Computer programmer David Jones earns£35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card.Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18.The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job.David's firm neleases(推出)two new games for the fast growing computer market each month.
But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money.Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押贷款),or get credit cards.David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop.“I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,”he said.David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week.But most of his spare time is spent working.
“
Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school.”he said.“But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time.I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school.Most people in his business are fairly young.Anyway.”David added:“I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement is a possibility.You never know when the market might disappear.”
(1)
In which way is David different from people of his age?
[ ]
A.
He often goes out with friends.
B.
He lives with his mother.
C.
He has a handsome income.
D.
He graduated with six O-levels.
(2)
What is one of the problems that David is facing now?
[ ]
A.
He is too young to get a credit card.
B.
He has no time to learn driving.
C.
He has very little spare time.
D.
He will soon lose his job.
(3)
Why was David able to get the job in the company?
[ ]
A.
He had done well in all his exams.
B.
He had written some computer programs.
C.
He was goo dat playing computer games.
D.
He had learnt to use computers at school.
(4)
Why did David decide to leave school and start working?
[ ]
A.
He received lots of job offers.
B.
He was eager to help his mother.
C.
He lost interest in school studies.
D.
He wanted to earn his own living.
阅读理解
When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality.Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved(毫不掩饰的).
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes.Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity.I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy-love, marriage, birth-also bring responsibility and the risk of loss.For adults, happiness is complicated(复杂的)
My definition fo happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment”.The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are.It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even goo health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday.First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself.Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love.When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work.I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either.She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we’ve got to have.We’ve so self-conscious about our “right” to it that it's making us miserable.So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier
Happiness isn't about what happens to us-it's about how we see what happens to us.It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative.It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.
(1)
As people grow older, they
[ ]
A.
feel it harder to experience happiness
B.
associate their happiness less with others
C.
will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness
D.
tend to believe responsibility means happiness
(2)
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 5 and 6?
[ ]
A.
She cares little about her own health
B.
She enjoys the freedom of traveling
C.
She is easily pleased by things in daily life
D.
She prefers getting pleasure from housework
(3)
What can b informed from Paragraph 7?
[ ]
A.
Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness
B.
Psychologists’opinion is well proved by Grandma’case
C.
Grandma often found time for social gatherings
D.
Grandma's happiness came from modest expectations of life
(4)
People who equal happiness with wealth and success
[ ]
A.
consider pressure something blocking their way
B.
stress then right to happiness too much
C.
are at a loss to make correct choices
D.
are more likely to be happy
(5)
What can be concluded from the passage?
[ ]
A.
Happiness lies between the positive and the negative
B.
Each man is the master of his own fate
C.
Success leads to happiness
D.
Happy is he who is content
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
For these people, looking different isn't just for October 31.
Star Wars Forever
The force will always be with Luke Kaye.That's because this dedicated fan has covered his back, arms, and legs with tattoos(纹身)of Star Wars characters.
Kaye got his first tattoo about six years ago.Once he started, he just couldn't stop.“I kept seeing characters in the movies and thinking, ‘That would make a great tattoo! ’” he says.Kaye also collects items related to Star Wars.He recently had to sell a large part of his collection because it became too expensive to store it.But he can keep the tattoos forever.
“I am nowhere near finished yet, ” says Kaye, who lives in England.He plans to get tattoos of large spaceships down his sides.“You never know with me, ” he adds, “I could come home one day with my whole face tattooed.”
The Hole Story
“People often just want to look at me or touch me, ” says Elaine Davidson.It's no wonder.Davidson, who lives in Scotland, is covered with nearly 7, 000 piercings(穿环)! According to Guinness World Records, she is the most pierced woman on Earth.
Together, Davidson's studs(耳钉)and rings weigh almost seven pounds.She never removes them.She keeps them on even when she goes through scanners at airports.All she takes off is her watch!
In June, Davidson made news when she got married.Opposites must attract.Her new husband has no piercings at all.
Goo Goo for Gaga
Lady Gaga is famous for her outrageous looks.She has worn everything from a dress covered in bubbles to a coat made out of Kermit the Frog dolls.At the 2010 MTV Music Awards, she even wore a dress made out of raw meat!
Some stars try not to stand out in public when they are not performing.They might wear sunglasses and a big hat when they go out, hoping that no one will recognize them.Lady Gaga, has a distinctive(与众不同的)approach.She dresses up whether she's walking through an airport or going shopping.She might wear a wild wig(假发), a lace bodysuit, or 12-inch heels.She jokes, “I am just trying to change the world.”
(1)
What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
[ ]
A.
To tell us a few interesting stories.
B.
To present three people with distinctive characters.
C.
To make fun of some distinctive people.
D.
To show us how to become attractive.
(2)
In the section of Star Wars Forever, it is suggested that ________.
[ ]
A.
Kaye has performed in Star Wars
B.
Kaye has a habit of studying and designing tattoos
C.
Kaye will continue with his habit of getting tattoos
D.
Kaye's face looks frightening because of the tattoos
(3)
The underlined word “outrageous” in the passage probably means “ ________ ”.