 24 hours. On that route, pets will stop in Chicago, have a bathroom break, play time, dinner, and bunk for the night before finishing the trip the next day.
Amanda Hickey of Portland, Ore. is one of the new airline’s first customers. Her seven-year-old terrier-pinscher mix Mardi and two-year-old puggle Penny are taking their first flight soon.
Hickey said the service was a welcome alternative to flying her dogs in cargo when she transplants them from her soon-to-be Denver home to Chicago to stay while she and her fiance travel to Aruba to get married.
“For a little bit more money, I have peace of mind, ” she said.Jack Russell is probably ______.
A.a baby |
B.a little boy |
C.a pet |
D.the couple’s child |
Which would be the best title of the passage?
A.The first-ever all-pet airline hits skies |
B.A better option to get their pets from one city to another |
C.Flights on Pet Airways |
D.Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel |
What does the underlined word “savvy” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?
A.Fund. |
B.Information. |
C.Knowledge. |
D.Mind. |