In Western countries people have been using the installment plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U.S.A., the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment. There is, however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment. If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts, there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit, it becomes more likely to have a depression. This is why, in some countries, the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan
1．Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the installment plan?
A．A lot of British families use the installment plan.
B．More than 10 percent American families buy things on installments.
C．Americans depend more on installment than British people do.
D．Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.
2．Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because .
A．the buyer has to pay extra money as interest
B．the delivery of the goods charges extra money
C．the buyer has to pay a down payment
D．the service offered by installment plan charged extra money
3．What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?
A．He might lost his job.
B．He will stop owning the item he has bought.
C．He will have to sell what he has bought.
D．He will go into debt.
4．The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that .
A．purchasing power is strengthened.
B．employment might be increased
C．people develop a good habit of saving money
D．young couples are able to furnish their homes
5．In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to .
A．increase employment
B．avoid depressions
C．ensure that businesses make good profits
D．ensure that people can pay for what they buy
科目：高中英语 来源：2013届北京西城区（南区）高二下学期期末质量检测英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
We can slow down aging. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging. His solution is a herbal medicine（草药）to slow the process of aging.
Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called “Shen”.
According to Shen, it is the kidney（肾脏）which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the Shen system slows the aging process, says a report in the Telegraph newspaper. We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness, wrinkles and so on. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves.
So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young? This is where Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell.
1.How did Dr. Shen find the solution to the problem of aging?
A. By studying Western medicine.
B. By learning traditional Chinese medicine.
C. By combining both Western and Chinese medicine.
D. By doing research on both Western and Chinese people.
2.What plays the most important role in keeping people young according to Shen?
A. Medical treatment.
B. Positive life attitude.
C. People’s good kidney.
D. Level of people’s activity.
3.The reason why people become old is that .
A. their bodies produce T-cells
B. they become weaker and weaker
C. they have reduced strength, loss of hair
D. their bodies are unable to fight diseases
4.We can probably learn from the passage that .
A. producing more low calorie food allows people to keep young
B. it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine is
C. people should try to quicken the production of T-cells in the body
D. the more Chinese herbal medicine people drink, the better for health
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届内蒙古巴市高二下学期期末考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
What would life be like without rich, creamy, mouthwatering, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate?
Life would be bitter for most Americans. They spend about $13 billion a year buying all sorts of chocolate treats.
However, for the African children who toil under slavelike conditions on cacao plantations, life is not sweet. The cacao bean is the main ingredient in the chocolate. According to a 2002 survey by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the US Agency for International Development, about 284,000 children work in dangerous conditions on cacao farms in western Africa.
More than half those children are younger than 14. Many were sold into forced labor to work 12 hours or more a day on the cacao plantations.
A number of international organizations, including several African governments, recently began a program to eliminate(消除) child labor on cacao plantations. Under the program, government officials will remove children from abusive working situations while teaching farmers about child labor issues.
The program will also make borrowing money easier for cacao farmers. Officials hope farmers will use the money to invest in their farms and hire paid laborers.
1.The cacao bean is the main ingredient in _______.
|
A．treats |
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B．coffee |
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C．chocolate |
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D．cigarettes |
2.How many children under 14 work on cacao farms in western Africa?
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A．About 284,000. |
|
B．About 142,000. |
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C．About 467,000. |
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D．About 876,000. |
3.From the passage, you can reasonably conclude that _______.
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A．cacao farms in western Africa rely heavily on child labor |
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B．children in Africa know how to make the best chocolate |
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C．candy bars sold in the United States are made on plantations in Africa |
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D．eating too much chocolate is bad for your health |
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科目：高中英语 来源：河南省2009-2010学年高一下学期阶段测试英语试题（二） 题型：完形填空
II. 完形填空（ 共20 小题；每小题 1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题的四个选项（A 、B、C 和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Learn to Express Thanks
“Exposed to strong sunshine and heavy winds, postmen are the most handsome.”
“Thank you, dear postmen.”
Many Teens readers write letters with such words on the envelopes. Once they are 36 , editors are always 37 by their sincere gratitude(感激的心情) to ordinary people.
38 gratitude is an important form of good 39 .In western countries, people often write a note to thank those who 40 them. Nowadays more and more people in China have found it’s high time to cultivate(培养) a thankful 41 for the good others do.
Everyone likes to get praised and appreciated. Gratitude is 42 of virtues, which lets others smile and makes the 43 more beautiful. You just need several 44 to write down a thank-you note, but it could bring much joy to the 45 .
We live in a society 46 we enjoy the different services of others. But none of them should be taken for granted. Gratitude is also a kind of attitude in life. In developing gratitude for every 47 –for the
simple joys, and even for the 48 time—we come to 49 enjoy and appreciate life. Then we are able to see the 50 around us.
Try to write a thank-you letter to your parents for working hard to 51 you a happy life.
Be grateful to your 52 because of their help with your studies and character building.
Say thanks to your friends who 53 both your happiness and sorrow and spend a few minutes 54 you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have.
We are sure it will bring them much joy and add 55 into your own life as well.
36. A. said B.closed C. opened D. invited
37. A. surprised B. interested C. moved D. thanked
38. A. Having B. Expressing C. Taking D. Enjoying
39. A. manners B. uses C. ways D. things
40. A. helps B. has ever helped C. is helping D. have ever helped
41. A. feeling B. heart C. word D. mind
42. A. the good B. the smallest C. the greatest D. good one
43. A. world B. school C. community D. crowd
44. A. times B. words C. pieces D. minutes
45. A. performer B. receiver C. speaker D. doer
46. A. which B. when C. how D. where
47. A. time B. day C. moment D. form
48. A. managing B. challenging C. changing D. developing
49. A. simply B. truly C. hardly D. ably
50. A. truth B. reality C. experience D. magic
51. A. offer B. make C. feed D. put
52.A. classmates B. parents C. teachers D. friends
53.A. gave B. shared C. appreciated D. formed
54. A. after B. as C. before D. while
55.A. color B. taste C. means D. reflection
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科目：高中英语 来源：天津市2010届高三下学期5月模拟考试英语试卷 题型：阅读理解
The library is one of the most popular places at a western university. Students turn to it for research, conversations about class, and many other services.
Compared with Chinese libraries, college libraries, college libraries in the US and UK tent to offer more resources. A postgraduate at Yale University can borrow as many as 225 books at a time.
In addition to borrowing books, there are online and electronic resources. These include a database search of popular and academic material, such as LexisNexis Academic, which offer items from newspapers and magazines.
Although books and articles are the items that students ask for most frequently, some libraries provide audio and video recordings, maps and sheet music （活页乐谱）. At some schools, teachers and tutors put electronic copies of their teaching PPTs on the library Web to give easier access for students.
Another useful service in Western college libraries is the Interlibrary Loan. This allows a student at one school to borrow books from another school. The loan request is make through the student’s college library, which gets the book, gives it to the user, and arranges for its return.
Technology has brought more services to students and has made libraries attractive. Some universities have services for students to send messages through the computer or mobile texts to ask the library staff for information.
Earlier this year, Harvard University introduced a new Scan and Deliver service, allowing students to make requests for parts of books and articles. Requests made through the system are handled by library staff. The student receives and e-mail with an Internet link to the scanned pages. The service is free and all material comes within four days.
It used to be that libraries didn’t allow food or drinks. But that rule is changing and many of them now contain a café so students can spend as much time as they want in the library.
Actually, some US university libraries are now all-night affairs, or have at least one study room open all night.
1. In Western college libraries a postgraduate can ______.
A. have a free drink or a meal
B. borrow as many books as they want
C. access not only books but other study resources
D. ask questions and get answers from their tutors
2. LexisNexis Academic is the name of ______.
A. a database
B. a library
C. a university
D. a guide
3. How can a college student borrow books from other college’s libraries?
A. By going to these libraries.
B. By getting them through the Internet.
C. By sending messages through the computer or mobile texts.
D. By borrowing them through their own library.
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Chinese library services are better than western ones.
B. Library staff play an important role in college library service.
C. Postgraduates can post their own PPTs to the library website.
D. 24-hour services are adopted in all western libraries nowadays.
5. Why are university libraries more attractive now?
A. Because students can eat and drink there at any time.
B. Because students can have a stay-over there all night.
C. Because students can enjoy quicker and more convenient services.
D. Because students can borrow anything they want there.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2010-2011学年重庆市高三5月月考英语试题 题型：阅读理解
Butter is bad for you—so is margarine（人造黄油）．Coffee raises blood pressure, but may protect against cancer．Alcohol is okay, but only if it's wine．The confusing studies on what is safe to eat and drink are enough to make it impossible for anyone to understand what "good food" is．
Take the margarine-butter debate for example．Studies that linked fat—found mostly in animal products such as meat and butter—with cancer and heart disease sent millions rushing to buy margarine．But then another study found that people who ate a lot of margarine also had high levels of heart disease．For those who have a firm faith in science, this seems to be the end of the world．
But many doctors point out that their advice has never been conflicting．For years, and in various countries, they have recommended eating less fat．
People in western countries such as Britain and the United States get about 40 percent of their calories from fat．Doctors say this should be around 30 or even 25 percent,
"We must try to reduce total fat," said Dr．Robert Richardson of the University of Edinburgh, who has been studying the effects of fat on human health for years．
"We need to go to more such food as bread, in particular brown bread, and more fruit and vegetables．"
Fresh produce may not be so safe, either．Last month the British Government advised consumers to peel their pears before eating, while many Americans briefly avoided apples because of fears over an insect killing chemical．
But Dr．Arnold, a British scientist, said any risk of such poisoning would be outweighed by the costs of not eating plant foods．
"On balance, if you were to put both risks against each other, the advice has to be eating as much fruit and vegetable daily as possible," she said．
In general, doctors conclude, variety truly is the best policy．"The general advice is pretty much the same advice that doctors have been talking about for a long time—a varied diet, a mixture of foods and not too much of any one," Arnold said．
1.In which section of the magazine are you most likely to find this passage?
A．Arts and Culture B．Entertainment
C．Nature D．Health
2.The British Government advised consumers to peel their pears before eating because ________．
A．it found that there were insects on the pears
B．it wanted consumers to avoid insect, killing chemicals
C．the skin of pears was found to be bad for people's health
D．it was a bad habit not to peel them
3.The underlined word "outweigh" （Para. 8） means " __________．"
A．to be heavier than usual or allowed B．to be more dangerous than
C．to be greater in value or importance than D．to be considered less important than
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A．Many doctors say that their advice has never been conflicting．
B．Science provides answers to all our questions．
C．We should peel our pears before eating．
D．We should eat plant foods despite the risk of poisoning．
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