Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love. There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage. I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart. My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs.
　　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy. My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business.
　　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
　　                                                                                                                                                  Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart. Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story. The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year.
　　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages. Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed. Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees. And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers.
　　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence. You are sure to win the conversation. The divorce is likely to be more argued.
Economist
68. What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?
A. His wife refuses to shop at Walmart.
B. They are faced with a divorce.
C. They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart.
D. They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart. 
69. Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________.
A. it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages
B. consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart
C. Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy
D. Walmart’s business increases global trade
70. What can be inferred from the reply letter?
A. Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job.
B. Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees.
C. Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers.
D. Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart.

While most students in the USA are worrying about getting into their dream universities, others worry about a bigger problem. Students brought to the USA illegally, who have to leave a   36   on applications that need their Social Security number, know they will not be accepted    37   their outstanding grades and performance. The young immigrants   38   from the U.S. school system, but only up through high school. Their education often    39   there due to a 1996 federal law that bans states from offering in-state tuition rate(学费) to illegal immigrants    40   the state also offers it to all U.S. citizens. However, there may be some hope because of the DREAM Act, which will be voted on in Congress (国会).

The DREAM Act is a/an   41   aid program for the young illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. before they were 16. Those who apply for this program can get   42   and temporary residing (居住) status, which can be changed, once   43  , to a green card after six years. These immigrants can then use their newly acquired status to seek green cards for their   44  . In this way, it can also provide citizenship for the illegal foreigners who brought their children to the US.

“I don’t live in fear of being driven out of this   45  ,” says Juan, a high school junior born in Mexico. “I live a normal life here   46   that now everyone is getting their driver’s license, and I can’t.”

Juan came to the U.S. with his mother and older brother at eight. He is hoping for the DREAM Act to be      47 . While he admits that there is no obvious prejudice in high school, Juan   48   faces unfair racial treatment.

“It   49   me when people joke around and ask me for my green card,” Juan explains. “I   50  , but deep down I know they are offending me for   51   I have no control over. I was born in Mexico, but my   52   is here.”

His brother now attends a community (社区) college and plans to enter a university. Juan hopes to take a   53   path. “For long, I have no   54   that I can go to university” Juan says. “I know it’s going to be hard, but as long as I stay in this country, I have a/an   55  .”

1. A. blank             B. track        C. name         D. message

2. A. because of        B. instead of   C. in terms of      D. regardless of

3. A. suffer        B. benefit          C. learn        D. graduate

4. A. stops             B. begins       C. continues        D. changes

5. A. if            B. until        C. unless           D. after

6.A. legal              B. international    C. seasonal     D. educational

7.　A. low              B. conditional      C. stable       D. regular

8. A. denied        B. lost             C. bought       D. earned

9.A. children           B. parents          C. friends          D. relatives

10. A. school       B. program          C. system           D. country

11.A. with          B. in               C. except       D. now

12.A. introduced   B. discussed        C. passed       D. corrected

13.A. almost        B. still        C. even         D. only

14. A. bothers          B. worries          C. confuses         D. surprises

15. A. laugh        B. cry              C. shout        D. sigh

16. A. everything       B. nothing          C. something    D. anything

17. A. success          B. origin       C. life             D. experience

18. A. similar          B. right        C. different        D. direct

19. A. confidence  B. idea         C. interest         D. doubt

20. A. attempt          B. chance       C. dream        D.choice                         

Dear Economist,

My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．

　　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．

　　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?

Brian Gee

Dear Brian,

I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．

　　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．

　　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．

Economist

1.What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?

2.Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________．

3.What can be inferred from the reply letter?

When my father died, one of the tasks that fell to me was to sort through and decide which objects to save and which to throw away. Now I look at the   51   of my life as if I were dead,   52   what my children will do with the human skull(骷髅) that   53   on the bookcase next to my desk. I couldn’t   54   them if they threw it out. They’ve been wanting to do that for some years,   55   will they know how much can be learned from   56   with a skull? And what about my books?   57   they can find some place in their   58   for ten thousand books. However, I know they will look at the white, plastic head of a horse on my desk and   59   it into a Glad trash bag without any   60  , never knowing that it is the only place   61   from the first chess set (棋子)I owned.

How many boxes of mine will my children   62  ? Can I trust my children with my   63   ? Every object of our lives is a   64   , and emotion swirls(旋动) around it like fog, hiding and   65   a tiny truth of the heart.

I look at these objects that are mine and know, too, that they are   66   of how alone I am, how alone each of us is,   67   no one knows what any object means except he or she who   68    it. I have the memory of taking it home   69   one of my newly-born children from the hospital; only I have the memory of what it looked like when I lived in that apartment and where it sat in that house. I look at the objects that are mine, and the memories are   70   and permeated（渗透着）with love. I look at the objects that are mine and know that I’m going to miss me very much.

A. tasks              　　 B. objects                  C. books            D. pictures

A. wondering         B. designing       C. concluding        D. weaving

A. cries                B. sleeps             C. sits             D. smiles

A. educate              B. understand         C. blame           D. strike

A. and               B. so               C. or              D. but

A. helping     　　B. living             C. playing          D. speaking

A. Honestly           B. Luckily         C. Naturally       D. Surely

A. desks                B. bags            C. apartments        D. hearts

A. drag              B. take            C. move                   D. throw

A. hesitation          B. love            C. care              D. worry

A. casting           B. expanding      C. remaining        D. shining

A. enjoy            B. reserve           C. find           D. prepare

A. life             B. passion           C. respect          D. heart

A. mark              B. pleasure         C. belief                   D. memory

A. preventing        B. spreading       C. protecting        D. encouraging

A. symbols         B. phenomena        C. measures        D. tracks

A. when            B. once           C. unless            D. as

A. prefers           B. repairs                  C. owns            D. remembers

A. like             B. for              C. with           D. to

A. strange          B. warm          C. new           D. bitter

Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．
　　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．
　　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．
　　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．
　　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．
Economist
【小题1】What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?