题目内容
D
You can deposit money in a building society and obtain yearly interest at a certain rate.You can also borrow money from a building society.What, then, is difference between a bank and a building society? In fact, a building society does not seem to be very different from a savings bank.Many people regularly save money by depositing small amounts monthly in a building society, just as other people regularly save money by depositing small amounts monthly in a savings bank.Some people deposit large amounts in a building society as an investment.They receive higher interest than they would receive from a savings bank; their money can be invested either in building society shares or in loans to the society.
These societies are controlled by law, but they are not government organizations.They were originally started to enable people to buy houses.One of their main purposes is to provide loans for buying or building houses.Many people prefer buying a house to paying rent, but some of them cannot afford to buy a house.To cover the cost they borrow the money from a building society.The loan plus the interest is paid back in monthly amounts over an agreed number of years.Probably the payments made in this way are no more than the rent of a rented house.But at the end of the stated period, when the debt is paid, the borrower becomes the owner of the house.To protect the building society from “bad debts” he must sign a statement to say that the house belongs to the society until the debt is paid.
A building society invests the savings of its shareholders in houses and property.Unlike a bank, it does not serve as a general clearing house (清算所) for every kind of exchange or business operation.Its activities are limited compared with those of a bank.
68.A building society is different from a bank in that ____.
A.the former is limited in its activities
B.the latter is limited in function compared with the former
C.a bank doesn’t serve as a general clearing house
D.a building society can protect itself from “bad debt”
69.Some people put large amounts of money in the building society because _______.
A.they can get more profit than they do in a bank.
B.they may choose between the form of building society shares and that of loans for their investment
C.they may enjoy shares and loans at the same time
D.they like the society
70.If you borrow money from the society to buy a house, ____.
A.you have to return the money to the building society the moment it is needed.
B.you have to sign an agreement to repay the loan after a number of years
C.what you pay back monthly for the loan would be less than the rent
D.the house doesn’t belong to you unless you have repaid all the debt
68—70 AAD
解析
D
You may picture firefighters holding a hose (水管) outside of a burning building, but the Golden Eagles Hotshots don’t fight fires quite that way. When they go into action, you may not even see a fire truck.
The Hotshots are firefighters who battle fires in wildness areas. But don’t think you’ll only find them in their home state California. Wherever there is a national wildfire emergency, the Golden Eagles Hotshots could be there.
But these firefighters don’t work the same way as firefighters in a big city. They work in areas where there are a large number of trees, bushes, and grass. They climb up and down steep hills to clear brush and burnable debris(残骸). They sometimes use water, but they often fight fire with fire!
They do that by lighting what are called “backfires,” which are small, controlled fires that burn up fuel in the path of large wildfires. That way, when the wildfire gets there, it has nothing to burn and nowhere to go, because all the burnable fuel has already gone up in smoke.
The Hotshots also clear away fuel using old-fashioned hard work. For example, they use a saw to cut away trees and heavy brush that could catch fire.
Of course there are times when the Golden Eagles Hotshots do have trucks to supply water to the fires. But the water is limited, and these guys have to rely on hard work more than anything. Physical fitness is very important. They have to be in great physical shape to handle steep hills and difficult terrain(地形) while carrying a 60-pound pack.
The Golden Eagles Hotshots definitely work hard for their pay. But thanks to their efforts, many lives have been saved, many houses have not burned, and countless trees are still standing.
【小题1】67. The firefighters mentioned in the passenger.
A.do much of their work in California |
B.avoid climbing steep hills in their work |
C.do their work equipped with advanced tools. |
D.carry out their work mostly in forests and mountains. |
A.To signal for help. | B.To remove obstacles. |
C.To protect trees and bushes. | D.To prevent the fire from spreading. |
A.They are firefighters working in big cities. |
B.Their work requires physical strength. |
C.They are voluntary firefighters working for free. |
D.They usually hold a hose to put out the fires. |
A.Appreciative | B.Doubtful | C.Worried | D.Critical |