高中英语阅读理解

Understand the Economic Concept of a Budget Line

   The term "budget line" has several related meanings， including a couple that are self﹣evident and a third that is not．

   The Budget Line as an Informal Consumer Understanding

   The budget line is an elementary concept that most consumers understand intuitively without a need for graphs and equations    it's the household budget， for example．

   Taken informally， the budget line describes the boundary of affordability for a given budget and specific goods．

   Given a limited amount of money， a consumer can only spend that same amount buying goods． If the consumer has X amount of money and wants to buy two goods A and B， she can only purchase goods totaling X． If the consumer needs an amount of A costing 0.75 X， she can then spend only 0.25 X， the amount remaining， on her purchase of B．

   This seems almost too obvious to bother writing or reading about． As it turns out， however， this same concept one that most consumers make many times each day with reflecting on it is the basis of the more formal budget line concept in economics， which is explained below．

   Lines in a Budget

   Before turning to the economics definition of "budget line"， consider another concept： the line﹣item budget． This is effectively a map of future expenditures， with all the constituent expenditures individually noted and quantified． There's nothing very complicated about this： in this usage， a budget line is one of the lines in the budget， with the service or good to be purchased named and the cost quantified．

   The Budget Line as an Economics Concept

   One of the interesting ways the study of economics relates to human behavior generally is that a lot of economic theory is the formalization of the kind of simple concept outlined above a consumer's informal understanding of the amount she has to spend and what that amount will buy．

   In the process of formalization， the concept can be expressed as a mathematical equation that can be applied generally．

   A Simple Budget Line Graph

   To understand this， think of a graph where the vertical lines quantify how many movie tickets you can buy and where the horizontal lines do the same for crime novels． You like going to the movies and reading crime novels and you have ＄150 to spend． In the example below， assume that each movie costs ＄10 and each crime novel costs ＄15． The more formal economics term for these two items is budget set．

   If movies cost ＄10 each， then the maximum number of movies you can see with the money available is 15． To note this you make a dot at the number 15 （for total movie tickets） at the extreme left﹣hand side of the chart． This same dot appears at the extreme left above "0" on the horizontal axis because you have no money left for books    the number of books available in this example is 0．

   You can also graph the other extreme    all crime novels and no movies． Since crime novels in the example cost ＄15 and you have ＄150 available， if you spend all the available money crime novels， you can buy 10． So you put a dot on the horizontal axis at the number 10．

   You'll place the dot at the bottom of the vertical axis because in this instance you have ＄0 available for movie tickets．

   If you now draw a line from the highest， leftmost dot to the lowest， rightmost dot you'll have created a budget line． Any combination of movies and crime novels that falls below the budget line is affordable． Any combination above it is not．

（1）Which sentence about the budget line is NOT TRUE？ 　 　

A．	It is a limitation of affordability for a given budget and specific goods．
B．	Most costumers will be confused with this concept because of its complex．
C．	It is the effectively a map of future expenditures．
D．	It can be expressed as a mathematical equation．

（2）What is the purpose of the passage？ 　 　

A．	To tell us any concept can be expressed as a mathematical equation．
B．	To help us figure out the meaning Budget Line．
C．	To tell us we should budget before we buy goods．
D．	To give an instruction of drawing a budget Line．

（3）Assume that each movie costs ＄10 and each crime novel costs ＄15， you have ＄150． Which is RIGHT according to this passage？ 　　

A．	The maximum number of movies you can see is 10．
B．	The maximum number of crime novels you can buy is 15．
C．	You can buy 7 crime novels and see 5 movies．
D．	You can buy 7 crime novels and see 4 movies．

（4）What is the best title of this passage？ 　　

A．	Do we really know the economic concept of a budget line？
B．	The Budget Line as an Economics Concept
C．	The Budget Line as an Informal Consumer Understanding
D．	The Complex Concept Budget Line

Moving a Giant

   The logistics of excavating （挖掘） and relocating a town's century﹣old， living sequoia （红杉） tree． Inhabitants of Boise， Idaho， watched with trepidation earlier this year as the city's oldest， tallest resident moved two blocks． The 105﹣year﹣old sequoia tree serves as a local landmark， not only for its longevity but also because renowned naturalist and Sierra Club cofounder John Muir provided the original seedling． So， when Saint Luke's Health System found that the 10﹣story﹣tall conifer （针叶树） stood in the way ofits planned hospital expansion， officials called tree﹣moving firm Environmental Design．

   The Texas﹣based company has developed and patented scooping and lifting technology to move missive trees． Weighing in at more than 800，000 pounds， the Boise sequoia is its largest undertaking yet． "I（had） lost enough sleep over this，" says David Cox， the company's Western region vice president and that was before the hospital mentioned the tree's distinguished origin． Before the heavy lifting began， the team assessed the root system and dug a five﹣foot﹣deep cylinder， measuring 40 feet in diameter， around the trunk to protect all essential roots． After encapsulating the root ball in wire mesh， the movers allowed the tree to adapt to its new situation for seven months before relocating it． The illustration details what followed．﹣﹣Leslie Nemo

   1． Mark A． Merit and his team at Environmental Design installed underneath the root ball a platform of seven﹣inch﹣diameter， 44﹣foot﹣long steelbars and， just below the rods， a first set of uninflated airbags （shown in gray）． The team also dug a shallow ramp．

   2． In roughly 15 minutes， the movers inflated the airbags to about three feet in diameter to raise the root ball to the surface of the hole．

   3． By underinflating the front bags， the team allowed the platform carrying the tree to roll up the ramp and out of the hole while staying level． A trailer hauled the tree along as team members removed the airbags from the back of the platform and replaced them in the front． They repeated the process until the tree arrived at the edge of its new home．

   4． There a second set of partially inflated bags （shown in white） waited inside the hole． Soil surrounding the sequoia in its original location was relocated as well， because trees are more likely to survive a transplant when they move with their original soil．

   5． Using the first set of airbags， the movers rolled the platform into the new hole．

   6． The bags waiting there were then inflated further to take the weight of the sequoia while the transportation bags were deflated and removed from under the tree．

   7． The white bags were then deflated in about half an hour to lower the sequoia's root ball to the bottom of its hole． The bags were removed， but the metal bars were left with the tree because they rust and degrade over a number of years．

   8． For the next five years the local park service will monitor and maintain the tree in its new home．

（1）Which of the following words can be used to replace the words underlined "stood in the way of"？ 　　

A．	Resisted．
B．	Balanced．
C．	Blocked．
D．	Promoted．

（2）What is the reason for the relocation of Sequoia trees？ 　 　

A．	Because the Scooping and lifting technology should be put into use．
B．	Because it blocks local hospital expansion plans．
C．	Because it corresponds to government's plan of Environmental Design．
D．	Because sequoia trees are over a hundred years old．

（3）How will the migrated sequoia trees be dealt with？ 　　

A．	They will be given new soil in the new living environment．
B．	Metal rods used to move sequoia trees will not be left on the trees．
C．	They will be kept in transport bags all the time．
D．	They will be managed by specialists in the next five years．

Bitcoin and other so﹣called cryptocurrenciest （加密货币） have been all over the news lately． Apparently， the idea of money that's not tied to a specific bank    or a specific country is appealing to many． But it's worth remembering that the banking system that we now all live with is just that： A modern invention． Not so long ago， money was almost always created and used locally， and bartering was common． （In fact， it still is common among many online local networks， like the Buy Nothing Project．）．

   In the past， money's makeup varied from place to place， depending on what was considered valuable there． So while some of the world's first coins were made from a naturally occurring hybrid of gold and silver called electrum （金银矿）， objects other than coins have served as currency， including beads， ivory， livestock， and cowrie shells． In West Africa， bracelets of bronze or copper were used as cash， especially if the transaction was associated with the slave trade there． Throughout the colonial period， tobacco was used to replace coins or paper bills in Virginia， Maryland and North Carolina， even though it was used elsewhere in the colonies and extensively throughout Europe and the U． K．

   Today， on an island in the Pacific， a specific type of shell still serves as currency and some people there are even hoarding （储存） it， just like Bitcoin moguls， convinced that one day， it will make them wealthy beyond imagination． On Malaita， the most﹣populated island that's part of the Solomon Islands， shells are accepted at most places in exchange for goods．

   "How much tuna （金枪鱼） you can get for your shells depends on their color and shape，" Mary Bruno， a shop owner from the small town of Auki， on Malaita， told Vice． "One strip of darker shells might get you about two cans of smaller tuna， but the red ones are worth more． For the red ones， one strip might get enough tuna to feed a big family for a long time．"

   Just like a mintthat creates coins， there's only one place on the island where the shells， which are polished and strung together to form 3﹣foot﹣long ropes， are made． The strips of red， white， and black shells all come from Langa Langa Lagoon， where artificial islands were long﹣ago built by locals to escape from the island﹣dwelling cannibals． Once marooned （困住） out on their islands， locals needed a currency to use among themselves， and so the shell currency was born．

   Using shells for money was common throughout the Pacific islands as late as the early 1900s， but Malaita is unique in that they are still used today． And just like cryptocurencies， there are those who think the islanders are smart to invest in this type of money， which is reported to have risen in value over the last three decades． It might seem strange to hoard a bunch of processed， strung﹣together shells， but what is a pile of dollars？ Just a specially printed piece of paper and hemp that we've assigned value to and probably less durable over time than those shells．

（1）According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？ 　　

A．	Money was created and was widely used in the world．
B．	Tobacco was used as coins or paper bills in American in the past．
C．	The ingredients of world's first coins may be the combination of gold and silver．
D．	Using shells for money has been out of date in the world．

（2）The word "mint" in paragraph 5 is closest in the meaning to " 　　"．

A．	a kind of money that can exchange
B．	the leaves of a mint plant used fresh or candied
C．	a place to produce and polish shells
D．	a factory that produces currency

（3）What's opinion of the author towards shells for money？ 　　

A．	Reasonable．
B．	Imaginary．
C．	Convenient．
D．	Inventive

（4）Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？ 　 　

A．	The History of Biteoin
B．	Shells Still Money
C．	The Currency Is of Great Use
D．	Some Shells

There are classes for the mothers of babies， but there's no helping with your mum and dad growing old．

   Old people's wards are hell for old people． Geriatric wards are bedlam and bonkers． A toothless woman screaming when left alone， a cry that reaches the high hospital ceiling． A woman effing and blinding ﹣ the polite curtain will not protect her from the indignity of a happy change． A woman who lives the same moment in repeat， dressed up for going home in a bright red， over the dressing grown， asking for the key to her house， saying over and over： "Am I going home today？"

   And though my mum， by the time she was released， knew that her life was charmed compared with the lives of the world's refugees． It seems to me as if the plight （困境） of old people， while not as horrible as the plight of refugees， shares some of the horror． Just as we live in a society that hasn't caught up with technology， the kind of moral choices it gives people， we also live in a world that hasn't kept up with its ageing population． We have the advances in medical science and technology that have kept people alive longer， but not the advances in how to treat our ageing population． Society is lagging behind the old， failing and falling．

   There are certain small but piercing similarities between the treatment of the old and the treatment of refugees． The old are often displaced from their homes， moved out against their will； decisions are often made for them that they have no say over． Often， they are treated as fools or halfwits， crowded together in one place， given clothes that don't belong to them， treated as a fallen tribe， incapable of any individuality． Nobody imagined my mother was a secretary of the Scottish peace movement， a primary teacher， a lifelong socialist， a witty woman． Out of hospital， my 85﹣year﹣old mum said： "going into hospital at my age puts years on you． God save from old people's wards． You never think of yourself as old． You look across the ward and think， am I like that？"

（1）The treatment of the old is compared of that of the refugees in order to 　 　．

A．	prove they have a lot in common
B．	show the terrible status of the old
C．	display their similarities and differences
D．	indicate that old people have to leave their home

（2）What can be inferred from the passage？ 　　

A．	Refugees lead a better life than old male patients．
B．	Old people are ill﹣treated due to their loss of individuality．
C．	The author's mom is capable of teaching and being a socialist in the meanwhile．
D．	The treatment of the ageing population doesn't develop as science advances．

（3）The author's mom felt that life in the hospital 　　．

A．	made her much older．
B．	created her a mature woman．
C．	enable her to look back at life．
D．	let her full of gratitude to children．

（4）The passage mainly discussed 　　．

A．	the life of refugees and old people．
B．	social responsibility to old women．
C．	improper treatment of old people．
D．	preparing for ageing parents．

American Airlines

   Date of Issue： 233 JAN 10

   Ping Luo：

   Thank you for choosing American Airlines/American Eagle， a member of the one world ^TMAlliance． Below is your journey plan for the ticket（s） purchased． Please print and keep possession of this document for use throughout your trip．

   Record locator： HPMDLH

   You may check in and obtain your boarding pass for U．S． domestic electronic tickets within 24 hours of your flight time online at AA． Come by using www．aa．com/ checkin or at a Self﹣Service Check﹣In machine at the airport． For faster check﹣in at the airport， scan the barcode at any AA Self﹣Service machine．

   Effective February 1， American Airlines will be cashless onboard all flights． For in﹣flight purchases， we will accept Citi®/A Advantage®MasterCard® and other major credit or debit cards only． Cashless cabins will not be implemented onboard American Eagle and American Connection flights …only cash will continue to be accepted onboard those flights．

e Ticket

Carrier	Flight number	Departing		Arriving			Booking Code
		City	Date & time	City	Time
American Airlines	4290	NASHVILLE	SUN， 31 JAN 11：05 AM	CHICAGO OHARE	12：40 PM		Q
	OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE
	Ping Luo			Economy		Seats 9C		Food for Purchase
American Airline	4131	CHICAGO OHARE	SUN 31 JAN 2：40 TM	MADISON	3：25 PM		Q
	OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE
	Ping Luo			Economy		Seats 17C		Food for Purchase

（1）The above document serves as 　　．

A．	evidence of booked tickets．
B．	explanations of check﹣in policies．
C．	a reminder of airline regulations．
D．	an airline ticket and its confirmation．

（2）During his journey， Ping Luo will 　　．

A．	fly non﹣stop to his destination．
B．	arrive in Chicago in the late afternoon of the same day．
C．	have to stay at CHICAGO OHARE airport for two hours．
D．	reach his final destination on the next day．

（3）According to the document， in order to check in at the airport faster， a passenger may 　　．

A．	arrive at the airport far ahead of time．
B．	choose the seat in advance．
C．	use a self﹣service machine．
D．	contact the record locator online．

The adaptation of books to the big screen is nothing new to our society． Books have become well﹣respected tools for creating a better Hollywood． However， films should be just as respected for their ability to create better writers．

   The main skill films help writers develop is attention to progress． Most directors and screenwriters know that the majority of people are not willing to sit through a five﹣hour film． Thus， every scene must have a purpose． This is a vital objective to keep in mind when writing a novel or short story． With most writing courses placing emphasis on literary techniques， it is easy to become more invested in diction than with actually moving the plot forward． Films remind the writer that while a novel ought to have some degree of literary complexity， the goal at the end of each chapter， page， or sentence is simple： keep the story moving． Films not only help writers develop a plot， but also help writers develop specific moments within their stories． Although writing a means of expression， not all things are easy to express in writing， especially facial expressions and emotions． Films allow writers to study the bodily and emotional actions that make characters read more realistically and make stories more tempting．

   Lastly， sometimes it takes a film to bring about a story idea in the first place． Stop using a horribly specific or extremely uninteresting prompt． A pleasing theme or aesthetic can be enough to inspire a character or setting． As writers， whether fiction or independent， our works often arise from the things we see around us or the things we wish we could see． Nonetheless， our works also arise from the visuals that have been created for us． As literature continues to enter the film industry， perhaps we should make use of film techniques in our literature．

（1）Reminded by films， a writer can move the plot forward by 　　．

A．	keeping in mind that every word should mean something．
B．	providing a description of as many details as possible．
C．	paying attention to further enhancing literary complexity．
D．	choosing the perfect word to go with his/her thought．

（2）According to the passage， films help writers develop in many aspects except 　　．

A．	getting an improved expressiveness
B．	focusing on keeping the story moving．
C．	complicating their thinking and life．
D．	bringing in inspiration for new works．

（3）The word "prompt" （paragraph 4）probably means 　 　．

A．	a reason to write．
B．	a topic to start from．
C．	an excuse to put off working．
D．	an element to attract relationship．

（4）Which of the following statements best represents the author's thoughts in this passage？ 　　

A．	book writers are the ones promoting the growth of the film industry．
B．	directors and screenwriters are more respected than fiction writers．
C．	writers should spend more time on wording rather than on other things．
D．	filmmaking technique could help book writers to improve themselves．

Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects． Why do we often assume that more is morewhen it comes to kids and their belongings？ The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less．

   I found the pre﹣holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less﹣used things， and it worked． Because of our efforts， our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness． She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund （基金）（our kindergarten is serious about becoming a doctor）

   For weeks， I've been thinking of bigger， deeper questions． How do we make it a habit for them？ And how do we train ourselves to help them live with， need， and use less？ Yesterday， I sat with my son， Shepherd， determined to test my own theory on this． I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest． I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes， ten minutes， max． I chose a red rubber ball﹣simple， universally available． We passed it， he tried to put it in his mouth， he tried bouncing it， rolling it， sitting on it， throwing it． It was totally， completely enough for him． Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch．

   We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together． He had my full attention and I had his． My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us．

（1）What do the words "more is more" in paragraph l probably mean？ 　 　

A．	The more， the better．
B．	Enough is enough．
C．	More money， more worries．
D．	Earn more and spend more．

（2）What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects？ 　 　

A．	Saving up for her holiday
B．	Raising money for a poor girl
C．	Adding the money to her fund
D．	Giving the money to a sick mother

（3）Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd？ 　 　

A．	To try out an idea
B．	To show a parent's love
C．	To train his attention
D．	To help him start a hobby

（4）What can be a suitable title for the text？ 　 　

A．	Take it or leave it
B．	A Lesson from Kids
C．	Live More with Less
D．	The Pleasure of Giving

While famous foreign architects are invited to lead the designs of landmark buildings in China such as the new CCTV tower and the National Center for the Performing Arts， many excellent Chinese architects are making great efforts to take the center stage．

   Their efforts have been proven fruitful． Wang Shu a 49﹣year﹣old Chinese architect， won the 2012 Pritzker Architecture prize ﹣which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize in architecture﹣on February 28． He is the first Chinese citizen to win this award．

    Wang serves as head of the Architecture Department at the China Department at the China Academy of Art（CAA）． His office is located at the Xiangshan campus （校园）of the university in Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province． Many buildings on the campus are his original creations．

   The style of the campus is quite different from that of most Chinese universities． Many visitors were amazed by the complex architectural space and abundant building types．The curves（曲线） of the buildings perfectly match the rise and fall of hills， forming a unique view．

   Wang collected more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages． He asked the workers to use traditional techniques to make the bricks into walls， roofs and corridors． This creation attracted a lot of attention thanks to its mixture of modern and traditional Chinese elements．

   Wang's works show a deep understanding of modern architecture and a good knowledge of traditions． Through such a balance， he had created a new type of Chinese architecture， said Tadao Ando， the winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize．

   Wang believes traditions should not be sealed in glass boxes at museums． "That is only evidence that traditions once existed，" he said．

   "Many Chinese people have a misunderstanding of traditions． They think tradition means old things from the past． In fact， tradition also refers to the things that have been developing and that are still being created ，"he said．

   "Today， many Chinese people are learning Western styles and theories rather than focusing on Chinese traditions． Many people tend to talk about traditions without knowing what they really are，" said Wang．

   The study of traditions should be combined with practice． Otherwise， the recreation of traditions would be artificial and empty， he said．

（1）Wang's winning of the prize means that Chinese architects are 　 　．

A．	following the latest world trend
B．	getting international recognition
C．	working harder than ever before
D．	relying on foreign architects

（2）What impressed visitors to the CAA Xiangshan campus most？ 　 　

A．	Its hilly environment．
B．	Its large size．
C．	Its unique style．
D．	Its diverse functions．

（3）What made Wang's architectural design a success？ 　 　

A．	The mixture of different shapes．
B．	The balance of East and West．
C．	The use of popular techniques．
D．	The harmony of old and new．

（4）What should we do about Chinese traditions according to Wang？ 　 　

A．	Spread them to the world．
B．	Preserve them at museums．
C．	Teach them in universities．
D．	Recreate them in practice．

Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are， like a nearby port or river．People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade． New York City， for example， is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River． Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million． But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time． Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight． In 1896， Dawson， Canada， was unmapped wilderness（荒野）．But gold was discovered there in 1897， and two years later it was one of the largest cities in the West， with a population of 30，000．

   Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris． People went there for gold． They travelled over snow﹣covered mountains are sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers． The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warning． An avalanche（ 雪崩）once closed the path， killing 63 people．For many who made it to Dawson， however， the rewards were worth the difficult trip． Of the first 20，000 people who dug for gold， 4，000 got rich． About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives．

   But no matter how rich they were， Dawson was never comfortable． Necessities like food and wood were very expensive． But soon， the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found． The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in setting down， and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska， they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come． Today， people still come and go﹣ to see where the Canadian gold rush happened． Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City﹣ its present population is 762．

（1）What attracted the early settlers to New York City？ 　 　

A．	Its business culture．
B．	Its small population．
C．	Its geographical position．
D．	Its favourable climate

（2）What do we know about those who first dug for gold in Dawson？ 　 　

A．	Two﹣thirds of them stayed there．
B．	One out of five people got rich．
C．	Almost everyone gave up．
D．	Half of them died．

（3）What was the main reason for many people to leave Dawson？ 　 　

A．	They found the city too crowded．
B．	They wanted to try their luck elsewhere．
C．	They were unable to stand the winter．
D．	They were short of food．

（4）What is the text mainly about？ 　 　

A．	The rise and fall of a city．
B．	The gold rush in Canada．
C．	Journeys into the wilderness．
D．	Tourism in Dawson．

Welcome to Holker Hall Garden

Visitor information

How to Get to Holker

   By car： Follow brown signs on A590 from J36， M6． Approximate travel times：Windermere﹣20 minutes， Kendal﹣25 minutes， Lancaster﹣45 minutes， Manchester﹣1 hour 30 minutes．

   By rail： the nearest station is Cark﹣in﹣Cartmel with trains to Carnforth． Lancaster and Preston for connections to major cities & airports．

Opening times

   Sunday﹣Friday（closed on Saturday）11： 00 am﹣4： 00 pm， 30th March﹣2nd November．

Admission Charges

                  Hall & Gardens          Gardens

   Adults：     ￡12.00                   ￡8.00

   Groups：      ￡9.00                    ￡5.5

Special Events

Producers' Market13th April

   Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks． Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas．

Holker Garden Festival30th May

   The event celebrates its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening， making it one of the most popular events in the gardening．

National Garden Day28th August

   Holker once again opens its gardens in aid of the disadvantaged． For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide．

Winter Market8th November

   This is an event for all the family． Wander among a variety of shops selling gifts while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment．

（1）How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester？ 　 　

A．	20 minutes．
B．	25 minutes．
C．	45 minutes．
D．	90 minutes

（2）How much should a member of a tour group pay a visit to Hall &gardens？ 　 　

A．	￡12.00．
B．	￡9.00．
C．	￡8.00．
D．	￡5.50．

（3）Which event will you go to if you want to see a live music show？ 　 　

A．	Producers' Market．
B．	Holker Garden Festival．
C．	National Garden Day．
D．	Winter Market．

As cultural symbols go，the American car is quite young．The Model T Ford was built at the Piquette Plant in Michigan a century ago，with the first rolling off the assembly line （装配线）on September 27，1908．Only eleven cars were produced the next month．But eventually Henry Ford would build fifteen million of them．

   Modern America was born on the road，behind a wheel．The car shaped some of the most lasting aspects of American culture：the roadside diner，the billboard，the motel，even the hamburger．For most of the last century，the car represented what it meant to be American﹣going forward at high speed to find new worlds．The road novel，the road movie，these are the most typical American ideas，born of abundant petrol，cheap cars and a never﹣ending interstate highway system，the largest public works project in history．

   In 1928 Herbert Hoover imagined an America with "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage．" Since then，this society has moved onward，never looking back，as the car transformed America from a farm﹣based society into an industrial power．

   The cars that drove the American Dream have helped to create a global ecological disaster．In America the demand for oil has grown by 22 percent since 1990．

   The problems of excessive（过度的） energy consumption，climate change and population growth have been described in a book by the American writer Thomas L．Friedman．He fears the worst，but hopes for the best．

   Friedman points out that the green economy（经济）is a chance to keep American strength． "The ability to design，build and export green technologies for producing clean water，clean air and healthy and abundant food is going to be the currency of power in the new century．"

（1）Why is hamburger mentioned in paragraph 2？ 　 　

A．	To explain Americans' love for travelling by car．
B．	To show the influence of cars on American culture．
C．	To stress the popularity of fast food with Americans．
D．	To praise the effectiveness of America's road system．

（2）What has the use of cars in America led to？ 　 　

A．	Decline of economy．
B．	Environmental problems．
C．	A shortage of oil supply．
D．	A farm﹣based society．

（3）What is Friedman's attitude towards America's future？ 　 　

A．	Ambiguous．
B．	Doubtful．
C．	Hopeful．
D．	Tolerant．

Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks． His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he's an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter，including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road． What is even more interesting is that one of Stein's jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bag．

   Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year． So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts （收银台）． The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California， including Los Angeles． Eyeing these headwinds， plastic﹣bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume．

   Among the bag makers' arguments： many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags， which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport． And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at， they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today．

   The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement： reusable shopping bags． The stronger a reusable bag is， the longer its life and the more plastic﹣bag use it cancels out． However， longer﹣lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make． One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic．

   Environmentalists don't dispute（质疑） these points． They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years．

（1）What has Steven Stein been hired to do？ 　 　

A．	Help increase grocery sales．
B．	Recycle the waste material．
C．	Stop things falling off trucks．
D．	Argue for the use of plastic bags．

（2）What does the word "headwinds" in paragraph 2 refer to？ 　 　

A．	Bans on plastic bags．
B．	Effects of city development．
C．	Headaches caused by garbage．
D．	Plastic bags hung in trees．

（3）What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic﹣bag makers？ 　 　

A．	They are quite expensive．
B．	Replacing them can be difficult．
C．	They are less strong than plastic bags．
D．	Producing them requires more energy．

（4）What is the best title for the text？ 　 　

A．	Plastic， Paper or Neither
B．	Industry， Pollution and Environment
C．	Recycle or Throw Away
D．	Garbage Collection and Waste Control

In 1812， the year Charles Dickens was born， there were 66 novels published in Britain． People had been writing novels for a century﹣most experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719﹣ but nobody wanted to do it professionally． The steam﹣powered printing press was still in its early stages； the literacy（识字）rate in England was under 50%． Many works of fiction appeared without the names of the authors， often with something like "By a lady．" Novels， for the most part，were looked upon as silly， immoral or just plain bad．

   In 1870， when Dickens died， the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher， famous and beloved， who had led an explosion in both the publication of novels and their readership and whose characters﹣from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim﹣were held up as moral touchstones． Today Dickens' greatness is unchallenged． Removing him from the pantheon （名人堂）of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa．

   How did Dickens get to the top？ For all the feelings readers attach to stories， literature is a numbers game， and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass． Some 60，000 novels were published during the Victorian age， from 1837 to 1901； today a casual reader might be able to name a half﹣dozen of them． It's partly true that Dickens' style of writing attracted audiences from all walks of life． It's partly that his writings rode a wave of social， political and scientific progress．But it's also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center． No one will ever know what mix of talent， ambition， energy and luck made Dickens such a distinguished writer． But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches， it is possible﹣and important for our own culture﹣to understand how he made himself a lasting one．

（1）Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th century？ 　 　

A．	They were difficult to understand．
B．	They were popular among the rich．
C．	They were seen as nearly worthless．
D．	They were written mostly by women．

（2）Dickens is compared with the Mona Lisa in the text to stress 　 　．

A．	his reputation in France
B．	his interest in modern art
C．	his success in publication
D．	his importance in literature

（3）What is the author's purpose in writing the text？ 　 　

A．	To remember a great writer．
B．	To introduce an English novel．
C．	To encourage studies on culture．
D．	To promote values of the Victorian age．

Children as young as ten are becoming dependent on social media for their sense of self﹣worth， a major study warned．

   It found many youngsters（少年）now measure their status by how much public approval they get online， often through "like"． Some change their behavior in real life to improve their image on the web．

   The report into youngsters aged from 8 to 12 was carried out by Children's Commissioner （专员）Anne Longfield． She said social media firms were exposing children to major emotional risks，with some youngsters starting secondary school ill﹣equipped to cope with the tremendous pressure they faced online．

   Some social apps were popular among the children even though they supposedly require users to be at least 13．The youngsters admitted planning trips around potential photo﹣opportunities and then messaging friends﹣and friends of friends﹣to demand "likes" for their online posts．

   The report found that youngsters felt their friendships could be at risk if they did not respond to social media posts quickly， and around the clock．

   Children aged 8 to 10 were "starting to feel happy" when others liked their posts． However，those in the 10 to 12 age group were "concerned with how many people like their posts"， suggesting a "need" for social recognition that gets stronger the older they become．

   Miss Longfield warned that a generation of children risked growing up "worried about their appearance and image as a result of the unrealistic lifestyles they follow on platforms， and increasingly anxious about switching off due to the constant demands of social media"．

   She said： "Children are using social media with family and friends and to play games when they are in primary school． But what starts as fun usage of apps turns into tremendous pressure in real social media interaction at secondary school．"

   As their world expanded． she said，children compared themselves to others online in a way that was "hugely damaging in terms of their self﹣identity， in terms of their confidence， but also in terms of their ability to develop themselves"．

   Miss Longfield added： "Then there is this push to connect﹣if you go offline， will you miss something， will you miss out， will you show that you don't care about those people you are following，all of those come together in a huge way at once．"

   "For children it is very， very difficult to cope with emotionally．" The Children's Commissioner for England's study﹣Life in Likes﹣found that children as young as 8 were using social media platforms largely for play．

   However， the research﹣involving eight groups of 32 children aged 8 to 12﹣suggested that as they headed toward their teens， they became increasingly anxious online．

   By the time they started secondary school﹣at age 11﹣children were already far more aware of their image online and felt under huge pressure to ensure their posts were popular， the report found．

   However， they still did not know how to cope with mean﹣spirited jokes， or the sense of incompetence they might feel if they compared themselves to celebrities（名人）or more brilliant friends online． The report said they also faced pressure to respond to messages at all hours of the day﹣especially at secondary school when more youngsters have mobile phones．

   The Children's Commissioner said schools and parents must now do more to prepare children for the emotional minefield（雷区）they faced online． And she said social media companies must also "take more responsibility"． They should either monitor their websites better so that children do not sign up too early， or they should adjust their websites to the needs of younger users．

   Javed Khan， of children's charity Bamardo's， said： "It's vital that new compulsory age﹣appropriate relationship and sex education lessons in England should help equip children to deal with the growing demands of social media．

   "It's also hugely important for parents to know which apps their children are using．"

（1）Why did some secondary school students feel too much pressure？ 　 　

A．	They were not provided with adequate equipment．
B．	They were not well prepared for emotional risks．
C．	They were required to give quick responses．
D．	They were prevented from using mobile phones．

（2）Some social app companies were to blame because 　 　．

A．	they didn't adequately check their users' registration
B．	they organized photo trips to attract more youngsters
C．	they encouraged youngsters to post more photos
D．	they didn't stop youngsters from staying up late

（3）Children's comparing themselves to others online may lead to 　 　．

A．	less friendliness to each other
B．	lower self﹣identity and confidence
C．	an increase in online cheating
D．	a stronger desire to stay online

（4）According to Life in Likes， as children grew， they became more anxious to 　 　．

A．	circulate their posts quickly
B．	know the qualities of their posts
C．	use mobile phones for play
D．	get more public approval

（5）What should parents do to solve the problem？ 　 　

A．	Communicate more with secondary schools．
B．	Urge media companies to create safer apps．
C．	Keep track of children's use of social media．
D．	Forbid their children from visiting the web．

（6）What does the passage mainly talk about？ 　 　

A．	The influence of social media on children．
B．	The importance of social media to children．
C．	The problem in building a healthy relationship．
D．	The measure to reduce risks from social media．

If you want to disturb the car industry， you'd better have a few billion dollars： Mom﹣and﹣pop carmakers are unlikely to beat the biggest car companies． But in agriculture， small farmers can get the best of the major players． By connecting directly with customers， and by responding quickly to changes in the markets as well as in the ecosystems（生态系统）， small farmers can keep one step ahead of the big guys． As the co﹣founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition （NYFC， 美国青年农会）and a family farmer myself， I have a front﹣row seat to the innovations among small farmers that are transforming the industry．

   For example， take the Quick Cut Greens Harvester， a tool developed just a couple of years ago by a young farmer， Jonathan Dysinger， in Tennessee， with a small loan from a local Slow Money group． It enables small﹣scale farmers to harvest 175 pounds of green vegetables per hour﹣a huge improvement over harvesting just a few dozen pounds by hand﹣suddenly making it possible for the little guys to compete with large farms of California． Before the tool came out， small farmers couldn't touch the price per pound offered by California farms． But now， with the combination of a better price point and a generally fresher product， they can stay in business．

   The sustainable success of small farmers， though， won't happen without fundamental changes to the industry． One crucial factor is secure access to land． Competition from investors，developers， and established large farmers makes owning one's own land unattainable for many new farmers．From 2004 to 2013， agricultural land values doubled， and they continue to rise in many regions．

   Another challenge for more than a million of the most qualified farm workers and managers is a non﹣existent path to citizenship ﹣ the greatest barrier to building a farm of their own． With farmers over the age of 65 outnumbering（多于）farmers younger than 35 by six to one， and with two﹣thirds of the nation's farmland in need of a new farmer， we must clear the path for talented people willing to grow the nation's food．

   There are solutions that could light a path toward a more sustainable and fair farm economy，but farmers can't clumsily put them together before us． We at the NYFC need broad support as we urge Congress to increase farmland conservation， as we push for immigration reform， and as we seek policies that will ensure the success of a diverse and ambitious next generation of farmers from all backgrounds． With a new farm bill to be debated in Congress， consumers must take a stand with young farmers．

（1）The author mentions car industry at the beginning of the passage to introduce 　 　．

A．	the progress made in car industry
B．	a special feature of agriculture
C．	a trend of development in agriculture
D．	the importance of investing in car industry

（2）What does the author want to illustrate with the example in paragraph 2？ 　 　

A．	Loans to small local farmers are necessary．
B．	Technology is vital for agricultural development．
C．	Competition between small and big farms is fierce．
D．	Small farmers may gain some advantages over big ones．

（3）What is the difficulty for those new farmers？ 　 　

A．	To gain more financial aid．
B．	To hire good farm managers．
C．	To have farms of their own．
D．	To win old farmers' support．

（4）What should farmers do for a more sustainable and fair farm economy？ 　 　

A．	Seek support beyond NYF	B．
C．	Expand farmland conservation．	D．
E．	Become members of NYF	F．
G．	Invest more to improve technology．	H．