Reading materials

1、Reading materials Passage 1Young people are often pressured (被迫) to marry by their families and friends. Rose and Bill talk about the frustrations (受挫) and disagreements Rose has had with her family. She has told Bill about how her family continually asks her why she isnt married. Her family has bee

2、n putting pressure on Rose to find a husband, and this makes Rose angry. Bill understands how Rose feels. He is also upset about how his friends react to his single life. His women friends usually find him dates, even if he doesnt want them. They introduce him to new people as the eligible (合适的) bac

3、helor (单身汉). Sometimes Rose and Bill feel they might be better off financially if they each found a marriage partner. They know about the income tax advantage married couples enjoy. However, for the moment, each of them is committed to remaining single. Young people feel many pressures not to get ma

4、rried. Rose has a very good job at the bank, and there is possibility of a promotion in the near future. A promotion means a higher salary and more responsibility. Bill too, is hesitant about getting married because of his active social life. 1. Rose is frustrated by her familys _A_.A. constant pres

5、sure on her to get marriedB. unwillingness to accept Bill into the familyC. ignorance of her career potentialD. all of the above2. Bill understands _B_.A. his friends attitudes B. the feeling of being pressuredC. that a single person does better financiallyD. that he is better off settling down with

6、 one person3. What does this passage mainly tell us?DA. The frustrations and disagreements some young people have about their marriage.B. Young people will be better off financially if they get married.C. Rose and Bill will reach a decision without being pressured.D. Young people are often pressured

7、 to marry by their families.4. Married couples usually enjoy _C_.A. more luxuries B. better salaried positionsC. better tax advantages D. both A and B5. One of Roses reasons for not getting married at the time is _A_.A. to earn more moneyB. to understand more about menC. to learn more knowledgeD. to

8、 enjoy single life morePassage 2 When Christopher Columbus landed in the New World, the North American continent was an area of astonishing ethnic（伦理的）and cultural diversity（差异，变化). North of the Rio Grande（里奥格兰德）was a population of over 12 million people representing approximately（大约） 400 distinct（独

9、特的）cultures, 500 languages, and a remarkable variety of political and religious institutions and physical and ethnic types.In the high plains（平原）of the Dakotas, the Mandan developed a peaceful communal society centered around agriculture（农业）. Only a few hundred miles away, however, in northwestern M

10、ontana, the Blackfeet tribes turned from agriculture and began to use horses, which had been introduced by the Spaniards (西班牙人) . As skilled riders they became hunters and fighters and developed a fierce and aggressive culture centered around the buffalo. In the eastern woodlands surrounding the Gre

11、at Lakes, the Potawatomis were expert fishermen, canoe builders, and hunters. In the Northeast the six Iroquois（北美印第安人）nations were among the most politically sophisticated（老练的，有经验的）people in the world. 1. About how many different languages existed among the fifteenth-century North American Indians?

12、B A. 400B. 500C. 600D. 1,2002. The Mandan tribes could best be classified as _C_.A. huntersB. warriorsC. farmersD. fishermen3. Before the introduction of horses, the Blackfeet tribes were _A_.A. peaceful farmers B. aggressive huntersC. fierce warriors D. skillful sailors 4. The Potawatomis mainly li

13、ved in/on _B_.A. mountains B. forests C. plains D. cities5. It can be inferred from the passage that the lifestyles of the various American Indian tribes were influenced most by _B_.A. contact with other tribes B. environmental resourcesC. contact with Europeans D. governmental organizationPassage 3

14、We buried Donald Brown last May. He was murdered by four men who wanted to rob the supermarket manager he was protecting. Patrolman Brown was 61 years old. In just six months he and his wife had planned to retire to Florida. Now there will be no retirement in the sun, and she is alone.Donald Brown w

15、as the second police officer to die since I became Police Commissioner of Boston in 1972. The first was Detective John Schroeder, shot in a pawnshop (当铺) robbery in November 1970. John Schroeder was the brother of Walter Schroeder, who was killed in a bank robbery in 1970. Their names are together o

16、n the honor roll（光荣榜）in Police Headquarters.At least two of these police officers were shot by a handgun, the kind almost anyone can buy nearly everywhere for a few dollars. Ownership of handguns has become so widespread that this weapon is no longer merely the instrument of crime; it is now a cause

17、 of violent crime. Of the eleven Boston police officers killed since 1962, seven were killed with handguns; of the eighteen wounded by guns since 1962, seventeen were shot with handguns.1.The suggestion the author presents in the passage is that _D_. A.handguns are the cause of violent crimeB.handgu

18、ns are a dangerous weaponC.American peoples right to own and use guns should be respectedD.only police officers should possess guns2.In paragraph 1, the tone of the author is _D_. A.calm B.bitter C.exciting D. regretful3.When did the author become Police Commissioner of Boston? BA. In 1972. B. In No

19、vember 1970. C. In 1962. D. Before 1970.4.According to the author, which is true of handguns?BA.They dont kill.B.We should not allow people to own handguns.C.Anyone can easily buy a handgun at a very high price.D.Handguns cant be the cause of violent crime.5.The passage is mainly aimed to _A_. A.per

20、suade the government to consider carefully about the ownership (所有权 )of gunsB.describe police officers deathC.tell the robbers means to kill policemanD.explain how can people own gunsPassage 4Banks are places where people can keep their money. Most people use banks to save money in their savings acc

21、ounts and to pay money from their checking accounts. Today, when a person earns money from their job, their paycheck is often electronically deposited(存放) (put) into their savings or checking account. Then, he or she can pay their bills by writing checks from their checking accounts or pay online wh

22、ere their bills are electronically connected to their bank accounts. Banks also give loans to people. Banks use the money that their customers deposit(存款) to lend to people to buy new houses, cars, or to start businesses among other reasons. The bank makes money from lending by charging interest. In

23、 other words, people have to pay back more than they borrowed. This amount depends on how risky the bank thinks the borrower is and how fast the loan is paid back among other things. 1.What do banks NOT do?DA.Provide a place for people to save their money. B.Lend money to people. C.Provide a place where people can pay their bills from. D.Help people get jobs. 2.