Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love.There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage.I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart.My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs.
I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(緊密團(tuán)結(jié)的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy.My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business.
Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart.Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不覺(jué)地) a progressive success story.The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year.
Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages.Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed.Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees.And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers.
Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence.You are sure to win the conversation.The divorce is likely to be more argued.
Economist

  1. 1.

    What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?

    1. A.
      His wife refuses to shop at Walmart.
    2. B.
      They are faced with a divorce.
    3. C.
      They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart.
    4. D.
      They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart.
  2. 2.

    Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________.

    1. A.
      it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages
    2. B.
      consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart
    3. C.
      Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy
    4. D.
      Walmart’s business increases global trade
  3. 3.

    What can be inferred from the reply letter?

    1. A.
      Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job.
    2. B.
      Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees.
    3. C.
      Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers.
    4. D.
      Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart.
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：單選題

When the car was first built, the design was ________ as highly original．


  1. A.
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  2. B.
    regarded
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord (房東) can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartment. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent-controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.
Some experts argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low-paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics hold the opinion that an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.
Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.
Economic theory predicts the results of economic decision, such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be corrected only if “other things are equal”. Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.

  1. 1.

    There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may________.

    1. A.
      cause a shortage of apartments
    2. B.
      worry those who rent apartments as homes.
    3. C.
      increase the profits of landlords.
    4. D.
      encourage landlords to invest in building apartments.
  2. 2.

    We can safely say that rent control_________.

    1. A.
      will always benefit those who rent apartments.
    2. B.
      is unnecessary.
    3. C.
      will probably bring inactive effects in the long run.
    4. D.
      is necessary under all conditions
  3. 3.

    There will be the problem of unemployment if ________________.

    1. A.
      the minimum wage is set too high..
    2. B.
      the minimum wage is set too early.
    3. C.
      the workers are unskilled.
    4. D.
      the maximum wage is set for poor workers.
  4. 4.

    The passage tells us about _______________.

    1. A.
      the relationship between supply and demand.
    2. B.
      the possible results of government controls.
    3. C.
      the necessity of government control.
    4. D.
      the urgency of getting rid of government control.
  5. 5.

    Which of the following statements is NOT true?

    1. A.
      The results of economic decisions cannot always be predicted.
    2. B.
      Minimum wage cannot always protect employees.
    3. C.
      Economic theory can help predict the results of economic decision if other factors are not changing.
    4. D.
      Economists usually have the same prediction about an economic decision.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Animals seem to have the sense to eat when they are hungry and they do not eat more than their bodies need.It has been demonstrated（證明）that rats will, when given a choice over a period of time, prefer water with vitamins to water without vitamins even though there is no difference in taste or smell between the two water bottles.When a fragrant（香的）flavor（作料）was added to the vitamin-enriched water, the rats did seem to prefer it and kept drinking it ,even after the vitamins were switched to the clear water.In time, however, they broke the habit and went back to where the necessary vitamins were.
In a classic experiment, babies of 6 to 12 months old were placed in a cafeteria（自助） feeding arrangement, with a wide selection of baby food before them.They were given whatever food they pointed to or appeared interested in.We are told that at first they showed some unusual eating patterns, but that over a period of time they managed to select well-balanced diet.
So, in selecting food, rats and babies do seem to know and act on what's best for them.Apparently, there is a kind of “body wisdom”,  which humans soon lose.Most of us do not eat as wisely as we could.Many of our food preferences are culturally determined and influenced by long-established habits.Some people eat fox, dog and blackbirds, while we eat cows and pigs.So what people eat and how much they eat seems to be greatly influenced by what is going on around them.

  1. 1.

    In the experiment on rats, a fragrant flavor was added to the rats’ drinking water to _____________ .

    1. A.
      encourage rats to drink vitamins-enriched water
    2. B.
      find out rats’ preference in flavor
    3. C.
      test whether rats know which drink is good for them
    4. D.
      demonstrate the vitamins are tasteless
  2. 2.

    According to the passage ,adults eating habits differ from those of babies because_________.

    1. A.
      adults know better than babies what kind of food are good for their health
    2. B.
      adults usually cannot resist the temptation of various delicious foods
    3. C.
      adults' eating habits are closely related to the social and cultural customs
    4. D.
      adults have more choices of food than babies in eating patterns
  3. 3.

    The author implied in the passage that most of us_________.

    1. A.
      eat a balanced diet
    2. B.
      choose the food that is of nutrition
    3. C.
      have the habits influenced by the surroundings
    4. D.
      like to eat the food with a fragrant flavor.
  4. 4.

    As far as their eating habits are concerned, babies and rats are similar in that_________.

    1. A.
      both have the wisdom to choose a balanced diet
    2. B.
      both prefer flavored food and drink
    3. C.
      both have the same eating patterns
    4. D.
      both develop a taste for the same kinds of flavors

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

What is freedom? It seems like such a simple question. Freedom is being able to do what you want to do. Allow me to explain it.
I’m tired of working for a living. I’d rather collect taxes. So that’s what I’m going to do: collect a kind of tax. You are ordered to estimate your income from the past 12 months, and write me a check for 1%. I have provided a mailing address for this purpose on my contact page …
What? You have a problem with my plan? Oh, I see. If you have to send me a check for the tax, then I have hurt your freedom to spend that money as you see fit. We have a conflict! And our basic problem is: we cannot enjoy freedom at the same time; we must settle for a limit. But what limit?
Libertarians (自由論者) believe freedom should be based on self-control. They describe freedom as being able to do what you want to do as long as it doesn’t influence the equal right of others to do what they want to do. That is, freedom is being able to do what you like as long as you do not harm another person’s life, liberty or property.
You can build a set of legal and ethical (道德的) rules on the principle of self-control, and libertarians do. Their request for self-control often becomes more important than common sense, or even freedom itself.
The definition rules out the freedom to steal, murder, and so on. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want. There is no problem until you realize that taxation is theft, that war is murder, and that national service is a form of slavery. Since only the government has a legal right to use force, libertarians focus on making the government smaller, or even going without it. The libertarians’ definition of freedom is thus freedom from the government. Isn’t it ridiculous?

  1. 1.

    According to the first three paragraphs, the author’s idea of collecting taxes is _________.

    1. A.
      reasonable
    2. B.
      responsible
    3. C.
      unacceptable
    4. D.
      understandable
  2. 2.

    The author takes tax-collecting as an example in the passage to prove that freedom is _________.

    1. A.
      unreal
    2. B.
      unbelievable
    3. C.
      achievable
    4. D.
      limited
  3. 3.

    In the opinion of libertarians, freedom is realized mainly by _________.

    1. A.
      the law
    2. B.
      self-control
    3. C.
      ethical rules
    4. D.
      common sense
  4. 4.

    Which of the following statements is supported by libertarians according to the passage?

    1. A.
      National service should be canceled.
    2. B.
      People can do whatever they want.
    3. C.
      The government should have more power.
    4. D.
      They should be governed by the government.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Ways to Burn More Calories
Run through water
Running in water is one of the toughest activities you can perform because the wet stuff is about 12 to 15 times as resistant (具有阻力的) as air. Try your hardest to run and you can burn about 17 calories per minute.
Start fast
Don’t be fooled — slow and steady won’t win the race. A recent study found that after a short warm-up, cyclists who rode hard during the first half of their workouts and then slowed for the second half burned about 10 percent more calories than those who started slow and finished fast.
Take to the sand
Here is some easy-to-remember advice on burning calories: the softer the surface, the more you burn. By walking or running on the beach, you can use up 20 to 50 percent more calories than you do going at the same pace on a hard trail.
Shut up and dance
Here’s the perfect excuse to sign up for that hip-hop dance class you’ve been eager to try. Surprising your body with new activities — dance, a new sport, you name it — forces it to work harder because it’s doing unfamiliar movements and using muscle groups in different ways.
Use your arms
Getting both your upper and lower body involved can provide a big calorie-burning advantage. So if you’re short of time or want to get everything you can out of your usual 45-minute workout, try total-body activities such as rowing ormming. You can evenng your arms as hard as you can while you walk.

  1. 1.

    How can water help you burn more calories?

    1. A.
      By pushing your body.
    2. B.
      By wetting your clothes and shoes.
    3. C.
      By forcing you to run faster.
    4. D.
      By forcing your body to work harder.
  2. 2.

    What does “it” in Part 4 refer to?

    1. A.
      Dance.
    2. B.
      Movement.
    3. C.
      Body.
    4. D.
      Muscle.
  3. 3.

    Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    1. A.
      One can burn more calories when walking on the sand than on land.
    2. B.
      One can burn more calories when walking on stones than on earth.
    3. C.
      One can burn more calories when running in water than on the sand.
    4. D.
      One can burn more calories when exercising using the upper body than using the lower body.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Everyone would like to be a millionaire , a person with a lot of money, but can you imagine having over $30 million and only being 20 years old? Britney Spears from Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana, is only 20 years old. She is a world famous film star with not only $30 million but also a $2 million house in LA. At her young age, she can look after her family financially (經(jīng)濟(jì)上) all her life. This year is a big year for Britney. She is now on a 31-day tour of the US and every concert is a sell-out. That means she plays in front of a crowd of around 18,000 people every time. It’s a tiring schedule but brings her a lot. When touring, she goes to bed around 1 a.m. and then has a lie-in until 1 p.m. the next day. Her philosophy (人生觀) is to take care of the body and relax but always make sure you work hard and have fun.
Spears is not pleased with only touring and selling nearly 40 million records so she decided to step into the movie business and try a bit of acting. She made an appearance in “Austin Power 3” this year and she is filming a teenage light play that will come out in March 2003. In this movie, she has a starring role.
For Britney, acting is another way to express herself and she is enthusiastic (熱心的) about it all. If her movies are successful, her money in the bank is sure to grow by another few million dollars but she does it for the love, not the money, as she herself tells the reporters .

  1. 1.

    We can infer (推斷) from the text that most millionaires are __________.

    1. A.
      older than 20
    2. B.
      around 20
    3. C.
      in their 30s
    4. D.
      in their 40s
  2. 2.

    The underlined word “you” in the first paragraph refers to __________.

    1. A.
      a person in general
    2. B.
      a special person
    3. C.
      Britney Spears
    4. D.
      a person interested in money
  3. 3.

    Which of the following is not true according to the text?

    1. A.
      Though young, Britney can support her family now.
    2. B.
      While touring, Britney sleeps about 12 hours a day.
    3. C.
      The teenage comedy movie was based on Britney’s own story.
    4. D.
      Britney will be even richer with her movies successful.
  4. 4.

    According to Britney Spears, she works __________.

    1. A.
      to be a great actress
    2. B.
      for the enjoyment
    3. C.
      for money
    4. D.
      to be more famous

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

People are so busy these days that many have no time to cook. This is a problem, because many families love home cooking! A family meal brings everyone together. In some families, meals are often the only time everyone sees one another at the same time.
Another reason people enjoy home cooking is that it is often a way of showing love. A parent who makes some cookies is not just satisfying a child's sweet tooth. She or he is sending a message. The message says,“I care about you enough to spend an hour making cookies that you will eat up in no time.”
There is also something about the smell of home cooking. The smell of home cooking pleases people of all ages. It makes most of us feel good and loved—even if we are the ones doing the cooking! Next time you smell a cake being cooked, stop for a moment and pay attention to your mood.

  1. 1.

    Fewer people cook now because _________.

    1. A.
      they have no time.              
    2. B.
      they are not busy.
    3. C.
      many people don't like cooking.   
    4. D.
      they don't like family meals.
  2. 2.

    A parent spends an hour making cookies __________.

    1. A.
      just to satisfy her or his child's sweet tooth   
    2. B.
      only to send a message.
    3. C.
      so her child can eat them in 15 minutes     
    4. D.
      to show her or his love
  3. 3.

    The writer thinks the smell of home cooking makes us _________.

    1. A.
      feel happy                
    2. B.
      interested in cooking
    3. C.
      pay attention to our mood    
    4. D.
      love others
  4. 4.

    What's the main idea of this passage?

    1. A.
      Family meals are important.    
    2. B.
      How to make cookies.
    3. C.
      People are too busy to cook.    
    4. D.
      Home made cookies taste better。

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

The man known as the French “ Spiderman” climbed The New York Times building on Thursday to draw attention to global warming, and six hours later another climber made the same climb.
Alain Robert, 45, the first person to climb the 52-story skyscraper, told reporters ahead of the climb on the UN World Environment Day his aim was to raise awareness of global warming since this is one of the main problems for our time.
His manager Julie Cohen said she knew nothing about the second climber. She added that Robert’s climbs were without risk and he was a professional climber.
Robert climbed without equipment except for climbing shoes. He was greeted at the top by the police who arrested him. 
The second climber was also immediately arrested at the top by police. His climb at the height of the evening rush hour drew crowds and was shown live on at least one TV station.
Several people in the crowd shouted“jump” when he stopped part of the way to rest, but there was a loud cheer as he reached the top. Wearing red pants , black climbing shoes and a white T-shirt that read “ Malaria(瘧疾) No More”, the man laughed as he was led away by the police from the building.
“ We don’t look at him as a modern spiderman,” said James Coil, a member of the police emergency services unit. “ We look at him as somebody who not only puts his life at risk but is one of members of the public as well.”
Martin Edlund, director of “ Malaria No More”, which aims to prevent the one million yearly deaths from malaria, said the climber had nothing to do with them, but they appreciated his enthusiasm.

  1. 1.

    When was Alain Robert arrested at the top of the building by police?

    1. A.
      In the early morning.    
    2. B.
      In the late afternoon.
    3. C.
      In the evening.         
    4. D.
      About at noon.
  2. 2.

    We learn from the text that Robert’s climb was________.

    1. A.
      cheered by the police   
    2. B.
      supported by his manager
    3. C.
      prevented by the owner of the skyscraper
    4. D.
      laughed at by the people watching him
  3. 3.

    The second climber did the same thing as Robert with the purpose of_____.

    1. A.
      showing that he is as good as Robert 
    2. B.
      drawing people’s attention to global warming
    3. C.
      doing something for people’s health improvement
    4. D.
      making himself well known in the world
  4. 4.

    The underlined sentence shows that________.

    1. A.
      risk is popular in the USA
    2. B.
      the Americans go in for risks
    3. C.
      the actions like the two men’s are forbidden in the USA
    4. D.
      the USA government supports the actions of risk

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