题目内容
In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord（房东） can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartments. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest（投资） in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent—controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.
Some theorists argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low—paying jobs. However，if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. The price, which is the wage that employers must pay, increases. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics claim, an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.
Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.
Economic theory predicts the results of economic decisions such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be correct only if “other things are equal”.Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.
1．There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may .
A．cause a shortage of apartments
B．worry those who rent apartments as homes
C．increase the profits of landlords
D．encourage landlords to invest in building apartment
2．We can safely say that rent control .
A．will always benefit those who rent apartments
B．is unnecessary
C．will bring negative effects in the long run
D．is necessary under all circumstances
3．The problem of unemployment will arise if .
A．the minimum wage is set too high
B．the minimum wage is set too low
C．the workers are unskilled
D．the maximum wage is set
4．The passage tells us about .
A．the relationship between supply and demand
B．the possible results of government controls
C．the necessity of government control
D．the urgency of getting rid of government controls
ACAB
However urban life strikes you, cities worldwide have been growing ever more rapidly. Some of this growth has occurred in the developed world, but the most dramatic increase has been in the Third World. Almost all the world’s population growth over the next 30 years will take place in the cities of developing countries
By the year 2030, for the first time in history, 60 percent of the world’s people will be living in cities.
This is actually good news in some ways. “Cities are the fundamental building blocks of prosperity,” says Marc Weiss, chairman of the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development, “ both for the nation and for families.” Industrial and commercial activities in urban areas account for between 50 and 80 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in most countries of the world“ there’s the crazy notion that the way to deal with a city’s problems is to keep people out of them,”Weiss continued. “But the problems of the rural life are even more serious than those of the city.” For better or worse, urban-watchers are clear on one point: The quality of life for most people in the future will be determined by the quality of cities. Those cities will be bigger than ever. And yet, population numbers by themselves don’t determine a city’s prospects; after all, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Hamburg, Germany, have the same population. Nor is explosive growth necessarily the determining factor. “City problems,” one authority points out, “mostly have to do with weak, ineffective, and usually unrepresentative city governments.”
1.The passage mainly discusses ______________.
|
A．Big cities. |
B．City life. |
C．Population. |
D．Gross Domestic Product. |
2.According to the passage, in the year of 2030 _______.
|
A．there will be 21 cities having a population of more than 10 million. |
|
B．rural area will be extinct. |
|
C．most people will live in cities. |
|
D．the third world will keep abreast with the developed world. |
3.In the author’s opinion, _________.
|
A．better city, better life |
|
B．both urban and rural areas have a larger population |
|
C．the larger population, the faster a city develops |
|
D．both urban and rural areas have larger gross domestic products |
4.Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
|
A．The developing countries develop faster than the developed countries. |
|
B．Cities contribute more to the GDP than the villagers. |
|
C．Some problems are more easily solved in cities than in country. |
|
D．It’s impossible to solve urban problems by getting people out of cities. |
5.The last paragraph implies that ____________.
|
A．Public services are ineffective. |
|
B．Cities are increasing too fast. |
|
C．Population is not linked with development. |
|
D．Government should be responsible for the problems in the cities. |
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural(乡下的) areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a_residential_area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼)and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
1.The underlined phrase “a residential area” means an area________.
|
A．where people can buy things |
|
B．which is suitable for living in |
|
C．where people can do business |
|
D．which is near a city center |
2.Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
|
A．Because they can live more comfortably there. |
|
B．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life. |
|
C．Because they mainly want to find work there. |
|
D．Because they are sure of having a better life there. |
3.Which of the following statement is NOT true about the business district?
|
A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district. |
|
B．People usually work and live in the business district. |
|
C．A business district usually lies in the city center downtown. |
|
D．Nearly every major city has its own business district. |