I have been teaching in the United States for three semesters. During this time, I have been very impressed with the hardworking American students. Tuition fee (学费) in American universities are pretty expensive. Most American students receive little, if any, financial support. As a result, they have to work hard to pay for their tuition and other basic expenses. Tertiary (高等) education is a necessity in today’s workforce. Young people with higher education are rewarded with a good career and better salary. So how do American students support themselves?
All my American students have to work to pay for their tuition. For this reason, most universities provide limited jobs for students who need economic help. They also help students search for jobs in the community. I have been touched to see some students are so worn out from their jobs that they doze in my classroom. In addition to taking part-time jobs, students are also expected to take part in various social and sporting activities and, in fact, those who do not take part in are often looked down upon by their peers.
A number of American university students are married with families, or are single parents. These students are faced with the additional burden of raising a family. They have to spend much time, money and energy caring for their children and family. Most American university professors are strict. They test students on every unit in their course, in addition to mid-term and final exams in each semester. A lack of preparation by students may result in their failure. This means the loss of a lot of money and possibly future employment opportunities for these students. For this reason, many American students will study or stay up all night before an exam, in an effort to pass.
In contrast, Chinese students have a much easier time, because most Chinese parents pay for their kids’ tertiary education. Moreover, Chinese students do not need to worry about raising children or maintaining a family. So, Chinese students have no reason for not studying hard and achieving good marks.Which of the following is not the difficulty American students have to face?
| A．They have to work hard to pay for the high tuition fee. |
| B．Many American students have a burden of a family. |
| C．They need a better education to get a best job. |
| D．They have to pass strict tests to complete their education. |
Which of the following statement is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．American students have no time to think of physical exercise. |
| B．Sporting activities are popular among American students. |
| C．American students should take part in various social activities. |
| D．Those who don’t participate in social and sporting activities are usually unpopular with their peers. |
Compared with American students, Chinese university students __________.
| A．have no difficulty in raising a family |
| B．live an easy life in universities |
| C．don’t have to take full-time jobs |
| D．have more duty to make greater progress |
This passage mainly deals with __________.
| A．part-time jobs chosen by American students |
| B．the high fees of American universities |
| C．difficult lives American students have to face |
| D．different opinions on American universities |
Shanghai-More Shanghai people are renting cars to travel over the coming National Day holiday, Tom reported today.
Most cars in large local car-rental companies such as Yongda, Anji and Dazhong are leased（出租）so far with the Buick Sport Utility Vehichle (SUV) in high demand.
Santana and Jetta were previously the most popular car models rented by Shanghai people for travel, while the high-end Buick models have generated great interest among locals renting cars these years. However, the rent on a Buick GL or GS model is between 650 yuan and 750 yuan a day, nearly double those of the Santana and Jetta cars.
Compared with Santana, Buick looks better, has greater capabilities and is safer and more comfortable, said a car leaser. “I don’t mind paying a higher cost for a Buick to enjoy the holiday,” he said.
SUV cars are very popular in the car renting market, according to some car rental firms.
“All the 31 Buick GL8SUV cars were leased out several days ago,” said an employee with the Shanghai Yongda Car Rental Co.
Local people are more inclined (倾向于) to go travel with groups of friends, so SUV cars are a better choice, said an industry analyst (分析家). Moreover, SUV car are safer on rugged and rough roads, the analyst said.
According to the data, most people rented cars for seven days; a less number rented them for two or three days.What’s the best title for the passage ?
| A．How Shanghai People Spend Their Holidays |
| B．Why So Many Shanghai People Rented Cars for Holidays |
| C．More Shanghai Rent Cars for Holidays |
| D．Shanghai Rent SUV Instead of Santana and Jetta |
According to the passage we can see SUV is ________.
| A．the name of a car-rental company | B． the name of an expensive car |
| C．the name of an ordinary car | D． the place for the holiday |
At present for how much money can you rent a Santana or Jetta for a day ?
| A．Between 650 yuan and 750 yuan. | B． Between 350 yuan and 380 yuan. |
| C． About 450 yuan. | D． Less than 300 yuan. |
Why do many people choose SUV cars for their holidays ?
| A．Because they are cheaper. |
| B．Because they are convenient on rugged and rough roads. |
| C．Only because they can run on bugged and tough roads. |
| D．Because no Santana and Jetta can be rented now. |
The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West. What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Difficulties of Learning English | B．International Communications |
| C．The Standard Varieties of English | D．English as a World Language |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English. |
| B．There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world. |
| C．It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English. |
| D．People learn English for a variety of reasons. |
According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?
| A．It was popular during Shakespeare’s time. | B．It is used in former British colonies. |
| C．It serves the needs of its native speakers. | |
| D．It is a world language that is used for international communication. |
What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?
| A．The ability to read a newspaper. | |
| B．It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation. | |
| C．Being able to speak several languages. | D．Being a native speaker. |
What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?
| A．Those geographically close to the United States. |
| B．Those interested in the culture of the United States. |
| C．Former colonies of Great Britain. |
| D．Countries where international conferences are held. |
Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one’s own.
Then, in the country one can rest from the noise and hurry of the town. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the country. If one likes gardens, one can spend one’s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight’s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．People who like country things prefer to live outside the city. |
| B．People who work in London prefer to live in the country. |
| C．Because of certain disadvantages of living outside London, some people who work in London prefer to live inside London. |
| D．Because of certain advantages of living outside London, many people who work in London prefer to live outside London. |
One can use the same money for ________ to buy a little house with a garden in the country.
| A．getting a small flat with a garden | B．having a small flat with a garden |
| C．renting a small flat without a garden | D．buying a small flat without a garden |
When the flowers and vegetables in the garden come up, those _______ have the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
| A．who live in the country |
| B．who have spent time working in the garden |
| C．who have a garden of their own |
| D．who have been digging, planting and watering |
People who think happiness lies in the town would feel that _______ if they had to live it outside London.
| A．their life was meaningless | B．their life was invaluable |
| C．they didn’t deserve a happy life | D．they were not worthy of their happy life |
The underlined word rest in the last paragraph refers to ________.
| A．the rest time | B．the rest people |
| C．the rest of the country | D．the rest of the parks and of the sea |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew(摄影组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach. One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.
| A．to film a scene on the sea | B．to find an actor and an actress |
| C．to watch a beautiful sunset | D．to meet the audience |
Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
| A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset. |
| B．Because he was angry with his crew. |
| C．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset. |
| D．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion. |
The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands ______.
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice. |
| B．If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go. |
| C．The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day. |
| D．The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”. |
In many cultures white is often associated with something positive. A white-collar job, for instance, is the kind of job many people look for, working with your brain and not your hands.
White has a clean and pure image. That is why doctors, dentists, and nurses usually wear white uniforms. Babies are dressed in white at baptisms（洗礼）and brides wear white wedding gowns at weddings. White in these cases is the symbol of innocence or purity.
Sometimes white is used in expressions that are not good. “Whitewash” is one such expression. At first, “whitewash” meant to paint over something with white paint to make it look better. However, it means something different today: to hide or to cover up mistakes or failures.
A “white elephant” is another example of white used in a negative way. In ancient Thailand, a white elephant was regarded as a sacred animal, but it was very expensive to keep. The kings of those days presented a white elephant to the people they wanted to ruin. Once they received this holy, royal animal as a gift, they were not allowed to sell or kill it. Today, a “white elephant” means something that is big, useless, and unwanted. In America, when people want to get rid of their furniture or clothes, they often have a “white elephant sale”.The text is mainly about________.
| A．the meanings of white in English culture |
| B．the history of some English idioms |
| C．some interesting customs in English culture |
| D．some useful English words and expressions |
Which expression has an historical background?
| A．White-wash. | B．White-collar. |
| C．White elephant. | D．White elephant sale. |
In which statement does “white” have a negative meaning?
| A．A boy is dressed in white at baptisms. |
| B．A bride wears a white wedding gown. |
| C．A man whitewashes his crime. |
| D．A girl finds a white collar job. |
From the text we can learn that _______.
| A．a white-elephant sale is useful to the poor |
| B．the white color is important in our daily life |
| C．a white-collar job used to be easy to get |
| D．expressions with white have different meanings |
The author develops the text mainly by ______.
| A．analyzing its cause and effect |
| B．providing typical examples |
| C．comparing different ideas |
| D．following the time order |