How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation (通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.

   I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."

     Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.

     However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.

    Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?

According to the passage, collecting antique clocks____.

can hardly keep the value of your savings

will cost much of your savings

may increase your wealth

needs your bravery

By quoting (引用) the remark of a being from another planet, the author intends to____.

A. suggest human beings are controlled by a clock

B. describe why clocks can rule the planet Earth

C. tell readers what clocks look like

D. compare chicks to human beings

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time?

A. Counting the beating of one's own heart.

B. Making use of candles, sand and water.

C. Observing shadows cast by the sun.

D. Keeping slaves busy day and night.

The underlined phrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means

state-owned houses

houses in very good condition

grand houses open to the public

houses where statesmen meet regularly

The purpose of the passage is

A. to introduce the culture of antique clocks

B. to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks

C. to compare different ways to make a future profit

D. to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time


Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance(零花钱) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be going in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn — and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil — and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns(栏), list your sources of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!

Monthly Income
Amount
Monthly Expense
Amount
Allowance (零花钱)
$20.00.
Snacks
$20.00
Money earned selling drinks
$25.00
Music downloads
$12.00
Money earned babysitting 
$12.50.
Movies
$18.00
Money earned delivering newspapers
$30.00
Video rental
$10.00
Total
$87.50
Total
$66.00
1. Who is the passage written for?
A. Children.      B. Parents.     C. Breadwinners.    D. Bank managers.
2. The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.
A. learn to be realistic              B. increase their saving 
C. manage their money well            D. test their power-control
3. What should people do when planning a budget?
A. Fill in the expenses as they really are.    
B. Avoid spending money on expensive things.
C. Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings.
D. List income and expenses on two pieces of paper.
4. Which of the following budgets is effective?
A.
Monthly Income
Amount
Monthly Expenses
Amount
Allowance(零花钱)
$20.00
Money earned
walking dogs
$20.00
Bus fares
$40.00
Movies
$28.00
Total
$60.00
Total
$48.00
B. 
Monthly Income
Amount
Monthly Expenses
Amount
Allowance(零花钱)
$20.00
Movies
$30.00
Money earned
washing cars
$10.00
Bus fares
$10.00
Total
$30.00
Total
$40.00
C. 
Monthly Income
Amount
Monthly Expenses
Amount
Allowance(零花钱)
$27.50
Money earned
selling drinks
$22.00
Money earned
$22.50
Birthday gifts
$28.00
Total
$50.00
Total
$50.00
D. 
Monthly Income
Amount
Monthly Expenses
Amount
Allowance(零花钱)
$26.00
Radio rentals
$22.00
Money earned
doing yard work
$24.00
Birthday gifts
$28.00
Total
$50.00
Total
$50.00
5. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. the importance of making a budget        B. how to make a budget
C. how to form good habits   D. how to spend money

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。
A. Prepare for Rainy Days                B. Watch Your Spending
C. Get Aggressive                     D. Start Saving
E. Set the Goal                          F. Save More
Steps to Retire a Millionaire
Having a million-dollar portfolio is a retirement dream for many people. Making that dream come true requires some serious effort. While success is never a sure thing, the steps outlined below will go a long way toward helping you achieve your objective.
61. ____
Vacations, car, kids and all of life's other expenses take a big chunk out of your paycheck. To maximize your savings, you need to minimize your expenses. Buying a home you can afford and living a lifestyle that is below your means and not funded by credit cards are all necessities if you want to boost your savings.
62. ____
If you don't save, you'll never reach your goal. As obvious as this might seems, far too many people never even start to save. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, enrolling in the plan is a great way to put your savings on autopilot. Simply sign up for the plan and contributions will be automatically taken out of your paycheck, increasing your savings and decreasing your immediate tax liability.
If your employer offers to match your contributions up to a certain percentage, be sure to contribute enough to get the full match. It's like getting a guaranteed return on your investment. Finding the cash to stash may be a challenge, particularly when you're young, but don't let that stop you from pursuing future riches.
63. ____
Studies have shown that the majority of the returns generated by an investment are dictated by the asset-allocation decision. If you are looking to grow your wealth over time, fixed-income investments aren't likely to get the job done, and inflation can take a big chunk out of your savings.
Investing in equities entails more risk, but is also statistically likely to lead to greater returns. For many of us, it's a risk we have to take if want to see our wealth grow. Asset-allocation strategies can help you learn how to make picking the right mix of securities the core of your investing strategy.
64. ___
Part of long-term planning involves accepting the idea that setbacks will occur. If you are not prepared, these setbacks can put a stop to your savings efforts. While you can't avoid all of the bumps in the road, you can prepare in advance to mitigate the damage they can do.
65. ____
Your income should rise as time passes. You'll get raises, you'll change jobs, and maybe you'll get married and become a two-income family. Every time more cash comes in to your pocket, you should increase the amount that you save. The key to reaching your goal as quickly as possible is to save as much as you can.

Dear Aunty,

I work at a supermarket, and another girl and I share tasks we must finish before leaving. But she takes half an hour to do something I can do in ten minutes. She always has a story to tell me and stops working when she does. My boss is angry at both of us, but It’s not my fault. I don’t want to rat on her, but what else can I do?

Flustered

Dear Flustered,

Let me propose a better way. Make a log of all the tasks you share, then suggest to your boss that for efficiency your duties could be divided into two separate checklists. If he’s reluctant, go to plan B: the next time this girl starts telling you a story, stop working to listen and call your boss over to hear what a great storyteller she is. I’m sure he’ll take it from here.

Aunty

Dear Aunty,

I’m a college student in the Philippines who wants to be wise with money. I’m not an economics or business major student and I don’t know anything about stocks. But I really want to buy assets and invest. I receive about 15,000 pesos(比索)every school term from my education plan. I don’t have any idea how I should spend it. I don’t want to just buy new clothes, or hang out with my friends because it would not be wise. I want my money to grow. Please enlighten me.

Fastbreakplay

Dear Fastbreakplay,

Being wise with money is the No. 1 thing to learn. Start with a disciplined and systematic savings plan. When your savings reach a sizeable amount, then you may start investing. In the meantime, invest in yourself by reading up on stock markets and capital markets. Follow the news. Before I started investing during my senior high school years, I had already studied stock market data of the past century as I believe markets tend to repeat themselves. If you master this skill, you will master your reading of the markets.

Aunty

1.When Flustered’s boss isn’t willing to separate their work, Flustered can _____.

A.follow the second advice                 B.invite the boss to listen to the girl

C.stop working or do other things             D.report to the boss on time

2.Fastbreakplay writes a letter to Aunty in order to _____.

A.buy some pesos                        B.become an expert on stocks

C.get ways to grow money                  D.study economics as his major

3.In Aunty’s opinion, one should _____ at the beginning to be wise with money.

A.start investing                          B.have a saving plan

C.study stock markets                      D.master market reading

4.From letters above, we know Aunty should be ________.

A.an elder kind woman                    B.a lady in the community

C.a famous singer                         D.a name of a columnist

 

How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation (通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.

   I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."

     Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.

     However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.

    Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?

1.According to the passage, collecting antique clocks____.

A.     can hardly keep the value of your savings

B.      will cost much of your savings

C.      may increase your wealth

D.     needs your bravery

2.By quoting (引用) the remark of a being from another planet, the author intends to____.

A. suggest human beings are controlled by a clock

B. describe why clocks can rule the planet Earth

C. tell readers what clocks look like

D. compare chicks to human beings

3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time?

A. Counting the beating of one's own heart.

B. Making use of candles, sand and water.

C. Observing shadows cast by the sun.

D. Keeping slaves busy day and night.

4.The underlined phrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means

A.     state-owned houses

B.      houses in very good condition

C.      grand houses open to the public

D.     houses where statesmen meet regularly

5.The purpose of the passage is

A. to introduce the culture of antique clocks

B. to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks

C. to compare different ways to make a future profit

D. to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网