You hear the comment all the time: the U.S. economy looks good by figures, but it doesn’t feel good. Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Wealthy Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.
The Wealthy Society is a modern classic because it helped describe a new moment in the human condition. For most of history, “hunger, sickness, and cold” threatened nearly everyone, Galbraith wrote. “Poverty was found everywhere in that world. Obviously it is not of ours.” After World War II, the fear of another Great Depression gave way to an economic growth. By the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.
To Galbraith, materialism had gone mad and would cause discontent. Through advertising, companies conditioned consumers to buy things they didn’t really want or need. Because so much spending was artificial, it would be unsatisfying. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people wrongly considered government only as “a necessary bad.”
It’s often said that only the rich are getting ahead; everyone else is standing still or falling behind. Well, there are many undeserving rich — overpaid chief managers, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most people’s incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, people feel “squeezed” because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.
The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As company unemployment increased, that part has gradually become weaker. More workers fear they’ve become “the disposable American,” as Louis Uchitelle puts it in his book by the same name.
Because so much previous suffering and social conflict resulted from poverty, the arrival of widespread wealth suggested utopian (乌托邦式的) possibilities. Up to a point, wealth succeeds. There is much less physical suffering than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, wealth also creates new complaints.
Advanced societies need economic growth to satisfy the multiplying wants of their citizens. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order. Wealth sets free the individual, promising that everyone can choose a unique way to self-accomplishment. But the promise is so unreasonable that it leads to many disappointments and sometimes inspires choices that have anti-social consequences, including family breakdown. Figures indicate that happiness has not risen with incomes.
Should we be surprised? Not really. We’ve simply confirmed an old truth: the seeking of wealth does not always end with happiness.The Wealthy Society is a book ______.
| A．about previous suffering and social conflict in the past |
| B．written by Louis Uchitelle who died recently at 97 |
| C．indicating that people are becoming worse off |
| D．about why happiness does not rise with wealth |
According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ______.
| A．materialism has run wild in modern society |
| B．they are in fear of another Great Depression |
| C．public spending hasn’t been cut down as expected |
| D．the government has proved to be necessary but ugly |
Why do people feel“squeezed”when their average income rises considerably?
| A．They think there are too many overpaid rich. |
| B．There is more unemployment in modern society. |
| C．Their material demands go faster than their earnings. |
| D．Health care and educational cost have somehow gone out of control. |
What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American” ?
| A．People with a stable job. |
| B．Workers who no longer have secure jobs. |
| C．Those who see job stability as part of their living standard. |
| D．People who have a sense of security because of their rising incomes. |
What has wealth brought to American society?
| A．Stability and security. |
| B．Materialism and content. |
| C．A sense of self-accomplishment. |
| D．New anxiety, conflicts and complaints. |
Chicago, a city in the State of Illinois, is the second largest in the United States. It stretches for 29 miles along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan. Its splendid centre faces the lake behind a pleasant park. The Chicago River flows through the heart of the city. The city of Chicago, 713 miles west of New York and 1858 miles east of San Francisco, is located at the conjunction(连接) of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system and surrounded by the productive farmlands of the Midwest. This makes the city the crossroads of the nation and the “ bread basket” of the nation. From its beginning as a frontier fort(要塞) settlement in 1803, commerce(商业) has been the key to Chicago’s development, especially since the railroads and stockyards(牲畜围栏) were built in the 1840s and 1850s. Thousands of foreigners, attracted by the promise of steady jobs, have lived and worked there since the second half of the 19th century; thousands more come to visit its famous fairs, and millions of others cross it every day by road or railway. Chicago is the world’s biggest road and railway centre, and it should claim(要求得到身份或权利的承认) the world’s busiest airport.
66. If you go to New York from Chicago, you go _____ for _____ miles.
A. east…713 B. west…713 C. east…1858 D. west…1858
67. From the passage, we can see that there is _____.
A. a lake right in the middle of the city
B. the Mississippi River in the middle of the city
C. a park in the middle of the city
D. a lake 29 miles away from the city
68. Chicago is called the “ bread basket” of the nation because _____.
A. there is a river flowing through the city
B. it is located at the conjunction of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system
C. it is near the city of New York
D. there are rich farmlands around the city
69. _____ the city developed fastest.
A. Early in the 19th century
B. Around the middle of the 19th century
C. At the end of the 19th century
D. During the second half of the 19th century
70. Since the late 19th century thousands of people have kept coming to Chicago _____. Which of the following is wrong?
A. on business B. for a visit
C. for better jobs D. to claim the world’s biggest seaport
Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia(南斯拉夫), on August 27th,1910. She attended the government school near her home until she was eighteen. At that time, some doctors and nurses from Yugoslavia were working in India, and they often wrote to the school about their work. She decided to join them one day.
When she finished school, she went first to Britain. Then a year later she went to India, where she began to train to be a teacher. After training, she was sent to Calcutta(加尔各答)，where she taught geography at a school and soon after became headmistress(女校长).
However, although she loved teaching, in 1946 Mother Teresa left the school and went to work in the poor parts of Calcutta. Later she trained to be a nurse in Patna, and then began her work helping the poor and comforting the dying in the streets of the city. Slowly, others came to help her, and her work spread to other parts of India.
Mother Teresa is now a well-known person. Many photos have been taken of her, as she travels the world to open new schools and hospitals in poor countries. In 1979, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for the lifetime of love and service she has given to the poor.
61. Where did Mother Teresa receive her education?
A. In Yugoslavia and India. B. In Yugoslavia and Britain.
C. In Britain and India. D. In Yugoslavia, Britain and India.
62. What first inspired Mother Teresa to work in India?
A. Her visits to the poor parts of Calcutta.
B. Her visit to Britain after she left school.
C. The medical workers’ letters to her school.
D. The work of the nurse in the city of Patna.
63. In which order did Mother Teresa do the following things?
a. Trained to be a nurse. b. Went to India
c. Helped the dying. d. Studied to be a teacher.
e. Went to Britain. f. Worked as a headmistress.
A. b, a, c, e, d, f, B. b, f, a, d, e, c C. e, b, d, f, a, c D. e, a, b, c, d, f
64. Mother Teresa gave up teaching because she wanted _____.
A. to look after the poor B. to travel to poor countries
C. to build hospitals for the poor D. to train nurses to care for the poor
65. Mother Teresa is now a famous person because she has _____.
A. saved many poor people in India
B. helped to bring about world peace
C. helped to make India a more peaceful place
D. taken care of many poor people in the world
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，共40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
We cannot feel speed. But our senses let us know that we are moving. We see things moving. We see things moving past us and feel that we are being shaken.
We can feel acceleration, an increase in speed. But we notice it for only a short time. For instance, we feel it during the takeoff run of an airliner.
We feel the plane’s acceleration because our bodies do not gain speed as fast as the plane does. It seems that something is pushing us back against the seat. Actually, our bodies are trying to stay in the same place, while the plane is carrying us forward.
Soon the plane reaches a steady speed. Then, because there is no longer any change in speed, the feeling of forward motion stops.
56. We can feel that we are moving by _____.
A. watching things move past B. feeling the speed
C. feeling ourselves being shaken D. both A and C
57. In the second paragraph, the underlined word “ acceleration” means _____.
A. an increase in speed B. a steady speed
C. any kind of movement D. the movement of a plane
58. During the takeoff of a plane, we feel that we are being _____.
A. thrown forward B. pushed back against the seat
C. lifted out of the seat D. pushed down into the seat
59. We feel the plane’s acceleration because our bodies gain speed _____.
A. just as fast as the plane B. faster than the plane
C. more slowly than the plane D. before the plane
60. This feeling stops when _____.
A. the plane stops climbing B. the plane lands
C. there is no longer a change in speed D. we begin to feel speed
When I was young，I wished for a good car and a big house. That was my idea of success. I took all the advanced classes and tried to do well in the exams with my mind set on going to a key school. I just knew that I would somehow become famous and be able to afford the car and the dream house. All the way through junior years，my mind was planning this beautiful future.
Then in the eleventh grade, many losses changed my mind. First, one of my friends died at 16. Soon after， my great-grandmother passed away followed by my beloved fourth-grade teacher. These events left me not knowing what to do or where to go. Death had never touched me so closely.
After a long period of emptiness, it finally struck me: Life is not promised and neither is future success. Though I was attempting to achieve material success， I was not enjoying my daily life. I realized that finding inner peace， purpose and happiness will stick with me forever and that is real success.
Enjoying life's precious quirks (偶发事件) makes an ordinary person more successful than a wealthy person who isn't content and takes everything for granted. The summer before senior years, my attitude changed greatly. Instead of memorizing facts, I began learning skills. Instead of focusing on the future， I focused on today and the many blessings and successes that came with it.
I still get excellent grades， but now I devote weeks to studying instead of struggling for exams, and I think about the future with a deeper sense of meaning. For me, being successful means truly living life each day.
68.The reason why the author changed his idea of success is ____.
A.that he can't afford his house
B.that his beloved teacher was dead
C.that he didn't know what to do or where to go
D.that he lost a few beloved persons in a short time
69.What does the author want to tell the readers?
A.The true meaning of the life.
B.The true meaning of studying
C.How to achieve success.
D.His opinion about success.
70. According to the passage which of the following is TRUE?
A.The writer thinks the success is not promised.
B.His teacher died before the death of his grandpa.
C.The writer didn’t do well in all the exams.
D.He didn’t want to take all the exams.
The Official Theme for the 2005 World Exposition , Aichi，Japan is “Nature’s Wisdom”.
Name: The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan
Theme: “Nature’s Wisdom”
Site: Steo City, Nagakute Town, Toyata City, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Period: March 25 to September 25, 2005
Projected number of visitors: 15 million
Nature has provided humanity with a means to develop into complex societies based on this very basic relationship.
A vast network of knowledge and wisdom has evolved from this basic relationship between humans and nature. Nature's wisdom，her mysteries, inspiring beauty and power，have been unlocked by minds and scientific processes. Humans have become masters of this knowledge and have developed incredible technologies to employ energy and other resources.
In an increasingly overcrowded world, it is sometimes hard to focus beyond everyday life and onto the long term effects of our technological progress. Surely then，we must be reminded of the true wisdom found in a continuous relationship with nature. After all，we are in a world seeing an increasing amount of media coverage of international debates concerned about damage to the environment. It is commonly accepted that as far as the environment is concerned，it is a time to re-think our relationship with nature before it is too late.
Model Community
Continuous development is what the Eco-communities project at Expo 2005 is all about. The Eco-communities project has been expected to reuse energy and to reduce and make use of existing waste. As well, the entire Expo 2005 site--expected to host 25 million people over a six-month period--has been designed with the conservation(保持)of nature and the local environment as the top priority(优先考虑的事).
Finding answers for today' s world must be done in the background of technology. Thus，the idea of eco-communities was developed. Yet, an understanding of the socio-historical background is just as important in today’s richly multi-cultural world of economically various states and unions. And so the "Art of Life" Expo 2005 sub-theme was expected to be a model of human participation on a global scale. Expo 2005 offers to the people of the world an opportunity to come together and discuss many global issues that face humankind. It is a place to bring together the world's talent to create a model community for the future where humans can live in harmony with nature.
64.What is the period of Expo 2005 Japan?
A.May 1-October 31. B.March 25-September 25.
C.May 1-October 30. D.October 9-0ctober 21.
65. Which of the following themes is Expo 2005 Japan's?
A.Better City，Better Life
B.Interactions between Urban and Rural Areas
C.Nature’s Wisdom
D.Environment, Resource and Technique
66.According to paragraph 3, nature has many features except ______.
A. danger B. power C. beauty D. wisdom
67. We can infer that______according the contents of the passage.
A.the relationship between nature and humans isn’t close
B.it is easier for us to find the true wisdom
C.it is important and necessary for human to protect environment
and nature
D.harmonious community and Art of life can’t realize