While the U.S. is still debating about getting rid of the penny, Sweden is rapidly moving towards abolishing (to end) currency altogether. Though this may sound radical (过激的), it is a natural evolution in this digital society.
Sweden, which was the first European country to introduce banknotes in 1661, has just been working harder to convince its residents that digital payments are a safer alternative to carrying cash.
Over the years, the idea has gained popularity with residents, especially the younger generation that is much more comfortable with technology. Today many banks don’t even have ATMs and some have stopped handling cash altogether!
Tickets to ride public buses in most Swedish cities can only be bought via cell phones. Numerous businesses are also moving towards accepting only digital payments. Even the homeless that sell street paper to make ends meet have to start accepting this mode of payment!
But despite its growing popularity, some people don’t like this radical idea. They include the homeless, elderly people as well as those living in rural areas who are still uncomfortable with mobile phones and computers. But the officials are confident that in the very near future, they will be able to convince everyone to move this safe and more cost-effective payment system.
Sweden is not the only country trying to abolish paper currency and coins. The movement is rapidly gaining ground in Denmark and Finland as well. In 2014，Israel announced a three-step plan to go cashless and just last week the vendors (小贩) of a popular street in Sydney declared they would stop accepting currency from customers. Whether this phenomenon spreads remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure-With increasingly advanced payment systems being introduced every day, pulling out cash is rapidly becoming “uncool”.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 3 and 4?
A. Many banks in Sweden don’t have ATMs.
B. You don’t have to buy tickets when riding buses.
C. People don’t give the homeless money but food.
D. People can just take cell phones when shopping.
2.According to the passage, which information is RIGHT?
A. Sweden was the first country to get the idea to abolish currency.
B. The younger generation is against the measures.
C. Bus fare can only be purchased via cell phones in most Swedish cities.
D. Banks in Sweden have stopped dealing with cash completely.
3.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. An Advanced Country -Sweden
B. A Controversial Government Policy
C. Sweden to Influence the World’s Cash Payment
D. Sweden to Become the World’s First Cashless Society
4.Which of the following does this passage belong to?
A. Education. B. Economy.
C. Travel. D. Insurance.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Sauta Ana Orange County Airport
Neighborhood: John Wayne Airport (SNA), Orange County 1325 East Dyer Road, Santa Ana, CA
OVERALL GUEST SCORE
Very Good
Based on 163 Guest Ratings
Free Breakfast 
Free Airport Shuttle
Fitness Center 
Business Center
Hotel Description
Being close to airport and freeway access makes the Embassy Suites a top choice for our guests in the area. The 300-room Embassy Suites offers homey comforts for those on business and vacation alike-suites with separate living and sleeping areas, refrigerators, microwaves, coffeemakers, Wi-Fi access and two TVs. Wake up to a free cooked-to-order breakfast and enjoy the indoor pool and fitness center. A two-hour evening reception offers drinks and appetizers and the on-site restaurant serves American favorites. The property also has a business center with copy and fax services. Parking is available for an additional fee. Less than two miles from 1-405, the Embassy Suites is within a half-mile of various restaurants and just three miles from John Wayne Airport. Our guests say the Embassy Suites’ location, “brilliant” breakfast and “friendly” staff make it one of their favorite Santa Ana properties.
Guest Ratings |
Good Feb 8, 2017 By: Harold Pros: Loved the breakfast and the friendly, helpful staff. Spacious accommodations made this a very good value. Cons: Didn’t love the heating/AC system; room was too cold for comfort. Also was not aware of the parking fee until we checked in. The parking fee was $ 17 a night. |
Good Jan 24, 2017 By: Micaela Pros: Breakfast was amazing with a variety of choices and the staff were helpful. Cons: The room had a very strange old smell when we first got there. I had to open the door to air it out. |
Very Good Jan 5, 2017 By: Bruce Pros: The location was very good for us and the included breakfast was a plus. CODS: The room was not cleaned properly when we got there. The heating system was not working for the hotel as well. |
… |
1. makes the Embassy Suites a top choice for its guests in the area.
A. The convenient location B. The friendly staff
C. The business center D. Wi-Fi access
2.According to the guest ratings, all the guests are satisfied with its .
A. heating system B. accommodations
C. breakfast D. parking fee
3.This advertisement is made more believable by .
A. interviewing the guests B. using guests’ comments
C. analyzing its pros and cons D. providing the exact address
When the telephone rings late at night, most women guess it must be one of only four or five people calling. A sister? Maybe. An emergency? Possibly. A mother? Probably not at that time of night. Much more probably it is a close female friend calling to tell you that she has split up with her boyfriend again or perhaps simply that a good movie has just started on TV.
At a time when families are spread far and wide and marriages often end in divorce, friendships are becoming more and more important. Erika, a 32-year-old lawyer, is strengthened by her ten-year friendship with her married friend Jane. “I was very sick one night, so I called Jane at about 3:00 a.m. to talk about it,” she says. “She was very supportive and even came over to take me to the doctor’s the next morning.”
As American TV shows like Friends, which follows the lives of a very close group of young friends, have become more popular, many of us are beginning to see the value of such friendships. TV shows like this tell us that our romantic relationships may not last, but we need to keep in touch with our close friends if we want to survive.
A TV show called Real Women is about the lives and relationships of five former school friends. In this show, family, husbands, and work are all less important than friendships. One of its actresses says the show reflects her own experience. “Friendship is about commitment. I don’t see some of my friends for ages but when we get together, it is as if time hasn’t passed.”
This is true of Erika and Jane’s friendship. With Erika’s family 200 miles away，it is Jane who keeps a spare set of keys to Erika’s apartment and waters her plants whenever she is away. “Having Jane around gives me a certain amount of freedom. It is not the kind of thing that you could ask anyone to do, but she knows I would do the same for her.” Erika feels that because she no longer sees her family every day, she now enjoys a closer relationship with her best friend. Jane, who may move to a different city soon, is worried about leaving such a support system of friends. “My friends have more to do with my life than my parents and, therefore, I don’t have to spend a lot of time explaining things to them. Friends are more up to date with what is happening.”
1.According to the passage, a late-night phone call for most women is probably from .
A. a friend B. a relative
C. a stranger D. a doctor
2.TV shows like Friends tell us that .
A. marriages with friends often end up in failure
B. families and work are as important as friends
C. close friends help us face problems in life
D. friendship fades as time goes by
3.From the passage, we can learn that Erika and Jane .
A. live far away from each other
B. have been friends for 32 years
C. spend a lot of time explaining things
D. trust and support each other in daily life
4.Which of the statements will the author probably agree with?
A. A near friend is more helpful than a faraway relative.
B. Both marriage and friendship demand commitment.
C. However far away we’re, parents worry about us.
D. Long distance makes the hearts closer.
Alexis, 17, sat quietly in the passenger seat of her dad’s car. She let her eyes lazily scan the landscape for wildlife. Then a deer came into view about 200 yards in front of them. “Dad, there’s a deer there!” Alexis said. It was a male deer with sharp antlers (角) on each side of its head.
As the car moved closer, Alexis saw that the deer’s head was bent toward the ground. Then she heard a scream and saw an arm fly up near the deer’s head. Alexis realized the deer was attacking a woman. Sue, a 44-year-old mother, had been out for her morning run. The deer followed her and edged closer. “I knew I was in trouble.” Sue says. She went to pick up a stick for self-defense, and the deer charged. It lifted her with its antlers and threw her into the air. Sue could feel blood flew down her leg. Within seconds, the deer had pushed her off the road.
When Alexis and her father pulled up, the deer was throwing Sue like a doll. Alexis looked into the woman’s terrified eyes, and before her father had even stopped the car, the teenager jumped quickly out of the car and ran toward the deer. “I was kicking it to get its attention.’’ she says. Then her father, who had followed his daughter, pushed the deer away from the women.
Alexis helped Sue into the car and then applied a piece of cloth to Sue’s injured leg. “We’re going to get you to a hospital.” Alexis said. Then she heard her father shout loudly. He had been knocked to the ground. Alexis took hold of a hammer from the car and ran to where her father lay on his back. She beat the deer’s head and neck, but the blows didn’t scare it away. “I was losing faith.” she says. “A couple more strikes. Alexis.” said her father. “You can do it.”
Turning the hammer around, Alexis closed her eyes and beat the deer’s neck with all her strength. When she opened her eyes, the deer was running away.
Alexis got in the driver’s seat and sped toward the nearest hospital. After Sue was treated, she tearfully thanked her rescuers. “You expect a teenage girl to get on the phone and call for help,” she says, “not to beat up a deer.”
1.What was Sue doing when she was attacked by the deer?
A. She was driving home. B. She was resting on the road.
C. She was taking exercise. D. She was feeding wild animals.
2.What did Alexis do to save Sue?
A. She pushed the deer away. B. She hit the deer with her feet
C. She drove the car to hit the deer. D. She beat the deer with a hammer.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Alexis?
A. Strong. B. Cruel.
C. Energetic. D. Brave.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. A Woman Was Seriously Injured
B. A Dangerous Deer Attacked a Woman
C. A Girl Rescued Her Father Successfully
D. A Teenager Saved Others from a Deer Attack
升入高中，离开了以前的老师，又结识了很多新老师。请你选择一位自己最喜欢的老师介绍给大家，要点包括：
1.外贸性格； 2.教学特色； 3.你的评价。
注意：1.词数100左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
My Favourite Teacher
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文，文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Tom and Dick are next door neighbor who both work in same office. They often walk together to and from work. Once they were walking to home together while it suddenly started to rain. Tom quickly opened his umbrella and said proud, "My wife really has great foresight.” He added, “She said this morning it would rain and tell me to carry my umbrella." Dick smiled and walked up to her under the protection of the umbrella. He said, "Mine has even great foresight. She didn't let me carry one so she knew you'd share yours to me."
