WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for
题型：不详难度：来源：
WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.
It’s not easy, even desperate.
“We have many children left to place: 40 out of 75,” said Straub, who works for a Paris-based foreign exchange programme called LEC. When exchange programmes started 50 years ago, family life was more accommodating. For one thing, more mothers stayed home.
But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30,000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend their academic year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes.
School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic.
In searching for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone who has the ability to do it.
“We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25- year-old programme that sends about 30,000 teenagers on academic year exchange programmes worldwide.
“For elderly people, exchange students keep us young; they really do!” said Jean Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Porst from Denmark.
小题1:Vickie Weiner is the person who ________.| A．works for a programme called LEC | B．works for a programme called ASSE | | C．is 25 years old | D．hosts foreign students |
小题2: From the passage we can learn that at the beginning of the exchange programmes_______.| A．all the families could host foreign students | | B．only young couples could host foreign students | | C．only those who were retired could host foreign students | | D．those who were not too old could host foreign students |
小题3:Which of the following is the best title of this passage?| A．US Struggles to Find Host Families | | B．Idea of Hosting Students Is Different | | C．Foreign-exchange Program Is Going On | | D．Exchange Students Keep Old People Young |
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答案
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:A |
解析
试题分析：文章介绍现在在美国找寄宿家庭接受来自法国的学生是很困难的，因为现在妇女在外面做越来越多，接受外国学生的吸引力也没有过去那么大了，文章还介绍如何应对的措施。
小题1:细节题：从倒数第二段的句子：“We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE,可知Vickie Weiner 是为ASSE工作的人，选B
小题2:推理题：从倒数第三段的句子：In searching for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone who has the ability to do it.和最后一段的内容，可知过去的交换项目是那些不是太老的寄宿主人，但是现在面向所有的年龄的人，选D
小题3:主旨题：这是一篇新闻报道，开头就点明要报道的内容，WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.可知本文的主旨：Laura Straub在美国找寄宿家庭接受来自法国的学生是很困难的，选A |
举一反三
Wugging, or web-use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user. By using Everyclick.com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won’t cost them a penny.
Research shows that students are extremely passionate about supporting charity — 88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity. This figure is high considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income. 19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than £5,000. With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible.
Beth Truman, a 21 year old recent university graduate, has used everyclick.com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the “wugging” grow in popularity with students. “When you’re at university you become more socially aware, but it’s sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself,” says Beth. “Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny.”
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don’t feel they have the means to do so. Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding.
Everyclick.com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK’s 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks. Everyclick.com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity. Launched in June 2005, Everyclick.com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK.
小题1:According to the passage, “wugging” is actually _______.| A．a student movement | B．a charity-related action | | C．a school organization | D．a website |
小题2:In the case of charity, everyclick.com _______.| A．frees students of the financial worries | | B．receives much money from students | | C．offers valuable information to students | | D．praises students for their money-raising |
小题3:What does Beth Truman think of the “wugging” movement?| A．It makes Everyclick.com popular in the UK. | | B．It becomes easy to do charity because of it. | | C．It results in students’ more social awareness. | | D．It helps students to save money. |
小题4:From the passage, we can conclude that _______.| A．most full time students do charity on the Internet every day | | B．Everyclick.com helps students pay for the college education | | C．“wugging” is a win-win idea for both students and charities | | D．Everyclick.com is the most successful search engine in the UK |
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Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 BC to about 1300 AD, when sea travel offered new routes. It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway.
However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft (嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit.
They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy, and religion.
小题1:It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed ______.| A．to deal with a lot of difficulties | B．to know the making of products | | C．to receive certain special training | D．to remember the entire trade route |
小题2:The Silk Road became less important because ______.| A．it was made up of different routes | B．silk trading became less popular | | C．people needed fewer foreign goods | D．sea travel provided easier routes |
小题3:New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people ______.| A．shared each other’s beliefs | B．learned from one another | | C．traded goods along the route | D．earned their living by traveling |
小题4:What is the best title for the passage?| A．The Silk Road: Past and Present | B．The Silk Road: East Meets West | | C．The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers | D．The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning |
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Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy (***) protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.
Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency (自满) ,” that explanation doesn’t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak predicted that digital photography would overtake film (胶片) — and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 — but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.
“It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future”, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.
Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching into new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets (资产) into the new businesses.
Although Kodak predicted the unavoidable rise of digital photography, its corporate (企业的) culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.
Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.
小题1:What do we learn about Kodak?| A．It went bankrupt all of a sudden. | | B．It is approaching its downfall. | | C．It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry. | | D．It is playing a dominant role in the film market. |
小题2:Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera? | A．To show its early attempt to reinvent itself. | | B．To show its effort to overcome complacency. | | C．To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution. | | D．To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji photo. |
小题3:Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets? | A．They find it costly to give up their existing assets. | | B．They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges. | | C．They are unwilling to invest in new technology. | | D．They are deeply stuck in their glorious past. |
小题4:What does the author say Kodak’s history has become? | A．A burden. | B．A mirror. | C．A joke. | D．A challenge. |
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GWANGJU, South Korea, Sept. 28，2013 (Xinhua) — Cultural ministers from China, Japan and South Korea participating in the 5th China-Japan-South Korea Ministerial Conference on Culture held here Saturday agreed to strengthen cultural exchange and cooperation to promote the cultural prosperity of East Asia.
Cai Wu, China"s Minister of Culture, Hakubun Shimomura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and Yoo Jinryong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea attended the meeting in the South Korean city with more than 2,000 years of history.
At the meeting, Cai said that the east and west differ in history, culture and values, but the East Asia as a whole, especially China, Japan and South Korea, should take good advantage of their cultural and historical similarities, trying to create “shared East Asia value”and seeking a greater say around the world.
The ministers drew the Gwangju Joint Document at the meeting to strengthen cultural exchange and cooperation in the fields of culture industry, exhibitions, cultural heritage preservation and the youth exchanges to promote the program of “East Asia City of Culture.”
China, Japan and South Korea also agreed that the host country of the annual ministerial meeting will organize a joint cultural festival, including art performances, exhibitions, academic seminars and other relevant events starting from 2014.
The annual trilateral Ministerial Conference on Culture was firstly launched in 2007. The Gwangju meeting is the fifth round of this series, and the last round of this meeting was held in Shanghai, China in May 2012.
小题1:Which of the following information is True according to the text?| A．The 5th China-Japan-South Korea Ministerial Conference on Culture was held on Sunday. | | B．The 5th China-Japan-South Korea Ministerial Conference on Culture is aimed at promoting the cultural prosperity of West Asia. | | C．Yoo Jinryong, Minister of Culture, Science, Technology and Tourism of Korea attended the meeting. | | D．GWANGJU is a South Korean city that has a history of more than 2,000 years. |
小题2:The underlined phrase “seeking a greater say”in Paragraph 3 probably means .| A．looking for more chances to speak Asian languages | | B．trying to get greater power or right of acting or deciding | | C．attempting to take up more space in the world | | D．getting more time to set a good example to others |
小题3:This text mainly tells us ________. | A．three Asian leaders meet each other to discuss economic problems | | B．how the program of “East Asia City of Culture”came into being | | C．three Asian countries agree to promote cultural prosperity of East Asia | | D．the trilateral Ministerial Conference on Culture firstly began in 2007 |
小题4:We can know from the text that .| A．the fourth Ministerial Conference on Culture was held in GWANGJU | | B．the trilateral Ministerial Conference on Culture is held once a year | | C．the Ministerial Conference on Culture has never been held in China | | D．no changes were made about the forms of activities to be held in the future |
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At least 371people were killed and over 750 others injured Saturday in two earthquakes that hit Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan Province , officials said.
Saif-ur-Rehman, spokesperson of Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that a total of 359 people were killed and 750 others injured up till Saturday in the 7.7-magnitude(震级) earthquake that hit the province on Thursday, while the second earthquake measuring 7.2 at the Richter scale, which struck the area on Saturday afternoon, killed 12 people.
He said that the Thursday "s quake affected six districts with Awaran as the worst hit area, where 312 people were killed and 525 others injured when thousands of houses collapsed（坍塌）in various towns and villages of the district.
The spokesman said that Kech area of the province was also badly affected, where 46 people died and 240 injured in various villages.
The Saturday"s earthquake hit Nokjo area of Awaran, killing 12 people, injuring dozens others and destroying many houses.
The spokesperson said that the condition of the injured and affected people is not yet known, as it happened in a far area where it would take several hours for the rescue teams to reach.
Overall the two quakes affected a population of 185,000 and 37, 000 families, said the spokesperson.
The Chinese government has sent three flights carrying relief assistance, including medicines, emergency medical equipment, water purifiers, blankets, tents weighing 260 tons in total.
It is said that the Chinese government will also be handing over cash grant worth 1.5 million U.S. dollars to Pakistan"s Economic Affairs Division on Sept.30 for the quake victims.
小题1:According to the text, up till Saturday, the deaths in the earthquake that hit the province on Thursday reached ________.小题2: Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?| A．More than 750 people were injured on Saturday in the two earthquakes. | | B．Five hundred and twenty-five people were injured in Awaran in the Thursday "s quake. | | C．Six districts were affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan. | | D．No more than one of the two earthquakes struck Awaran, Balochistan Province. |
小题3: We can know from the text that . | A．the condition of the injured people in the two earthquakes was not knownon Saturday | | B．the two quakes affected a population of 37, 000 and a total of 185,000 families | | C．the Chinese government would send 260-ton relief materials to Pakistan on Sept.30 | | D．the Chinese government showed great concern for the earthquake-hit areas |
小题4:What can be the best title for the text? | A．Earthquakes Hit Pakistan | | B．Balochistan Province Manages Disasters | | C．More Relief Assistance is Needed | | D．Pakistan Faces Great Loss |
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