Taxes, Taxes and More Taxes
Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life; death and taxes. Americans do not have a corner on the “death” market, but many people feel that the United States leads the world with the worst taxes.
Taxes consist of the money which people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States: federal (联邦), state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes.
Salaried people who earn more than a few thousand dollars must pay a certain percentage of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies form person to person. It depends on their salaries. The federal government has a graduated income tax, that is, the percentage of the tax (14 to 70 percent) increases as a person’s income increases. With the high cost of taxes people are not very happy on April 15, when the federal taxes are due.
The second tax is for the state government: New York, California, North Dakota, or any of the other forty-seven states. Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item(项目) which you buy in that state. For example, a person might want to buy a packet of cigarettes for twenty-five cents. If there is a sales tax of eight percent in that state, then the cost of the cigarettes is twenty-seven cents. This figure includes the sales tax. Some states use income tax in addition to sales tax to raise their revenues (收入). The state tax laws are various and confusing.
The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms: property tax (people who own a home have to pay taxes on it) and excise (国产) tax, which is charged on cars in a city. The cities use these funds for education, police and fire departments, public works and municipal (市政内) buildings.
Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. They often protest that the government uses their tax dollars in the wrong way. They say that it spends too much on useless and impractical programs. Although Americans have different views on many issues, they tend to agree on one subject: taxes are too high.How do you understand the sentence “Americans do not have a corner on the ‘death’ market”?
| A．It means that Americans, just like all other people, must die. |
| B．It means that Americans do not have a secret place to keep from death in their life. |
| C．It means that Americans are not good at doing business in the death market. |
| D．It means that there is no such place as a death market in the U. S. |
Why should the American people usually pay three types of taxes?
| A．There are three levels of government--federal, state and city-to support the United States. |
| B．There are three kinds of taxes to pay--graduated income tax, sales tax and property tax.. |
| C．They earn different salaries: high, middle, and low. |
| D．Tax laws in different states are different. |
What does the title “Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes” imply?
| A．Americans are not satisfied with the three types of taxes. |
| B．The three levels of government do not use the taxes in a right way. |
| C．Americans complain that taxes are too high. |
| D．Americans’ taxes are diverse and confusing. |
The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7:30 pm．Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song．
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving．But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry．
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 - 8:30 pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00 pm or 8:30 pm means possible dinner, but 9:30 pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, arrive late．
But this is not always the case．If asked to a students’ party at 6:30 pm, it is unaccepted for guests to appear on time. Being the first to arrive — looking eager — is social death. When my mother is asked to a party at 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven．My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re young, we’re probably closer to student-time than grown-up time．
The accepted custom at present is confusing, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element of surprise．The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean _______．
| A．tired | B．crazy | C．happy | D．encouraging |
Jane and David’s story is used to show that _______．
| A．party invitations can be confusing |
| B．party-goers usually get hungry at parties |
| C．people should ask for food at parties |
| D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
For some young people, arriving on time for a students’ party will probably be considered _______．
| A．very difficult | B．particularly thoughtful |
| C．friendly and polite | D．socially unacceptable |
What is the general idea of the text?
| A．It’s safe to arrive late just when food is served． |
| B．It’s wise to eat something before going to a party． |
| C．It’s important to follow social rules of party-going． |
| D．There’s no need to read invitations carefully． |
The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life．I had my arms full of books and I was rushing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos.
"My... you're tall," he said. The whole class burst out laughing .
“Take that seat,” Mr. McCarthy told the cocky(骄傲自大的) newcomer Carlos，pointing to the only empty one , in the back of the room.
Carlos laughed widely. "But I need a couple of dictionaries."
The bell rang for classes. As I stood up to go, I saw Carlos coming toward me. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you," he said . I looked straight ahead over the top of his black hair. "That's all right."
"I ought to know better." He was still blocking my way. "What's your name?" "Karen Forbes." He held out his hand. Unwillingly, I shook hands with him. He looked up at me seriously with his brown eyes. " I am Carlos . I don't see why you're so touchy."
It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Carlos was voted vice-president．“How come ?”I kept asking myself, "How come this shrimp（虾）who’s only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?"
So on that morning，I stopped Carlos and said，“It doesn't seem to bother you — being short.” He looked up at me, "Of course I mind being short．But there isn’t anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself." "You seem to get along great,” I admitted, "But what about me? The trouble with you is you’re afraid to be yourself. You’re smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty.” I felt myself turning red…It is a story about a short boy who .
| A．won the school election | B．is ashamed of his height |
| C．has learned to accept his size | D．is embarrassed by his class |
From the text, we can see Carlos is .
| A．handsome and proud | B．humorous and confident |
| C．diligent but shy | D．honest but sensitive |
The underlined word "touchy" in paragraph 8 probably means .
| A．moved | B．cheerful | C．curious | D．annoyed |
According to the text, which is the most likely ending?
| A．The author didn’t want to make friends with Carlos |
| B．Carlos and the author argued with each other. |
| C．The author changed her attitude towards Carlos. |
| D．Carlos was elected president of the student committee. |
Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to sleep, tossing and turning （翻来覆去）. Your mind is racing, going over everything that happened that day. Night noises keep you awake. What can you do? Here are some things you can do to help you to fall asleep.
Sleep only when sleepy
This reduces the time you are awake in bed.
If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy.
Don’t expose yourself to bright light while you are up. The light tells your brain that it is time to wake up.
Don’t take naps
This will ensure that you are tired at bedtime. If you just can’t make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than one hour, and take a nap before 3 p.m.
Get up and go to bed at the same time every day
Even on weekends! When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm, you will feel better.
Regular exercise can help you sleep well, but the time to do exercise is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere (干扰) with sleep.
Have a snack before bedtime
If your stomach is too empty, that can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat a heavy meal before bedtime, that can interfere as well. Have a warm glass of milk.
Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime
A hot bath will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature that may make you feel sleepy._______ can help you fall asleep at night.
| A．Reading an uninteresting story |
| B．Thinking over what happened during the day |
| C．Sitting quietly with the light on |
| D．Taking some exercise |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．You should follow the routine even on weekends. |
| B．Go to bed right after you take a hot bath. |
| C．The time to take exercise is important. |
| D．Don’t take a long nap even though you are very sleepy. |
According to the passage, one had better not take naps _______.
| A．when they have many things to do |
| B．before 3 p.m |
| C．for over one hour |
| D．when they are tired |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．A regular sleep cycle will make you feel better. |
| B．Taking exercise now and then can help you sleep well. |
| C．Have a little food when you feel very hungry before bedtime. |
| D．The drop in your body temperature makes you feel sleepy. |
The Outdoor Centre
Opening times
Water sports: 10 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Play Park: 10 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.
Windsurfing — One-day course
Beginner windsurfing courses are offered on Saturdays and Sundays when the weather is good enough. Learning to windsurf is a lot of fun. The excitement when you sail across the water for the first time is not easily forgotten. Boards with small sails are available for beginners.
Course fee: ￡32 for adults;￡16 for children under 16 (this includes all equipment)
One-day adventure course
This is the opportunity you have been waiting for. Come and try sailing, climbing, surfing and archery（箭术）. This course is intended to introduce outdoor activities to adults in a fun and leisurely （休闲的） manner. You do not need to be very fit or to have previous（以前的） experience with the activities. All you need is to be interested.
Course fee: ￡22.50
Play Park
The Play Park is suitable for children from two to ten years of age. It is one of the best of its type in the country. It has sand and water playgrounds, slides, large pool balls, a play castle and much, much more. Next year the center will open Play Palace and Play Ship.
Summer adventure holidays
Sailing, Climbing, Windsurfing, Fun Games
Fee: ￡50 for adults; ￡30 for children under 16
Statement:
Safety is of primary importance at the Outdoor Center. All staff members are fully trained in first aid, and qualified to teach the activities on offer. We also make sure that all children only take part in activities that are suitable for their ages and physical abilities. For this programme children must be able to swim 25 metres and be in good physical health.If Mr. Brown and his two sons (ages 12 and 14) go to learn windsurfing, how much will they pay?
| A．￡32. | B．￡48. | C．￡64. | D．￡80. |
One must be in good physical condition if he wants to take part in _______.
| A．Windsurfing — One-day course |
| B．One-day adventure course |
| C．Play Park |
| D．Summer adventure holidays |
Of the four programs, which one is open only on weekends?
| A．Windsurfing — One-day course |
| B．One-day adventure course |
| C．Play Park |
| D．Summer adventure holidays |
From the passage we can see that One-day adventure course _______.
| A．costs more than the other activities |
| B．is the most dangerous of all |
| C．is not open to children |
| D．requires some experience |
This site contains 100 original short stories about life in America. These stories are written for ESL(English as a second language ) learners who are, at least, high beginners. We want to help ESL students learn English as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Learning should be interesting, not boring. We hope that learners will find that these stories are of some help to improve their English.
The stories have interesting topics and are easy to understand. Each story comes with an audio narrative so that learners can listen as they read. The audio requires downloading the free Real Player. Each story contains a search for pictures, definitions, and pronunciation.“ Following each story are four sets of exercises, and each containing 10 items.
Exercise A is “Yes / No Questions”. The learner is asked questions like, “Does Sara have children?” The learner can then type in, “Yes, she does.” Then the learner can check whether it’s the right answer or not.
Exercise B is “Wh-Questions”. The learner is asked questions like, “Where does Sara live?” The learner can then type in, “She lives in Pasadena.” Then the learner can check his answer.
Exercise C is “Ask Questions”. The learner is given an answer like, “They have two children.” The learner must then type in a question like, “How many children do they have?”The learner can then check to see whether he is correct or not. Exercise D is “Dictation”. The learner listens to a sentence. Most of the sentences duplicate the sentences in the stories. The learner types the dictation and then checks to see whether he is correct or not.
Work on the site is in progress. Help us make it better as the years go by. We welcome all comments, suggestions, complaints, new ideas, and questions. Click here to send us emails. Where does this passage come from?
| A．A newspaper. | B．A magazine. | C．A website. | D．A research report. |
The main purpose of this passage is to _____.
| A．tell English learners how to do exercises |
| B．ask the readers to help them improve the site |
| C．give a brief introduction of an English learning site |
| D．teach you how to download English articles |
All of the following statements are correct EXCEPT _______.
| A．the learners can listen to a story while reading it |
| B．there are pictures, definitions, and pronunciation, as well as exercises followed |
| C．new ideas and suggestions are welcomed |
| D．the stories are suitable for learners of different levels |
If you want to improve your listening ability, you may mainly do some practice in _____.
| A．Exercise A | B．Exercise B | C．Exercise C | D．Exercise D |