Likemanyotherplacesintheworld,-优题课

People often think that having a million dollars would make all their dreams come true. There are TV game shows that give contestants the chance to become millionaires. When asked the question "What would you do with a million dollars?", most people tend to give similar answers: “Quit my job.”, "Buy my dream house," or “Go traveling.” Twenty years ago, it was possible to realize these dreams. However, things are not so easy today.
In many developed countries, the cost of living is higher than ever. Over the last twenty years, for example, housing prices in many of the world's cities have soared. In the U. S., luxury homes in the state of Arizona sold for about $ 800, 000 in 1995. These same homes now cost more than $ 1.5 million. Now, because more people live in the area, the cost of property has risen.
Apartments in many city centers are also more expensive now than in the past. Today, people want to be closer to their workplace, and many are now moving back into the city center. As a result, living in or near this area costs more than ever. Apartments in London's Mayfair district or in Manhattan in New York City often sell for over a million dollars.
Inflation is another important reason for the rise in the cost of living. Over the last 150 years, as prices have gone up, the value of money has gone down, so we now need more money to buy things. In 1850, for example, $50,000 had as much buying power as $1 million dollars does today. Of course, people now earn more money than they did 150 years ago, but they also spend more on necessities such as food, medicine, and housing.
In order to live well after you stop working, you should begin saving for retirement early. Experts suggest that after you retire, you will need 75 percent to 80 percent of your salary to live on every month. This calculation assumes that you have no mortgage on a house to continue paying, or any other major expenses.
Due to increased demand for housing, higher inflation, and longer life expectancy, a million may not be enough to live on. To be able to retire early, travel the world, and build your dream home, you may have to appear on that game show and win more than once!
46. What is the main cause of high housing price?
A. People generally make more money today.
B. There are more luxury homes than apartments.
C. There is less housing available there for sale or rent.
D. People would rather live in the suburbs than in the city.
47. The word "inflation" in the 4th paragraph refers to _____
A. the amount of money required for life's necessities
B. a continuing increase in prices over time
C. a bank loan for a house or piece of land
D. things that one must pay for regularly
48. If you make $ 4,000 per month, you will need _______ per month after you retire.
A. $2,250~$2,400 B. $ 3,000~$ 3,200
C. $3,500~$3,750 D. $2,550~ $ 2,700
49. What does the underlined sentence mean in the last paragraph?
A. You will be so lucky that you can win another million dollars.
B. Don't expect too much for just a million dollars that cannot change your life completely.
C. A million dollars is too little to travel around the world.
D. To win another million dollars is the only way to make you live better after retirement.
50. The passage mainly tells us _______.
A. what a million dollars can buy
B. higher housing prices have become a social problem to deal with
C. how much money you will need in order to live well after retirement
D. we should not neglect the fact that money may not be as that much as before

Ⅲ阅读(共两节，满分40分)
第—节阅渎理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读—列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation (通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.
I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."
Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.
However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?
41. According to the passage, collecting antique clocks____.
A. can hardly keep the value of your savings B. will cost much of your savings
C. may increase your wealthD. needs your bravery
42. By quoting (引用) the remark of a being from another planet, the author intends to____.
A. suggest human beings are controlled by a clock
B. describe why clocks can rule the planet Earth
C. tell readers what clocks look like
D. compare chicks to human beings
43. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time?
A. Counting the beating of one's own heart.
B. Making use of candles, sand and water.
C. Observing shadows cast by the sun.
D. Keeping slaves busy day and night.
44. The underlined phrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means
A. state-owned houses B. houses in very good condition
C. grand houses open to the public D. houses where statesmen meet regularly
45. The purpose of the passage is
A. to introduce the culture of antique clocks
B. to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks
C. to compare different ways to make a future profit
D. to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time

Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running, their own businesses instead. But a recent survey has showed that such dreams lack the required support. The Shanghai Municipal Employment Promotion Center survey of 1,276 graduates in several universities and colleges in the city showed 59.78% of the interviewees (被调查者) considered the possibility of setting up a company or at least a small store. But they just stop at the thinking stage because of a shortage of money and a lack of business opportunity. They also listed lack of business experience and social networks, the need for advanced study and disagreement from family members as factors (BM) that stood in their way.
More than 90% would rather take up a job after graduating and then consider starting their own business two or three years later.
Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai International Studies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his own boss last year. But he is looking for a job first "If I fail to find a satisfying job, I would like to set up a company in exhibition services," Guo said. The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant. With their help, Guo hopes to produce exhibition booklets (小册子) at a low price. He is also sure that his English language skills can help him do well in the industry. "Social networking is an important factor leading to-business success," said Guo, "and the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason driving more university students to set up a business right after their graduation. "
Parents are willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed. "Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," .Guo added.
57.____ of the interviewees preferred to find a job right after graduation.
A. Over nine-tenths B. Nearly three-fifths C. Around two-fifths D. Only one-tenth
58.____may stop graduates having their own business.
A. Advanced language skills B. Social networks
C. Parents’ support D. Lack of business experience
59. The underlined sentence probably means that ____in building one’s own business
A. the family’s support plays an important role
B. fresh graduates have to face fierce challenge
C. graduates have to rely completely on the family"
D. half the money needed will come from the family
60. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Dream to have a job. B. Dream for further study.
C. Dream to be a boss. D. Dream for money support

Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping, according to a study published last week in the US.
For years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the
2007 holiday season 58 percent of those shopping online were women, "it shows how popular
the Internet is becoming," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life
Project group, which carried out the study. Rainie said it was only a matter of time before
women shoppers caught up with men. This is because women traditionally make decisions about
spending.
Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages 18 and
29 were responsible for some of the surprising increase in the online gift-buying population this
time around. However, three-quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online
in 2007. They worried about credit card security (安全), or just compared online prices with
off-line prices, then dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
"But even if shoppers don't buy online, websites are becoming promotion (^g)tools for
stores," said Dan Hess, vice president of ComScore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most
stores' websites can make customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers.
And most are able to ensure that gifts arrive on time. " It' s all about making the shopping
experience more efficient, more reliable and more comfortable. " Hess said.
45. Which of the following statements is true?
A. There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2007.
B. Most of the Internet users between the ages of18 and 29 are women.
C. People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online.
D. More women shopped online than men in 2007.
46. We can infer from the passage that____.
A. men usually decide how to spend money in the family
B. women usually decide what to buy in the family
C. the Internet is used in all the shops
D. shopping online will be more popular in years
47. According to Dan Hess, shopping online ____.
A. is unsafe B. is convenient C. is a waste of money D. is cheaper
48. Which of the following is the best title?
A. Women turn to online shopping. B. Men stop online shopping.
C. More young people shop online. D. Shopping off-line provides better service.

第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Erik Weihemnayer was born with an eye problem. As a child his eyesight became worse
and then, at the age of 13, he lost his sight completely. However, he did not lose his determination to lead a full and active life.
Erik became an adventurer. He took up parachuting, wrestling and scuba diving. He
competed in long-distance hiking, marathons and skiing. His favorite sport, though, is mountain climbing.
As a young man, Erik started to climb mountains. He reached the summit of Mount McKinley in 1995 and then climbed the dangerous 1000-metre rock wall of El Capitan. Two years later, while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya with his girlfriend, they stopped for a time at13,000 feet above sea level in order to get married. In 1999, he climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America. And then, on May 25, 2001, at the age of 33, Erik successfully completed the greatest climbing challenge of all. He climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
Erik invented his own method for climbing mountains. He carries two long poles: one to lean on and the other to test the way ahead of him. The climber in front of him wears a bell to guide him. Erik is a good team member. He does his share of the job, such as setting up tents and building snow walls.
Although he could not enjoy the view, Erik felt the excitement of being on the summit of
Everest. He hopes that his success will change how people think about the blind. "When people think about a blind person or blindness, now they will think about a person standing on
top of the world. "
41. When did Erik become blind totally?
A. In 1968. B. In 1995. C. In 1981. D. In 1970.
42. Erik got married ____.
A. on the summit of Mount McKinleyB. when climbing Mount Everest
C. on the top of Aconcagua D. when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
43. What is Erik' s special way for climbing a mountain?
A. Taking his girlfriend. B. Doing his share of work.
C. Using two long poles. D. Keeping a good team around him.
44. Which of the following shows the right order of what happened?
a. He topped Mount McKinley.
b. He became blind.
c. He challenged Mount Everest.
d. He reached the peak of Kilimanjaro.
e. He climbed the rock wall of EI Capitan.
A. b, e, d, c, a B. a, b, e, d, c C. b, a, e, d, c D. b, d, a, c, d