阅读理解 Commodities (日用品) are basic materials that are used and traded worldwid - 高中英语试题 - 超级试练试题库

阅读理解     Commodities (日用品) are basic materials that are used and traded worldwide. The price of
commodities helps determine how much a business can charge for a product and the profit it can
make. Commodity prices have reached a two-year high since falling sharply during the world financial
crisis.
     Hard commodities are materials like iron ore, oil and gold. Agricultural products are soft
commodities. These include wheat, cotton and rice.
     Economic measures show the world economy is recovering. China and India, for example, have
reported strong growth in manufacturing (制造业). Developed nations have had slower growth.
John James, a business professor at Pace University, says demand in developing economies can push
up prices for commodities like oil and iron ore used for making steel. But, he says, changing currency
values can also influence prices.
     Gold prices have reached record levels in recent months. That means gold dealers must pay more
for the commodity now than they did only a year ago. That affects current prices.
     Not surprisingly, manufacturers want some control over the prices they pay for commodities.
Futures (期货) contracts are agreements between a buyer and a seller to exchange something at a
set price at some time in the future. These contracts let buyers lock in a price for basic materials. But
some traders in futures markets only want to make a profit. They buy or sell contracts depending on
the direction they believe prices will go. These speculators (投机者) get condemned when prices rise,
or fall, too quickly. The United States, Germany and France are looking into ways to limit this kind of
trading.
     Some experts say exporting commodities is not a good path to long-term economic growth. The
United Nations recently reported that the least developed countries must change their economies to
provide good incomes for their citizens. A UN official says the least developed countries need to cut
dependence on commodities and manufacture products for export. He says only this will let them gain
from world trade.1. How many of the following are soft commodities?
① gold  ②corn  ③ cotton  ④ iron  ⑤ education
⑥ oil  ⑦ fruits  ⑧ rice⑨ salt  ⑩ vegetablesA. Three.
B. Four.
C. Five.
D. Six.2. What is the leading factor for this round of growth of commodity prices?A. The growth of gold prices.
B. The speculators" seeking higher profits.
C. Growth of demands in developed economies.
D. Growth in manufacturing in developing nations.3. The underlined word "condemned" in the last but one paragraph probably means ______.A. blamed
B. killed
C. limited
D. tolerated4. What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?A. Measures to be taken by the United Nations.
B. Solutions to this problem for developing nations.
C. The disadvantages of high prices of commodities.
D. How to bring down the high prices of commodities.

1-4: CDAB

     Why must we pay taxes? The answer is that the government needs money for many things, for
example, to pay its soldiers, sailors and airmen, to build roads, bridges, offices, schools, etc, and to buy
goods from abroad; and only the people of the country can supply the money.
     One of the most important taxes is income-tax which a person pays according to the amount of his
income, whether he is a merchant, a doctor, a lawyer, a shopkeeper, a miner or anything else. This is
called a "direct" tax, because it is paid in money directly to the government.
     Another tax is paid on goods such as watches, jewelry, new clothes, tobacco wine, etc, when they are
brought into a country. Such a tax is paid as part of the price of these goods if they are late sold in shops.
We call it "indirect" tax, because it is paid indirectly through the shopkeepers.
     People usually complain about having to pay taxes, but they forget that the money is spent on things
that they and their families need. We need policemen to catch thieves, to see that men obey the laws, to
direct traffic, etc, and they must be paid what they earn; children need education and there must be
schools and teachers; we want our streets to be kept clean, and the wages of men who do this kind
of work have to be paid. Above all, the country must always be ready to defend itself against attacking
enemies, and we can not have an army without paying for it. Besides, if a country wants to develop, there
are many other things to do...
     Taxes, therefore, cannot be avoided. We buy our food and clothes and pay for our amusements; but,
there are several things that the State finds the money for, and that is necessary for us if our society is to
continue. We have no real reason to complain, therefore, when we are asked to supply money to be
spent for the good of ourselves and for our fellow-citizens.
                                                                  Title: 1. _____ Tax

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Governments	Having many things to do →2. Tax is
3. _____	4. _____	People → Taxes
		kinds of taxes	Tax-payers
		6. tax	People whose income is over a certain amount.
		7. tax	The shopkeeper.
	5. _____	Taxes → people
		On safety	Policemen and soldiers
		8. On _____	Teachers and schools
		On service	Officials and workers
		9. On _____	…
10. _____	Taxes can not be avoided
阅读理解
Cleveland has won the distinction of being the worst city in the United States, according to a new survey. The city has high unemployment, terrible weather, heavy taxes, and ordinary sports teams, all of which have pushed it to the No. 1 position in the Forbes.com list. "Cleveland was the only city that fell in the bottom half of rankings in all nine categories. And it has been entitled with a less than endearing nickname: the Mistake by the lake," Forbes said on its website, The economic downturn hit cities across the United States last year particularly in the mid-west section of the country. Crime and unemployment secured the No. 2 spot for Stockton, which held the top position in last year"s ranking. Memphis got third place thanks to its violent crime rate and the number of officials who are guilty, while the poor auto industry drove the Michigan cities of Detroit and Flint into the top five. "A lot of the cities that showed up on our list are going through hard times fight now, dealing with high unemployment, with declining producing bases. Many have experienced strong movement out of the city over the last 20 and 30 years." Despite (尽管) its fine weather, Miami scored in the bottom 10 percent in commuting (上下班往返) time, and violent crime which sent it into sixth place. "One of the biggest surprises is Miami. The good weather and no state income taxes blur some of the severe problems that Miami has related to crime as well as long commutes," Badenhausen added. Florida was followed in the poor ranking by St Louis, Buffalo, Canton, Ohio and Chicago, which has the country"s highest sales tax at 10.25 percent. New York, the nation"s biggest city, is rich in culture but its lengthy commuting time and high income taxes pushed it into 16th place.
1. From the text we can learn that ______.
A. Cleveland has been entitled a lovely nickname B. the economic downturn hit cities in the mid-east section C. Miami scored in the bottom 10 percent in all nine categories D. commuting time in New York is too long
2. What information can be inferred according to the text?
A. The number of officials who are guilty is large in Memphis. B. Stockton got second place in last year"s ranking. C. High income taxes made New York get 16th place. D. Ohio has the country"s highest sales tax.
3. The word "blur" underlined in the last paragraph but one probably means ______.
A. make it possible B. make it unclear C. make if obvious D. make it important
4. Which of the following is the correct ranking order?
A. Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Buffalo, Florida. B. Stockton, Miami, Flint, Florida, Canton. C. Cleveland, Stockton, Miami, Chicago, Florida. D. Stockton, Detroit, Miami, Florida, St Louis.
阅读理解。
阅读下面短文并回答问题(请注意问题后的词数要求)。 The worst US economic depression in the recent 70 years is forcing senior citizens out of retirement, leaving them fighting for jobs in a weak labor market or risking homelessness. The study by Experience Works, released on Tuesday, showed 46 percent of the 2,000 low income people over 55 years who participated needed to find work to keep their homes. Nearly half of them had been searching for work for more than a year. "These people are at the age where they understandably thought their job-searching years were behind them,” said Cynthia Metzler, president and CEO of Experience Works. "Bur here they are, many in their 60s, 70s and beyond, desperate to find work so they can keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.” According to the study, many of the participants had no intention of working past their 60 th birthday, but _______ after being laid off or following the death of the partner. Over a third of the participants had retired. Ninety percent of the respondents 76 years and older planned to continue working for the next five years. Huge medical bills due to a persona illness or that of a partner were also reasons for coming out of retirement, the survey found. The longest and deepest economic decline since the 1930s is making finding a job for the low-income elderly workers a difficult challenge. The Experience Works study found that 46 percent of the elderly jobseekers were sometimes forced to choose between paying rent and buying food or medication. Almost three-quarters believed their age made it harder to compete for jobs with younger workers. "This study underscores calls for the need to create policies that remove barriers to employment for elder workers and provide additional programs and services specifically aimed at helping elder people re-enter the work force or remain working,” said Metzler. 1. What’s the main idea of the passage? (no more than 12 words) _______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (no more than 5 words) _______________________________________________________________________________ 3. Complete the following statement with proper words. (no more than 3 words) The people over 55 years are hard to avoid the feeling that they have passed the age of ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What might be the solution to the problem according to the study? (no more than 15 words) ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What does the word “them” (line2, paragraph 2) probably refer to? (no more than 7 words) ________________________________________________________________________________
阅读理解
People in China, as in other parts of the world, are waiting to see how U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will deal with global problems such as the current economic slowdown once he takes office. As Sam Beattie reports from Beijing, there is widespread hope for closer U.S.-Chinese cooperation. For many students in Beijing, Mr. Obama symbolizes all that is possible in the United States. He"s a popular winner here, seen as a self-made man who has made it to the top. "I think he is very charming, and a president who can create a new era," said Zhang Wei, a university student. "I like him very much and most of my friends do too." Ni Weibo, another university student, agrees. "Sino-U.S. relations still need more cooperation," she said. "I think he will help take it to a new era." China"s President Hu Jintao congratulated Mr. Obama within hours of his victory, saying he hoped bilateral ties could be made stronger. Political analysts here say China will be looking for the incoming president to avoid contentious issues such as Taiwan"s independence, human rights and Tibet. Instead, they say Beijing would like Mr. Obama to focus on solving the global economic crisis, and to help China"s slowing economy by opening up U.S. markets. But trade relations might be a sticking point, says Renmin University"s Professor of International Studies, Shi Yinhong. He warns, "There is a possibility that President Obama will take some protectionist measures which China will not accept, then trade disputes could develop to a degree that we have not seen ever before." Despite making the headlines, Mr. Obama faces some tough challenges in managing the U.S. relationship with China. China is now a stronger and more confident country than the China his predecessors dealt with. And in this time of economic uncertainty, analysts say it"s a country with which Mr. Obama will want to maintain a good relationship. 1. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs? A. Mr. Obama was popular with many students in Beijing mostly because he will take office soon. B. Economic slowdown is the big problem that the world is facing and looking forward to solve except US C. China"s President Hu Jintao congratulated Obama on his victory within hours. D. Through Obama"s being elected, we can see all is possible in US and a new relationship may come. 2.What is not mentioned in this passage? A. What Barack Obama is expected to do in dealing with the US-China relationship. B. Why Barack Obama will maintain a good relationship with China. C. How Barack Obama will deal with the current economic slowdown. D. What image Barack Obama has given to Chinese people. 3. What does " a sticking point"( in para.7 ) mean? A. a twist point B. a disputed point C. a good beginning D. a understanding point 4. What is the best title for this report? A. US-Chinese Cooperation Under the Current Economic Slowdown B. Obama, Seen As A Popular Winner In China C. Chinese Want Stronger Ties With US Under Obama Administration D. The Current Economic Problem faces China As Well As US
任务型阅读
The standard of living of any country means the average person"s share of the goods and services which the country produces. A country’s standard of living, therefore, depends first and foremost on its capacity to produce wealth. "Wealth" in this sense is not money, for we do not live on money but on things that money can buy, “goods” such as food and clothing, and "services" such as transport and entertainment. A country"s capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of which have an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a very degree upon a country"s natural resources, such as coal, gold, and other minerals, water supply and so on. Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have a fertile soil and a favorable climate; other regions possess perhaps only one of these things, and some regions possess none of them. The USA is one of the wealthiest regions of the world because she has vast natural resources within her borders, her soil is fertile, and her climate is of variety. The Sahara Desert, on the other hand, is one of the least wealthy. Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. Sound and stable political conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion (侵略), enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally well served by nature but less well ordered. Another important factor is the technical efficiency of a country"s people. Old countries that have, through many centuries, trained up numerous skilled craftsmen and technicians are better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largely unskilled. Wealth also produces wealth. As a country becomes wealthier, its people have a large margin (富余) for saving, and can put their savings into factories and machines which will help workers to turn out more goods in their working day.