1 . During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.
In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today’s families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback – a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “added-worker effect” could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.
During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen – and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families’ future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent – and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance – have jumped eightfold in just one generation.
From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.
1. Today’s double-income families are at greater financial risk in that ________| A．the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared. |
| B．their chances of being laid off have greatly increased. |
| C．they are more vulnerable to changes in family economics. |
| D．they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance. |
| A．a higher sense of security. |
| B．less secured payments. |
| C．less chance to invest. |
| D．a guaranteed future. |
| A．help reduce the cost of healthcare. |
| B．popularize among the middle class. |
| C．compensate for the reduced pensions. |
| D．increase the families’ investment risk. |
| A．financial risks tend to outweigh political risks. |
| B．the middle class may face greater political challenges. |
| C．financial problems may bring about political problems. |
| D．financial responsibility is an indicator of political status. |
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3 . How to Feel Connected
It's easy to feel disconnected from what is going on around you in today's fast-paced world.
Consider why you feel disconnected. Knowing what is making you feel disconnected can help you choose the best ways to address it.
Interact with people in person. Technology is a great way to stay in touch, but sometimes you need to spend time with other people in person.
Your loved ones could feel shy, so you may never know how to improve your relationship unless you ask the right questions. Asking them to open the doors can give you some insight on what you can do. Learning this information can help to strengthen your bond.
Show your commitment to them. Simply showing up and being there for your loved ones says a lot about how much you value your relationships. Putting in the time shows them that you are committed and want to stay connected.
Show appreciation. A simple “thank you” goes a very long way. Unfortunately, it is something that people who are close often take for granted. Telling someone you appreciate their time, love, and efforts can strengthen your bond and help you to become more connected.
| A．Ask others what they need from you. |
| B．Sometimes you can feel isolated and distant from the ones you love. |
| C．Be brave to express your love. |
| D．Reach out to people to schedule a time to get together. |
| E．Attending family events, or simply visiting someone once a week can help to strengthen your relationship and keep it strong. |
| F．Targeting your efforts toward those issues allows you to close that distance more effectively. |
| G．You can have a gift delivered to friends on special occasions. |
4 . “A writer’s job is to tell the truth,” said Hemingway in 1942. No other writer of our time had so fiercely stated, or so consistently (一贯地) illustrated the writer’s duty to speak truly. His standard of truth-telling remained, moreover, so high and so strict that he was ordinarily unwilling to admit secondary evidence, whether literary evidence or evidence picked up from other sources than his own experience. “I only know what I have seen”, was a statement which came often to his lips and pen. What he had personally done, or what he knew unforgettably by having gone through one version of it, was what he was interested in telling about.
The primary intention of his writing, from first to last, was to seize and project for the reader what he often called “the way it was”. This is a characteristically simple phrase for a concept of extraordinary complexity, and Hemingway’s concept of its meaning subtly (微妙地) changed several times in the course of his career - always in the direction of greater complexity. At the core of the concept, however, one can invariably recognize the operation of three instruments of beauty appreciation: the sense of place, the sense of fact, and the sense of scene.
The first of these, obviously a strong passion with Hemingway, is the sense of place. “Unless you have geography, background,” he once told George Antheil, “you have nothing.” You have, that is to say, a dramatic vacuum. Few writers have been more place-conscious. Few have so carefully charted out the geographical ground work of their novels while managing to keep background so unnoticeable. Few, accordingly, have been able to record more economically and graphically the way it is when you watch the bulls running through the streets of Pamplona, Spain towards the bull-ring.
“When I woke it was the sound of the rocket exploding that announced the release of the bulls. Down below the narrow street was empty. All the balconies were crowded with people. Suddenly a crowd came down the street. They were all running, packed close together. They passed along and up the street toward the bull-ring and behind them came more men running faster, and then some stragglers (落后者) who were really running. Behind them was a little bare space, and then the bulls tossing their heads up and down. It all went out of sight around the corner. One man fell, rolled to the gutter (排水沟), and lay quiet. But the bulls went right on and did not notice him. They were all running together.”
1. What’s the main idea of the first two paragraphs?| A．Hemingway’s writing began from reality and then he would let his mind wander. |
| B．Hemingway’s primary purpose in writing was to report faithfully reality as he experienced it. |
| C．Hemingway’s writing reflects his preference for a simple story that the reader would thoroughly enjoy. |
| D．Hemingway would construct a story that would reflect truths that were not particular to a specific historical period. |
| A．Stories that he had experienced rather than read about. |
| B．Stories that he had read about in newspapers or other sources. |
| C．Stories that he had heard from friends or chance acquaintances. |
| D．Stories that came to him in periods of deep thinking or in dreams. |
| A．it shows how Hemingway understated complex issues in his books. |
| B．it reflects Hemingway’s talent for making ordinary events difficult to understand. |
| C．Hemingway’s obsession for geographic details overshadowed the dramatic element of his stories. |
| D．the relationship between simplicity and complexity reflected the relationship between the style and content of Hemingway’s writing. |
| A．To vividly illustrate how exciting the bull run is. |
| B．To demonstrate that all kinds of runners can take part in the bull run. |
| C．To show Hemingway’s delicate description of the background of the bull run. |
| D．To place greater emphasis on the importance of geography, economically speaking. |
5 . To achieve something, you need the right mindset. You need a mindset that knows you can succeed at what you are aiming for.
You complain about life.
You want a pain-free life
Don't fear pain. Pain is a part of living. You cannot travel new paths and attain success without the pain of hard work, taking risks and making mistakes. Finally, pain makes you stronger.
You blame others for your problems
If you feel anger and resentment against others, blaming them for your problems, then you need to change your mindset.
An effective mindset is one that makes the best use of your time, energy and skills to make positive change.
| A．Don’t complain or worry about pain. |
| B．Watch what you say to yourself and others. |
| C．Your mindset will determine your future path. |
| D．Do you know how to have the right mindset? |
| E．You will see it doesn’t serve to benefit your progress. |
| F．These negative thoughts will not change other people. |
| G．How do you know if you need to change your mindset? |
About a half-mile behind our Minnesota farm lay a pond. In summer, my brother Harry and I would run through a stand of oak trees to skip stones there. The pond wore a collar of black mud. It was not a place for swimming.
In late summer, the pond would be covered by a green and bubbly scum(起泡的浮渣). Sometimes a strong, unpleasant smell rose from it. We stayed away.
When winter came, the pond was once again an inviting place. One day when ice covered it, Harry said to me, “Try walking across.”
The ice looked solid. No water showed through it, but I hesitated. “Go ahead.” Harry urged. “Try it. You’re lighter than I am. If the ice holds, we can run and slide carefully on it. It’ll be fun.” I wanted to please Harry, and I thought about the fun of a long slide on the ice. I began to slide across the pond.
In the middle of the pond, the ice gave way with a sudden crack(裂缝)! I stretched out(伸展) my arms. The next thing I knew I was hanging on to the edge of a hole in the ice by arms outstretched on the ice. From my shoulders down I hung in icy water. I thought of the bottom of the pond. I knew it would be black and awful down there, full of mud and maybe rotting creatures.
I tried to climb out of the hole, but when I got a knee on the ice, it broke like window glass. Again and again I tried to get out. Again and again the ice broke into pieces. The hole widened. I was wearing a coat of heavy material. As it became completely wet, it dragged me down. I was tired of the struggle and rested with my arms stretched out on the ice.
I looked at Harry on shore. He seemed rooted to the spot. “I can’t get out!” I screamed when I caught some breath.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右：
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph1:
Harry turned and ran from the pond.
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The moment I crashed through the kitchen door, sobbing, mum rushed over.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Haagen-Dazs from Europe started in 1989 and is 5-10 times more expensive than regular ice cream. There is no real advantage. However, it adopted a unique marketing strategy, and quickly occupied the market as a top ice cream brand.
Haagen-Dazs did not set up shops in ordinary supermarkets or grocery stores. Haagen-Dazs leisure fashion shops are located in busy sections of malls. The layout is carefully planned to create an elegant atmosphere, and sometimes, a flagship store will cost several million dollars.
Compared to other ice cream brands, Haagen-Dazs consumers are tightly grouped. It is understood that Haagen-Dazs seldom does television advertising. The majority of ads have the highly visual impact of the print medium. In particular many advertisements look for those pyramid tip consumers. Moreover, as long as the consumer spending 500 Yuan to fill in a small form can become their members, these members will be regularly sent advertisements by direct mail. Praise of customers is a powerful weapon for Haagen-Dazs.
There is always much creative ingenuity(独创性)in Haagen-Dazs advertising, so it is remembered by the public. Initial advertisements such as: “Delicious Haagen-Dazs, like 24K gold, Japan Kobe beef from Japan, original palm oil, mushroom truffles and Chinese ceramics…” and “Love her, let her eat Haagen-Dazs.” attracted numerous Haagen-Dazs lovers who became regulars.
Today, Haagen-Dazs has about 77stores in 55 countries with annual sales of more than 1 billion US dollars. Haagen-Dazs has become the world’s most popular ice cream brand. In the United States, its market share is 6.1%, 1% in France, 4.6% in Japan, 4% in Singapore and 5% in Hong Kong.
Determined to win the majority of wealth customers, they have combined positioning in the marketplace with dedicated brand goals. This is the real secret of success.
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Lon was chasing his runaway horse when a goose went under his feet. And he fell into a thornbush (荆棘丛). “Why do I have such bad luck?”
Things never seemed to go Lon’s way. If there was a bee about, he was stung.
And if his horse ran away, it would run straight through a thornbush. Still, even bad luck might turn good if he could catch that goose for dinner.
He scanned the bushes, and found a nest with an egg. Just an egg, but even one egg might make a small meal.
He picked it up, but dropped it in surprise. The egg was unusually heavy, and it gleamed (发光) in the sunlight. It was made of gold!
Lon sighed. He’d nearly stepped on a goose that lays golden eggs. If he had captured the goose, he would have had golden egg after golden egg.
Then a thought exploded in his mind.
Perhaps he could take the egg and get it to hatch, and the new goose would lay golden eggs just as its mother did.
Lon smiled. His luck seemed to be changing.
Once home, Lon placed the egg into a bed of cotton next to the hearth. He turned it every hour for several days.
One morning, he heard a faint chk-chk-chk. A small golden beak poked its way through the shell.
It was an ugly little thing, but Lon didn’t care. All that mattered was the golden eggs it would soon lay.
The gosling demanded food. Lon happily kept its beak filled. He named the bird Goly and became fond of it, even though it was soon better fed than he was. Lon talked to his goose and taught it to play checkers (国际跳棋).
Time passed as Lon waited for the first golden egg. Goldy had grown quite fat, but there were no eggs. Lon finally took the goose to a farmer to see what the problem was.
The farmer took a closer look and laughed. “You’ll never get eggs from this goose. It’s a boy goose!
I might as well roast you for dinner,” Lon said. “At least then I’ll get a meal for all my work!”
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Alarmed，Goldy popped out of Lon’s arm and escaped into the forest.
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One morning, Lon awoke to Goldy’s familiar honking outside.
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He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, with many boys around her, while he was so ordinary, with nobody paying attention to him.
At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised, but out of politeness, she agreed.
They sat in a nice coffee shop. He was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, thinking, “Please let me go home.”
Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”
Everybody stared at him. So strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.
She asked him curiously, “Why do you have this hobby?”
He replied, “When I was a little boy, I was living near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, and I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood. I miss so much my hometown and my parents who are still living there.”
While saying that he couldn’t hold back his tears. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can speak out his homesickness must be a man who loves home, cares about home, and has responsibility for his family.
Then she also started to speak about her faraway hometown, her childhood, and her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.
They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands: he was kind-hearted, warm and careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him.
Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story went on just like every beautiful love story: the princess married the prince, and then they were living in happiness…And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
After 40 years, he passed away, leaving her a letter.
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Learning the truth while reading the letter,
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–I am sorry, but you cannot imagine _________ difficulty I had _________ up this morning.
| A．which; getting | B．which; got | C．what; getting | D．what; got |
