San Francisco's Chinatown is the biggest and oldest in the country. It's the third most visited tourist destination in the city. It's also the city's most densely populated neighbor- hood. So why are. businesses in Chinatown struggling?
In this week's paper, I outline some of the reasons for why Chinatown's crowded streets and busy shops might be declining. Underneath the surface, Chinatown is falling. And the city, local organizations and businesses are trying to figure out what they can do to turn things around.
While numbers of people visit Chinatown, they don't stay long and they don't spend a lot of money. And beyond annual festivals,1ike Chinese New Years, this month's Moon Festival and last month's Sunday Streets - which drew about 15,000 t0 20.000 people – the neighborhood has a hard time attracting locals.
Can you remember the last. time you went to Chinatown ?If you can't, You're not alone. Locals told me that Chinatown doesn't have much to offer them - that the stores are all the same. There are some good eating joints, people said, but they don't know how to find them. Some people even told me that they sometimes go to extreme measures to avoid the neighborhood altogether. But when asked if the-v would like to see Chinatown gone, the answer was always a strong no.
Locals are hopeful that things will get better and traffic will increase when the Central Subway is complete. But chat's not for another five years. at least. And if' new shops or restaurants don't make their way into Chinatown. the same problem of attracting locals will exist.
Not that Chinatown's going to die. The dragon still has some fire in its belly. And many people are rooting for positive change. The question is, how does Chinatown change without losing the very importance of what makes it unique?Which can we know about Chinatown according to the passage?
| A．Businesses in Chinatown are going well. |
| B．Local people like going shopping there. |
| C．A great number of people visit it every year. |
| D．No period has seen a more prosperous Chinatown. |
According to the locals we can know that _______.
| A．Chinatown doesn't love to offer them assistance |
| B．shops in Chinatown lack their own characteristics |
| C．it is hard to buy quality goods at proper prices |
| D．they feel annoyed to see so many familiar faces |
What is the author's attitude towards Chinatown?
| A．Negative. | B．Sympathy. | C．Hopeful. | D．Indifferent. |
It can be inferred from the passage ______.
| A．the Central Subway is under construction |
| B．Chinatown has to make way for subway |
| C．many restaurants have been closed down |
| D．the locals hope Chinatown will be extinct |
Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets.
Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people’s choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did you choose an oval (椭圆形的) shape? You are a person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her.
What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts (果仁). These are people who like to help others.
Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn’t really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.This passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．why people like chocolate |
| B．almost everyone likes chocolate |
| C．about different kinds of chocolate |
| D．different choices may show different characters |
Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person ______.
| A．likes singing, dancing and drinking |
| B．likes to do something for others |
| C．is good at making things |
| D．can be depended on |
If you enjoy eating milk chocolate you may ______.
| A．look forward to the future |
| B．like to think of the past |
| C．enjoy parties and fun |
| D．have trouble making decisions |
From this passage we can say that a helpful man may choose chocolate ______.
| A．in oval shape | B．in square shape |
| C．with nuts | D．with coffee |
The last paragraph suggests that the writer ______.
| A．believes all the information about chocolate |
| B．does not believe the information about candy |
| C．is trying to get you to believe false information |
| D．doesn’t think it important whether you believe the ideas |
Everyone worries. But how do you deal with your worries? Whether your worries are big or small, you can take these three steps to deal with your worries:
1. Try to find out what you're worried about
Sometimes, you will know what you're worried about. Other times ,you might not. Try to find it out first; if you can't, you can ask for help.
2. Think of ways to make it better
There is always something you can do to help you feel less worried. Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won't solve your problem.111
Grades at school are often top worries for kids. If you're worried about grades, ask yourself these questions:
★ Why are grades important? What do grades mean to me?
★ How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn't a test?
★Do I have a good place to do my homework?
★ Have I tried different ways of studying?
If your worry is about a fight you had with a friend, you might write down all the things you could do: write a note to him or her, invite him or her to a basketball game, say sorry to him or her, etc. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose the one that gets your friend back.
3. Ask for help
When you're worried, it can help to find someone to talk to. You can ask your parents, friends, or teachers for help. How many steps of dealing with your worries are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Seven. |
When you don't know what you're worried about,_________
| A．you don't need to think of ways |
| B．you can't ask for help |
| C．you should try to find it out. |
| D．you can sit there worrying |
If you're worried about grades, you can ask yourself these questions except “_____”
| A．Why don't my friends like me? |
| B．What do grades mean to me? |
| C．How do I get ready for class? |
| D．Why are grades important? |
According to the passage, what will you do if you have a fight with your friend?
| A．Make a new friend. |
| B．Don't talk to him or her any more. |
| C．Have another fight with him or her. |
| D．Invite him or her to a basketball game. |
The passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．who is often worried |
| B．when people are worried |
| C．how to deal with our worries |
| D．what kind of worries people have |
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him. He had tripped (绊倒) and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with some clothes, a baseball bat and a glove.
Mark knelt (跪) down and helped the boy pick up the things. Since they were going the same way, he offered to carry some things for the boy.
As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill. He loved video games, baseball and history, but he was having trouble with some of his subjects.
They arrived at Bill’s home first. Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with some laughs and talk. Then Mark went home.
They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior school.
Three days before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded (提醒) Mark of the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill.
“You see, I took away all my things from school. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills (安眠药). I was going home to kill myself. But after we spent some time talking and laughing, I realized that if I had died, I would have missed so many good times. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more._____________________”When Bill fell down on his way home, Mark ________.
| A．didn’t notice that |
| B．went away quickly |
| C．carried all the things for him |
| D．helped him pick up the things |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Mark was a warm-hearted boy. |
| B．Bill and Mark were in the same school. |
| C．Bill was good at all of his subjects. |
| D．Bill loved video games, baseball and history. |
At Bill’s home, they didn’t ________.
| A．drink some Coke | B．play video games |
| C．have a pleasant talk | D．watch TV |
Three days before graduation, Bill asked Mark to talk because he ________.
| A．hoped to go on holiday together |
| B．wanted to kill himself again |
| C．hoped to have lunch together |
| D．wanted to tell him his story |
What would Bill probably say at last?
| A．You saved my life. | B．I should die. |
| C．You did a good job. | D．You helped me a lot. |
It’s cool, and it’s hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about it often, and friends tell other friends how good they look. Sound like a fashion? It’s actually another trend(倾向): “blog”. What’s a blog? A blog is a personal online diary. The word “blogger” means a person who writes diaries online.
Many bloggers are teens who’ve been logging(进入) onto sites to discuss anything in their lives. Many of today’s teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teens complain(抱怨) about parents and homework. They share diaries, post songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems, say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.
However, many parents are afraid of these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don’t like studying. They are using language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get message from strangers. Most of the time, it’s older men asking to meet teenage girls. “These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words, “ said Cara Cabral, a mother of two.
Many teens and young adults know it’s not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place they can be seen by anyone. But teens are unlikely to give up these new communication tools that have becomes a way of life for many of them.
Are you a bloggers? What do you think of the blog? What does the underlined word “it” mean in the first paragraph?
| A．the blog | B．talking online |
| C．the Internet | D．the website |
A blogger is a person ___________.
| A．who teaches kids bad words |
| B．who posts songs from the latest bands |
| C．who got drunk last weekend |
| D．who writes diaries online |
According to this passage, teen bloggers mostly __________.
| A．complain about parents and homework |
| B．write down what they do every day |
| C．offer support to each other |
| D．share diaries and show pictures of theirs |
Parents think it’s dangerous for their kids to use blogs because ________.
| A．their kids use a surprising language |
| B．their kids talk about how they don’t like studying |
| C．teen bloggers got messages from strangers |
| D．their kids talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Many teens know it’s not safe to use the blog on the Internet. |
| B．Most of today’s teenagers aren’t afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. |
| C．A blogger’s information about himself can be seen by anyone on the Internet. |
| D．It’s easy for teenagers to give up blogging. |
As the price of a college degree continues to rise, there's growing evidence that the monetary（货币的） payoff isn't quite as big as often advertised. The best estimate now is that a college degree is worth about $300,000 in today's dollars--nowhere near the million figure that is often quoted.
"That million number has driven me crazy!" says Sandy Baum, a Skidmore economist who studied the value of a college degree for the College Board last year.
Baum's research showed that college graduates earn, on average, about $20,000 a year more than those who finished their educations at high school. Add that up over a 40-year working life and the total differential is about $800,000, she figures. But since much of that bonus is earned many years from now, taking away the impact of inflation means that$800,000 in future dollars is worth only about $450,000 in today's dollars.
Then, if you remove the cost of a college degree--about ,$30,000 in tuition and books for students who get no aid and attend public in-state universities--and the money a student could have earned at a job instead of attending school, the real net value in today's dollars is somewhere in the $300,000 range, a number confirmed by other studies.
But, especially these days, that still makes a college degree one of the most lucrative investments a person can make, Baum notes.
Better yet, college graduates can go on to earn advanced degrees, which return even bigger payoffs. The average holder of a bachelor's degree earns about$51,000 a year, Baum calculates. But those who've gone on to earn MBAs, law degrees, or other professional degrees earn about $100,000 a year.
In addition, Baum found that there are plenty of other rewards for a degree. The quality of the jobs college graduates get is far better, for example. College graduates are more likely to get jobs with health insurance. And it is easier for them to find and hold jobs. The unemployment rate for college graduates was just 2.2 percent last year, half the unemployment level of those with only high school diplomas.
There are lots of other nonmonetary benefits as well. College graduates are healthier, contribute more to their communities, and raise kids who are better prepared academically, studies show.
Other researchers have found that the payoff of a degree is especially lucrative for students from low-income families, since the education and degrees give them a chance to break out of low-paying careers. What can be inferred from Para 1 ?
| A．The payoff of a college degree is still big enough to match the advertised. |
| B．It’s more and more difficult to get a college degree. |
| C．The return of a college degree is less than often quoted. |
| D．A college degree is worth about one million dollars. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “lucrative” in Para.5?
| A．attractive | B．worthless | C．approachable | D．balanced |
How can a college graduate increase his or her yearly income according to the passage?
| A．By getting jobs with health insurance immediately. |
| B．By going on for higher degrees. |
| C．By breaking out of low-paying jobs. |
| D．By contributing more to his or her community. |
Which of the following statements can be learned from the text ?
| A． According to Baum's research, high school graduates earn more than those who have college degrees. |
| B． College education is enough to ensure you a good life. |
| C． Nonmonetary benefits from the degree attract students more than monetary ones. |
| D．Students from low-income families still think degrees are profitable to change their life. |