1 . A house is the most expensive thing most people will buy. Very few people have enough money of their own to buy a home, so they have to borrow money from a bank. Borrowing money from a bank to buy a house is called “take a mortgage （抵押）”. The bank usually lends money or gives a mortgage for twenty-five years. Houses are so expensive that many people nowadays have to borrow as much as $ 50 000. In other words, they will have a $ 50 000 mortgage.

How can you get a mortgage？ When you find a house you like, you go to a bank. The bank will research you financial history and decide if they think you are a good risk. They will want to know what kind of job you have, what kind of salary you make, and how long you have had the job. They will also want to know how much money you have. In addition，the banks will require a down payment. Depending on which state you live in， the bank may require as much as 30% of the-price of the house as a down payment. The bank will then lend you the rest of the money to buy the house. Many people are never able to buy a house because they cannot save enough money for the down payment.

1. What does a house mean in the United States？

A．It is a dream which many people can hardly realize.

B．It is so expensive that many people cannot really buy them.

C．It is the most important property that many people try to buy.

D．It doesn‘t belong to people if they can’t borrow money from the bank.

2. If American people borrow money from the bank for 25 years，this means that the person who borrows____

A．has twenty-five years to pay back the money

B．has more than twenty-five years to pay back the money

C．has less than twenty-five years to pay back the money

D．has about twenty-five years to pay back the money

3. What does “down payment” refer to in the passage？

A．Money borrowed from a bank as a mortgage.

B．Money paid to a bank before the mortgages is given.

C．Interest received by a person who borrows money as the mortgages.

D．Interest charged by a bank on a mortgage.

4. The most suitable title for this passage would be _______.

A．How to Save Money on the House

B．How to Borrow Money from a Bank

C．How to Take a Mortgage

D．How to Buy a House

2 . Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with doubts by many as being a major part of the “live now pay later” syndrome（综合症）.Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes（租赁项目）, they provide encouragement to spend more money. Of course, it is only the hotheaded who give way to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards.

Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They prevent need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies.

All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet sensible purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit. Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further.

It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets（经销店）, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen. A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card.

However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty.

1. The hotheaded are people who ________.

A．spend more money than they have

B．spend less money than other people

C．save money

D．make money

2. The disadvantage of credit cards is ________.

A．to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash

B．to encourage people to spend more money

C．to be always useful in emergencies

D．to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty

3. Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider ________.

A．the amount of credit granted

B．the number and range of outlets

C．the possibility of loss of money

D．the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards

4. The underlined words in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A．floating with the tide of

B．going through a difficult period of

C．rising and falling with the tide of

D．attempting to go against the tide of