Large companies need a way to reach the savings of the public at large. The same problem, on a smaller scale(小规模地), faces practically every company trying to develop new products and create new jobs. There can be little hope of raising the money needed from friends and people we know, and while banks may agree to provide short-term finance(资金), they are generally unwilling to provide money, for long-term projects. So companies turn to the public, inviting people to lend them money, or take a share(股份) in the business in exchange for a share in future interests. This they do by issuing(发行) stocks(股票) and shares in the business through the Stock Exchange. By doing so they can put into circulation(流通) the savings of single persons and institutions, both at home and abroad.

When the saver(储蓄者) needs his money back, he does not have to go to the company with whom he originally placed it. Instead he sells his shares through a stockbroker(证券经纪人) to some other saver who is seeking to invest his money.

Many of the services needed both by industry and by each of us are provided by the government or by local organizations. Without hospitals, roads, electricity, telephones and railways, this country could not work. All these require continuous spending on new equipment and new development if they are to serve us properly, requiring more money than it is raised through taxes alone. The government, local organizations and nationalized industries therefore frequently need to borrow money to finance(给…提供资金) major capital spending, and they, too, come to the Stock Exchange.

There is hardly a man or woman in this country whose standard of living does not depend on the ability of his or her employers to raise money to finance new development. In one way or another his new money must come from the savings of the country. The Stock Exchange exists to provide a channel through which these savings can reach those who need finance.

The money which enables these companies to go ahead with their projects is _______.

A. exchanged for part ownership in the Stock Exchange

B. raised by the selling of shares in the companies

C. repaid to its original owners as soon as possible

D. invested in different companies in the Stock Exchange

All the basic services on which we depend are _______.

A. unable to provide for the needs of the population

B. financed wholly by rates and taxes

C. in constant need of financial support

D. run by the government or local organizations

The Stock Exchange makes it possible for the government, local organizations and nationalized industries _______.

A. to make certain everybody saves money

B. to borrow as much money as they wish

C. to make certain everybody lends money to them

D. to raise money to finance new development

The underlined word invest probably means _______.

A. give more money with            B. provide less money with

C. borrow less money with           D. make more money with

As we grow up, we gradually develop a set of our own values or beliefs. These are influenced by society, our family, the education we receive and so on. Once this value system is set up, it’s not easy to change later in life. Financial experts say that everyone also has his own belief of how to manage his money. According to our different values, experts put us in three catagories---the ant, the cricket(蟋蟀) and the snail.

★ The ant — work first

Just like ants who work heart and soul in summer in order to store food for winter, these people don't care about enjoying the moment. They work very hard and save money they earn so that they can enjoy life when they get old and retire. The ant loves to save, but they could make more out of their money if they were willing to invest in some funds and stocks with low risk.

★ The cricket — fun first

The cricket wants to enjoy everything now and doesn't think too much about the future. They even borrow money when they really want something. Many young people now belong to this group. These people have little savings. When they get old, they might have problems. They should learn to save and buy insurance.

★ The snail — life under pressure

The snail refers to people who make life difficult for themselves. They take big long-term loans(贷款) from the bank in order to buy things such as luxury houses. They are happy to take big loans even though they are not sure they can afford them. This can cause problems in the future. They should plan more carefully.

 One’s values may________.

A. be his ways of managing money

B. be his beliefs about society

C. be connected with his education

D. influence his behavior

 Mr. Smith always enjoys spending a weekend with his friends, fishing, hunting and playing cards. Besides, he spends money in a very luxurious way. So_______.

A. Mr. Smith belongs to the ant type

B. Mr. Smith belongs to the cricket type

C. Mr. Smith belongs to the snail type

D. it’s hard to tell which kind of person Mr. Smith is

The writer of the passage intends _______.

A. to introduce to us the three types of people with different life style

B. to show us his special attitude to the different people

C. to tell us life is full of joy and happiness all the time

D. to warn us how to live a better life in a new way

According to the passage, the most suitable title would be _______.

A. Nature of Spending

B. What Comes First

C. How to Understand Your Belief

D. Work and Fun

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) —U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed on Saturday at the White House that China can have confidence in the American economy.

  “Not just the Chinese government, but every investor can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States,” Obama said.

   “There is a reason why even in the midst of this economic downfall you have seen actual increases in investment flows here in the U. S.,”he said.

   Obama also noted the U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry “front and center” at the upcoming Group of 20 Summit (峰会) in London ,ending an argument between the Europe and the United States over whether more focus should be placed on financial regulatory reform.

   Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friady he is “a little bit worried ”about the safety of Chinese assets (财产) in the United States ,urging the U. S. government to ensure the security of those assets.

   China has invested its huge foreign exchange reserves (外汇储备) in low-risk but low-yield assets ,such as U. S.government bonds (政府债券) ,to play it safe . According to the U.S. Treasury, China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars  worth of U.S. government bonds as of November.

   “China is indeed the largest creditor of the United States, which is the world’ s biggest economy .We are extremely interested in developments in the U. S. economy.”said Wen, adding that he is expecting the effect of the measures taken by the U.S.government to counter the global financial crisis.

   Asked to react to Wen’ s concern, Lawrence Summers, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, noted on Friday that the U.S. will be sound steward (管家)of the money it invests.

   “This is a commitment that the president has made very clear—we need to be sound stewards of the money we invest.”said Summers in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a leading think tank in the united states.

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his worry about the huge fund to the United States.

Obama claimed that China can have confidence in the American economy.

Obama said that the U. S. would be “sound stewards of the money we invest.”

The U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry.

It can most likely be inferred from the passage that           .

  A. the U. S. is now having great difficulty improving the economy.

  B. China will have confidence in Obama forever according to Wen’s speech

  C. China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S.government bonds as of November

  D. China will do its best to help the U.S. overcome the global financial crisis.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friday he is “a little bit worried”, because        .

  A. he doesn’t have confidence in America’ s economy at all

  B. China lent a huge fund to the United States

  C. he is concerned about the security of China’s assets in the U. S.

  D. the U.S. refused to ensure the security of China’s assets

The underlined word “soundness” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “      

  A. loudness          B. safety       C. richness         D. friendship

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across America’s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.

   Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America’s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a list of “useless” college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.

   “There couldn’t be anything that’s more incorrect,” Merrigan said. “We know that there aren’t enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.”

   In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.

   “I truly believe we’re at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows,” said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture. “

   The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.

   Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best hopes his message --that this is a new time in agriculture-- will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations (创新) in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in. “

1.What is the new challenge to American agriculture?

   A. Fewer and older farmers.          B. Higher fuel prices.

   C. More natural disasters.           D. Lower agricultural output.

2.Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?

   A. To draw federal agriculture officials’ attention.

   B. To select qualified agriculture graduates.

   C. To clarify a recent blog posting.

   D. To talk more students into farming careers.

3.According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because ________.

   A. the government will cover production costs

   B. global food supplies will be even lower

   C. investment in agriculture will be profitable

   D. America will increase its food export

4.What do the underlined words “to turn around the statistics” in the last paragraph mean?

   A. To re-analyze the result of the national census.

   B. To increase agricultural production.

   C. To bring down the average age of farmers.

   D. To invest more in agriculture.

 

Expressions about water are mostly as common as water itself.

The expression “to be in hot water” is one of them. It is a very old expression. Hot water was used five hundred years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle. That no longer happens. But we still get “in hot water”. When we are in hot water, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble, serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.

“Being in deep water” is somewhat like being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who can not swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you don’t have the ability to solve. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.

“To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.

“Water over the dam” is another expression about past events. It is something that is finished, and cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water has floated over a dam and cannot be brought back again. When a friend is troubled by a mistake he or she has made, you might tell him or her to forget about it. You say it is water over the dam.

Another common expression “to hold water” is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about . It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container. If it can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes; if it does not hold water, then, it is weak and not worth debating.

“Throwing cold water” also is an expression that deals with ideas or proposals. For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems, but your wife throws cold water on the idea because she says a new car costs too much.

60. Don’t cheat in this exam! Or you’ll      if you are caught cheating by the teacher.

A. be in hot wate                  B. have to hold water

C . be in deep water                 D. keep your head above water

61.The expression using water in Paragraph       has almost the same meaning as “Things done cannot be undone.”

A. 3    B. 4   C . 5    D. 6

62. We can see from this passage that many of the expressions using water have         meanings.

A. double   B. unpleasant   C . close   D. moral

63.The best title for this passage should be         .

A. The history of water         B. Cold water or hot water

C . Water and it culture         D. Expressions concerning water

 

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