Because of the financial crisis in the US and UK, college students are beginning to struggle to find ways to pay their tuition fees and accommodations.
Recently, two major US student loan lenders — Citibank and JPMorgan Chase — announced they were leaving the student loan industry altogether. Because banks currently have a lack of credit, they are reluctant to offer students low-interest loans that need a several-year wait for any return of interest.
In the US, many undergraduates top up their financial needs with a private loan, although the majority can get government-funded loans. In the 2005-2006 academic year, $17 billion in private student loans was used to finance higher education. The shortfall in private funding has yet to be covered and will hit many US students hard.
Across the Atlantic, UK students have been less troubled by the crisis. Most undergraduates in the UK cover their university expenses with government-funded loans and grants (助学金). Their biggest concern is a sudden steep increase in student rent.
Most young professionals now rent houses, since 80 percent of UK mortgage schemes (住房抵押贷款计划) have disappeared — a direct result of the credit crisis. This has boosted the house rent market.
In large cities, UK students are paying almost 6.5 percent more in rent than the previous year. Figures from the UK organization Accommodation for Student show students in big cities such as London paying an average weekly rent of ￡103. Yet, despite students’ suffering, the number of this year’s university applications is expected to grow. During economic slumps (经济萧条时期), people regard further education as a way to survive tough job markets.According to the passage, banks are unwilling to offer students loans because ________.
| A．the students are poor and sometimes they can’t pay off the debt |
| B．banks prefer lending the money to the young professionals |
| C．banks don’t have enough money left at the present time |
| D．they think college students are not studying hard |
The underlined phrase “top up” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.
| A．put up | B．make up | C．fill up | D．pick up |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．UK college students have to pay more if they want to rent houses. |
| B．More UK students want to further their study in college. |
| C．It is not so easy for US students to loan money now. |
| D．College students’ tuition fees have risen greatly. |
It can be inferred that ________.
| A．there are no private student loan lenders in the UK |
| B．loans for US college students will be increased next year |
| C．private funding falls a little because of higher-interest loans in the US |
| D．private loans play a very important role in financing US students’ education |
You're rushing to get out of the door for a meeting, but you just can't seem to find your car keys. Or you've got tickets booked for a Caribbean cruise(坐船旅行) , but your passport disappeared. Or maybe you've just come back from a grocery store tour and realized…Hey, did I leave my baby in the checkout line?
Ok, you've probably never gone to the extremes of our last example (we hope), but most of us experience slip - ups like these on a daily basis. No matter how smart you may be, it doesn't mean your brain won't turn to Swiss cheese every so often, and no amount of e-mail reminders can help you remember where you left your TV remote or lucky penny.
But now, there is a new pair of eyeglasses that can help to find all those little things you know must be around somewhere : Let's call it Vision 2.0.
The new glasses, which are being developed in a Japanese lab under the code name Smart Goggles,are similar to a Google search engine for your eyes. The high - tech glasses come with a camera that records everything you see on a daily basis, and boast built - in object recognition software that allows them to keep track of whatever comes across their field of vision. If you've got a collection of art sculptures that the camera can't recognize immediately, no problem : Just say the name of each item, and the glasses will memorize them right away.
The Smart Goggles' superb tracking abilities mean that whenever you're looking for your keys, your overdue library book, or yes, even your baby, all you have to do is to say the word and the Goggles' camera will show you the last time your desired object appeared on screen, telling exactly where you'll be able to find it.
Though the glasses are still too big for general use, the research team in Japan believes that they'll be able to make the modem glasses smaller to the size of normal glasses in the near future, making them the perfect new accessory for yourself or any other absent - minded Professor you know.
With these intelligent designs, you'll never lose anything again. Except maybe your glasses.The best title for the passage should be _______.
| A．A Habit of Forgetting Small Things |
| B．Usage of New High - Tech Glasses |
| C．How to Find Little Things Easily |
| D．Glasses Will Help Find Your Things |
Which of the following is a slip - up according to the passage?
| A．You can't find your watch before going to work. |
| B．You can't work out a math problem in given time. |
| C．You don't know how to deal with a naughty boy. |
| D．You don't know how to get to a hospital. |
Which of the following statement is true about Smart Goggles?
| A．They're a search engine used on the Internet. |
| B．They're a camera with recognition software. |
| C．They're software used in computers. |
| D．They're sunglasses protecting our eyes. |
Where are the new glasses being developed?
| A．In China. | B．In America. | C．In Japan. | D．In France. |
In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what "keeping up with the Joneses" is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began eaming $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days.He got married and moved with his wife to a verywealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it " Keeping up with the Joneses" because "Jones" is a very common name in the United States. " Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand's series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are "Joneses" in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they______.
| A．want to be as rich as their neighbors |
| B．want others to know or to think that they are rich |
| C．don't want others to know they are rich |
| D．want to be happy |
It can be inferred (推断) from the story that rich people like to_______.
| A．live outside New York City | B．live in New York city |
| C．live in apartments | D．have many neighbors |
According to the writer, it is ________ to keep up with the Joneses.
| A．correct | B．interesting | C． impossible | D． good |
The Field Museum
Hours
Regular hours are 9:OOam - -5 :00 pm, daily. Last admission at 4:00 pm. Open every day except Christmas.
Admission We have several ticket choices for you to choose from. Advance tickets may be purchased at the will - call booth(预订零售处) in person at the museum before 4 :00 pm.
Getting Here
The Field Museum is located on Chicago's Museum Campus, at 1400S, Lake Shore Drive , just south of Roosevelt Rd.
How to get here : by car or public transit(运输) or free trolley.
Parking
Visitor parking in all lots on the Museum Campus is $ 15 per day. This includes the Adler lot, the north garage, the Waldron garage and the east museum lot.
Hours for the north garage and Adler lot are 5 :00am - 5 :00pm. Mon - Fri and 6:00am - 5 :00pm weekends ; east museum lot 9 :00am - 3 :00pm. Designated(指定的) handicapped parking is available in every lot.
When all other lots are full, parking will be made available in the remote south lot for $8 per day.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the parking lot will only accept cash payment,which will need to be paid upon entering the garage.
Please note :These hours and rates are for daytime only and do not apply when special events are scheduled at the museums or Soldier Field.
Getting here during Chicago Bears Home Games
During bears home games and other major special events at Soldier Field, access to the Museum Campus can be challenging. No museum visitor parking is available on the Museum Campus during bears home games. However,public transit remains a great way to get to the Campus every day of the year. For more information , call the Regional Transportation Authority at ( 312) 836 - 7000 or visit www. rtachicago. com. Additional parking is available at the Monroe Street garage, located at 350East Monroe Street.If you buy advance tickets, you ________ .
| A．call 60605 - 2496(312) - 922 - 9410 to register a ticket |
| B．should go and buy tickets all by yourself |
| C．can ask others to buy a ticket for you |
| D．should make an order with the museum in advance |
Where can you park your car for the least cost?
| A．The south lot. | B．The Adler lot. | C．The north garage. | D．The Waldron garage. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The museum is opened all the year around. |
| B．You can usually pay your parking in check. |
| C．During bears home games visitors can park on the museum Campus for free. |
| D．After 4:00 pm you are not allowed to enter the museum. |
You might say that one reason why Barack Obama is president of the US is that he knows how to give a good speech.
Since 2004, Obama has written and delivered thousands of speeches. These are usually praised for two reasons: he treats the audiences like intelligent（有智慧的） adults, and he is able to express complicated ideas in an easy, natural way.
Before becoming president, Obama was a lawyer, a college professor, and a successful writer---his two memories have become best-sellers.
What’s more, he has some secret weapons.
Teleprompter: Obama doesn’t go anywhere without his Teleprompter. The textbook-sized panes of glass holding the president’s prepared remarks follow him wherever he goes to speak.
Writing team: Obama has a team of people who write his speeches. The writers chat with Obama for hours about what he wants to say. They listen to recordings of past presidential speeches and seek advice from advisers. Obama usually edits(编辑)and rewrites the drafts(草稿)several times.
Tricks for lighthearted speeches:
Make fun of the guests: Obama starts his speech by gently teasing his guests. His opening lines draw the audience’s attention while giving them an opportunity to relax and laugh at themselves and each other.
Make fun of yourself: A good rule for speechmakers: If you’re going to make a joke about someone else, be sure to make one about yourself, too. Obama mocks(嘲弄) his own poor choices for filling the position of Commerce Secretary, saying, “No president in history has ever named three Commerce Secretaries this quickly.” In fact, his first two nominees（被提名人）for the position withdrew(撤出) their names for different reasons. In a process that had otherwise gone smoothly, the Obama Administration found it hard to deal with the problem of filling the Commerce seat.Obama made the poetic and inspiring speech in 2004 as________.
| A．president | B．a nominee for the presidency |
| C．a senator | D．a secretary |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 2?
| A．Difficult to understand. | B．Easy to understand. |
| C．Different from others. | D．Interesting to say. |
From the passage, we know that Obama’s secret weapons are all these EXCEPT ____.
| A．a writing team | B．a teleprompter | C．humor | D．motivation |
What’s the best title of the passage？
| A．Secrets of Obama’s successful speeches. |
| B．Obama’s successful speeches. |
| C．Obama’s way of making speeches. |
| D．Problems of Obama’s speeches. |
ChinaDaily: As China comes down from a travel rush during the seven-day holiday for National Day, people called for a return of the Labor Day Golden Week holiday as a way to ease(缓解) the travel peak.
By Friday, 79 million passengers were expected to have used the railways up about 8 percent over last year. Waterways had shipped around 2 million, a rise of about 17 percent on last year, www. cntv. cn, the website of China Central Television, said on Saturday.
As large numbers of tourists swarmed scenic spots around China, it caused huge crowds and many complaints.
The Forbidden City in Beijing has long been a big draw for travelers. On Tuesday alone, the museum reported, it received more than 180,000 visitors, about six times higher than a regular day.
According to China Central Television, restless visitors demanded their money back from the tourism committee, and police were sent to help deal with the problem.
The Beijing-HongKong-Macao expressway, the Shanghai-Kunming expressway and the route from Beijing to Kunming saw large increases in traffic on Saturday, according to www. cntv. cn.
“As there are only two long holidays in the country and paid leave is not well carried out by employers（雇主）, people have limited chances for travel”, Dai Bin, the director of China Tourism Academy, said in a report by Beijing Times on Saturday.
“The travel rush during the ‘Golden Week’ holidays happens because people do not take long journeys during shorter holidays”, said Liu Simin, a researcher with the China Academy of Social Sciences, in a report by Beijing Times on Saturday.
Liu said that now the most important task is to ease the pressure from the huge numbers of tourists. When the Labor Day Golden Week holiday came to an end in 2007, a chance to travel was reduced.
In 2008, the government shortened the Labor Day Golden Week holiday, usually lasting from May 1 to May 7, to three days and added three other short vacations to the list.The Labor Day Golden Week holiday was shortened to __________________.
| A．one day | B．two days | C．three days | D．four days |
The underlined word “swarmed” in the third paragraph probably means “_______”.
| A．crowded into | B．left | C．escaped from | D．planned to go to |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．People called for a return of the Labor Day Golden Week holiday. |
| B．The museum reported it received more than 180,000 visitors during the holiday. |
| C．Now the most important task is to ease the pressure from the huge numbers of tourists. |
| D．There are only two long holidays in the country. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Seven-day Golden Week Holiday sees huge crowds on popular tourists spots |
| B．The problem during the seven-day Golden Week Holiday. |
| C．Travel complaints. |
| D．The pressure from the huge numbers of tourists. |