When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job — but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip,” says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement.”

One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff,” says Steve, “so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz (能手) I knew to explain things to me.”

He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars，cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.

Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house — what should I do? ‘A lot of times, I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go to find it and learn something in the process,” he says.

In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.

“I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self education,” says Steve. “You can do anything once you understand the basics.”

1.The underlined part “live below their means” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “______”.

A．take effective measures                  B．live a miserable life

C．spend more money than they had           D．spend less money than they had

2.Since Steve Maxwell became a millionaire, he ______.

A．has been unwilling to help others

B．hasn’t stopped learning from practice

C．has been willing to follow others’ advice

D．has stopped to invest in houses

3.What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A self made engineer

B．How to balance your checkbook

C．Don’t avoid investing

D．Educate yourself to become a millionaire

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．self education is very important to one’s life

B．everyone should learn how to invest in their life

C．Steve Maxwell was quite interested in finance classes in college

D．Steve became rich because he saved every penny he had earned

IV. 阅读理解  30%
阅读下列短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
When Cathleen Gardiner’s twins were born 17 years ago, doctors told her that they were a pair in a million. One had Down syndrome(低能综合症), while the other did not. Here, Cathleen tells their touching story.
Since Sean was born 17 years ago, I have always thought that he is just as wonderful as his brother and sister. Though he had a disability(残疾), we have never viewed him as a burden. He has always been a blessing. The doctors explained that though they were twins, they came from two different eggs. Lisa could walk at 11 months old, while Sean didn’t take his first steps till he was three. By two, Lisa was talking a lot, but Sean wasn’t able to speak until he was nearly four.
For the first five years of his life, Sean needed a great deal of care. Looking after him was my full-time job, though I also worked as a technical adviser in a computing company. We never treated them differently. We gave them the same toys and spoke to them in the same way. We encouraged Sean to keep up with Lisa, even though he never could, and we would help him develop his abilities. We sent them to the same primary school even after doctors advised us that Sean should go to a school for the disabled.
We had to explain to Lisa that he wouldn’t learn as quickly as she would. She told us that she’d help him with his school work. Having a non-disabled twin has really helped Sean develop. The love they share has given him a great deal of support. Now Sean and Lisa are both about to finish high school. I don’t think he would have done nearly as well today without Lisa’s help.
56. At least how many children does Mrs. Gardiner have?
A. Two.     B. Three.      C. Four.   D. One.
57. The third paragraph mainly tells us that _______.
A. the couple treated the twins equally
B. Cathleen did all she could to look after Sean
C. the couple didn’t follow the doctor’s advice
D. the couple encouraged Sean to grow up
58. All of the following statements are true except_________.
A. Sean couldn’t develope so well without his parents’great effort.
B. As a twin sister,Lisa gave Sean a lot of help.
C. As a mother of a disabeled child,Cathleen must have suffered a lot.
D. Cathleen loved Sean more than Lisa because of his disability.
59. This passage tells us that _________.
A. love can do wonders           B. nobody is foolish or clever
C. being stupid doesn’t matter       D. all men are born equal

IV. 阅读理解  30%

阅读下列短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

A

When Cathleen Gardiner’s twins were born 17 years ago, doctors told her that they were a pair in a million. One had Down syndrome(低能综合症), while the other did not. Here, Cathleen tells their touching story.

Since Sean was born 17 years ago, I have always thought that he is just as wonderful as his brother and sister. Though he had a disability(残疾), we have never viewed him as a burden. He has always been a blessing. The doctors explained that though they were twins, they came from two different eggs. Lisa could walk at 11 months old, while Sean didn’t take his first steps till he was three. By two, Lisa was talking a lot, but Sean wasn’t able to speak until he was nearly four.

For the first five years of his life, Sean needed a great deal of care. Looking after him was my full-time job, though I also worked as a technical adviser in a computing company. We never treated them differently. We gave them the same toys and spoke to them in the same way. We encouraged Sean to keep up with Lisa, even though he never could, and we would help him develop his abilities. We sent them to the same primary school even after doctors advised us that Sean should go to a school for the disabled.

We had to explain to Lisa that he wouldn’t learn as quickly as she would. She told us that she’d help him with his school work. Having a non-disabled twin has really helped Sean develop. The love they share has given him a great deal of support. Now Sean and Lisa are both about to finish high school. I don’t think he would have done nearly as well today without Lisa’s help.

56. At least how many children does Mrs. Gardiner have?

A. Two.     B. Three.      C. Four.   D. One.

57. The third paragraph mainly tells us that _______.

A. the couple treated the twins equally

B. Cathleen did all she could to look after Sean

C. the couple didn’t follow the doctor’s advice

D. the couple encouraged Sean to grow up

58. All of the following statements are true except_________.

A. Sean couldn’t develope so well without his parents’great effort.

B. As a twin sister,Lisa gave Sean a lot of help.

C. As a mother of a disabeled child,Cathleen must have suffered a lot.

D. Cathleen loved Sean more than Lisa because of his disability.

59. This passage tells us that _________.

A. love can do wonders           B. nobody is foolish or clever

C. being stupid doesn’t matter       D. all men are born equal

IV. 阅读理解  30%

阅读下列短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

                                 A

When Cathleen Gardiner’s twins were born 17 years ago, doctors told her that they were a pair in a million. One had Down syndrome(低能综合症), while the other did not. Here, Cathleen tells their touching story.

     Since Sean was born 17 years ago, I have always thought that he is just as wonderful as his brother and sister. Though he had a disability(残疾), we have never viewed him as a burden. He has always been a blessing. The doctors explained that though they were twins, they came from two different eggs. Lisa could walk at 11 months old, while Sean didn’t take his first steps till he was three. By two, Lisa was talking a lot, but Sean wasn’t able to speak until he was nearly four.

     For the first five years of his life, Sean needed a great deal of care. Looking after him was my full-time job, though I also worked as a technical adviser in a computing company. We never treated them differently. We gave them the same toys and spoke to them in the same way. We encouraged Sean to keep up with Lisa, even though he never could, and we would help him develop his abilities. We sent them to the same primary school even after doctors advised us that Sean should go to a school for the disabled.

     We had to explain to Lisa that he wouldn’t learn as quickly as she would. She told us that she’d help him with his school work. Having a non-disabled twin has really helped Sean develop. The love they share has given him a great deal of support. Now Sean and Lisa are both about to finish high school. I don’t think he would have done nearly as well today without Lisa’s help.

56. At least how many children does Mrs. Gardiner have?

     A. Two.     B. Three.      C. Four.   D. One.

57. The third paragraph mainly tells us that _______.

     A. the couple treated the twins equally

B. Cathleen did all she could to look after Sean

C. the couple didn’t follow the doctor’s advice

     D. the couple encouraged Sean to grow up

58. All of the following statements are true except_________.

A. Sean couldn’t develope so well without his parents’great effort.

B. As a twin sister,Lisa gave Sean a lot of help.

C. As a mother of a disabeled child,Cathleen must have suffered a lot.

D. Cathleen loved Sean more than Lisa because of his disability.

59. This passage tells us that _________.

     A. love can do wonders            B. nobody is foolish or clever

   C. being stupid doesn’t matter        D. all men are born equal