The Internet is a growing new world that has been developing ever since it was created many years ago. The only reason Internet sales are not taxed (征税) is because we did not know the Internet would be used to sell products when it was created. Internet sales are no different than going into the store to buy the exact same product except for the fact that Internet sales are not taxed.
When buying online, people cannot see and touch the product the same way they could in a store. To fix this, customers are going into the store to see the product. Then if they like the product, they buy it online to save money on the sales tax. This is a form of tax evasion (逃税) if you ask me!
Everyone has to pay the tax in the store so they should have to pay taxes online as well. Also, the added money brought in through Internet taxing could help the government to fund (为……拨款) certain policies and other things that they could not do without the added funds. This could go toward the country’s schools or other things necessary for society to function well. These funds could be extremely beneficial because of the recession (经济衰退) that the country is in at this point. Internet taxing is a way to increase those funds and in turn improve the quality of life for all who live in that country.
In conclusion, there are many more positives than negatives in the argument over taxing Internet sales. I do understand that I may have to pay more if I want to buy something online, but the funds stay within my society and help my country. The added cost may hurt me at first but in the end, the funds will help me and others in our country.
1.The text mainly discusses _____.
A.whether it is a good way to buy things online.
B.whether Internet sales should be taxed.
C.why people love to buy things online.
D.why Internet sales are not taxed.
2.Internet sales are not taxed because _____.
A.selling online was unexpected. B.they are different from store sales.
C.people don’t know how to tax them. D.many people are against taxing them.
3.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?
A.Online shoppers find it difficult to buy satisfactory goods.
B.Customers get better products at a lower price online.
C.Problems related to online shopping are hard to fix.
D.Online shoppers probably try to avoid paying tax.
4.According to the author, taxing Internet sales _____.
A.is good for all people. B.can help the country out of the recession.
C.can help improve the quality of products. D.is beneficial to the development of Internet.
Living on mountainous La Gomera, one of Spain’s Canary Islands off West Africa, Juan Cabello takes pride in not using a mobile phone or the Internet to communicate. Like his father and grandfather, he uses Silbo Gomero, a language that is whistled (吹口哨), not spoken, and that can be heard more than two miles away.
“I use it for everything: to talk to my wife, to tell my kids something, to find a friend if we get lost in a crowd,” Cabello says. “I also make a living from Silbo, performing daily exhibitions at a restaurant.”
People throughout La Gomera are known to have used Silbo in the past as a way of communicating over long distances. A strong whistle saved farmers from walking over the hills to give messages or news to neighbors. Then came the phone. Nowadays, it’s hard to know how many people still use Silbo. In 1999, it was introduced as a compulsory subject (必修学科) in La Gomera’s primary schools, in an effort to prevent the language from going silent. Now 3,000 students are studying it, but only a few people are believed to be able to communicate fully in the whistling language.
“Silbo is said to be the most important cultural heritage (遗产) we have,” said Moises Plasencia, the director of the Canary Islands’ government’s historical heritage department.
In fact, little is known about Silbo’s origins. Silbo-like whistling has been found in parts of Greece, Turkey, China and Mexico, but none is as developed as Silbo Gomero. One study is looking for signs of Silbo in Venezuela, Cuba and Texas, all places to which Gomerans have gone in the past during hard economic times.
“Silbo has many historical and linguistic (语言学上的) values,” Plasencia said. And, as Cabello explains, “It’s good for just about anything except for romance: everyone on the island would hear what you’re saying!”
1.Juan Cabello uses Silbo Gomero _____.
A.in his daily life. B.to learn computers.
C.just to make a living. D.only when eating at restaurants.
2.What can we learn about Silbo Gomero?
A.It first started in Greece. B.It is in danger of dying out.
C.It is helpful in keeping secrets. D.It is the oldest way of communicating.
3.Plasencia thinks it’s very important to _____.
A.know the origins of Silbo Gomero. B.find the values of Silbo Gomero.
C.have more cultural heritages. D.protect Silbo Gomero.
4.What is mainly described in the text?
A.A school’s subject. B.A famous performer.
C.An unusual language. D.A mountainous island.
The word “invent” comes from a Latin word which means “to find.” Garrett Morgan, an African-American, was one such inventor. His first job was repairing machines in a factory. By accident, he had invented the hair straightener. He sold his products and then continued with his career as an inventor.
Every day, Garrett Morgan watched traffic become more dangerous. Cars, bicycles and walkers all competed to cross the street. Police officers made simple “stop / go” signals at busy crossroads, but cars, bicycles and walkers still rushed into the crossroads at different speeds and many crashed into each other. One day he saw a traffic accident between a car and a bicycle at a busy crossroads. he realized ,the problem with the traffic light, was its poor design: the traffic signal lacked a transition (过渡) between “stop” and “go.”
Morgan invented a new traffic signal that added a “caution (警告)” light that made traffic move more smoothly and safely. His traffic light stood on a T-shaped pole (杆) with arms that flashed a red light to stop traffic in all directions, allowing walkers to cross safely. After walkers crossed, traffic could only go in one direction.
Soon, cities everywhere wanted his traffic light. In 1923, a popular electric company paid Morgan $40,000 to make and sell his invention. Traffic lights today work in the same basic way.
The traffic light is Morgan’s most famous invention. In 1963, the United States government gave Garrett Morgan an award for his life-saving idea.
1.What can we learn about Garrett Morgan from Paragraph 1?
A.He worked in a factory all his life.
B.He led a hard life in his early years.
C.He made money from hair straighteners.
D.He dreamed of being an inventor when he was a child.
2.What made Morgan invent the traffic light?
A.A traffic accident. B.A car driver’s advice.
C.Worry about his safety. D.Hard work of police officers.
3.According to the text, Garrett Morgan’s traffic light _____.
A.made cars move more slowly.
B.needed no help from police officers.
C.was special because it had a “caution” light.
D.was very different from the ones we use today.
I sometimes feel left out with my friends at the party. What can I do?
— Susan
Alice: Speak to your best friend before you arrive and ask her to make sure you don’t get left out of the group. That way, she will know to include you in all the fun. Make the effort to speak to some other people at the party. You might even make a new friend or two.
Sometimes I think parties get boring and I want to go home!
— Jenny
Alice: Even a great party will drag if you’re not enjoying yourself. Making the effort to dance and have a chat with your friends will beat the boredom! You don’t have to stay to the very end of the party.
Our school is having a Christmas dance party but I’m really shy. Shall I go or not?
— Emma
Alice: Part of you would like to go to the party, so give it a try. Let good friends know how you feel and make sure you’ll have people to dance with when the evening comes. Practice some fun dances so you’ll feel comfortable on the dance floor.
Whenever I go to a party, my dad comes to pick me up at 8 pm. I always have to leave earlier than the rest of my friends and I get really angry with my dad.
— Anny
Alice: Talk with your dad and let him know how you feel. It feels hard to have different rules from your friends but don’t worry too much — your friends are probably picked up soon after you anyway.
1.Alice advises Susan to _____.
A.stay with her friends. B.ask her friend for help.
C.leave the party at once. D.make fun of her friends.
2.The underlined word “drag” is closest in meaning to “_____”.
A.fail. B.improve.
C.be boring. D.be pleasant.
3.What worries Anny?
A.Her dad is strict with her. B.She always argues with her dad.
C.Nobody picks her up after the party. D.She can’t go to the party with her friends.
4.Where can you probably find the text?
A.In a notice. B.In a guidebook. C.In a famous novel. D.In a popular magazine.
短文改错
Dear Mr. Green,
I'm writing to tell you how is going on in our school--a basketball match to be holding next month. The match will be played between Xinhua middle School Basketball Team or ours. Now we are organizing a basketball team, included a teacher as a player. We honest think you are the right one, so I'd like invite you to join our team. We had also planned to do some training to build up our physical strengths and improve our skills. I am sure it will be a great fun. All of us are expecting him to come.
Yours,
Li Hua
All over the world people are hooked on sports, which help them to strengthen their body and build their character. 1. They improve the participants’ physical skills, and provide entertainment for the audience as well.
Many people like to watch others play games. 2. Often they get very excited when “their” player or team wins. If they are crazy about the game or the player, then they’ll become their die-hard fans. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. 3. And think of people in cold countries. Masses of people love to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.
4. Chinese boxing, also has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new, which started in the late of the nineteenth century. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water skiing, as a modern game, is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries or races may not be able to understand each other, but after a game, they get to know each other better and they often become good friends. 5. They learn to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace. They also learn to be competitive and optimistic, which will equip them for life challenges in the future.
A. They buy tickets or turn on the TV to watch the games.
B. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy!
C. Some sports or games date back thousands of years, like running or jumping.
D. Sports help to train a person’s character.
E. Chinese people liked doing sports even in ancient times.
F. Sports are competitive physical activities or games through casual or organized participation.
G. And the friendship may last for a life time.
