How do you pay for things? Do you usually use cash (现金), or do you like to pay by credit card(信用卡)? If you are like a lot of people, you probably have at least one credit card. Also, you might use it more often than you probably should.
Credit cards first became popular in the 1920s. At that time, businesses, such as hotels and companies, gave credit cards to their best customers (顾客). Unlike today’s credit cards, customers could only use these cards at the store or business that gave out the card. Customers had to pay for things in full. They couldn’t pay for something a little at a time.
In 1950, a businessman named MCNamara started a credit card company-Diners Club. Unlike earlier credit cards, this card could be used by customers at many restaurants. Customers liked the card because they didn’t have to carry a lot of cash with them. Restaurant owners liked the card, too. Why? They found out that customers usually spent more money when they could pay by credit cards.
In its first year of business, Diners Club provided 200 cards. The customers who got the cards from the diners Club could use them at 27 different restaurants. Today, Diners Club has 8 million customers, and they can use their cards in over 7.6 million businesses in more than 200 countries.
根据短文内容，回答问题。（10分）
1.Who could get credit cards in 1920s?
2.In 1920s, could the customers pay for something a little at a time?
3.Why did the customers like credit cards?
4.What made the restaurant owners happy when the customers used credit cards?
5.In how many countries can the credit card owners of Diners Club use their cards today?
1.Mrs. Anderson is a housewife with three children. She is a good mother and cares for her family. On school nights, she usually reads books to the children while on weekends she’d like them to be close to the nature, enjoying the lovely living creatures.
2.Mr. Scott is a well-known professor who teaches South-East Asian history in UBC. He is also an excellent photographer. In his spare time, he always goes outdoor to get some inspiration(灵感). These days he is busy preparing for a photography exhibition.
3.Mr. Smiley is an electronic engineer who is busy all week except Saturday. He has two sons and they are crazy about doing tricks with each other. However, they are full of imagination and they hope that they’ll be as famous as David Copperfield.
4.Mrs. Reid is a doctor. She is also a good mother whose son is only seven. She believes science and history are of great importance. As long as she is free, she will company her son to all kinds of activities or exhibitions.
5.The Morgans are an old couple who have been retired for over five years. Mr. Morgan is fond of fishing while Mrs. Morgan likes gardening. But their cats are naughty. They either eat their fish or play with the plants in the garden. So they want to train them to follow rules.
请根据以上五个家庭或个人的实际情况，为他们选择合适的活动安排。（5分）
A B C D E
Did you know that people without friends are more likely to die an early death? It’s true. Just ask science. The following types of friends are just what you need.
A Loyal(忠诚的) Best Friend
Everyone needs a loyal best friend who will support them no matter what happens . This is the kind of friend who knows all of your deepest and darkest secrets, but still loves you all the same.
An Adventurous Friend
We live in a big world where there are so many places to see, people to meet, and experiences to be had. We all need an adventurous friend who will pull us out of our shells and introduce us to new ideas, cultures and activities.
A Wise Mentor
If you have someone smart, inspiring (启发灵感的) and admirable (令人敬佩的) in your life, you’re extremely lucky. He’s simply someone who’s a few steps ahead (在…之前) of you in life and has enough wisdom and patience to guide you in the right direction. Being around such a person will challenge us to better ourselves every day.
A Friendly Neighbor
These days, a lot of people don’t know their own neighbors. It’s a shame, because some neighbors can be the nicest and most helpful people ever. If you’re on a vacation, and you suddenly realize that you forgot to lock the front door, you can call up your trusty neighbor and ask them to lock it for you.
With those friends in your life, you’re sure to live a long and happy life!
1.We need _______ to support us whatever happens.
A. a loyal friendB. an adventurous friend
C. a wise mentor D. a friendly neighbor
2.An adventurous friend can introduce us something _______.
A. boringB. hot
C. old D. new
3.What does the underlined word “mentor ”mean?
A. 教授B. 导师C. 教练D. 军师
4.A wise mentor is someone who is ________.
A. smart, tall and rich
B. tall, rich and outgoing
C. smart, inspiring and admirable
D. tall, inspiring and admirable
5.It can be _______ that you don’t know your neighbors according to the article.
A. a pityB. a shame
C. importantD. normal
One afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was looking forward to a quiet view (观察) of the art works.
A young couple viewing the paintings ahead of me chatted non-stop between themselves. I watched them a moment and knew the wife was doing all the talk. I admired the husband’s patience. I met with them several times. Each time I heard her words, I moved away quickly.
I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop when the couple came near to the exit. Before they left, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He extended (延长) it into a long stick and then tapped (轻敲) his way into the coatroom to get his wife’s jacket.
“He’s a brave man.” The clerk at the counter said, “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery he made a promise that his life wouldn’t change. So, as before, he and his wife come in whenever there’s a new art show.”
“But what does he get out of the art?” I asked, “He can’t see.”
“Can’t see? You’re wrong. He sees a lot. More than you or I do.” The clerk said, “His wife describes each painting so he can see it in his head.”
I learned something about patience, courage and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without sight and the courage of a husband who would not allow blindness to change his life. And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away hand in hand.
根据短文内容，判断句子正(T)、误(F)。(5分)
1.The young couple were at an art museum to show their love.
2.“…I moved away quickly.” shows that the writer was tired of the non-stop talking.
3.We can infer (推断) from the passage that the husband couldn’t stand his wife.
4. After hearing what the clerk had said, the writer was annoyed.
5.The passage is mainly about courage of a blind man and the love between the couple.
If you have no special plans for your holidays, why not spend your time helping others?
More and more young people volunteer to spend their school holidays working for others. And they don’t do it for money. Here are some of their stories.
1.Young people in the USA volunteer to spend ____ helping others.
A. school holidays B. weekdays
C. every morning D. school days
2.What does Alice volunteer to do in summer?
A. To sleep under the stars.
B. To spend the whole summer living in a tent.
C. To help build new hiking paths in the mountains.
D. To breath the fresh air in the mountain
3.From the passage, we know that Jason Moore _____.
A. likes readingB. is 18 years old
C. isn’t very rich D. has no houses
4.________ wants to be a teacher.
A. Alice Hamilton B. Jason Moore
C. Trish AndersonD. None
5.Which is the most possible title for this passage?
A. Reading for Life. B. The Forest Center
C. Young Volunteers. D. Special Houses
“I’m really thankful to our government, for it provides us with such a good training program. The training greatly helps us live well. I will certainly study hard and learn the skills. Then I can my family difficulties and do good to other people.” A learner on the job training program said, feeling .
The learner’s grandfather is nearly 80 years old, and his mother is in bed. So his father, who is a famer is the main of the family. The family is poor. The learner graduated from high school and did not the college entrance exam. The job training program helps him learn the skills that he’ll in the workplace.
The story reminds me of another . It goes like this: Once upon a time, there was a man who liked fishing very much, and was to catch lots of fish every day. The man was a kind-hearted person, so he always his fish with his neighbors who did not know how to fish. One day, he thought that it would be if he taught them how to fish. So he his neighbors together and showed them how to fish. Everybody was very happy that they could the fish they themselves caught.
At present, there are still a lot of poor people throughout the world. But it’s not good if we give only to them. ,we should give them a chance to learn new skills. Therefore, a technical training is very important to people in need, and they will learn the ability to money. People can learn a lot of useful things in the training program and what they learn can help them on the way to find jobs.
1.A. solve B. change C. study D. find
2.A. suprised B. excited C. relaxed D. interested
3.A. silent B. alone C. ill D. dangerous
4.A. problem B. example C. relative D. support
5.A. pass B. copy C. know D. mind
6.A. repeat B. forget C. need D. test
7.A. story B. learner C. family D. program
8.A. afraid B. lucky C. sorry D. able
9.A. exchanged B. cooked C. shared D. weighed
10.A. easy B. great C. useless D. crazy
11.A. drove B. stopped C. called D. searched
12.A. feed B. save C. touch D. eat
13.A. food B. fish C. time D. clothing
14.A. Next B. Instead C. Luckily D. Especially
15.A. pay B. give C. use D. make
