I want to talk about the economy．Not "the economy" we hear about endlessly in the news each day and in politicians' speeches．I want to talk about the real economy, the one we live in day by day．
Most people aren't particularly interested in "the economy"．"Share prices are flying high; interest rates are soaring;  the Dow Jones Index closed sixty-three points down on 8472．35．" We hear this and subconsciously switch off．
Notice that "the economy" is not the same as the economy, "The economy" is what men in suits play with to make vast personal wealth．The economy is where the rest of us live on a daily basis, earning our living, paying our taxes, and purchasing the necessities of life．
We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a well-off society．So why do we feel tired and stressed? We have no time for anything other than work, which is ridiculous given the number of labor-saving devices in our lives．Our towns become more and more crowded．We poison our air and seas, and our food is full of chemicals．There's something wrong here．If times were truly good, then you may think we'd all feel optimistic about the future．Yet the majority of us are deeply worried．More than 90 percent of us think we are too concerned about ourselves and not concerned enough about future generations．
The term "economic expansion" suggests something desirable, but expansion simply means spending more money．More spending doesn't mean that life is getting better．We all know it often means the opposite - greed, crime, poverty, pollution．More spending merely feeds our whole economic system, which is based on production and consumption．Unless money keeps circulating,  the economy breaks down．If we don't keep consuming,  the whole system goes into stalemate（僵局）．
How do we break the cycle and make some changes? We need to become far more aware of the results of our actions．We buy clothes that are made in sweat shops by virtual slaves in poor parts of the world．We create mountains of waste．We demand cheap food,  mindless of the fact that it totally lacks taste and is produced using chemicals that poison the land．
The consumption culture makes us unaware of the effect of our own behavior．Our main problem is not that we don't know what to do about it．It is gathering the desire to do it．
【小题1】According to the author, which one belongs to the real economy?

I want to talk about the economy．Not "the economy" we hear about endlessly in the news each day and in politicians' speeches．I want to talk about the real economy, the one we live in day by day．
Most people aren't particularly interested in "the economy"．"Share prices are flying high; interest rates are soaring;  the Dow Jones Index closed sixty-three points down on 8472．35．" We hear this and subconsciously switch off．
Notice that "the economy" is not the same as the economy, "The economy" is what men in suits play with to make vast personal wealth．The economy is where the rest of us live on a daily basis, earning our living, paying our taxes, and purchasing the necessities of life．
We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a well-off society．So why do we feel tired and stressed? We have no time for anything other than work, which is ridiculous given the number of labor-saving devices in our lives．Our towns become more and more crowded．We poison our air and seas, and our food is full of chemicals．There's something wrong here．If times were truly good, then you may think we'd all feel optimistic about the future．Yet the majority of us are deeply worried．More than 90 percent of us think we are too concerned about ourselves and not concerned enough about future generations．
The term "economic expansion" suggests something desirable, but expansion simply means spending more money．More spending doesn't mean that life is getting better．We all know it often means the opposite - greed, crime, poverty, pollution．More spending merely feeds our whole economic system, which is based on production and consumption．Unless money keeps circulating,  the economy breaks down．If we don't keep consuming,  the whole system goes into stalemate（僵局）．
How do we break the cycle and make some changes? We need to become far more aware of the results of our actions．We buy clothes that are made in sweat shops by virtual slaves in poor parts of the world．We create mountains of waste．We demand cheap food,  mindless of the fact that it totally lacks taste and is produced using chemicals that poison the land．
The consumption culture makes us unaware of the effect of our own behavior．Our main problem is not that we don't know what to do about it．It is gathering the desire to do it．

1. 1.

   According to the author, which one belongs to the real economy?

   1. A.
      The Dow Jones Index．
   2. B.
      Increases in interest rates
   3. C.
      Skyrocketing share prices
   4. D.
      Shopping in a supermarket
2. 2.

   It can be concluded from Paragraph 4 that______.

   1. A.
      people are benefiting from a well-off society
   2. B.
      the future generation is a big concern for most people
   3. C.
      people still feel much pressure despite labor-saving devices
   4. D.
      the majority of people are optimistic about the future
3. 3.

   What is true about economic expansion?

   1. A.
      It guarantees a better life for us．
   2. B.
      It may lead to some social problems．
   3. C.
      It will stop the circulation of money．
   4. D.
      It has only brought desirable effects．
4. 4.

   The author writes the passage mainly to______.

   1. A.
      call on us to change our behavior
   2. B.
      suggest a solution for over-consumption
   3. C.
      make a distinction between two economies
   4. D.
      inform us of the effects of economic expansion

Vincent van Gogh was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a(n) __21  and was even sent to the Belgian __22  community of Borinage. He discovered that the miners there __23  deplorable(悲惨的) working conditions and poverty-level wages. Their families  __24__  simply to survive. He felt concerned that the small amount of money he received from the church __25  him a moderate life-style, which, __26 , seemed to him unfair.

One cold February evening, while he watched the miners trudging(步履艰难)home, he __27  an old man staggering(蹒跚)toward him across the fields, __28 in a burlap sack for warmth. Van Gogh laid his own clothing out on the bed, __29 enough for one change, and decided to give__30 away. He gave the old man a suit of clothes and gave his overcoat to a pregnant woman whose __31 had been killed in a cave-in.

He lived on starvation rations and spent his money on __32  for the miners. When children in one family had fever, though __33  himself, he packed up his bed and took it to them.

A (an) __34  family in the community offered him free room and board. Van Gogh __35__ the offer, stating that it was the final temptation he must reject if he was to __36  serve his community of poor miners.

He believed that if he wanted them to __37  him, he must become one of them. And if they were to learn of love through him, he must love them enough to __38  with them.

He was aware of the wide chasm(鸿沟)between words and actions. He knew that our lives always __39  louder and clearer than words.

Others are “ __40 ” carefully to your actions. What are you saying to them?