Three Japanese tourists taking a holiday in Australia got stuck when their GPS told them they could drive from the mainland to an island, failing to mention the 15 kilometres of water and mud in between.
As they drove their hired car from Moreton Bay to nearby North Stradbroke Island, they started to notice the firm surface they were driving on giving way to the well-known bay mud. However, being confident that their GPS would direct them to a road soon, they decided to drive on, managing to travel around 500 metres before their car was up to its tires in mud. To make matters worse, the tide(潮汐) started to come in and soon forced them to seek help and abandon the vehicle. Just four hours later the car was trapped in two metres of water — to the great amusement of onlookers on the shore and passengers on passing boats and ferries.
Yuzu Noda, 21, said she was listening to the GPS and “it told us we could drive down there. It kept saying it would navigate(导航) us to a road. But we got stuck…there’s lots of mud.” She and her travel companions Tomonari Saeki, 22, and Keita Osada, 21, instead had to give up their plans for a day trip to the island and headed back to the Gold Coast of a lift from the RACQ tow truck(吊车) driver who was called to the trapped car. No such luck for the hired car though – after assessing the situation, no attempt was made to recover it. The students from Tokyo, who are due to return home tomorrow, said the experience would not put them off returning to Australia for another visit. Mr. Tomonari said, “It has rained every day on our six day holiday. Hopefully next time we come back, it will be sunny.”
The car was covered by insurance, but the tourists will have to pay up to about $1500 in extra charges.The three Japanese tourists got stuck because___________.
| A．there was no way to the island |
| B．their GPS was broken during their journey |
| C．their GPS had given the wrong information |
| D．their car was not made in Japan |
They didn’t abandon their car until _________.
| A．some onlookers went to save them |
| B．they got stuck in the mud |
| C．there came the tide |
| D．they managed to travel around 500 metres |
How did these Japanese students get back?
| A．They had to walk back to their living place. |
| B．They had to take a lift from the tow truck driver. |
| C．They had to repair their GPS and drove back. |
| D．They had to turn to passengers on boats and ferries. |
Most Americans get what money they have from their work; that is, they earn an income from wages or salaries. The richest Americans, however, get most of their money from what they own — their stocks, bonds, real estate, and other forms of property, or wealth. Although there are few accurate statistics to go by, wealth in American society appears to be concentrated in very few hands. More than 20 percent of everything that can be privately owned is held by less than one percent of the adult population and more than 75 percent of all wealth is owned by 20 percent of American adults. The plain fact is that most Americans have no wealth at all aside from their homes, automobiles, and a small amount of savings.
Income in the United States is not as highly concentrated as wealth. In 1917 the richest 10 percent of American families received 26.1 percent of all income, while the poorest 10 percent received 17 percent, mainly from Social Security and other government payments. The most striking aspect of income distribution is that it has not changed significantly since the end of World War II. Although economic growth has roughly doubled real disposable (可自由使用的) family income (the money left after taxes and adjusted for inflation) over the last generation, the size of the shares given to the rich and the poor is about the same. By any measure economic inequality is great in the United States.
The reality behind these statistics is that a large number of Americans are poor. In 1918, 14 percent of the population was living below the federal government’s poverty line, which at that time was an annual income of $ 9 287 for a nonfarm family of two adults and two children. In other words, about one out of seven Americans over 31 million people was officially considered unable to buy the basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter. The suggested poverty line in 1981 would have been an income of about $11, 200 for a family of four. By this relative definition, about 20 percent of the population or more than 45 million Americans are poor. What does the majority of the Americans have in terms of wealth?
| A．Their income and savings. |
| B．Their house, cars and small amounts of savings. |
| C．Everything they own in their homes. |
| D．Actually, they have no wealth at all. |
What is the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of most Americans?
| A．Less than 25%. | B．More than 25%. |
| C．More than 75%. | D．Less than 20%. |
Why is economic inequality still great in the US in spite of the economic growth?
| A．Because the economic growth has widened the gap of the family income between the rich and the poor. |
| B．Because income in the US is still concentrated in the hands of the richest 10% of American families. |
| C．Because the proportion of income received by the rich and the poor remains almost the same as in 1917. |
| D．Because some Americans made great fortunes during the Second World War. |
What can we learn from comparison of the two poverty lines in the last paragraph?
| A．The poverty line of 1918 is more favorable to the poor than that of 1981. |
| B．The 1981 line didn’t leave much to the poor. |
| C．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1918 line. |
| D．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1981 line. |
From the last two sentences we can see that 1981 government’s poverty line _______.
| A．was of no good for the poor | B．was officially approved |
| C．was not helpful to the poor | D．was not put into operation then |
The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly.“Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear. |
| B．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything. |
| C．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing. |
| D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning. |
What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?
| A．annoyed | B．convinced |
| C．got over | D．made less angry |
What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ______．
| A．how angry she was | B．how effectively she handled Mr．Carr |
| C．that she didn’t cry | D．that she was able to save him |
What was the mother’s attitude toward Alfred?
| A．She was very strict with him． | B．She was supportive of him． |
| C．She felt disappointed with him． | D．She was afraid of him． |
From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ______．
| A．was no longer a youth | B．felt proud of his mother |
| C．felt guilty and regretful for his deed | D．wanted his mother to be happy |
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet．Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first．
The first thing to do it you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile （简介） which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on．A photograph is optional, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile．Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-lime registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world．You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code．Another advantage is that you can communicate by e-mail before you meet in person．Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating．It is an excellent way for shy people to meet．It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests．
Just as in traditional dating and love, there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating．The person you have been talking to on the Net may not be who they say they are, Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons．It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time．Nevertheless, taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun．The purpose of writing the passage is to _____．
| A．persuade readers to go dating on the Internet |
| B．inform us how to date on the Internet |
| C．warn readers against web love |
| D．introduce Internet dating to us |
Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
| A．A photo． | B．A profile． | C．Money． | D．Business experience． |
One advantage of Internet dating is that _____．
| A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning |
| B．you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests |
| C．you’ll find absolutely dependable information of others |
| D．you’ll gain fame and money overnight |
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Traditional dating． | B．Hidden advantages． |
| C．Safety measures． | D．Romantic love． |
The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means ______
| A．rules | B．trends | C．problems | D．skills |
“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump(树桩) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s not about going to a temple to burn some incense(香) hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups; those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “lucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman’s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’s point?
| A．Make the best of a bad job. |
| B．Rome was not built in a day. |
| C．All is not gold that glitters. |
| D．A good heart conquers ill fortune. |
What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?
| A．She became famous through her family background. |
| B．She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks in her life. |
| C．She is a British talk show host. |
| D．She became successful by her own effort. |
The writer quoted the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show __________.
| A．luck is in your own hand |
| B．bad luck can turn into good |
| C．you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you |
| D．man can conquer nature |
Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of nonfarm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September.
Not only have more and more women entered the labor market over the years, but the depression has been harder on men. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost eleven percent compared to eight percent for women.
Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women.
Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And women hold fifty-one percent of good-paying management and professional jobs.
Yet a study released Thursday said men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at the four hundred large companies in California. The results have remained largely unchanged in live years of studies from the University of California, Davis.
Also, a new research paper in the journal Sex Roles looks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their family. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found they all valued their independence and many enjoyed having the power of control, though not all wanted it.
But they also felt pressure, worry and guilt. Partly that was because of cultural expectations that working women will still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened.
The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year’s financial crash. Now, a judgment has been reached in the first case involving charges of criminal wrongdoing on Wall Street.
Last week, the government lost its case against two managers at Bear Stearns, the first investment bank to fail last year. A jury found Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin not guilty of lying to investors.
The hedge funds they supervised lost their value in two thousand seven. But jurors said there was no clear evidence that they meant to mislead investors.
The Justice Department continues to investigate other companies.Why is the unemployment rate for men higher.
| A．Because there are more men workers in industries. |
| B．Because many industries mainly employing men now don’t need so many workers. |
| C．More and more women take the place of men. |
| D．Because health care and temporary employment services don’t employ men. |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．women haven’t got complete equality as men |
| B．only by becoming the main earners in their family can women gain a high position |
| C．all women now value independence and the power of control |
| D．taking care of children is now shared by men and women |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Men hate that women earn more money. |
| B．It is commonly believed that women should take care of children. |
| C．The job market has recovered from the effect of the financial crisis. |
| D．Now women working full time earn more than men. |
Why does the government accuse two managers?
| A．They contributed to the financial crash. |
B．They led a corrupt life. |
| C．They lied to investors. |
D．A jury found them misleading investors. |