President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to a very important truth today — that business organizations have more prestige (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions still possess this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the idea of competition than other organizations in society. Since competition is seen as the main source of progress and development by most Americans, competitive business organizations are respected. Competition is not only good in itself; it is the means by which other basic American values, such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the individual freedom by making sure that there is no monopoly (垄断) of power. Compared with one and all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for benefit. If one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to the competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Since there are many businesses competing for the customers’ dollars, they cannot afford to treat them unfairly and the customers would lose nothing.A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it gives more support for freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people while business leaders are not. Many Americans believe that competition is as important, or even more important, as democracy in protecting freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the idea of equal opportunities. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to any person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American choice of the higher social position which is not based on one’s family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equal opportunities.Which of the following is discussed as the main topic in the passage?
| A．Competition in America’s business. | B．Freedom in America’s business. |
| C．Americans’ different values. | D．Business against government. |
Americans believe that they can realize their personal values ______.
| A．when given equal opportunities |
| B．through doing business |
| C．by protecting their individual freedom |
| D．by means of competition |
Who can benefit from business competition?
| A．Businessmen who compete. |
| B．Customers of those businesses. |
| C．People with the idea of equality and freedom. |
| D．Both business organizations and government. |
It could be inferred from the passage that the author believes ______.
| A．business in other countries are not as competitive as those in the USA |
| B．business problems are very important to the American government |
| C．the competition in business plays a very important role in America |
| D．American business is the most powerful one in the whole world |
BEIJING - By the end of 2011 China-made supercomputers will say goodbye to foreign microchips（微芯片） and start using their own "Chinese core(核心)", according to one of the country's leading scientists, Hu Weiwu.
Hu told reporters on Saturday that the "Dawning 6000" supercomputer, developed by the Institute of Computing Technology of CAS and the Dawning Information Industry Company (DIIC), will adopt Loongson microchips for the first time as its core parts. It will have a computing speed of more than 1,000 trillion operations a second.
Making supercomputers with Chinese microchips is one of the nation's major science and technology projects. Three organizations - the Institute of Computing Technology of CAS, Jiangnan Institute of Computing Technology and the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) - have their own supercomputer projects.
According to their schedules, all three institutions will need to meet the target of using domestically（国内的） developed microchips by the end of this year. Hu said the new supercomputer will use fewer than 10,000 Loongson microchips, and will also be more energy-efficient.
Tianhe-1A, developed by NUDT in Hunan's provincial capital Changsha, is the fastest supercomputer in the world. However, Tianhe-1A largely runs on 14,336 CPUs made by Intel, and 7,186 GPUs (processing units) from Nvidia, two US chip-makers.
Hu said there will be difficulties ahead as there is little affiliated equipment specially developed for these supercomputers. "We have enough supercomputers in China but still can't make full use of them," He said.
Hu added that although the China-made CPUs have improved since they were first produced in 2002, they have a long way to go to compete with US chip-makers such as Intel.What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．The Arrival of Chinese Supercomputers |
| B．Homemade CPUs with a Long Way to Go |
| C．The Supercomputers of Three Organizations in China |
| D．Homemade CPUs on the Way for Local Supercomputers |
What will raise the speed to more than 1,000 trillion operations a second.?
| A．Dawning 6000 | B．Loongson microchips |
| C．DIIC | D．Tianhe-1A |
What do we know about Tianhe-1A?
A. Not all the parts of Tianhe-1A are made by China.
B. Tianhe-1A is developed by CAS and DIIC.
C. Tianhe-1A will use fewer than 10,000 Loongson microchips.
D. NUDT has produced a most powerful supercomputer in China.The underlined word “affiliated” can be replaced by_______.
| A．cheap | B．suitable | C．expensive | D．modern |
Cruising(乘船游览) with children has never been more
Cruising, with free parking, has never been more popular with families with children. It is an ideal family holiday - once you are on board the kids will have so much to do you may not see them at all!
With fantastic children’s clubs and a play area for under 2 years old, to circus skills school on top deck, Rock School, where teens can play guitar, and Noddy and Mr. Bump from the Mr. Men Show are regular visitors. With superliners created with enjoyment and comfort in mind why not take the stress out of your next family holiday.
Sail from UK in 2011 with free parking
Sailing from Southampton has never been better value with free parking on selected sailings, saving you up to an extra £200 off your holiday. Why not sail from Southampton in 2011 to a great range of classic and impressive destinations.
The sales continues more benefits added
The P&O Cruises sale has been extended! Book before 28th February and you can save up to £2,500 and receive up to £960 free onboard spend PLUS, you can now receive free car parking on selected sailings. Do as much or as little as you desire, with P&O – you make all the choices!
Get more from your holidays—free hotel stays
Looking for something a bit different? Why not try a cruise with a pre- or post-cruise stay. Spend a day or two in fantastic cities. Tour the St Peters Basilica in Rome, wander around Sagrada Família in Barcelona or wander the beach front of Miami. Best of all, this won’t cost you a penny!This passage is probably from________.
| A．a magazine | B．a report | C．the Internet | D．a travel book |
From the first advertisement we may reach a conclusion____.
| A．once you are on board the kids will leave you. |
| B．You can even take a one-year-old baby aboard. |
| C．There are two middle schools on top deck. |
| D．You’ll surely see Mr. Bump from the Mr. Men Show. |
What benefits can you get if you book before 28thFebruary?
| A．Money saved up to £ 250. | B．Some free onboard spend. |
| C．Free car parking. | D．A meeting with Noddy. |
Which of the following does NOT provide free parking?
| A．Cruising with children | B．Sailing from Southampton |
| C．P&O Cruises | D．Free hotel stays |
American colleges and universities consider a number of things about a student who wants to be admitted. Experts say the most important thing is the students’ high school record. Besides, student's interests and activities may also play a part in getting accepted. But in most cases another consideration is how well the student did on college entrance exams. Here we’d like to discuss two of these tests: the SAT and the ACT. Most American schools accept either one.
The SAT measures reasoning skills in mathematics and language. Students have almost four hours to complete the SAT. The newest part is an essay. Students have twenty-five minutes to write an answer to a question.
The SAT costs 41.5$. Besides, the international processing charge is 22$ more. And test-takers in India and Pakistan must also pay a 21.5 $ security charge.
Students may also need to take SAT subject tests in areas like history, science and foreign language. Subject tests cost eighteen dollars each.
The ACT is an achievement test. It is designed to measure what a student has learned in school. Students are tested in mathematics, English, reading and science. A writing test is offered but not required. Without it, the ACT takes about three hours to complete. The essay part adds thirty minutes.
The ACT costs forty-nine dollars to take outside the United States. The writing test costs an additional fourteen dollars. What’s most important in students’ admission to American colleges and universities?
| A．High school record |
| B．Interests and activities |
| C．Performances in SAT and ACT |
| D．Skills in mathematics and language |
If a student from Pakistan wants to take the SAT, how much should he pay at least?
| A．21.5 dollars | B．63 dollars | C．85 dollars | D．43.5 dollars |
Which of the statement is true according to the text?
| A．It usually takes about three hours to complete the SAT. |
| B．There are only two ways for students to enter a college or a university. |
| C．The ACT measures mathematics, English, reading and science. |
| D．The two tests are specially designed for students outside America. |
What might be the best title of this passage?
| A．College Entrance Exams in America |
| B．The Way to America Colleges |
| C．The Cost of American Colleges |
| D．Important Things in College Entrance |
Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father came to America from Kenya, which is a country in Africa. His parents, Ann and Barack, met when they were students at the University of Hawaii. Since Barack had the same name as his father, young Barack went by the nickname “Barry”.
In 1979, after he finished high school, Barry went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. There, he started to learn about his African roots and decided to use his African name, Barack. After two years in L.A., he went to Columbia University in New York City to study politics.
After college, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked to help poor people in his city. He traveled to Africa to meet his grandmother and cousins for the first time. He went back many times over the years to visit with his family and learn about where he came from. At work, he met a lawyer named Michelle Robinson. They worked together in a big law firm. Then he left Chicago to go to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did very well in law school.
After he was done with school, Barack moved back to Chicago and in 1992 he married Michelle. He worked as a lawyer, devoted to helping poor people for free who had been treated unfairly. He worked hard to get the people he helped to vote(投票).
He made many people believe that their votes were important, and helped them feel like they could make a difference.Barack Obama’s father was probably born in _________.
| A．Hawaii | B．California | C．Illinois | D．Kenya |
Which of the following is the right order according to the text?
①Getting married to Michelle.
②Travelling to Africa to meet his grandmother
③Going to Harvard Law School
④Going to Columbia University
⑤Working in a big law firm.
| A．④②⑤③① | B．④③②⑤① | C．③④①⑤② | D．②①⑤④③ |
How did Obama get people to vote?
| A．By cheating them to do so. |
| B．By making a difference to people. |
| C．By showing them the importance of their votes. |
| D．By helping poor people who treat others unfairly. |
According to the text, which of the following words can best describe Barack Obama?
| A．Humorous | B．Polite | C．Brave | D．Kind-hearted |
I have nothing to say about whether or not “A Day Without Immigrants(移民)” had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of “A Day Without” as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public consciousness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
“A Day Without Speeding.” How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
“A Day Without Losing Your Temper.” A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but bursting into anger usually has nothing to do with the approach to the heart of the matter.
“A Day Without Having All The Answers.” I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, “Here’s what you’re doing wrong.” Right now the US is packed with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it in a moment. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a national pause? Would it be a day of reaction against anger, or joyful celebrations?The first paragraph suggests ________.
| A．the writer is against “A Day Without Immigrants” |
| B．immigrants are not equally treated by the US government |
| C．the immigrants issue is so complex that the author has to refer to others |
| D．some move to America without the permission of the US government |
The author uses his “top three examples” to________.
| A．criticize the undocumented illegal immigrants in America |
| B．show public consciousness of some subjects could be raised |
| C．encourage common people to create more similar activities |
| D．indicate some bothering issues affecting people’s daily life |
According to the author, losing one’s temper is ________.
| A．unpleasant | B．pointless | C．relaxing | D．personal |
The writer suggests “a day without having all the answers”, because ________.
| A．he thinks the Americans are too proud |
| B．he wants to have a chance to speak his mind |
| C．he expects others to keep quiet and calm |
| D．he hopes to get a break from the problems |