I went over my grandmother’s house today and she didn’t have time for me. You see, the lady’s husband downstairs died and my Grandmother wanted to make some cookies for her. My grandmother did not analyze (分析) how the lady treated her, or if the lady needed any cookies, or even if the lady would like the cookies. She didn’t think how much the lady has done for her. She simply began baking.

My Grandmother turned 94 last week and this I believe is her secret to life. My grandmother is generous (慷慨) and hard-working in a way that is rare for our time. She lives by a simple belief: if someone needs your help, you help. Never mind all the analyzing and thinking whether the person deserves  or appreciates  the help. My grandmother doesn’t sit around thinking about who might be making use of her; she simply does what is needed.

At 94, she is busy in life. She is making a blanket for a new great grandchild, and worried that I don’t have enough kitchen towels for my home. She is bringing soup to a sick neighbor, and teaching the new wife of her cousin (who is 88) how to cook Italian food.

My grandmother had every right to give up, but she didn’t — and amazingly life did bring her good things, like a husband with twinkling blue eyes who was much ahead of his time and believed that men should do an equal amount of cooking and cleaning in the home, three beautiful children (my father and two aunts), 22 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. My grandmother is not afraid to give someone she barely knows a bowl of soup. She never keeps herself out of the world.

1.The reason why my grandmother made cookies for the lady downstairs is that ________.

   A. she thought the lady was too busy

   B. she would make them as thanks to her

   C. she thought she should do something for the lady at the special time

   D. they had had an agreement before

2. In the writer’s opinion, ________.

   A. my grandmother has a secret way of living

   B. my grandmother does everything on careful consideration

   C. few people are as generous as my grandmother now

   D. my grandmother will get something in return

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. My grandmother cares for her children even some strangers.

   B. My grandfather does not treat women in an unfair way.

   C. This is a family in which there are nearly 30 people now.

   D. My grandmother never keeps everything for herself.

4.We may infer from the text that the writer ________.

   A. thinks his grandmother is living a tired life

   B. thinks his grandmother is doing what she should do

   C. thinks his grandmother should not be so kind

   D. is proud of his grandmother

 

Dear Economist,

My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．

　　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．

　　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?

Brian Gee

Dear Brian,

I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．

　　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．

　　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．

Economist

1.What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?

A．His wife refuses to shop at Walmart．

B．They are faced with a divorce．

C．They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart．

D．They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart．

2.Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________．

A．it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages

B．consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart

C．Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy

D．Walmart’s business increases global trade

3.What can be inferred from the reply letter?

A．Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job．

B．Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees．

C．Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers．

D．Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart．

 

Exploit your parking space

An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement（广告）for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.

Rent a room

Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.

Make money during special events

Won’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money, Grashpadder can advertise your space.

Live on set

Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.

Use your roof

You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.

1.If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.

A. ￡800       B. ￡500             C. ￡4500           D.5000

2.Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?

A. On Letpark.   B. On Roomspare.  C. On Grashpadder.  D. On Roommateeasy.

3.If you want to use energy free, you have to_____.

A. sign an agreement with the government 

B. pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment

C. sell the roof to some energy companies   

D. keep the roof unchanged for within 25 years

4. For whom the text most probably written?

A. Lodgers.       B. Advertisers.    C. House owners.  D. Online companies

 

In 1987, while serving as the public affairs officer at Fort Bragg, I would frequently visit the local high schools to speak to the students about the Army. As a lieutenant colonel(中校), I found it particularly rewarding to talk with the teenagers about the benefits of military service, if only for a few years of their lives.

During one of these visits, I reported to the secretary in the principal’s office to let her know that I was here for the third-period class. I was a little surprised when she told me. “The principal would like to see you before you go to the class.”

As I entered his office, I was greeted by a gentleman who appeared to be in his late thirties, and he welcomed me with a smile and a handshake. “You don’t remember me, do you?” he said.

I looked closely at the face again and could not recall where we may have met before.

“You were my company commander in basic training at Fort Jackson in 1970,” the principal said.

“Let me help you out,” he suggested. “You gave me a three-day pass to go home and see my newborn baby.” I immediately remembered the incident!

“Yes,” I said. “I remember now.” It was the only three-day pass I had issued because the soldiers were on their way to Vietnam immediately after they finished training. But I knew if I did not let him go home to see his son and something happened to him, I would regret denying the opportunity he had to be with his family.

“Come on, Colonel. I’d like to introduce you to ‘the baby’. He’s in your third-period class. By letting me go see him, you gave me a reason to stay focused and to come home safe from that war. Thank you , sir.”

It was the most rewarding class I had ever given, and I had no problem in telling the students about the bonds of friendship and the values that Army life can provide…and that can last a lifetime.

1. In the writer’s opinion, talking to teens about the Army is       .

A. a forced task                           B. a pleasant thing

C. an unavoidable duty         D. an embarrassing experience

2. Why did the principal want to see the writer?

A. He wanted to send his son to the Army.

B. He felt sorry for causing the writer trouble.

C. He was disappointed at the writer’s lecture.

D. He intended to express his thanks to the writer.

3.The underlined part in the text suggests that       .

  A. the son may die                          B. the son may become ill

C. the soldier may die in the war     D. the soldier may be hurt in the training

4. What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A. A soldier remembers.               B. A principal thinks

C. A baby grows                          D. A lecture continues

 

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分,满分40分）

阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

To all of you at Chinese love links,

I am 44 years old and never married. I have always wanted to find that perfect someone that I dream about. For about the last five years I have almost given up the hope of ever finding the one I truly wish to spend the rest of my life with.

I have always tried to be a nice guy. I had found your website some four or five months before. I did not know what to expect. I don't know how to speak Chinese and never thought truly of how I was to an Asian woman.

Well, I had a lot of replies from some very nice and pretty women. I had a hard time finding only a couple to write to. But one stood out from the rest. She was cute, nice and seemed to hold a lot of the same values as I do. In a short time I had decided to write only to her. We communicated via e - mails 2 - 3 times a day and phone calls once or twice a week.

I went and met her and her family only a week ago. Her name is Ying and she lives in Nanning. I found Nanning to be one of the most beautiful cities I had ever been to. We had even decided to marry and to bring her to the USA under the fiance visa. Not only did she meet everything I had ever hoped to find in someone else but turned out to be what every woman should be like, at least the ones I have met. We plan to marry as soon as she is here and start a family together as neither of us has children but we both want them.

So to anyone out there reading this, I can only say this: You may not find what you are looking for if you're not honest with your partner and yourself. This site worked for me mostly because I was honest with something that I wanted in someone else. When I did find her, love can work even across the other side of the world, between language differences and cultural differences. I wish you all luck in finding your perfect match. I have finally found mine and wish to give all my thanks to those at Chinese love links to help make it happen.

Sincerely yours,

Arthur

61.We can infer from the letter that Chinese love links is a website to________.

A.help foreigners to travel in China

B.help both Chinese and foreigners to find one they want to marry

C.help Chinese and foreigners make friends

D.receive letters from the USA

62.Which of the following is true about Arthur's story?

A.He was sure of finding a Chinese woman as his wife at first.

B.He was determined to find a Chinese woman as his wife.

C.He almost lost hope in finding a perfect wife until he found Ying.

D.No women wrote to him before Ying.

63.Ying stood out from the rest because________.

A.she was a Chinese             B.she had much in common with Arthur

C.other women stopped writing to Arthur    D.she was cute and nice and often phoned to Arthur

64.Arthur thinks________is the most important in finding someone one wants to marry.

A.being honest with the partner and oneself B.help from the website

C.difference in languages and places     D.difference in cultures