People in the UK often talk about their homes: their mortgages (按揭), the interest rates, and rising prices. Here’s a guide to some of the words and phrases you might come across.
It’s a good idea in the UK to arrange a mortgage with a bank before you start looking. This is when the bank tells you how much money they will lend you so you have a good idea of how much you can afford.
The next step is to go to an estate agent and see what sort of properties they have available in your budget range and in your area. If you see something you like, the estate agent will arrange for you to view the property, so that you can see the house or flat for yourself.
If you see something that takes your eye, you put in an offer. The vendor (卖家) can accept or decline this offer, and if the vendor accepts it, you can move forward with the sale. However, as you don’t pay any money at this point, the offer isn’t legally binding (具有约束力), and in theory, you can pull out of the offer at any time that you like.
Your next step will probably be to get a structural survey done. A qualified surveyor will inspect the house and write a report that illustrates any structural problems, like damp or drainage problems.
If you still want to go ahead with the sale, you need to appoint a lawyer to do the legal paperwork.. If you already own a house, you might also be busy trying to sell it. Many house owners prefer to sell to first-time buyers (those people who don’t already own a home), as they are not in a chain (waiting for other people to buy the house before they can buy their next house).
Finally, once the contracts are signed and exchanged, you complete on your house. You get the keys and you can move in whenever you want. Then you might want to throw a house-warming party. Congratulations!Which of the following shows the right order of what happens before the people in the UK move into a new house?
a. ask for a company which represents others of properties
b. decide how much to borrow from the bank
c. examine the structure of the house
d. hire a lawyer and make a contract
e. offer the seller the right money
f. visit the house and discuss a price with the seller
| A．b, a, f, d, c, e | B．b, a, f, c, d, e |
| C．b, a, f, e, d, c | D．b, f, d, e, c, a |
According to the passage, these statements are correct EXCEPT ___________.
| A．People can borrow the whole money for a new house from a bank. |
| B．People care for mortgages, interest rates and the prices &house. |
| C．The sellers are more interested in the first-time buyers. |
| D．After getting the keys, the owners sometimes have a party. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Owners. | B．Surveyors. |
| C．Lawyers. | D．Collectors. |
The passage is maybe one that _______________.
| A．give some advice on the house | B．introduces a book on travelers |
| C．give some tips to buyers | D．introduces a guide to visitors |
For a while, my neighborhood was taken over by an army of joggers．(慢跑者). They were there all the time—early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces. “Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening. “You'll feel great.”
Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day
more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exe
rcise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army. I'm not alone in my opinion.
First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet a real pounding (沉重的脚步) running down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn't kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.
Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn't my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts.” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.
And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn't just
the first week: it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn't fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?
I don't jog any more, and I don't think I ever will. I'm walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I'm getting exercise, and I'm enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I've found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.From the first paragraph, we learn that in the writer's neighborhood ________.
| A．jogging became very popular |
| B．many people were encouraged to jog |
| C．Alex organized an army of joggers |
| D．jogging provided a chance to get together |
The underlined word “them”(Paragraph 3) most probably refers to ________.
| A．heart attacks | B．Back problems |
| C．hundreds of people | D．physical weaknesses |
From the author's experience, we can conclude that ________.
| A．jogging can help people keep fit |
| B．many physical problems result from jogging |
| C．not everyone enjoys jogging |
| D．jogging makes people feel great |
How did it make you feel when you learned that KFC’S Beijing restaurants pulled three more items from their menus last week? There were fears that the items may have contained the cancer-causing coloring Sudan I．Do you have any desire to take the food provider to court because it feeds you something dangerous?
After all，the law supposedly gives people the right to fight for their rights．But some experts have said it might not be so wise to take the company directly to court．
Qiu Baochang，a lawyer in Beijing，suggested that consumers not take the company directly to court．“In addition to the high costs，consumers’complaints are unlikely to win unless they can prove they have had the banned dye at KFC，”—Qiu explained．
One problem for those wanting to take action against the fast food chain is that few customers ask for or keep receipts(收据)．And，this must be the first step．
If they can prove that their health has been damaged by KFC，they can cue(控告)the company．But that would be almost impossible to do so because the Sudan I damage is a long-term effect and is not immediately apparent.
A KFC spokesperson said on Monday that the company was confdent of being able to handle customers’complaints，“We will obey legal procedure if We raceive any complaints.”Why did KFC’s Beijing restaurants pull three more items from their menus?
| A．Because the company was afraid to handle customers’complaints. |
| B．Because coloring Sudan I may have been contained in those items. |
| C．Because the KFC’s restaurants were accused ofselling poisonous food to the customers． |
| D．Because these items were no longer popular with the customers. |
The reason why experts suggested not taking the company directly to court is that .
| A．the costs will be high |
| B．consumers can’t prove food contained Sudan I |
| C．consumers can’t prove the food at KFC damaged their health |
| D．all of the above |
This passage most probably appears in .
| A．a notice． |
| B．a book on cooking． |
| C．a story book． |
| D．a newspaper． |
What is the general ieda of the passage?
| A．KFC’s Beijing restaurants pulled three items from their menus last week. |
| B．How the consumers dealt with the KFC problem. |
| C．How KFC handled the customers’s complaints. |
| D．Consumers never forget to ask for or keep receipts. |
Welcome to the International Summer School
Students can have an enjoyable English language learning experiencce—together with organized sports, activities and excursion program. The International Summer School runs 4 different summer school centers for boys and girls aged from 7 to 20.
Two of these schools—Moira House and University Hall of Residence—are based in East Bourne on the south coast of Englanded—in the much favored Meads area of the town, within walking distance of the seafront and town centre. Gatwick Airport is about an hour’s drive away and Healthrow around 90 minutes.
Our 4th school—Bethany Centre—is located in the heart of Kent—an area known as “The Garden of England” close go woods of the High Wealed but only 20 minutes from the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are easily accessible, as are Euro star InternationalStations at Ashford and Ebbs fleet.
The aim of International Summer School is to create a lively and happy atmosphere that makes learning and international communication enjoyable. Young people can have fun, but also gain considerable skills in English. 
A full day in London is always included, as well as other places of cultural interest. Students of all cultures are welcomed as our aim is to create a summer school which can truly be 
described as International.
When we return your child to you at the end of their stay, we hope they will feel enriched by their experience with us and will look forward to returning to meet friends made at International Summer School the following year, as so many do.What is the writer’s purpose by writing this passage?
| A．To introduce to readers the International Summer School |
| B．To attract more students to study in the International Summer School |
| C．To share his experiences of studying in the International Summer School |
| D．To show the great achievements made in the International Summer School |
All of the following belong to the International Summer School EXCEPT________.
| A．Moria House |
| B．University Hall of Resicence |
| C．Bethany Centre |
| D．Royal Tunbridge Wells |
From this text we learn that ________.
A．Kent i s a very beautiful university in England |
| B．Bethany Centre is very inconvenient in transportatton |
| C．Children will feel relaxed at the International Summer School |
| D．Only students from England will be admitted to the school |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Parents with teenager children． |
| B．Children aged between 7 and 20． |
| C．School teachers． |
| D．Less healthy and disabled children． |
Do you have a dream, something you always see yourself doing? Perhaps you see yourself as a lawyer, businessman, or even a scientist. Whatever it is, don’t let it die.
A dream is a wonderful thing. It can give you hope for your future and encourage you to try when all odds are against you.
However, there are dream killers that want to kill your dream. They may tell 
you that it is impossible for you, that you are not smart enough or that it’s never been done before. However, many times the biggest dream killer is yourself.
Don’t let fear, doubt or lack of finances prevent you from fulfilling（实现） your dream. Talk back to these killers, “I can and fulfill my dream.” You may have to do this every day. The more often you talk to your heart that you can do it, the more safely your dream will be held within you.
It is very important to take steps towards fulfilling your dream. For me, in order to fulfill my dream of one-day owning my own magazine, I needed to go back to school and finish my college degree. For you, it may be something different. You know deep inside what the voice of your dream calls for. Don’t be afraid and just do it. Try not to let too much time go by. Time is another one of those dream killers.
Think about the words of a song by Yolanda Adams, “Keep the dream alive. Don’t let it die. If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don’t stop. And never give up. Don’t ever give up on you. Sometimes, life can place a stumbling block in your way. But you have to keep the faith.”
When you dream, dream big and never give up. Your dream is just yours. Never let anyone tell you that your dream can’t happen -- it can! Keep seeing yourself do what’s never been done before. As you continue to feed your dream and protect it, not only will you keep it alive, but it will come true.What does the underlined words “all odds are against you” in Parragraph 2 mean?
| A．You are in hopeless situation. |
| B．You find everything seems strange. |
| C．You are not feeling quite well. |
| D．You have all your friends against you. |
What did the author dream of doing?
| A．Getting his own book published | B．Owing a colledge degree |
| C．Becoming a writer | D．Publishing his own magazine |
What do we learn from Paragraph 5?
| A．It takes money to fulfill our dream. |
| B．The first step is to know our dream. |
| C．It is important for us to take action. |
| D．We should not listen to the call of our heart. |
The words of Yolanda Adams’song are mentioned in the text .
| A．to support his main point |
| B．to make his writing interesting |
| C．to show they share the same view |
| D．to mean Yolanda Adams is popular |
When Callie Rogers won almost 1.9 million pounds on the lottery(彩票)at l6，she hoped it would help her put her troubles behind her．The teenager came from a broken home,had dropped out of school and was living in lotal authority care．
Rogers, from Cumbria, England, won the National Lottery in 2003. Then she went on a massive spending spree, splashing out on four homes for her family, flash cars, designer clothes, partying and breast implants. A fortnight after her win she married and had two children. But then she spent 250,000 pounds on cocaine and suffered depression. Earlier this year she lost custody of her children because of her mental state.
She became addicted to drugs and attempted suicide three times as her life unraveled. Sh
e says the money brought her only misery - and now she is down to her last 100,000 pounds, she has never been happier.
Now 22, she said: “Just a few months ago I was taking too many drugs and hated myself. I simply did not want to live any more. But now I have a new man and am finally becoming the woman I want to be.”
“I need to get my act together and make my kids proud, and for the first time I really do think that's possible.” She credits her new boyfriend with giving her the stable home life she has always craved, and she now hopes to go to college and eventually become a counselor. “After all I've endured, I think I have a lot of advice to offer,” she said.Why was Rogers not allowed to look after her children?
| A．She was in a bad mental state． | B．Her children hated her． |
| C．She was not responsible for them． | D．She was too poor to support them． |
What can we learn about Rogers from Paragraph 3?
| A．Being addicted to drugs cost her everything． |
| B．Money didn’t bring her happiness as expected． |
| C．Rogers felt sad with her money gone． |
| D．Too much money allowed her to do what she wanted． |
What caused Rogers to change and start a new life?
| A．The loss of money． | B．Her bitter past． |
| C．Her husband and children． | D．Her new boyfriend． |
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