Many people write to newspapers and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.

“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.

There are people who wish to remain anonymous(匿名的) for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he doesn’t want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.

Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our name that we honor what we say.

1.What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?

A. Writers should be responsible for their names.

B. Writers need to provide their personal information in the game.

C. Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say.

D. Publications must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number.

2.The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may______.

A. not get a reply              B. be accepted all the time

C. become a family problem      D. help to end a relationship

3.Some people don’t want their names known because they are_______.

A. ready for involvement          B. hesitant to make a donation

C. afraid of an accusation        D. unwilling to draw public attention

4.The passage is mainly about_____.

A. honor and writers             B. signature and responsibility

C. identity and signature        D. anonymity and signature

 

When he was just 19, Michael Dell started the company that would dominate the industry.

At the time, IBM personal computers sold in stores for about ＄3,000. After taking them apart and rebuilding them, Dell realized the components (零部件) could be bought for one-fourth the price. Soon he was buying components to reduce the cost. A good business decision, but it meant his room was starting to look like a mechanic’s shop.

“I was quite excited about the possibilities for personal computers and how they could change society. I had this idea to sell the products directly to the users over the phone”, he said. College plans and his parents’ expectations bothered him a lot. But Michael Dell was determined. He drove off to the University of Texas at Austin in August 1983 in a car he’d bought with earnings from selling newspapers. He was surprised that his mother wasn’t suspicious about the three computers in the backseat. By November, news reached his parents that he wasn’t attending classes. On a surprise visit to Austin, they caught their son on spot. Michael Dell told his dad that he wanted to compete with IBM.

Although Michael agreed to focus on his studies, the business chances and the timing couldn’t have been better. The public was becoming more interested in computers, but no one was producing them. In early May, a week before his final exams, Michael started Dell computer Corporation with ＄1,000. He took his exams, and then dropped out of college at the end of his freshman year. It was time to try out his direct-to-customer business model.

“Three years later”, Dell says, “we had already achieved annual sales of about ＄150 million, I was 22 years old then.”

1.What does the underlined word in paragraph 1 mean?

A. affect                      B. develop                            C. support                            D. lead

2.Which of the following is true according to paragraph 2?

A. Dell discovered a good chance to make money

B. Dell could buy a computer at one-fourth the price

C. IBM made little money from personal computers

D. Dell rebuilt computers in a mechanic’s shop

3.When Dell’s parents learned about his absence from class, they       .

A. tried to help with his business                         

B. were too suspicious to accept it

C. wanted him to go hack to class                        

D. encouraged him to compete with IBM

4.It can be inferred from the article that       .

A. Dell was tired of his college life                       

B. Dell was not devoted to his study at college

C. Dell’s college life helped him greatly     

D. Dell didn’t finish his final exams

5.Dell’s experiences show that       .

A. determination and opportunity lead to success

B. family support plays an import in one’s success

C. there’s no need for all of us to go to college

D. we should insist on whatever we are doing

 

Dear Economist，

My newly­wedded 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 tighterknit(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 low­and­middle­income 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

68. What concerned 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.

 

69．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 increased productivity in economy

D. Walmart's business increases global trade

70．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.

Many people write to newspaper and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are held responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous（匿名的）for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter if responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honour our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we honour what we say.
【小题1】What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?

A．Writers need to provide their personal information in the game.

B．Publication must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number.

C．Writers should be responsible for their names.

D．Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say.

【小题2】The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may _______.

A．help to end a relationship	B．not get a reply
C．be accepted all the same	D．become a family problem

【小题3】Some people don’t want their names known because they are ________.

A．hesitant to make a donation	B．unwilling to draw public attention
C．afraid of an accusation	D．ready for involvement

【小题4】The passage is mainly about _______.

A．honour and writers	B．identity and signature
C．signature and responsibility	D．anonymity and signature

Are you a big fan of pirate（海盗） stories? Do you know how to talk like a pirate? You can have fun on September 19th. This special holiday is called International Talk Like A Pirate Day. It was invented in 1995 by two young Americans, John Baur and Mark Summers.

These two good friends came up with this idea when they were playing racquetball, and began to talk like pirates. At that moment, they thought, “Young people are interested in pirate, but there is no such a chance for people to get together to share it. Why not have a day when everybody talks like a pirate?” They decided to make September 19th the date. Since then, Baur and Summers have tried hard to promote Talk Like A Pirate Day. As Baur said, “We’ve talked like pirates, and encouraged several of our friends to do so every September 19th.”

At first, this day was only known by a few people. In 2002, Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to Dave Barry. This columnist（专栏作家）really liked their idea. He promoted the holiday and made it known to more and more people. Now, it has really become an international holiday. On Talk Like A Pirate Day, you need to dress like a pirate. You should wear a big hat or maybe cover one of your eyes. You can pretend to be any kind of pirate that you can find in any story or movie.

Having fun and being relaxed are not the only best things about the holiday. Young people share the same interest and childhood dreams that day. That's why it is welcomed by so many people, especially young people.

Unlike traditional holidays, International Talk Like A Pirate Day is a brand new holiday which is invented by the youth themselves and celebrated by themselves too. Because of Baur and Summers’ imagination and creativity, thousands of young people’s pirate dream come true. Next time, when you have a good idea, why not share it with your fiends and insist on your belief? Maybe you can create another wonderful holiday for the youth in the future.

1.How did John Baur and Mark Summers invent the special holiday?

A．Many young people asked them to do it

B．They did it just for pleasure

C．They did it in order to honor pirates

D．They thought out the idea by chance and imagination

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

A．It was Dave Barry who made more people know the holiday.

B．Talk Like A Pirate Day is a young, active and lively holiday

C．The holiday has been popular since the birth of it.

D．Thanks to John Baur and Mark Summers’ imagination and creativity, many people realize the pirate dream.

3.According to the passage, which of the following can show that the holiday is special?

A．It is a brand new holiday invented and celebrated by the youth themselves.

B．It is a wonderful and instructive holiday.

C．It has a long history.

D．People can make their dream come true on this day.

4.Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage in a newspaper？

A．Young people’s pirate dream	B．Can you talk like a pirate?
C．John Baur and Mark Summers	D．September 19th—a traditional day in honor of pirates