How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation (通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.
I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."
Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.
However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?
1.According to the passage, collecting antique clocks____.
A. can hardly keep the value of your savings B. will cost much of your savings
C. may increase your wealth D. needs your bravery
2.By quoting (引用) the remark of a being from another planet, the author intends to____.
A. suggest human beings are controlled by a clock
B. describe why clocks can rule the planet Earth
C. tell readers what clocks look like
D. compare chicks to human beings
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time?
A. Counting the beating of one's own heart. B. Making use of candles, sand and water.
C. Observing shadows cast by the sun. D. Keeping slaves busy day and night.
4.The underlined phrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means _________.
A. state-owned houses B. houses in very good condition
C. grand houses open to the public D. houses where statesmen meet regularly
5.The purpose of the passage is _________.
A. to introduce the culture of antique clocks
B. to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks
C. to compare different ways to make a future profit
D. to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time
BUKHANNON, West Virginia--- Two rescue teams slowly moved along a two-mile path on Monday night to the site of a coal explosion that trapped 13 miners ,who had been heard from since the early morning accident.
Meanwhile, at a nearby church, more than 250 family members and friends gathered ,waiting for updates(最新报道)on the rescuers’ progress.
The miners were trapped at about 6:30 and many families weren’t informed of the accident until about 10 a.m-more than three hours after it happened.” It’s very upsetting, but you’ve got to be patient, I guess,” said John Helms, whose brother, Terry, was trapped in the mine.
The trapped miners were about 260 feet underground and about 10,000 feet from the Sago Mine’s entrance, said Roger Nicholson, general counsel from International Coal Group.
At a late night news conference, Nicholson said one team had advanced about 4,800 feet in the four houses since entering the mine just before 6p.m.Another team entered the mine about 30 minutes later.
He said the crew was very experienced ,with some members having worked underground for 30 to 35 years .The miners were equipped with about one hour of breathable oxygen each .The company has not released the names of the miners.
The teams test the air about every 500 feet, and have to disconnect (remove) the power to the phones they use to communicate with the surface before doing that.” We don’t want to be energizing anything if it’s in an atmosphere with burnable gases,” Kips said.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. High levels of carbon monoxide were detected shortly after the explosion, which delayed rescue efforts，but those levels have since subsided(减退),authorities said.
1.According to the passage, we can infer that _____.
A. all the miners who were trapped underground were still alive
B. communication with the trapped miners was cut off.
C. the two rescue teams entered the miner at the same time.
D. the rescue started as soonas the accident happened.
2.If the first team advanced at an average speed, they could dig about _____ per hour.
A.1,000 feet B.2,400 feet C.1,200 feet D.4,800 feet.
3.Where can the passage be seen?
A. In a magazine B .In a newspaper C. In a science book D. On an advertisement.
People living on parts of the south coast of England face a serious problem .In 1993, the owners of a large hotel and of several houses discovered, to their horror, that their gardens had disappeared overnight. The sea had eaten into the soft limestone(石灰石)cliffs on which they had been built. While experts were studying the problem, the hotel and several houses disappeared altogether, sliding down the cliff and into the sea.
Erosion(侵蚀)of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious in recent years. Dozens of homes have had to be abandoned as the sea has crept farther and farther inland(向内陆).Experts have studied the areas and most affected and have drawn up a map for local people, forecasting the year in which their homes will be swallowed up by the hungry sea.
Angry owners have called on the government to erect sea defenses to protect their homes. Government surveyors have pointed out that in most cases, this is impossible. New sea walls would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents go further along the coast, shifting the problem from on area to another. The danger is likely to continue, they say, until the waves reach an inland area of hard rock that will not be eaten as limestone is .Meanwhile, if you want to buy a cheap house with an uncertain future, apply to a house agent in one of the threatened areas on the south coast of England. You can get a house for a knockdown price but it w=may turn out to be a knockdown home.
1.What is the cause of the problem that people living on parts of the south coast of England face?
A. The rising of the sea levelB. The experts’ lack of knowledge.
C. The washing-away of limestone cliffs. D. The disappearance of hotels, houses and gardens.
2.The experts’ duty on the problem of erosion can_____.
A. warn people whose homes are in danger. B. provide an effective way to slow it down.
C. help to prevent it from worsening. D. lead to its eventual solution.
3.It is not practical to build sea defenses to protect against erosion because ______.
A. house agents along the coast do not support the idea.
B. it is too costly and will endanger neighboring areas.
C. the government is too slow in taking action.
D. they will be easily knocked down by waves and currents.
4.According to the author, when buying a house along the south coast of England, people should_____.
A. take the quality of the house into consideration.
B. guard against being cheated by the house agent.
C. examine the house carefully before making a decision.
D. be aware of the potential danger involved.
Nowadays, most employees of local high-tech industries are below the age of 35,and for newly rising industries such as computer software and the Internet, the figure is below 30.People in this age bracket(阶层)are known as Generation-X, which is made up of those born between 1963 and 1981(i.e those aged between 17 and 35).Compared with those born from 1946 t0 1960, Generation-X are typically independent, they also have their shortcomings. Employees often complain that Generation-X are a group hard to manage. Although willingness and enthusiasm are highly valued by Generation-X, they will not accept orders blindly. In short, Generation-X will not accept authoritarian(权力主义) leadership. They expect their leaders to have a detailed understanding of the job, and most importantly, to treat them as an important member of them as partners.
As a result, managing Generation-X employees is not a science but also a art. There are basic guidelines to follow in managing them and helping them perform at their best.
1. Support them in their quest(追求)for knowledge skills;
2. Room for creativity and failure.
3. Provide frequent and timely feedback(反馈)
4. Provide communication channels.
If managers follow these basic guidelines, they may find that the employees they once considered as young, selfish and uncontrollable turn out to be responsible and energetic team players.
1.Generation-X in this article refers to the group of people who are ___
A. educated employees below the age of 35. B. young hard-working workers in factories.
C. often praised by the mangers D. born after the year of 1963
2.From the article we know that the writer_____
A. thinks highly of Generation-XB. feels disappointed with Generation-X
C. has a better understanding of Generation-X D. suggests that the managers be strict with Generation-X
3.If you were a manager working with Generation-X ,you should ____.
A. treat them as equals and encourage them to try new ideas.
B. Give them orders frequently and make them work hard.
C. Let them know they are selfish and uncontrollable.
D. Warn them that they may lose jobs at any time.
阅读下面短文,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.
Once you’ve found the right taxi, problems of fares, meters and other charges come into play. In some countries, all taxis are1, and the government regulates fares so you can expect 2problems. But in other places you may find drivers 3to use meters, 4the car should be equipped with one. The best way in such cases is to 5on their use, if you know meters are available.
But 6countries where there truly are no meters? There are two methods you can use.
One is to discuss the fare 7you get into the car. In Russia, this is the only way _8.”You call a taxi, and when the driver _9, you don’t get in,” a (an) 10_ traveler say.” The driver will 11over to the passenger side window, you tell him where you want to go, then discuss a price.”
But another man takes a different approach on his trips to Latin America. His “never-ask-the-fare “policy 12_ like this.” While I’m in the airport, I ask three or four people to get an idea 13how much it will cost to get to my destination,” he explains.” I 14ask the driver how much it is, I just pay 15than what the people said. If it’s more, the driver will tell you.”
When a fare does 16to be more than you expected, think about your choices. Of course, a large difference may 17you arguing with the driver. 18, one traveler makes the point that this 19may amount to pennies when you consider exchange rates.” Choose your fights,” she says.” Is it worth 25 or 50 cents to 20a taxi driver?”
1.A. fixed B. metered C. fastened D. controlled
2.A. tiny B. some C. many D. few
3.A. unwilling B. unforgettable C. unsure D. unknown
4.A. if not B. as if C. even though D. so that
5.A. lie B. insist C. learn D. lay
6.A. what about B. what for C. what if D. what though
7.A. when B. after C. before D. while
8.A. that does B. it is done C. it will do D. which does
9.A. pull out B. pull over C. pull down D. pull off
10.A. excited B. surprised C. disappointed D. experienced
11.A. bend B. learn C. move D. get
12.A. looks B. thinks C. works D. seems
13.A. for B. on C. at D. with
14.A. always B. never C. ever D. often
15.A. lower B. higher C. more D. less
16.A. turn out B. turn over C. turn about D. turns back
17.A. let B. make C. leave D. force
18.A. Even B. However C. If D. So
19.A. trouble B. problem C. difference D. expense
20.A. argue with B. deal with C. fight with D. talk
The committee is also undertaking the important educational work ____the consensus of the members _____ the best form of conservation is the prevention of damage.
A. based on; that B. to base on; which C. based on; which D. to base on; where
