Most Americans get what money they have from their work; that is, they earn an income from wages or salaries. The richest Americans, however, get most of their money from what they own — their stocks, bonds, real estate, and other forms of property, or wealth. Although there are few accurate statistics to go by, wealth in American society appears to be concentrated in very few hands. More than 20 percent of everything that can be privately owned is held by less than one percent of the adult population and more than 75 percent of all wealth is owned by 20 percent of American adults. The plain fact is that most Americans have no wealth at all aside from their homes, automobiles, and a small amount of savings.
Income in the United States is not as highly concentrated as wealth. In 1917 the richest 10 percent of American families received 26.1 percent of all income, while the poorest 10 percent received 17 percent, mainly from Social Security and other government payments. The most striking aspect of income distribution is that it has not changed significantly since the end of World War II. Although economic growth has roughly doubled real disposable (可自由使用的) family income (the money left after taxes and adjusted for inflation) over the last generation, the size of the shares given to the rich and the poor is about the same. By any measure economic inequality is great in the United States.
The reality behind these statistics is that a large number of Americans are poor. In 1918, 14 percent of the population was living below the federal government’s poverty line, which at that time was an annual income of $ 9 287 for a nonfarm family of two adults and two children. In other words, about one out of seven Americans over 31 million people was officially considered unable to buy the basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter. The suggested poverty line in 1981 would have been an income of about $11 200 for a family of four. By this relative definition, about 20 percent of the population or more than 45 million Americans are poor.
1.What does the majority of the Americans have in terms of wealth?
A. Their income and savings.
B. Everything they own in their homes.
C. Actually, they have no wealth at all.
D. Their house, cars and small amounts of savings.
2.What is the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of most Americans?
A. More than 25%. B. Less than 25%.
C. More than 75%. D. Less than 20%.
3.Why is economic inequality still great in the US in spite of the economic growth?
A. Because the proportion of income received by the rich and the poor remains almost the same as in 1917.
B. Because the economic growth has widened the gap of the family income between the rich and the poor.
C. Because income in the US is still concentrated in the hands of the richest 10% of American families.
D. Because some Americans made great fortunes during the Second World War.
4.What can we learn from comparison of the two poverty lines in the last paragraph?
A. The poverty line of 1918 is more favorable to the poor than that of 1981.
B. The 1981 line didn’t leave much to the poor.
C. There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1981 line.
D. There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1918 line.
5.From the last two sentences we can see that 1981 government’s poverty line _______.
A. was of no good for the poor B. was not put into operation then
C. was officially approved D. was not helpful to the poor
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine, infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, where as if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary(当代的) societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile (衰老的) or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent (疗养的) hospitals have been built. These are often profit making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping (倒垃圾的) grounds” for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly paid, overworked, and under skilled personnel.
1.The author believes that the population explosion results from _______.
A. an increase in birthrates B. the industrial development
C. a decrease in death rates D. human beings’ cultural advances
2.It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering cultures _______.
A. it was a moral responsibility for the families to keep alive the aged people who could not work
B. the survival of infants was less important than that of their parents in times of starvation
C. old people were given the task of imparting the cultural wisdom of the tribe to new generations
D. death was celebrated as a time of rejoicing for an individual freed of the hardships of life
3.According to the passage, which of the following statements about the old people in the United States is true?
A. Many of them live on social security money which is hardly enough.
B. Minority of them remain in a state of near poverty after their retirement.
C. When they reach a certain age, compulsory retirement is necessary and beneficial.
D. With the growing inflation, they must suffer more from unbearable burdens than ever.
4.The phrase “this need” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.
A. prolonging the dying old people’s lives
B. reducing the problems caused by the retired people
C. making profits through caring for the sick or weak people
D. taking care of the sick or weak people
5.Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes and convalescent hospitals?
A. Sympathetic. B. Approving. C. Optimistic. D. Critical.
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.
1.Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio?
A. At the Bull’s Head on Sunday.
B. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.
C. At the Bull on Saturday.
D. At the Black Horse on Saturday.
2.Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
A. At the Derby Arms on Friday.
B. At the Black Horse on Friday.
C. At the Star and Garter on Saturday.
D. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.
3.You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
A. 789—6749. B. 789—4536. C. 682—1158. D. 688—4626.
4.You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
A. Disco at The Lord Napier.
B. The sing-along at The Black Horse.
C. The electric accordion at The Derby Arms.
D. Jazz at The Bull’s Head.
5.You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?
A. The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head.
B. The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms.
C. Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull.
D. Musical Hal lat The Star ＆Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier.
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡的相应位置上。 In order to know a foreign language thoroughly, four things are necessary. Firstly, we must understand the language when we hear 1.. spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves correctly with confidence and without hesitation. 2.. , we must be able to read the language, and fourthly, we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are grammatically correct.
There is no easy way to success 3.. language learning. 4.. good memory is a great help, but it is not enough only 5.. (memorize) rules from a grammar book. It is not much use learning by heart long lists of words and 6.. meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language.7.. we are satisfied with only a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. “Learn through use” is a good piece of 8.. (advise) for those 9.. are studying a new language. Practice is important. We must practise speaking and 10.. (write) the language whenever we can.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意．然后从各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It is commonly believed that school is where people go to get education. 1, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The 2between schooling and education suggested by this is important.
Education is 3, compared with schooling. Education knows no edges. It can take place 4, whether in the school or on the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the 5learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of learning out of class. 6the experience of schooling can be known in advance, education quite often produces surprises. A chance talk with a 7may lead to a person to discover how 8he knows of another country. People obtain education from 9on. Education, then, is a very 10and unlimited term. It is lifelong experience that starts long 11the start of school, and one that should be a necessary part of one’s entire life.
Schooling, on the other hand, is a 12experience, whose style changes 13from one way to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at the same time, take 14seats, use similar textbooks, do homework, and 15, and so on. Schooling has usually been limited by the edges of the subjects being taught.
1.A. Then B. However C. Thus D. Therefore
2.A. difference B. importance C. use D. problem
3.A. unexpected B. endless C. countless D. simple
4.A. anywhere B. anywhere else C. somewhere D. somewhere else
5.A. part-time B. public C. standard D. strict
6.A. If B. Because C. So D. Though
7.A. neighbour B. friend C. foreigner D. teacher
8.A. wonderful B. well C. greatly D. little
9.A. babies B. grown-ups C. women D. men
10.A. long B. broad C. narrow D. short
11.A. that B. when C. after D. before
12.A. basic B. strict C. final D. irregular
13.A. unusually B. differently C. little D .frequently
14.A. large B. new C. fixed D. small
15.A take exams B. hold exams C. mark papers D. read papers
阅读下面的短文,然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
The generation gap between students and teachers is becoming more significant with only 3.3 percent out of a survey group of 1,000 students from 30 key middle schools in the city saying they would be willing to tell their teachers of their inner thoughts.
In today’s educational environment, teachers are positioned to be the authority figure for learning instead of also becoming good friends in the life of students.
As only students with good marks in exams are considered the “ apples in the eyes” of the teachers, most students think their teachers to be partial (偏心).
“ I feel sad to hear such remarks”, said Yu Yi , a well-known special-class teacher.
She recalled that in the past, teachers and students would play basketball together or comment on the novels while sitting on the grass during a break. But today, study and good marks are the only topics of conversation between students and teachers.
“Schools are not only the place where knowledge is imparted (传授) but also where students are taught how to be an upright person,” Yu said. “The success of a person is not merely determined by intelligence but also by emotional state. ”
Yang Xiong, director of the Juvenile Research Institute, said the educational system which focuses on examinations should be held to be substantially responsible.
[写作内容]
1.以约30个词概括学生不愿告诉老师内心想法的原因;
2.以约120个词就“现代师生关系”这个主题发表你的看法,包括如下要点:
( 1 ) 你是否愿意告诉老师你内心的想法,为什么?
( 2 ) 你希望你与你的老师之间的关系是怎样的,如何才能建立这种关系?
[写作要求]
1.可以使用实例或其他论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；2. 标题自定；3. 文中不能出现考生真实姓名和学校名称。
[评分标准] 概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
