Part Ⅰ Writing Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
1. People are crossing the street looking at their cell phones and using walking sticks in order to see.
On the Overuse of the Mobile Phone
(1) As is shown in the picture, having a mobile phone in hand and at the ready is the default mode while walking on the streets. (2) What this cartoon symbolically reveals is that people nowadays, especially young people, are growing increasingly dependent on their mobile phones. (3) It is true that the mobile phone has brought great convenience to people's life. However, just as is illustrated in the picture, the overuse of it may lead to several bad consequences. (4) To begin with, there is evidence that long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation may trigger many health problems, such as insomnia, headaches and even cancers. (5) In addition, when people immerse themselves in the mobile phone, they tend to pay less attention to their surroundings, posing an immediate threat to their life, health and property. (6) Last but not least, excessive use of mobile phones means much less chance of face-to-face interactions with the people who populate their real lives. (7) In conclusion, while mobile phones have contributed a lot to making our life more convenient, we should use them appropriately and rationally.
Section A Directions:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer.
[听力原文] W: I'd like to take a trip to Florida for my spring break. Can you give me any idea where to go? M: I could tell you about the places I visited, but I think you'd better look up a travel agency to help the arrangement. Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
[听力原文] M: I'm really tired of driving at night, even though the traffic seems fine. W: I see. Let's stop for some food and then find a motel nearby, so we can start early tomorrow. Q: What do we learn about the speakers?
[听力原文] M: Jeff's got a lot of good ideas. Do you think he is willing to come to the meeting? W: Oh, I think he'd be glad to come, but what's difficult is getting the guy to speak before a large crowd. Q: What does the woman imply about Jeff?
[听力原文] W: I hear you are leaving the company and going back to school this year. M: Yes, I've enrolled in a graduate program in Public Administration. Q: What is the man going to do?
A.He would not be available to start the job in time.
B.He is not quite qualified for the art director position.
C.He would like to leave some more time for himself.
D.He will get his application letter ready before May 1.
A B C D
A
[听力原文] W: Have you applied for the art director position? M: No, I'd like to. But the job starts on the first of May and I wouldn't be available until June. Q: What does the man mean?
[听力原文] W: Will my car be ready by the end of the day? M: It should be. I'll call if there are any problems. We are open until 6:00. Q: What is probably the man's job?
A.Request one or two roommates to do the cleaning.
B.Help Laura with her term paper due this weekend.
C.Get Laura to clean the apartment herself this time.
D.Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week.
A B C D
D
[听力原文] W: I have a big paper due Monday, but I promise Laura we'd clean the apartment this weekend. What am I going to do? M: Why don't you just see if Laura can wait for a week or two? Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
[听力原文] W: Construction on the bridge has really slowed the traffic. M: I know. Since they started working, the time it takes me to get to work has doubled. Q: What are the speakers talking about?
[听力原文] W: Sales department. Can I help you? M: Oh, yes. I hope so. My name is Kings Bruce of GPF Ltd. We need some supplies for our design office. W: I see. What sort of things are you looking for, Mr. Kings Bruce? M: Well, first of all, we need one complete new drawing board. W: Well, in the standard range, we have the D044, and the D045 models. M: Oh, what's the difference between them? W: Well, the D045 has the mending system and it does cost slightly more as a result. M: So what is the total price? W: For the D045, it is 387 pounds 50 pence. M: And does that include value added tax? W: Oh, yes. M: Can you tell me how long it takes to deliver? W: I can't give a definite date now I'm afraid, because it depends on the other orders we have to get out. But it will certainly be within three weeks. M: OK, now we also want some drawing pens, ink and correction fluid, and some drawing paper. W: Ah, now the lady who deals with drawing office supplies isn't here this morning I'm afraid. But I could ask her to give you a ring this afternoon if you like. M: Oh, yes. Thank you. W: What is your telephone number? M: It is Redding. That is code 0734, 21653-51. W: OK, I will get Miss Thompson to ring you this afternoon. Now would you like me to place an order for one D045 drawing board? M: Yes, please. You've been most helpful. Goodbye. W: Goodbye. What's the man's purpose in making the telephone call?
[听力原文] W: I'm so worried about Mark these days. Ever since he moved into his apartment, he has been losing weight. He really doesn't look well at all. M: He should try to gain some weight. He is probably not eating enough. W: Well, anyway, how is Tim these days? M: Tim? Oh, Tim has been worried, too. He is really getting much too fat. He needs to lose about 75 pounds now. W: That's a lot of weight to lose. What does Tim eat? M: I really don't know. But I am sure he is eating too much cake and candy. W: Well, did I tell you Mark doesn't eat any meat now? He only eats vegetables and fruit. M: That's probably why he is so thin. Does he smoke? W: Does he smoke? About two packs of cigarettes a day. That's my son, a smoking vegetarian. M: En, if he stops smoking, he would gain weight. I know he would. Tim put on a lot of weight when he stopped smoking. W: Does Tim play any sports? M: Play sports? Oh, my! I keep telling him, "Tim, dear, you really need to get some exercise." And you know what he does? He just gets angry. W: I know Mark doesn't take exercise, either. M: Did you tell him? W: Of course, but you know what it is like being a mother of a 13-year-old boy. They just don't think they need your advice anymore. I wish Mark could find a nice girlfriend to relax and have fun with. I heard Tim has a girlfriend at last. That's wonderful. When did Mark start losing weight according to the woman?
Section B Directions:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.
[听力原文] Good afternoon. This is Diane Martinet with the midday news on KALF. Fires in California continue to burn out of control, and several small towns in the forests near San Francisco are still in danger. One of the greatest dangers to the 500 firefighters, however, comes not from the fires, but from poison plants in the forest. Many fire. fighters have got skin problems after touching the plants, and at least three have had to go to the hospital for treatment for their skin problems. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency, today announced in Florida that the next space shuttle mission has been canceled. The mission was scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. takeoff on Tuesday. However,the flight has been canceled because of problems with the spaceship's central computer system. NASA technicians noticed the computer problems during last-minute checks. Seven teenager computer specialists have been arrested by police in New Jersey. After taking an advanced computer course at school, the seven boys, all from Princeton, New Jersey, illegally obtain top-secret information from government computers in Washington. They also started to use their home computers to access telephone networks. In New York, the value of the dollars stayed the same today. But in Tokyo, the dollar fell dramatically. At the end of the day, it was worth 83 yen, compared to 88 yen yesterday. What does the midday news on KALF say about fires in California?
[解析] 细节辨认题。短文开始提到第一则新闻,加利福尼亚森林火灾的火势尚未得到控制。
2.
A.They have been hospitalized.
B.They have got skin problems.
C.They were choked by the thick smoke.
D.They were poisoned by the burning chemicals.
A B C D
B
[听力原文] What do we learn about many of the firefighters?
[听力原文] When you live in an apartment building-where only wall separates you from your neighbors, everyone needs to be considerate of each other. That's not what happened in my apartment building. Someone was always leaving the clothes in the washers and dryers in the laundry room. I got tired of running up and down the stairs to see if the clothes had been removed, so I could start my own one. Obviously someone else got tired, too. Because one day, someone took clothes from the washer and dryer, and dumped them in the corner. This act started a battle of letters posted on the wall of the laundry room. The first letter was from Mindy Lance who was really angry that her clothes had been removed from the washer and dryer, and dumped. She then threatened to dump everybody else's clothes she herself found in the washer and dryer. Mindy Lance's letter enraged other residents and they posted the letters to her. Eventually, Mindy began to behave properly but hard feelings remained. The problem couldn't have been resolved better. If residents had informed the building manager, she then could inform all residents that the clothes should be removed from the washers and dryers within 50 minutes after their wash is done. Those who refuse to obey might not have their leases renew. That could be a fare consent solution. Neighbor problems may sometimes seem inevitable, but it's important to resolve them fairly. What does the speaker think residents in an apartment building need to be?
[解析] 观点态度题。短文一开始就提到住在同一个公寓里的邻居需要互相体谅。
2.
A.Someone dumped the clothes left in the washer and dryer.
B.Someone broke the washer and dryer by overloading them.
C.Mindy Lance's laundry blocked the way to the laundry room.
D.Mindy Lance threatened to take revenge on her neighbors.
A B C D
A
[听力原文] What started a battle of letters in the laundry room?
A.She is both a popular and highly respected author.
B.She is the most loved African novelist of all times.
C.She is the most influential author since the 1930's.
D.She is the first writer to focus on the fate of slaves.
A B C D
A
[听力原文] In today's class, we'll discuss Toni Morrison's novel Beloved. As I'm sure you all know, Morrison is both a popular and highly respected author and it's not easy to be both. Born in 1931, Morrison has written some of the most touching and intelligent works on the African-American experience ever written by anyone. And yet to call her an African-American writer doesn't seem to do her justice. In many ways, she's simply an American writer and certainly one of the best. Beloved is a truly remarkable work. It was recommended for nearly every nature literary class, including the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it in fact won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988. Morrison herself is distinguished for having won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. What makes Beloved unique is the skillful sure way in which Morrison blends intensely personal storytelling and American history, racial themes and gender themes, the experience of blacks with the experience of all people everywhere, the down-to-earth reality of slavery With the sense of mysterious spirituality. We will be paying special attention to these themes as we discuss this work and I'm particularly interested in your views on the relative importance of grace and gender in this book, Is it more important that Sethe, the main character, is black, or that she is a woman? Which contributes more to her being? What does Morrison tell us about both? What do we learn about Toni Morrison?
[听力原文] What honor did Toni Morrison receive in 1993?
[解析] 事实细节题。莫里森一生中赢得了许多荣誉,其中1993年她获得了诺贝尔文学奖。
3.
A.She is a relative of Morrison's.
B.She is a slave from Africa.
C.She is a skilled storyteller.
D.She is a black woman.
A B C D
D
[听力原文] What does the speaker tell us about Sethe, the main character, in Morrison's novel Beloved?
[解析] 事实细节题。短文末尾部分提到莫里森小说里的主人公Sethe是一位黑人妇女。
Section C Directions:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read ,[or the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should cheek what you have written. Many college students today own personal computers that cost anywhere from $1 000 to perhaps $5 000 or more. 1 , it is not uncommon for them to purchase 2 costing another several hundred dollars. Twenty years ago, computers were 3 , but they were very large and extremely expensive. Few, if any, 4 purchased computers for home use. Over the years, the price of the "guts" of a computer—its memory—has declined to less than a thousandth of the price per unit of memory that prevailed twenty years ago. This is the main reason why computers cost so much less today than they used to. Moreover, 5 improvements have made it possible to 6 memory circuitry that is small enough to fit into the portable personal computers that many of us own and use. 7 , as the price of computation has declined the average consumer and business have spent more on purchasing computers. 8 , improved agricultural technology, hybrid (杂交) seeds, 9 animal breeding, and so on have vastly increased the amount of output a typical farmer can produce. The prices of goods such as meats and grains have fallen sharply relative to the prices of most other goods and services. As agricultural prices have fallen, many households have decreased their total expenses on food. Even though the 10 of a product purchased generally increases when its price falls, total expenses on it may decline.
[听力原文] Many college students today own personal computers that cost anywhere from $1 000 to perhaps $5 000 or more. In addition, it is not uncommon for them to purchase software costing another several hundred dollars. Twenty years ago, computers were available, but they were very large and extremely expensive. Few, if any, individuals purchased computers for home use. Over the years, the price of the "guts" of a computer—its memory—has declined to less than a thousandth of the price per unit of memory that prevailed twenty years ago. This is the main reason why computers cost so much less today than they used to. Moreover, technological improvements have made it possible to manufacture memory circuitry that is small enough to fit into the portable personal computers that many of us own and use. In shore, as the price of computation has declined the average consumer and business have spent more on purchasing computers. By contrast, improved agricultural technology, hybrid (杂交) seeds, scientific animal breeding, and so on have vastly increased the amount of output a typical farmer can produce. The prices of goods such as meats and grains have fallen sharply relative to the prices of most other goods and services. As agricultural prices have fallen, many households have decreased their total expenses on food. Even though the quantity of a product purchased generally increases when its price falls, total expenses on it may decline.
[解析] 句意推断题。结合空格后的of a product推测,此处应该填入名词构成常用搭配。结合录音填入quantity,意为“数量”。
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Section A Directions:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. To get a sense of how women have progressed in science, take a quick tour of the physics department at the University of California, Berkeley. This is a storied place, the 1 of some of the most important discoveries in modern science—starting with Ernest Lawrence's invention of the cyclotron (回旋加速器) in 1931. A generation ago, female faces were 2 and, even today, visitors walking through the first floor of LeConte Hall will see a full corridor of exhibits 3 the many distinguished physicists who made history here, 4 all of them white males. But climb up to the third floor and you'll see a 5 display. There, among the photos of current faculty members and students, are portraits of the 6 head of the department, Marjorie Shapiro, and four other women whose research 7 everything from the mechanics of the universe to the smallest particles of matter. A sixth woman was hired just two weeks ago. Although they're still only about 10 percent of the physics faculty, women are clearly a presence here. And the real 8 may be in the smaller photos to the right: graduate and undergraduate students, about 20 percent of them female. Every year Berkeley sends its fresh female physics PhDs to the country's top universities. That makes Shapiro optimistic, but also 9 . "I believe things are getting better," she says, "but they're not getting better as 10 as I would like." A.circumstance B.confidence C.covers D.current E.deals F.different G.exposing H.fast I.honoring J.hope K.presently L.rare M.realistic N.site O.virtually
[解析] 形容词辨析题。 空格前是定冠词the,后面是名词短语head of the department,因此空格处应填形容词。the head of the department“系主任”本身意思就是完整的,所以填入的形容词应当是对其身份的更准确的描述,结合各选项可知,current“当前的”符合题意,the current head of the department意为“现任系主任”。
[解析] 形容词辨析题。 分析句子结构可知。空格所在句是“make sb. +a.”的结构,因此空格处应填入形容词。由空格前的but可知,填入的形容词应与optimistic意思相对,再结合各选形容词可知。realistic“现实的,实际的”符合题意,故为答案。
10.
H
[解析] 副词辨析题。 空格前是not getting better as,空格后是as I would like,可知此空格处应填入副词。上文提到,她的态度既乐观又实际,所以她认为事情正在好转,但没有像她想要的那样______好转,结合各选副词可知,fast“快速地”符合题意,故为答案。
Section B Directions:In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter.
Is College a Worthy Investment?
A.Why are we spending so much money on college? And why are we so unhappy about it? We all seem to agree that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we see families investing so much in this supposedly essential good. Maybe it's time to ask a question that seems almost sacrilegious (大不敬的): is all this investment in college education really worth it? B.The answer, I fear, is no. For an increasing number of kids, the extra time and money spent pursuing a college diploma will leave them worse off than they were before they set foot on campus. C.For my entire adult life, a good education has been the most important thing for middle-class households. My parents spent more educating my sister and me than they spent on their house, and they're not the only ones... and, of course, for an increasing number of families, most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of living in a good school district. Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the value of happiness, or fun. D.The average price of all goods and services has risen about 50 percent. But the price of a college education has nearly doubled in that time. Is the education that today's students are getting twice as good? Are new workers twice as smart? Have they become somehow massively more expensive to educate? E.Perhaps a bit. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor, says, "I look at the data, and I see college costs rising faster than inflation up to the mid-1980s by 1 percent a year. Now I see them rising 3 to 4 percent a year over inflation. What has happened? The federal government has started dropping money out of airplanes." Aid has increased, subsidized (补贴的) loans have become available, and "the universities have gotten the money." Economist Bryan Caplan, who is writing a book about education, agrees. "It's a giant waste of resources that will continue as long as the subsidies continue." F.Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an "investment in yourself." But an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans. More than half of all recent graduates are unemployed or in jobs that do not require a degree, and the amount of student- loan debt carried by households has increased more than five times since 1999. These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed to succeed, but it won't even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dad's. For many, the most visible result of their four years is the loan payments, which now average hundreds of dollars a month on loan balances in the tens of thousands. G.It's true about the money—sort of. College graduates now make 80 percent more than people who have only a high-school diploma, and though there are no precise estimates, the wage premium (高出的部分) for an outstanding school seems to be even higher. But that's not true of every student. It's very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and come out no more employable than you were before you went in. Conversely, chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an entry-level high-school graduate. H.James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, has examined how the returns on education break down for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability. "Even with these high prices, you're still finding a high return for individuals who are bright and motivated," he says. On the other hand, "if you're not college ready, then the answer is no, it's not worth it." Experts tend to agree that for the average student, college is still worth it today, but they also agree that the rapid increase in price is eating up more and more of the potential return. For borderline students, tuition (学费) rise can push those returns into negative territory. I.Everyone seems to agree that the government, and parents, should be rethinking how we invest in higher education—and that employers need to rethink the increasing use of college degrees as crude screening tools for jobs that don't really require college skills. "'Employers seeing a surplus of college graduates and looking to fill jobs are just adding that requirement," says Vedder. "In fact, a college degree becomes a job requirement for becoming a bar-tender." J.We have started to see some change on the finance side. A law passed in 2007 allows many students to cap their loan payment at 10 percent of their income and forgives any balance after 25 years. But of course, that doesn't control the cost of education; it just shifts it to taxpayers. It also encourages graduates to choose lower-paying careers, which reduces the financial return to education still further. "You're subsidizing people to become priests and poets and so forth," says Heckman. "You may think that's a good thing, or you may not." Either way it will be expensive for the government. K.What might be a lot cheaper is putting more kids to work. Caplan notes that work also builds valuable skills—probably more valuable for kids who don't naturally love sitting in a classroom. Heckman agrees wholeheartedly: "People are different, and those abilities can be shaped. That's what we've learned, and public policy should recognize that." L.Heckman would like to see more apprenticeship-style (学徒式) programs, where kids can learn in the workplace—learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of "soft skills," like getting to work on time and getting along with a team, that are crucial for career success. "It's about having mentors (指导者) and having workplace-based education," he says. "Time and again I've seen examples of this kind of program working." M.Ah, but how do we get there from here? With better public policy, hopefully, but also by making better individual decisions. "Historically markets have been able to handle these things," says Vedder, "and I think eventually markets will handle this one. If it doesn't improve soon, people are going to wake up and ask, 'Why am I going to college?'"
1. Caplan suggests that kids who don't love school go to work.
K
[解析] 由题于中的kids who don't love school go to work定位到K段第二句。 细节归纳题。K段第一句指出年轻人选择工作的原因,第二句Caplan指出,工作同样培养有价值的技能——对于那些天生不爱坐在教室里学习的年轻人来说,或许更有价值。题干是对原文中Caplan的观点的总结,因此答案为K。
2. An increasing number of families spend more money on houses in a good school district.
C
[解析] 由题干中的An increasing number of families和good school district定位到C段第二句。 同义转述题。C段介绍了作者自己家的情况。定位句提到,对于越来越多的家庭来说,大部分的家庭开支实际上也就是住在一个好学区的成本。由此可知,题干是对原文中for an increasing number of...a good school district的同义转述,因此答案为C。
3. Subsidized loans to college students are a huge waste of money, according to one economist.
E
[解析] 由题干中的a huge waste of money定位到E段最后一句。 细节推断题。E段主要描述大学教育成本的增长速度之快及助学贷款。定位句中Caplan指出,只要补贴继续发放,资源的巨大浪费就将一直持续下去,题干中a huge waste of money与原文中的a giant waste of resources相对应,因此答案为E。
4. More and more kids find they fare worse with a college diploma.
B
[解析] 由题干中的fare worse和college diploma定位到B段最后一句。 细节推断题。定位句指出,越来越多的孩子把额外的时间和金钱花在追求大学文凭上,这样导致他们比刚进入校园时更拮据。题干中的fare worse对应原文中的leave them worse off than they were,因此答案为B。
5. For those who are not prepared for higher education, going to college is not worth it.
H
[解析] 由题干中的not prepared for higher education和not worth it定位到H段第三句。 细节推断题。H段主要分析了教育所带来的回报,提到了适合上大学和不适合上大学的两类人。定位句指出,对没有准备好上大学的人来说,所带来的回报并不多,所以上大学对于这类人来说是不值得,题干中not prepared for higher education对应原文中的not college ready,因此答案为H。
6. Over the years the cost of a college education has increased almost by 100%.
D
[解析] 由题干中的the cost of a college education和100%定位到D段第二句。 细节推断题。D段作者主要分析大学教育成本的增长问题,开头提出商品和服务的平均价格上涨了50%,接着指出,大学教育成本却增加了近一倍。题干中的increased almost by 100%与原文中的nearly doubled相对应,因此答案为D。
7. A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their income for their college loans.
J
[解析] 由题干中的A law passed和one tenth of their income定位到J段第二句。 细节辨认题。由定位句可知,2007年通过的一项法律允许学生将他们的贷款偿还额控制在他们收入的10%以内,并且在25年后免除所有余款。题干中no more than one tenth of their income对应原文中的at 10 percent of their income,因此答案为J。
8. Middle-class Americans have highly valued a good education.
C
[解析] 由题干中的Middle-class,highly valued和a good education定位到C段第一句和最后一句。 细节推断题。C段主要分析了美国中产阶层对教育的态度,即他们将教育摆在特别重要的位置,质疑大学教育的价值似乎有点像质疑幸福或乐趣的价值。题干是对定位段的总结,因此答案为C。
9. More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they can learn not only job skills but also social skills.
L
[解析] 由题干中的programs,job skills和social skills定位到L段第一句。 细节推断题。定位句指出,学徒式项目可以让年轻人在工作中学习——不只是学习专业工作技能,同时也学到“软技能”的东西,比如准时上班、与团队相处融洽等,这些对事业成功是至关重要的。题干中not only job skills but also social skills对应原文中的learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of "soft skills," 因此答案为L。
10. Over fifty percent of recent college graduates remain unemployed or unable to find a suitable job.
F
[解析] 由题干中的fifty percent和unemployed定位到F段第三句。 细节推断题。F段主要分析了学生的就业情况。定位句提到,现在一半以上的毕业生处于待业状态或者从事一些并不需要大学学历的工作,题干中Over fifty percent of recent college graduates对应原文中More than half of all recent graduates,因此答案为F。
Section C Directions:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D.
Passage One A recent global survey of 2 000 high-net-worth individuals found that 60% were not planning on a traditional retirement. Among US participants, 75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs. "Many of these people made their wealth by doing something they're passionate (有激情的) about," says Daniel Egan, head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas. "Given the choice, they prefer to continue working." Barclays calls these people "nevertirees." Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the average nevertiree often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of his own family firm, wants to keep coming to work every day, who's going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's job security is guaranteed in the Constitution. It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And it's working. Howard Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives. "People are generally being given bad advice to slow down, take it easy, stop worrying, and retire to Florida," he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100, who was recently disappointed to see his son retire. "We're beginning to see a change in how people view retirement," says George Leeson, co-director of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long struggle through some miserable job, it is now akin (近似) to being cast aside. What Leeson terms "the Warren Buffett effect" is becoming more broadly appealing as individuals come to "view retirement as not simply being linked to economic productivity but also about contribution." Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies and financial firms can ben fit from the wisdom of a resilient (坚韧的) chief. On the other, the new generation can find it more difficult to advance—an argument that typically holds little sway to a nevertiree.
1. What do we learn about the so-called "nevertirees"?
A.They are passionate about making a fortune.
B.They have no choice but to continue working.
C.They love what they do and choose not to retire.
D.They will not retire unless they are compelled to.
Passage Two When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels of debt, the conversation is almost always about student loan debt. But there's a growing body of evidence suggesting that today's young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt—and that many of them will take this debt to their graves. More than 20% overspent their income by more than $100 every single month. Since they haven't built up their credit histories yet, it's a safe bet that these young adults are paying relatively high interest rates on the resulting credit card debt. Although many young people blame "socializing" as a barrier to saving money, most of them aren't knocking back $20 drinks in trendy (时尚的) lounges. They're struggling with much more daily financial demands. To a disturbingly large extent, the young and the broke are relying on credit cards to make it until their next payday. This obviously isn't sustainable in the long run, and it's going to put a huge drag on their spending power even after they reach their peak earning years, because they'll still be paying interest on that bottle of orange juice or box of spaghetti (意式面条) they bought a decade earlier. A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit card debt at a more rapid rate than other age groups, and that they're slower at paying it off. "If what we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future," warns Lucia Dunn, professor of economics at Ohio State. "If our findings persist, we may be faced with a financial crisis among elderly people who can't pay off their credit cards." Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit card debt. "Many people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levels are not sufficient to recover their credit card debt by the end of their life, which could have loss implications for the credit card issuing banks."
1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts.
B.Credit cards play an increasingly important role in college life.
C.Credit cards are doing more harm than student loans.
D.The American credit card system is under criticism.
A B C D
A
[解析] 由题干中的the first paragraph定位到第一段。 主旨大意题。定位段通过学生贷款引出年轻人的信用卡债务。最后一句“今天的年轻人也陷入了信用卡债务的泥潭之中——很多人将会把这个债务直接带进坟墓。”点明了文章主题。由此可见,很多年轻人永远都偿还不完他们的债务,故答案为A。
2. Why do young people have to pay a higher interest on their credit card debt?
A.They tend to forget about the deadlines.
B.They haven't developed a credit history.
C.They are often unable to pay back in time.
D.They are inexperienced in managing money.
A B C D
B
[解析] 由题干中的pay a higher interest定位到第二段第二句。 事实细节题。定位句明确指出,“因为年轻人还没有建立起信用记录,但可以肯定的是这些年轻人在为产生的信用卡债务支付相对较高的利息。”故答案为B。
3. What is said to be the consequence of young adults relying on credit cards to make ends meet?
A.It will place an unnecessary burden on society.
B.It will give them no motivation to work hard.
C.It will exert psychological pressure on them.
D.It will affect their future spending power.
A B C D
D
[解析] 由题干中的relying on credit cards定位到第四段。 事实细节题。定位段明确指出,“年轻人和身无分文的人在很大程度上都依赖信用卡维持生计,直到下次发工资。从长远看,这样的做法很明显不会长久,会严重影响他们的购买力。”由此可见,年轻人依靠信用卡维持生计将影响他们将来的购买力,故答案为D。
4. What will happen to young adults if their credit card debt keeps accumulating according to Lucia Dunn?
A.They will have to pay an increasingly higher interest rate.
B.They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.
Part Ⅳ Translation Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.
1. 中国结(the Chinese knot)最初是由手工艺人发明的,经过数百年不断的改进,已经成为一种优雅多彩的艺术和工艺。在古代,人们用它来记录事件,但现在主要用于装饰的目的。“结”在中文里意味着爱情、婚姻和团聚。中国结常常作为礼物交换或用作饰品祈求好运和避邪。这种形式的手工艺(handicraft)代代相传,现在已经在中国和世界各地越来越受欢迎。
The Chinese knot, originally invented by the craftsmen, has become an elegant and colorful art and craft over hundreds of years' improvement. In ancient times, it was used to record events, but nowadays it is mainly functioning as decorations. "Knot" signifies love, marriage and reunion in Chinese. Often used as gift exchanges or decorations, the Chinese knot is believed to bring good luck as well as ward off evil spirits. The handicraft has been passed down from one generation to another and now is gaining popularity both at home and abroad.
[解析] 1.第一句的句子主干是:中国结已经成为一种优雅多彩的艺术和工艺。“最初是由手工艺人发明的”可以译作后置定语补充说明“中国结”,“经过数百年不断的改进”可译为时间状语。“不断的改进”可以减译“不断的”,直接译为improvement,因为“不断的”是一个加强语气的词;“一种优雅多彩的艺术和工艺”中的“优雅多彩的”可以用elegant and colorful来表示。 2.第四句中“作为礼物交换或用作饰品”是为了“祈求好运和避邪”,因此可译为Often used as gift exchanges or decorations, the Chinese knot is believed to bring good luck as well as ward off evil spirits. 3.最后一句中,句子的重心在后面,因此可以选择弱化处理成being passed down from one generation to another,也可以将其处理成两个并列结构has been passed down from one generation to another and now is gaining...,为使句子结构更清晰,第二种译法更佳。此外,“这种形式的手工艺”就是指中国结这种手工艺,故可直接译为The handicraft。