题目内容
Fifty years ago I married my soldier sweetheart.Six weeks later, he left to fight in Korea.While he was away for that first year of our marriage, I stayed with my mum and worked hard to keep our savings for our first home.After John returned, we found a home and applied for a War Service Home Loan, which at that time took about six months to come through.
The builder of our home lived in the same street as our house and he allowed us to move in and pay rent until our loan came through.The rent was one pound and ten shillings per week, which we thought fair.As we got to know our neighbors, several told us to watch our landlord as he was “sharp” and may cheat us in some way.We always replied that he had given us no cause for complaint.
The loan money came through shortly before Christmas.We were not well-off but we were happy to have our own home.One night, two weeks before Christmas, there was a knock at our door.It was our landlord and his wife.We invited them in and our landlord said, “As you know, your loan has come through and you do not have to pay me rent any more.I did not set that rent, the estate agent(房产代理商)did, and I thought it was a bit high.Every time you paid me I put ten shillings away in a box.It came to 11 pounds.
We were surprised and delighted.To us, it was a small fortune just in time for Christmas.We were able to buy gifts for our entire family.It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for us and we decided that we would never judge anyone on hearsay.
1.Why did the couple apply for a War Service Home Loan?
A.To get married B.To rent a house
C.To buy a house D.To keep savings
2.When a few neighbors talked about their landlord, the couple __________.
A.believed that he was sharp B.made a fair remark about him
C.seldom complained about him D.said nothing about him
3.Which of the following is TRUE about the rent?
A.The couple thought the rent was a bit high.
B.The landlord charged high rent by cheating.
C.Some of the neighbors were charged too much on the rent.
D.The estate agent set the rent which might be a bit high.
4.Why did the landlord and his wife call on the couple one night?
A.They wanted to give loan money to the couple.
B.They tried to cheat the couple for more money.
C.They wanted to give back part of the rent the couple had paid.
D.They tried to give the couple a box as a Christmas gift.
5.The purpose of the passage is to show that __________.
A.we should not judge a person on hearsay
B.it was not easy for the couple to have a house of their own
C.the landlord was kind to the couple but not to the neighbors
D.the couple had an unexpected fortune before Christmas
1.C
2.B
3.D
4.C
5.A
The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(马尾辫). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a price of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.
【小题1】The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.
A.her hairstyle was out of fashion |
B.her appearance looked much too mature |
C.her way of dressing was against the tradition |
D.physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important |
A.is one of the world’s largest toy companies |
B.is the director of an American toy company |
C.was the woman who originally created Barbie |
D.was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls |
A.pay too much attention to their physical beauty |
B.neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty |
C.prefer physical beauty to inner beauty |
D.waste too much time and money on clothes |
A.shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls |
B.praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls |
C.expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie |
D.argues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls |