During the past Spring Festival, many children may have received red packets from their families. But Xing Pu, a 40-year-old economist, is asking the government to give red packets to every Chinese citizen.
Xing suggested the government give out 1,000 Yuan to each Chinese since the government income has increased rapidly in recent years. He said his suggestion would allow everyone to directly enjoy the fruits of the country's economic success, help the lower-income groups deal with rising prices and increase consumption（消费）around the country.
Recent years have seen the government carry out a series of pro-poor (扶贫) and pro-rural（惠农）policies, including increasing spending on public healthcare and calling off the agricultural tax. But the lower-income group still needs more help while being hit hard by an 11-year high in prices and recent snowstorms.
Xing said while making the draft, he has borrowed many ideas from practices in countries like the United States and Singapore. Earlier this year, the governments of the two nations offered cash handouts（救济）to their citizens as the result of a surplus in government income. As for in China, "We can even encourage the rich to donate their 1,000 Yuan red packet to the poor," said Xing.
Although Xing's suggestion has gained wide support among ordinary Chinese on the Internet, many other economists criticized it as unpractical. Even Xing himself admitted he made the suggestion without any careful calculation. But they agreed with Xing's point that the growing economic pie should be shared among the people.
"To better use the increase of money, handing out money is not a solution that holds good for all time. It could be better to improve the public service or cut the price of energy use in daily life," said Qiao Xinsheng, an economic professor.Xing Pu suggested that the government give out 1,000 Yuan to each Chinese because ____.
| A．the poor should get help from the rich |
| B．the government should help the rich |
| C．the growing economic pie should be shared among the people |
| D．the government doesn’t know how to use the money |
What has the government done to help the lower-income group?
| A．Spending less on public health care. |
| B．Increasing the agricultural tax. |
| C．Handing out money to every Chinese. |
| D．Carrying out pro-poor policies. |
According to some experts, what is better than giving out money?
| A．Supplying food to everyone every day. |
| B．Cutting the price of energy use in daily life. |
| C．Controlling the rising of prices. |
| D．Increasing the government income. |
Xing Pu's ideas of giving red packets to every Chinese citizen mainly came from ______.
| A．children receiving red packets from their families |
| B．the US and Singapore governments offering cash handouts to their citizens |
| C．the government's increasing spending on public health care |
| D．the rising prices in the country |
One of the most difficult questions to answer is how much a job is worth. We naturally expect that a doctor’s salary will be higher than a bus conductor’s wage. But the question becomes much more difficult to answer when we compare, say, a miner with an engineer, or an unskilled man working on an oil-rig(钻油机) in the North Sea with a teacher in a secondary school. What the doctor, the engineer and teacher have is many years of training in order to obtain the necessary qualifications for their professions. We feel instinctively that these skills and these years, when they were studying instead of earning money, should be rewarded. At the same time we recognize that the work of the miner and the oil-rig laborer is both hard and dangerous, and that they must be highly paid for the risks they take.
Another factor we must take into consideration is how socially useful a man’s work is, regardless of the talents he may bring to it. Most people would agree that looking after the sick or teaching children is more important than, say, selling secondhand cars or improving the taste of toothpaste by adding a red stripe to it. Yet it is almost certain that the used car salesman earns more than the nurse, and that research chemist earns more than the school teacher.
Indeed, this whole question of just rewards can be turned on its head. You can argue that a man who does a job which brings him personal satisfaction is already receiving part of his reward in the form of a so-called “psychic(精神的) wage”, and that it is the man with the boring, repetitive job who needs more money to make up for the soul-destroying monotony(单调) of his work. It is significant that that those jobs which are traditionally regarded as “vocations” --- nursing, teaching and the Church, for example --- continue to be poorly paid, while others, such as those in the world of sport or entertainment, carry financial rewards out of all proportion to their social worth.
Although the amount of money that people earn is in reality largely determined by market forces, this should not prevent us from seeking some way to decide what is the right pay for the job. A starting point for such an investigation would be to try to decide the ratio which ought to exist between the highest and the lowest paid. The picture is made more complicate by two factors: firstly by the “social wage”, i.e, the welfare benefits which every citizen receives; and secondly, by the taxation system, which is often used as an instrument of social justice by taxing high incomes at a very high rate indeed. Allowing for these two things, most countries now regard a ratio of 7:1 as socially acceptable. If it is less, the highly-qualified people carrying heavy responsibilities become disillusioned, and might even end up by emigration(移民) (the so-called “brain-drain” is an evidence that this can happen). If it is more, the gap between rich and poor will be so great that it will lead social tensions and ultimately to violence.
1. The professional man, such as the doctor, should be well paid because ______.
A. he has spent several years learning how to do his job
B. his work involves much great intelligence than, say, a bus conductor’s
C. he has to work much harder than most other people
D. he knows more than other people about his subject
2. The “brain-drain” is an evidence that ______.
A. well-educated people are prepared to emigrate whenever they can get a better paid job
B. people with jobs or responsibility expect to be highly paid
C. high taxation is a useful and effective instrument of social justice
D. the poor are generally more patriotic(爱国的) than the rich
3. As far as rewarding people for their work is concerned, the writer, believes that ______.
A. we should pay for socially-useful work, regardless of the person’s talent
B. we should pay people according to their talents
C. market forces will determine how much a person is paid
D. qualified people should be the highest paid
4. The argument of the “psychic wage” is used to explain why ______.
A. people who do socially important work are not always well paid
B. people who do monotonous jobs are highly paid
C. you should not try to compare the pay of different professions
D. some professional people are paid more than others
① Associate Product Manager －New Grad －Beijing
Responsibilities include working with engineers to define products, understanding user needs, researching markets and competitors, and strategizing (制定战略计划) future product directions. As you gain more experience, there’s an opportunity for promotion within the organization.
Requirements:
☆ Bachelor’s degree and more than one year of job experience.
☆ Strong organizational and analytical skills.
② Director of Education —Sylvan Learning Centers —Long Beach, California
Job description: As a successful director of education, your primary responsibility will be to champion the Sylvan developed curriculum, ensure the quality of the education standards and teachings staff as well as grow the business in your center. We require：
☆ Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of teaching experience.
☆ Managerial experience.
③ Area Export Manager —Beijing Import & Export Corporation —Beijing
Highly dynamic company is looking for bright, experienced salesperson who will be responsible for the export of frozen seafood and other commodities between China and the USA, Australia, and Canada.
Qualifications:
—Excellent level of English, spoken and written.
—Excellent communication and organizational skills.
—Experienced salesperson with proven results in fast-moving consumer goods essential, preferable in frozen seafood market.
④ Subeditor —Media Contacts —London
Working in the fascinating world of law and enforcement(执法), you will be making sure that you are meeting the exceptionally high standards of copy for this company. As part of a team of six, you will be meeting tight deadlines on a daily basis and ensuring regular flow of articles onto the website. Must have a keen eye for detail and confidence in working with challenging copy. Proven track record in subediting, and a practical knowledge of publishing law are required.
| Job title |
Casual trainer (first aid) |
| Employer |
Medilife |
| Location |
Sydney, NSW Australia 2150 |
| Job type |
Part-time |
⑤
Job description: Medilife requires able, reliable trainers who can demonstrate the qualities of flexibility and loyalty and join their young, fun-living team. Successful applicants will receive excellent hourly rates. Suitable training provided to the right applicant.
⑥
| Job title |
Web Designer/Developer—Arlington, Virginia, U.S |
| Company name |
Nature Serve |
| Job type |
Full-time |
| Job status |
Web Designer/Developer |
| Job function |
Web development/ Design Marketing |
| Career level |
Experienced (Non-manager) |
| Contact information |
E-mail: jobs@natureserve.org |
1. Which of the following are specially required to most of the positions in the ads?
A. Experience and responsibilities B. Experience and special skills.
C. Special skills and English. D. Responsibilities and bachelor’s degree.
2. The positions are offered in __________ different countries.
A. three B. four C. five D. six
3. Which position is possible for a fresh university graduate to apply for?
A. Web designer B. Associate product manager
C. Export manager D. Casual trainer
4. From ad④ we can infer that a subeditor’s work is to ____________.
A. write articles for website B. copy data from the Internet
C. enforce publishing laws D. examine other people’s writing
Was Princess Diana murdered? The verdict（判决）is no according to an inquiry（调查）held into the cause of her death over the last six months.
The big question was whether the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend Dodi A1 Fayed in a deadly car crash in 1997 had been accidental, or whether there was some kind of conspiracy（阴谋）to have them killed.
Dodi’s father Mohamed A1 Fayed, owner of London’s world-famous department store Harrods, has insisted for the last decade that the pair were murdered by spies of the British state who did not want them to marry. But his theories now look to have been blown out of the water. The court found that Princess Diana and her boyfriend were not murdered but killed due to the “gross, carelessness” of her driver and the paparazzi（偷拍的摄影记者）. Her driver was drunk at the time of the crash and the paparazzi had been running after their car.
So is this the end of the Diana story? British taxpayers may hope so. The inquiry has cost them about ￡10m（140m RMB）. “Thank God it’s over”, was the headline in The Guardian newspaper. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was time to “draw a line” under the death of the Princess. But Mohamed AI Fayed has refused to accept the judgment. He says the result will come as a “blow” to millions of his supporters around the world, and has not ruled out starting another investigation.
Whatever happens, next, the special place Princess Diana has in the hearts of people around the world is not likely to be forgotten.
1. According to the text, the inquiry focuses on _______.
A. what caused the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend B. who were the paparazzi
C. how much British taxpayers paid for the case D. whether the driver was drunk then.
2. By saying the underlined “his theories now look to have been blown out of the water”, the author means that ________.
A. Mohamed lacks confidence in the case B. Mohamed feels disappointed at the result
C. Mohamed’s idea seems to be believable D. Mohamed’s idea possibly proves to be wrong
3. Similar to The Guardian newspaper, UK Prime Minister ________.
A. felt sorry for the deadly car crash B. questioned the purpose of Dodi’s father
C. stood for the court’s judgment D. blamed the paparazzi for their bad behavior
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
For years I wanted a flower garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.
But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.
Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, "Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know."
Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.
I wasn't sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty lean, no-frills budget.
Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on - and I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: "IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin."
Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, ornaments, a trellis (棚架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.
That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and weed or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me.
I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes - every time.
I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!(430 words)
1. By saying “Do you see a money tree outside .….,” the mother actually means “________”
A．Observation is the best teacher. B．Seeing is believing.
C．The outsider sees the most of the game. D．It is not easy to gain money
2. The best title for the passage would probably be_______.
A．My flower garden B．Marvin helps to realize my dream
C．Love in Michigan D．Money grows on trees
3. The underlined word “no - frills” in the fifth paragraphs is similar in meaning to_______.
A．wasteful B．tight C．absurd D．helpful
4. From the last but the third paragraph we can infer that the mother is_______
A．divorced when she was young B．not caring for her kids any longer
C．alone but not at all lonely D．prouder with her garden than with her kids.
A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world’S people may not have enough water by the year 2025．
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study．It says more than 335 million people lack enough water now．The people live in 28 countries．Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East．
P—A—I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025，about 3，000 million people may lack water．At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems．The
demand for water keeps increasing．Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same．
Mr．Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than ini other parts of the world．He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase．
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems．It may increase health problems．Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe．Mr．Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases，such as cholera。
which are carried in water．Lack of water may also result in more international conflict．Countries may have to compete for water in the future．Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries．This is true of Egypt，the Netherlands，Cambodia，Syria，Sudan，and Iraq．And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies．This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning．
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem．One way，it says，is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose．Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water．A third way is to use less water of agriculture．
The report also says long--term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth．It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have．
1．The first four paragraphs mainly tell us__________
A．the fact of the global lack of water
B．the importance of water resources
C．the seriousness of water shortage
D．the study of the global water condition
2．Which of the following problems is NOT true according to the passage?
A．It may bring about a lot of health problems．
B．It may result in more international conflict．
C．It may lead to the improvement of new industries．
D．It may influence the development of the economies．
3．Which of the following is the way to solve water problem in the long run?
A．To use water in a variety of ways
B．To become aware of the water problem
C．To reduce the use of agricultural water 。
D．To limit the r
ising birthrate of the earth
4．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A．①②③→④⑤→⑥⑦
B．①②③④→⑤→⑥⑦
C．①②③④→⑤⑥→⑦
D．①②③→④→⑤→⑥⑦
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