leave a bitter taste. If suicide statistics are a sign of happiness, then the reach are a miserable lot. Figures show that it is the rich who most often do away with themselves.
Dr. Robert Coles, an internationally famous doctor, is the world’s top expert on the influence of money on children. He has written a well-received book on the subject, The Privileged Ones, and his research shows that too much money in the family can cause as many problems as too little money in the family. “Obviously there are certain advantages to being rich,” says the 53-year-old doctor, “such as better health, education and future work expectation, but most important is the quality of family life. Money can’t buy love.”
It can buy a lot of other things, though, and that’s where the trouble starts. Rich kids have so much to choose from that they often become confused. Their parents’ over favoring can make them spoiled. They trend to travel more than other children, from home to home and country to country, which often makes them feel restless. “But privileged children do have a better sense of their positions in the world,” adds Mr. Coles, “and they are more self-assured.”
Today’ rich parents perhaps have realized that their riches can be more of a burden than a favor to their children. So their priority is to ensure that their families are as rich in love as they are in money.
61. According to the passage, children of rich families _____.
A. enjoy traveling B. can buy love
C. usually commit suicide D. are not always happy
62. Dr. Robert Coles believes that _____.
A. rich children sometimes can’t enjoy the thing they are most in need of B. being rich has as many advantages as being poor C. rich children often get too little entertainment D. rich children aren’t given enough things
63. Which of the following statement is not true according to the passage? A. Money can’t buy everything
B. Silver spoons can sometimes leave a bitter taste
C. It is love that is always lacking in rich and poor families alike
D. Rich children are often confused because they have so much to choose from
64. The expression “silver spoons” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____. A. very expensive spoons B. wealth
C. spoons made of silver D. rich people
65. This article is written mainly to tell readers that _____. A. the rich are likely to do away with themselves B. money can bring a lot of things, including love C. life is always happy for children of rich parents
D. rich parents should learn that love is more important than money in the family
Read the following passage and answer corresponding questions in English Americans believe no one stands still. If you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind.
This attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching, experimenting and exploring. Time is one of the two elements that Americans save carefully, the other being labor. “We are slaves to nothing but the clock,” it has been said. Time is treated as if it were something almost real. We budget it, save it, waste it, steal it, kill it, cut it, and account for it; we also charge for it. It is a precious resource. Many people have a rather acute sense of the shortness of each life time. Once the sands run out of a person’s hourglass, they cannot be replaced. We want every minute to count. A foreigner’s first impression of the U.S. is likely to be that everyone is in a rush —— often under pressure. City people always appear to be hurrying to get where they are going, restlessly seeking attention in a store, or elbowing others as they try to complete their shopping. Racing through daytime meals is part of the pace of life in this country. Working time is considered precious. Others in public eating-places are waiting for you to finish so they, too, can be served and get back to work within the time allowed. You also find drivers will be abrupt and people will push past you. You will miss smiles, brief conversations, and small exchanges with strangers. Don’t take it personally. This is because people value time highly, and they resent someone else “wasting” it beyond a certain appropriate point. Many new arrivals to the States will miss the opening exchanges of a business call, for example. They will miss the ritual interaction that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee that may be a convention in their own country. They may miss leisurely business chats in a restaurant or coffee house. Normally, Americans do not assess their visitors in such relaxed surroundings over extended small talk; much less do they take them out for dinner, or around on the golf course while they develop a sense of trust. Since we generally assess and probe professionally rather than socially, we start talking business very quickly. Time is, therefore, always ticking in our inner ear.
Question 1. What attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching, experimenting and exploring?
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Question 2. How is time treated in America? And why?
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Question 3. What might be a foreigner’s first impression of U.S.? And how does the writer describe city people?
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Question 4. What is the writer’s advice if you “miss smiles, brief conversations, small exchanges with strangers”?
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Question 5. What will new arrivals in America miss about business calls?
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Section IV Translation (15%)
71. He who does not think of the future is certain to have immediate worries. 72. We must find a way to resolve these problems; otherwise it might be too late. 73. One of a teacher’s priorities is to stimulate the students’ interest and creativity. 74. The airline will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of its passengers. 75. Research has demonstrated that babies can recognize their mother’s voice very soon after birth.
2018年湖北专升本网大学英语模拟试题2
