Millions of Americans run to the bank or visit ATM when they need cash. They use credit cards when they want to buy clothes, VCRs, or television sets.

　 But there is an underclass—people with low incomes and no credit history—who visit their neighborhood pawnshops(当铺)when they need cash or a loan(贷款).

　 About 20 percent of the US population has no bank account. More than half of this group don’t have credit cards and cannot get bank loans.

　 “These people are borrowing an average of $50,” said John P. Caskey of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. “If you add up in terms of how much dollar value pawnshop provide, they don’t look very important. If you add up how much of the population they serve or the number of loans they make, they are important.”

　 Because they make loans, pawnshops are a type of bank, often calling themselves “the bank of the little people”.

　 Caskey and Swarthmore student Brian Zidmund in 1989 looked at the importance of pawnshops in the US economy—the first serious study of the subject since the 1930s.

　 Their conclusion: pawnshops are the consumer’s lender of last resort(最后一招).

　 Pawnshop customers typically cannot get credit at banks. They have poor credit records, low and unstable incomes, or cannot maintain positive bank account balances.

　 Typically, pawnshop customers borrow relatively small amounts that traditional lenders are unwilling or unable to provide on a secured basis.

　 “If you look at total consumer credit, the amounts provided by pawnshops remain small,” Caskey said. “They are lending mainly to low-income people. In terms of the population they serve, they’re really important.”

　 In 1988, there were about 6,900 pawnshops in the United States—one for every two commercial banks. They made about 35 million loans, providing 1 percent of the nation’s consumer credit.

1. The best title for the passage would be ____.

　 A. Credit Cards for the Poor　　　　　　　　 B. Banks for the Poor

　 C. Pawnshops VS Banks　　　　　　　　　　 D. Commercial Banks

2. What does the underclass people do when they need cash?

　 A. They go to local banks for help.

　 B. They apply for credit cards.

　 C. They ask for a loan from large banks.

　 D. They apply for a loan in pawnshops.

3. What can we learn about pawnshops?

　 A. Poor people come to pawnshops as their last resort.

　 B. Most people prefer pawnshops for their need of cash.

　 C. Pawnshops are an important part of the state economy.

　 D. Pawnshops are not important because they make up only 1 percent of the nation’s

　　　 consumer credit.

4. According to John P. Caskey, pawnshops are important because ____.

　 A. they provide great dollar value to the poor

　 B. they make big loans to a lot of people

　 C. they are serving the majority of the population

　 D. they make a large number of loans to the poor

“What If” questions can help you think about what to do in case something should happen. There are no fight answers because every case is different．Use the questions with your parents or with friends and decide what you think might work? Think of your own solutions and make up new“What If”questions to answer．

1 ) You are walking to school and a gang of alder bullies(person who uses his strength or power to frighten or hurt weaker people) demands your money

　 Do you：

　 a．Shout and run away?

　 b．Give them the money?

　 Give them the money(or other possessions)一your safety is more important than money.

2) You are in the school toilet and an older student comes in，beats you and then tells you not to do anything or‘you’II get worse’．You know who the person is and you have never done anything to him／her．Do you：

　 a．Wait until the person leaves and then tell a teacher?

　 b．Get it a fight with him／her?

　 c．Accept what happened and don’t tell?

　 Tell the teacher—you didn’t deserve to be beaten and the bully was wrong to do it．If you don't tell，the bully will just keep on beating up other kids．

3) A gang of bullies gets you alone and starts beating you．Do you：

　 a．Do nothing—just take it?

　 b．Fight back?

　 e．Shout to attract attention?

　 d．Watch for your chance and run away?

　You must decide．but c.＆. d．together could work very well．It would be quite difficult to

a whole gang of bullies and you might be hurt badly if you did．

4) Someone in your class always makes rude comments about you and says them loud enough for you(and others)to hear．It really upsets you．Do you：

　 a．Ignore the comments?

　 b．Face the bully and tell him／her off?

　 c．Tell the teacher?

　 d．Hit the bully on the nose?

　 You may feel like beating the bully，but you’ll probably be the one to get into trouble if you do.Try a .first—ignoring comments is difficult，but can work if the bully gets tired of trying to get you to be angry or cry or show some reaction．Your teacher should be told about the comments

because no one should make hurtful comments to others．If you are feeling brave，tell the bully of　

Try practising in the mirror to get the right effect !

1．What is the passage mainly about?

　 A．The bully’s behaviors．

　 B．The questions the students meet．

　 C．The solutions to the students’questions．

　 D．The advice on how to fight against the bully．

2．Using Situation 4，the author aims to tell the students that　　　 ．

　 A．they should fight back immediately

　 B．keeping calm is the first thing they should do

　 C．only being brave can help them solve the problem

　 D．they should practise boxing to defend themselves

3．We can conclude from the passage that　　　　 ．

　 A．all the older students like to bully the younger students

　 B．ifthe students fight with the bullies，they will get hurt

　 C．the teachers call help to solve the bullying problems

　 D．the students’safety is more important than money

一You went late ___ the stadium yesterday evening,didn’t you?

一Yes,my wife was a little late ___ the supper

A,to;with　　　 B.for；with　　　 C for；for　　 D at：for

一Do these paintings ____ you?

一No，not really．They don't______to me at all.

A. interesting to；make any sense　　　　　 B．appeal to；make sense

C．interested in；attractive　　　　　　　 D．appeal for；attract

阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从1-25各题所给的四个选项中, 选出一 个最佳答案。

　　     Millions of words have been written about young people in the United States. There are reasons for this 1 the ideas, feelings and actions of youth.

　　     Today there are about seven million Americans in colleges and universities. Young persons under twenty-five 2 the American population. Many of these will soon be 3 the nation. 4 their ideas areimportant to everyone in the country. And 5 older people to understand 6 they think and feel.

　　     College students today have strong opinions about right and wrong. They are 7 making a better life for all people, 8 those who 9 a fair chance before now. They see much that is wrong in the lives of theirparents. It is hard for them to see what is right and good in the old way. 10, there is often trouble in American families. Your country may be meeting such problems, too. 　　

　　  1. A. greatly interesting to　　B. great interest in 　　   C. greatly interested for　　D. great interest for  ［　　］ 　　2. A. make out almost half in   B. make up almost half from 　　   C. make up nearly half of　　D. make into nearly half out of 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　3. A. in charge of　　　　　　  B. in the charge of 　　   C. taking charge by　　　　  D. taking the charge of　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　4. A. Nature　　　　　　　　　　B. Naturing 　　   C. Natural　　　　　　　　   D. Naturally　　　　   ［　　］ 　　5. A. that is necessary for　　 B. they are necessary for 　　   C. it is necessary for　　   D. there are necessary for 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　6. A. how　　　　　　　　　　   B. what 　　   C. that　　　　　　　　　　  D. why　　　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　7. A. deeply interested in　　  B. deep interested in 　　   C. deeply interesting for　　D. deep interesting for［　　］ 　　8. A. especial for　　　　　　  B. especial to 　　   C. especially for　　　　　　D. especially to　　   ［　　］ 　　9. A. has not been given　　　　B. has not given 　　   C. have not given　　　　　　D. have not been given ［　　］    10. A. As a result　　　　　　   B. As result 　　   C. To a result　　　　　　   D. In the result　　   ［　　］ 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

　　(B)

　　    A student passed all his school examinations. Then he went to acollege to continue his studies. There he 11 his name for a course in geography. But after the first lecture, he did not go to it 12.

　　    The geography lecturer noticed that this student was always absentand thought that he had changed to another course, so he was very 13when he saw the boy's name on the list of students who wanted to takethe geography examination 14 the year.

　　     The lecturer had 15 examination paper, which 16, and he was eager to see how this student answered the questions. He expected that the boy's answers 17, but when they reached him 18 the examination and he examined them carefully, he was able to find only one small mistake in them. As this 19 him very much, he 20 the paper again, but was still not able to find 21 that one small mistake, so he 22 the student to question him about his work. When the student came into the room and sat down, the lecturer said to him, "I know that you came only to myfirst lecture and you have been absent from 23 but now I have examined your answer paper very carefully and I have been able to find only one small mistake in it. I am curious to know your explanation for that." "Oh, I am very 24 that mistake, sir," answered the student "After the examination, I realized what I ought to have written, I 25 that mistake if I had not been confused (搞乱) by your first lecture."　　

11. A. put up　　　　　　  B. put down　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　   C. put on　　　　　　  D. put off    12. A. a lot more　　　　  B. any long　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　   C. any more　　　　　　D. any further    13. A. surprised　　　　   B. surprising　　　　　　　　［　　］ 　　   C. excited　　　　　　 D. exciting    14. A. in the end of　　   B. at the end of　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　   C. in the beginning　　D. at the beginning of    15. A. been preparing for a difficult　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　   B. prepared for a very, very easy
　　   C. prepared a difficult
　　   D. preparing a very difficult    16. A. following his lectures very closely　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　   B. followed his lectures very close
　　   C. following his lectures very close
　　   D. followed his lectures very closely    17. A. would be very bad　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　［　　］ 　　   B. were going to be failed
　　   C. would be very poorly
　　   D. were going to be very excellent    18. A. soon before　　　　 B. soon After　　　　　　　　［　　］ 　　   C. shortly before　　  D. short after    19. A. surprises　　　　   B. surprising　　　　　　　　［　　］ 　　   C. being surprised　　 D. surprised    20. A. passed over　　　　 B. took over　　　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　   C. went through　　　　D. passed through    21. A. more than　　　　   B. only　　　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　   C. fewer than　　　　  D. less than    22. A. asked for　　　　   B. answered　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　   C. sent for　　　　　　D. told    23. A. all the others　　  B. any lectures　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　   C. any classes　　　　  D. all the exams    24. A. anxious about　　   B. uneasy for　　　　　　　　［　　］ 　　   C. sorry about　　　　 D. regretting to    25. A. would not have done　　B. should have made　　   ［　　］ 　　   C. would not have made　　D. should not make