The United States government is back in business. Early Thursday morning, President Barack Obama signed a bill to reopen the government. The budget bill, drafted by Senate late on Wednesday night, raised the government’s debt ceiling and averted(避免)a serious economic crisis. “With the shutdown behind us,” Obama said after the Senate vote, “we now have an opportunity to focus on a sensible budget that is responsible, that is fair and that helps hardworking people all across this country.”
Now that a settlement has been reached, formerly furloughed(休假)employees have returned to work, national museums and parks are reopening, and the government’s gears are slowly beginning to turn again.
Before the shutdown, a federal funding bill went back and forth between the Senate and the House. A major issue was whether or not the government would pay for changes in Obama’s healthcare plan. The Senate, with a Democratic majority, wanted to pass a budget that would fund the new healthcare law. But the House, which has a Republican majority, did not want government money used that way. Because an agreement could not be reached on a budget plan, the government was forced to partially shut down.
Sixteen days later, the two sides have come together to pass a measure that raised the country’s debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is the strict legal limit Congress places on the amount of money that can be borrowed each year. Had this agreement not been met by October 17, the U.S. may not have been able to pay its promised payments. This legislation, or law, will fund the government through January 15. During this time, Obama and Congress will work on a long-term spending plan.
The effects of the two-week government shutdown were widespread. In addition to national parks, museums, memorials and monuments were off-limits to visitors. Workers at government-run organizations like NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency were furloughed. Part of the new legislation will pay back the 800,000 workers who were without pay during the shutdown.
Early Thursday, the Smithsonian Institution celebrated the government’s reopening on Twitter. “We’re back from the shutdown!” they wrote, announcing that museums would reopen Thursday and the National Zoo in Washington on Friday.
To the delight of many people, that also means the return of the zoo’s popular live Panda camera.What may have lead to the government shutdown?
| A．Economic crisis. |
| B．The senate voting. |
| C．Dispute on the budget bill. |
| D．Lazy people across the country. |
What does the underlined phrase “two sides” in paragraph four refers to?
| A．The senate and the house. |
| B．The senate and the president. |
| C．The president and the congress. |
| D．The legislator and the government. |
What can we learn about the U.S. Government from the shutdown?
| A．It is run by lazy workers. |
| B．It is affected by different political forces. |
| C．The people has no say in the decision making process. |
| D．Obama decides whether his health care bill will be passed or not. |
In mentioning the live Panda camera, the author suggests that ______.
| A．zoos were government-run |
| B．pandas were popular among the public |
| C．the effects of the shutdown were widespread |
| D．tourists were affected the most by the shutdown |
T-shirts out; uniforms in
School uniforms（制服） are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That’s no surprise, because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing, and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers(障碍); school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places, uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example, when a man or woman puts on a police uniform, he or she becomes, for a time, the symbol (象征) of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms, saying that school uniforms will affect their children’s “creativity.” First, the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality (个性). They just copy their classmates. Second, students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they’re in school, their job is to master reading, writing, and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.From the passage we learn that uniforms in general .
| A．prevent the wearers from being laughed at |
| B．help the wearers keep their duties in mind |
| C．are seen as a symbol of power |
| D．help to create social barriers |
Some people are against school uniforms because .
| A．they fail to realize that students have accepted the uniforms |
| B．they believe that uniforms will make students less creative |
| C．they don’t agree that uniforms can remove social barriers |
| D．they think that school uniforms are too popular |
The author would probably agree that .
| A．it makes no difference whether to wear school uniforms or not |
| B．students’ individuality may not come from school education |
| C．students’ creativity is related to the clothes they choose |
| D．school uniforms help to create equality among students |
School uniforms are becoming more and more popular and important because _____
| A．they can stop the powerful social sorting and labeling. |
| B．if all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing. |
| C．uniforms can remind the wearers of their purposes and duties |
| D．school uniforms will affect their children’s creativity. |
It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of the road. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had to get there but no one could take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into a stranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Houses of Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and they started to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficulty in finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed a square and at last after about half an hour’s walk they arrived at the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn’t understand how the stranger found his way. “It is wonderful,” he said. “How do you find the way in the fog?”
“It is no trouble at all to me,” said the stranger, “I am blind.”According to the passage, we can infer that “bump into” means _______.
| A．knock off |
| B．meet by chance |
| C．strike |
| D．traffic accident |
Which of the following statements are NOT true?
| A．The stranger has a better sight than Mr. Smith. |
| B．Heavy fog can cause traffic accidents. |
| C．It’s easy to get lost in a foggy day. |
| D．The fog was getting thicker and thicker. |
Why is it no trouble at all to the stranger to find the way in the fog?
| A．Because he is a local inhabitant of London. |
| B．Because he lives next to the Houses of Parliament. |
| C．Because he is familiar with the route. |
| D．Because he finds the way not by sight but by heart. |
This article mainly tells us that ________.
| A．London is a foggy city. |
| B．Mr. Smith works for the government. |
| C．A blind stranger led the way for Mr. Smith in a foggy day. |
| D．Mr. Smith had a very important meeting and lost his way in the fog. |
Pop music is the name for different forms of popular, commercial(商业) music. It had its beginning in the USA and spread throughout the whole world during the 1950s and 1960s. It is widely liked by the young people. The best known early form of pop music was “rock’ n’ roll”; another was “blues”. A more recent development is “folk-rock”. Pop music has taken the place of native music in many parts of the world; it has caused the number of people for jazz to become much smaller than it was in the 1950s and earlier, and it has now begun to rule musical stage productions. It’s a big industry. Much pop music is without artistic value, but the work of some pop singers, e.g. the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the groups like Floyd and Crosby, Stills and Nash, is on a higher musical level. And there is still a great interest in it today. Pop music concerts and festivals are held all over the world.All of the following forms belong to pop music EXCEPT _______________.
| A．blues | B．rock’ n ’roll | C．jazz | D．folk-rock |
According to the article, the number of people for jazz in the 1950s and earlier was ___________ it is today.
| A．much greater than | B．much smaller than | C．as great as | D．as small as |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．No pop music is on a high musical level. |
| B．Much pop music is very artistic. |
| C．Pop music is highly artistic. |
| D．Not all pop music is without artistic value. |
As the global financial crisis hits the economy, it’s tough finding a job — especially if you’re competing with thousands of other hopeful students. Sometimes you get the interview, but don’t quite seem to land the job because you don’t have related experience. Don’t despair! Here are a few tips that might give you an edge.
1. Get connected to your network and try to expand it. Talk to friends, family and acquaintances. Let everyone know you are looking for a job.
2. Prepare your resume (个人简历) carefully and be sure it’s perfect. Have someone else read it over for typos (打字错误) and grammatical errors. Get professional help. It’s worth the money to present yourself well. If money is tight, read books on resume writing from your public library or search for free help on the Internet.
3. When you apply for a job, be sure you have the skills listed on the posting. If you get an interview, be sure to describe those skills thoroughly. Just having the skills is not enough. Expressing your abilities well can make all the difference in getting the job.
4. Research typical interview questions and practice interv
iewing. Be well prepared for every interview.
5. Don’t be afraid to accept a position for which you are overqualified — if there’s room for advancements. Many great job advancements come from first doing well at an entry-level position. If you have the right skills and attitude, it won’t be long before you’re in the job you want.
6. Volunteer for a few weeks in your field of study to gain experience if you feel your resume needs an improvement.
7. When deciding what to wear for an interview, think about the position level and the dress code of the organization.
8. Use every tool available to you. For example, this site has many job links for your use.
Good luck!What’s the author’s advice on preparing a resume?
| A．To read it over several times by yourself. |
| B．To get professional help even if it costs money. |
| C．To copy something from books. |
| D．To publish it on the Internet. |
If you lack related experience you can ____.
| A．make up some in your resume |
| B．read books to get second-hand experience |
| C．do some related voluntary work |
| D．get some training at schools |
The purpose of the text is to ____.
| A．show how to prepare for an interview |
| B．wish people good luck |
| C．encourage people not to despair |
| D．give advice on how to find a job |
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born on April 10, 1990) is an English actor. The son of an actor and a former fashion model, he began his career as a child fashion model at the age of seven, modeling for labels such as GAP, after meeting Ralph Lauren in a toy store in New York City. He attended Twickenham Preparatory School in Hampton and later the Mall, a small private school in Twickenham and as a schoolboy, performed in plays, including Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. 
“When you go through such a long process of auditioning you kind of forget about getting it. It’s more like you keep going up and having a little bit of fun,” Pettyfer said.
The film became a hot topic for film critics. One review of Pettyfer’s performance described him as playing the role with an “earnest seriousness”, although another noted that he “isn’t quite at ease as an actor”. Media reports have specified that the film is expected to make Pettyfer a “teen idol”.
After Pettyfer completed filming on Stormbreaker, he did not discuss the film with anyone at his school, and decided to leave school and concentrate on his film career, as well as study drama full time at college. Now he is studying at Shiplake College boarding school. Pettyfer likes skiing, dancing, and hockey when not working.What’s the CORRECT time order of these events in Pettyfer’s career?
① He made his first appearance in a film.
② He made his first appearance in a play.
③ He made his first appearance on television.
④ He made his first appearance as a model.
| A．①②③④ | B．①②④③ | C．④③①② | D．④②③① |
Anthony Horowitz chose Pettyfer as the main character in Stormbreaker because ____.
| A．Pettyfer was born in a family of actors and models |
| B．Pettyfer made his first public appearance at an early age |
| C．Pettyfer performed well in Tom Brown’s Schooldays |
| D．Pettyfer performed best among the 500 boys who auditioned |
What can be inferred about the film version of Stormbreaker?
| A．It was a hit film. |
| B．All the reviews of this film are positive. |
C．Petty fer didn’t want to play in the film. |
| D．Pettyfer wasn’t satisfied with his performance in it. |
Which of the following statements best describes Pettyfer?
| A．He’s always ready to help others. |
| B．He’s too confident of his ability. |
| C．He prefers drama to films. |
| D．He likes doing sports in spare time. |