Why must we pay taxes? The answer is that the government needs money for many things, for example to pay its soldiers, sailors and airmen, to build roads, bridges, offices, schools, etc and to buy goods from abroad; and only the people of the country can supply the money．One of the most important taxes is income-tax which a person pays according to the amount of his income-tax．Whether he is a businessman, a doctor, a lawyer, a shopkeeper, a miner, or anything else．This is called a “direct” tax, because it is paid in money direct to the government．
Another tax is paid on goods such as watches, jewellery, new clothes, tobacco, wine, etc, when they are brought into a country, such a tax is paid as part of the price of these goods if they are later sold in shops．We call it “indirect” tax, because it is paid indirectly through the shopkeeper．
People usually complain about having to pay taxes, but they forget that the money is spent on the things that they and their families need．We need policemen to catch thieves, to see that men obey the laws, to direct traffic, etc, and they must be paid what they earn; children need education and there must be schools and teachers; we want our streets to be kept clean, and the wages of men who do this kind of work have to be paid．Above all, the country must always be ready to defend itself against attacking enemies, and we cannot have an army without paying for it．
Taxes, therefore, cannot be avoided．We buy our own food and clothes and pay for our own amusements, but there are several things that the State finds the money for, and that are necessary for us if our society is to continue．So we have no real cause to complain when we are asked to supply money to be spent for the good of ourselves and for our fellow-citizens．Indirect tax means _______．
| A．tax that one pays direct to the government |
| B．tax that is not paid directly to the government |
| C．tax that is paid as an extra amount added to the price of certain goods |
| D．Both B and C |
Which of the following is right?
| A．Taxes are paid to the sellers． |
| B．Income-tax is an indirect tax． |
| C．The tax on new clothes is paid in money direct to the government． |
| D．Tax is amount of money that you have to pay to the government so that it can pay for public services． |
People have no real reason to complain about having to pay taxes because _______．
| A．some shopkeepers are very rich |
| B．they need money to buy goods from abroad |
| C．their children need education |
| D．the money is spent on the things that they and their families need |
College libraries are designed primarily for research and study. To explain its use, let us choose a research topic and follow the step-by-step procedure of looking up the material for the paper．
Suppose your assignment is to write a paper on a novel called The Sun Also Rises by American writer Hemingway．The first step is to go to the main catalog．Many small drawers on the large wooden cabinets are lined up in alphabetical(字母的) order．Each of the drawers contains hundreds of alphabetical ordered cards．These cards are printed references to all material available in the library．Title cards are cataloged by the first word of the book title, leaving out the articles like “a”, “an” and “the”．And then you get the cards for the books you need．On the upper left corner of each card is the call number．This is the numerical code that shows where the book is located in the library．The library has open and closed stacks．If your book is on the open stacks, you can go to the open-stack room, and according to the call number find it out by yourself．There are only about 30,000 books on open stacks, while most of the 800,000 books in our library are kept in closed stacks, which are accessible only to teachers and graduate students.
For undergraduates like you, borrowing books from the closed stacks have to be done with the help of our librarian．In that case, you must fill out a call slip(纸条) for the book, showing the call number, author and title．You can get call slips on tables near the catalog cabinets．You show your call slip together with your library card to a librarian at the information desk．He or she will help you find the book out in the closed stacks.What is the main purpose of this text?
| A．To present readers a brief introduction to a college library． |
| B．To guide readers how to find books needed in a college library. |
| C．To tell readers how to fill out a call slip in a college library. |
| D．To show readers where to find books in a college library. |
What letter you should look for on the title card for the book The Old Man and the Sea by the Hemingway?
| A．The letter “t”. | B．The letter “h”. |
| C．The letter “s”. | D．The letter “o”. |
How are books arranged and shelved in the library?
| A．By call numbers. | B．By call slips of authors’ names. |
| C．In alphabetical order. | D．By the first word of book title. |
Suppose you are an undergraduate and you want to borrow a book from the closed stacks, which is the correct order to do it?
a. go to the main catalog
b. show your call slip and library card
c. find out the call number
d. fill out a call slip
e. get the cards for the books
| A．a-b-e-d-c | B．b-a-c-d-e |
| C．a-e-c-d-b | D．b-c-a-e-d |
More than 27,000 people from around the UK set off at dawn from London to begin the cycle route through Surrey to the Sussex coast.
The annual 54-mile ride raises money for the British Heart Foundation（BHF） and is Europe’s largest charity cycling event. Cyclists began the exhausting journey at Clapham Common at 6 a. m. , hoping to reach Brighton seafront within an average of six hours.
Money from today's event will help the charity to continue its vital work through heart research and the development of its care and support services. Among those taking part was BBC Breakfast's resident（居民）Dr Rosemary Leonard and several colleagues.
BHF spokeswoman Gemma Cloke said, “It was quite cold this morning, but everyone set off without any problems.” Those taking part range in age from 14 to those in their 70s. Last year cyclists raised￡4. 1 million for the charity, and have raised more than￡50 million since the BHF became involved in the event in 1980. The first ride was held in 1976. It is hoped this year's fund raising total could reach￡4. 5 million. She added : “We have a lot of people taking part, from the more experienced cyclists to those cycling with friends and family in memory of someone and to raise money through sponsorship.”
“People are always pleased knowing the money is going to a good cause. There is so much support along the route, with local residents watching the ride. ”
“One of the highlights for participants（参加者）is coming along the seafront while people are clapping, which can really help when they've been in the saddle (自行车车座) for a long time. ” What can we know about the cycling event from the text?
| A．It is the world’s largest charity cycling event. |
| B．Cyclists may raise more money than last year. |
| C．The first event was held by the BHF in 1980. |
| D．The route of the event is 54 kilometers long. |
What can we learn from what Gemma Cloke said?
| A．Cyclists will receive encouragement from local people. |
| B．Some people doubt whether the money is properly used. |
| C．Most of the cyclists are professional. |
| D．Local people have little interest in cycling events. |
The local residents’ attitude towards the ride is .
| A．doubtful | B．unconcerned |
| C．supportive | D．indifferent |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Cyclists have raised over￡50 million for the BHF. |
| B．More than 27,000 people like travelling by bike in the UK. |
| C．Charity cycling event wins support from local people. |
| D．More than 27,000 people in the UK join in the charity bike ride. |
Hanukkah is an eight-day winter holiday, which celebrates the successful struggle of the Jews against King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria. There are many traditions to celebrate the day, such as lighting the menorah (多连灯烛台),frying potato pancakes and spinning the dreidel (四面陀螺).
One night in the 1990s, we tidied up wrapping paper and toys while the lighted menorah stood on the kitchen table. When we were not there, as the many-colored candles broke, our long-haired black-and-white cat, Ladybug, jumped onto the kitchen table and brushed past them.
"Do you smell something?" asked my husband, Donny. "Is something burning?" asked Molly, our oldest, age ten.
It was Ladybug! The fur on her left side had been burnt. She wasn't hurt, but she wore an upset expression all evening, and for the rest of the week she hid whenever we began chanting the Hebrew(希伯来语)blessings over the candles. "Though her fur grew out as thick as ever, Ladybug took a dim view of Hanukkah after that, clearly preferring less flammable holidays, like Labor Day.
The following year, for fifth-grade homework about family traditions, Molly wrote about Ladybug's story with the Hanukkah candles. The teacher, Lynn Fink, a sporty and funny woman, enjoyed Molly's story and gave it an A.
Three years later, Seth got Ms. Fink for fifth grade. He also worked the burnt cat fur into a writing assignment, and he, too, got an A.
Our son Lee, three years later: the same teacher, the same story, the same A. We had no idea these retellings were piling up.
The year Lily got Ms. Fink for fifth grade, she also felt inspired to write down what happened that night. By now, we were very fond of Ms. Fink. We invited her to join us for a night of Hanukkah. It was her first time to experience the Jewish holiday. Happily, she ate her potato pancakes. Gamely, she spun the dreidel. Delightedly, she opened the small gift of home-made cookies the children had prepared for her. As the evening seemed to be winding down, she clapped her hands, rubbed them together as if before a big dinner, and said excitedly," So! When do we torch the cat?"What happened to Ladybug when the family celebrated Hanukkah that year?
| A．She was seriously hurt that night. |
| B．She broke the candles on the menorah. |
| C．She had some of her fur burnt. |
| D．She got a surprising present from the family. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Hanukkah lasts for only one night. |
| B．The writer has at least four children. |
| C．The family saw Ladybug jump onto the kitchen table that night. |
| D．Frying potato pancakes is not a tradition to celebrate Hanukkah. |
Which proverb can best describe the meaning of the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?
| A．It's easy to be wise after the event. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．He that falls today may be up again tomorrow. |
| D．Once bitten, twice shy. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that Ms.Fink _____.
| A．forgot the story of Ladybug |
| B．came to the writer's home unexpectedly |
| C．knew all the traditions of Hanukkah well |
| D． thought people would torch the cat to celebrate Hanukkah |
In China, more and more middle school students are getting shorter sleeping time than before. More students sleep less than nine hours every night, because they have much homework to do. Some homework is given by their teachers, and some by their parents. Also, some students don’t know how to save time. They are not careful enough while they do their homework, so it takes them a lot of time. Some students spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games. They stay up very late. Some students have to get up early every morning on weekdays to get to school on time by bus or by bike. It can be a long way from home to school. It will probably make them sleepy during school hours.
Schools and parents should cut down some of the homework so that our children can enjoy more than nine hours of sleep every night for their health. For children, they should make the most use of their time. When they have enough time for sleeping, they will find it much better for both their study and health.What makes most students sleep less than nine hours every night?
| A．Watching TV. | B．Playing computer games. |
| C．Doing homework | D．Doing housework. |
According to the article, who else gives children some homework to do except their teachers?
| A．Their parents | B．Other students. |
| C．The children themselves. | D．Nobody else. |
How many hours of sleep is good for students’ health?
| A．Less than 9 hours. | B．Over 9 hours. |
| C．Only 9 hours. | D．8 hours. |
What is most likely to happen to a student who often goes to bed late and gets up early?
| A．He would fall asleep in class. |
| B．He would do well in study. |
| C．He would finish his homework fast. |
| D．He would have good heath. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Some students are so careless that they spend much time on the homework. |
| B．All the students stay up late for their homework. |
| C．Children should be given less homework. |
| D．School and parents should take care of children’s health. |
While most teachers enjoy the summer break from work, other teachers try to find part-time work during that time. If you’re one of those teachers who are finding part-time work during the summer, writing for children might be the right job you’re looking for.
During the school year, you’re very familiar with children in your classroom. That means you know what children think about, how they talk and how they act. If you read stories and books for children with your students during the school year, you also know the kinds of story that children are fond of.
As a teacher, you can go to the school library and find out what kinds of books students are most interested in. Also, what kinds of books seem to be in short supply? Use this information to create stories and novels.
If you continue writing for children during the school year, you won’t have enough time to write as much while you’re teaching, but you can probably manage to work on at least one short story for children each month. Even if you don’t finish these pieces during the school year, when school ends for the summer you will have lots of writing projects to finish and hand in to editors (编辑).
Recently, many teachers have turned to writing for children as a part-time job. If you enjoy writing as much as you enjoy teaching, then writing for children might be the second job for you, too.Who is the passage probably written for?
| A．Students. | B．Teachers. |
| C．Workers. | D．Schools. |
According to the passage, the school library can help teachers ______.
| A．write more stories |
| B．borrow more books |
| C．learn about students’ interests |
| D．improve their teaching skills |
We can learn from the passage that story-writing teachers ______.
| A．should read their stories to the students |
| B．should borrow books from the school library |
| C．think writing stories is a difficult part-time job |
| D．think teaching can provide them with ideas for stories |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A way of finding a part-time job. |
| B．An interesting story of a writer. |
| C．Writing methods for teachers. |
| D．The reasons for becoming story-writing teachers. |
Which kind of teachers can be story-writing teachers?
| A．Teachers who prefer writing to teaching. |
| B．Teachers who like either writing or teaching. |
| C．Teachers who often have talks with students. |
| D．Teachers who love both teaching and writing. |