Your money or your time?
A friend once invited me to spend a cold winter’s day picking up rubbish in a park. It was a community-service event organized by a charitable organization(慈善组织) she was involved with. I immediately told her I was not interested.
“It just makes no sense,” I explained. “Why would I spend three hours of my time picking up rubbish?” I argued that if the goal was neighborhood beautification, then I would rather donate three-hours’ worth of my labor income. The organization could then hire several people in need of a job. The rubbish gets picked up, we provide jobs, and I do not have to spend three hours in the cold. “Where can I make a donation?”
My friend sighed, said something in a low voice about it seeming like a good way to meet men, and then shuffled off to ask someone else.
When we feel inspired to do good, many of us choose to give time instead of money. Given how precious our time is– limited by demands of work, family and friends–setting some of it aside to clean parks or deliver meals seems like a valuable donation. But is this the most efficient way to give?
The economist in me is inclined to say no. As I explained to my friend, what my time is worth may be far more valuable to most charities than my actual labor. The money could go towards hiring people with limited employment opportunities, or to help cover more pressing needs facing the charity, such as rent or staff salaries. My hours of labor, on the other hand, serve the charity in only one way, and can only be provided by me.
Volunteer labor becomes more valuable if it involves a special skill. For example, if a talented doctor donates a few hours of his time to a free clinic, this may serve the charity better than a $1,000 donation. Unfortunately, I can think of few local charities that would benefit from the unique skills of an economist.
I recently explained this to a professional who regularly donates his time to a local soup kitchen. But he argued that “just throwing money at a cause” is potentially irresponsible and enables disengagement. Donating time may be a greater personal sacrifice, but it also gives him a stronger connection with the cause. He has created a bond not only with the other volunteers, but also with the people he feeds, and the result is an enriching sense of community. He also believes, as a member of the same minority group of many of the people he serves, that he provides them with a positive role model. He recognizes the value in the social interaction volunteering provides.
Of course charities benefit from both kinds of donations. They need some people to just hand over cash, but they also develop successfully by being an important part of the community. Whether it is better to give money or time depends on your goals as a donor. If the objective is simply to provide food for the hungry or to clean a park, then money is more valuable. However, if you hope to also engage with your community–not only with your peers, but also with less fortunate people whom you might not otherwise meet –no amount of money can make up for your time spent.In the first 3 paragraphs, the author uses the case to .
| A．describe a scene | B．lead in a topic |
| C．make a comparison | D．offer an argument |
The author believes there are some efficient ways to donate EXCEPT.
| A．picking up rubbish in the community |
| B．offering service in a free clinic as a doctor |
| C．donating money to deal with the charity rent |
| D．helping cover the needs of charity staff salaries |
By “The economist in me is inclined to say no”(Paragraph 5), the author means that he .
| A．is willing to serve the charity |
| B．aims to say no to the economist |
| C．tends to reject giving time instead of money |
| D．is longing to share his efficient way to give with his friend |
In the professional’s opinion (Paragraph 7), donating time is .
| A．one-sided | B．debatable |
| C．meaningless | D．reasonable |
Which of the following does the author finally agree with?
| A．It is donors’ participation that really matters. |
| B．Cash or labor is determined by a donor’s aims. |
| C．Time is much more valuable than one’s actual labor. |
| D．It is not responsible for donors to just donate money to the charities. |
He's definitely NOT James Bond—nor even Austin Powers.And now the world's worst spy, codenamed Piglet,is facing 14 years in prison after bungling (办槽)an attempt to sell secrets to the Russians.
Aircraft engineer Ian Parr,46,tried to pass on secrets of seven sensitive projects for￡l30. 000 to a man he thought was a Russian agent called Aleksey.
But it turned out that Parr—once nicknamed "Hazard" by colleagues-actually handed over the secrets to all M15(军情五处)agent. As the father-of-two sat in the pub drinking a pint of lager to celebrate the￡25,000 he had just been given,police swooped and arrested him for spying.
But his troubles were not over. While in Belmar's Prison,he,who had given himself the codename Piglet,tried to kill himself.He wired his spectacles to the mains to try to electrocute himself-but he only succeeded in leaving an outline of his glasses bummed on to his face.
Parr had a reputation for being a bungler long before his spying exempt.
As a teenage he joined the Army,where he earned his nickname"Hazard".
An excolleague said."If you wanted a job doing,Hazard would do it badly.He blew up the barracks washing machine by overloading it."
"He was forever injuring himself when loading shells(炮弹)into the gun turret(炮塔)of the tank. I lost count of the number of times I saw him with bandages and plasters on his fingers."
"You'd hear him clanging around and there'd be a yelp and he'd squeal,'Oh,my bloody fingers.'He's very lucky to have all his fingers left."
Parr eared ￡25,000 a year at BAE(bachelor of aeronautical engineering(航空工程学士) Systems.It is thought that he tried to make money from spying because of worries about being dismissed at the firm.
73. According to the passage,the world's worst spy Is________.
A. James Bond B. Austin Powers C. lan Parr D. Aleksei
74. Piglet actually passed the secrets on to________.
A. Aleksei,the Russian agent B. an agent
C. nobody D. somebody whose nickname was"Hazard"
75. The underlined word"swooped"in paragraph 4 most probably means________.
A. attacked suddenly and unexpectedly B. at tack evincing crowds
C. cameos planned D. walked slowly and secretly
76. If he had succeeded in selling the secrets,he would have earned________.
A. ￡25,000 B. ￡155,000 C. ￡130,000 D. ￡105,000
When do people decide whether or not they want to become friends? During their first four minutes together, according to a book by Dr. Leonard Zunin. "Every time you meet someone in a social situation, give him your undivided attention for four minutes. A lot of people's whole lives would change if they did just that."
When we are introduced to new people, we should try to appear friendly and self-confident. In general, he says, "People like people who like themselves." On the other hand, we should not make the other person think we are too sure of ourselves.
Hearing such advice, one might say, "But I'm not a friendly, self-confident person. That's not my nature. It would be dishonest for me to act that way." In reply, Dr. Zunin would claim that a little practice can help us feel comfortable about changing our social habits. We can become accustomed to any changes we choose to make in our personality. "It's like getting used to a new car. It may be unfamiliar at first, but it goes much better than the old one."
But isn't it dishonest to give the appearance of friendly self-confidence when we don't actually feel that way? Perhaps, but according to Dr. Zunin, "total honesty" is not always good for social relationships, especially during the first few minutes of contact. There is a time for everything, and a certain amount of play-acting may be best for the first few minutes of contact with a stranger. That is not the time to complain about one's health or to mention faults one finds in other people. It is not the time to tell the whole truth about one's opinions and impressions.
The author also declares that interpersonal relations should be taught as a required course in every school, along with reading, writing, and mathematics. In his opinion, success in life depends mainly on how we get along with other people. That is at least as important as how much we know.
69. When first introduced to new people, we should________.
A. be friendly and sure of ourselves regardless of the other people's feeling
B. always tell the whole truth even if it hurts
C. appear friendly and self-confident at least for the first few minutes
D. mention faults we find in the other people
70. According to the author's advice, interpersonal relations________.
A. should be set as a required course in schools
B. are more important than other courses in school
C. are less important than reading, writing and mathematics
D. is the only key to one's success in life
71. The underlined word 'play-acting' in the fourth paragraph means________.
A. being totally honest B. being a little dishonest
C. acting out what one feels D. acting in a play
72. The best title for the passage could be________.
A. The Key to Success B. Best Ways to Make Friends
C. Personal Relations D. The First Four Minutes
Congratulations! You are the Time magazine "Person of the Year".
The annual honor for 2006 went to anyone that uses or creates content on the Internet. The magazine designed special cover－a white keyboard with a mirror for a computer screen where buyers can see their reflection- for the issue, reflecting the importance of user-generated(使用者自创) Internet content as a driving force in the modem world.
User-generated content on websites such as YouTube has proved the latest twist(转折) in the Internet revolution. YouTube has attracted millions of users and earned its founders $ US1.65 billion when it was bought by Google earlier this year.
Normally, the magazine describes its person of the year not necessarily as an honor, but as "the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and represented what was important about the year". Mr. Stengel said in an interview that to select the "Person of the Year" is to look for someone who's a symbol.
The magazine did cite(提名) 26 "People Who Mattered," from Chinese President Hu Jintao to a group of three persons that included: U.S. President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield.
It was not the first time that the magazine went away from naming an actual person for its
"Person of the Year". In 1966, the 25-and-under generation was cited; in 1975, American women were named; and in 1982, the computer was chosen.
In 2005, the winners were Bill and Melinda Gates and rock star Bono, who were cited for their charitable(慈善的) work aimed at reducing global poverty and improving world health.
65. "You", the Time magazine 'Person of the Year 2006', refers to________.
A. anyone who reads this magazine B. anyone who surfs the Internet
C. anyone who knows the result of the selection D. anyone who reads the passage
66. The fashionable character of the Internet revolution is________.
A. to search information on the Internet B. to use the Internet to make money
C. to be cited for "Person of the Year" D. to create content onto the Internet
67. The usual qualification of "Person of the Year" is that a person or persons must________.
A. do the most good to the world in the year B. not live up to the expectation of the world
C. really affect the world the most in the year D. help the world move ahead in the year
68. Which of the following is true?
A. U.S. President Bush was cited for "Person of the Year 2006".
B. Chinese President Hu Jintao was cited for "Person of the Year 2006".
C. 'Person of the Year' must be a person or persons.
D. A rock star is unlikely to be cited for the "Person of the Year".
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分,满分40分）
Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking.
He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty, three or four. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes.
"Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss: "Never mind me. I am Mr. d'Urberville. Have you come to see me or my mother?"
This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered, "I came to see your mother, sir."
"I am afraid you cannot see her—she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr.Alee, the only son of the noble family."What is the business you wish to see her about?"
"It isn't business—it is— I can hardly say what!"
"Pleasure?"
"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem—"
Tess's sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
"It is so foolish," she stammered(急急巴巴地说); "I fear I can't tell you!"
"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.
"Mother asked me to come," Tess continued; 'and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this.I came, sir,to tell you that we are of the same family as you."
"Ho! Poor relations?"
"Yes."
'Stokes?'
"No; d'Urbervilles."
"Ay, ay; I mean d'Urbervilles."
"Our names are wom away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d'Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are,and we have an old seal(印章) and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living."
"Very kind of your mother, I'm sure.' Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. 'And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"
"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
"Well-there's no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?"
—Tess of the d'Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy
61. How does Tess feel in the whole course of the meeting with Alec?
A. Excited and hopeful. B. Nervous and uncomfortable.
C. Surprised but comfortable. D. Pleased but embarrassed.
62. In the eyes of Tess, Alec is _______________.
A. forceful and daring B. unfriendly and talkative
C. a gentle and reliable man D. older than she had expected
63. Why does Tess pay the visit to the d'Urbervilles?
A. To see Alec himself.
B. To see Alec's mother.
C. To confirm that they are of the same family.
D. To make known their relationship and seek help.
64. Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because __________.
A. Tess is his distant relation B. Tess looks polite to him
C. Tess is a pretty girl D. Tess looks ridiculous
Audrey Hepburn (奥黛丽·赫本) was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. She really was blue-blood from the beginning with her father, a wealthy English banker, and her mother, a Dutch noblewoman. After her parents divorced, Audrey went to London with her mother where she went to a private girl school. Later, when her mother moved back to the Holland, she attended private schools as well. While taking a vacation with her mother in Arnhem, Holland, Hitler’s army took over the town. It was here that she fell on hard times during the Nazi occupation. Audrey suffered from depression and poor nutrition.
After the liberation, Audrey went to a ballet school in London on a scholarship and later began a modeling career. As a model, she was graceful and, it seemed, she had found her job suitable for her in life - until the film producers came calling. After being spotted modeling by a producer, she was signed to a bit part in the European film Nederlands in 7 lessen in 1948. Later, she had a speaking role in the 1951 film, Young Wives’ Tale (1951) as Eve Lester. The part still wasn’t much, so she headed to America to try her luck there. Audrey gained immediate prominence in the US with her role in Roman Holiday in 1953. This film turned out to be a splendid success as she won an Oscar as Best Actress. This gained her enormous popularity and more plum roles. One of the reasons for her popularity was the fact that she was self-like, unlike the sex-goddesses of the time. Roman Holiday was followed by another similarly wonderful performance in the 1957 classic Funny Face.In 1988, Audrey became a special ambassador to the United Nations fund helping children in Latin America and Africa, a position she retained until 1993.Her elegance and style will always be remembered in film history as evidenced by her being named in Empire magazine’s "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time."The underlined words “fell on hard times” in the second paragraph refer to______
| A．the producers always let her act a lit role in a film. |
| B．parents’ being divorced brought her serious pain |
| C．depression and no nutrition brought her serious pain |
| D．no good jobs were suitable to her |
Audrey went to America to look for a new chance because_______
| A．in the European films there were only little roles for her to act |
| B．in the Americana there were many important film roles waiting for her to act |
| C．in the American there were many different jobs suitable to her |
| D．in the European films there were all roles she didn’t like |
Which one of the following films made Audrey win an Oscar Best Actress Award?_______
| A．Nederlands in 7 lessen | B．Young Wives’ Tale as Eve Lester |
| C．Roman Holiday | D．the 1957 classic Funny Face |
This passage mainly tells us about______
| A．Audrey’s struggle in the film fields and public admiration |
| B．Audrey’s family and her career |
| C．Audrey’s childhood and her films won great awards |
| D．Audrey’s hard times and her achievement |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Audrey Hepburn was born into a poor family. |
| B．In 1957, Audrey Hepburn won another success in Funny Face. |
| C．Audrey Hepburn received many parts shortly after being spotted modeling by the producer. |
| D．In 1993 Audrey became a special ambassador to the United Nations fund helping children in Latin America and Africa. |