Many smokers aren't finding the cost of cigarettes a laughing matter. The federal tax(联邦税) on a pack jumped Wednesday -- April Fools' Day -- from 39 cents to $1.01. The tax increase is so big, it's being called "historic."Higher federal taxes apply to(适用于) other tobacco products, so even those smokers who have taken to rolling their own to save money can't escape them. The tax is expected to cause about 1 million smokers to quit.
New York leads the pack, so to speak, with a combined $3.76. Any smokers planning to visit New York City should bring cigarettes from home. A pack there now costs more than $9.
Some tobacco companies raised their prices several weeks ago. For example, the price of a pack of Marlboros jumped 71 cents. Where the price settles depends on the company. Some may absorb part of the tax and others will make smokers carry the entire weight and more.
However, some people think the tax unfair. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in five Americans smokes, and over half of all smokers are low income, and one of four is officially classified as poor.
What do you think? Is the tax unfair? We think cancer sticks should have been taxed into disappearance years ago, combined with a very strong public and private effort to help smokers quit.Which of the following statements is wrong according to the passage?
| A．Cigarettes as well as other tobacco products are affected by the tax increase. |
| B．More and more smokers have to stop smoking as a result of tax increase on tobacco. |
| C．Cigarettes in New York must be very expensive. |
| D．smokers will carry all the tax increase on tobacco. |
The author’s attitude toward the tax increase is ________.
| A．showing agreement with the tax |
| B．showing disagreement with the tax |
| C．could not be seen |
| D．keeping his own ideas |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A．The Federal Tax |
| B．New Cigarette Tax Is No April Fools’ joke |
| C．Stop Smoking Immediately! |
| D．Unfair Tax on Tobacco |
An old problem is getting new attention in the United States—bullying．Recent cases included the tragic case of a fifteen-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland．She hanged herself in Massachusetts in January following months of bullying．Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her．Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers．
Judy Kaczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA．Her daughter Tina was the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota．She said, "Our daughter was a very outgoing child．She was a bubbly personality, very involved in all kinds of things, had lots of friends．And over a period of time her grades fell completely．She started having health issues．She couldn't sleep．She wasn't eating．She had terrible stomach pains．She started clenching（紧握，紧咬） her jaw and grinding her teeth at night．She didn't want to go to school．"
Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person．It can involve physical violence．Or it can be verbal—for example, insults or threats．Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying．
And now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages．It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time．
The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s．The latest government study in the United States was released last year．It found that about one-third of students aged twelve to eighteen were bullied at school．
Susan Sweater is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network．She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need．She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior, and bullies are often victims themselves．From the case of Tina, we can know that _____．
| A．bullying is rare | B．victims suffered a lot |
| C．schools are to blame | D．personalities are related |
Which of the following is NOT bullying?
| A．To beat someone repeatedly． |
| B．To call someone names． |
| C．To isolate someone from friends． |
| D．To refuse to help someone in need． |
Why is cyberbullying appealing to the bully?
| A．Because it can involve more people． |
| B．Because it can create worse effects． |
| C．Because it is more convenient． |
| D．Because it can avoid cheating． |
According to Susan Sweater．_____．
| A．bullies are anti-social |
| B．bullies should give victims help |
| C．students are not equally treated |
| D．bullies themselves also need help |
Which of the following can be the best title of the text?
| A．Bullying—An Irish Girl Committed Suicide |
| B．15-year-old Irish Girl Committed Suicide |
| C．Cyberbullying—Taking Off in Schools |
| D．How to Find Bullying among Teens |
Jerry was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant．The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude．He was a natural motivator．It an employee was having a bad day．Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation．
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time．How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, "Jerry, you have two choices today．You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood．' I choose to be in a good mood．Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it．I choose to learn from it．Every time someone comes to me complaining．I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life．I choose the positive side of life．The bottom line It's your choice how you live life．" I reflected on what Jerry said． Later．I left the restaurant industry to start my own business．We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life．
Several years later．I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers．While trying to open the safe, he forgot the password, nervous．The robbers panicked and shot him．Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital．After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care．Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments（碎片） of the bullets still in his body．
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident．When I asked him how he was．he replied．"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied．"Then, as I lay on the floor．I remembered that I had two choices I could choose to live．or I could choose to die．I chose to live．" " Weren ' t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked．Jerry continued, "The doctors and nurses were great．They kept telling me I was going to be fine．But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared．I knew I needed to take action．"
"What did you do?" I asked．"Well, there was a big．strong nurse shouting questions at me．" said Jerry．"She asked if I was allergic （过敏的） to anything．"Yes．' I replied．The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply．I took a deep breath and yelled, "Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them．"I am choosing to live．Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead．'"
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude．I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully．The author left Jerry's restaurant because he_____．
| A．wanted to start business on his own |
| B．was afraid of another robbery later |
| C．was not equal to the job any longer |
| D．didn't get along well with others |
Why was Jerry shot?
| A．Because he left the back door open． |
| B．Because he opened the safe too slowly． |
| C．Because he pretended to forget the password． |
| D．Because he didn't open the safe in time． |
What was Jerry really afraid in the emergency room?
| A．The doctors and nurses refused to save him． |
| B．He decided to take action to live again． |
| C．The doctors and nurses came with expressions of regret at his being shot |
| D．He might not be saved by doctors and nurses． |
From the passage we can learn that Jerry _____．
| A．was no longer positive to his life after the operation |
| B．was optimistic even when things were at their worst |
| C．influenced all his colleagues in many ways |
| D．was badly injured and stayed in hospital for six months |
Which of the following is conveyed in this article?
| A．Where there is life．there is hope． |
| B．Everything comes to him who waits． |
| C．Humor is the best medicine that creates miracle． |
| D．Attitude determines everything． |
Even in a weak job market, the old college try isn’t the answer for everyone. A briefing paper from the Brookings Institution warns that “we may have overdone the message” on college, senior fellow Isabel Sawhill said.
“We’ve been telling students and their families for years that college is the only way to succeed in the economy and of course there’s a lot of truth to that,” Ms. Sawhill said. “On average it does pay off… But if you load up on a whole lot of student debt and then you don’t graduate, that is a very bad situation.”
One comment that people often repeat among the years of slow job growth has been the value of education for landing a job and advancing in a career. April’s national unemployment rate stood at 7.5%, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate for high-school graduates over 25 years old who hadn’t attended college was 7.4%, compared with 3.9% for those with a bachelor’s degree or more education. The difference is even bigger among those aged 16-24. The jobless rate for those with only a high school diploma in that age group is about 20%. At the same time, recent research by Canadian economists warns that a college degree is no guarantee of promising employment.
Ms. Sawhill pointed out that among the aspects that affect the value of a college education is the field of one’s major: students in engineering or other sciences end up earning more than those who major in the arts or education. The cost of tuition and the availability of financial aid are other considerations, with public institutions generally a better financial bargain than private ones.
She suggested two ways of improving the situation: increasing vocational-technical(职业技能) training programs and taking a page from Europe’s focus on early education rather than post-secondary learning. “The European countries put a little more attention to getting people prepared in the primary grades,” she said. “Then they have a higher requirement for whoever goes to college—but once you get into college, you’re more likely to be highly subsidized(资助).”
She also is a supporter of technical training—to teach students how to be workers, such as plumbers, welders and computer programmers—because “employers are desperate” for workers with these skills. People usually think that _____.
| A．the cost of technical schooling is a problem |
| B．one will not succeed without a college degree |
| C．technical skills are most important for landing a job |
| D．there is an increased competition in getting into a college |
What does the underlined part “taking a page from” mean?
| A．hearing from. | B．changing from. |
| C．differing from. | D．learning from. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Public institutions charge more for education. |
| B．European universities are stricter with students. |
| C．Students with certain skills are in great demand. |
| D．Canadian students prefer to major in engineering. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．Is the ‘Go to College’ message overdone? |
| B．The new requirement of Labor Market |
| C．Primary education in European countries |
| D．Is technical training more popular? |
Here are the comments on CRI (China Radio International) given by people from different countries on the Internet.
| People |
Comments |
| Yingtian Hu Guangzhou, China |
This is the first time that I participate in CRI. And I like it very much. I hope its website will become the most excellent one with the foreign languages. And I choose the important news which I think has a great influence on our society and our lives. In the end, I hope that more and more persons join in CRI and make it perfect! |
| SujanParajuli, Select city, Nepal |
I am both a regular listener of CRI and visitor of its wonderful Website. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to CRI for its great efforts to keep the listeners up-to-date during the year 2008. We, the listeners, are greatly grateful to CRI for its praise-worthy efforts to quench the thirst of its dear listeners. During the Year 2008, I found all of your programs quite interesting, informative and educational. Once again, thanks a lot for offering lots of information, news, entertainment and many items which have indeed broaden the horizons of our knowledge and understanding as well. |
| Ibrahim Rustamov, Tajikistan |
With CRI, I was impressed by China’s rapid development in all spheres. But I felt so sorry to get to know about the snowstorms in China and Wenchuan earthquake. CRI and CCTV play a great role in introducing China to the world! Kudos! My friends and I wish CRI all the best! |
| Mike Thatcher, London |
My family and I are all keen on Chinese Culture, especially the beautiful Chinese folk music. Various interesting programs by CRI just open a window for us foreigners, through which we can know more about China and have a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Best wishes to CRI! Best wishes to China! |
Which of the following benefits of CRI is NOT mentioned above?
| A．CRI helps to keep its listeners up-to-date. |
| B．CRI helps its listeners to better understand China. |
| C．CRI helps its listeners to practice and improve foreign languages. |
| D．CRI helps its listeners broaden their knowledge with its rich contents. |
The underlined phrase “quench the thirst” refers to _____.
| A．satisfy one’s need | B．supply drinks |
| C．take care of | D．keep in touch with |
What can be concluded from the four comments?
| A．CRI has a great influence on our society and lives. |
| B．Wonderful though CRI is, there are still many weaknesses. |
| C．CRI plays an important role in introducing the world to China. |
| D．CRI has made great efforts to make itself better and gained popularity. |
In most cases, there is only one correct answer to a question. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near a brook(小溪)；someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter — a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John who was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.Which of the following aspects are NOT covered in the surnames of the passage?
| A．People’s characters. |
| B．People’s occupations. |
| C．Places where people lived. |
| D．Talents that people possessed. |
According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.
| A．owned or drove a cart |
| B．made things with metals |
| C．built houses and furniture |
| D．made kitchen tools or containers |
Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.
| A．Beatrice Smith | B．Leonard Carter |
| C．Donald Greenwood | D．George Longstreet |
The underlined word “descendants” in the last paragraph means a person’s _____.
| A．ancestors | B．later generations |
| C．friends and relatives | D．colleagues and partners |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号