One of the major problems in our economy（经济）is inflation, a situation in which prices are going up faster than wages（工资）. Thus, a person has to work more hours to pay for the same thing.
For example, let’s say that this year a loaf of bread costs $1.00 and average salary in the United Sates is $10.00 per hour. That means a person could earn enough money to buy a loaf of bread in one-tenth of an hour, or six minutes. Then, halfway through the year, the price of the bread goes up to $1.25, while wages stay the same. That means that a person now has to work one-eighth of an hour—seven and a half minutes to buy the same loaf of bread.
Now let’s say that at the end of the year, wages go up to $11.00 per hour, but the price of bread goes up to $1.50. Now a person has to work more than one-seventh of an hour—over eight minutes—to buy loaves of bread, employees will have less money left over to buy other things, Inflation means that the same money buys fewer things and everybody’s standard of living goes down, even if salaries are going up.
Some kinds of inflation are worse than others. Moderate inflation does not distort (祖曲)relative prices or incomes seriously. Galloping inflation happens rapidly, say at a rate of 100percent or more within a year. And then there’s hyperinflation—inflation so serious that people try to get rid of their currency（货币）before prices rise further and make the money worthless. Times of hyperinflation are usually characterized by social and political disorder.
1.The passage mainly wants to .
A．list major economic B．discuss something about inflation
C．explain why bread prices increase D．state the types of inflation
2.Why is “ a loaf of bread” repeatedly mentioned?
A．To express dissatisfaction with the price of bread
B．To show the effect of price changes
C．To compare bread with other foods
D．To explain social and political disorder
3.What happens when prices go up but salaries remain the same?
A．The government will do more about the economy
B．Workers might lose their jobs if they show dissatisfaction
C．People will save money rather than spend it.
D．People must work longer to buy the same things
4.Which of the following belongs to the type of moderate inflation?
A．People try to get rid of their currency
B．Inflation occurs at a rate of 100 percent in a year
C．Incomes and relative prices rise slightly
D．There is social and political disorder
Let’s Go Bug Hunting More Often
Kids spell love T-I-M-E
John Crudele
One fall afternoon I rushed home from the university where I taught. I prepared a simple dinner, threatened（恐吓，威胁）my nine-year-old daughter, Christi, to hurry and finish her homework “or else,” and told Del, my husband, not to leave his dusty shoes on the good carpet any more. I then hurriedly cleaned the entry-way because a group of respectable ladies were coming by to pick up some good used clothing for a worthwhile cause; and then later a graduate student would be at our house to work on a very important thesis（论题）—one that I was certain would help a lot with research.
As I paused to catch a breath, I heard Christi talking with a friend on the telephone. Her words went something like this: “ Mom is cleaning house—some ladies we don’t even know are coming by to pick up some old worn-out clothes… and a college student is coming out to work on a thesis… no, I don’t know what a thesis is… I just know Mom isn’t doing anything important… and she won’t go bug（小虫）hunting with me.”
Before Christi hung up the phone, I had put on my jeans and old tennis shoes, persuaded Del to do likewise, pinned a note to the door telling the graduate student I ’d be back soon, and set out the box of used clothing on the front porch（门廊）with a note on it that Del, Christi and I had gone bug hunting.
1.The first paragraph mainly wants to tell us that the writer .
A．was a good housewife B．was really busy every day
C．showed too little care to her daughter D．showed too much love for her work
2.What made the writer change her idea?
A．Her daughter’s phone call B．Her sudden understanding of love
C．Her talk with her lovely daughter D．Her daughter’s friend’s advice
3.What did she do in the end?
A．She played tennis with her husband and daughter
B．She took the box of used clothing to the ladies
C．She did what her daughter wanted her to do
D．She continued to do everything as planned
4.What did we learn from the story?
A．People should not keep themselves so busy every day
B．People should do more important things instead
C．Parents should do more bug hunting with children
D．Parents should spend more time with their children
阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It seems as if cell phone could be the protection that parents expecting the kids to have freedom and be safe have been looking for. Let’s 1your 11-year-old son is going on a long bike ride with a friend, so they take along your cell phone 2they need help. Not only could they call you if necessary, but 3Global Positioning Systems (GPS) equipped on many mobile phones today, your son and his friend could also be 4easily. Plus, with a special service, you could track the boy’s 5location. Or consider this: If your daughter is 6herself and three friends to a concert, she could 7out exactly how to locate the concert and get back home by using her equipped cell phone. And through a(n) 8software package, you could 9_her whereabouts (行踪).
10tracking devices as we all consider useful, however, have 11. If the boys urgently needed help during the ride, 12might be too late by the time someone found them. And if they wanted to, the concert-going girls could deviate (偏离) from the 13route and go to a night club after the 14—they could turn off the phone or leave it in their own car and drive with someone else.
Cell phones and their accompanying programs are tools for 15children safety today, but all of them are 16extremely reliable. Under no circumstances does 17else replace a well-established parent-child relationship 18love and trust.
If you do decide to let your kids use these devices, don’t rely 19on them for protection. Your children need you to watch them, but 20will never take the place of your time, attention, eyes, and ears when overseeing your child’s whereabouts.
1.A．pretend B．see C．prove D．say
2.A．even if B．only if C．in case D．so that
3.A．with B．as C．also D．for
4.A．called B．observed C．contacted D．located
5.A．obvious B．clear C．exact D．safe
6.A．leading B．driving C．heading D．guiding
7.A．point B．make C．turn D．get
8.A．additional B．universal C．international D．exceptional
9.A．learn B．know C．follow D．search
10.A．These B．Such C．Some D．Few
11.A．faults B．shortages C．difficulties D．disadvantages
12.A．parents B．it C．policemen D．we
13.A．considered B．established C．designed D．planned
14.A．drive B．ride C．show D．party
15.A．guaranteeing B．providing C．making D．finding
16.A．never B．always C．usually D．merely
17.A．everything B．nothing C．anything D．something
18.A．relied on B．based on C．laid on D．kept on
19.A．specifically B．believably C．only D．particularly
20.A．relationship B．science C．protection D．technology
My parents were quarrelling about me ____ I could not quite tell why.
A．since B．though C．if D．until
Your teacher will ______ your recent illness when judging your examination.
A．take into consideration B．make up for
C．account for D．keep an eye out for
The project ______ Wang Lin’s life is one of the many government programs ______ improving the situation for the poorest people in China.
A．that saved; aiming at B．which has saved; aimed at
C．which had saved; aiming at D．that saved; aimed at
