7 ways a government shutdown will affect your daily life
(CNN) -- Democrats and Republicans were unable to resolve (解决) their differences over Obamacare (奥巴马医改计划）and now the government is shut down. The two previous shutdowns — 1995 and early 1996 — cost the country $1.4 billion. But what will the shutdown mean for you? Here are 7 ways the government shutdown will affect you.
7. Vacation all I ever wanted: Need to get away? Well, you can’t. At least not to national parks. Or to national zoos. Or to national museums. They'll be closed. Were you thinking more along the lines of a trip to France? If you don’t already have a passport, you might not get your blue book in time. The last time the government shut down, 200,000 applications for passports went unprocessed.
6. If you drive a car, I'll tax the street: You may be thinking, “No functioning government, no need to pay taxes.” Think again. The Man would continue to collect taxes. U.S. bonds would still be issued. And other essential banking functions will go on.
5. Wait a minute, Mr. Postman: You know that whole “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” thing? Apparently, the U.S. Postal Service works through shutdowns as well. Sorry, you won’t catch a break from the junk mail.
4. I want a new drug: Oh, the irony (讽刺的). Republicans still want to defund, delay or otherwise withdraw gradually at Obamacare in exchange for funding the government. But the health care act at the center of this storm would continue its process during a shutdown. That is because its funds aren’t dependent on the congressional budget (预算) process.
3. Pass the ammunition (军火): Not so fast. A shutdown would affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Translation: That gun permit you wanted processed won’t happen anytime soon if this goes on for a while.
2. Money (that's what I want): Well, if you owned a small business and needed a loan from the government, you would have to wait, depending on how long this lasts. If you were planning to buy a house and needed a federal loan, you would have to wait.
1. I'm proud to be an American: Perhaps the biggest hit would be to the collective psyche (下意识心理). America is the largest economy in the world and a beacon for how democracy ought to work. A recent CNN Research Corporation found that 51% would blame Republicans for the shutdown. The United States has operated without a budget since 2009 and has avoided a government shutdown with last-minute deals. Not only did the government run out of money on Tuesday, but the nation is set to hit its borrowing limit and potentially default on its debt in mid-October. Together, they serve as a double whammy (打击）.Which is the most probably meaning of the underlined word?
| A．Raise some money. | B．Take the money back. |
| C．Borrow some money. | D．went on a strike. |
When the government’s shut down, what can the Americans do?
| A．Apply for a gun permit. | B．Apply for a new passport. |
| C．Apply for a loan. | D．Pay taxes. |
How many times has the American government ever shut down so far?
| A．Once. | B．Twice. | C．Three times. | D．Not mentioned. |
According to the essay, what led to the shutdown of the American government?
| A．The government of America ran out of money. |
| B．The government of America is on debts. |
| C．America is set to hit the borrowing limit of its debts. |
| D．The American government ran out of money and may fail in repaying its debts. |
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9— Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate (房地产) market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted（兑换） to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher thanthose in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate (控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.
45. What is the average housing price per square meter in China?
A. 8000 yuan B. 10000 yuan C. 7000 yuan D. It’s not mentioned here
46．Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities.
B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.
C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses.
D．There are more people who need houses in China than in the United States.
47．How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
A．Four B．Three C．Five D．Two
48. What is the main idea of this passage?
A．The Chinese government should do something to control the housing price.
B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market.
C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.
D．The Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.
In a book called Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas, a description is given of people helping others but doing it secretly. When difficult problems worried an individual（个人）, friends nearby would meet to discuss possible solution without the individual knowing their actions. When a solution was agreed upon, one or two of the friends would carry out the plan and solve the problem secretly , to the great delight of the worried individual. The helpers would stand by privately, content（满足的） with their success. No reward was given to the problem solvers, not even a sincere “thank you”, because they were never known.
This concept is popular today but in a different way. The phrase “pay it forward” is now used when one person helps another. However, the person helped may not be able to repay the person or group that helped them. So rather than return the favor to their helpers, they are supposed to help someone else in the future, which means they pay it forward. It is a sense of responsibility which makes us want to give back in equal measure to the one who has helped us. But , in this case, the responsibility turns to helping someone in the future. Suppose your elderly grandmother pays part of your schooling. She may tell you there is no need to repay her because it is a gift from someone who loves you very much. Nothing would please her more than to have you use her money to get a good education.
You may never be able to repay her for such a gift. However, she not only gave you some money , but she provided you with an example that you should also help other people who need it.
People with serious needs are everywhere. Many are children who need better clothes, more books and even better schools. Some are elderly people who can’t afford their medicine or a doctor’s care. Consider how you can “pay it forward” rather than pay money back to your grandmother.
40. The helpers in the book “Magnificent Obsession” were not rewarded because __________.
A. they hadn’t solved the problems thoroughly
B. they had solved the problems secretly
C. they were friends of the worried individual
D. they expected to be paid back in the future
41. The underlined word “pay it forward” means ____________________.
A. to repay someone who has helped you B. to pay someone else who needs help
C. to help someone who has helped you D. to help someone else who needs help
42. What does the writer suggest with the example of“your elderly grandmother”?
A. We should learn to respect our grandparents.
B. We should work hard to get a good education.
C. We should also lend a hand to other people in need of help.
D. We should never forget to repay people for their help.
43. From the passage we know_________________.
A. everybody needs help
B. more children need help than elderly people
C. it costs a lot of money to “pay it forward”
D. nowadays many people help others without being repaid
44. By writing the passage, the author wishes people in the world to be _____________.
A. unselfish B. mysterious C. honest D. unforgettable
第二部分：阅读理解（共二节：满分45分）
第一节：（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
At the end of a party，he invited her to have coffee with him．In a nice coffee shop，he was too nervous to say anything，and she felt uncomfortable，thinking，“Please let me go home．’’
Suddenly he asked the waiter，“Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee．’’
Everybody，stared at him—so strange! His face turned red，but，still，he put the salt in his coffee and drank it．
She asked him curiously，“Why do you have this hobby?”
He replied，“When I was a little boy，I was living near the sea．I liked playing in the sea，and I could feel the taste of the sea，just like the taste of the salty coffee．Now every time I have the salty coffee，I always think of my childhood．I miss my hometown and my parents so much．’’
She was deeply touched．A man who can tell out his-homesickness must be a man who loves home，cares about home，and has responsibility for home．
They continued to date．She found that actually he was such a good person，but she almost missed him!
Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story went just like every beautiful love story．．．And，every time she made coffee for him，she put some salt in the coffee．
After 40 years，he passed away，leaving her a letter which said，“My dearest，please forgive my whole life lie．This was the only lie I told to you—the salty coffee．
“Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time．Actually I wanted some sugar，but I said salt．It was hard for me to change，so I just went ahead．
“I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life，but I was too afraid to do that，as I have promised not to lie to you for anything．
“Now I'm dying，I'm afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth：I don’t like the salty coffee．What a strange bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee in my whole life!…”
Her tears made the letter totally wet．Someday，someone asked her，“What’s the taste of salty coffee?” “It’s sweet.” she replied．
36．After ordering some salt for his coffee，the young man must have felt______
A．excited B．satisfied C．embarrassed D．displeased
37．Why did the man have salty coffee all his life?
A．To change lifestyle． B．To please his wife．
C．To keep his word． D．To remember the past．
38．What did the writer mean by saying “she almost missed him” in Paragraph7 ?
A．She meant to leave him on their first date。
B．She thought of him every now and then．
C．She nearly misunderstood his explanation．
D．She could hardly believe this simple fact．
39．It is implied in the passage that the woman____when reading the letter left by her husband．
A．was confused about his behavior
B．was touched by his white lie
C．felt sorry to know the truth too Late
D．felt angry about his dishonesty
Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain．Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health．They describe chocolate as“something to die for”or say“death by chocolate”．Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the main ingredient in chocolate and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart．Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow．These benefits are the result of coca’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation（炎症）．
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help．Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3．5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop quickly．
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout（锻炼）．In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks．
Better for your skin．German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day．After three months, the women’s skin was moister（滑润的）and smoother．The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance．
Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving by increasing blood flow to the brain．
52. What’s the meaning of “bite their tongues”in the first paragraph?
A. Stop talking． B. Speak up． C. Think of it． DvListen to it
53. What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph?
A. Sports drinks are better than chocolate milk．
B. Sports drinks can make people easy to be tired．
C. Drinking milk can keep you energetic at work．
D. We should drink chocolate milk between times when we work hard．
54. The conclusion that chocolate may help lower blood pressure was made by_________．
A. scientists at Harvard University
B. Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University
C. scientists at Indiana University
D. German researchers
55. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. Chocolate, a Healthy Food B. More Chocolate, Less Health
C. Chocolate and Blood Pressure D. Advice on Eating Chocolate
Eleven-year-old Evan Green doesn’t want to save just one tree－he wants to save a whole rainforest!
In the Redwood City, Calif., a boy started a group called the Red Dragon Conservation Team four years ago to do just that. So far, the team’s members have raised $4,500. That’s enough to purchase and protect more than 16 acres of rainforest in Costa Rica through the Center for Ecosystem survival.
Every year, thousands of square miles of rainforest are destroyed worldwide. Logging（伐木）and farming are mostly likely to blame, scientists say. The loss is terrible news for animals and people. Even though rainforests cover less than 2 percent of the earth, they are home to half the world’s plants and animals. Rainforests also provide water and help control the earth’s climate.
Evan’s work to save the rainforests recently earned him a Barron prize for Young Heroes. The prizes are given to children or teenagers who have made a positive difference in the world. Evan’s goal is “to save enough rainforests to last forever”. He won’t have to do it alone. His actions have already inspired other kids to chip in. One girl asked for donations instead of presents on her birthday. She raised $850. Other kids are starting their own conservation teams.
Evan says everyone can help the planet－even by taking small steps such as recycling. He and his family try to make a difference every day. “We recycle, we try to limit our garbage… we’ve been walking a little more, and we buy local food,” Evan said.
48. How much does it cost to buy and protect an acre of rainforest in Costa Rica?
A. About $4,500.B. About $850.C. About $280.D. About $1,000.
49. The underlined phrase “chip in” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”.
A. look atB. contribute money
C. ask for birthday presentsD. donate gifts
50. What Evan said in the last paragraph suggests that _________.
A. we can all do something to protect the earth
B. actions speak louder than words
C. we should learn to recycle from now on
51. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Evan Green-a famous teenager B. The Red Dragon Conservation Team
C. Rainforests are being destroyed D. Boy gathers support for rainforests