In Western countries people have been using the installment plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U. S., the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment. There is, however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment. If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit, it becomes more likely to have a depression. This is why, in some countries, the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.
56. Which of the following is NOT true about the installment plan?
A. A lot of British families use the installment plan.
B. More than 10 percent American families buy things on installments.
C. Americans depend more on installment than British people do.
D. Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.
57. Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because ______.
A. the buyer has to pay extra money as interest
B. the delivery of the goods charges extra money
C. the buyer has to pay a down payment
D. the service offered by installment plan charged extra money
58. What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?
A. He might lose his job.
B. He will stop owning the item he has bought.
C. He will have to sell what he has bought.
D. He will go into debt.
59. The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that ________.
A. purchasing power is strengthened
B. employment might be increased
C. people develop a good habit of saving money
D. young couples are able to furnish their homes
60. In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to ________.
A. increase employment
B. avoid depressions
C. ensure that businesses make good profits
D. ensure that people can pay for what hey buy
There is a new type of small advertisement becoming increasingly common in newspaper classified columns．It is sometimes placed among “situations vacant”, although it does not offer anyone a job, and sometimes it appears among “situations wanted”, although it is not placed by someone looking for a job, either．What it does is to offer help in applying for a job．
“Contact us before writing your application”, or “Make use of our long experience in preparing your curriculum vitae or job history”, is how it is usually expressed．The growth and apparent success of such a specialized service is, of course, a reflection on the current high levels of unemployment．It is also an indication of the growing importance of the CV, with the suggestion that it may now qualify as an art form in its own right．
There was a time when job seekers simply wrote letters of application．“Just put down your name, address, age and whether you have passed any exams”, was about the average level of advice offered to young people applying for their first jobs when I left school．The letter was really just for openers, it was explained, everything else could and should be saved for the interview．And in those days of full employment the technique worked．The letter proved that you could write and were available for work．Your eager face and intelligent replies did the rest．
There is no doubt, however, that it is increasing number of applicants with university education at all points in the process of engaging staff that has led to the greater importance of the CV．The new type of advertisement which is appearing in newspaper column ．
| A．informs job hunters of the opportunities available |
| B．informs employers of the people available for work |
| C．divides available jobs into various types |
| D．promises to offer useful advice to those looking for employment |
Nowadays a demand for this specialized type of service has been created because .
| A．there are so many people out of work |
| B．there are so many toplevel jobs available |
| C．there is a lack of jobs available for artistic people |
| D．the CV is considered to be a work of art |
In the past it was expected that first job hunters would ．
| A．write an initial letter giving their life history |
| B．keep any detailed information until they obtained an interview |
| C．have no qualifications other than being able to read and write |
| D．pass some exams before applying for a job |
The CV has become such an important document because ．
| A．there has been an increase in the number of applicants with degrees |
| B．there has been an increase in the number of jobs advertised |
| C．jobs are becoming much more complicated nowadays |
| D．the other processes of applying for jobs are more difficult to do |
Researchers have announced the result of two studies on the health effects of the drug aspirin．One study shows aspirin can sharply reduce the chance that a healthy, older man will suffer from a heart attack．
The study offered two new results from earlier findings, It said taking one aspirin pili every other day helped only healthy men over the age of fifty．It also said aspirin gave the greatest protection against heart attacks to men with low blood cholesterol（胆固醇）levels．
Earlier in the United States began a major aspirin study in the early 1980s．It included 22,000 healthy men doctors．Ail were between the ages of forty and eighty-four．More than 11,000 of the doctors took a harmless pill that contained no drug．The men did not know which kind of pill they were taking．
The doctors who took aspirin suffered 44% fewer heart attacks than those taking the harmless pill．139 men who took aspirin suffered from heart attacks．Ten of them died．239 men who did not take aspirin suffered from heart attacks．Twenty-six of them died．
The researchers said the doctors' study provides clear proof that taking aspirin can prevent a first heart attack in healthy, older men．They said, however, the result does not mean every man over the mage of fifty should take aspirin．They said aspirin couldn't help men who do not eat healthy foods, who smoke cigarettes and who are fat．The researchers said men who think they wou3d be helped by taking aspirin should talk with their doctors first．We may learn that the new use of aspirin is ______．
| A．to treat heart disease |
| B．to reduce the chance of a heart attack in old men |
| C．to protect old men |
| D．to reduce the blood cholesterol levels |
Aspirin can help those who ______．
| A．are older and healthy |
| B．know how to keep fit |
| C．are fat and smoke cigarettes |
| D．are suffering from heart attack |
At last the researchers advised us to take aspirin _____.
| A．as we like | B．with care | C．every day | D．if we are over fifty |
From the experiment we can conclude that about ______ of people who suffered from heart attacks without aspirin died．
| A．7% | B．19% | C．11% | D．44% |
China has a growing love affair with the cars．This is clear at the Beijing Asian Games Village Automobile Exchange, where more and more people come to look and increasingly to buy．
Alice Wu is an editor at a Chinese Internet publication．She takes the subway to work, but she is certain she can cut her commute time if she drives herself．Wu says it takes her three hours to get to work now．If she had a car, she says, the same trip would only take her two hours．
The Asian Games Village Automobile Exchange is the biggest car dealership in Beijing．General manager Guo Yong says the business sells more than two thousand cars each week．Guo says it is much easier for Chinese consumers to buy a car now．In the past, it would take them several years to earn enough money to buy a new car．Now, he says, many people only need to save for one year．Also, the emergence of less expensive domestic brands like Chery and BYD means more Chinese can afford cars．
For decades, most Chinese city residents got about by bicycle or public buses and trains．Now, in many areas, the number of new cars is growing faster than the road system, leaving city streets jammed with traffic．Guo Liang has wanted to buy a car for a decade, and he will be the first in his family to own one．He is not deterred by Beijing's traffic jams．Guo says if the traffic is too bad, he will use the car for leisure or holidays with his family．Another customer, Zhang Menxin, works in Beijing, but is from Xi'an, more than 900 kilometers away．Zhang says it is very difficult to get a train ticket to return home for Chinese New Year．She adds that train is not convenient．If she had her own car, she says, she could go anytime she wanted to．
World Bank transportation specialist Shomik Mendhiratta says, “Getting a car makes people feel like they have arrived to the middle class, and it's got a huge status associated with it．It's a fantastic thing to have．”The underlined word "deterred" in the 4th paragraph probably means .
| A．encouraged | B．attracted | C．astonished | D．discouraged |
The reason why Zhang Menxin wants to buy a car is that .
| A．it is hard and inconvenient for her to go home in Xi'an by train． |
| B． she doesn't like to go to work by subway． |
| C．she wants to use the car for leisure or holidays with her family |
| D．the place where she works is far from her house |
The best title for the passage should be " "
| A．Cars made China a country on wheels |
| B．More Chinese Hitting the road in their own cars． |
| C．More cars sold by the Beijing Asian Games Village Automobile Exchange |
| D．China is developing rapidly in the past few years． |
According to what Shomik Mendhiratta in the last paragraph, the car is ____ for the person who owns it．
| A．of little value | B．a means of transportation |
| C．a status symbol | D．a heavy burden |
If you live in a city where everyone rushes, realize that you don't have to be like everyone else．You can be different．
I can't give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower, but here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life．
1．Do less
Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day．Focus not on quantity but on quality．Pick 2 or 3 important things-or even just one important thing- and work on those first．
2．Have fewer meetings
Meetings are usually a big waste of time and make you rush．Try to have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you don't have to rush from one meeting to another．
3．Give yourself time to get ready and get there
If you're constantly rushing to appointments or other places you have to be, it's because you don't allot（分配） enough time in your schedule for preparing and for traveling．Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff．If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30 to 45 minutes so you don't have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car．
4．Practice being comfortable with sitting doing nothing
When people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable．Try standing in a line and just watching and listening w people around you．It takes practice, but after a while, you’ll do it with a smile．
5．Realize that if it doesn't get done, that's Ok．
There's always tomorrow．And yes, I know that's a frustrating attitude for some of you who don't like laziness or living without firm deadlines, but it's also reality．The world likely won't end if you don't get that task done today．Your boss might get mad, but the company won't collapse and the life will inevitably go on．
Try these things out．Life is better when unrushed．
Remember the quote: If nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you．Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．How not to hurry in our life? |
| B． How to give out our life? |
| C．What to do with our life? |
| D．How to change our life? |
If you think you need 10 minutes to get ready for the date with your boyfriend, ______．
| A．you don't have to put on makeup |
| B．you'd better squeeze about 35 minutes out for it |
| C．you should arrange 10 minutes for it |
| D．you should rush there |
According to the passage, we can know_______．
| A．even if we do as we're told by the author, we can't change anything |
| B．if we follow the author's advice, our life will be better |
| C．we should try to do all the things better on our task list |
| D．there's always tomorrow, so we can put off the thing that must be done today till tomorrow |
The underlined word "collapse" has the similar meaning to "______"．
| A．develop rapidly | B．pay enough |
| C．fail completely | D．drop suddenly |
Hair loss can be an emotionally troubling experience for some women. Luckily, experts do have suggestions on how to treat and prevent this condition.
According to Dr. Robert Jones of the Hair Transplant Center in Oakville, ON, hair loss in women is largely genetically determined—he estimates that nearly 80 to 90 percent of hair loss in both men and women is due to a family history of the condition. But some women can experience hair loss as the result of a thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy hormones or because of side effects of medicines such as antidepressants and birth control pills. Nick Dimakos, founder of SureThik International in Toronto, agrees stress and lower-than-normal levels of estrogen (雌性激素) are other contributing factors to hair loss in females. Low levels of iron and over-use of chemical hair products such as artificial dyes (染料) can also lead to thinning hair, which can be especially difficult for women, for whom hair loss is much less socially acceptable than it is for men. “Women lose about 25 percent of their hair before even noticing there’s a problem,” Dimakos says. “It can be devastating (毁灭性的) for them.”
There is no surefire (一定成功的) way to prevent hair loss, but there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of hair you lose. Dimakos recommends visiting your doctor because early discovery and treatment can prevent unnecessary hair loss. He also recommends using mild hair products, avoiding hair dyes or extensions, avoiding smoking and taking vitamin B12 if you suspect hair loss may be in your future. Wearing hair in a ponytail (马尾辫) or braid (辫子) regularly can also lead to weakened hair that is likely to fall out, so it may be best to avoid wearing these styles too often.
Of course, if your hair begins to lose, you’d better seek treatment.
• Hair transplants
Very few women turn to hair transplants because unlike men, women suffering from hair loss usually have thinning hair all over their heads rather than only in one area. If there is not enough hair somewhere else on the head that can be taken to fill in the gaps, a transplant cannot be performed.
• Minoxidil
Found in Rogaine, an over-the-counter (OTC) product, this is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. But it can also slow down or stop hair loss, says Dimakos. This option may work for some women, but it is important to consult your physician before taking any type of medication.
| The truth about hair loss in women |
||
| What (71) hair loss? |
(72) factor |
A large (73) of hair loss is due to a family history of the condition. |
| Health condition and stress |
A thyroid dysfunction, stress, pregnancy hormones and low levels of estrogen and iron all lead to hair loss. |
|
| Side effects of medicines |
Some medicines lead to hair loss. |
|
| Chemical hair products |
Over-use of such products may cause hair to (74) . |
|
| Women’s ignorance |
About 25 percent of their hair is lost before women (75) there is a problem. |
|
| How can you prevent hair loss? |
Visit the doctor. |
Doctors may help you (76) it early and treat hair loss in time. |
| Adopt a healthy (77) . |
Avoid smoking and take vitamin B12. Avoid hair dyes or extensions. |
|
| Wear your hair properly. |
Avoid wearing hair in a ponytail or braid (78) . |
|
| How can you (79) hair loss? |
Hair transplants |
A transplant can be performed if there is enough hair somewhere else on the head that can be taken to fill in the gaps. |
| Minoxidil |
The medicine can slow down or stop hair loss if (80) properly. |
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