Shoppers throughout the West, wary(谨防的) of a double-dip recession(经济衰退), are still pinching their pennies. However, Chinese consumers are opening their wallets big time. According to Mckinsey, shop sales in China have grown by 25 per cent annually from 2007 to 2009. Consumer confidence is now at its highest point since 2007 and female shoppers are leading the way.
Chinese women saved just 24 per cent of their income, compared with 55 per cent in 2006, according to a recent study in the magazine Women of China. What’s more, three quarters of Chinese women say that they’re the ones who control the family purse strings, which means they are an “emerging powerhouse within the powerhouse” of China.
In the 1950s women contributed just 20 per cent of household income, which rose to about 40 per cent in the 1990s and then reached 50 per cent last year.
In a recent study of Chinese consumer behavior, Mckinsey found that women tend to shop more frequently than men, and spend more on personal-care products and food. Men, by contrast, tend to spend more of their income on gadgets(小玩意), drinks and alcohol, dining out, and socializing. They also tend to save for the bigger-ticket items, like cars and houses.
Chinese women make up an ever-growing small part of the market—up from 20 per cent a decade ago to 50 per cent last year. It’s estimated that in the next five years women will account for 55 per cent of the$9 billion market. “The future is female,” concludes a January HSBC report on special and expensive goods in China.According to the passage, Chinese women ________.
| A．save less of their income than before |
| B．are more cautious of spending their money |
| C．make as much money as men in the 1990s. |
| D．spend half income on expensive goods |
The underlined phrase in the first paragraph probably refers to _______.
| A．saving more money | B．making extra pay for food |
| C．meeting with economic problems | D．spending money in a wary way |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Chinese men go shopping more often than women |
| B．Chinese men spend more on personal-care products |
| C．Chinese men tend to save for the bigger-ticket items |
| D．Chinese men spent less on drinks and alcohol than women. |
Which of the following can probably serve as the title of the passage?
| A．The Future is Female | B．The Power of the Purse |
| C．Facing a Double-dip Recession | D．Chinese Women Going Shopping |
The China Daily newspaper group is looking for Englishlanguage senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package, free accommodation with utilities paid for,90 per cent medical reimbursement, a sevenday paid leave, elevenday public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence.
Senior Business Editor
You must：
assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them； be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff； ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails； have had at least five years' editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Copy Editor
You must：
work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print； edit or rewrite copy and give snappy headlines and captions； have had at least two years' editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.
Copy Editor
You must：
be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing snappy headlines and captions； be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.
Graphic Designer
You must：
have excellent skills in information graphics；
be good at illustrations and freehand drawings；
be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts；
have a good sense of typography；
have good news judgment；
be wellversed with Macintosh software, including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop；
be fluent in English.
For enquiries or to apply, write to job @ chinadaily.com.cn.What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To describe the positions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| B．To describe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| C．To advertise for recruiting some good employees. |
| D．To tell you how to become part of this group. |
What is not required about Graphic Designer?
| A．Be wellversed with Photoshop. |
| B．Have excellent skills in information graphics. |
| C．Having a good sense of typography |
| D．Writing snappy headlines and captions. |
How many positions need editing experience?
| A．2. | B．1. | C．3. | D．4. |
Which can be the title of the advertisement?
| A．China Daily：New Employees Wanted |
| B．China Daily：Newspaper |
| C．China Daily：An International Team |
| D．China Daily：The Best Working Condition |
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times”.
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule：almost all common troubles eventually go away！Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little！I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
| A．From her relatives. | B．From her mother. |
| C．From books and pictures. | D．From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt ________.
| A．confused | B．excited | C．worried | D．amazed |
For the first two years in New York, the author ________.
| A．often lost her way | B．did not think about her future |
| C．studied in three different schools | D．got on well with her stepfather |
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(存款额), they are reluctant to offer students lowinterest loans(贷款) that need a severalyear 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 governmentfunded loans. In the 20052006 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 governmentfunded 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, 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 higherinterest loans in the US |
| D．private loans play a very important role in financing US students’ education |
The passage mainly tells us ________.
| A．college students in the US and UK are faced with their financial crisis |
| B．it is the duty of the governments to solve college students' financial crisis |
| C．private student loan is a good way for college students to overcome the difficulties |
| D．further education is a good way for college students to survive tough job markets |
Computer programmer David Jones earns ￡35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card(信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18. The 16yearold works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David' s firm releases(推出) two new games for the fast growing computer market each month.
But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押贷款),or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpoolbased company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six Olevels and working for a time in a computer shop.“I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,”he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school,”he said.“But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway.”David added：“I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”In what way is David different from people of his age?
| A．He often goes out with friends. |
| B．He lives with his mother. |
| C．He has a handsome income. |
| D．He graduated with six Olevels. |
What is one of the problems that David is facing now?
| A．He is too young to get a credit card. |
| B．He has no time to learn driving. |
| C．He has very little spare time. |
| D．He will soon lose his job. |
Why was David able to get the job in the company?
| A．He had done well in all his exams. |
| B．He had written some computer programs. |
| C．He was good at playing computer games. |
| D．He had learnt to use computers at school. |
Why did David decide to leave school and start working?
| A．He received lots of job offers. |
| B．He was eager to help his mother. |
| C．He lost interest in school studies. |
| D．He wanted to earn his own living. |
Is it necessary for a young man to have an apartment as a prerequisite（先决条件） for marriage? Housing has become a major obstacle（障碍） for Chinese young men hoping to start a family. China may breed a new group of bachelors, men caught in the trap of unaffordable houses.
Since early 2009, the housing market has once again become a hot pot at boiling point. Even with allowance（津贴） and special government policies, home prices in China's first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are riding the crest（波峰）of a rising wave. According to the "2010 China Marital Status Report" released on Dec 15, 2010, about 70 percent of women interviewed said that housing, a stable income and some savings were the main requirements for marriage.
From the report, we can see that housing is given top priority（优先权） and that women see an apartment as essential(必不可少的) to show that the man is responsible and can provide for his family.
Personality and morals lay outside the top three matrimonial （婚姻的）requirements. Some women and their families hold the traditional position and take it for granted that the home issue should be the man's responsibility, which doesn’t agree with the contemporary independent spirit of women and gender equality. These marriage values reflect the fact that many women consider marriage another form of "social welfare".
Things may be different overseas. Social housing, provided by European authorities, offer the less wealthy people their own piece of real estate. Such housing is usually apartments in tall buildings with 10 or more floors on the outskirts of town, whose main advantage is the low rents.
For many Americans, houses don't pose an obstacle to getting married. They often buy a house after the wedding, because more and more people are reconsidering their real estate worship, and going back to a more rational(理性的) mode of consumption.
In Japan, renting is the custom for newly married young couples. Few young couples can afford to purchase property. Up to 67.1 percent of young couples choose to rent. Generally speaking, renters account for most people younger than 40 in Japan.
Young people should be free to enjoy being young, without the huge pressure of trying to buy property. Society should help create an environment for them to grow up. Don't let the poor bachelor group become a suffering layer（层） of our society.Which of the following is Not True according to the text?
| A．Home prices have been extremely high since early 2009. |
| B．In the modern society, women don’t want to be independent. |
| C．Chinese government has already done something to control home prices. |
| D．Lots of Chinese young men couldn’t get married because of their economic capability. |
What does the underlined word “outskirts” probably mean?
| A．urban areas | B．rural areas（乡下） |
| C．suburbs | D．downtown areas |
Why do many women take housing as one of the main requirements for marriage?
| A．Because they can’t afford a house. |
| B．Because they enjoy their social welfare. |
| C．Because their families want them to marry men with houses. |
| D．Because they think it’s a symbol of the men’s sense of responsibility. |
The author uses the examples of European countries, America and Japan to show that __________?
| A．new couples in those countries like to rent houses |
| B．the situation is different in some foreign countries |
| C．it’s better to live in those countries than live in China |
| D．their governments have done more than Chinese government |
The last paragraph is mainly about the author’s hope that __________?
| A．the society can develop rapidly |
| B．young people can lead a happy life |
| C．all the young people can afford houses |
| D．the poor bachelors can become rich and enjoy their life |