In this century the traditional American family is constantly faced with the threat of breakdown. Some sociologists suggest that one little-noticed cause may be the introduction of the TV dinner.
Before the appearance of television sets, the American dinner was a big event for the family. In many homes, dinner time may be the only time when everyone got together. A typical dinner was usually in three stages. In the preparation stage, the children and Father frequently helped with setting while Mother put the last touches on the roast. In the eating stage, family members shared the day’s experiences and more than food was eaten. In this stage families got to know one another and made joint decisions around the dinner table, and thus the family unit was strengthened. In the cleaning-up stage, children or Father again gave their hands, so that their importance to the home community was clear. Unfortunately, all of these have been removed by a product-the television set.
By the beginning of the 1980s, the typical American family dinner was just twenty minutes long. The speed-up of the once-leisurely experiences is clearly connected to the pace of modern life and maybe a model of the modern life is the TV dinners-meals designed to be eaten from the beginning to the end of a half-hour program. The once family affair has now become nothing more than the use of a fork and knife.
The underlined word in the second paragraph can be replaced by
| A．big | B．important | C．combined | D．separate |
In the past, Americans tended to .
| A．spend more time eating their food at dinner table | B．eat more food than they have today |
| C．spend more time talking about their day’s experiences at dinner table | |
| D．talk so much that they forgot to eat |
The shortening of the dinner time in America is related to .
| A．The TV programs | B．the pace of modern life |
| C．the wide use of electrical equipment | D．the popularity of fast food |
. The best title for this passage might be
| A．Talk at Dinner Table | B．TV Dinner | C．Pace of Modern Life | D．Problems Caused by TV |
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 --- Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people's average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.
36．According to the passage, what is the average housing price per square meter in China?
A．8000 yuan B．10000 yuan C．7000 yuan D．It's not mentioned here
37．Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality,
environment and supporting facilities.
B．American people's average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese
people.
C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property
developers do when they sell their houses.
D．There are more people who need houses in China.
38．What is the main idea of this passage?
A．The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something
useful to prevent it.
B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market.
C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.
D．Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.
39．How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high
housing prices?
A．Four B．Three C．Five D．Two
Officials say an elephant has killed an American woman and her baby while the family was on a tour in Kenya．Kenya Wildlife Service official Michel Kipkeu said Sharon Brown，39, was holding her one-year-old daughter when they were trampled (踩踏) by the elephant Monday．Melia van Laar, owner of the castle Forest Hotel，where the family was walking with a guide about 2 kilometers from the hotel when an elephant came out from the bush at full speed．The father of the family is a teacher in Naiobi．Friends and colleagues held funeral services Wednesday．
From world leaders on the White House lawn to people at the bus stop，the common handshake is the universal greeting of peace and kindness．But young people are kissing goodbye to traditional social etiquette (礼节)，killing off the handshake, researchers say．The custom is seen as too formal by many, who prefer to touch fists or blow an air kiss instead．Nearly 74 percent of adults shake hands less than they used to — and only 45 percent of under-25s use the greeting．But many prefer no physical contact at all, a side effect of the growing fear of diseases，according to the survey of 1,000 people．
The growing mountain of e-waste will cause great environmental damage if no new strategies are produced to deal with the discarded televisions, mobile phones and computers，the UN Environment Program (UNEP) study said．Electronic waste is piling up around the world at a rate estimated at 40 million tons a year．China produces 2.6 million tons of electronic waste a year, second only to the United States with 3.3 million tons, it said．LNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the globe was ill-prepared to deal with the explosion of electronic products over the past decade．What’s the main idea of the 1
paragraph?
| A．Tour in Kenya |
| B．Kenya wildlife Service |
| C．A one-year-old girl trampled by an elephant |
| D．American mother, baby killed by elephant in Kenya |
Yong people wave goodbye to handshakes because
| A．they prefer physical contact |
| B．many young people think handshaking is too formal |
| C．they prefer to touch fists or blow an air kiss |
| D．they are not accustomed to handshaking |
What ean be inferred from passage three?
| A．America ranks first in producing e-waste a year |
| B．China produces 2.6 million tons of electronic waste a year |
| C．the globe was ill prepared to deal with the explosion of electronic products |
| D．The growlng mountain of e-wasted won’t cause great environmental damage． |
The underlined word“discarded”means
| A．disliked | B．deserted | C．scarred | D．scared |
The passages are most likely to appear in a/an
| A．brochure | B．science book | C．newspaper | D．magazine |
BUKHANNON, West Virginia—Two rescue teams slowly moved along a two-mile path on Monday night to the site of a coal mine explosion that trapped 13 miners, who had not been heard from since the early morning accident.
Meanwhile, at a nearby church, more than 250 family members and friends gathered, waiting for updates（最新报道）on the rescuers’ progress.
The miners were trapped at about 6:30 and many families weren’t informed of the accident until about 10 a.m-more than three hours after it happened. “It’s very upsetting, but you’ve got to be patient, I guess,” said John Helms, whose brother, Terry, was trapped in the mine.
The trapped miners were about 260 feet underground and about 10,000 feet from the Sago Mine’s entrance, said Roger Nicholson, general counsel from International Coal Group.
At a late night news conference, Nicholson said one team had advanced about 4,800 feet in the four hours since entering the mine just before 6 p.m. Another team entered the mine about 30 minutes later.
He said the crew was very experienced, with some members having worked underground for 30 to 35 years. The miners were equipped with about one hour of breathable oxygen each. The company has not released the names of the miners.
The teams test the air about every 500 feet, and have to disconnect (remove) the power to the phones they use to communicate with the surface before doing that. “We don’t want to be energizing anything if it’s in an atmosphere with burnable gases,” Kips said. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. High levels of carbon monoxide were detected shortly after the explosion, which delayed rescue efforts, but those levels have since subsided（减退）, authorities said.
53. According to the passage, we can infer that ______.
A. all the miners who were trapped underground were still alive
B. communication with the trapped miners was cut off
C. the two rescue teams entered the mine at the same time
D. the rescue started as soon as the accident happened
54. If the first team advanced at an average speed, they could dig about ______ per hour.
A. 1,000 feet B. 2,400 feet C. 1,200 feet D. 4,800 feet
55. Where can the passage be seen?
A. In a magazine. B. In a newspaper.
C. In a science book.. D. On an advertisement.
56. Which of the following shows the position where the miners were trapped?
The hottest show this summer-the “Voice” just finished on Sunday at the Shanghai Stadium．But the show that had a good start didn't end to everyone's satisfaction．The two and a half hour show dragged on for more than four hours because of the huge amount of advertising, which the audience and residents（居民） living nearby could hardly bear．
This summer, something hotter than the weather came to Shanghai. That is the Voice of China．The show soon became a cash cow for the organizer as the advertisement prices reached 1.16 million yuan for 15 seconds. And the show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now in ad income only. But the organizers’ bliss（快乐） was audiences’ melancholy（悲哀）．
In the final live show on Sunday, about 14 rounds of advertisements were aired, each of which came at a crucial result-announcing moment.
Frequently interrupted by advertisements, some audience complained that the show wasn’t worth its ticket prices of 180 to 1680 yuan.
The planned two and a half hour show went two hours overtime because of the advertising. This annoyed audience members, and touched the nerves(神经) of residents living near the site.
Someone called the police, and the show is now facing punishment for going over-time and disturbing residents late at night.Why didn’t “the Voice” make audience satisfied?
| A．It failed to attract audience attention in the end． |
| B．It failed to make audience satisfied． |
| C．It increased by one and a half hours and audience couldn’t bear it． |
| D．It was full of so many advertisements that audience can’t tolerate them． |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The show lasted for two and a half hours. |
| B．Someone called the police because they can’t bear the noises late at night. |
| C．The show was worth its ticket prices because the audience watched many advertisements. |
| D．The show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now totally. |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．The Voice of China—the most popular TV show of last summer. |
| B．The Voice of China—I want you. |
| C．The Voice of China—hard to say I love you. |
| D．The Voice of China—the noises of China. |
This passage is organized in the pattern of____.
| A．time and event | B．comparison and contrast |
| C．cause and effect | D．definition and classification |
HONG KONG-----Hong Kong Disneyland is too crowded,a senior Chinese tourism official said today,hinting that another Disney Park is necessary to accommodate demand from China’s huuge population.
The comments by Shao Qiwei,director of China’s State Administration of Tourism, came a day after Shanghai’s mayor Han Zheng said the city was preparing to build China’s second Disney theme park.
“China has a very large population.We now have 1.3 bullion people. The market is very large.As far as I know,Hong Kong Disneyland is now very crowded.”said Shao,whose comments were broadcast on Hong Kong’s Cable TV.
The Hong Kong theme park,which opened in September,was widely criticized in January when it turned away hundreds of Lunar New Year holiday makers from mainland China because the park was full. Chaos(混乱) erupted when angry crowds tried to force their way into the park.
The embarrassing incident prompted a public apology from Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest and a dressing down from Hong Kong’s leader Donald Tsang.Authorities are carefully studying the issue of overcrowding in preparation for the possible building of the Disney park in Shanghai.Shao said.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that no agreement has been reached on the park in Shanghai,quoting senior vice president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Leslie Goodman. Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the local government, which shouldered the bulk of the park’s construction fees.
68.Why is it necessary to build a Disney park in Shanghai?
A.Hong Kong Disneyland can’t meet the need of the large population.
B. Hong Kong Disneyland is too small and very crowded.
C.Hong Kong Disney Park was criticized by tourists.
D. Hong Kong Disneyland is far from the mainland.
69.Hundreds of visitors from mainland China got angry because_____.
A.the services in the park were not as good as expected.
B.they were not allowed to go into the park.
C.the park was too crowded. D. chaos happened at the entrance to the park.
70.The building of a Disney park in Shanghai_____.
A.has been agreed to by The Walt Disney Co. B.is financed by The Walt Disney Co.
C.willl be in the charge of the Shanghai government.
D.remains to be discussed with The Walt Disney Co.
HOUSTON (Reuters) — Houston tops a U.S. magazine’s annual fattest cities list for the fourth time in five years, with four other Texas cities in the top 25.
Fast food restaurants — Houston has twice the national average number — are partly to blame for the dishonor, Men’s Fitness editor-in-chief Neal Boulton said.
“Americans work long hours, don’t take vacations, and when they’re faced with the worst food choices, they indulge (沉溺于) in those,” he said.
High humidity, poor air quality and some of the nation’s longest commute (每天去上班的路程) times also helped Texas’ most populous city unseat Detroit, the 2003 heavy weight champion, the magazine said.
Houston Mayor Bill White, who has worked with a major food company to develop healthy food products and the city’s public schools to improve lunch menus, called the report “mostly ungrounded and nonsense.”
“On the other hand, it calls attention to real issues the mayor is trying to deal with,” his spokesman, Frank Michel, said.
The magazine said it looked at factors such as the number and types of restaurants, park space, air quality, weather and the number of health clubs.
Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago followed Houston on the seventh edition of the fat list. Texas cities Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso were in the top 14, which Boulton said was no surprise.
“It’s pure big indulgence, just living big, and that’s part of the culture,” said Boulton.
Seattle ranked as the fittest city. Austin and Arlington, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, were the only Texas cities on the fit list. Austin was 19th and Arlington 22nd out of 25.What decides the magazine’s annual fattest list?
| A．The size of fat population. | B．The number of fast food restaurants. |
| C．The economic growth rate of the state. | D．Things related to unhealthy ways of life. |
Which city topped 2003 fattest cities list?
| A．Houston. | B．Dallas. | C．Detroit. | D．Philadelphia. |
By saying “living big” (in Paragraph 9), Boulton means people _________.
| A．are growing fatter | B．are living wastefully |
C．eat too many fatty foods | D．are spending too much time working |
Which of the following is best supported by the text?
| A．Texas has the most fat cities in the U.S. |
| B．Bill White is happy with the newspaper report. |
| C．People in Texas are the most hardworking in the U.S. |
| D．Most school children in Houston have weight problems. |
1. TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tel: 652 - 1158.
2. SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bulls Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789 – 6749 .
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
3. SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688－4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.
Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio?
| A．At the Bull’s Head on Sunday. | B．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
| C．At the Bull on Saturday. | D．At the Black Horse on Saturday. |
Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
| A．At the Derby Arms on Friday. | B．At the Black Horse on Friday. |
| C．At the Star and Garter on Saturday. | D．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
| A．789—6749. | B．789—4536. | C．682—1158. | D．688—4626. |
You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
| A．Disco at The Lord Napier． |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse． |
| C．The electric accordion at The Derby Arms． |
| D．Jazz at The Bull's Head． |
You want to spend the same day at two different places and don't want to cross any street．Which or the following is your best choice?
| A．The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull's Head． |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms． |
| C．Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull． |
| D．Musical Hall at The Star & Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier． |
News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses:
Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky
I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, “Did you Google it?” Such a catchphrase (时髦话) is going to be hard to beat.
Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio
I think the merger (合并) will provide more competitions for Google. I don’t think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers.
Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California
I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization (垄断). Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!
Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida
It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don’t like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google.
Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri
Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.How many companies are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Shaun’s attitude towards Google is passive. |
| B．Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future. |
| C．Rick will support Google after the merger. |
| D．Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features. |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．the future of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| B．the strengths of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| C．the strengths and weaknesses of large companies |
| D．opinions on the merger of Yahoo and Microsoft. |
Every day we are bombarded with images, videos, music and news. In this age of visual and aural hyper-stimulation, the medium of radio is making a phenomenal comeback.
“We're at the dawn of a golden age of audio," said US-based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald. In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast. These statistics, released by Edison Research, reveal the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day's digital podcast format. The term "podcast," was coined in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. Since the leap in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast subscription rates have only accelerated.
The appeal of the podcast partially resides in its multiplatform delivery and on-demand capabilities. You can tune in during those extra minutes of the day when you're walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway. Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week.
Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney university media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTunes .”I listen while I'm pottering around the house doing something else. It makes completing a boring task a lot more enjoyable..... And it's an easy way of keeping in touch with what's going on in the rest of the world," she said.
Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers. Blumberg says this comes down to the podcast's ability "to create intimacy and emotional connection." Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, major in social work and arts, agrees. "When you're tuned in, it feels as if the voice of the podcast's narrator is talking directly to you. It's comforting," said Proust.From the passage, we can learn that____.
| A．Radio is developing more quickly than mediums with images, videos, music and news. |
| B．Podcast has its origin in the traditional radio broadcasts. |
| C．In the last month alone, 15 percent of world adults listened to a radio podcast. |
| D．Podcast was becoming popular from 2004. |
By saying "We're at the dawn of a golden age of audio," Alex Blumberg wants to
Tell us that ______
| A．Traditional radio broadcasts will be loved by people again. |
| B．Radio has attracted more people than TV and other forms of media . |
| C．Radio will be more and more popular in the form of podcast. |
| D．The Sydney Morning Herald will help radio become popular again. |
For podcast, which is wrong?
| A．You can listen to it at any time and any place. |
| B．You can download it without pay. |
| C．You can learn new content every week from it. |
| D．You can listen to it according to your own demand. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer
| A．television and music has become less popular . |
| B．Hazel Proust has different opinions with Blumberg |
| C．podcast can build up close relationship with listeners |
| D．using podcast the narrator can talk to listeners directly |
Global financial big dogs are no match for China's "Da Ma", or housewives, who have crowded into gold stores across China, buying up 300 tons of gold over the past two weeks. No wonder gold prices have steadied after taking a dive.
During the May Day holiday, gold stores were crowded with mostly female customers. Most of them are middle-aged "Chinese housewives". This group of buyers has risen to fame recently. They are big spenders and are desperate to get their hands on a bargain. "I bought some gold jewellery and kept them as a gift for my son when he gets married," said a buyer from Shanghai.
The gold business is skyrocketing. "Our sales are growing by the day. Yesterday we sold more than ten million yuan of gold products," a gold store salesperson said. The gold rush in China started about two weeks ago thanks to a decline in global gold prices. Media reports suggest that Chinese housewives have spent about 100 billion yuan, or about 16 billion US dollars, purchasing 300 tons of gold since mid-April. That has helped support gold prices.
"Gold prices depressed since the middle of last month but have risen gradually. That is mainly due to the strong demand from Asian markets," said foreign trader Zhang Chen from Industrial & Commercial Bank of China. "Some people even joked that Chinese housewives have beaten Wall Street analysts." For Chinese people, with limited investment options, the only thing better than buying gold is buying gold at discount prices.What does the author mean by the underlined sentence of the first paragraph?
| A．The global big dogs can’t match with Chinese housewives. |
| B．China's "Da Ma" help a lot to support the global economic crisis. |
| C．Chinese housewives spend a great deal of money on gold. |
| D．Chinese housewives have a better consumption idea than global financial big dogs. |
The whole passage mainly developed_______ ?
| A．by comparison | B．by contrast | C．by quotation | D．by time order |
We can infer about the gold rush in China from the passage?
| A．The Chinese housewives are most willing to spend money in buying gold. |
| B．China's "Da Ma" crowded into stores to get gold as the best gifts for sons when they get married. |
| C．China's "Da Ma" are bigger spenders and cleverer than global financial big dogs. |
| D．China’s "Da Ma" become the largest gold buyers due to a decline in global gold prices. |
The author’s description about the passage is ______.
| A．negative | B．subjective | C．doubtful | D．objective |
Worried about how many calories you will get in that piece of pizza, chocolate cake or bag of chips? A new iphone application Mealsnap may help. Users just need to take a picture of the meal with the phone, and it will give a calorie read-out almost immediately.
Mealsnap was developed by DailyBurn, a health social network that focuses on helping its users lead healthier lifestyles. It has created several other health and diet-related iphone applications. The applications gives users a quick reply. To do that, it matches the taken picture to a databank containing the calorie information of nearly 500,000 kinds of food. Users then get the range of calories for the meal that is photographed.
We started with something simple — an apple. A couple of minutes later the application replied that it was an apple and between 64 and 96 calories. More impressive was the reply we received after sending a photo of mixed salad bowl. Mealsnap replied that the bowl contained “yellow rice with corn, boiled eggs and beans” and that the food was between 532 and 798 calories.
Mr. Smith, director of DailyBurn, said that usual calorie counting needed a long time, but that the application made it easier to know the calories in food. That’s why it is so popular among those who are trying hard to lose weight.
In addition, Mealsnap can serve as a food diary. No need to write down what they’ve eaten, the photos will be stored. Then users can keep a visual log (记录). Mr. Smith said: “It’s like a food journal, but easier. All you do is to take the picture. The simple act of recording something can cause a psychological change that can help people on their health journey. Knowing the calorie range makes me think more about what I’m eating.
60. The purpose of DailyBurn is to _______.
| A．help people have a healthy life |
| B．make iphone more popular |
| C．help people find ways to lose weight |
| D．persuade people to buy iphone products |
61. We can know from the passage that Mealsnap is ________.
| A．a camera | B．a phone | C．a calculator | D．an application |
62. What can be learned from the third paragraph?
| A．Mealsnap can also tell what the food is. |
| B．Mealsnap is only useful for simple things. |
| C．The result of Mealsnap isn’t always right. |
| D．Mealsnap needs a long time to show the calorie range. |
63. Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Mealsnap iphones work as a health signal |
| B．Mealsnap iphones offer you a health signal |
| C．Mealsnap iphones — the best-selling phones |
| D．Mealsnap iphones count your calories |
Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
"I have two kids in college, and I want to say come home. ' but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education," says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family, did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his' borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $ 20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear from more families like the Jacobses. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition (学费) continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147% . Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade.
"If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Calan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt."
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.According to Paragraph 1. why did the plan of the Jacobs family fail?
| A．The twins wasted too much money. | B．The father was out of work. |
| C．Their saving ran out. | D．The family fell apart. |
How did the Jacobses manage to solve their problem?
| A．They asked their kids to come home. |
| B．They borrowed $20, 000 from the schools. |
| C．They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs. |
| D．They got help from the schools and the federal government. |
Financial aid administrators believe that________.
| A．more families will face the same problem as the Jacobses |
| B．the government will receive more letters of complaint |
| C．college tuition fees will double soon |
| D．America's unemployment will fall |
What can we learn about the middle class families from they text?
| A．They blamed the government for the tuition increase. |
| B．Their income increased steady in the last decade. |
| C．They will try their best to send kids to college. |
| D．Their debts will be paid off within 25 years. |
According to the last paragraph the government will________.
| A．provide most students with scholarships |
| B．dismiss some financial aid administrators |
| C．stop the companies from making student loans |
| D．go on providing financial support for college students |
Tokyo - Drivers in China are no longer in a hurry to own Toyota Motor Corp's cars.
Neil Hu, a sales manager at a Toyota dealership in Beijing, said he has stopped charging a 5,000 yuan ($732) premium to customers who want to skip the waiting list for RAV4 sport- utility vehicles. He took the initiative after the Japanese carmaker recalled 75,552 of the SUVs in China last month to fix gas pedals that may stick.
"I heard the situation in the US is pretty bad for Toyota," Hu said. "The recall has impacted us as well."
Toyota, which grew more slowly than competitors in China in 2009, will likely lose more market share and see a decline in local profit margin this year, analysts say. The carmaker has relied on a reputation for quality and safety to sell high margin, mid- to large-size models even as the world's biggest auto market shifts to cheaper, smaller cars, encouraged by government incentives.
With Toyota's brand damaged by global recalls of millions of vehicles, profit margins for its SUVs and Camry and Crown sedans may shrink, said Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia Ltd, an industry consultant.
"With this recall saga, Toyota's premium pricing power in China is gone," Chotai said. "Toyota's cars don't have enough good value for money."
Toyota has lost $24.5 billion in market capitalization this year as it recalled over 8 million cars globally to fix defects linked to unintended acceleration. The company faces at least 118 class actions in the US and at least 36 individual lawsuits claiming deaths and injuries caused by sudden acceleration of Toyota or Lexus vehicles.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda flew directly to Beijing on March 2 to apologize for the vehicle defects, after attending US Congressional hearings about the recalls in Washington. He skipped Europe's Geneva auto show, underscoring the growing importance of the Chinese market.
Toyota rose for a fifth straight day in Tokyo, advancing 0.9 percent to 3,580 yen as of 9:44 am local time. The carmaker's shares have fallen 7.7 percent this year.
The company's February China sales rose 30 percent to 45,400 vehicles, underperforming the overall passenger-car. According to the passage, why did Toyota carmaker recall their cars in China last month? _____________
| A．Because it faced law suits in the US |
| B．Because there were problems with the cars. |
| C．Because of the importance of the Chinese market |
| D．Because the customers are not satisfied with the charging of a 5,000 Yuan premium. |
What does the underlined phrase“take the initiative” mean?
| A．took the advice | B．changed his mind | C．took the action | D．made the decision |
Why did Toyota president Akio Toyota skip Europe’s Geneva auto show?
| A．Because he did not think it important |
| B．Because he was not satisfied with the hearing in the US |
| C．Because he attached importance to the Chinese Market |
| D．Because he needed to make an apology to Chinese |
After the global recalls of millions vehicles, Toyota will be impacted in the following aspects, EXCEPT_________.
| A．Its brand will be damaged |
| B．Its profit margins will shrink |
| C．It will have to face law suits |
| D．The president will be fired |
Where can read the passage? __________
| A．newspaper |
| B．magazine |
| C．encyclopedia |
| D．a school book |
Weather Report
(8:00 a.m. December 17—8:00 a.m. December 18)
Influenced by a cold front northern Xinjiang, the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the northern and eastern parts of Heilongjiang are expected to experience light snow today. Drizzle (小雨) is forecast for most areas of Sichuan and western coastal areas of South China. Northerly winds of force 4-6 are expected to affect western and southwestern Inner Mongolia, and most parts of Northeast China while northerly winds of force 5-7 will sweep across the Bohai Sea, the northern parts of the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, the Taiwan Straits, and the central and northern parts of the South China Sea.
Weather forecast for major Chinese cities
| City |
Max(℃)℃C) |
Min(℃) |
Weather |
| Beijing |
10 |
－2 |
clear |
| Changchun |
0 |
－6 |
clear |
| Changsha |
19 |
5 |
clear |
| Chengdu |
9 |
4 |
drizzle |
| Chongqing |
10 |
5 |
overcast |
| Dalian |
12 |
3 |
clear |
| Fuzhou |
18 |
－12 |
cloudy |
| Guangzhou |
23 |
15 |
cloudy |
| Guilin |
19 |
4 |
clear |
| Haikou |
19 |
14 |
overcast |
| Hangzhou |
18 |
5 |
clear |
| Harbin |
－3 |
－8 |
clear |
| Hong Kong |
21 |
16 |
cloudy |
| Jinan |
14 |
3 -„: ;;.;;:;,.:-,-,;., |
clear ^A-^ ^.-,.-.1 |
According to the weather report, we know it doesn’t rain in many areas except ______.
| A．Xinjiang | B．Qinghai-Tibet | C．Heilongjiang | D．Chengdu |
From December 17 to December 18, if you go to ______, you may be caught in the snow.
| A．Northern Xinjiang and Tibet | B．Sichuan and South China |
| C．Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang | D．Qinghai and Sichuan |
On December 17, the East China Sea will be swept by ______.
| A．a cold front | B．light snow |
| C．northerly winds of force 4-6 | D．northerly winds of force 5-7 |
The temperature in Harbin Min(℃) is ___ lower than that in Guangzhou Min(℃).
| A．23 | B．31 | C．26 | D．7 |
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