B
Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the longest and most costly presidential campaign in American history. The election results were widely seen as a strong statement by voters on economy. A public opinion study reported by the Wall Street Journal found that about sixty percent of voters considered the economy as the top issue.
Mr. Obama faces the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of leading stocks has lost nearly thirty of its value. The government seized the nation’s two largest home financing companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also took control of the huge insurance company, A. I. G.  The government is now a share holder in nine of the country’s largest banks. That will expand to small banks , too. The amount spent on these rescue plans has been close to one trillion dollars. That amount could increase.
Another problem the new administration faces is the budget deficit(赤字). Some experts predict the deficit for next year’s budget could be close to one trillion dollars. Some observers predict that the deficit will limit speeding in economic programs.
Barack Obama has promised a tax cut for middle income Americans. He is seeking fifty billion dollars in aid for states and job creation programs. Mr. Obama has put forward a health care reform plan that costs fifty to sixty-five billion dollars. Obama is also seeking to spend one hundred and fifty billion dollars on new energy technologies over the next ten years.
In addition, Mr. Obama has been discussing a program worth one hundred billion dollars. It includes spending in public works projects and aid to American states, cities and citizens.
41. According to the passage, the election results suggested ___________________.
A. how fierce the presidential campaign was
B. the significance of the election in American history
C. Obama promised to devote himself to economic development
D. how much money was spent during the presidential campaign
42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is mentioned to show _________________.
A. how serious the economic crisis is
B. the value of all America’s stocks
C. the economy was considered as the top issue
D. what percentage of shares Obama has in leading stocks
43. We know from the passage that _______________________.
A. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are insurance companies
B. the government will become a share holder in small banks
C. money spent on the government’s rescue plan will be decreased
D. the budget deficit will not affect the economic programs
44. Which of the following statements does NOT belong to Obama’s rescue plans?
A. Cutting taxes for middle income Americans.
B. Seeking money for job creation programs.
C. Putting forward a health care reform plan.
D. Stopping spending on new energy technologies.
45. The passage mainly tells us ____________________________.
A. the deepest economic crisis in the 1930’s
B. the result of the presidential election
C. America tries to save the country’s economy
D. how Americans think of the newly-elected president

I found the cat____ under the bed, who had caught a mouse.

A. hiding    B. hidden      C. to hide D. having hidden

The Growing Credit Crisis Forces Many Companies to Seek Government Help

On September fifteenth, Lehman Brothers, a one hundred fifty-eight year-old investment bank, sought legal protection from its creditors. It had failed to find a buyer after months of searching. With over six hundred billion dollars in debt, Lehman’s failure was the largest bankruptcv in United States history At the same time，the nation’s biggest insurance company，American International Group, had gotten into trouble selling credit default swaps These are contracts Similar to insurance that protect the holder against credit risk.

Credit rating agencies downgraded A.I.G because of concerns it could not honor its contracts. Unable to get new loans, A.I.G asked for government help The Federal Reserve agreed to loan A .I.G. eighty-five billion dollars in return for eighty percent of the company but it was not enough. By November, the government had extended a total of about one hundred fiftv billion doliars in aid to A .I.G—the most to any single company during the crisis.

As banks refused to lend, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a plan to loosen credit markets by buylng risky assets. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of Two. Thousand eight on October third The bill provided seven hundred billion dollars to buy hard to-value securltles from banks. But within weeks, the government changed plans. The Treasury moved to invest two handred fifty billion dollars directly in banks to help them lend money again.

Lack of credit not only hurt banks but manufacturers, too. Falling car sales threatened America’s carmakers The big three automakers—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler—told Congress that they needed loans or they faced bankmptcy. In December, President Bush offered G.M and Chrysler over seventeen billion dollars in loans.

As the year ended, the Federal Reserve tried to support economic growth by lowering its main interest rate to nearly zero for the first time. But there was one more bad surprise New York money manager Bernard Madoff admitted he had cheated investors out of fifty billion dollars. The news only added to the sense that two thousand eight was the worst economic year since the nineteen thirties.

Which of the following is NOT the problem in the passage Lehman Brothers was faced with?

   A. lt is an Investment bank with more than one and a half centuries history.

   B. It didn’t find a buyer after months of searching.

   C. It has over six hundred billion dollars in debt.

D. Its failure was the largest bankruptcy in United States history.

The reason why A.I.G turned to the U.S government for help was that           .

   A. A.I.G would give eighty percent of the company in return for the loan

   B. A.I.G couldn’t get new loans from credit rating agencies

   C. the government extended a total of about one hundred fifty billion dollars in aid to A.I.G

D. the Federal Reserve agreed to loan A.I G eighty-five billion dollars

According to the passage, which of the following is probably NOT suffering from the lack of_______ .

   A. Banks．       B. Manufacturers        C. Carmakers          D. Barbers

The last sentence of this passage indicates that the author’s attitude towards the U.S economy in 2008 is        

   A.pessimistic      B. optimistic           C. objective            D.subjective

As soon as I saw the cat in our yard, I knew he was a stray (流浪儿). He looked  36 —a wounded warrior with a badly scarred body.

I started putting out food for him each day, but he wouldn’t come near me if other people were  37 . Winter came, and he still wouldn’t  38  us. Then, one day, a car hit him so we took him to the vet’s.

After a week, we were eager to bring him home to  39  our family. But when we went to take the cat home, the vet told us we should put him to  40  immediately because the cat was so fierce and mean that he would  41  become tame , let alone a pet.

But I have always had  42  in love’s power to  43  even the wildest beasts. I told the vet, “I want to take him home.” We  44  him Paws.

Three days went by, and we only knew Paws was  45  the bed because when we walked past it we heard deep growling.

I wanted to somehow let him know he was  46  and loved. So I put on a hard hat and a pair of welding gloves. I  47  under the bed toward Paws, with my face to the  48  and only the top of my head facing him. I  49  out to stroke (抚摩) him gently over and over again.

He growled and tried to  50  and bite me. It was scary—but I knew he couldn’t  51  me, so I just kept going. Slowly, he began to  52 . Then I slid out from under the bed and left the room.

Several hours later, I noticed a cat on the bed. It was Paws—all  53  on the pillows! I couldn’t believe it.

That dear cat became the  54  of our household. Although Paws finally died of cancer, his legacy(遗赠)—my  55  and firm belief in the power of love — lives on.

1.                A．cute           B．strong          C．fierce    D．smart

2.                A．around         B．in             C．out  D．away

3.                A．love           B．attack          C．refuse    D．trust

4.                A．please         B．join            C．see  D．satisfy

5.                A．death          B．sight           C．observation   D．sleep

6.                A．simply          B．hardly          C．easily D．gradually

7.                A．sense          B．interest         C．faith D．feeling

8.                A．comfort        B．convince        C．protect   D．tame

9.                A．named         B．appointed       C．accepted D．made

10.               A．on            B．beside         C．under D．inside

11.               A．hopeful        B．pitiful          C．careful    D．safe

12.               A．hid            B．slid            C．sheltered  D．slept

13.               A．bed           B．sky            C．floor  D．feet

14.               A．turned         B．reached        C．pulled D．picked

15.               A．play           B．scratch         C．lick   D．push

16.               A．hurt           B．bother         C．avoid D．betray

17.               A．get angry       B．give up         C．run away  D．calm down

18.               A．stepped out     B．stood out       C．stretched out   D．stuck out

19.               A．hope          B．love           C．support   D．comfort

20.               A．normal         B．noble          C．strange    D．continued

As soon as I saw the cat in our yard, I knew he was a stray (流浪儿). He looked  36 —a wounded warrior with a badly scarred body.
I started putting out food for him each day, but he wouldn’t come near me if other people were  37 . Winter came, and he still wouldn’t  38  us. Then, one day, a car hit him so we took him to the vet’s.
After a week, we were eager to bring him home to  39  our family. But when we went to take the cat home, the vet told us we should put him to  40  immediately because the cat was so fierce and mean that he would  41  become tame , let alone a pet.
But I have always had  42  in love’s power to  43  even the wildest beasts. I told the vet, “I want to take him home.” We  44  him Paws.
Three days went by, and we only knew Paws was  45  the bed because when we walked past it we heard deep growling.
I wanted to somehow let him know he was  46  and loved. So I put on a hard hat and a pair of welding gloves. I  47  under the bed toward Paws, with my face to the  48  and only the top of my head facing him. I  49  out to stroke (抚摩) him gently over and over again.
He growled and tried to  50  and bite me. It was scary—but I knew he couldn’t  51  me, so I just kept going. Slowly, he began to  52 . Then I slid out from under the bed and left the room.
Several hours later, I noticed a cat on the bed. It was Paws—all  53  on the pillows! I couldn’t believe it.
That dear cat became the  54  of our household. Although Paws finally died of cancer, his legacy(遗赠)—my  55  and firm belief in the power of love — lives on.