“Migrant workers”(外来务工人员) is a familiar term for 17-year-old Shi Jian. Her father and uncle often talk about the problems surrounding this group of people. However, Shi cares more about the children of these migrant workers.
Last year Shi’s housekeeper’s daughter had to give up her schooling in Beijing because she would not be allowed to sit the national college entrance exam. She was forced to continue her high school education in her hometown in Sichuan Province.
Shi thinks the current law is unfair for migrant workers’ children, as it prevents them from studying at public schools, unless their parents pay huge sums. So, Shi decided to do a survey of migrant workers so that she could find some solutions to help solve the problem.
In the last six months Shi spoke to 186 migrant workers in Beijing. Her interviewees include babysitters, guards, keepers, supermarket clerks, house cleaners and construction site workers. Shi found out that 55 of them were parents. Among this group, only eight have children who attend schools in Beijing. The other 47 had to leave children with relatives in the countryside. However, 40 of the 47 would like to enroll(使入学) their children in city schools.
From her interviews, Shi found that the workers’ lowest income was 400 yuan each month. Over one-third earn a monthly wage of or below 1000 yuan. “Even schools for migrant workers’ children charge more than public schools. Morever, parents constantly worry about these schools closing or relocating,” she explained.
Shi has recently completed a report about her survey, in which she makes a series of recommendations. “The government can set up public schools for migrants’ children equal to schools for city children. Second, to offset(弥补) migrant workers’ very low pay, public schools should offer them special rates so they can afford their children’s tuition(学费).What drove Shi to do the survey of migrant workers?
| A．Her curiosity about migrant workers’ lives |
| B．She was asked to do a survey of migrant workers as part of a school project. |
| C．Her housekeeper’s daughter was forced to move to her hometown to continue studying. |
| D．She wanted to draw people’s attention and become famous |
According to Shi’s survey, most migrant workers’ kids _____.
| A．don’t live together with their parents |
| B．attend schools near their parents’ working places |
| C．have to help their parents support the family |
| D．always do better in schools than children from the city. |
All of the following prevent migrant workers’ kids from attending schools in cities EXCEPT _____.
| A．their parents’ low income |
| B．their lack of confidence to face the fierce competitions in city schools |
| C．schools’ high tuitions |
| D．that schools for migrant workers’ children may close or relocate |
Shi suggested in her survey that _____.
| A．more private schools for migrants’ children should be built |
| B．more money should be collected for migrants’ children |
| C．children’s tuition should be reduced |
| D．students from the city and the countryside should be encouraged to communicate more |
Lying in the sun on a rock, the cougar(美洲狮) saw Jeb and his son, Tom, before they saw it. Jeb put his bag down quickly and pulled his jacket open with both hands, making himself look big to the cougar. It worked. The cougar hesitated, ready to attack Jeb, but ready to forget the whole thing, too.
Jeb let go of his jacket, grasped Tom and held him across his body, making a cross. Now the cougar’s enemy looked even bigger, and it rose up, ready to move away, but unfortunately Tom got scared and struggled free of Jeb.
“Tom，no!”shouted his father.
But Tom broke and ran and that’s the last thing you do with a cougar. The second Tom broke free, Jeb threw himself on the cougar, just as it jumped from the rock. They hit each other in mid-air and both fell. The cougar was on Jeb in a flash, forgetting about Tom, which was what Jeb wanted.
Cougars are not as big as most people think and a determined man stands a chance, even with just his fists. As the cougar’s claws(爪子) got into his left shoulder. Jeb swung his fist at its eyes and hit hard. The animal howled(吼叫) and put its head back. Jeb followed up with his other fist. Then out of the corner of his eye. Jeb saw Tom. The boy was running back to help his father.
“Knife, Tom,” shouted Jeb.
The boy ran to his father’s bag, while Jeb started shouting as well as hitting, to keep the cougar’s attention away from Tom. Tom got the knife and ran over to Jeb. The cougar was moving its head in and out, trying to find a way through the wall Jeb was making out of his arms. Tom swung with the knife, into the cougar’s back. It howled horribly and ran off into the mountains.
The whole fight had taken about thirty seconds.Why did Jeb pull his jacket open when he saw the cougar?
| A．To get ready to fight. | B．To frighten it away. |
| C．To protect the boy. | D．To cool down. |
What do we know about cougars?
| A．They are afraid of noises. |
| B．They hesitate before they hit. |
| C．They are bigger than we think. |
| D．They like to attack running people. |
How did Jeb try to hold the cougar’s attention?
| A．By keeping shouting and hitting. |
| B．By making a wall out of his arms. |
| C．By throwing himself on the cougar. |
| D．By swinging his fists at the cougar’s eyes. |
Which of the following happened first?
| A．The cougar jumped from the rock. |
| B．Tom struggled free of his father. |
| C．Jeb asked Tom to get the knife. |
| D．Jeb held Tom across his body. |
The Law to Keep the Oil Industry under Control
The Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting over such problems, and few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long. As on Norwegian politician said last week: “We will soon be changed beyond all recognition.”
Ever since the war, the Government has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle. During the past few years this programme has had a great deal of success: Tromso（特罗姆瑟[挪威北部港市]）has been built up into a local capital with a university, a large hospital and a healthy industry. But the oil industry has already started to draw people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins.
The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. With nearly 100 percent employment, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad.
The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegian way of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian. And it is the farmers and the fishermen who are most critical of the oil industry because of the damage that it might cause to the countryside and to the sea.The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to
A provide more jobs for foreign workers.
B slow down the rate of its development.
C sell the oil it is producing abroad.
D develop more quickly than at present.The Norwegian Government has tried to
A encourage the oil companies to discover new oil sources.
B prevent oil companies employing people from northern Norway.
C help the oil companies solve many of their problems.
D keep the oil industry to something near its present size.According to the passage, the oil industry might lead northern Norway to
A the development of industry.
B a growth in population.
C the failure of the development programme.
D the development of new towns.In the south, one effect to the development of the oil industry might be
A a large reduction on unemployment.
B a growth in the tourist industry.
C a reduction in the number of existing industries.
D the development of a number of service industries.Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because
A they form such a large part of Norwegian ideal.
B their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal.
C their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society.
D they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life.
The Law to Keep the Oil Industry under Control
The Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting over such problems, and few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long. As on Norwegian politician said last week: “We will soon be changed beyond all recognition.”
Ever since the war, the Government has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle. During the past few years this programme has had a great deal of success: Tromso（特罗姆瑟[挪威北部港市]）has been built up into a local capital with a university, a large hospital and a healthy industry. But the oil industry has already started to draw people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins.
The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. With nearly 100 percent employment, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad.
The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegian way of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian. And it is the farmers and the fishermen who are most critical of the oil industry because of the damage that it might cause to the countryside and to the sea.The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to
A provide more jobs for foreign workers.
B slow down the rate of its development.
C sell the oil it is producing abroad.
D develop more quickly than at present.The Norwegian Government has tried to
A encourage the oil companies to discover new oil sources.
B prevent oil companies employing people from northern Norway.
C help the oil companies solve many of their problems.
D keep the oil industry to something near its present size.According to the passage, the oil industry might lead northern Norway to
A the development of industry.
B a growth in population.
C the failure of the development programme.
D the development of new towns.In the south, one effect to the development of the oil industry might be
A a large reduction on unemployment.
B a growth in the tourist industry.
C a reduction in the number of existing industries.
D the development of a number of service industries.Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because
A they form such a large part of Norwegian ideal.
B their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal.
C their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society.
D they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life.
TV’s Harmfulness
Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television? How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn’t been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never fond it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the goggle box. We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that programme. We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do – anything, providing it doesn’t interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.
Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly（电视）. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is a universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn’t matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials or spectacles of sadism and violence – so long as they are quiet.
There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day, television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programmes are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programmes, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in preliterate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pictures and the spoken word.
Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world itself. Television may be s splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King Telly.What is the biggest harm of TV?
A It deprives people of communication with the real world.
B People become lazy.
C People become dependent on second-hand experience.
D TV consumes a large part of one’s life.In what way can people forget TV?
A Far away from civilization. B To a mountain. C By the sea. D In quiet natural surroundings.What does a mother usually do to keep her children quiet?
A Let them watch the set. B Put them in the living room.
C Let them watch the rubbish. D Let them alone.What does the first sentence in the first paragraph mean?
A We found it difficult to occupy our spare time. B We become addicted to TV.
C What we used to do is different from now. D We used to enjoy civilized pleasures.
Strictly Ban smoking
If you smoke and you still don’t believe that there’s a definite（一定的）link between smoking and bronchial（支气管的）troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking. This needn’t make you too uncomfortable because you are in good company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures. In Britain for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.
You don’t have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It’s almost like a tax on our daily bread. In tax revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking may, conceivable, be harmful, it doesn’t do to shout too loudly about it.
This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease. Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better-off if smoking were banned altogether.
Of course, we are not ready for such a drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare of their peoples, you’d think they’d conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising. Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisement always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy! Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense!
For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning – say, a picture of a death’s head – should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals, we are certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves.Why do a few governments take timid measures toward smoking?
A because they are afraid of people. B Because diseases cost a lot.
C Because they are afraid of the cutting down of their revenue.
D Because they are afraid of manufacturers.The tone of this passage is________________.
A critical. B ironical（讽刺的用反语的）. C distaste（不喜欢）. D amusing.What does the sentence “because you are in good company” mean?
A you are backed by the government. B You are not alone.
C You have good colleagues. D Governments are blind to evils of smoking too.What is the best title of this passage?
A World Governments should conduct serious campaigns against smoking.
B World governments take timid measures against smoking.
C smoking is the most important source of income to many countries.
D tobacco industry spends a large sum of money on medical research.