Microsoft founder Bill Gates has recovered his spot at the top of the US money heap, taking the place of Investor Warren Buffett as America's richest person, Forbes magazine's latest list reveals.
With 57 billion dollars net worth Gates again leads the list of 400 richest individuals in the world’s wealthiest country. He displaced Buffett who briefly held the position this year but who has seen his Berkshire Hathaway investment group's shares slip 15 percent since February and is now worth 50 billion.
According to Forbes, whose list was published late Wednesday, the golden 400 have 1.3 billion dollars net worth or more. However, their combined net worth rose only 30 billion dollars, or two percent, to 1.57 trillion dollars.
Forbes said that rising oil and dizzy art prices fuelled the entry of 31 new members into the ultra -rich club and the return of eight previous members.
A notable arrival was Mark Zuckerberg, 24, founder of the social networking site Facebook (脸谱网). Forbes estimates his worth at 1.5 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, turmoil (动荡) on the stock and housing markets saw 33 others drop off the list, including former head of the troubled insurance giant AIG, Maurice Greenberg, and a former head of the online auction site eBay, Margaret Whitman.
Biggest gainers were led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who took eighth place with 20 billion dollars worth after a transaction (交易) put a new value on his Bloomberg media and financial data network.
The biggest loser was casino (赌场，娱乐场所) tycoon Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune fell 13 billion dollars over 12 months -- the equivalent to 1.5 million dollars an hour -- although he still has 15 billion dollars and occupies 15th place.
About two thirds of the list are self-made billionaires and just over 10 percent are women, led by television star Oprah Winfrey whose fortune rose 200 million dollars to 2.7 billion dollars.
68. According to Forbes, Warren Buffet is worth ________.
A. 57 billion dollars B. 50 billion dollars C. 1.5 billion dollars D.20 billion dollars
69. 31 new members entered the ultra-rich club as a result of ________.
A. turmoil on the stock and housing market
B. media and financial data network
C. rising oil and dizzy art prices
D. investment
70. The purpose of the author using the television star Oprah Winfrey as an example is to _________.
A. tell the readers that television stars make money easily
B. prove that a millionaire can become a billionaire
C women can also be billionaires
D. tell the readers that most of the billionaires are self-made
I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He stood out because the kids made fun d him. He was missing one of his fingers, and always pointed at students with his middle finger.
I was not very good at English and math. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not figure out why I did not understand what all the other kids found so easy to learn.
One day, I was told that if I got one more E on my report card, I would be taken to the “big person for kids”
I tried really hard for weeks. I just couldn't understand how to make different parts of members into whole things.
The day before report cards were to come out, 1 knew that Mr. Young would give me an E, just like he always did.
I went to Mr. Young and told him that the orphanage (孤儿院) was going to send me to the big person if I got another E on my report card. He told me there was nothing he could do; it would be unfair to the other kids if he gave me a better grade than I had actually earned.
I smiled at him and said, "Mr. Young, do you know how the kids make fun of you because you’re missing your finger?" He looked at me, moved his mouth to one side and said nothing.
“They shouldn’t do that to you because you can't help having a finger, Mr. Young. Just like I can’t help not being able to learn numbers and stuff like that.” I said
The next day, when I got my report card, I tucked it into one of my books. While on the school bus, I opened it: Geography, B+; Mechanical Drawing, C-; English, D-l; History, C-; Gym, B+; Art, C; Math, D-.
That math grade was the most favorite one I ever received. Because I knew that someone in the world finally understood what it was like for me to be missing a finger inside my head.
59. From the second paragraph we can infer that the boy is _________ in some subjects.
A. mind-blowing (给人印象极深的 ) B. slow-witted (头脑迟钝的)
C. fun-loving D. badly- behaved
60. Where may the boy live according to the passage?
A. In an orphanage. B. In a big prison. C. In the school dormitory. D. In his home.
61. What grade should the boy have got in the math test this time?
A. D-. B. B + C. D. D. E.
62. The underlined word "tucked" in the passage most probably means “________”.
A. stuck B. listed C. hid D. copied
63. The reason why the boy remembers Mr. Young is that ________.
A. he missed one of his fingers B. he treated his students very well
第四部分：阅读理解
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
When you look at a map of the Caribbean, you will see a bunch of little islands surrounded by. Blue waters, which include places that aren't always household names like Montserrat and Anguilla.
While some of the names may not be familiar, the fact is that the Caribbean is a popular vacation region. Those little clots on the map often turn out to be island paradises. There are more than 7,000 islands, islets, and reefs in the area, many of which are lightly populated and stunningly beautiful.
The biggest challenge you might face in planning your trip is choosing where in the Caribbean to go. All of the nations feature excellent weather. Most feature beautiful beaches. You can enjoy the waters in most of the Caribbean nations and as is often the case with island nations, you will be welcomed warmly by the locals. Here are some resources to help you.
Unless you can walk on water or you cruise the Caribbean, the best way to visit is to fly. Some destinations have more frequent and cheaper flights than others. You should do some comparison shopping on flights to the Caribbean. And if you are planning on flying there during the Christmas holiday weeks it's important to book as early as possible because prices will just keep going up as they get closer.
The Caribbean offers a wide variety of accommodation options. Check out the Caribbean hotels that are available to get a better idea of the various options. If you are on a tight budget then, the Caribbean could be challenging, as there are only a few cheap hotels and hostels that might help you save some money.
Many people see the Caribbean from a cruise ship. There is no shortage of cruises that will take you through the region. Cruise and Vacation Travel Packages is the place to go to find the cruise or vacation package that is right for you.
56. The Caribbean is popular with tourists because ________.
A. the area has a small population B. the area has a long history.
C. there are many beautiful islands there D. tire area is very developed
57. The underlined word "they" in the fourth paragraph refers to _________.
A. prices of air tickets B. tourists to the Caribbean
C. flights to the Caribbean D. the Christmas holiday weeks
58. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The weather in all of the Caribbean nations is fine.
B. Most of the Caribbean hotels are cheap.
C. The local people of the Caribbean are very friendly.
D. It is hard to choose a destination in the Caribbean.
第三部分：完形填空
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
It was almost Christmas. We wrote to my father, asking him to 36 an artificial tree for us and _37 it to us in several smaller boxes. Two days before Christmas we were in a 38 . All of the boxes that my father had sent us arrived except for the one with the tree 39 . We decided to wait one more day.
Meanwhile, in Bremerhaven, a young mail clerk 40 a box under a counter. He 41 that someone would be without a tree for Christmas. Although he was closing up and there was no 42_ on Christmas, he processed the mail and got it to Mannheim.
After putting the 43 on the proper shelf, he headed to the snack bar. The place was 44 and he ended up sharing a table. Two men were speaking and the clerk discovered that one of his 45 at the table was working in Mannheim. He said to the man, "You could 46 play Santa for someone in Mannheim tonight if you'd like to." The man 47 to deliver it and the two walked to the mail room to 48 the package.
At home in Mannheim, we were busily 49 to think up some way to put our tree together, but couldn't 50 a workable solution. We were ready to give up 51 the door bell rang. There stood a stranger holding a long 52 carton, our tree trunk. We invited him in, 53 it was Christmas Eve and he was 54 to get home to his own family.
The next day as we watched our little boy's eyes light up at the 55 of our beautiful tree, I whispered a little prayer: "Bless the stranger who brightened up our Christmas with his kindness."
36. A. sell B. buy C. deliver D. bring
37. A. send B. pass C. carry D. take
38. A. surprise B. hunger C. pleasure D. panic
39. A. leaf B. trunk C. stand D. branch
40. A. watched B. caught C. spotted D. broke
41. A. directed B. whispered C. realized D. confirmed
42. A. delivery B. customer C. money D. letter
43. A. present B. tree C. mail D. package
44. A. crowded B. small C. noisy D. normal
45. A. friends B. colleagues C. relatives D. companions
46. A. really B. confidently C. kindly D. patiently
47. A. overcame B. agreed C. astonished D. struggled
48. A. fetch B. transform C. post D. consult
49. A. solving B. explaining C. trying D. worrying
50. A. come across B. come back to C. come upon D. come up with
51. A. while B. when C. as D. since
52. A. slim B. beautiful C. thick D. heavy
53. A. but B. so C. because D. or
54. A. in surprise B. it, the, way C. in a hurt7 D. in lime
55. A. sight B. back C. corner D. scene
第六部分：书面表达
对每个人而言，学习是非常重要的。请你以Being a Successful Learner为题，根据下表的提示，
写一篇短文。字数：150左右。
|
学习的重要性 |
1. 科技发展的需要2. 激烈的社会竞争3. 国家强盛 |
|
成功的学习者的共性 |
独立、主动、目的明确，学以致用 |
|
你的看法 |
怎样成为成功的学习者（至少两点）：1. ……2. …… |
注意：短文的开头已写，不计入总数。
Study is very important for every individual because ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
第五部分：任务型阅读 (共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填1个单词。
How should one invest a sum of money in these days 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 day according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout the 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 an antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?
|
Title |
Collecting |
||
|
(71) ______ |
To deal with inflation, people should not put money in banks. (72)______ they should invest. For by doing so, they might (73) ______ their wealth. |
||
|
Ways |
One way of (74) ____ is to buy stocks. |
The author (76)_____ advice on collecting antique clocks. |
One of the reasons why people should invest in cocks is that it is the most important way to (77)___ time, which (78) _______ people. |
|
(75) _____ is to buy antiques. |
There might be (79)____ ways for people over the past to measure time, (80)_____ human beings. |
