Most American students have said goodbye to fancy(高级的) fruits these days. In school canteens across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their places.
“People are afraid to spend now,” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They don’t know what the future will bring.”
During the financial crisis(金融危机), several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close. This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive goods.
Samira Marino, a restaurant owner in Miami, has found everyone is ordering water instead of juice and more people are sharing meals. In more than two dozen interviews with The Associated Press across the country last month, Americans talked about their concerns, from worries about small businesses to doubts about simply making ends meet.
The crisis began last year. Experts think it was because US banks lend money too easily. Last year a lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, have found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders(国界), the whole world was in trouble.
This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But no one is sure whether it will help or not. President George W. Bush has warned it will take some time.
Last week top finance officials from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble.
1.Why are people in the US afraid to spend?
A. Because they think it’s unnecessary.
B. Because they don’t have the habit of spending money.
C. Because they worry about their future.
D. Because they don’t have enough money.
2.The fifth paragraph mainly _________.
A. tells what it is like in a crisis
B. explains why there is a crisis
C. warns people of the danger of the crisis
D. asks people not to borrow money from banks
3.People feel ______ about the US plan to save the market.
A. satisfied B. doubtful C. hopeless D. angry
4.The best title for the story is ________.
A. Ways to make ends meet
B. The money problem facing the world
C. Healthy fancy fruits
D. The art of borrowing
Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs. They loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their houses.
One evening, Brownie’s family noticed that their dog hadn’t returned home. They went looking for him, but with no success. Brownie didn’t show up the next day, and by the next week he was still missing.
Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie’s house alone. He barked loudly. But busy with their own lives, Brownie’s family just ignored (忽略) their neighbor’s nervous little dog.
Finally, one morning Spotty refused to take “no” for an answer. He followed Ted, Brownie’s owner, everywhere he went. He barked, then rushed towards a nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, “ Follow me!”
Finally, Ted followed the dog across the empty lot. The dog led the man to a tree a half-mile from the house. There Ted found Brownie alive. One of his legs was crushed (夹住) in a trap. Ted wished he had taken Spotty’s earlier appeals (求助) seriously.
Then Ted noticed something amazing. In a circle around the injured dog, he saw a lot of dog food. They were the remains of lots of meals.
Spotty had been visiting Brownie every day. He had stayed with Brownie to protect him, snuggling(依偎) with him at night to keep him warm and nuzzling(用鼻子爱抚) him to keep his spirits up.
1.What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?
A. Brownie and Spotty didn’t like their owners.
B. Brownie was missing for three days.
C. Brownie’s family didn’t love him.
D. Spotty probably knew where Brownie was.
2.According to the story, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Spotty barked loudly at Ted because he was scared.
B. Ted followed Spotty because Spotty asked him to.
C. Spotty succeeded in escaping from the trap.
D. Brownie had nothing to eat that whole week.
3.The underlined phrase “keep his spirits up” in the last paragraph probably means______.
A. feed him B. praise him C. comfort him D. protect him
4.What does the story aim to tell us?
A. Dog is man’s best friend.
B. Even dogs can have strong friendship.
C. Dogs are one of the cleverest animals.
D. Dogs have a special way to look for help.
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Sale Car made in America Half new $500 Charlie Li Email: Charlieli@yahoo.com |
Needed Babysitter(临时保姆) 10 dollars an hour Speak good Chinese Jenny Wang 2657891 |
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Room-mate Wanted A male Chinese speaker Share a two-bedroom flat with washing machine, fridge, kitchen Flat near Harvard University Call Henry 2641832 |
Least(出租) One-bedroom flat From July 1to Dec.30. Next to Harvard University Call Robert 2648321 |
1.The American car belongs to _______.
A. Robert B. Henry C. Jenny D. Charlie
2.If the babysitter works five hours a day, she will get _____dollars.
A. 30 B. 50 C. 20 D. 100
3.Henry needs_____________.
A. a room-mate who is a girl and can speak Chinese
B. a room-mate who is a boy and can speak Chinese
C. a room-mate who is a girl and can speak English
D. a room-mate who is a boy and can speak English
The other day, I happened to meet someone I hadn’t seen for many years. I couldn’t believe the change in him. In fact, he didn’t even seem like the ___16___ person.
When I first knew Bill, back in college he was one of the most carefree(无忧无虑) people I had ever ___17___. Bill and I were in the same class in college, and ___18___ was never dull(枯燥的) when he was ___19___. With him there was one wild adventure (探险) after another. Sometimes I wonder how we ___20___ to study for our exams.
Last week I was in Huston on business and I ran into Bill in the bar at the hotel. At first I wasn’t ___21___ sure it was him. Was this short-haired businessman really the same person? I wasn’t really sure until I came near him but it indeed was Bill. Now he works for a bank. He talked most of the evening about his job, his new car and his house. How he had changed! Back when we were in college, the ___22___ thing Bill cared about was possessions(财物). Now they seemed to be his main ___23____.
I suppose it’ s ____24____ to expect people to remain the same, especially when I have changed so much myself. But I must say that I enjoyed the old Bill much more than the new one. Maybe he ___25____ the same way about me.
1.A. proper B. same C. usual D. right
2.A. considered B. supposed C. met D. expected
3.A. learning B. life C. work D. fun
4.A. in B. out C. away D. around
5.A. decided B. continued C. managed D. hoped
6.A. more B. less C. still D. even
7.A. first B. last C. next D. only
8.A. interest B. event C. subject D. problem
9.A. unnecessary B. foolish C. common D. unusually
10.A. felt B. acted C. looked D. discovered
---Could I make it 14th July?
--- __________.
A. You can manage it. B. That’s fine with me.
C. Not a bit of it. D. Go ahead with it.
Can you tell me how much___________________?
A. you paid the book for B. you spent the book on
C. the book took you D. you bought the book for
