1 . What will higher education look like in 2050? That was the question addressed Tuesday night by Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University.

“We’re at the end of the fourth wave of change in higher education,” Crow began, arguing that research universities followed the initial establishment of higher education, Public colleges, and land-grant schools in the timeline of America.

In less than a half-century, he said, global market competition will be at its fastest rates of change ever, with several multitrillion — dollar economies worldwide. According to a recent projection, the nation’s population could reach 435 million, with a large percentage of those residents economically disadvantaged. In addition, climate change will be meaningfully uncontrollable in many parts of the world.

The everyday trends seen today, such as declining performance of students at all levels, particularly in math and science, and declining wages and employment among the less educated, will only continue. Crow maintained, and are to say the least, not contributing to fulfilling the dream of climbing the social ladder mobility, quality of life, sustainable environment, and longer life spans that most Americans share.

“How is it that we can have these great research universities and have negative-trending outcomes?” Crow said in a talk “I hold the universities accountable.... We are part of the problem.” Among the “things that we do that make the things that we teach less learnable,” Crow said, are the strict separation of disciplines, academic rigidity, and conservatism, the desire of universities to imitate schools at the top of the social ranks, and the lack of the computer system ability that would allow a large number of students to be educated for a small amount of money.

Since 2002, when Crow started being in charge at Arizona State — which he calls the “new American university” — he has led more than three dozen initiatives that aim to make the school “inclusive, scalable, fast, adaptive, challenge-focused, and willing to take risks.”

Among those initiatives were a restructuring of the engineering and life sciences schools to create more linkages between disciplines; the launch of the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of sustainability; the start of a Teachers College to address K-12 performance and increase the status of the Education Department at the university; and broadened access, increasing the freshman class size by 42 percent and the enrollment of students living below the poverty line by 500 percent.

Universities must start, Crow noted, “by becoming self-reflective architects, figuring out what we have and what we actually need instead of what legend tells us we have to be.” Research universities today have “run their course,” he added. “Now is the time for variety.”

During a discussion afterward, Crow clarified and expanded on some of his points. He discussed, for example, the school's distance-leading program. “Nearly 40 percent of undergraduates are taking at least one course online,” he said, which helps the school to keep costs down while advancing interactive learning technologies.

He said that Arizona State is working to increase the transfer and completion rates of community-college students, of whom only about 15 percent, historically, complete their later degrees. “We’ve built a system that will allow them to track into universities,” particularly where “culturally complex barriers” beyond finances limit even the most gifted students.

1. The fourth wave of change in America's higher education refers to ________.

A．public colleges	B．land-grant schools
C．research universities	D．initial higher education

2. Which is NOT part of the American dream most people share _________.

A．People enjoy a quality life.	B．People live longer and longer.
C．The freedom to move around.	D．An environment that is sustainable.

3. Which one is similar to the underlined word “architect” in meaning?

A．The author of the guidebook is an architect by profession.

B．If you want to refurnish the house, consult the architect.

C．Deng Xiaoping is one of the architects of the PRC.

D．Tom is considered one of the best landscape architect here.

4. With the distance-learning program, Arizona State University is able to ___________ .

A．enroll 40% of its students online

B．keep costs down without a loss of quality

C．provide an even greater number of courses

D．attract the most gifted students all over the world

2 . Prospect Park Soiree (晚会)

DESCRIPTION

Attend the most celebrated party of the year! We provide the entertainment and breathtaking setting, while you gather with thousands of friends — new and old — to enjoy an evening under stars in Prospect Park.

Wear your most festive clothes, prepare a delicious feast, and dine and dance under the stars in one of Prospect Park's most secluded (僻静的) locations. Show off your creativity with a show-stopping topper — a fabulous hat — as well as table decor that celebrates the beautiful surroundings.

We are excited to introduce this year's entertainment! Inspired by the Big Band Era of Jazz, Dandy Wellington and his Band have taken the sounds of the 1930's and 40's and created a world of well-dressed music. Post-dinner, enjoy a DJ dance party with DJ Cosmo Baker, who has played alongside artists as diverse as Drake, Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Pitbull, Trey Songz and Moby.

Proceeds (收入) benefit Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that sustains (供养), restores and advances Prospect Park for the benefit of the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home.

EVENT DETAILS:

5pm: Gates open

6 pm: Dinner begins with live jazz of Dandy Wellington and his band.

8 pm: Dance party begins with a live set by DJ Cosmo Baker

10 pm: Soiree concludes .

Learn more and view our event galleries!

Please note:

• Guests bring their own food and table decor. Tables and chairs are provided.

• Tables each accommodate up to 10 guests.

• Groups of 20+ can contact us at soiree@prospectpark. org for assistance.

• Groups smaller than 10 people are encouraged to share tables.

• Prospect Park Soiree will take place, rain or shine.

• Help us keep the Park green: trash bags will be provided.

• Barbecues and other open flames are not allowed in Prospect Park.

• Tents and other structures are not permitted.

• Tickets are non — refundable (不可退费的), but are transferable.

1. What can we learn about Prospect Park Soiree?

A．People can attend the amusement activities for free.

B．People can camp in Prospect Park under the stars.

C．Prospect Park Alliance provides financial support for it.

D．Prospect Park Soiree includes a live jazz and a dance party,

2. If you and one of your friends attend Prospect Park Soiree,_________.

A．you will be advised to share a table with other people

B．you'd better introduce him/her to other participants

C．you should contact the staff by emailing in advance

D．you are expected to bring tables and chairs with you

3 . Why would human beings waste a third of their lives sleeping when they could be doing more important things like looking after their families or working? Some scientists believe sleeping helps recharge the body, while others think it is important for strengthening newly-formed memories. Now, there is new evidence which suggests that the purpose of sleep may be to forget some of the millions of new things we learn each day.

The neurons (神经元) in the human brain consist of fibers called dendrites (树突). These grow as we learn new things and connect the brain's cells to each other at contact points called synapses (突触). The larger the dendrites become and the more cells they connect, the more information we store.

In 2003, Giulio Tononi and Chiara Cirelli, both biologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggested a new idea: The things our brains learn each day result in so many synapses that things start to get a little messy. Sleeping allows us to sort through the "noise" and dispense all the unnecessary information, leaving behind only the most important memories-

Recently, the university's research has provided direct evidence to support the theory. The experiment involved analyzing 6,920 synapses in the brain shavings from two groups of mice over a four — year period; one group had been allowed to sleep, while the other had been kept awake and entertained with toys. The researchers discovered that the brain shavings of the sleeping mice had nearly 20 percent fewer synapses than those that had been kept awake and entertained.

It was also evident during the study that the brain does not shave every synapse. 20% of neurons remained unchanged; these were most likely well-established memories. Therefore, although we may be sleeping to forget some of what we've learned, the brain "forgets" in a smart way.

Most researchers believe clearing our brains is not the only purpose of sleep. Resting our minds and bodies has also been found to help with other biological functions like strengthening our immunity. Though scientists may never agree on a single reason, they are all sure of one thing — a good night's rest is essential for our health. So try and spend at least a third of your day sleeping!

1. What will happen when we learn new things?

A．We tend to forget some key information.

B．We develop the ability to recharge the body.

C．The dendrites expand and connect brain's cells.

D．The neurons gather at what are called contact points.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “dispense” in Paragraph 3?

A．Pick up.	B．Get rid of.
C．Bring down.	D．Pull out of.

3. What is the author's purpose of writing the text?

A．To prove a new theory.

B．To report a new discovery.

C．To show sleep good for memory.

D．To discuss how long one should sleep.

4 . On a freezing December afternoon, Tyler Freburger was standing in front of a set of mirrors wearing a suit picked out for him by a tailor to attend a funeral. As a homeless veteran (老兵) living in Baltimore, Mr. Freburger would usually have difficulty _______ such an outfit (一套衣服), especially one selected for him _______. But in this instance, he was _______ the nonprofit Sharp Dressed Man.

Since 2011, the organization has been helping men improve their lives by _______ them for job interviews and other_______with well-fitting suits. This is not a “grab any jacket off the rack (架子)” kind of experience; _______, the nonprofit provides a “measure-to-fit” personalized styling experience. The nonprofit was _______by clothing designer Christopher Schafer. He opened a shop in downtown Baltimore not long after _______ from London, where he learned the art of_______and design. Once when Schafer was ________________ some custom suits to a customer, he was ________________ handed two bags of gently ________________suits in return.

“He said I ________________ him with how I made his custom suits fit, and he couldn't wear his old suits anymore.” Schafer found a nonprofit that would ________________ the suits, but as time went on, more of his ________________ did the same thing. At the suggestion of a friend, he decided to found his own nonprofit, Sharp Dressed Man.

The organization's space ________________ a traditional men's clothing store, ________________ with volunteer tailors and racks of clothing. It's open one day a week for those who have been referred.

Schafer sees the nonprofit as filling the ________________ between job training and the ________________required for a person to land a job. “If you treat a guy with ________________ he has a better chance of treating himself with it,” he says.

1.

A．sorting

B．storing

C．sewing

D．securing

2.

A．automatically

B．personally

C．partly

D．generally

3.

A．appointed to

B．accustomed to

C．referred to

D．opposed to

4.

A．promoting

B．arranging

C．rewarding

D．equipping

5.

A．occasions

B．discounts

C．benefits

D．systems

6.

A．thus

B．meanwhile

C．otherwise

D．instead

7.

A．found

B．launched

C．surrounded

D．shifted

8.

A．escaping

B．returning

C．differing

D．hearing

9.

A．counting

B．transporting

C．measuring

D．packing

10.

A．delivering

B．ordering

C．folding

D．advertising

11.

A．naturally

B．doubtfully

C．urgently

D．unexpectedly

12.

A．fancy

B．alternative

C．worn

D．clumsy

13.

A．bothered

B．spoiled

C．discouraged

D．interrupted

14.

A．exhibit

B．possess

C．accept

D．clean

15.

A．relatives

B．designers

C．clerks

D．clients

16.

A．suits

B．threatens

C．resembles

D．strengthens

17.

A．adequate

B．complete

C．economic

D．complicated

18.

A．hardship

B．relationship

C．gap

D．position

19.

A．status

B．feel

C．talent

D．look

20.

A．dignity

B．curiosity

C．honesty

D．caution

5 . When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strange happened to the large animals. They suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived. The large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. Now something similar could be happening in the oceans.

That the seas are being overfished has been known for years. What researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown is just how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then.

Dr. Worm acknowledges that the figures are conservative. One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today's vessels (船)can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines (多钩长线) would have been more filled with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since no baited hooks (带饵钩)would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around now。

Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the data support an idea current among marine biologists, that of the “shifting baseline". The idea is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum sustainable yield （产量）that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is about 50% of its original levels. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do business.

1. The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that .

A．large animals were easily hurt in the changing environment

B．small species survived as large animals disappeared

C．large sea animals may face the same threat today

D．slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones

2. By saying these figures are conservative , Dr. Worm means that .

A．fishing technology has improved rapidly

B．the catch-sizes are actually smaller than recorded

C．the marine biomass has suffered a greater loss

D．the data collected so far are out of date

3. Dr. Myers and other researchers hold that .

A．people should look for a baseline that can't work for a longer time

B．fisheries should keep the yield below 50% of the biomass

C．the ocean biomass should restore its original level

D．people should adjust the fishing baseline to changing situation

6 . I wrote my first poem at the age of seven and showed it to my mother. She read and cried, “Buddy, you really wrote a beautiful poem!”

Shyly but_______, I said yes. She poured out her praise. “It was _______ short of talent!”

“What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could hardly wait to_______my work to him. I spent quite some time_________for his arrival. I wrote the poem out in my finest handwriting, drew a fancy border around it and_______I placed it right on my father’s plate on the dining table. My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer. I was sure he would be able to_______my poem.

At almost 7 o'clock my father burst in. He seemed upset. He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees.

Suddenly he paused and _______his plate. “What is this?” He was reaching for my poem.

“Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!” my mother began. “And it’s beautiful, absolutely amaz…”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to decide for myself.” Father said.

I_______my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours. Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of_______.“I think it’s terrible,” he said. I couldn’t look up. My eyes were getting________.“Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he’s ever written,” my mother was saying. “He needs encouragement.”

“I don’t know why.” My father held his________. “Isn’t there enough awful poetry in the world already?”

I couldn’t________it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I________myself on the bed and cried the worst of the________out of me.

That may have been the end of the story, but not of its________for me. I realized how fortunate I had been. I had a mother who said, “I think it’s wonderful!” and a father who drove me to hear with “I think it’s________.”

Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all________flows; and yet the mother force alone is incomplete. It needs the balance of the force that ________, “Watch. Listen. Review. Improve.”

Those________voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me. Between the two poles of ________and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course.

1.

A．typically

B．proudly

C．anxiously

D．honestly

2.

A．something

B．obviously

C．definitely

D．nothing

3.

A．demonstrate

B．describe

C．recite

D．illustrate

4.

A．waiting

B．praying

C．preparing

D．planning

5.

A．gradually

B．confidently

C．desperately

D．casually

6.

A．appreciate

B．revise

C．read

D．polish

7.

A．stared at

B．glanced at

C．glared at

D．looked at

8.

A．shook

B．lowered

C．raised

D．turned

9.

A．decision

B．excitement

C．meditation

D．devotion

10.

A．dark

B．wide

C．wet

D．bright

11.

A．tongue

B．position

C．interest

D．ground

12.

A．tolerate

B．contain

C．control

D．approve

13.

A．placed

B．threw

C．spread

D．kept

14.

A．confusion

B．pressure

C．disappointment

D．tiredness

15.

A．challenge

B．development

C．difficulty

D．significance

16.

A．elegant

B．awful

C．brilliant

D．controversial

17.

A．failure

B．limit

C．creation

D．improvement

18.

A．cautions

B．misleads

C．orders

D．foresees

19.

A．inspiring

B．warning

C．discouraging

D．conflicting

20.

A．confirmation

B．restriction

C．distrust

D．disapproval

7 . Meals on Wheels delivery service is for those facing life-threatening illnesses like Borden did back in 2012. She had just finished a Master's program in _______ when she was diagnosed (诊断)with cancer called Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Soon, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Borden moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to take care of herself while _______ her mother.

''It's a _______ time in your life when you have great need for nutrition but you can’t provide healthy _______ for yourself, '' Borden said. ''Having a Master's in Nutrition, I knew how _______ nourishment was during my cancer treatment and recovery. ''

She started Revive and Thrive while going through treatment, _______ out to local hospitals and kitchens to get the organization off the ground. Soon she was _______ meals for patients referred to her by social workers, nurses and doctors in the area.

She _______ each patient to get a sense of what their nutrition needs are and how long they'll need help. Then, she gets to _______ .

''Serving meals to patients is equally important as teaching them to cook healthy foods, to ________ job skills, life skills and the joy of being able to ________ others in their community, ''Borden says.

She works with a head chef who ________ the nutrient-rich meals and makes sure each meal contains the essential vitamins and proteins that a person fighting a life-threatening illness ________ .

''When you're ________ and dealing with cancer by yourself, it can cause you more depression. Knowing somebody cares about what you eat is ________ , '' she said.

1.

A．medicine

B．education

C．economics

D．nutrition

2.

A．nursing

B．teaching

C．guiding

D．training

3.

A．dangerous

B．hard

C．common

D．valuable

4.

A．1ifestyles

B．spirit

C．meals

D．sleep

5.

A．rare

B．adequate

C．comfortable

D．important

6.

A．going

B．calling

C．reaching

D．speaking

7.

A．enjoying

B．preparing

C．checking

D．comparing

8.

A．tells

B．cures

C．exams

D．meets

9.

A．rest

B．work

C．schoo1

D．bed

10.

A．1earn

B．show

C．require

D．test

11.

A．judge

B．serve

C．gather

D．relax

12.

A．eats

B．expects

C．creates

D．proves

13.

A．needs

B．makes

C．shares

D．provides

14.

A．alone

B．wise

C．old

D．free

15.

A．interesting

B．amusing

C．amazing

D．inspiring

8 . One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible insect. He lay on his armor-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.

“What’s happened to me?” he thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table-Samsa was a travelling salesman-and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur scarf who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff(暖手筒)that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.

Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the window, which made him feel quite sad. “How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense,” he thought, but that was something he was unable to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn’t get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was. He must have tried it a hundred times, shut his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to look at the floundering legs, and only stopped when he began to feel a mild, dull pain there that he had never felt before.

He thought, “What a heavy career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there's the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them.” He felt a slight itch up on his belly; pushed himself slowly up on his back towards the headboard so that he could lift his head better; found where the itch was, and saw that it was covered with lots of little white spots which he didn’t know what to make of; and when he tried to feel the place with one of his legs he drew it quickly back because as soon as he touched it he was overcome by a cold tremble.

He slid back into his former position. “Getting up early all the time,” he thought, “it makes you stupid. You’ve got to get enough sleep. Other travelling salesmen live a life of luxury. For instance, whenever I go back to the guest house during the morning to copy out the contract, these gentlemen are always still sitting there eating their breakfasts. I ought to just try that with my boss; I’d get kicked out on the spot. But who knows, maybe that would be the best thing for me. If I didn’t have my parents to think about I’d have given in my notice a long time ago, I’d have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him everything I would, let him know just what I feel. He’d fall right off his desk! And it’s a funny sort of business to be sitting up there at your desk, talking down at your inferiors from up there, especially when you have to go right up close because the boss is hard of hearing. Well, there’s still some hope; once I’ve got the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to him-another five or six years I suppose-that’s definitely what I’ll do. That’s when I’ll make the big change. First of all though, I’ve got to get up, my train leaves at five.”

1. According to the passage, Gregor initially believes his transformation is a ____.

A．curse

B．disease

C．nightmare

D．fraud

2. The word “floundering” in paragraph most nearly means ____.

A．struggling

B．painful

C．pitiful

D．trembling

3. The author most likely includes a description of Gregor’s itch in paragraph 4 to ____.

A．remind the reader that Gregor has already turned into an insect

B．stress the disconnection between Gregors’ thoughts and his actual situation

C．present important details about what Gregor’s new body looks like

D．show that Gregor’s thoughts are focused on the changes to his body

4. The passage most strongly suggests which of the following about Gregor’s attitude toward his profession?

A．He is angry.	B．He is eager to please.
C．He is depressed.	D．He is diligent.

5. What central idea does the excerpt(节选)communicate through Gregor’s experiences?

A．Imagination is a dangerous thing.	B．People are fearful of change.
C．Dreams become our reality.	D．Man is a slave to work.

6. The main rhetorical(修辞的)effect of the final sentence of the excerpt (“First of all though, I've got to get up, my train leaves at five”) is to ____.

A．provide a solution to the conflict Gregor faces

B．foretell the conflict between Gregor and his boss

C．illustrate Gregor’s flexibility and ability to move on

D．emphasize Gregor’s extreme sense of duty

9 . China dropped is decades-long, one-child policy several years ago to allow each family to have two children.This change has put 270 million married women of childbearing age in the position of choosing between family and work.The employers also face big challenges as more female workers will have two maternity leaves（产假）for a total of seven to eight months.

In a survey published by classified advertising website Ganji.com，career women who might be considering having a second child were asked what kinds of pressure they might expect.More than 76 percent of the women who were questioned mentioned concerns about the financial burden of raising two children, while more than 71 percent said it would be difficult to balance career and family. In addition, nearly 56 percent said that having a second child would definitely have a negative effect on their career.

Another survey conducted by Chongging-based human resources website job. cg. qq. com found that over 70 percent of job seekers believe that having a second child would make females less popular in the job market, although two-thirds of the employers said the policy will make no difference in their employment of staff.

Feng Lijuan,a senior expert on human resources at 51 job. com, a leading Chinese job finding platform, said she would not say “there is prejudice against career women.” Feng said Chinese women shoulder more family responsibility. “It is not only about maternity leave; a female employee might only fully get back to work after three to five years after having her first child.”

Wang Yixin,a senior employment adviser, said the positive side is that more companies are trying to attract more talents by providing support to career women. “Different from before, it is not only employers choosing employees. Many talents, including professional career women, also chose employers.” said Wang. “According to our survey, many large companies are very open to their employees' choice of having a second child.”

1. According to the second survey, having a second child would          .

A．have no effect on career women

B．have a negative effect on career women

C．have a positive effect on career women

D．have both positive and negative effects on career women

2. According the first survey，what are women concerned about when having two children?
①Financial burden of raising two children
②Fewer opportunities to get a pay rise
③Negative effects on their career
④Difficulty in balancing career and family

A．①②③

B．②③④

C．①③④

D．①②④

3. Women employees take longer time to concentrate on work after childbirth because          ..

A．there is more prejudice against career women

B．they shoulder more family responsibility

C．they have longer maternity leaves to enjoy

D．having a second child makes them less popular

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Effects of Two-child Policy on Women

B．Disadvantages of Raising Two Children

C．Responsibilities of Career Women

D．Different attitudes of Employers to Women

10 . A long time ago, and still in some countries today, the dollar and penny did not even exist. Actually, trading a cow for two pigs is still the norm (常态) for many cultures. So how is it that we get to use paper and coins?

The biggest challenge for ancient cultures was to have a system that would allow people to exchange products with each other. However, the problem came up when one person was in need of something immediately that they didn’t have a product to trade. For example, a farmer that needed wheat only had fruit to exchange but the fruit wasn’t ready to hand over for another two months. This is what started the idea of a “common currency”. The farmer could buy what he needed with “currency” and just as important, the value of the goods he was exchanging was standardized. He did not have to worry about giving anything in return now or later; his deal was complete. Thus “money” was born.

Over time, each country has developed its own currency and something that might cost 1,000,000 lire in one country might be 1 dollar in the US currency. Most countries also frequently use powerful political people as the “face” of their currency. The US currency is the best example of this. Can you name all the presidents that currently appear on not only paper money but also coins?

The real excitement, however, is the future of how we buy things. People have started to use debit cards (借记卡) that allow you to pay using your bank account rather than cash. That has given way to something called Mondex. Mondex allows you to “wave” your card past any special device that can read these cards. You no longer have to insert, swipe (刷) and then punch in numbers, which could cause security problems.

1. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic of the text.

B．To explain what money was like in history.

C．To tell us that there was no money long ago.

D．To compare the difference between a cow and two pigs.

2. The farmer had an idea of using currency when ________.

A．he had a product to exchange	B．he had made a lot of money
C．he had nothing to trade for what he needed	D．he would harvest his fruit

3. Mondex is a kind of card which can ________.

A．keep you safe if you are in trouble

B．save you a large amount of money

C．help you trade safely and conveniently

D．make you happy whenever you are bored

4. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．The evolution of payment.	B．The trade in ancient times.
C．The use of money in the world.	D．New ways of payment.