A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found that most of them are ignorant when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a series of reports from NatWest that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, are particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts man any before.
University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at ￡3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average ￡ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just
￡ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than ￡ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are ￡ 12，363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they arc to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr aged 15 from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted that she still had a lot to learn about money.
1. Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?
A. Students understand personal finances differently.
B. University tuition fees in England have been rising.
C. Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings.
D. The students' payback ability has become a major issue.
2. The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. to raise the student loans B. to improve the school facilities
C. to increase the upper limit of the tuition D. to lift the school building roofs
3. According to Stephen Moir, students_______.
A. are too young to be exposed to financial issues
B. should learn to manage their finances well
C. should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans
D. benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance
4. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many British teenagers do not know money matters well
B. Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts.
C. Financial planning is a required course at college.
D. Young people should become responsible adults.
( B )
Astronauts aboard the space station celebrated a space first on Wednesday by drinking water that had been recycled from their urine(尿), sweat and water got from air. They said “cheers,” clicked drinking bags and toasted NASA workers on the ground.
The urine recycling system is needed for astronaut stations on the moon and Mars. It also will save NASA money because it won’t have to ship up as much water to the station by space shuttles or rockets. Besides, it’s important as the space station is about to expand from three people living on board to six.
The recycling system had been brought up to the space station last November by space shuttle Endeavour, but it couldn’t be used until samples(样品) were tested back on earth. So when it came time to actually drink up, NASA made a big deal of it. The three-man crew stood holding their drinks and thanked engineers in two NASA centers that worked on the system.
“This is something that had been the stuff of science fiction,” American astronaut Michael Barratt said before taking a small mouthful. “The taste is worth trying.”
The new system takes the combined urine of the crew from the toilet, moves it to a big tank, where the water is boiled off, and the steam is collected. The rest of the urine is thrown away. Then the water steam is mixed with water from air, and then it goes through filters (过滤器). When six crew members are aboard it can make about 18 liters from urine in about 6 hours.
“Some people may find the idea of drinking recycled urine distasteful, but it is also done on earth, but with a lot longer time between urine and the tap,” said Marybeth Eden, the space station’s national lab manager.
The technology NASA developed for this system has already been used for quick water purification after the 2004 Asian tsunami.
5. According to the text, the recycling system is important because __________.
A. it makes traveling to the moon for the average person possible
B. it can help meet the need for more water after the crew is expanded
C. with it NASA won’t need to ship any water up the space station
D. it protects the environment in space by reducing the amount of waste
6. From Paragraph 5 we can know __________.
A. the process of recycling urine
B. the effect of the recycling system
C. the theory behind the recycling system
D. an opinion on recycling urine
7. What did Eden say about recycled urine and the recycling system?
A. The taste of recycled urine is not as good as that of common water.
B. The recycling system has made a science fiction story come true.
C. The idea of drinking recycled urine makes astronauts feel unpleasant.
D. It takes a longer time on earth to make water from urine than in space.
8. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Research of NASA Has Made Great Progress
B. New Technology Is Used in the Space Station
C. Drink up: Space Station Recycles Urine to Water
D. Good News:Water Recycled from Urine Tastes Good
( C )
Perhaps the most famous theory, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistell. He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed. In other words, we learn our looks—we are not born with them. A baby has generally informed face features. A baby, according to Birdwhistell, learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around-family and friends. This helps explain why the people of some areas of the United States look so much alike, new Englanders or Southerners have certain common face features that cannot be explained by genetics(遗传学). The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth, it is learned after. In fact, the final mouth shape is not formed until well after new teeth are set. For many, this can be well into grown-ups. A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look alike. We learn our looks from those around us. This is perhaps why in a single country area where people smile more than those in other areas. In the United States, for example, the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently. In New England they smile less, and in the western part of New York State still less. Many southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly, partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. Georgia. People in largely populated areas also smile and greet each other in public less than people in small towns do.
9. Ray Birdwhistell believes that physical appearance _______.
A. has little to do with culture B. has much to do with culture
C. is ever changing D. is different from place to place
10. According to the passage, the final mouth shape is formed _______.
A. before birth B. as soon as one’s teeth are newly set
C. sometime after new teeth are set D. around 15 years old
11. Ray Birdwhistell can tell what area of the United States a person is from by _______.
A. how much he or she laughs B. how he or she raises his or her eyebrows
C. what he or she likes best D. the way he or she talks
12. This passage might have been taken out of a book dealing with ________.
A. physics B. chemistry C. biology D. none of the above
( D )
Wondered how plants talk to each other? They do not have the same language as humans but they have their own ways．Recent research by scientists at Kyoto University, Japan, describes how the Lima bean（利马豆）plant protects itself and its neighbours from the red spider．It sends out clear distress（危难）signals．It's not like they make strange noises to attract attention, though．It does it very silently．The Lima bean plant releases chemicals to send the message of a troublesome intruder（闯入者）to all its neighbours．That is the signal for all the plants to get their defense system working．
Plants all over the world have qualities, which make then special in their own ways．Some plants produce chemicals that give the leaves and stem a strong taste or smell of chillies（辣椒）, spices and herbs used for cooking．These substances either discourage or even kill insects and other animals that might try to eat the plant．
Since plants cannot escape from creatures that feed on them, many have evolved features to protect them against plant eating animals．The two main defenses that plants use are armour（盔甲）and poison．In the Galapagos Islands cacti grow a thick stalk（花梗）more than two meters tall putting the tender leaves well out of the reach of the giant tortoises．
Japanese azaleas（杜鹃花）produce poisonous chemicals that let them survive even among hungry deer．Some of these chemical substances may even prevent the growth of nearby plants．For example, radishes（小萝卜）produce a chemical substance, which slows the growth of other vegetables．Similarly, walnut and apple trees cannot grow together because chemicals released from walnut tree kill the apple tree．
So it is not just a self-survival instinct that plants have．They also have an instinct for community feeling, as the Lima bean plant shows．Nature is full of many surprises!
13．What do we know about the Lima bean plant?
A．It can kill other plants． B．It can send out signals silently．
C．It can turn to farmers for help． D．It can make noises to call attention．
14．The Lima bean plant sends message to its neighbours so that ________ ．
A．it can gather strength to fight back B．it can get neighbours' timely help
C．they get ready to fight against the intruder D．they help each other to defend themselves
15．Why do some plants produce chemicals like chillies, spices and herbs?
A．To be used for cooking． B．To get rid of the enemies．
C．To show their own nature． D．To kill insects and animals．
16．In Paragraph 3, cacti is used an example to show________ ．
A. where intellectual plants can be found
B. what plants in the Galapagos Islands look like
C. why plants have to fit in with the environment
D. how plants have evolved to protect themselves
( E )
A is for always getting to work on time.
B is for being extremely busy.
C is for the conscientious（勤勤恳恳的）way you do your job.
You may be all these things at the office, and more. But when it comes to getting ahead, experts say, the ABCs of business should include a P, for politics, as in office politics.
Dale Carnegie suggested as much more than 50 years ago: Hard work alone doesn’t ensure career advancement. You have to be able to sell yourself and your ideas, both publicly and behind the scenes. Yet, despite the obvious rewards of engaging in office politics—a better job, a raise, praise—many people are still unable or unwilling—to “play the game”.
“People assume that office politics involves some manipulative（工于心计的） behavior,” says Deborah Comer, an assistant professor of management at Hofstra University. “But politics derives from the word ‘polite’. It can mean lobbying（游说）and forming associations. It can mean being kind and helpful, or even trying, to please your superior, and then expecting something in return.”
In fact, today, experts define office politics as proper behaviors used to pursue one’s own self-interest in the workplace. In many cases, this involves some forms of socializing within the office environment—not just in large companies, but in small workplaces as well.
“The first thing people are usually judged on is their ability to perform well on a consistent basis,” says Neil P. Lewis , a management psychologist. “But if two or three candidates are up for a promotion, each of whom has reasonably similar ability, a manager is going to promote the person he or she likes best. It’ s simple human nature.”
Yet, psychologists say, many employees and employers have trouble with the concept of politics in the office. Some people, they say, have an idealistic vision of work and what it takes to succeed. Still others associate politics with flattery, fearful that, if they speak up for themselves, they may appear to be flattering their boss for favors.
Experts suggest altering this negative picture by recognizing the need for some self-promotion.
17. “Office politics”（Line 2,Para.4）is used in the passage to refer to____.
A. the political views and beliefs of office workers
B. the interpersonal relationships within a company
C. the various qualities required for a successful career
D. the code of behavior for company staff
18. To get promoted, one must not only be competent but____.
A. avoid being too outstanding B. get along well with his colleagues
C. honest and loyal to his company D. give his boss a good impression
19. The author considers office politics to be ____.
A. unwelcome at the workplace
B. bad for interpersonal relationships
C. an important factor for personal advancement
D. indispensable to the development of company culture
20. It is the author’ s view that____.
A. self-promotion does not necessarily mean flattery
B. hard work contributes very little to one’ s promotion
C. many employees fail to recognize the need of flattery
D. speaking up for oneself is part of human nature
( F )
The latest research suggests a more prosaic, democratic, even puritanical view of the world. The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It’s not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it’s deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft. If you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average verbal ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar biographical traits. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same ethnic background, or, shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would give her some idea of a fascinating circle she might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fueling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’d be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly perceive its inner workings.
Then she would practice writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practicing in this way, she delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious, automatically performed skills. By practicing slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance from the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems― how do I get characters into a room― dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary trait she possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine. The latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behavior.
21. The passage mainly deals with _____.
A. the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer B. the relationship between genius and success
C. the decisive factor in making a genius D. the way of gaining some sense of distinction
22. By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could ______.
A. come to understand the inner structure of writing
B. join a fascinating circle of writers someday
C. share with a novelist her likes and dislikes
D. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security
23. In the girl’s long painstaking training process, _____.
A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success
B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance
C. she acquires the magic of some great achievements
D. she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write
24. What can be concluded from the passage?
A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success.
B. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.
C. As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. doesn’t matter, but just his/her efforts.
D. What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.
( G )
Boiler rooms are often dirty and steamy, but this one is clean and cool. Fox Point is a very new 47-unit living building in South Bronx, one of the city’s poorest areas. Two-thirds of the people living there are formerly (以前) homeless people, whose rent is paid by the government. The rest are low-income families. The boiler room has special equipment, which produces energy for electricity and heat. It reuses heat that would otherwise be lost to the air, reducing carbon emissions (碳排放) while also cutting costs.
Fox Point is operated by Palladia, a group that specializes in providing housing and services to needy people. Palladia received support from Enterprise Community Partners (ECP), which helps build affordable housing by providing support to housing developers.
ECP has created national standards for healthy, environmentally (环境方面) clever and affordable homes which are called the Green Communities Standards. These standards include water keeping, energy saving and the use of environmentally friendly building materials. Meeting the standards increases housing construction costs by 2%, which is rapidly paid back by lower running costs. Even the positioning of a window to get most daylight can help save energy.
Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, plans to create 165,000 affordable housing units for 500, 000 New Yorkers. Almost 80% of New York City’s green-house-gas emissions come from buildings, and 40% of those are caused by housing. So he recently announced that the city’s Department of Housing and Preservation and Development (DHPD) , whose duty is to develop and keep the city’s supply of affordable housing, will require all its new projects to follow ECP’s green standards.
Similar measures have been taken by other cities, such as Cleveland and Denver, but New York’s DHPD is the largest city developer of affordable housing in the country.
25. What is the purpose of describing the boiler room in the first paragraph?
A. To explain the measures the city takes to care for poor people.
B. To suggest that affordable housing is possible in all areas.
C. To show how the environment- friendly building works.
D. To compare old and new boiler rooms.
26. What is an advantage of the buildings meeting the Green Communities Standards?
A. Lower running costs. B. Costing less in construction.
C. Less air to be lost in hot days. D. Better prices for homeless people.
27. It can be learned from the text that _______.
A. New York City is seriously polluted
B. people’s daily life causes many carbon emissions in New York City
C. a great number of people in New York City don’t have houses to live in
D. some other cities have developed more affordable housing than New York City
28. What is the main purpose of this text?
A. To call on people to pay more attention to housing problems.
B. To prove that some standards are needed for affordable housing.
C. To ask society to help homeless people and low-income families.
D. To introduce healthy, environ- mentally clever and affordable housing.
2013高 三 英 语 阅 读 竞 赛 答 题 卡
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(A) _____________ (B) _____________
(C) _____________ (D) _____________
(E) _____________ (F) _____________
(G) _____________
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