After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(报复的) action against China for its “significantly undervalued” currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt “more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”. This is a coded message to China: You’re keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. So cut it out --- or else. The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U.S. to be against a fast developing China.
Our new conventional wisdom is that China’s policy leads to make trade deficits (逆差) greater and the loss of American jobs. Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us. In the election-year view, China grew 10% annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通涨) only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency. The idea that the U.S. is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view. It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion’s share of harm.
This is an argument born of fear. It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U.S. have become beneficial to each other. Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates: Where do they go? Back to the U.S. in the form of lending money to the federal government. Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit: Whom do they benefit? China, yes, but also American consumers and companies. Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years. Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike. Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products.
George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s. He’s right. Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system. The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life.
China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated. It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is. Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U.S., which needs more our own demand. It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force. It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network. Which of the following argument can be supported by the writer?
| A．China is the winner in the Sino-US trade. |
| B．China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation. |
| C．The world’s economy will benefit from China’s policy changes on its currency. |
| D．The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy. |
This passage is in a tone that is ____________.
| A．in favor of China |
| B．in the shoes of US |
| C．blaming China’s low currency policy |
| D．helping IMF solve the world’s economic problem |
The writer makes his point of view clear through the passage by using _____________.
| A．reasonable analysis |
| B．leaders’ quotations |
| C．figure examples |
| D．moving stories |
China’s currency policy ________.
| A．will help increase the demand in the US |
| B．is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills |
| C．could guide the world economy for the next decade |
| D．is to be controlled by the international currency groups |
At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer(拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house – something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, "I just want a bed."
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds tog tether, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, "What is that?"
"A pillow," she replied.
"What do you do with it?" Eric continued to ask.
"When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow.
"Oh . . . that's soft," he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my Dad gently asks, "Do you have a pillow?"
We know exactly what he means.The writer’s first volunteer project was .
| A．working on a poor trailer | B．helping a poor family |
| C．donating beds and bedding | D．dealing with a housing problem |
On bearing Josh’s answer, the writer was shocked because .
| A．the family lived in a trailer |
| B．he expected to get some toys |
| C．he didn’t know what a bed was |
| D．the boys had no bed to sleep in |
From the passage, we can learn that Eric had never seen before.
| A．a trailer | B．a truck | C．a pillow | D．a house |
By saying “Do you have a pillow?”, the writer’s father means that .
| A．what they want to get may be unnecessary |
| B．they should not waste money on small things |
| C．they should do more volunteer work for the poor |
| D．what he will buy is not what they want but a pillow |
One of my main concerns when I am helping people achieve their goals is how they measure success. I see individuals getting frustrated as they struggle hard for success.
One of the main reasons that cause this frustration is that people allow their definition of success to be determined by someone or something else. Another is that they become frustrated at their own apparent lack of success when comparing themselves to other people.
We are individuals with individual wants, skills and experiences. We should look at our own skills to determine what is successful to us. We should look inwards to determine what it would mean for us to be successful in our own mind rather than someone else’s.
Evaluating a successful person needs to look at his pathway to success, his actions ，his determination and translate that into his own experience to see how he can improve himself.
You must set your own course of action, and stay on your course. You alone must determine what success means to you. Do what you do to the best of your ability and the rest will take care of itself. For example, I believe that I am successful but I am not a millionaire! Others may not see me as successful in their eyes but that does not matter. It is how I see myself that is important to me and my life.
Here is the truth. Being a success is doing your best, not being the best. Success is not something you become; it is something you continue being.
When we get to that point, we will experience a lot more joy and a lot less frustration. And that sounds good to us!
Remember the great quote from Napoleon Hill, “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Frustration Determines Success |
| B．The Importance of Frustration to Success |
| C．How to Measure Success |
| D．Evaluations of a Successful Person |
In terms of success, the writer thinks people feel frustrated because they_____
| A．struggle too hard | B．know little about others |
| C．are often discouraged | D．underestimate themselves |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Success is something you keep on being rather than you become. |
| B．Evaluating a successful person needs to look at others’ judgment. |
| C．It doesn’t matter others may not consider you as a success in their eyes. |
| D．It matters that you set your own course of action and stay on it. |
According to the passage the writer advises us to_____.
| A．attach the importance to others’ attitude and evaluation |
| B．learn from others ，failure |
| C．set a proper goal and strive to realize it |
| D．look at others’ skills to determine what is successful to us |
Our English course for kids or children focuses on learning English in an enjoyable way. Classes are small and individual attention is very important.
During the rest of the day students are encouraged to make use of the opportunities to speak and improve their English with the presence of monitors and teachers who will always use English with them.
There are three classes in the morning from Monday to Friday. The focus is primarily on spoken English; students will learn functional English to help them in real social situations. Special attention will be given to useful vocabulary for the afternoon’s activities or trip. The course will finish with a group presentation.
Maximum number of students in class is 8. This allows for greater participation and a greater degree of individual attention. Please note that this is a guaranteed maximum.
Each class is with a different teacher. This means that students practice English with the
added benefit of listening to more accents and experience a variety of teaching styles.
Classes are arranged by level. On arrival students take a level test to assess their oral, reading and written abilities. Students are then placed in a class where teachers agree they will benefit most.
We live and study on campus. There is no time wasted in traveling to class. There are short breaks between classes to allow students to refresh, prepare for the next class or make a start on homework. Homework is beneficial to reinforcing language learned during the day so teachers will set some short tasks each night. Students will have opportunity to do these when they choose--after class, before or after meals or at the end of the day.
Teachers are native-English speakers from all over the world, graduates, TESOL qualified, and experienced. Our teachers know what ifs like to learn a language. They will encourage and help all the students一from children to teenagers.
In the morning lessons, students will_____.
| A．make sure of the opportunity to make a personal presentation |
| B．learn spoken English for the afternoon activities |
| C．practise speaking English with teachers individually |
| D．get into real social situations to practise functional English |
According to the passage, each class is with a different teacher in that_____.
| A．students themselves have their own favourite teachers |
| B．students can make friends with different teachers |
| C．students can learn English spoken with different accents |
| D．different teachers teach students different courses |
What information can you get from the passage?
| A．There is no need for students to do any homework there. |
| B．All the teachers are native and full of experience. |
| C．Students don’t have lunch together with their teachers. |
| D．Not more than eight students are allowed to learn in a class. |
Lettuce (莴苣)has been eaten for over 4,500 years, and was known to the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Now, people in some countries start the meal with lettuce as part of a salad. There are hundreds of kinds of lettuce. The main ones include head lettuce, such as iceberg, leaf lettuce ,Boston, bibb and romaine.
Experts say lettuce is one of the easiest crops to grow in your garden. The best time to plant the seeds is during cool weather. The University of Illinois Extension advises that the best planting temperature is 15 0C.
Lettuce seeds are small, so do not place them too deep in the ground. If you plant some seeds every week or two, you will have crops ready to eat one after another.
To start the seeds inside, you can use a seed tray in your home or other shelter. This container should be deep enough to hold at least three centimeters of soil or more. There should be about one centimeter of space between the soil and the top of the container. The container should have holes in the bottom so the extra water can flow out. Drop the seeds over the surface and cover them lightly with soil. If the soil is not already a little wet, give it some water. But do not drown the seeds.
Next, cover the seed tray with paper. When the seedlings have come up far enough to touch the paper, take it off. You can transplant the seedlings into the garden when they are about two to three centimeters tall. Do this when the weather is not too hot and not too cold. Take out as much soil as you can with the seedlings, Then dig a hole in the ground bigger thanthe lettuce roots. Water the plants but not too heavily.
Harvest leaf lettuces when the leaves are big enough to eat. Pull the leaves from the outside of the planting so the inside leaves will keep growing. Or, you can cut off the whole plant. Leave about two or three centimeters above the ground so the plant will re-grow. Cut off head lettuces at ground level.
Lettuce is best when served fresh, so make a salad and enjoy. Experts say lettuce is one of the easiest crops to grow in your garden.Which of the following shows the right order of planting lettuces?
a.Dig a hole in the ground bigger than the lettuce roots.
b.Drop the seeds over the surface.
c.Water the plants.
d.Cover the seed with soil.
e.Take off the paper.
f.Transplant the seedlings into the garden.
| A．b, d, e ，f, a, c | B．a, b ，c, d ，e, f |
| C．d, e，f, b，a，c | D．b，c, d，e，f，a |
The underlined word “seedlings” in paragraph 5 means______.
| A．containers | B．seeds | C．young plants | D．layers |
When eating Iettuce5 you’d better ______ so that it tastes best.
| A．store it in plastic bags | B．eat the inside leaves |
| C．wrap it in paper | D．eat while it is fresh |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Lettuce is the easiest crop to grow in your garden. |
| B．The lettuce is not hard to plant and store. |
| C．We can plant lettuce in a two-centimeter-high tray. |
| D．We should water lettuce at least twice a day. |
The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible.
A tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Why do you cry, Man?” the Cat asked. “Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The Man nodded “yes”.
“Pick up that piece of string from the floor~~there, my ‘toy’ The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook his head.
“Close your eyes.” the Cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The Man widened his eyes in surprise. “Just do it，” the Cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string.”
Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed. The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.
One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely calico and white.
It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.Why did the Cat give the man a slightly annoyed look?
| A．Because the man’s tears made the Cat really anxious. |
| B．Because the Cat didn’t know what made the man burst into tears. |
| C．Because the Cat couldn’t go to sleep when the man was in low spirits. |
| D．Because the man didn’t have to be so sad and concerned. |
According to the text, which of the following is the reason why a cat licks paws?
| A．Licking paws can make a cat remain calm and have a clear mind. |
| B．Licking paws will make a cat happy and energetic. |
| C．Licking paws will make a cat find out many unknown secrets. |
| D．Licking paws can make a cat stay tidy and healthy. |
What does the underlined word “string” in paragraph 3 stand for?
| A．Life. | B．Birth. | C．Hope. | D．Power. |
What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．Pets play an important part in our life. |
| B．Life has no end and death is just a new beginning. |
| C．We should take a positive attitude towards life and live life to its fullest. |
| D．It gives us some suggestions on how to relieve ourselves when a pet passes away. |