A writer B reporter C expert D leader

He is ________ a writer as a reporter

[A] more

[B] rather

[C] not so much

[D] not such

Why was he made a writer for the paper？

A．The old editor retired.

B．He wrote a good story.

C．Another reporter quit.

D．He was interested in financial news.

Millions of Americans survive (生产) in low-paying jobs. The Working Poor (319 pages), by David Shipler, a Pulitzer-winning former reporter, shows just how barely they get by.

In his tour around the world of low-paying jobs, Shipler describes a kind of domino model of a downward cycle." Poor housing can worsen a child's illness, which leads to a call for a doctor, which results in a medical bill that cannot by paid, which ruins a credit record, which raises the interest rate on an auto loan (贷款), which results in the buying of a used car, which causes a mother to be late for work, which limits her pay raise and earning ability, which keeps her to poor housing, which worsens the illness, and so on."

What Shipler aims to do in the book is to produce a picture of all of those dominoes at once, the problems that keep the working poor on the edge of household disaster (灾难). As the conditions for the lowest-paid workers keep worsening, he writes," the low-paid employees have been testing the American belief in hard work."

To those who don't quite make it from paycheck to paycheck, convenience stores in poor neighborhoods lend money at interest rates of about of 20% for a two-week loan. If that can't be repaid, it's gladly rolled over—for another 20%. In the space of a few months, he or she owes twice as much in interest as he borrowed.

Shipler doesn't place all the blame on society. The people he meets often lack the soft skills that employers require, like showing up on time, following directions, even knowing how to comb their hair. To be sure, they need better schools and medical care, but they also need to know better than to use their hard-earned checks to get drunk and disorderly, or go in for ill-advised sex and foolish spending.

The main purpose of this text is to ______.

A．show how the poor can improve their living conditions

B．discuss the reasons why many Americans are poor

C．introduce David Shipler' s book about the poor

D．describe how a reporter has become a writer

r summary, as it is sometimes called.

There are two reasons for this. First, examiners recognize that the ability to reduce a passage to about one—fourth or even less of its original length without leaving out the important points is very useful in many professions. Perhaps the man who does this more than anyone else is the newspaper reporter, who listens to long speeches and then reduces them into a few paragraphs before they are printed. Government officials, businessmen, lawyers, radio editors and the police, to mention a few, often find it necessary to summarize a report so that someone with little time on hand can quickly get what he needs without having to read a lengthy piece.

There is a second important reason for developing this skill: it is an excellent mental exercise. It trains and tests your ability to understand the real meaning of a passage, to follow an argument and to separate the important from the unimportant. It is very easy to read a passage and then think that you understand it; writing a precis will soon show whether you really do understand it or not. It will also test your own vocabulary and command of language when you try to reproduce the writer's ideas in your own words.

Very closely connected with this skill is the ability to pick out certain points and ignore others, when we are asked to do so. In this case, it does not mean that the points left out are less important but that for some reason they are not required.

The passage is mainly about______.

A．how to make an examination paper

B．the reasons for writing a precis

C．how to improve your writing skills

D．the people who write precis

Mark Twain: One of America's Best Known and Best Loved Writers

Mark Twain wrote "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1884. Since then, the book has been published in at least 60 languages. Some people say it is the best book ever created by an American writer. American students still read this book. And parents, teachers and literary experts still debate the issues discussed in the book.

The writer who became Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835. He grew up in Hannibal, Missouri on the Mississippi River. After his father died in 1847, young Samuel went to work as an assistant to a publisher. 10 years later, he became a pilot on a steamboat that sailed on the Mississippi. He heard the riverboat workers call out the words "mark twain !" that was a measure for the depth of water.

In 1861, the American Civil War put an end to steamboat traffic on the Mississippi. So Clemens traveled west and became a reporter for newspapers in Nevada and California.

Began to Write

Later, he wrote funny stories and called himself Mark Twain. Twain became famous for his story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" in 1865. It tells about a jumping competition among frogs.

Twain also traveled a lot and began writing books about his travels. His stories about a trip to Europe and the Middle East were published in "The Innocents Abroad." And his stories about life in the western United States became the book called "Roughing It."

In 1870, he married Olivia Langdon and moved to Hartford, Connecticut. During the 1880's, he wrote books for children, such as "The Prince and the Pauper." It tells about a poor boy who trades identities with a member of England's ruling family. Twain also wrote "Life on the Mississippi." This book describes his days as a steamboat pilot and his return to the river 20 years later.

A Successful Writer and Speaker

Mark Twain was already a successful writer before he became famous as a public speaker. Over the years, he had invested a lot of money in unsuccessful businesses. In 1893, he found himself deeply in debt. So to earn money, he traveled around the world giving humorous talks. His speeches made people laugh and remember events they had experienced.

However, his later life was not a happy one. Two of his daughters died. His wife died in 1904 after a long sickness. Some critics think Mark Twain's later works were more serious because of his sadness. He died of heart failure in 1910.

Mark Twain was the first writer to use the speech of common Americans in his books. He showed that simple American English could be as fine an instrument for great writing as more complex language. Through his books, he captured American experiences as no other writer had.

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

Many of the stories take place in Hannibal, Missouri. The small wooden house where he lived as a boy still stands there. Next to the house is a wooden fence. It is the kind described in Twain's book, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," published in 1876.

In that story, Tom bas been told to paint the fence. He does not want to do it. But he acts as if the job is great fun. He tricks other boys into believing this. His trick is so successful that they agree to pay him money to let them finish his work. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is considered one of the best books about an American boy's life in the 1800s.

Tom Sawyer's good friend is Huckleberry, or "Huck," Finn. Mark Twain tells this boy's story in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Huck is a poor child, without a mother or home. His father drinks too much alcohol and beats him.

Huck's situation bas freed him from the restrictions of society. He explores in the woods and goes fishing. He stays out all night and does not go to school. He smokes tobacco.

&n

A．Y

B．N

C．NG

C

Millions of Americans survive(生存)in low-paying jobs. The Working Poor(319 pages) , by David Shipler, a Pulitzer-winning former reporter, shows just how barely they get by. In his tour around the world of low-paying jobs, Shipler describes a kind of domino model of a downward cycle. " Poor housing can worsen a child ' s illness, which leads to a call for a doctor, which results in a medical bill that cannot be paid, which ruins a credit record, which raises the in- terest rate on an auto loan(货款) , which results in the buying of a used car, which causes a mother to be late for work, which limits her pay raise and earning ability, which keeps her to poor hous-ing, which worsens the illness, and so on. "

What Shipler aims to do in the book is to produce a picture of all of those dominoes at once, the problems that keep the working poor on the edge of household disaster(灾难). As the condi-

tions for the lowest-paid workers keep worsening, he writes, " the low-paid employees have been

testing the American belief in hard work. "

To those who don ' t quite make it from paycheck to paycheck, convenience stores in poor neighborhoods lend money at interest rates of about 20% for a two-week loan. If that can ' t be

repaid, it' s gladly rolled over-for another 20% . In the space of a few months, he or she owes

twice as much in interest as he borrowed.

Shipler doesn ' t place all the blame on society. The people he meets often lack the soft skills that employers require, like showing up on time, following directions, even knowing how to comb their hair. To be sure, they need better schools and medical care, but they also need to know better than to use their hard-earned checks to get drunk and disorderly, or go in for ill-advised sex and foolish spending.

64. The main purpose of this text is to _______ .

[ A] show how the poor can improve their living conditions

[ B ] discuss the reasons why many Americans are poor

[ C ] introduce David Shipler ' s book about the poor

[ D] describe how a reponer has become a writer

things to adjust to, such as being on my own and meeting many different types of people. There are a lot of things that I like about college that I would like to describe for you.

First of all, living at college gives me a sense of responsibility and of being on my own. My parents aren't around to say, "No, you're not going out tonight," or "Did you finish your homework？" Everything I do has to be my decision, and that makes me responsible for my own life. During the second week I was at college, I had to go out and look for a bank where I could open an account. And when I got to the bank, I had to decide whether to have a checking or savings account and whether or not to get a credit card. Decisions! Decisions! Friendly people are another thing I like about college. On the first day I came to Marymount University here in Virginia from New York, I was a bit confused about where I was going. My mother and I drove in. We did not know the building we were supposed to go to, but the guard was very nice. With a smile, he told us what building we were looking for and where we could park our car. My room was on the first floor of New Gerard, and I knew I had to go through some glass doors, but my mother and I didn't know which ones. Some students saw me and asked, "Are you a new student？" When they found out I was looking for New Gerard, one said, "Oh, just follow us; that's where we're going." Even now I feel comfortable in the dorm because there are friendly people around to talk with.I do like a lot of things about college, but that doesn't mean I don't think about things at home. Although I like college, I can still get homesick. New York is a very good place, too! And sometimes I miss it!

6. The text is perhaps written by ________.

A. a new student

B. a new teacher

C. a foreign reporter

D. a foreign visitor

7. What does "gives me a sense of responsibility" in the first sentence of Paragraph 2 mean？ It means it makes me feel ________.

A. responsible for my parents.

B. responsible for my teacher.

C. responsible for the school.

D. responsible for myself.

8. One thing that he liked was ________.

A. the comfortable dorm

B. finding his way around

C. his studies as a first year student

D. the friendly people

9. What is New Gerard？

A. It's a student's name.

B. It's a teacher's name.

C. It's a dorm's name.

D. It's a school's name.

10. Which of the following is NOT true？

A. People in Marymount University are friendly.

B. The writer likes the new experience in the university.

C. The writer drove to Marymount University with his mother.

D. The writer is not homesick

A.version

B.section

C.article

D.reporter

听力原文：Who's copying the report？

(A) The reporter asked the questions.

(B) The clerk is making five copies.

(C) The copyright date is 2003.

(38)

A．

B．

C．

A.reporter

B.representative

C.republic