Rescuers have found the bodies of over 130 people killed in two ferry disasters in Bangladesh.The accidents happened during a storm that hit the country on April 21st.Hundreds more are missing or feared to be dead.
The two ferries sank in different rivers near the capital city of Dhakfi as strong winds and rain hit the South Asian country.The government has since banned all ferries and other boats from traveling at night during the April-May stormy season. One of the ferries,MV Mitali,was carrying far more people than it was supposed to.About 400 passengers fitted into a space made for just 300,police said.The second ferry carried about 100 passengers.
“The number of deaths is certain to rise.”said an official in charge of the rescue work.“No one really knows how many people were on board the ferry or how many of them survived.” Ferries in Bangladesh don’t always keep passenger lists,making it difficult to determine the exact number of people on board.Besides the ferry accidents,at least 40 people were killed and 400 injured by lightning strikes.falling houses and trees and the sinking of small boats.Storms are common this time of year in Bangladesh,as are boating accidents.Ferry disasters take away hundreds of lives every year in a nation of 130 million people.Officials blame these river accidents on a lack of safety measures, too many passengers in boats and not enough checks on weather conditions. Ferries are a common means of transport in Bangladesh.It is a country covered by about 230 rivers.Some 20,000 ferries use the nation’s Waterways every year.And many of them are dangerously overcrowded.Since 1977, more than 3,000 people have died in some 260 boating accidents.
The two ferry disasters occurred_______.
A.at noon | B.in the morning | C.at night. | D.In the afternoon. |
_______ passengers was MV Mitali designed to carry?
A.500 | B.100 | C.400 | D.300 |
Officials attribute boating accident to _______
A.strong winds. | B.bad weather conditions. |
C.the blockages of waterways. | D.the lack of safety measures. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true of the two ferry disasters?
A.They happened during a storm. | B.They sank on April 21. |
C.The exact number of deaths could be easily determined. | |
D.They sank somewhere near Dhaka. |
Casablanca, Sep. 24
A flash flood swept across the coastal plain about 100 miles southwest of here, killing hundreds of Moroccans in a market place yesterday morning.
Reports from the area said 218 bodies had been counted, and many of the people were missing.
The flood followed heavy rains, which filled the coastal plain and dried river beds and caused them to overflow. The flood crest, several feet high, hit the village of Khemis Nagua at midmorning yesterday as farmers from the surrounding area joined town people in an open market place.
The roaring water swept the village’s living places, the market sheds (棚子), shoppers, cattle and farm tools for miles across the plain..
The flood was over almost as soon as it started, the reports said, as the crest swept out to sea. Rescue workers quickly moved into the area from Sari, about 25 miles further south.
It can be learnt from the text that _____.
A.the news report is from Khemis Nagua | B.the flood didn’t last long |
C.hundreds of Moroccans were saved | D.Casablanca is a city in Africa |
The report mainly tells the public about _____.
A.how the flood swept the coastal plain | B.why the terrible flood took place |
C.the flash flood in the fall | D.a rescue attempt |
According to the text, which of the following maps may be correct?
(KN="Khemis" Nagua C="Casablanca " S=Safi)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop giant Michael Jackson, who took to the stage as a child star, died on Thursday, TMZ website reported. He was 50.
There was no official confirmation of the reported death and spokespersons for Jackson could not be reached for comment. "We’ve just learned Michael Jackson has died," TMZ said. "Michael suffered a cardiac(心脏的) arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We’re told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the entertainment site said. It added, "A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived."
Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived at the singer’s home.The newspaper said paramedics performed perfectly at the scene before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital. Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time. There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
What does the underlined word paramedics probably mean?
A.the persons who attend at home. |
B.relatives or friends |
C.the persons who give emergency medical treatment |
D.the artists together with Jackson |
What is the reason of Jackson’s death?
A.He was too tired before his death. |
B.He was so lonely that nobody looked after him. |
C.Maybe Jackson was too excited when he was invited by London. |
D.The text didn’t tell us. |
If Jackson had not died, he __________.
A.would be taken care of by the doctors. |
B.would not practise singing any more. |
C.would give some concerts in London soon. |
D.would retire as a result of his bad health. |
The underlined the singer probably refers to _______.
A.TMZ | B.AEG | C.Michael Jackson | D.unknown |
On 26 May 1928, at a meeting in Amsterdam (阿姆斯特丹), the FIFA congress (国际足联) decided that a new competition open to all its members should be played. A year later in Barcelona it was agreed that Uruguay(乌拉圭), the strongest football team at the period of time., should celebrate 100 years of independence(独立) by hosting the first World Cup the following year.
Only 13 nations came to the opening of the games and nine from South America. All games were played in three stadiums in Montevideo(蒙得维的亚) and, as expected, the South American countries were stronger, although the European teams did not bring shame.
Some 100,000 fans came for the final on 30 July between Argentina(阿根廷)and Uruguay. The FIFA president and brains(主要领导人)behind the World Cup, presented the trophy(奖杯)to winning captain and football’s greatest tournament was born.
After a pre-match row(争吵)over which ball to use for the final, it is believed the Argentine ball was used in one half and the Uruguayan ball in the other.
When was the first World Cup played?
A.1928. | B.1929. | C.1930. | D.1931. |
Which of these statements about the first World Cup is NOT TRUE?
A.Most of the teams came from South America. |
B.The South American teams were stronger. |
C.All the matches were played in European countries |
D.The European teams did not play badly. |
The best title of the passage is _____.
A.The history of football |
B.The history of the World Cup |
C.The FIFA |
D.The first World Cup |
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 |
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 1paragraph?
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 |
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 |
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 |
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