Who owns the large American companies that produce cars, washing machines, and television sets? They are owned by a large group of people called stockholders.
A company must have money to build factories and to buy machinery. To get this money, it sells shares of stock（股份）. Each share of stock is a share in the ownership of the company. The person who buys a share of stock becomes a part owner of the company. He is called a stockholder. A company can have thousands of stockholders. Sometimes a very large company is owned by millions of stockholders.
Few persons can afford to buy a whole company, but the average individual can become part owner of a business. He can save his dollars and buy a share of stock in a large company. A person does not have to be wealthy to be a stockholder.
When a company makes money, each stockholder may receive a dividend(股息) check, which is his share of the profits（利润）. Parts of a company’s profits are not paid out to the stockholders. This money is used by the company so it can grow larger. If the company does well, its shares of stock become more valuable.
More than 20 million people own shares of stock in America’s companies. By owning stock, they are helping America’s businesses grow. They are also putting their money to work to earn more money. The story makes you think that _____.
| A．a farmer is not allowed to buy the shares of stock |
| B．if a company does well, its shares of stock have no value |
| C．a person may own a part of the company that makes TV sets |
| D．the only people who can buy stocks are those who are wealthy |
A dividend is the stockholder’s share of the _____.
| A．company’s profits |
| B．company’s savings |
| C．company’s income |
| D．products made by the company |
Why do companies keep part of their profits?
| A．They want to buy the shares of stock, too. |
| B．They cannot find all the names of their stockholders. |
| C．They use the money to help the company grow larger. |
| D．They think they have sent their stockholders enough money. |
Pilling a cat can be a “terrible” experience. Cats don’t want something pushed down their throats, and they’ll fight with all their strength to prevent it. In fact, it’s amazing how powerful their small bodies can be.
The easiest way of pilling a cat is to press the pill into powder. Then mix the powder with a small amount of wet food. If your cat usually eats dry food, she will probably view the wet food as a treat and eat it up.
If your cat won’t eat the wet food that contains the pill or if she is too ill to eat, you can get a “pill gun”. There are some basic instructions. Getting your cat’s mouth to open is going to be the most difficult part. First, be sure the pill is in a handy place. Then you can put your cat on a bookshelf with her bottom in a corner or you can put her on your lap firmly tied. Have your cat facing to the right if you’re right-handed. With your left hand, hold your cat at the cheekbones, putting your palm at the top of her head. Keeping your finger off the trigger (扳机), with your right hand, insert the pill gun until the pill is positioned over the tongue and open throat. Be sure to give your cat a treat directly after giving the pill.
If you don’t feel comfortable using a pill gun, you can try giving the pill by hand. Push your cat’s head backwards just far enough so that her nose is pointing towards the ceiling. At this point, most cats will slightly open their mouths. With the little finger or ring finger of the hand holding the pill, open the bottom jaw a little more. You may need to hold her top jaw with your other hand while doing this. Aim straight and lightly throw the pill or drop it. Most cats will then swallow the pill.Pilling a cat can be a terrible experience because cats ______.
| A．are amazingly powerful and dangerous |
| B．may fight with all their strength against pills |
| C．refuse something pressed down their throats |
| D．are difficult to treat once they’ve got ill |
What can be inferred according to the second paragraph?
| A．Wet food with medicine is usually a treat to cats. |
| B．Cats used to dry food must reject wet food. |
| C．The easiest pilling is to press the pill into powder. |
| D．Cats are probably interested in something new. |
Using a “pill gun”, you had better hold your cat ______ if you’re left-handed.
| A．facing to the right | B．with your right hand |
| C．at the head | D．on your lap firmly |
A cat probably opens its mouth naturally when ______.
| A．its nose is straight upwards |
| B．it is touched by fingers |
| C．its head is turning around |
| D．it is served with its favorite pills |
These eco-inspired books get kids thinking about nature and environment.
How to Raise Monarch Butterflies
—By Carol Pasternak
Have you ever watched a monarch transform from a caterpillar （毛虫） to a butterfly from up close? In this book, learn everything about the monarch life cycle and how to raise monarchs from eggs to adult butterflies. You will also get to know the efforts involved to protect the species.
A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks
—By Erin McHugh
This year, the US National Park Service’s National Park Week is on April 21-29. During the week, all the national parks offer free admission. Enrich your knowledge with this book, as it introduces the national parks and some interesting places in the US, including their geography, specific animals as well as environmental challenges. The book’s featured places include Yosemite National Park, Ellis Island (home of the Statue of Liberty) and the National Park of American Samoa, the only U.S. national park south of the equator（赤道）.
Where Do you Recyclable Materials Go?
—By Sabbithry Persad
Tiana had been learning about recycling at school. But when her dog, Bubbles, gets lost running after a recycling truck, she ends up learning a lot more about recyclable materials than ever! Follow Tiana and her family as they search for Bubbles around town and at the Material Recovery Facility. Along the way, readers will learn a lot about recycling and how they can do their part in protecting the environment.
Scrap Kins Build-It Book Volume1
—By Brian Yanish
Meet the Scrap Kins. They are creative, friendly monster who live in a recycling center, known as Scrap City. They’ll show you how to turn junk into pretty cool things. Readers will learn how to create cute bags from old jeans, beautiful ships from milk boxes, and more. Remember that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!Why is the National Park of American Samoa special?
| A．There is a famous statue in it. |
| B．It lies south of the equator. |
| C．It has its specific animals. |
| D．It is free for admission. |
Which book is most probably written in the form of a story?
| A．How to Raise Monarch Butterflies |
| B．A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks |
| C．Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? |
| D．Scrap Kins Build-It Book Volume 1 |
The common goal of the four books is to _____.
| A．teach kids practical skills |
| B．comment on kids’ behavior |
| C．raise kids’ environment awareness |
| D．make kids interested in geography |
We all have our ways of marking time. As a photographer, my life is measured from one story to the next. My oldest son was born in the middle of a long story about the Endangered Species Act. My daughter came along with a pack of gray wolves.
Twenty stories later, though, it’s the story in Alaska that I’ll remember best. It was the story about the loss of wilderness—and the story during which my wife Kathy got cancer. That’s the one that made time stand still. I stopped taking pictures on the day when she found that tumor. Cruelly, it was Thanksgiving. By Christmas, she had become very weak. Some days she was so sick she couldn’t watch TV.
Early examination saves time. But ours was not early. By the time you can feel it yourself, it’s often bigger than the doctor want it to be.
Cancer is a thief. It steals time. Our days are already short with worry. Then comes this terrible disease, unfair as storm at harvest time. But cancer also has the power to change us, for good. We learn to simplify, enjoying what we have instead of feeling sorry for what we don’t. Cancer even made me a better father. My work had made me a stranger to my three kids. But now I pay attention to what really matters. This is not a race. This is a new way of life and new way of seeing, all from the cancer.
In the end each of us has so little time. We have less of it than we can possibly imagine. And even thought it turns out that Kathy’s cancer has not spread, and her prognosis(诊断) is good, we try to make it all count now, enjoying every part of every day.
I’ve picked up my camera again. I watch the sky, searching for beautiful light. When winter storms come, Kathy and I gather our children and take the time to catch snowflakes(雪花) on our tongues. After all, this is good. This is we’re living for.As a photographer, the author used to ______.
| A．leave his daughter with a pack of gray wolves. |
| B．express his love for his family in a special way. |
| C．miss a great many important historical moments. |
| D．devote much more to his career than his family. |
Why did the author decide to stop taking pictures?
| A．To cure his own disease. |
| B．To spend more time with his wife. |
| C．To seek a better position. |
| D．To leave the wildness alone. |
What is the biggest change the cancer has brought to the author?
| A．He treasured every bit of time with his family. |
| B．He has become a stranger to his children. |
| C．He takes his work more seriously. |
| D．He focuses more on medical care. |
The author and his family catch snowflakes on their tongues probably because______.
| A．the snowflakes taste very good. |
| B．snowflakes are what they feed on. |
| C．they regard that as a way to enjoy life. |
| D．there is beautiful light in the snowflakes. |
The Singapore Management University （SMU） MBA programme was launched with the aim to develop the next generation of business leaders in Asia．We seek candidates with certain conditions and qualities．
achievements and demonstrated （显示） leadership potential．Participants in current and past classes have an average of 5 -6 years of working experience．We are looking for candidates who can benefit from - and contribute to - our seminar style of teaching and who can successfully lead teams and organizations coming out the programme．The programme has a strict minimum work experience requirement of 2 years （more experience preferred）．Younger applicants can apply but must demonstrate outstanding leadership potential and maturity through their professional and personal experiences．
As our Full-time MBA and Part-time MBA are accelerated and strict, we are looking for candidates with strong academic certificates, as evidenced by their past academic performance．The GMAT is required as it gives us a base to compare candidates from diverse national, educational and professional backgrounds．While we have no minimum GMAT score, we consider candidates who have stronger than average marks in the verbal （语文） , quantitative （数学） and writing sections to be more competitive．We also require TOEFL or IELTS scores from those whose undergraduate or graduate degrees were not taught in English．
Our business school's aim is to train sharp minds who lead organizations and serve society．To this end, we look to build a dynamic and diverse student body who will actively contribute to the learning experience both inside and outside the classroom, and who desire to make a difference in their greater communities．We are also looking for candidates with strong interpersonal skills and an international outlook who can work in diverse groups, a necessary condition for being a leader in today's globalized world．What is the goal of the SMU MBA programme?
A．Training future business leaders．
B．Helping students to pass the GMA．
C．Developing quick-minded students．
D．Seeking students with high qualities．Which of the following is a must for a candidate?
| A．A graduate degree taught in English． |
| B．Demonstrated leadership． |
| C．At least 2 years of working experience． |
| D．Communicative ability． |
What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
| A．Professional experience． |
| B．Requirement of TOFL scores． |
| C．Academic competence． |
| D．Contribution to the community． |
The purpose of the passage is to _______．
| A．introduce the SMU MBA programme |
| B．attract more qualified students |
| C．explain the process of the application |
| D．present the qualification of the candidates |
Every creature has its own emotion. Our humans need emotions to process information we receive and decide how to respond． Fear is an emotion like others such as happiness，anger，hurt and sadness. Being afraid of fast cars，for example，is something that might protect us from harm. Being afraid of the consequence of a choice may prevent us getting into trouble．
Fears in young children commonly center on certain animals like snakes or big dogs. Fears are caused often because of experiences or ideas expressed by others，and at times，the media. Many normal fears during the early years，like men with beards，or large dogs，disappear with age. Those relating to personal failure and ridicule （嘲笑） remain through adulthood and may need special help to overcome．
Children’s fears are often small，but that doesn’t mean they should be dismissed as trivial （微不足道的）．They need to be recognized and accepted as real for that child. Only when we help children understand their fears can they grow normally in their ability to settle them．
Research shows that as a child grows up，the center of his fears changes a lot. Things like divorce，a teacher who “shouted at me”，people with guns，bullies，big boys，or “making fun of me” top the list of childhood fears.”
We cannot always prevent these experiences from happening，but it is essential that children be allowed to freely express their emotions without judgment. Sympathy and a caring listener will help ease pain of these fears. Read books and stories to your child about children who have experienced similar fears. This helps children talk about their fears and find ways to cope. With all emotions，fears become less of a problem for children as they gain selfconfidence and they find that fear is normal and can be dealt with．According to Paragraph 2，we know that fears in young children________．
| A．only center on frightening animals |
| B．can make sure of their safety |
| C．are not born but learned |
| D．need special help to deal with |
In dealing with children’s fears，the final goal of the parents is to________．
| A．stop unpleasant experiences happening to children |
| B．let children know about the nature of fear |
| C．develop children’s ability to treat their fears on their own |
| D．create an environment where there is nothing to fear |
From the passage we can learn that________．
| A．children with similar fears can communicate easily |
| B．children should avoid the media to reduce their fear |
| C．fears can be judged according to the environment |
| D．some childhood fears may have a lasting influence |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Children’s fears． |
| B．How to overcome children’s fears． |
| C．The kind of children’s fears． |
| D．The bad effects of fears． |