If you give something to someone for free, will that person value it and use it? Development experts have debated this question for decades. Some think the act of paying causes people to value something and use it more.
Selling necessary health treatments, others argue, may deny them to the people who need them the most.
Consider, for example, chemically treated bed nets, which kill mosquitoes anti protect people against malaria(疟疾)while they are sleeping. William Easterly, an economist at New York University, believes this is one example of development having gone wrong. In a recent book, Professor Easterly suggests bed nets given free in Africa are often used for the wrong purpose. Yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends bed nets be given out free and used by whole communities. The success of a large free bed net campaign in Kenya led the WHO to announce this recommendation
This debate will likely influence social programs in the developing world. Many non-governmental organizations support the creation of self-supporting programs in poor countries. Goods and services are sold for a price to help these programs survive.
According to Rachel Glenerster, who runs a research lab doing development and poverty studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her several studies have proven that small price changes have a big influence on the number of people who use a product. A price change will reduce the total amount of use of the product as well, she says. She has also found no evidence that the very act of paying for something changes how people use it.
As for a particular product among special populations, some development experts argue that pricing is useful. When it comes to bed nets, Miss Glenerster says research shows no evidence of this. People are just as likely to use a bed net whether they paid for it or not. The debate among experts focuses on .
| A．a special use of bed nets in Africa |
| B．the use of assistance-related products |
| C．the importance of social programs for the poor |
| D．a popular way to help the poor |
According to some experts, certain health treatments .
| A．can only be sold to the rich | B．should be completely free |
C．are to o expensive |
D．are not needed by the poor |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
| A．The WHO's advice may not be always practical. |
| B．Many Africans don't know the function of bed nets. |
| C．The case of Kenya is doubtful. |
| D．Bed nets given to Africans are poor in quality. |
What may be the possible change in the social program according to the third paragraph?
| A．Some of them may become financially independent. |
| B．Many of them will not be organized by the government. |
| C．Some of them will go to developed countries. |
| D．Most of them will be free of charge. |
When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive, people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their livestock. During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun’s rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy-saving.
House building becomes a great challenge to building designers and energy engineers. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses.What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?
| A．The climate of their areas |
| B．The building materials for their houses |
| C．The fashions for their houses |
| D．The energy for their houses |
People in some areas gain a source of heat by _________.
| A．keeping their livestock downstairs |
| B．protecting their livestock from the cold |
| C．sharing their houses only with their cows |
| D．living on the second floor with their livestock |
The underlined words “natural law” in the third paragraph refer to the fact that ________.
| A．heat raises the temperature in the houses |
| B．heat goes in the upward direction |
| C．heat goes up if temperature is raised |
| D．heat increases the temperature of rocks |
From the passage, we can conclude that _______ .
| A．people will no longer consider building materials in the future |
| B．almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks |
| C．energy-saving buildings will become more popular in the future |
| D．energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Energy-saving house building |
| B．House building is a great challenge |
| C．How to live in energy-saving houses |
| D．Energy-saving houses’ bright future |
Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn’t know where I would go.
The most extraordinarything happened when I was out on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. He looked at least 70 years old. He seemed so tired and nobody bought his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me.
Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, “Grandpa, may I polish your shoes?” That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, “I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform.”
I heard this and tears filled my eyes. The old man answered, “Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform.” Then they walked to a market and I followed close behind them. There he bought her a uniform. The girl said, “Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you.” Then she left, leaving the old man smiling.
The old man walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, “You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.
My own sadness had disappeared, chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it happily with someone who had nothing.The author decided to take a walk in order to.
| A．build himself up |
| B．lighten his mood |
| C．enjoy the scenery nearby |
| D．find out something special |
When seeing the old shoe seller, the author felt.
| A．happy | B．sympathetic | C．regretful | D．disappointed |
Why did the girl offer to polish shoes for the old man?
| A．She took pity on him. |
| B．She intended to take care of him. |
| C．She meant to be friendly to him. |
| D．She wanted to earn some money. |
By sharing the story, the author conveys a message that.
| A．a kind act can cheer us up |
| B．old men often set us examples |
| C．people value what they don’t have |
| D．helping others means helping ourselves |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A clever little girl | B．A pair of old shoes |
| C．A kind shoe seller | D．A girl’s new uniform |
Last December, I performed 30 shows in 11 days. I knew it would be a tiring tour before I set off, but I just wanted to be there to support our men and women.
From the minute I walked onstage the afternoon I arrived at the army, the soldiers were cheering, singing along at the top of their voices. I had done hundreds of concerts, but it was my first time to perform for troops. Looking at the smiling faces of these soldiers --- some of them only teenagers --- I felt great joy moving through me. They were the loveliest fans I had ever met. Then, from out of nowhere, words came into my head. “I want to play you something new … a song just came in my head minutes ago. It’s called Here with Me,” I told them. Cheers rang out. As I sang, I could see the tears in some of soldiers’ eyes. I finished to thunderous applause.
At the autograph(亲笔签名)part afterward, one of the soldiers took out a picture of a high school student. “This is my girl. You know, I miss her so much,” he said. “That new song you sang … it meant so much to me. Those were the words I’ve always wanted to tell her.
I realized that the song wasn’t about me and that it was, in fact, a gift for these men and women. I played it in every concert after that, always with the same unbelievable reaction.
On the long plane ride home I kept thinking about the soldiers I’d met. They risked their lives every day to defend our country, yet they were grateful for a simple concert. I decided to record the new song to thank our men and women in uniform(制服).Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “troops” in the second paragraph?
| A．officials | B．teenagers | C．soldiers | D．students |
When the author performed on the stage, he felt _____.
| A．pleased | B．nervous | C．confident | D．worried |
What might be the topic of the new song?
| A．The tiring army life |
| B．The danger of being a soldier |
| C．The excitement of going to a concert |
| D．The family one misses |
From the text, we can infer that the author _____.
| A．served in the army before |
| B．received many gifts during shows |
| C．was impressed by the soldiers |
| D．always cared for the soldiers |
The passage is most probably written by a(n) _____.
| A．dancer | B．teacher | C．singer | D．official leader |
Maybe you are an average(一般的) student. You probably think you will never be a top student. However, anyone can become better if he or she does his or her best. Here are some tips to help you.
★ Plan your time carefully. You should plan your time for things such as eating, sleeping and dressing. Then make a good, regular time for studying. But don’t forget to set enough time for entertainment.
★ Keep your study quiet and clean. The study should have a desk, a chair and some study materials, but no games, no radio and no television! When you sit down to study, you can put your heart into it. Make good use of your time.
★ Listen to everything that the teacher says. Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
★ After you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss next day, read the material. It will help you study better.
★ Develop a good attitude to tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. It helps you know what you are not good at. The world will still go on even if you fail in a test, so don’t be too worried.How many tips are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
What does the underlined word “study” mean in Chinese?
| A．学习 | B．研究 | C．书房 | D．教室 |
Which is a good place for studying?
| A．A clean and beautiful place. |
| B．The place with a computer. |
| C．The place with a television and a radio. |
| D．A quiet place with a chair, a desk and some study materials. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The purpose of a test is to show what you are good at. |
| B．After class, you should review what you have learned. |
| C．You should listen to your teacher and take notes carefully in class. |
| D．When you plan your time, you should think of the time for eating, sleeping and so on. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．How to become a better student. | B．How to plan your time. |
| C．How to study English. | D．How to take notes. |
In western countries, especially in America, some social customs have lasted still today. For example, ladies first, that is to say, women in those countries are respected(尊重) in many ways.
In the U.S. and Europe, you will see men usually open doors for women and women generally walk ahead of men into a room or a restaurant unless the man have to be ahead of the ladies to choose the table, to open the door of a car or to give other services. On the street, men almost walk or across the street on the side of the ladies which is closer to traffic, but if a man walks with two ladies, he should walk between them.In this passage， “customs” especially refers to _______.
| A．what a group of people usually do |
| B．what people in western countries do |
| C．what people in eastern countries do |
| D．what people in united states do |
When you introduce a group of people in English, you will probably begin with _____.
| A．Men and women | B．Women and men |
| C．Gentlemen and ladies | D．Ladies and gentlemen |
In which country people may think it strange that men should open doors for women?
| A．England | B．Italy | C．Japan | D．Germany |
Which of the following statements is not true?
| A．In Europe, a man generally follows a woman when they enter a restaurant together. |
| B．In America a man who walks ahead of a women always gives services. |
| C．In the U.S, women almost always walk closer to the running cars. |
| D．In the U.S, men should always walk by the side of the ladies. |
Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of this passage?
| A．In western countries, some social customs have lasted till today. |
| B．Women in western countries are respected in many ways. |
| C．Men usually open doors for women in the U.S. as well as in Europe. |
| D．Men show respect for women by giving them good services. |