People in the UK often talk about their homes: their mortgages (按揭), the interest rates, and rising prices. Here’s a guide to some of the words and phrases you might come across.
It’s a good idea in the UK to arrange a mortgage with a bank before you start looking. This is when the bank tells you how much money they will lend you so you have a good idea of how much you can afford.
The next step is to go to an estate agent and see what sort of properties they have available in your budget range and in your area. If you see something you like, the estate agent will arrange for you to view the property, so that you can see the house or flat for yourself.
If you see something that takes your eye, you put in an offer. The vendor (卖家) can accept or decline this offer, and if the vendor accepts it, you can move forward with the sale. However, as you don’t pay any money at this point, the offer isn’t legally binding (具有约束力), and in theory, you can pull out of the offer at any time that you like.
Your next step will probably be to get a structural survey done. A qualified surveyor will inspect the house and write a report that illustrates any structural problems, like damp or drainage problems.
If you still want to go ahead with the sale, you need to appoint a lawyer to do the legal paperwork.. If you already own a house, you might also be busy trying to sell it. Many house owners prefer to sell to first-time buyers (those people who don’t already own a home), as they are not in a chain (waiting for other people to buy the house before they can buy their next house).
Finally, once the contracts are signed and exchanged, you complete on your house. You get the keys and you can move in whenever you want. Then you might want to throw a house-warming party. Congratulations!
【小题1】 Which of the following shows the right order of what happens before the people in the UK move into a new house?
a. ask for a company which represents others of properties
b. decide how much to borrow from the bank
c. examine the structure of the house
d. hire a lawyer and make a contract
e. offer the seller the right money
f. visit the house and discuss a price with the seller

People in Britain often talk about their homes: their mortgages (按揭), the interest rates, and rising prices. Here’s a guide to some of the words and phrases you might come across.

        It’s a good idea in the UK to arrange a mortgage with a bank before you start looking. This is when the bank tells you how much money they will lend you so you have a good idea of how much you can afford.

        The next step is to go to an estate agent and see what sort of properties they have available in your budget range and in your area. If you see something you like, the estate agent will arrange for you to view the property, so that you can see the house or flat for yourself.

        If you see something that takes your eye, you put in an offer. The vendor (卖家) can accept or decline this offer, and if the vendor accepts it, you can move forward with the sale. However, as you don’t pay any money at this point, the offer isn’t legally binding (具有约束力), and in theory, you can pull out of the offer at any time that you like.

        Your next step will probably be to get a structural survey done. A qualified surveyor will inspect the house and write a report that illustrates any structural problems, like damp or drainage problems.

        If you still want to go ahead with the sale, you need to appoint a lawyer to do the legal paperwork, if you already own a house you might also be busy trying to sell it Many house owners prefer to sell to first-time buyers (those people who don’t already own a home), as they are not in a chain (waiting for other people to buyer house before they can buy their next house).

        Finally, once the contracts are signed and exchanged, you complete on your house. You get the keys and you can move in whenever you want. Then you might want to throw a house-warming party. Congratulation!

Which of the following shows the right order of what happens before the people in the UK move into a new house?

      a. ask for a company which represents others of properties

      b. decide how much to borrow from the bank

      c. examine the structure of the house

      d. hire a lawyer and make a contract

      e. offer the seller the right money

      f. visit the house and discuss a price with the seller

       A. b, a, f, d, c, e                                B. b, a, f, e, d, c

C. b, a, f, c, d, e                                     D. b, f, d, e, c, a

According to the passage, these statements are correct EXCEPT ___________.

       A. After getting the keys, the owners sometimes have a party.

       B. People care for mortgages, interest rates and the prices &house.

       C. The sellers are more interested in the first-time buyers.

       D. People can borrow the whole money for a new house from a bank.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

       A. Collectors.                             B. Owners.

C. Lawyers.                                   D. Surveyors.

The passage is maybe one that _______________.

       A. give some advice on the house         B. give some tips to buyers

       C. introduces a book on travelers         D. introduces a guide to visitors

任务型阅读(共10小题,每题1分，满分10分)
请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格填1个单词。
China’s Tianhe-1 has a computing speed of 2,507 trillion（万亿）calculations a second, making it the fastest computer in the world. It is also 40 percent faster than the world’s second fastest supercomputer, Cray XT5 Jaguar, in the US, kept at a national laboratory in Tennessee, according to the New York Times. Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist, told NYT that the Chinese supercomputer is faster than the existing Number One machine.
Building the fastest supercomputer has become a source of national pride, as these machines are valued for their ability to solve problems in areas like defense, energy and science. These problems are related to national interests. Supercomputing technology is also found in business. Oil and gas companies use supercomputers to find oil and gas.
Obviously, research centers with large supercomputers attract top scientific talents. This adds extra importance to the machines—they’re more than just huge computers.
China’s new supercomputer will be used to speed up greatly scientific calculations, such as hurricane and tsunami modeling, cancer research, car design and even studying stars.
In 2008, two US scientists put together a step-by-step guide on how to build a supercomputer using PlayStation 3 video-game consoles（控制台）. Modern supercomputers are built by combining thousands of small computer servers（服务器）and using software to turn them into one large computer. Really, any organization with enough material and technology can create a fast machine.
The Chinese system follows that model by linking thousands upon thousands of computer servers. But the secret behind the system—and the technological achievement—is China’s own networking technology. “That technology was built by them,” Dongarra said. “They are taking supercomputing very seriously and using a lot of time and money.”
“China is still a developing country,” said Sha Chaoqun, manager at Dawning Company which is the leading supercomputer maker in China. “Maybe one day, China’s total computing power can be greater than that of the US, but there is still a long way to go before we get there.”

On a cold winter morning I heard someone trying to get their car out of the snow after a snowstorm. After a few minutes I realized they needed a(n) __1.__, so I got dressed ,went __2.__, and pushed the car. It only took about a minute and, __3.__ more cold than sociable(交际的), I walked back to my apartment, __4.__ really seeing the driver.

Months ___5.__ I was at the corner store and the guy in front of me __6._ on paying for the beer I was buying! It felt a bit __7.__ and I had to refuse repeatedly. When I __8.__ the cashier she told me my stuff was already __9.___ and she couldn't take my money.  

So, I was walking back home from the store and that __10.__ guy is fifty feet in front of me, all the way! It __11.__that he's my neighbor, living in the apartment complex(公寓大楼) just after mine!  

As we __12.__ the stairs of our separate apartment buildings I __13.__, "Thanks for the beer!" He replied, "__14.__. Thanks for helping me push my car that time!" 

I didn't __15._ him and told him it wasn't me.  He said "Oh! Okay. Well, still ... enjoy!" 

A few days later I __16._ him getting into his car and I realized __17.__ he was and that it actually had been me who __18.__ him that day!

Maybe one day soon I'll tell him he bought __19.__ for the right guy!

Either way, it feels nice to help, and when you put __20.__ into the world, it eventually comes back to you!  

21.               A．entry          B．push           C．handle    D．drag

22.               A．upward         B．downstairs      C．backwards D．outside

23.               A．feeling         B．looking         C．proving   D．turning

24.               A．unless         B．until           C．without   D．by

25.               A．ago            B．later           C．within D．away

26.               A．insisted        B．depended      C．reflected  D．held

27.               A．awkward       B．joyful          C．curious    D．pleasant

28.               A．offered        B．charged        C．reached   D．rang

29.               A．turned down    B．checked out     C．set aside   D．paid for

30.               A．strange         B．same          C．great D．junior

31.               A．finds out        B．turns out       C．carries out D．works out

32.               A．walked up      B．settled down    C．dried up   D．turned around

33.               A．whispered      B．shouted        C．declared  D．acknowledged

34.               A．No way         B．No wonder      C．No problem    D．No doubt

35.               A．expect         B．remember      C．mind D．appreciate

36.               A．saw           B．heard          C．observed  D．sensed

37.               A．what           B．where         C．who  D．how

38.               A．offered        B．comforted      C．rewarded  D．helped

39.               A．stuff           B．car            C．beer  D．apartment

40.               A．good          B．quality         C．benefit    D．energy

China’s Tianhe-1 has a computing speed of 2,507 trillion（万亿）calculations a second, making it the fastest computer in the world. It is also 40 percent faster than the world’s second fastest supercomputer, Cray XT5 Jaguar, in the US, kept at a national laboratory in Tennessee, according to the New York Times. Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist, told NYT that the Chinese supercomputer is faster than the existing Number One machine.

Building the fastest supercomputer has become a source of national pride, as these machines are valued for their ability to solve problems in areas like defense, energy and science. These problems are related to national interests. Supercomputing technology is also found in business. Oil and gas companies use supercomputers to find oil and gas.

Obviously, research centers with large supercomputers attract top scientific talents. This adds extra importance to the machines—they’re more than just huge computers.

China’s new supercomputer will be used to speed up greatly scientific calculations, such as hurricane and tsunami modeling, cancer research, car design and even studying stars.

In 2008, two US scientists put together a step-by-step guide on how to build a supercomputer using PlayStation 3 video-game consoles（控制台）. Modern supercomputers are built by combining thousands of small computer servers（服务器）and using software to turn them into one large computer. Really, any organization with enough material and technology can create a fast machine.

The Chinese system follows that model by linking thousands upon thousands of computer servers. But the secret behind the system—and the technological achievement—is China’s own networking technology. “That technology was built by them,” Dongarra said. “They are taking supercomputing very seriously and using a lot of time and money.”

“China is still a developing country,” said Sha Chaoqun, manager at Dawning Company which is the leading supercomputer maker in China. “Maybe one day, China’s total computing power can be greater than that of the US, but there is still a long way to go before we get there.”