Nobody Benefits

NEW YORK—America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history．Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings．

But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel．

Brown is homeless — one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street．

During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece．At night, he sleeps on the street．w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.m

"I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker．

Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine．But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement．He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available．

However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York．

With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand．

A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month．

One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up．

The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help．

But few housing companies have been built for the poor．Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more．

Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her．She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house．

Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often．

"All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said．

What kind of life does George Brown lead?

       A．Homeless and dangerous．              

       B．Homeless and childish．

       C．Homeless and miserable （痛苦的）．            

       D．Homeless and sleepless．

From George Brown's life we can find that ______.

       A．old Americans lead a hard life

       B．old Americans want to live alone

       C．American cities are crowded with poor people w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.m

       D．bad habits play a role in some poor people's Life

It can be inferred from this passage that ______.

       A．America is short of housing companies

       B．the poor can't benefit from the increasing economy

       C．poor people in America will become rich

       D．housing companies will build more houses for the poor

If this passage comes from a paper, on which page would it be?

       A．Society．      B．Science．        C．Economy．                D．Business．

完型填空 (每小题1分，共20分)
My parents made me know the ideas of family, faith and patriotism (爱国主义) when I was young.  26  we lived a hard life, they  27 great importance to making us realize how  28  we were to live in a great country with  29   chances.
I got my first real  30  when I was ten. My dad injured his back working in a factory and had to be  31  so that he could take up a new job as a hairstylist. When he hadn’t got enough money to rent a shop, the owner of the shopping center gave Dad a(n)  32  . But he should clean the parking lot (停车场) three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up waste, Dad used a little  33  that looked like a lawn mower (割草机). Mom and I emptied garbage cans and  34  waste by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I’d  35   in the car on the way home because of tiredness.
I did this for two years, but the  36  I learned have lasted a lifetime. I  37  discipline (纪律) and a strong work ethic (道德准则), and learned at a(n)  38  age the importance of  39  interests in life -– school, homework and a job. This really __40  during my senior year of high school, when I worked 40 hours a week at a fast-food restaurant while taking school  41  and preparing for my college examination.
The hard work was   42 . As a result, I attended the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in  43  and business from Harvard. __44  , I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California State Assembly (会议). In these jobs and in everything else I’ve done, I have never forgotten those  45  in the parking lot.
26. A. Now that                       B. As if                                      C. Even                               D. Even though
27. A. attached                B. announced                       C. suggested                 D. admitted
28. A. important                        B. surprising                     C. fortunate                  D. satisfying
29. A. several                            B. limitless                       C. few                         D. energetic
30. A. incident                          B. dream                         C. success                          D. job
31. A. retrained                         B. regarded                      C. considered                D. respected
32. A. increase                            B. order                          C. discount                   D. explanation
33. A. bag                                B. machine                       C. knife                        D. stick
34. A. brought up                      B. turned up                      C. made up                   D. picked up
35. A. sleep                         B. talk                                  C. study                             D. sing
36. A. knowledge                      B. information                     C. lessons                     D. skills
37. A. required                         B. acquired                      C. remind                 D. forgot
38. A. common                         B. legal                                 C. old                                D. early
39. A. balancing                        B. expressing                         C. supporting                D. increasing
40. A. turned                            B. changed                             C. helped                      D. improved
41. A. measures                          B. courses                        C. messages                  D. tours
42. A. encouraging                      B. disappointing                      C. discouraging                 D. rewarding
43. A. law                                B. medicine                     C. science                          D. arts
44. A. However                         B. Indeed                            C. Later                             D. Before
45. A. people                            B. nights                         C. cars                               D. opportunities

阅读理解

　　Good morning. I'm speaking to you today from Beijing. In just two days, I've seen some of the rich history and remarkable changes that are taking place in China, home to nearly one- quarter of the world's population.

　　China is the oldest civilization on Earth. In Xi'an, on Friday, I saw the old and the new China, from magnificent Terra Cotta Warriors sculpted by artisans 2,000 years before America was founded, to the beginnings of democracy in a nearby village, where residents soon will hold elections.

　　I've been touched by the warm reception given to me, my family, and the members of Congress travelling with us. Tens of thousands of Chinese families have lined the streets to greet us. For all these people, China is changing. I see cell phones, beepers, new office buildings.

　　China is no longer the same country it was when president Nixon first came here 26 years ago. Never before have so many Chinese had the opportunity to start businesses, lift their families out of poverty, choose where to live, work, and travel, and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

　　Today in Beijing I am meeting with China' s leaders to talk about the future of our two countries and a relationship between us that is essential to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world in the next century. We talked about the United States and China's mutual interests ---- promoting peace in Korea, where 400,000 U.S. soldiers still risk their lives to patrol the Cold Wars last frontier; preventing a nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan; restoring economic stability in Asia; stopping the spread of unclear soldiers chemical, and biological weapons and the misspread of unclear soldiers chemical, and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them; combating international crime and drug trafficking; preserving the environment; and opening trade.

　　China is important to our future, with the largest population on Earth, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, an economy increasingly connected to our own. Without China, it will be difficult to face the challenges. In dealing with China, we must stay true to a course that is both principled and pragmatic．We must continue to expand our areas of cooperation, even as we deal directly with out differences. With China, we can build a safer, more prosperous future for our children, a world of unlimited possibility in the new century

　　Thanks for listening.

(1)When was the Terra Cotta in Xi'an sculpted?

[　　]

A．2,000 years ago.

B．On the beginning of the last century.

C．2,000 years before America was founded．

D．Right before Clinton's visit to China．

(2)Who traveled together with Clinton in China?

[　　]

A．His family.

B．His family and some congressmen.

C．Members of congress.

D．Reporters and bodyguards.

(3)Which of the following issue was NOT discussed by President Clinton and China's leaders during his visit in Beijing?

[　　]

A．peace in KoreA．

B．Asian economy.

C．American human rights.

D．prohibition of nuclear weapons.

(4)Which of the following impressed the president most during his visit in China?

[　　]

A．Rich history and remarkable changes of China．

B．Modern communication facilities of China．

C．Democracy progress of China．

D．Economic development of China．

(5)According to the president's address, why is China important to the U. S.?

[　　]

A．Because China has the largest population in the world．

B．Because China has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

C．Because China and the U.S. have mutual interests in the economic development.

D．All of the above.

Three years ago, when my co-worker, Andrea, asked if I’d like to come to a clothing exchange, I was confused. “What s that?” I asked. “A group of us who are about the same size are getting together to exchange clothes that we don’t often wear but are really in good condition,” she explained. “Count me in!” I said immediately.

That night, I sorted through my closet, finding shirts, skirts and pants I hadn’t worn for months—or years! I looked at the clothes I’d grown tired of and wondered if anyone would want them. When I arrived at Andrea’s, I found a group of co-workers— and piles of clothes scattered(散落) around the living room. I also found nice homemade food and wine to enjoy. We chatted for a while, and then the exchange began. We drew lots, each taking turns selecting from the piles. Hey! I noticed. There went my blouse…and my jacket! I guessed my “tired” clothes did look special to new eyes. w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

Then, the floor was open to everyone and a free-for-all followed as we ran around choosing and trying things on. And as our choices were made, we came back to the dining room to eat and talk. I left that night with nearly as many items as I’d brought—including a green silk evening dress I knew my daughter would love to dress up in —and the memory of an evening with a group of really special women.

Now our “Exchange club” has become a tradition and we exchange everything from kitchen gadgets(小器具) to houseplants, recipes(菜谱) and unwanted Christmas presents! w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

Best of all, we’ve exchanged the “stuff” of our lives and we’ve exchanged our polite office acquaintance（相识）for real friendship－and for me, that’s been the most precious exchange of all.

How did the author feel about her first clothing exchange? w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．Proud.       B．Confused.        C．Funny.        D．Satisfied.

What do we know about the Exchange Club?

A．It has become popular in their community.

B．It has enlarged its contents to exchange. w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

C．It has only offered a place for women to chat.

D．It has attracted many new members now.

The author thought the most valuable thing she got form the Exchange Club was______.

A．their friendship between each other

B．the reuse of their old daily things

C．the polite office acquaintance

D．the spirit of getting through the difficult time

This passage is mainly about_____.w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．a special experience                B．a special friendship

C．a special club                     D．some special women

My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling 1, but I always knew he was  2 . He never criticized us, but used  3 to bring out our best. He’d say,” If you pout water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I  4 as a child I said something  5 about somebody, and my father said, “ 6 time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best  7 people, I would get the best  8 . From then on I’ve always tried to  9  the principle in my life and later in running my company.

Dad’s also always been very  10 . At 15, I started a magazine. It was   11  a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a  12: stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.

I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision,  13  any good father would. When he realized I Had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad  14  me to go into law. And I’ve  15  regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist,  16 I didn’t pursue my  17 . You know what you want. Go fulfill(实现) it.”

As 18  turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national 19 for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’ d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad  20  me.

1.                A．biologist        B．manager        C．lawyer   D．gardener

2.                A．strict           B．honest         C．special   D．learned

3.                A．praise          B．courage        C．power    D．warmth

4.                A．think           B．imagine         C．remember D．guess

5.                A．unnecessary     B．unkind         C．unimportant   D．unusual

6.                A．Another        B．Some           C．Any  D．Other

7.                A．on            B．in             C．at   D．about

8.                A．in case         B．by turns        C．by chance D．in return

9.                A．revise          B．set            C．review   D．follow

10.               A．understanding   B．experienced     C．serious    D．demanding

11.               A．taking up       B．making up       C．picking up D．keeping up

12.               A．suggestion      B．decision        C．notice D．choice

13.               A．and           B．as             C．even if    D．as if

14.               A．helped         B．allowed        C．persuaded D．suggested

15.               A．always         B．never          C．seldom    D．almost

16.               A．rather         B．but            C．for   D．therefore

17.               A．promise        B．task           C．belief D．dream

18.               A．this            B．he            C．it D．that

19.               A．newspaper      B．magazine       C．program   D．project

20.               A．controlled      B．comforted      C．reminded  D．raised