People often say that Money talks. They mean that a person with a lot of money can say how he or she wants things done. But it is not easy to earn enough money to gain this kind of power.
Ask anyone in business. They will tell you that it is a jungle out there. The expression probably began because a jungle is filled with wild animals and unknown dangers that threaten people.
People in business have to be careful if they are to survive the jungle out there. They must not be led into making bogus investments. Bogus means something that is not real.
Nobody is sure how the word got started. But it began to appear in American newspapers in the 1800s. A newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, said the word came from a criminal whose name was Borghese. Borghese wrote checks to people although he did not have enough money in the bank. After he wrote the checks, he would disappear. So, people who were paid with his checks received nothing. The newspaper said Americans shortened and changed the criminal’s name Borghese to Bogus.
People trying to earn money must be also aware of the risk of being ripped off. A writer for a magazine said he first saw the expression used in 1971. It was on a sign that a student carried during a protest demonstration at a university. The message on the sign was that the student felt cheated.
To be successful, a person in business works hard and tries to get down to brass tacks. This expression means to get to the bottom or the most important of something. For example, a salesman may talk about his product without saying the price. You get down to brass tacks when you say, “it sounds good, but how much does it cost?”
Word expert Charles Funk thinks the expression comes from sailors on ships. They clean the bottom of a boat. When they have removed all the dirt, they are down to the copper pieces that hold the ship together. So, if we get down to brass tacks, we can prevent rip-offs and bogus ways of earning money in that jungle out there. And, some good luck will help, too.Why do people say money talks?
A.Because money can tell us something. |
B.Because the rich tend to decide a thing. |
C.Because everyone loves to have money. |
D.Because it is hard to earn money. |
My uncle is in a jungle out there, which means .
A.he is a success in his own business |
B.he will face many difficulties soon |
C.he will fight against wild animals |
D.he is interested to go through a jungle |
Borghese is considered to be a criminal .
A.because he used the word “bogus” for the first time |
B.because he was accused of writing false checks |
C.because he didn’t have enough money in the bank |
D.because he disappeared after he paid some checks |
When you ask how much it cost, it means .
A.you are always caring about money |
B.you declare you won’t be cheated |
C.you care nothing about the quality |
D.you get down to the real issues |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
A.Charles Funk has created many interesting words |
B.brass is a necessary people of equipment of a ship |
C.many businessmen have been cheated in life |
D.many English words have their interesting stories |
It is well known that the United States’ population come from all over the world. The immigrants(移民) can learn the language, English, to keep this country united, but it is unnecessary to change their culture for an American way of life.
I believe that recent immigrants should learn English in order to live in the country. They should learn the “public language”. If they don’t learn English, they won’t be able to communicate and do what they want. For example, my mother’s friend came to the United States from Ecuador three years ago. She doesn’t speak English. One day, her daughter, Anita, couldn’t breathe. Anita didn’t know what was going on, but she told her mother to call an ambulance. When her mother called the hospital, she couldn’t communicate. The operator couldn’t understand what Anita’s mother was saying. Fortunately, her mother’s sister arrived and called the ambulance. The doctor told her sister that if she hadn’t arrived at the hospital on time, Anita could have died. A pill had gotten stuck in her throat.
Immigrants should learn English to speak with the public, but they can also keep their language at home. The children of immigrants should learn how to speak their parents’ language. It is very important to communicate with our relatives and family. If we learn English only and forget our private “language”, we won’t be able to communicate with our parents. For example, Florence, my co-worker, speaks English only. Her mother didn’t teach her Spanish (her mother’s mother language). Now, Florence can’t communicate with her grandparents or other relatives in Puerto Rico. She has lost her mother’s mother language, tradition and culture.
Immigrants have the freedom to keep their culture and values. Immigrants should know where they come from and what their family’s culture is. In this way, they can transmit it to future generations.
In conclusion, immigrants should learn English in order to communicate with the public and to keep the country united, but they shouldn’t give up their own culture. Who played the most important part in calling an ambulance fro Anita?
A.Anita’s aunt. | B.Anita’s mother. |
C.The operator. | D.The doctor. |
If immigrants in the United States can’t speak their parents’ language, what trouble might they have?
A.They can’t ask for help when they get lost in the United States. |
B.They can’t call police for help when they are in trouble in the United States. |
C.They can’t make themselves understood while in their original country. |
D.They can’t go shopping by themselves conveniently in the United States. |
The author develops the passage mainly by _________.
A.following the natural time order |
B.providing typical examples |
C.comparing opinions from different people |
D.presenting a cause and analyzing its effects |
By writing the passage, the author mainly wants to ________.
A.show that the United States is a multi-cultural country |
B.advise immigrants to learn English and keep their own culture |
C.explain why so many people move to the United States |
D.describe the difficulties immigrants meet in a new country |
There are three branches of medicine. One is called “doctor medicine” or “scientific medicine”. Scientific doctors try to observe sickness, look for logical pattern, and then find out how the human body works. From there they figure out what treatments may work. This kind of medicine is believed to date from the 4th century BC. Although nowadays it is successful, in the ancient this approach (方法) probably did not cure many patients.
The second kind of medicine is called “natural cures” or “folk medicine”, in which less educated people try to cure sickness with various herbs. These folk healers also use observation and logic, but they are not so aware of it. They try things until they find something that seems to work, and then they keep doing that. Folk medicine flourished (兴起) long before the development of scientific medicine and was more successful in ancient times.
The third kind is called “health spas” or “faith healing”. Sometimes this may be as simple as touching the holy man and being immediately healed. Other times, a magician may make you a magic charm, or say a spell (咒语), to cure you. Some religious groups organize healing shrines (圣坛) for the sick. In these places people rest, get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food, drink water instead of wine, and exercise in various ways. They also talk to the priests (牧师) and pray to the gods. If you are feeling depressed or you have been working too hard, going to these places may be just the right thing to make you feel better.Doctor medicine_________.
A.has a longer history than folk medicine |
B.has been practiced for around 2,400 years |
C.bases its treatments on observation and logic |
D.was very successful in curing sicknesses in ancient times |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT used in health spas?
A.Magic power | B.A healthy life style |
C.Religious faith | D.Various herbs |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A.Natural cures worked better than scientific medicine in ancient times. |
B.People who practice folk medicine need lots of formal education on herbs. |
C.The success of folk medicine led to the development of doctor medicine. |
D.Folk healers choose different herbs to cure diseases without any sound basis. |
The author’s primary purpose in this passage is to_______________.
A.show the important role religion plays in medical treatments |
B.argue for the importance of medicine in health care |
C.describe different types of medicine |
D.compare the educational background of three different types of patients |
Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have experienced an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock (家畜) to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for pig producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make shocking changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear(修剪) sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete change of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?
A.The first sentence of the first paragraph. |
B.The first sentence of the second paragraph. |
C.The first sentence of the third paragraph. |
D.The last sentence of the second paragraph. |
According to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.
A.what livestock to raise |
B.whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
C.how much money they can earn from their products |
D.when to sell their products |
Which of the following statements is true?
A.Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
B.Students at agricultural colleges must take computer classes because they can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
C.Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
D.Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
What is the best title for the whole passage?
A.Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend |
B.The Agricultural Revolution |
C.Farmers in The Future |
D.Computers and Robots |
External bleeding
Apply direct pressure. Place a clean, folded cloth over the injured area and firmly apply pressure. If blood soaks through, do not remove it. Instead, cover that cloth with another one and continue to apply pressure to the wound for 7~10 minutes. If the bleeding is from the ear, place a clean bandage over the ear, lay the victim on his side, and allow the blood to drain out through the bandage.
Elevate the injury. Position the wounded part of the body above the level of the heart if possible while you apply direct pressure.
Know the pressure points. If direct pressure and elevation don't sufficiently slow the blood-flow, find a pressure point. Large arteries (动脉) found close to the skin's surface supply blood to the head and to each arm and leg. The most common pressure points used during the first aid are located in the upper arms and in the creases(皱纹)above the upper legs. Apply pressure to the closest pressure point to the wound so that the artery is pressed between your fingers and the bone directly behind the artery. If using the pressure point on a leg, you may need to use the heel of your hand instead of your finger.
Resort to a tourniquet (止雪带,压脉器). On very rare occasions everything listed above may fail. To prevent the victim from dying, you should apply a tourniquet. Once a tourniquet is applied, it should not be loosened or removed until the victim has reached medical help. Use a tourniquet ONLY if everything listed above has failed. If you use a tourniquet, write down somewhere on the victim the time when it was applied, so medical personal will know how long it has been in place.According to the passage, if a person is wounded and bleeding, you should _____.
A.spread some salve (药膏) on the wound |
B.pressed the wound firmly with your finger |
C.cover the wound with a clean, folded cloth and press it |
D.place a clean bandage over the wound |
If the blood soak through the cloth, you should _____.
A.change a clean one immediately |
B.wash the wound at once |
C.press the wound firmly with your hand |
D.cover that one with another one and press it |
According to the passage, we know that _____.
A.it is better to put the injured part above the head to stop bleeding |
B.large arteries deep in the muscle supply blood to the head and to each arm and leg |
C.the most common pressure points lie in the upper arms and in the crease above the upper legs |
D.we should use a tourniquet first to stop bleeding |
Neither television nor radio nor magazines nor books nor any other medium can begin to match newspapers for depth and breadth of coverage (新闻报道). In fact, all these media themselves depend on newspapers to bring them information that they then process and distribute as their own brand of news.
Now many newspapers are locked in a struggle for survival. If they lose—which is by no means impossible—we all lose.
The great task for editors and publishers is to respond to the competitive challenge caused by online news, and at the same time use their own online news to increase their profits (利润). As yet,they haven't figured out a smooth and sure way to do that.
So they cut some more to get profit. The cuts in size that they are making are in some cases risky and in others without considering the results. With every cut, publishers tirelessly argue that readers won't even know the difference. The trouble is that by the time customers do notice that they are getting less for their money,it will be too late—too late to notice the reduction in the number of readers.
The other big cuts, of course, are in staff (员工). The victims would be the oldest and most experienced workers because they are the highest paid. While there is plenty of tired deadwood among them,there is also a lot of talent.
When experienced staff leave in large numbers—as they often do now—the newspaper loses great professional memory. But the real loser is the readers, who are suddenly robbed of the insights (见识) that only the experienced reporters can bring.
As for the future, there is at least one big, bright sign:intelligent young people will continue to flood into journalism in urgent search of jobs, despite its high demands and modest (不太高的) pay.The underlined word “deadwood” in Paragraph 5 may refer to “________”.
A.the staff who are going to retire |
B.people who are no longer useful or needed |
C.workers who are experienced |
D.reporters who are tired of covering events |
According to the passage,which of the following can best describe the author's attitude towards the ways the editors and publishers have adopted to get profit?
A.The author has no objection. |
B.The author is against them. |
C.The author has not shown it clearly. |
D.The author regards them reasonable. |
The author seems to agree with the view that________.
A.experienced workers are the last to be laid off |
B.journalism is a job offering highest pay for high demands |
C.the challenge of newspapers is that there are not enough intelligent young people |
D.it is possible that newspapers may not survive in the end |
It is stressed by the passage that the most important quality for a journalist is________.
A.patience | B.selfishness |
C.insights | D.sensitivity |