People in the UK often talk about their homes: their mortgages (按揭), the interest rates, and rising prices. Here’s a guide to some of the words and phrases you might come across.
It’s a good idea in the UK to arrange a mortgage with a bank before you start looking. This is when the bank tells you how much money they will lend you so you have a good idea of how much you can afford.
The next step is to go to an estate agent and see what sort of properties they have available in your budget range and in your area. If you see something you like, the estate agent will arrange for you to view the property, so that you can see the house or flat for yourself.
If you see something that takes your eye, you put in an offer. The vendor (卖家) can accept or decline this offer, and if the vendor accepts it, you can move forward with the sale. However, as you don’t pay any money at this point, the offer isn’t legally binding (具有约束力), and in theory, you can pull out of the offer at any time that you like.
Your next step will probably be to get a structural survey done. A qualified surveyor will inspect the house and write a report that illustrates any structural problems, like damp or drainage problems.
If you still want to go ahead with the sale, you need to appoint a lawyer to do the legal paperwork.. If you already own a house, you might also be busy trying to sell it. Many house owners prefer to sell to first-time buyers (those people who don’t already own a home), as they are not in a chain (waiting for other people to buy the house before they can buy their next house).
Finally, once the contracts are signed and exchanged, you complete on your house. You get the keys and you can move in whenever you want. Then you might want to throw a house-warming party. Congratulations!Which of the following shows the right order of what happens before the people in the UK move into a new house?
a. ask for a company which represents others of properties
b. decide how much to borrow from the bank
c. examine the structure of the house
d. hire a lawyer and make a contract
e. offer the seller the right money
f. visit the house and discuss a price with the seller
| A．b, a, f, d, c, e | B．b, a, f, c, d, e |
| C．b, a, f, e, d, c | D．b, f, d, e, c, a |
According to the passage, these statements are correct EXCEPT ___________.
| A．People can borrow the whole money for a new house from a bank. |
| B．People care for mortgages, interest rates and the prices &house. |
| C．The sellers are more interested in the first-time buyers. |
| D．After getting the keys, the owners sometimes have a party. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Owners. | B．Surveyors. |
| C．Lawyers. | D．Collectors. |
The passage is maybe one that _______________.
| A．give some advice on the house | B．introduces a book on travelers |
| C．give some tips to buyers | D．introduces a guide to visitors |
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。
(A)
A good way to pass an exam is to work hard every day in a year．You may fail in an exam if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the exam．If you want to be good at English, you have to read stories in English and speak English as much as possible．A few days before the exam you should go to bed early．Do not go to bed late at night studying. Before you star
t the exam, read carefully over the question papers.Try to understand the exact meaning of each question．When you have finished your exam, read over your answers．Correct the mistakes if there are any and be sure that you have not missed anything out.
56．If people want to do well in an exam．they have to work hard．
A．every day in a year． B．for most of the month
C．for only a few days D．late at night
57．If people want to learn English well, they ______________.
A．only need to learn grammar B．must often practise English
C．have to go to England D．should go to bed early
58．It’s important to___________a few days before the exam．
A．play too much B．have a good sleep
C．read the question papers D．have a good drink
59．The best title for the passage is__________
A．An Important Exam B．An Easy Exam
C．Get Ready for an Exam D．How to Pass an Exam
E
Sweet potatoes are fat-free, high in fiber and full of the vitamins that research suggests reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases. To stay healthy, we must eat more fruits and vegetables, and sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene(胡萝卜素) and other carotenoids(which the body turns into vitamin A). According to a study of the diets of almost 90,000 nurses, eating about one cup a day of fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids can cut your risk of stroke in half and reduce your risk of heart disease by 22 percent. Other research suggests beta carotene protects against breast, lung and stomach cancers.
Beta carotene is the most famous member of the carotenoids family. In face, a medium-sized sweet potato contains nearly 12mg of beta carotene(anti-aging experts usually suggest 6 to 11 mg per day). Sweet potatoes are also a low-fat source of vitamin E. Research has linked high E diets with a lower risk of heart disease. This vitamin pill in an orange jacket also packs a vitamin C punchit which has more C than apricots (a kind of fruit). Research suggests that vitamin C protects against ailments (小疾) ranging from cataracts(an eye disease) to cancer. In addition, a UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) study linked high vitamin C diets with a longer life. Recent studies have showed that antioxidant Vitamins C, E and beta carotene fight a fierce battle against free radicals (自由基），which cause cell damage and lead to various illness. Therefore, to keep fit, eat more sweet potatoes.
72. According to the text, there exists a lot of ______in sweet potatoes.
A. fiber, beta carotene, other carotenoids, Vitamin E and C
B. beta carotene, other carotenoids, fiber, Vitamin A and E
C. Vitamin A, beta carotene, fiber, Vitamin E and C
D. beta carotene, other carotenoids, Vitamin A and E
73. This text as a whole suggests that eating sweet potatoes can help______.
A. cut your risk of stroke and heart disease
B. protect against breast, lung and stomach cancers
C. protect against ailments ranging from cataracts to cancers
D. you stay healthy and reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases
74. “ This vitamin pill in an orange jacket” in the passage refers to______.
A. sweet potato B. vitamin C pill
C. vitamin E pill D. beta carotene
75. The best title of this passage might be______.
A. On sweet potatoes B. The vitamin superstar
C. Beta carotene and vitamins D. Diet and disease
D
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
68. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.
B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
69. Valentine was put into prison because ______.
A. he killed one of the soldiers B. he stole a lot of food
C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order D. he didn’t want to be a soldier
70. The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. students in China send cards to their teachers
B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
71. The best title for this passage should be ______.
A. Valentine’s Day B. A Brave Priest C. Valentine’s Day in China D. A Romantic Man
C
Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.
One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”
After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.
Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.
But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.
64. That day Mark Twain went to the town _____.
A. to see one of his friends
B. because he wanted to do something there for his writing
C. because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there
D. to see one of his relatives
65. The waiters felt sorry because _____.
A. they did something wrong to Mark Twain B. their hotel was too small
C. the room was not very clean
D. there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room
66. All the people present laughed heartily because _____.
A. the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room
B. the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number
C. Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents
D. Mark Twain made a joke
67. From the story we know _____.
A. no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night
B. the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night
C. Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night
D. there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer
B
“Fingers were made before forks.” When a person gives up good manners, put aside knife and fork, and dives into his food, someone is likely to repeat that saying.
The fork was an ancient agricultural tool, but for centuries no one thought of eating with it. Not until the eleventh century, when a young lady from Constantinople brought her fork to Italy, did the custom reach Europe.
By the fifteenth century the use of the fork was wide-spread in Italy. The English explanation was that Italians were unwilling to eat food touched with fingers, “seeing all men’s fingers are not alike clean.
Anyone who used a fork to eat with was laughed at in England for the next hundred years. Not until the late 1600’s did using a fork become a common custom.
60. The custom of eating with a fork was ________.
A. brought to Europe from America B. begun when forks first invented
C. brought to Europe from Constantinople D. thought of by the Italians
61. By the fifteenth century, forks were used________.
A. all over ItalyB. only in Constantinople
C. by the kings and queens of Europe D. in England
62. The English thought that Italians used forks in order to________.
A. imitate（模仿）the people of the East B. keep their food clean
C. impress visitors with their good manners D. amuse (逗笑) the English
63. The best title of the passage is “_________’.
A. Eating with a Fork B. The History of Eating with a Fork
C. A Way of Eating D. A Custom of Eating