Most American students have said goodbye to fancy (高档的) fruits these days.In school canteens(小卖部) across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their place.

“People are afraid to spend now,” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store.“They don’t know what the future will bring.”

During the financial crisis (金融危机), several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close.This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive goods.

Samira Marino, a restaurant owner in Miami, has found everyone is ordering water instead of juice and more people are sharing meals.In more than two-dozen interviews with The Associated Press across the country last month, Americans talked about their concerns, from worries about small businesses to doubts (怀疑) about simply making ends meet (维持生计).

The crisis began last year.Experts think it was because US banks lend money too easily.Last year a lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, have found themselves unable to pay it back.This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money.Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders (国界), the whole world was in trouble.

This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market(金融市场).But no one is sure whether it will help or not.President George W.Bush has warned it will take some time.

Last week top finance officials from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble.

1.Why are people in the US afraid to spend?

A.Because they think it’s unnecessary.

B.Because they don’t have the habit of spending money.

C.Because they worry about their future.

D.Because they don’t have enough money.

2.The underlined word “concerns” probably means _____.

A.worries B.conditions

C.hobbies D.experiences

3.The fifth paragraph mainly _____.

A.tells what it is like in a crisis

B.explains why there is a crisis

C.warns people of the danger of the crisis

D.asks people not to borrow money from banks

4.People feel _____ about the US plan to save the market.

A.satisfied B.doubtful

C.hopeless D.angry

5.The best title for the story is _____.

A.Ways to make ends meet

B.The money problem facing the world

C.Healthy fancy fruits

D.The art of borrowing

If the only sports you do are dancing your fingers across your keyboard, you could be in serious danger of more than just becoming overweight and out of shape.

Do you often feel sleepy, like something is weighing down on your head? Do you feel forgetful? Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable up and down your neck and lower back, and you can’t explain why? Do you get sick often? It could be radiation(辐射) from your computer causing it. If you spend three hours or more a day in front of a computer, you are more easily harmful by the hazard(危险).

We have got so used to using computers that we often neglect(忽略) to think of them as dangerous sources of harmful radiation. A safe amount of radiation is 25V/m(Volts/meter). Do you want to guess how much our personal computers give off?

Keyboard: 1000 V/m

Mouse: 450 V/m

Monitor: 218 V/m

CPU: 170 V/m

Notebook computers: 2,500 V/m

Ways to Protect Yourself from Harmful Computer Radiation

1. Decorate your desk with cactus(仙人掌) plants, they take in radiation.

2. Drink two or three cups of green tea a day and eat an orange daily. The vitamins in tea leaves and oranges protect us from radiation and keep our eyes healthy as well.

3. Use a screen filter(过滤器) for your monitor.

4. Avoid having metal objects nearby on your desk.

5. Put the back of the computer to the wall. Most of the radiation comes off the back.

6. Keep your monitor at least 50 cm away from your face.

7. Keep your computer rooms ventilated(空气流通的).

8. Eat healthily---especially fruits and vegetables.

9. Don’t fall asleep on your computer. Turn it off if you have to rest nearby.

The ways above are useful, why not have a try at once?

Ways to reduce1.____________________

Symptom(症状) affected by computers

Feeling sleepy, forgetful and 2.___________

A safe amount of radiation

3.___________________

The radiation a mouse gives off

4.___________________

There are 5._________ ways to protect yourself from harmful computer radiation.

Jenny didn't know how her school dance team could pay for the travel to Florida for a national competition. It was difficult enough just to raise money for their dance costumes (服装). What were they going to do? As the team leader, Jenny felt she needed to come up with an idea. .

At lunch, Jenny found that a lot of students were throwing empty juice bottles in the rubbish. She remembered the school had a recycling (回收利用) program a few years ago, but it had ended. Nobody wanted to bring the bags of bottles to the recycling center.

Jenny saw a chance. She went to see the headmaster. "If members of our team pick up the recyclable bottles every few days, may we use the money we collect at the recycling center for our dance team?" asked Jenny.

"I think that's a great idea, Jenny," said Ms. Weaver. "But if another team wants to take over next season, I'll have to give them a chance, too. " Jenny agreed that it was fair. She ran to the dance team to give them the good news.

Jenny knew that the money raised from empty bottles might not be enough to get them all the way to Florida, but they were a lot closer. She would find more ways to raise money for the dance team.

1.Jenny's team would go to Florida .

A. to raise money

B. to have a trip there

C. to take part in a competition

D. to buy their dance costumes.

2.If Jenny wanted to collect money by picking up bottles, she needed the support of first.

A. the headmaster B. the dance team

C. another team D. the recycling center

3.which of the following is TRUE?

A. Jenny found many ways to raise money.

B. Jenny could collect money at the recycling center.

C. The team could not pay for the train tickets to Florida.

D. Jenny collected enough money from the empty bottles.

4.What's the best title for this passage?

A. The ways to raise money. B. The recycling bottles.

C. The dance team's costumes. D. A closer dreaming.

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