Who owns the large American companies that produce cars, washing machines, and television sets? They are owned by a large group of people called stockholders.
　　A company must have money to build factories and to buy machinery. To get this money, it sells shares of stock（股份）. Each share of stock is a share in the ownership of the company. The person who buys a share of stock becomes a part owner of the company. He is called a stockholder. A company can have thousands of stockholders. Sometimes a very large company is owned by millions of stockholders.
　　Few persons can afford to buy a whole company, but the average individual can become part owner of a business. He can save his dollars and buy a share of stock in a large company. A person does not have to be wealthy to be a stockholder.
　　When a company makes money, each stockholder may receive a dividend(股息) check, which is his share of the profits（利润）. Parts of a company’s profits are not paid out to the stockholders. This money is used by the company so it can grow larger. If the company does well, its shares of stock become more valuable.
　　More than 20 million people own shares of stock in America’s companies. By owning stock, they are helping America’s businesses grow. They are also putting their money to work to earn more money.
【小题1】The story makes you think that _____.

D

　　For many year,motorcycle riding was considered a male sport.Women usually rode on the seat behind the men driving the two - wheeled vehicle.Now more and more women are taking the front seat.

　　More than twenty million people in the United States ride motorcycles.The number of female motorcyclists has increased greatly over the past few years.More than ten percent of motorcycle owners in the United States are women.

　　We spoke with "Lisa Russell,Briggit Pope,Rayna Evans and Angela Meeks-Odom".They are on the executive committee of Lady Sport Riders motorcycle club in Largo,Maryland.They say they ride for more than fun.They say it gives women a wonderful feeling,a sense of freedom and control.

　　In 1998 the number of female bikers rose sharply.Lady Sport Riders began in 1999 in the Washington,D.C. area.The women formed the organization to share,their love of motorcyle riding.They say female motorcycle clubs let women share a strong sisterhood.Like other motorcycle clubs,the members of Lady Sport Riders also help their community(社区).

　　Female riders have helped change motorcycle culture.The Motorcycle Industry Council says more than five years ago factories began producing equipment that makes riding more pleasant for women.Some bikes now have smaller,softer seats and controls that are easier to reach. Modern clothes for riding look good and still provide protection.Besides,women are now riding motorcycles that are as powerful as the ones men ride.Lady Sprot Riders believe women have earned their place in the sport of motorcycle riding.When speaking of male motorcyclists,the members of the club say:"They Made the Game…We Came to Play!"

　　68."Taking the front seat" means ______ in the first paragraph.

　　A.siiing in front of the driver

　　B.sitting in front of the driver

　　C.driving faster than male drivers

　　D.driving motorcycles themselves

　　69.What do we know about Lisa Russell,Briggit Pope,Rayna Evans and Angela Meeks-Odom?

　　A.They together wrote the passage.

　　B.they were interviewed by the writers.

　　C.They started a club to help the community.

　　D.They started riding motorcycles in 1999.

　　70.Which is the same with both male and female riders?

　　A.The size and quality of the seats.

　　B.The design of the controls.

　　C.The clothes for riding.

　　D.the engine power of the motorcycles.

　　More than four out of five people admit to telling little white lies at least once a day and the preferred way of “being economical with the truth” is to use technology such as cell phones, texts and e-mails, a survey last Thursday said.

　　The research by UK pollsters 72 Point found that “techno-treachery(高科技说谎)” was wide-spread with nearly 75 percent of people saying gadgets made it easier to fib(撒小谎).

　　Just over half of respondents(被调查者) said using gadgets made them feel less guilty when telling a lie than doing it face to face.

　　The workplace was a favorite location for fibbing with 67 percent of the 1,487 respondents admitting they had lied at work.

　　The top lie was pretending to be ill (43 percent) followed by saying work had been completed when it hadn’t (23 percent). Worryingly for bosses 18 percent said they lied to hide a big mistake.

　　But, employers were not the only ones on the receiving end of dishonest statements. Just over 40 percent of the respondents said they had lied to their families or partners.

　　Key topics to lie about were: buying new clothes or the cost of them (37 percent), how good someone looked in something (35 percent), how much they had eaten (35 percent) and drunk (31 percent) and how much they weighed (32 percent).

1. The underlined phrase “being economical with the truth” probably means ________.

A. telling lies           B. making apologies      C. feeling guilty     D.admitting mistakes

2. It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.

A. employers sometimes lie to their employees, too

B. 75% of people have ever lied to someone

C. without gadgets, people may feel more pressure when telling white lies

D. more people lie to their family than to their bosses

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A. Cell phones make people more likely to lie.

B. Some people might lie to their bosses when they are not doing their work well.

C. 40% of employers admit that they have lied to their families or partners.

D. Nearly 1,500 people were questioned in the survey.

4. According to the passage, in which of the following situations are you most likely to lie?

A. You are going to spend the night at your friend’s, which your parents won’t allow.

B. Your friend is wearing a new dress and asks you how you find it.

C. You are a little too fat, and you’re trying to tell your friend how heavy you are.

D. You want to ask your boss for a sick leave, although you are not ill.

5. The main idea of the passage is that __________.

A. people are getting more likely to lie

B. gadgets are seen as the best way to tell white lies

C. most people tell white lies at the workplace

D. 18% of people lie to their bosses