【题目】Steps to Retire as a Millionaire

Having a million-dollar savings is a retirement dream for many people. Making that dream come true requires some serious efforts. While success is never a sure thing, the steps outlined below will go a long way toward helping you achieve your objective.

1

Vacations, cars, kids and all of life’s other expenses take a big chunk(大块) out of your paycheck. To maximize your savings, you need to minimize your expenses. Buying a home you can afford and living a lifestyle that is below your means and not funded by credit cards are all necessities if you want to boost your savings.

2

If you don’t save, you’ll never reach your goal. Obvious as this might seem, far too many people never even start to save. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan (一种养老保险), simply sign up for the plan and contributions will be automatically taken out of your paycheck, increasing your savings and decreasing your taxes. It’s like getting a guaranteed return on your investment. Finding the cash to stash (隐藏起) may be a challenge, particularly when you’re young, but don’t let that stop you from pursuing future riches.

3

If you are looking to grow your wealth over time, fixed income isn’t likely to get the job done, and inflation (通货膨胀) can take a big chunk out of your savings. Investing in equities (股票) may have more risk, but is also statistically likely to lead to greater returns. For many of us, it’s a risk we have to take if want to see our wealth grow.

4

Part of long-term planning involves accepting the idea that setbacks will occur. If you are not prepared, these setbacks can put a stop to your savings efforts. While you can’t avoid all of the bumps in the road, you can prepare in advance to reduce the damage they can do.

5

Your income should rise as time passes. You’ll get raises, you’ll change jobs, and maybe you’ll get married and become a two-income family. Every time more cash comes in to your pocket, you should increase the amount that you save. The key to reaching your goal as quickly as possible is to save as much as you can.

A. Watch Your Spending.

B. Prepare for Rainy Days.

C. Start Saving.

D. Get Aggressive.

E. Save More.

F. Set the Goal.

G. Have patience.

【题目】One dark and stormy night, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia, hoping to get shelter for the night.

The clerk, a friendly man with a beautiful smile, explained that there were three conferences in town. "All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said, "but I can't send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not a suite, but it will be good enough to make you comfortable for the night." The couple agreed.

As the elderly man paid the bill the next morning, he told the clerk, "You are the kind of person who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’ll build one for you." The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the elderly man, asking the clerk to pay him a visit. The elderly man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a reddish stone one with watchtowers thrusting (插入) up to the sky, and told the clerk that it was the hotel he had just built for him to manage.

That wonderful building was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. And this young clerk whose name was George C. Boldt never foresaw the return of events that would lead him into the manager of one of the world's most attractive hotels.

1Why did the elderly man build a hotel for the clerk?

A .He was grateful to the clerk.

B. They had a bet at first.

C. He wanted to please the clerk.

D. He wanted to sell the hotel.

2Which of the statements about the story is NOT true?

A. The story took place at about one a.m.

B. The old couple were too poor to afford a luxurious room.

C. The clerk was willing to help those in need.

D. The clerk received an unexpected invitation from the old man.

3According to the text, the clerk .

A. helped the couple because he thought they were poor.

B. hoped that the old couple could give him a large amount of money.

C. didn't expect to receive things in return from the old couple.

D. became rich, thanks to his own efforts.

4Which of the following proverbs suits the story the best?

A. Every little thing helps.

B. Make hay (干草) while the sun shines.

C. Accidents will happen.

D. One good turn deserves another.

【题目】Have you ever used Facebook? Many people are being lured (引诱) onto it with the promise of a funfree service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal informationFacebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages

Most Facebook users don't realize this is happeningEven if they know what the company is up tothey still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth

The biggest problemhoweveris that the company keeps changing the rulesEarly onyou keep everything privateThat was the great thing about Facebook — you could create your own little private networkLast yearthe company changed its privacy rules so that many things — your cityyour photoyour friends' names—were setby default (默认) to be shared with everyone on the Internet

According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schragethe company is simply making changes to improve its serviceand if people don't share informationthey have a “less satisfying experience”

Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more moneyIts original business modelwhich involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the pagetotally failedWho wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?

The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in WashingtonIn AprilSenator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policyHe also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites“I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them” Schrage admits

I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginningwhich is why I'm considering deactivating(撤销) my accountFacebook is a handy sitebut I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't knowThat's too high a price to pay

1What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users

B. It makes money by putting on advertisements

C. It profits by selling its users'personal data

D. It provides loads of information to its users

2What does the author say about most Facebook users?

A. They are reluctant to give up their personal information

B. They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook

C. They don't identify themselves when using the website

D. They care very little about their personal information

3Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A. To provide better service to its users

B. To follow the Federal guidelines

C. To improve its users'connectivity

D. To expand its scope of business

4Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?

A. He is dissatisfied with its current service

B. He finds many of its users untrustworthy

C. He doesn't want his personal data abused

D. He is upset by its frequent rule changes

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