HowtohavefuninChicagowithoutsp-优题课

Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.
Many roads and places in Singapore are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries ---- in both the West and the East.
Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus ---- obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.
Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay（马来语）. Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.
A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent（月牙） because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.
We learn from Paragraph 1 that _____.

A．the government is usually the first to name a place

B．a ceremony will be held when a place is named

C．many places tend to have more than one name

D．people prefer the place names given by the government

What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Change suddenly.	B．Change significantly.
C．Disappear mysteriously.	D．Disappear very slowly.

Which of the following places is named after a person?

A．Raffles Place.	B．Selector Airbase.
C．Piccadilly Circus.	D．Paya Lebar Crescent.

Bras Basah Road is named _______.

A．after a person

B．after an activity

C．after a place

D．by its shape

Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
　　Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
　　There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.
　　When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
　　One of the teenagers has said something about it, “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”
In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.

A．don’t work well together	B．teach each other new ways of building houses
C．are friendly to each other	D．spend eight weeks together, working as farmers

All the members work some time every day mainly to________.

A．lead a busy life	B．find useful things and pleasure in work
C．get used to the life on the farms	D．learn new skills of farming

Living together,________.

A．the teenagers don’t have to obey the rules

B．the members have to obey the regulations the adults make

C．the members have no free time but on weekends

D．the members should not break the regulations they make together

The best title for the passage is________.

A．The Rules of Living Together	B．Teenagers and Adults Together
C．Life in New York State	D．Free Hours in the Special Work Group

A growing number of consumers, especially young people , are adopting more Western habits when it comes to spending money—by favoring credit cards over savings.
A survey of 11,500 people in 18 cities by The Nielson Company found the credit card market had witnessed a major change in recent years.
“Today’s consumer is clearly not interested in saving for a rainy day, as may have been the case in the past,” Bega Ng, director of financial services research with the company said. “Consumers have been adopting Western habits and attitudes in almost every way—including saving and spending habits. Consumers in their 20s spend tomorrow’s cash to fund today’s needs.”
The report found consumers aged 18 to 24 were the most eager credit card users.
Although the report did not give the amounts credit card users in each of the 18 cities spent, it mentioned the example of Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian Province, where consumers put an average of 50 percent of their monthly incomes into their credit card accounts to indulge(沉湎于) in cashless shopping.
Included in the survey for the first time, Xiamen is reported to have a fast growing penetration rate(渗透率) for credit cards, with four out of ten consumers now owning at least one card. With more than half of cardholders in Xiamen owning two or more cards, it is catching up with key “tier one” cities, the report said. The report did not make known the figures in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Last year, the same Nielson survey showed Shanghai had the biggest population of credit card holders, with citizens owning 1.8 credit cards on average. Half of them use credit cards at least once a week, the survey said.
Yunfei, 30, from Beijing, said she spent at least 2,000 yuan a month by credit cards, most of which went on daily necessities and dining out.
Which of the following best shows the young urbanites’ idea of consumption?

A．Using credit cards in every way.

B．Spending tomorrow’s cash for today’s needs.

C．Owning more cards for cashless shopping.

D．Saving money for future use.

How is the situation of credit card use in Xjamen?

A．Forty percent of the consumers own at least one card.

B．Credit card users use up most of their monthly income.

C．The number of credit card users is larger than that in Guangzhou.

D．Over half of the consumers use two or more cards.

Which city had the largest number of credit card users according to a previous survey?

A．Xiamen.

B．Beijing.

C．Shanghai.

D．Guangzhou.

What is the main idea of the survey reported by Nielson Company?

A．Most credit card users are young people aged 18 to 24.

B．Western habits have a big influence on the Chinese people.

C．The number of credit card users is growing rapidly in Chinese cities.

D．Chinese consumers are no more interested in saving money.

New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk（收缩）. It’s now a “global village” where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communication’s equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic(国内的) business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive(行政的) ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind.” He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company’s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superior will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common.
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn’t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate(候选人) the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s principal language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients(客户) over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm.
What is the author’s attitude toward high-tech communications equipment?

A．Critical.

B．Indifferent.

C．Negative.

D．Positive.

With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, business people_________.

A．have to get familiar with modern technology

B．are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations

C．are placing more importance on their overseas business

D．are eager to work overseas

In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind” (Para. 3) probably means _________.

A．being unable to think properly for lack of insight

B．being totally out of touch with business at home

C．missing opportunities for promotion when abroad

D．leaving all care and worry behind

According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?

A．Connections with businesses overseas.	B．Ability to speak the client’s language.
C．Technical know-how.	D．Business experience.

Do you ever run out of great books to read? So what should I read next? Is fast-paced crime fiction your thing?
Try the new Patricia Cornwell book, Scarpetta（Putnam）. She is such an able writer and handles complex forensic（法庭的） intelligence with ease. You need to be prepared, though, for the world you're entering—this isn't for the faint of heart, let's say.
If peace is more your thing, try Mary Pipher's wonderful new book, Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World （Riverhead）. Mary is a lovely, comfortable writer who takes the reader through her personal awakening after reputation and fortune came her way. Even if you've never experienced life as a bestselling writer （as she has done, in her book years back, Reviving Ophelia）, you'll totally understand and sympathize with her renewed need for privacy, distance and quiet.
What if you want a straightforward, totally thrilling read with vivid characters, set about World War II? You cannot go wrong with Jim Lehrer's new novel, Oh, Johnny（Random House）, about a young Marine whose life is changed forever when he meets a woman on his way to war. His relationship with her lasts him through danger and hardship, and there's an impressive ending. See our interview with the productive novelist/newsman in the current issue of Reader's Digest （March, on stands now）, by the way, for insight into the very talented Mr. Lehrer and what interests him.
Well, what about something wickedly funny and totally offbeat? Does the name Carrie Fisher do anything for you? Try her vivid and new life in Hollywood and elsewhere, Wishful Drinking（Simon & Schuster）. Be prepared for humor as sharp as knives.
What does the writer want to tell us by the underlined sentence?

A．The world is complex and hard.	B．Scarpetta is a thriller.
C．The fiction is hard to understand.	D．Society is hard to fit into.

Which of the following is true of Mary Pipher?

A．She is an adventurous writer.	B．She doesn’t care about fortune.
C．Her books normally sell well.	D．She can help you achieve writing skills.

To get further information about Jim Lehrer, you may________.

A．go to Reader’s Digest issued in March	B．go to Random House
C．analyze the characters in Oh, Johnny	D．read the novel Oh, Johnny

Which book isn’t directly based on the writer’s own life?__________________

A． Seeking Peace.	B．Reviving Ophelia.
C．Wishful Drinking.	D．Oh, Johnny.

A．the Art Institute	B．the Sears Tower
C．Roosevelt University	D．Grant Park