题目内容
The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country.Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.
Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities.About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work.There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant (怀孕的) women, pensioners (领养老金者), and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.
Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.
As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital.NHS hospitals—many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff.The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.
During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning).At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients.Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility.The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from.
1.We can know from the first paragraph that .
A.patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948
B.people didn't have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up
C.the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody
D.the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers
2.What do we know about the NHS?
A.It's managed by the central government.
B.Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions.
C.It hires more people than any other unit in Europe.
D.Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care.
3.All the following statements about GPs are true except that they .
A.take care of the local people's health
B.often take part in competitions to see who is the best
C.work under high pressure nowadays
D.have more responsibilities than before
4.What does the underlined word exempt probably mean?
A.suffering B.different C.prevented D.free
5.The biggest problem for the NHS is .
A.many hospitals are too old to be used
B.some services are in the charge of individuals
C.more and more patients go to GPs for treatment
D.there is not enough money for further reform
ACBDD
Jeffery Deaver looks more like a brainy villain (反派人物) in a James Bond movie than a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service.Best known for his thrillers starring criminalist (刑事专家) Lincoln Rhyme, Jeffery Deaver has a new mission: Bring Bond into the 21st century in a new 007 novel.
The yet-to-be-named book is cryptically (隐秘地) referred to as "Project X" by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd., which owns the rights to Fleming's work.Most of the details surrounding Project X, to be published in May, are being kept under wraps, but under gentle coaxing (用好话劝诱) Deaver begins to spill his guts."The novel," he says, "is set in the present day, in 2011.Bond is a young agent for the British secret service.He's 29 or 30 years old, and he's an Afghan war vet." That in itself is big news.After all, if Bond were aging in real time — he first appeared on the screen in 1953 — the now doddering (老态龙钟的) 007 would be nearly 90.
But first up: a new stand-alone Deaver novel, Edge (Simon & Schuster, $26.99), to be published Tuesday.It's about a federal agent who risks his life to protect a Washington police detective from a man hired to extract information from him using any means at his disposal (任由个人支配的).
Sipping coffee while seated on a leather chair in a sitting room decorated with portraits of his dogs and show ribbons, the mild-mannered author who writes about murderers and serial killers talks about his career and the solid fan base that has allowed him to pursue writing full time since 1990."I may not sell as many books as John Grisham(although he has sold a cool 20 million), but I have a very loyal fan base," says Deaver, 60, who wrote some of his novels while working as a Wall Street lawyer.Deaver's initiation into the Bond family — more than 100 million 007 novels have sold worldwide — could significantly raise his profile (知名度).
Other novelists have written Bond novels since Ian Fleming's death in 1964 — including Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and, most recently, Sebastian Faulks — but they all took place in the original era.Deaver is taking a new approach."There's no more Cold War to fight," says Deaver, so his new Bond, of the Fleming estate, will fight "post-9/11 evil." "I want to stay true to the original James Bond, who many people don't know much about," he says, referring to the secret agent Fleming portrayed in 14 novels, and not the movie Bond."People know Daniel Craig, they know Pierce Brosnan, they know Roger Moore and Sean Connery, all of whom brought a great deal to the stories of 007.But the original Bond was a very dark, edgy (另类的) character."
1.Which of the following is NOT true about Jeffery Deaver?
A.Jeffery Deaver is a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service in a James Bond movie. |
B.Jeffery Deaver was working as a lawyer while he wrote some novels about murderers and serial killers. |
C.It is the loyal fan base that has allowed Jeffery Deaver to keep on writing since 1990. |
D.Jeffery Deaver is best known for his thrillers rather than for 007 novels. |
2.Which statement best explains the meaning of “spill his guts” in Paragraph 2?
A.Tell others what he knows about the yet-to-be-named 007 novel. |
B.Tell others everything he knows about Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.. |
C.Have the courage to talk about the 007 agent James Bond. |
D.Have the determination to talk about "Project X". |
3.Who was the author of 007 novels?
A.Jeffery Deaver |
B.Ian Fleming |
C.John Grisham |
D.Kingsley Amis |
4.What do you know about the new 007 novel from the passage?
A.The book to be published in May is named "Project X" by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.. |
B.The book is about a federal agent risking his life to protect a Washington police detective. |
C.The book features a young James Bond, an Afghan war vet working for the British secret service. |
D.The book features a young James Bond who fights Cold War. |
Over the last 25 years, British society has changed a great deal. In some ways, however, very little has changed. Ideas about social class whether a person is “working-class” or “middle-class” are one area in which changes have been extremely slow.
In the past, the working-class tended to be paid less than middle-class people, such as teachers and doctors. As a result of this and also of the fact that workers’ jobs were generally much less secure, distinct differences in life-styles and attitudes came into existence. The typical working man would collect his wages on Friday evening and then give them to his wife, leaving a little for drinking or betting.
The type of what a middle-class man did with his money was perhaps nearer the truth. He was and still is likely to take a longer-term view. Not only did he regard buying a house to provide him and his family with security. Only in very few cases did workers have the opportunity (or the education and training) to make such long-term plans.
Nowadays, much has changed. In a large number of cases factory workers earn as much. Social security and laws have made it less necessary than before to worry about “tomorrow”. Working-class people seem slowly to be losing the feeling of inferiority(自卑感)they had in the past. In fact there has been a growing tendency in the past few years for the middle-classes to feel slightly ashamed of their position.
The changes in both life-styles and attitudes are probably most easily seen among younger people. They generally tend to share very similar tastes in music and clothes. They spend their money enjoying themselves, and save for holidays or longer-term plans when necessary. There seems to be much less difference than in precious generations. Nevertheless, we still have a wide gap between the well-paid and the low-paid. As long as this gap exists, there will always be a possibility that new problems will appear between different groups.
1.Which of the following is seen as the main cause of class differences in the past?
A.Life style and occupation. |
B.Attitude and income. |
C.Income and job security. |
D.Job security and hobbies. |
2. The writer seems to suggest that _______.
A.the description of middle-class ways of spending money is quite real |
B.working-class ways of spending the weekend remain the same |
C.working-class drinking habits differ from the past |
D.middle-class attitudes towards their positions have changed greatly |
3. According to the passage, what was the typical feature of the middle–class in the past?
A.They had to save money for security. |
B.They couldn’t make long-term plans. |
C.They could make as much money as they do now. |
D.They didn’t have the sense of inferiority. |
4. Working-class people's sense of security has increased as a result of all the following factors EXCEPT that _______.
A.they are provided with social security |
B.they can get much income |
C.better jobs are available for all of them |
D.the government offers legal protection |
5.Which of the following statements is incorrect?
A.Changes are slowly taking place in all aspects of the British society. |
B.The difference between working-class and middle-class young people is narrowing. |
C.The gap in income between the two classes will still remain. |
D.Middle-class people may sometimes feel a little inferior. |
It seems that the Englishman just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur(业余)and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or “association football”, it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.
The next is rugby, which is called “football” in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players rather than eleven. The rugby, in which an oval-shaped ball is used can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world.
Table-tennis or “ping-pong” surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or in Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.
1.The main purpose of paragraph one is to tell us that the English_______.
A.are all sports lovers |
B.behave like children |
C.like to kick a ball around |
D.can remain young all their lives |
2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?
A.They differ in the shape of the ball |
B.They are played by different numbers of players |
C.They both can be handled |
D.They both can be kicked |
3.From the second and the third paragraph, we know that_____.
A.Americans love football most of all |
B.British people love rugby most of all |
C.Americans and British people may call the same thing differently |
D.football originated in Britain in the 18th century |