题目内容
Even leaders pay tax
As the president of the US, Barack Obama earns a salary(薪水) of around $400,000 a year. But his income(收入) for 2008 was far more than that, according to the White House.
The White House recently published the tax returns of Obama and vice-president Joe Biden. Tax returns are reports of tax a person has to pay. They often include income information used to calculate（计算）the tax. In the US, people whose incomes are over a certain amount have to file (申请) tax returns every year. The tax returns of government officials are open to the public. This transparency (透明) helps to prevent corruption (腐败).
From Obama's tax returns, we can see that the president and first lady Michelle made about $2.66 million in 2008.
Most of the money came from the sales of the president's two books Dreams From My Father, and The Audacity of Hope (《无畏的梦想》). The two books, published in 1995 and 2006, are very popular and have been on the bestseller (畅销书) list for a long time.
The Obamas' income is down from 2007, when they made $4.2 million. However, that is still far more than former US president George W. Bush earned, who reported a total of $719,274 for his final year. The Obamas' income also greatly exceeded (超过) that of Biden, who reported a family income of $269,256. That's about a tenth of what the Obamas earned. As vice-president, Biden earns a salary of $220,000. US families earn an average income of about $50,000.
The Obamas' tax returns also show that together, the president and his wife paid about $933,000 in taxes. They gave $172,050 -- nearly 6.5 percent of their earnings – to different charity groups. In the US, if a person gives his money to churches and non-profit (非盈利的) organizations, the law reduces his or her taxes. This is one reason rich people in the US like to give to charity.
44. What are tax returns?
A. They are reports published by the White House.
B. They are reports made by the president.
C. They are reports of tax a person has to pay.
D. They are reports of people's incomes.
45. How much did Obama and his wife earn in 2008?
A. $400,000 B. $2,660,000 C. $4,200,000 D. $7,191,274
46. In the US, which people have to file tax returns?
A. Everybody. B. Wealthy people.
C. Government officials. D. People whose incomes are over a certain amount.
CBD
When I was a child I never said, "When I grow up, I want to be a CEO," but here I am. When I look back on my career, I realize the road to becoming a CEO isn't a straight, clear path. In fact, no two paths are the same. But whether you want to be a boss one day or not, there's a lot to learn from how leaders rise to the top of successful companies.
As this series of stories shows, the paths to becoming a CEO may be different, but the people in that position(位置) share the qualities of commitment（义务）, work ethic（道德） and a strong desire for building something new. And every CEO take risks along the way—putting your life savings on the line to start a software company or leaving a big business to be one of the first employees at a startup.
I grew up in Minnesota, and learned how to be an entrepreneur（企业家）from my father, who has run a small business for almost 30 years. I went to Georgetown University and tried a lot of business activities in college with success. And I always had a dream job pattern(模式): to walk to work, work for myself and build something for consumers(顾客).
I'm only 29, so it's been a quick ride to CEO. Out of college, I worked for AOL as a product manager, then moved to Revolution Health and ran the consumer product team. In mid-2007 I left Revolution Health and started LivingSocial with several other workmates, where I became a CEO.
Career advice: Don't figure out where you want to work, or even what industry you'd like to work at. Figure out what makes you do so. What gives you a really big rush? Answer why you like things, not what you like doing. . . and then apply it to your work life. Also, just because you're graduating, don't stop learning. Read more books than you did in college. If you do, and they're not, you're really well-positioned to succeed in whatever you do.
【小题1】What can we know from the first paragraph?
| A．The writer hasn't achieved his childhood ambition. |
| B．The writer thinks there is some easy way to become a CEO. |
| C．The writer had an ambition of becoming a CEO in his childhood. |
| D．The writer believes success stories of CEOs can be beneficial(有益的) to everybody. |
| A．try not to take risks | B．stay in the same business |
| C．have a strong sense of creativity | D．save every possible penny |
| A．He started LivingSocial when he was still a student of Georgetown University. |
| B．He used to run the consumer product team for AOL. |
| C．His business activities at college ended up in more failure than success. |
| D．His father had far-reaching influence on him. |
| A．断定 | B．弄清 | C．理解 | D．领会 |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Everything comes to him who waits. |
| C．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| D．One is never too old to learn. |
The high school diploma (文凭) is losing its value quickly, as a growing number of students graduate (毕业) from school without the math and reading skills that colleges and companies require, according to a new report.
The high school graduation exams that most states (州) require students to pass before they graduate remain far too easy. Most of the exams generally test eighth-or ninth-grade level work.
Today, even high school graduates who are going to have blue-collar (蓝领) jobs need to study the math, research and writing courses. But in high school, only students who are going to college are now required to take these courses.
“If you want a good job with a good pay, it’s a high-skill job,” said Michael Cohen, a leading member of the America Diploma Project.
The project suggests that all graduates master a wide range (范围) of skills. “A high school diploma should mean something to a company and university,” said Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, who is Achieve’s co-chairman.
In Taft’s state, about 30% students who go directly to college from high school have to take remedial classes of English or math, he said. It’s easy to see that the present high-school graduating standards are not preparing students for college education.
And with high-skilled jobs increasingly headed overseas to places like India and Ireland, states need to act, he said.
To prove why math and reading skills matter, the report includes real-life examples of problems students meet in college and that workers must solve each day on the job. ?
Some states are taking actions to upgrade the high school diploma. In Texas, all high school students, starting with the 2008 graduating class, will have to take the college-prep curriculum (大学预备课程) - unless a parent agrees to an easier course load. Other states are planning similar moves.
The report includes examples of reading and math skills that high-school students should have. Project leaders say they hope parents will use those examples to judge (评定) the coursework at their kids’ high schools.
【小题1】Why is the high school diploma losing its value quickly?
| A．Because the number of high school students is growing fast. |
| B．Because high school students fail to reach the standards. |
| C．Because the graduation tests are easier than it should be. |
| D．Because difficult courses are not required in high schools. |
| A．for good learners to study quickly and better |
| B．for slower learners weak in the subject |
| C．for learners to be taught one by one |
| D．for learners to reach a higher standard |
| A．Colleges require higher math and reading skills than companies. |
| B．It is easier for companies to find high-skilled workers in India. |
| C．Math and reading skills help little for workers to solve daily problems. |
| D．Parents ask high schools to offer college-prep curriculum in Texas. |
| A．High School Diploma Means Little |
| B．Give Students More High-skill Jobs |
| C．Math and Reading Skills Really Matter |
| D．Judge Coursework at High Schools |
d
paragraph we know that the writer’s son ______.
etter
than other children at school
to
other parents In the United States, parents usually encourage their children to develop their potential (潜能). They pay attention to what their kids can do, not what they can’t. As a result, US boys and girls hope to be actors, athletes and doctors; many even want to become presidents when they grow up.
US parents often encourage their children to take part in all kinds of activities at school. They believe that joining in these activities can make their children mature(成熟). Schoolwork is important, but they think that social skills are important as well.
But things in China are different. Chinese parents often tell their children to study hard and pass exams. They think that, for a student, staying away from schoolbooks means wasting time. This puts a lot of pressure on Chinese students, so leaders in China’s education department have called for less homework at the lower grades. Only healthy kids can become healthy adults.
1.American parents think that .
?
|
A．Schoolwork is as important as social skills ? |
B．Schoolwork is more important than social skills ? |
C．Schoolwork is less important than social skills ? |
D．Passing exams is the most important for their children |
2.Why do many American children have their dream jobs?
?
|
A．Because they start school earlier than Chinese children. ? |
B．Because they study hard. ? |
C．Because their parents encourage them to do less homework. ? |
D．Because their parents usually pay attention to what they can do，not what they can’t. |
3.Chinese parents think that .
?
|
A．taking part in all kinds of activities at school can make their children mature ? |
B．staying away from schoolbooks means wasting time ? |
C．their children should do what they want to do ? |
D．social skills is necessary for the students at lower grades |
4.According to this passage the writer thinks .
?
|
A．China’s education is better than America’s ? |
B．America’s education is better than China’s ? |
C．Chinese students at the lower grades should have more homework ? |
D．Chinese students have less pressure than America’s |