Nowadays, the increase in the prices of agricultural products is one of the greatest concerns of the people and the government. The government has announced a series of policies(政策) to prevent the prices from rising further. Rising housing prices is still a big concern for the people, but since farm products are needed every day, the increase in their prices has made life very difficult for them.
Many people may think the increase will help farmers. But have higher prices of farm products really benefited the farmers?
Take the increase in vegetable prices in the first half of this year for example. Though natural disasters such as droughts and spring frost did not cause the prices of farm products to increase greatly—in fact, prices of some products did not increase at all—vegetables have become dearer by as much as 20 percent compared to that of last year. This means only a small part (or even none) of the extra money that city people have paid to buy farm products has gone to the farmers. The extra cost actually has gone to middlemen.
As the fact shows, just increasing prices of farm products will have negative influence on the entire economy. On one hand, the price increase has created some abnormal phenomena, which hurts farmers’ interests. On the other hand, resources will enter the agriculture because of the high price of farm products, which would finally create negative effect on the whole economy.
In such a case, it would be better to leave the market to decide the prices instead of raising farm products’ prices to protect the interests of farmers. Actually, such a way will be better for farmers in the long run. What does the author mainly want to tell us by writing the passage?
| A．Farmers benefit a lot from the price increase. |
| B．Price increase has not helped farmers. |
| C．We should be sorry for farmers. |
| D．Price increase has a bad effect on economy. |
Many people think the increase in the prices of farm products benefits ______ .
| A． nobody | B．the country | C．middlemen | D．farmers |
The following statements are true EXCEPT ______ .
| A．the government has done something to prevent the prices from rising further |
| B．it is better for farmers to leave the market to decide the prices in the long run |
| C．natural disasters did not cause the prices of farm products to increase greatly |
| D．rising housing prices has made life very difficult for people |
What is probably the author’s attitude to raising the farm products’ prices?
| A．Negative. | B．Indifferent.(漠不关心的) |
| C．Enthusiastic. | D．Positive. |
Joe came to New York from the Middle West, dreaming about painting. Delia came to New York from the South, dreaming about music. Joe and Delia met in a studio. Before long they were good friends and got married.
They had only a small flat to live in, but they were happy. They loved each other, and they were both interested in art. Everything was fine until one day they found they had spent all their money.
Delia decided to give music lessons. One afternoon she said to her husband:
“Joe, , I’ve found a pupil, a general’s daughter. She is a sweet girl. I’m to give three lessons a week and get $5 a lesson.”
But Joe was not glad.
“But how about me?” he said.” Do you think I’m going to watch you work while I play with my art? No, I want to earn some money too.”
“Joe, , you are silly,” said Delia. “You must keep at your studies. We can live quite happily on $15 a week.”
“Well, perhaps I can sell some of my pictures,” said Joe.
Every day they parted in the morning and met in the evening. A week passed and Delia brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little tired.
“Clementina sometimes gets on my nerves. I’m afraid she doesn’t practice enough. But the general is the nicest old man! I wish you could know him, Joe.”
And then Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket.
“I’ve sold one of my pictures to a man from Peoria,” he said, “and he has ordered another.”
“I’m so glad,” said Delia. “Thirty-three dollars! We never had so much to spend before. We’ll have a good supper tonight.”
Next week Joe came home and put another eighteen dollars on the table. In half an hour Delia came, her right hand in a bandage.
“What’s the matter with your hand?” said Joe. Delia laughed and said:
“Oh, a funny thing happened! Clemantina gave me a plate of soup and spilled some of it on my hand. She was very sorry for it. And so was the old general. But why are you looking at me like that, Joe?”
“What time this afternoon did you burn your hand, Delia?”
“Five o’clock, I think. The iron-I mean the soup-was ready about five, Why?”
“Delia, come and sit here,” said Joe. He drew her to the couch and sat beside her.
“What do you do every day, Delia? Do you really give music lesson? Tell me the truth.”
She began to cry.
“I couldn’t get any pupils,” she said, “So I got a place in a laundry ironing shirts. This afternoon a girl accidentally set down an iron on my hand and I got a bad burn. But tell me, Joe, how did you guess that I wasn’t giving music lessons?”
“It’s very simple,” said Joe. “I knew all about your bandages because I had to send them upstairs to a girl in the laundry who had an accident with a hot iron. You see, I work in the engine-room of the same laundry where you work.”
“And your pictures? Did you sell any to that man from Peoria?”
“Well, your general with his Clemantina is an invention, and so is my man from Peoria.”
And then they both laughed. To support the family, Delia worked as .
| A．a tutor | B．a music teacher | C．a laundry assistant | D．an artist |
It happened that .
| A．a man from Peoria liked Joe’s pictures | B．Delia earned $15 dollars a week easily |
| C．Clemantina and the general were kind | D．the couple worked at the same laundry |
Who hurt Delia’s hand?
| A．The general | B．Clemantina | C．A girl | D．Herself |
We can infer from the underlined sentence that .
| A．Clemantina was an invention of the general |
| B．Clemantina was an invention of the man from Peoria |
| C．the general, Clemantina and the man from Peoria were the couple’s clients |
| D．there were no such men as the general, Clemantina and the man from Peoria |
The couple’s attitude towards each other is .
| A．honest | B．faithful | C．ashamed | D．heartbreaking |
The porter brings your bags to your room and helpfully explains all you want to know. Then he points to the phone and says, “If there's anything else you need, just call.” All this time you have been thinking one thing, “How much should I tip(付小费) him?” To make your next trip a little easier, here's a guide to tipping across some Asian countries.
Bangkok
In general, the more Westernized the place is, the more likely you will be expected to leave a tip. Some top-end restaurants will add a 10% service charge to the bill. If not, waiters will appreciate you tacking on(附加) the 10% yourself. However, if you're eating at a lower-end(低档的) restaurant a tip is not necessary. If you're staying at one of Bangkok's many five-star hotels, expect to tip the porter 20 to 50 baht(泰国货币单位), depending on how many bags you have. Taxis are now metered in Bangkok. Local custom is to round the fare(车费) up to the nearest five baht.
Hong Kong
Tipping is customary in this money-mad metropolis(大都市). Most restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill, but the extra money often ends up in the pocket of the owner. If the service is good, add another 10% to the bill, up to HK $100 in an especially nice restaurant. For HK $10 hotel porters should do it at all but the nicest hotels where a new HK $20 bill may be more acceptable. When in a taxi, round up(凑整数) to the nearest dollar.
Kuala Lumpur
Tipping in Malaysia is limited to the expensive Westernized hotels, which often add a 10% service charge to your meal or hotel room. If you are at a hotel restaurant, expect a 10% service charge. But at local restaurants, there's no need to add a tip. At five-star hotels, one or two ringgit(马来西亚货币单位) will content a porter. At lower-end buildings don't feel you have to tip. Like Bangkok, many taxis are now metered so you can just round up to the nearest ringgit.
Seoul
Tipping is not part of Korean culture, although it has become a matter of course in international hotels where a 10% service charge is often added. If you're at a Korean barbecue joint(烧烤处), there's no need to add anything extra. But a nice Italian restaurant may require a 10% contribution. If you're at a top-end hotel, so expect to pay 500～1 000 won per bag. Taxi drivers don't accept a tip. Keep the change for yourself.In which of the following cities is it unnecessary to tip the taxi-drivers?
| A．Bangkok. | B．Hong Kong. | C．Seoul.. | D．Kuala Lumpur |
Which of the following is NOT the unit of money?
| A．Baht | B．Charge. | C．Won. | D．Ringgit. |
From the text, we can infer tipping comes from _______.
| A．the west | B．Hong Kong | C．Asian countries | D．Bangkok |
If you stay at a five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur, how much will you pay the porter at least?
| A．one ringgit. | B．10% of service charge | C．half a ringgit. | D．two ringgit. |
The writer seems _______.
| A．to give the readers some advice on how to tip | B．to tell the readers how to travel |
| C．to ask the readers to go on a travel to Asian cities | D．to make the trip more pleasant |
Son’s Help
Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was hardly sent away. After he came out of lockup(拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Lang didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his five-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”Mr. Lang was paid much because _______.
| A．he was a driver | B．he worked in a factory |
| C．he had worked there for a long time | D．he had a lot of work to do |
Mrs. Lang did all housework because _______.
| A．she thought her husband was tired | B．she couldn’t find any work |
| C．her husband spent all time in gambling | D．she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling |
_______, so he was put into lockup.
| A．Mr. Lang was late for work | B．Mr. Lang often gambled |
| C．Mr. Lang didn’t help his wife at home | D．Mr. Lang wasn’t polite to the police |
The woman had to leave Mr. Lang because _______.
| A．he wouldn’t stop gambling | B．he didn’t love her any longer |
| C．he had been put into lockup | D．he was hardly sent away by the factory |
Which of the following is right?
| A．The boy thought his father needed some policemen |
| B．The boy hoped his father to be put into lockup again. |
| C．The boy hoped his father to stop gambling soon. |
| D．The boy hoped his mother to come back. |
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end with commercials thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. "Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.” Drink Good Wet Root Beer.” Fill up with Pacific Gas.” Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!"
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless （鲁莽的） or daring, the ride can be as thrilling （惊心动魄的） as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left hand lane? After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the armrests even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at no more ways to sit.According to the passage, what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip?
| A．Advertisements on the billboards. | B．Films on television. |
| C．Buses on the road. | D．Gas stations. |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To explain how bus trips and television shows differ. |
| B．To persuade you to take a long bus trip. |
| C．To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips |
| D．To describe the billboards along the road. |
The writer of this passage would probably favor .
| A．bus drivers who aren’t reckless | B．driving alone |
| C．no billboards along the road | D．a television set on the bus |
The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because .
| A．they both have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with commercials in between |
| B．the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun |
| C．the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses |
| D．both traveling and watching TV are not exciting. |
The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are .
| A．comfortable | B．exciting | C．tiring | D．boring |
They may be just passing your office, computer bag slung (悬挂) over one shoulder. Or they may be sitting in a car outside it, causally tapping away at a laptop. They look like innocent passers-by. In fact, they are stealing your corporate secrets.
Drive-by hacking is the trendy term given to the practice of breaking into wireless computer networks from outside the buildings that house them. A recent study in the UK, sponsored by RSA Data Security, found that two-thirds of organizations with wireless networks were risking their data in this way. Security experts patrolled (巡逻) several streets in the City of London seeking evidence of wireless networks in operation.
Of 124 that they identified, 83 were sending data without encrypting（加密）them. Such data could readily be picked up by a passer-by armed only with a portable computer, a wireless modem and a few pieces of software that can be freely downloaded from the Internet.
The data could include sensitive company documents containing valuable information. Or they could be e-mail identities and passwords that could be used by hackers to log into corporate networks as if they were legal users.
Most companies using wireless networking technology do not take even the simplest of measures to protect their data. Nearly all wireless network technology comes with some basic security features that need only to be activated (激活) in order to give a minimum level of security, for example, by encrypting the data being passed over the network.
Raymon Kruck, business development manager at Check Point Software, a security technology specialist, believes this could be partly a psychological problem. People see the solid walls of their building as safeguards and forget that wireless networks can extend up to 200 meters beyond physical walls.
Companies without any security at all on their wireless networks make it ridiculously easy for hackers to break in. Switching on the security that comes with the network technology should be automatic. Then there are other basic steps a company can take, says Mr. Kruck, such as changing the passwords on the network from the default (默认) setting.
Companies can also install firewalls, which form a barrier between the internal network and the public Internet. They should also check their computer records regularly to spot any abnormal activity, which might betray the presence of a hacker.According to the study sponsored by RSA Data Security, two thirds of the subjects _______.
| A．had most of their company data stolen |
| B．depended on wireless computer networks |
| C．were exposed to drive-by hacking |
| D．were unaware of the risk of wireless hacking |
Whichof the following is NOT considered in the study?
| A．The number of computer hacking incidents. |
| B．The number of wireless computer networks identified. |
| C．The way in which data are sent and received. |
| D．The way in which data are hacked and stolen. |
Most wireless network technology has_________.
| A．data encryption program | B．password security programs |
| C．illegal-user detection | D．firewall |
Raymond Kruck most probably agrees that wireless network security involves ________.
| A．wireless signal administration | B．changes in user’s awareness |
| C．users’ psychological health | D．stronger physical walls |
The passage is most likely to be seen in a __________
| A．book review | B．science fiction | C．textbook | D．computer magazine |