( D )
In Western countries people have been using the installment plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U. S., the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment. There is, however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment. If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit, it becomes more likely to have a depression. This is why, in some countries, the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.
56. Which of the following is NOT true about the installment plan?
A. A lot of British families use the installment plan.
B. More than 10 percent American families buy things on installments.
C. Americans depend more on installment than British people do.
D. Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.
57. Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because ______.
A. the buyer has to pay extra money as interest
B. the delivery of the goods charges extra money
C. the buyer has to pay a down payment
D. the service offered by installment plan charged extra money
58. What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?
A. He might lose his job.
B. He will stop owning the item he has bought.
C. He will have to sell what he has bought.
D. He will go into debt.
59. The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that ________.
A. purchasing power is strengthened
B. employment might be increased
C. people develop a good habit of saving money
D. young couples are able to furnish their homes
60. In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to ________.
A. increase employment
B. avoid depressions
C. ensure that businesses make good profits
D. ensure that people can pay for what hey buy

B
“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)
After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled（挫败的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”
Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 
Although Peters had consulted(咨询) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暂时的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.
45. The couple signed the contract because _______.
A. Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself
B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest
C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks
D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book
46. It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.
A. pay a certain amount of money
B.  admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood 
C. say sorry to his wife         D. do all the housework for years
47. What can we learn about Pat Peters?
A. She was hard-working and selfless.   B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.
C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.
D. She did not love Bob any longer.
48. Which of the following can best end the news story?
A. “Wait till your mother gets home!”    B. “My experience of being a mother.”
C. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”     D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

A long time ago, there was an emperor. One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and 1  as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered.  2 enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and 3  as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He 4  riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was 5  and tired, he did not stop 6  he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was  7 . Then he asked himself, “Why did I 8  myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only 9  a very small area to 10  myself.”

The above story is 11  to the journey of our 12 . We push ourselves very hard every day to make more  13 , to gain power or recognition. We neglect our 14 , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding 15  and the things we love to do. One day 16  we look back, we will 17  that we don’t really need that much, 18  then we cannot turn back time for what we have 19 .

Life is not about making money. Life is definitely not about work! Work is only 20  to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

1.                A．use            B．cover          C．work D．get

2.                A．Good          B．Strange         C．Sure D．Interesting

3.                A．rode           B．ran            C．expanded D．struggled

4.                A．kept on         B．asked for        C．gave up   D．succeeded in

5.                A．sad            B．excited         C．confused D．hungry

6.                A．but            B．so             C．because  D．if

7.                A．sleeping        B．arguing         C．dying D．smiling

8.                A．push           B．make           C．destroy   D．prove

9.                A．need           B．have           C．find  D．show

10.               A．live            B．bury           C．support   D．sleep

11.               A．useful          B．certain         C．similar D．special

12.               A．future         B．past           C．history    D．life

13.               A．friends         B．progress        C．discoveries D．money

14.               A．health         B．career         C．honor D．freedom

15.               A．things          B．condition       C．people    D．beauty

16.               A．before         B．when          C．unless D．since

17.               A．realize         B．regret          C．apologize  D．explain

18.               A．or             B．until           C．however  D．but

19.               A．saved          B．missed         C．reduced   D．won

20.               A．possible        B．probable       C．necessary  D．suitable

A house in Clarktown caught fire on Christmas Eve,1982. The    1    who lived in the house was already in    2   .Being in poor health, she had trouble in    3    even when things were fine.    4    her house burning down around her, she was not able to go    5   .The smoke    6   her choke(窒息) .The fire was very hot. Without quick help she would have   7   .

Fire fighters    8    the house. They started to put the fire out. They did not know the old woman was still    9   .The people    10   her crying for help. The fire was still very hot    11    there was lots of smoke.

A man    12    like Santa Claus(圣诞老人) was passing by. He was on his way to give gifts to poor families.   13    had he heard the old woman’s cry when he ran into the    14    

house. After a while he rushed out with the old woman on his back and came to her safety. Then, as

   15    as he had done that, the man left. No one knew the real name of the hero who had saved the old woman’s life.

The man went on and took the gifts to the poor children. He did not return home    16   it was dark. He told his   17    what had happened. She decided that she did not    18    to keep the story a secret. She told people that Santa Claus was    19    David Rodriguez, her husband. Mr. Rodriguez is a music teacher    20    he is not playing Santa Claus.

1. A. hero　　　　 　　 B. woman　　　　　　　　　　 C. child　　   　　　　    D. man

2. A. the eighty　　   B. eighties 　　　　　　　　   C. her eightieth　　    D. her eighties

3. A. walking　　　　 B. speaking 　　　　　　　　 C. thinking　　　　     D. laughing

4. A. Because　　　　 B. For　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. With　　　　  　　   D. During

5. A. everywhere　　  　　   B. nowhere 　　　　　　　　 C. anywhere　　　　 D. somewhere

6. A. suffered　　      B. broke 　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. forced　　    　　    D. made

7. A. lived　　　　 　　 B. died　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　  　　　　 D. stayed

8. A. looked for　　   B. searched through 　　 C. got to　　　　 　　　　　　  D. set up

9. A. out of doors　　 B. in the open air　　　　   C. outside　　　　 　　 D. inside

10. A. heard　　　　  　　   B. stopped 　　　　　　　　  C. felt　　　　  　　　　 D. kept

11. A. but　　　　 　　  B. and　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. or　　　　 　　　　    D. though

12. A. dressed  　　   B. chosen 　　　　　　　　  C. looked　　　　      D. acted

13. A. Only　　    　　 B. Hardly 　　　　　　　　    C. Never　　　　  　　 D. Badly

14. A. empty　　　　  B. crowded 　　　　　　    C. burnt　　　　  　　  D. burning

15. A. bravely　　　　 B. carefully　　　　　　　　  C. quickly　　　　 　　 D. proudly

16. A. until　　    　　  B. unless　　　　　　　　　　  C. while　　    　　　　 D. or

17. A. friend　　       B. son 　　　　　　　　　　    C. daughter　　　　  D. wife

18. A. want　　    　　 B. like　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. refuse　　　　  　　 D. need

19. A. nearly　　　　 B. really 　　　　　　　　　　  C. impossibly　　　　 D. probably

20. A. so that  　　　　B. even if 　　　　　　　　  C. when　　　　  　　  D. since

A man was exploring caves by the seashore when he found a bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had 36 the balls and left them out in the sun to bake.

They didn’t look like much, but they 37 the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he walked along the beach, he 38 the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it 39 he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open (裂开) on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone! 40 ,the man started breaking open the 41 balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars’ 42 of jewels in the 20 or so leftover ones.

Then it 43 him. He’d been on the beach a long time, throwing maybe 50 or 60 of the balls, with their hidden treasure, into the 44. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he 　45 have taken home tens of thousands but he had just thrown it away!

It’s like that 46 people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, but we 47 see the clay shell. It doesn’t look like much from the 48 .It isn’t always beautiful and shining, so we 49 it. We see that person as less important than someone more 50 or stylish or well-known or wealthy. But we haven’t taken the time to find the treasure 51 inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person and ask God to show us that person the 52 He sees them, then the clay begins to 53 and the brilliant jewel begins to shine forth. May we not come to the 54 of our lives and find out that we’ve thrown away a 55 in friendships because the gems(宝石) were hidden in balls of clay! May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

36．A．invented　　 　　　 B．rolled 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．handled　　　　　　　　 D．bounced

37．A．confused　　　　　　　 B．encouraged　　　　　　　　　 C．interested　　　　　　 D．relaxed

38．A．dipped　　　　　　　　 B．pushed　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．kicked　　　　　　　　 D．threw

39．A．until　　　　　　　　　　 B．when　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．since　　　　　　　　　 D．though

40．A．frightened　　　　　　 B．determined　　　　C．excited　　　　　　　　 D．disappointed

41．A．shining　　　　　　　　 B．floating　　　　　　　　　　　 C．surviving　　　　　　 D．remaining

42．A．worth　　　　　　　　　 B．value　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．cost　　　　　　　　　　 D．wealth

43．A．shocked　　　　　　　 B．rejected　　　　　　　　　　　 C．struck　　　　　　　　 D．delighted

44．A．caves　　　　　　　　　 B．waves　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．seashores　　　　　　 D．storms

45．A．might　　　　　　　　　 B．must　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．could　　　　　　　　　 D．should

46．A．with　　　　　　　　　　 B．towards　　　　　　　　　　　 C．about　　　　　　　　　 D．between

47．A．hardly　　　　　　　　　 B．actually　　　　　　　　　　　 C．simply　　　　　　　　 D．luckily

48．A．distance　　　　　　　 B．outside　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．weight　　　　　　　　 D．pattern

49．A．removed　　　　　　　 B．suspected　　　　　　　　　　 C．ignored　　　　　　　　 D．reserved

50．A．beautiful　　　　　　　 B．cautious　　　　　　　　　　　 C．positive　　　　　　　　 D．grateful

51．A．lost　　　　　　　　　　　 B．hidden　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．divided　　　　　　　　 D．mixed

52．A．moment　　　　　　　 B．point　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．degree　　　　　　　　 D．way

53．A．come off　　　　　　　 B．break away　　　　　　　　　 C．take over　　　　　　 D．fall down

54．A．sight　　　　　　　　　　 B．best　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．middle　　　　　　　　 D．end

55．A．relation　　　　　　　　 B．position 　　　　　　　　　　 C．fortune　　　　　　　　 D．memory