My father's reaction to the bank building at 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York city was immediate and definite："You won't catch me putting my money in there!" he declared, "Not in that glass box !"
Of course, my father is a gentleman of the old school, a member of the generation to whom a good deal of modern architecture is upsetting, but I am convinced that his negative response was not so much to the architecture as to a violation of his concept of the nature of money．
In his generation money was thought of as a real commodity(实物)that could be carried, or stolen．Consequently, to attract the custom of a sensible man, a bank had to have heavy walls, barred windows, and bronze(青铜)doors, to affirm the fact, however untrue, that money would be safe inside．If a building's design made it appear impenetrable(难以渗透的), the institution(公共机构, 协会, 制度)was necessarily reliable, and the meaning of the heavy wall as an architecture symbol dwelt in the prevailing attitude toward money．
But the attitude toward money has, of course, changed．Excepting pocket money, cash of any kind is now rarely used; money as a tangible(切实，实在)commodity has largely been replaced by credit．A deficit(赤字)economy, accompanied by huge expansion, has led us to think of money as product of the creative imagination．The banker no longer offers us a safe：he offers us a service in which the most valuable element is the creativity for the invention of large numbers．It is in no way surprising, in view of this change in attitude, that we are witnessing the disappearance of the heavy-walled bank．
Just as the older bank emphasized its strength, this bank by its architecture boasts of imaginative powers．From this point of view it is hard to say where architecture ends and human assertion(人们的说法)begins．
(1)
The main idea of this passage is that _________．
[ ]
A．
money is not as valuable as it was in the past
B．
the architectural style of the older bank is superior to that of the modern bank
C．
changes have taken place in both the appearance and the concept of banks
D．
prejudice makes the older generation think that the modern bank is unreliable
(2)
How do the older generation and the younger one think about money?
[ ]
A．
The former thinks more of money than the latter．
B．
The younger generation values money more than the older generation．
C．
Both generations rely on the imaginative power of bankers to make money．
D．
To the former money is a real commodity but to the latter it is a means to produce more money．
(3)
According to this passage, a modern banker should be _________．
[ ]
A．
imaginative and creative
B．
reliable and powerful
C．
sensible and impenetrable
D．
ambitious and friendly
(4)
It can be inferred from the passage that the author's attitude towards the new trend in banking is _________．
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read：
For washing the car ＄5.00
For making my own bed this week ＄1.00
Going to the provision shop ＄0.50
Playing with little sister ＄0.25
Taking out the rubbish ＄1.00
Getting a good report card ＄5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor ＄2.00
Total ＄14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment．I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind．So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote：
For nine months I carried you, growing inside me No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes．He looked at his mother and said,“Mummy, I love you．”Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the“bill”“All paid．”
(1)
What's the best title for this passage?
[ ]
A．
Part-time Job
B．
Mother's Love, No Charge
C．
Payment for House Work
D．
Greedy Mother
(2)
The write wrote the passage in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show that children should be paid for their housework
B．
show that children should not be paid for their housework
C．
show a clever way of teaching children
D．
tell children how to spend their spare time
(3)
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
[ ]
A．
Clever
B．
Greedy
C．
Cold－hearted
D．
Selfish
(4)
From the last passage we know that ________
[ ]
A．
the boy got all the money he wanted
B．
the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
C．
the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
D．
the mother was angry with what the boy said
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
