Chinese reports say the country’s vast pool of cheap labor is getting smaller, which could hurt an economy that heavily depends on labor-intensive manufacturing.

The academy’s research shows that China’s rural labor surplus, the source of migrant workers for the country’s factories, is about 50 million people—far less than the previously estimated 150 to 200 million.

Jonathan Unger, director of the Contemporary China Center at the Australian National University, says fewer rural residents are willing to leave their farms today. This is partly because there are more employment opportunities in rural areas, and because agricultural prices have gone up.

“And at the same time taxes in the countryside, fees in the countryside have gone down because of new sets of government policies,” he explained. “So people are not eagerly forced in the way they were five, six years ago to leave the farm in order to earn enough money for their families.”

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says another reason for the reduced labor pool is the country’s population policy, which allows city residents to have just one child, and farmers up to two if the first one is a girl.

A UN study predicts that China’s workforce will reach its top in 2015 and then gradually drop. Some of China’s major manufacturing areas, such as Guangdong Province, already face labor shortages.

Some economists think these shortages are, at least for now, a regional rather than a national problem. Sun Mingchun, an economist with investment bank Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, points out that there are still millions of people in China who can not find work.

57. According to the academy’s research, China’ rural labor surplus today is about _______.

A. 150 million      B. 50 million      C. 200 million      D. 175 million

58. The reason why many rural residents don’t leave their farms today is ________.

A. the farmers are older than before.

B. the farmers are lazier than before

C. the farmers have much more money

D. there are more employment opportunities and agricultural prices have gone up

59. Which of the following is TURE according to the passage?

A. A study of UN estimates China’s workforce will come to the top in 2015.

B. No a study shows millions of people can’t find work in China.

C. The country’s population policy isn’t a reason for the reduced labor.

D. Five years ago, few farmers left their homes to earn money for supporting their families.

60. According to some economists, the shortage of Chinese workforce __________.

A. is a national problem                     B. is a regional problem

C. is not a problem                         D. can be solved easily

 

When I worked as a waitress in Chicago, US, my coworkers  and I would groan (叹息) whenever we heard someone with a foreign accent coming into our restaurant. We knew what it meant to serve a non–American: no tip. We would work just as hard as we always did, but we might not get paid

Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who offers them a service of some kind. Americans tip their waiters, barbers and taxi drivers. An appropriate (合适的) tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service, but the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. The customer is expected to add it on himself/herself.

So if you order $100 worth of food, you are expected to pay your waiter at least $15, making your total payment $115. Tipping less than this sends a message to your waiter that you think they’ve done a bad job serving you. And to leave no tip at all is simply unacceptable.

It’s not that American waiters are greedy. In many countries, waiters are paid a salary for their work. They’ll earn money even if no one comes into the restaurant. This system offers much more safety for waiters than the American version. In the US, waiters know that a night without customers means a night without pay.

Some countries include a tip for waiters – a “service charge” – on the bill itself. Since the tip is included with the other charges, waiters don’t need to worry about people forgetting to tip. But in the US, waiters do not receive a salary, and service charges only appear on bills when there are six or more customers at the table.

Since almost all American customers are familiar with the system, they know to add a tip without being told. But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill. So as much as we waiters loved hearing stories about other places from our foreign customers, we were always nervous when they got ready to leave the restaurant. We were never sure what to expect.

55. Why would the author and her coworkers groan when they had to serve a non-American?

A. They would have difficulty understanding the customer.

B. They had to work harder to get tips from the customer.

C. They might not get any payment from the customer.

D. They thought a non-American customer would be hard to please.

56. If you order $550 worth of food, you are supposed to pay your waiter at least ______.

A. $55    B. $82.5     C. $100     D.$110

57. Why would it be thought unacceptable not to tip a waiter in the US?

A. They enjoy getting tips from their customers.

B. They work harder than waiters in other countries.

C. They are greedier than waiters in other countries.

D. They earn most of their money from diners’ tips.

 

阅读下列材料,从所给的六个选项(A,B,C,D,E和F)中, 选出符合各小题要求的最佳选项。选项中有一项是多余选项。

_______ 1. Though Lola is a woman reporter, she is brave enough to go deep into the places at war. Next month, she will go to a place at war, she is confident to do her work well and give people the most brief and real reports.

_______ 2. Jane is a modern girl, who is a crazy fan of rock music and films. She has a romantic dream, that is, one day, she will go to a beautiful place to appreciate all the attractive music and films with a cup of coffee in her hand.

_______ 3. Tom is really depressed these days. Owing to his bad management, his company closed. He wants to go to a place to try his fortune so that he can start his business again in the near future.

_______ 4. Jenny, a European woman with her children, is visiting her relatives and friends. They want to relax themselves by enjoying the sunshine on the sandy beaches along the coast and have fun with dolphins.

_______5. Mike and Susan are from Brazil. They have been traveling in cities for a couple of days. This weekend, they would like to have a change and travel to the countryside to have some idea of grape farming and wine producing instead of making city tours around.

     A. The world acclaims its wines from the vineyards of the rolling hills and valleys of the Hunter region. The Hunter Valley is the oldest commercial wine producing district with 7,000 acres under vine. Travelers can enjoy visiting historic Wollombi and the Old Tovern and the lower Hunter Valley, trying local cheeses and complimenting fine wines.

     B. Sydney, which lies on the eastern coast of Australia, is a beautiful city with its holiday villages, white sandy beach and the sparkling ocean. It is a pleasure to ride the wave crests in the azure waters of sheltered Stephens where forests, villages and stately homes meet with the sea. This quiet arm of the blue Pacific Ocean is home to a pod of nature’s most lovable and intelligent marine mammals.

     C. Las Vegas is really a fascinated city, where you will be attracted by many things. Among them, the most attractive thing is gambling. Maybe you will become a millionaire or lose all your money overnight. What’s so clever about Las Vegas is that it makes absolutely certain that you have such a good time you don't mind losing a bit of money along the way; that's why they don't even call it "gambling" anymore, but "gaming".

     D. Few cities leave the visitors with such vivid impressions, the whole city is something of a work of art, the quiet River Seine, the Eiffel Tower, Palais du Louvre and so on are really feast to your eyes. And annual film festival is held with a refreshing emphasis in art. Few cities can compete with the thousands of cafes, bars and restaurants that line every Parisian street.

     E. Kitzbuhel is a paradise for all the skiers. With fine weather and breath-taking scenery, it is a world-class ski resort. Every winter, thousands of people come from all parts of the world to challenge themselves. If you can't ski, don't worry. The town offers many shops, cafe and a variety of entertainment.

     F. Jerusalem is regarded as a holy place by Jews, Muslims and Christians. For Jews, it is where their ancestors built the first and second temples. Muslims knew it as the place where the Prophet (先知) Mohammed passed up to heaven. For Christians the city was the scene of Jesus' life. However, since the war broke out, people there have suffered a lot, the situation has been tense, and peace is just a dream.

 

While getting ready for school today, my 16-year-old daughter came into my room to give me a big hug and kiss. I asked her, “What do you want?” She said, “36 Mum, you always tell us to have a good day 37  we leave the house, but I was 38 about who tells you to have a good day and lets you know how much you are 39.”

I am so 40 by the capacity of love and understanding that 41 my children. My 15-year-old son asked me last night if there was a(n) 42 for him to get a summer job this year in order to help us to pay our bills. 43, in our area, he must be 16.

44 of my children depend on me so much because I am a 45 parent, but just when I pay the 46 that I will not be able to provide for them, they come up with ways to 47. I completely understand that I will 48 have to find a way to pay the bills as I do not want my children to take up anything. But for now the 49 that they have stepped up and 50 to help without anyone asking touches me.

When my daughter was two, I remember rushing to get to 51, getting to the front door and asking her to 52 and come. Then she appeared at the door with a bag that she was holding open. I said, “We don’t have 53 for this.” She stopped me and said, “Fill it with love, Mum.” I 54 to my knees and hugged her and then kissed her. From then55 she would bring the bag and I would bring the love to the door before we left for school and work.

1. A. nothing       B. anything         C. something        D. everything

2.A. after          B. until            C. before           D. since

3.A. complaining    B. thinking     C. talking      D. quarreling

4.A. hated      B. punished     C. changed      D. loved

5.A. interested     B. surprised        C. touched      D. worried

6. A. comes from    B. goes to      C. agrees with  D. cares for

7.A. task           B. tip          C. item         D. way

8.A. Happily        B. Unfortunately    C. Luckily      D. Generally

9.A. All            B. None         C. Both         D. Neither

10. A. single       B. strong           C. rich         D. noble

11.A. salary        B. gifts            C. books            D. bills

12. A. stay up      B. get up           C. help out     D. break down

13. A. already      B. still            C. even         D. yet

14.A. fact          B. reason           C. excuse           D. phenomenon

15.A. begged        B. managed      C. pretended        D. offered

16.A. church        B. shop         C. work         D. hospital

17.A. wake up       B. hurry up     C. turn up      D. look up

18.A. time          B. room         C. space            D. chance

19.A. dropped       B. lost         C. fell         D. missed

20.A. to            B. on           C. away         D. by

 

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