There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another. Three basic ways may be described as the market system, the administered system, and the traditional system.
In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the marketplace. It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them. In a market, transactions may take place via barter or money exchange. In a barter economy, real goods such as automobiles, shoes, and pizzas are traded against each other. Obviously, finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task. Hence, the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably. In the modern market economy, goods and services are bought or sold for money.
An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions. This agency will issue commands as to how much of each good and service should be produced, exchanged, and consumed by each economic unit. Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy. The central plan, drawn up by the government, shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production, consumption, and exchange for the whole economy.
In a traditional society, production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition; every person’s place within the economic system is fixed by parentage, religion, and custom. Transactions take place on the basis of tradition, too. People belonging to a certain group or caste（阶级） may have an obligation to care for other persons, provide them with food and shelter, care for their health, and provide for their education. Clearly, in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone, progress may be difficult to achieve. An inactive society may result.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To outline contrasting types of economic systems. |
| B．To explain the science of economics. |
| C．To argue for the superiority of one economic system. |
| D．To compare barter and money-exchange markets. |
In the second paragraph, the underlined word “real” could best be replaced by _______.
| A．valuable | B．concrete | C．absolute | D．reliable |
According to the passage, a barter economy can generate ______.
| A．rapid speed of transactions | B．misunderstandings |
| C．inflation | D．difficulties for the traders |
According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control in the administered system?
| A．Individual households. | B．Small businesses. |
| C．Major corporations. | D．The government. |
Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a criterion（标准）for determining a person’s position in a traditional society?
| A．Family background | B．Age |
| C．Religious beliefs. | D．Custom |
The U.S. government is facing an increasing bother. Wild pigs, at their worst, can damage crops, spread diseases, attack humans and kill farm animals. And things are getting worse: a study shows that they are likely to double in number over the next 3 years. Why is it so hard to control wild pigs?
Introduced to America in the 16th century, and related to the wild pigs found in Europe, wild pigs can be found in 75% of all states. No single law exists to control them and regulations differ between states: while in Missouri they can only be shot if met by chance, in Texas hunting is actively encouraged; a “pork chopper” law allows Texan hunters to shoot wild pigs from helicopters, and some people in Louisiana have even built their own pig—hunting drone(无人机). As well as being popular with hunters, wild pigs are cheaper for game raisers to breed(饲养)than deer. In Michigan and Pennsylvania suggested bans on the private breeding of pigs for hunting have caused quarrels between game raisers and wildlife officials.
Wild pigs' double nature—considered pests by farmers, but valued by hunters—makes it hard to pass laws to control them. Two other factors also contribute. Nearly 70% of land in America is privately owned. And it is difficult for lawmakers to force breeding and hunting laws on private landowners. Secondly, it is hard to define a wild pig.
In some states, laws are being introduced to redefine the term “wild animal” to keep out wild pigs. This is good news for those raising pigs for hunting, but less are to those who consider them pests whose number should be limited. Meanwhile, discussions continue over how to deal with this problem.People are not permitted to hunt wild pigs freely in ________.
| A．Texas | B．Michigan |
| C．Missouri | D．Louisiana |
Why do the game raisers prefer raising wild pigs to deer?
| A．It's difficult to raise deer. |
| B．Wild pigs are in large numbers. |
| C．Deer are not popular with hunters. |
| D．They can benefit more from wild pigs. |
Which is NOT the reason for the difficulty in controlling wild pigs?
| A．The difficulty of passing effective laws. |
| B．The high percentage of land owned privately. |
| C．The farmers' unwillingness to shoot wild pigs. |
| D．The popularity of raising wild pigs in many states. |
What is the best title of the text?
| A．Why are wild pigs so hard to control? |
| B．Are wild pigs pests or wild animals? |
| C．Wild pigs—an increasing danger in the US. |
| D．How to deal with the problem of wild pigs? |
The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato’s Closet in Chaelotte, NC is a private company, which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and graceful brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato’s closet targets teens and those in their 20s. Plato’s Closet , with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories(装饰品) that are currently popular at about one third the retail prices(零售价).
The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie &Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato’s Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s, 40s, and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like.
If you are selling
Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment(寄售),Plato’s Closet buys on the spot.
Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition.
Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center.
There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they’ll give you cash. More than that, you’ll get a Visa cash card.
Secondhand success
Don’t get discouraged if you can’t find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season.
Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying.
Price comparison
Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37
Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90.
Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89.
Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30.What is the difference between Plato’s Closet and other resale shops?
| A．They offer service for people of different ages. |
| B．The offerings in Plato’s Closet are more expensive. |
| C．Plato’s Closet only offers high-end brands for women. |
| D．Plato’s Closet also sells books to customers. |
Which of the following about Plato’s Closet is NOT true?
| A．Hollister and Abercrombie &Fitch are the two hottest brands in Plato’s Closet. |
| B．Women in their fifties can’t find proper clothes and accessories in Plato’s Closet. |
| C．Goods in Plato’s Closet are sold at 67 percent off retail prices or so. |
| D．Plato’s Closet targets teens and those in their 20s. |
In Plato’s Closet, which of the following is not accepted?
| A．Items you sell must be in very good condition. |
| B．You can negotiate with buyers about prices of goods. |
| C．The clothes you sell should be less than two years old. |
| D．You can sell your goods on the spot instead of on consignment. |
If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato’s Closet, you can save _______.
| A．57.9 dollars | B．15 dollars |
| C．77 dollars | D．25 dollars. |
A widow’s wish to hear her late husband’s voice again has pushed London’s Subway system to restore a 40-year-old recording of the subway’s famous “ Mind the gap” announcement.
The underground, or the tube, first opened in 1863, tracked down the voice recording by Oswald Lawrence after his widow, Margaret McCollum, told them what it meant to her.
McCollum, 65, said she used to frequently visit Embankment tube station or plan her journeys around the stop to listen to Lawrence’s voice, even before his death. She was taken aback in November when she noticed it had been replaced by a different voice.
“Lawrence was a drama school graduate when he auditioned (试音) for a tour company. For six years after his death, I’d stay on the platform—just sit and listen to it again,” she added.
When Margaret approached the tube, she was told it had a new broadcast system and it couldn’t use the old recording anymore.
Nigel Holness, director of London Underground, said its staff has been so moved by McCollum’s story that they dug up the recording and gave the widow a copy of the announcement on a CD for her to keep. “Tube staff is also working to restore Lawrence’s announcement at the station,” he added. “It is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The tube’s ‘Mind the gap’ messages, voiced by various actors, have accompanied countless London commuter journeys since the 1960s. Train drivers and staff made the warnings themselves before that.”
“I’m very pleased that people are interested in Oswald’s old recording,” Margaret said. “He was a great London transport user all his life .He would be amused, touched, and delighted to know he’s back where he belonged.”The best title for the passage is________.
| A．A Replaced Recording | B．Mind the Gap |
| C．A Widow’s Wish | D．The Tube’s Struggle |
The underlined phrase “ taken aback” means_________.
| A．disappointed | B．annoyed |
| C．excited | D．shocked |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The tube always uses recordings to remind passengers. |
| B．Oswald’s voice is great comfort to Margaret. |
| C．No recording can be equal to Oswald’s voice. |
| D．Oswald was an outstanding actor in London. |
I started to learn English when I was in elementary school. Together with my two friends, I had English classes with a private teacher. I lacked motivation and I learned very little. This stage was insignificant and could just as well have not happened at all.
I began to learn English in earnest when I went to high school. I was in the same class with Michael, but in different groups. I was in a group for students who were to learn English from scratch, and he was in a group for those who had already known some English. Very soon, my teacher noticed that my English was improving rapidly and he told me to join the group for the advanced learners. This was the worst thing that could have happened to me. My new teacher, who was Irish, didn’t speak Polish so I couldn’t understand her and I never knew what I was supposed to do. I was completely at a loss. My English didn’t improve at all. As a result, at the end of that year I was sent back to the group for beginners.
My stay with the advanced group made me realize what kind of learning strategies I should use in the future. I discovered that I cannot pick up a new language directly from foreigners. I started to learn hard again.
I translated into Polish all new words that appeared in my course-book. Before a test I would memorize dozens of words with their Polish equivalents (对等物). However, later I would never revise those words so I would soon forget most of them.
I knew that I should improve my learning techniques and I decided to ask for help those who had the best results in our class, that is Michael. That wasn’t easy because in the second grade, they seemed to look down on girls. So after a few attempts to approach them I decided to give up. For two years I learned English using the method described above. My English was improving but I was still forgetting new words. Finally, in the fourth grade I got closer to Michael, who started to show me how to learn English more efficiently, which was a breakthrough in the whole process of my learning English.
Michael encouraged me to read books in English with monolingual dictionaries. Several months later, I began to write e-mail messages in English.
I have been using these techniques for four years, and in my opinion, I have achieved pretty good results.Which of the author’s English learning experiences was not worthy of notice?
| A．In elementary school. |
| B．The first year in high school. |
| C．The second and third years in high school. |
| D．The fourth year in high school. |
Of the following experiences, which one made the greatest suffering to the author?
| A．She shared a private English teacher with his two friends. |
| B．She was moved to the advanced group in the first high school year. |
| C．She was sent back to the group for beginners. |
| D．She got Michael to help her in English. |
What did the author learn from her study in the advanced group?
| A．She could not learn a new language quite well. |
| B．Learning strategies are not important. |
| C．The Irish teacher is not suitable for her. |
| D．She had to ask for help those who had the best results in her class. |
What is the most important thing in the author’s process of English learning?
| A．Michael began to teach her an efficient way of learning English. |
| B．She tried to read books in English. |
| C．She tried to use monolingual dictionaries. |
| D．She tried to write e-mail messages in English. |
Disney has adapted a series of beloved animated films into its live-action（真人） movies, and that trend has not even begun to slow.
On Monday, the company announced that the newest movie to get the live-action treatment would be Mulan.
Based on the same Chinese legend as the 1998 animated movie, Mulan will follow in the footsteps of Cinderella, Maleficent, and several already-announced upcoming movies.
Since 2010, Disney has released three live-action adaptations of formerly animated movies: Alice In Wonderland, Maleficent, and Cinderella.
All three have proven to be financial successes, with Alice In Wonderland earning over $1 billion and Maleficent bringing in $758 million.
Even the most recent offering, Cinderella, has managed to earn over $330 million in its first three weeks of wide release.
Fans of live-action remakes will not have to wait for Mulan, since Disney has already planned four other adaptations to hit theatres first.
The Jungle Book is the next movie to get a live-action revival, planned for 2016。
A retelling of Beauty And The Beast - starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and Audra McDonald - will begin production in May, with an expected release date of March 17, 2017.
Surprisingly, the other Disney cartoon getting an adaptation is 1941's Dumbo, the story of a flying elephant.
Tim Burton signed on to direct that tricky movie on March 10.Mulan will get the live action treatment because__________
| A．it’s a famous Chinese legend. |
| B．it’s a trend to remake beloved animated films into live action ones |
| C．it earned over $330 million at the box office. |
| D．it’s better than Cinderella. |
Which of the following film has not been adapted into a live action movie?
| A．Dumbo | B．Cinderella |
| C．Alice In Wonderland | D．Maleficent |
Which of the following is the right order of time when the live action remakes come out?
a. Cinderellab. Beauty And The Beast
c. The Jungle Book d. Alice In Wonderland
| A．abcd | B．cdba | C．dacb | D．bdca |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The present situation of the film market. |
| B．The introduction of some famous animated films. |
| C．The live action remakes of some animated films. |
| D．An advertisement of an animated film Mulan. |