Who owns the large American companies that produce cars, washing machines, and television sets? They are owned by a large group of people called stockholders.

　　A company must have money to build factories and to buy machinery. To get this money, it sells shares of stock（股份）. Each share of stock is a share in the ownership of the company. The person who buys a share of stock becomes a part owner of the company. He is called a stockholder. A company can have thousands of stockholders. Sometimes a very large company is owned by millions of stockholders.

　　Few persons can afford to buy a whole company, but the average individual can become part owner of a business. He can save his dollars and buy a share of stock in a large company. A person does not have to be wealthy to be a stockholder.

　　When a company makes money, each stockholder may receive a dividend(股息) check, which is his share of the profits（利润）. Parts of a company’s profits are not paid out to the stockholders. This money is used by the company so it can grow larger. If the company does well, its shares of stock become more valuable.

　　More than 20 million people own shares of stock in America’s companies. By owning stock, they are helping America’s businesses grow. They are also putting their money to work to earn more money.

1.The story makes you think that _____.

A．a farmer is not allowed to buy the shares of stock

B．if a company does well, its shares of stock have no value

C．a person may own a part of the company that makes TV sets

D．the only people who can buy stocks are those who are wealthy

2.A dividend is the stockholder’s share of the _____.

A．company’s profits

B．company’s savings

C．company’s income

D．products made by the company

3.Why do companies keep part of their profits?

A．They want to buy the shares of stock, too.

B．They cannot find all the names of their stockholders.

C．They use the money to help the company grow larger.

D．They think they have sent their stockholders enough money.

You are invited to join PTPI （People to People International）’s President and CEO, Mary Jean Eisenhower, in America’s Capitol for the 2009 Global Youth Conference!  In D． C．, you will spend four exciting days exploring into this year’s theme, “Global Sustainability: It’s All Connected!”  Come to the GYC to learn how you can work together with friends from around the world to create a better, brighter and greener future!

       250 students will stay in the Hyatt Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia from November 11-15, 2009 for this eye-opening conference．We hope that you will join us in exploring PTPI’s mission through international understanding, education, leadership and humanitarianism!

Highlights of this event will include:

       ?? A key-note address presented by PTPI’s President and CEO, Mary Jean Eisenhower!

?? An interactive student group, featuring your peers from across the globe!

?? Take an active part in sustaining Washington,   D． C．through a service project benefiting the

       Anacostia Watershed!

       ?? A unique tour of Washington, D． C．--- we promise that you have never seen D． C．this way before!

       ?? An opportunity to reunite with old friends and make new ones from around the World!

       Application

       Successful applicants aged 13-18 who will be enrolled in a middle school, high school or home school during the time of the conference will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis．

       We urge students to APPLY ON-LINE TODAY, as applications will likely exceed available space．Upon acceptance into the Global Youth Conference, you will receive a confirmation notice and other important information via e-mail．If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact People to People International: youthconference@ptpi．org

Which of the following students is most likely to be able to attend the GYC?

       A．A third grader in a primary school．

       B．A 19-year-old student at college．

       C．A student who receives a confirmation notice．

       D．A student who sends the application on Nov．17．

Which of the following can best explain the underlined part “on a first-come, first-served basis”?

       A．Your application will be dealt with as soon as it is received．

       B．Although your application arrives late, it will be dealt with in time．

       C．Your application will be dealt with in the order in which it arrives．

       D．You’d better send your application early．

The following are the attractions of this event EXCEPT that __________．

       A．there will be a very special tour of Washington,

       B．they will stay in a famous hotel in Arlington D． C．

       C．it’ll be a great chance to make new friends from across the world

       D．Mary Jean Eisenhower will deliver a key-note address

1 

Made in the USA: An Export Boom

In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued that in order to recover from the economic recession, one of the few things the U．S. needed to do was to export more goods around the world. That night, the president unveiled a new goal: to double U．S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would “support two million jobs in America.”

Most economists dismissed the promise at the time as something unrealistic, but two years later, the U．S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise.

Competitive In A Global Market

Marlin Steel, a metal working business in Baltimore, makes parts that ship all across the world.“ We export to 36 countries，” owner Drew Greenblatt tells All Things Considered Host Guy Raz. “We're working around the clock, and we're growing.”

It's not just advanced manufacturing exports on the rise, but pork, cattle and all kinds of agricultural exports are up as well. Even American craft beer has found an export market.

Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso says that increasingly, people all over the world are trying the beer from the Maryland-based brewery. Caruso says，“Even in those top beer-producing countries, a competitive American product is finding a market.”

Services Are Exports, Too

Another place exports are coming from is New York City—in particular, the 30^th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper on 5^th Avenue and 52^nd Street. That's where the consulting firm Kurt Solomon lies. It doesn't actually produce a product for export; it provides management advice and strategy.

“Four out of every five Americans is now employed in the service industry，” the nation's top trade official, Ron Kirk says, “Services are a significant part of our exports, and make up about a quarter of our exported goods.” These services can include everything from legal consulting, finance, information technology and even engineering.

And There Are Other Factors

So why has there been an increase of more than 30 percent for exports in almost everything? Part of the increase, at least for the manufacturing side, is due to better technology, says Tyler Cowen, an economist. “A lot of it is being driven by smart machines，” he tells Raz，“The U．S. has high wage rates, which is a disadvantage, but if machines are doing a lot of the work, that doesn't matter.”

China factors a lot in America's export economy, too. “Wages in China have been going up as the country becomes more productive. Thus China is losing the cheap labor advantage it has held for some time.” Cowen says.

Will Jobs Grow, too?

“Companies have become more productive by dismissing workers and lowering costs.” Cowen says, “So I don't view exporting as a way of creating a very large number of jobs, but it will create more profits.”

So not every business or worker is necessarily benefiting from the export boom in the U．S., and Cowen says that could ultimately lead to a polarization(两极) of economic outcomes.

Made In the USA: An Export Boom

Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words
The automobile may not be closely associated with modem American culture, but it has occupied a central role in America’s economic and social history.
No one can deny the status of Henry Ford in car history. When the first Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line in 1908, businessman Henry Ford transformed the car from a luxury attachment for the rich to an automobile product for the middle classes. The rush of cars into the community forced all levels of government to build new and better roads. Better roads fed the demand for larger, faster, more stylish vehicles, and a host of companies rushed to meet that demand.
If there was a first Golden Age of automobile, it may well have been the 1950s. It was an age of prosperity. Large, regular paychecks encouraged the public display of wealth through costly items such as new cars. Americans, moreover, needed those cars as they moved away from the cities into the suburbs, where such things as stores, jobs, and schools were seldom within walking distance. Cars became essential if people were to get to work or to the grocery store.
As Ac 1950s slipped into 1960s, it became apparent that these fashionable wheels were gas-consuming road cruisers, dangerous in an accident, and often full of faults. Under pressure from a variety of groins, the federal government required that newer models provide greater fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions. Seatbelts became standard equipment as well Rising fad prices in the 1970s, coupled with concern for the environment, made the smaller cars produced by foreign companies for European and Asian markets very popular.
The 1980s and 1990s saw an upswing in the popularity of big cars. New models including minivans and sport utility vehicles have become main products in auto dealers’ showrooms. Traffic jams on the roads have become part of the American way of life. In 1911 a horse could travel through rush-hour traffic in Los Angeles at 11 miles per hour. In 2000 a car covering the same territory at the same time of day moved at about 4 miles per hour. But perhaps that is not important. When a car is equipped with a telephone and television set, a computer, and global positioning satellite connections, it can feel just like home.
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)
【小题1】___________________made Henry Ford well-known in car history.
【小题2】That the car industry prospered in the 1950s in America resulted from ________.
【小题3】 Why were smaller cars once popular in the 1970s?
【小题4】 In today’s society, how can a car make people ignore traffic jams?

 Attractions in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Historical Museum

30 N. Carroll Street on Madison's Capitol Square

Discover Wisconsin's history and culture on four floors of exhibits. Open for public program.

Admission is free.Open the second day of a week through Saturday, 9?00 a．m.­4?00 p．m.Swiss Historical Village

612 Seventh Ave., New Glares

The Swiss Historical Village offers a delightful look at pioneer life in America's heartland. 14 buildings in the village give a full picture of everyday life in the nineteenth­ century Midwest.

Tue.­Fri., May 1st ­October 31st, 10?00 a．m.­4?00 p．m. Admission is $20.

     (608)527­2317 www.__swisshistoricalvillage.com

Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café

6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli, WI

One of the largest collections of fine arts and crafts in Wisconsin. Over 5000 sq. ft. of exhibition space in a historic  creamery. While visiting, enjoy a wonderfully prepared lunch at our café  overlooking the Sugar River. Just minutes from Madison!

 Gallery open Tue.­Sun., 10?00 a．m.­5?00 p．m. Café open Wed. ­Sat., 11?00 a．m.­3?00 p．m.

Sun. brunch with wine, 10?00 a．m.­3?00 p．m.  (608)845­6600__www.__artisangal.__com

Christopher Columbus Museum

239 Whitney St., Columbus

World­class exhibit—2000 quality souvenirs marking Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exhibition. Tour buses are always welcome.

  Open daily, 8?15 a． m.­4?00 p．m.    (920)623­1992 www.__columbusantiquemall.__com

1.Which of the following is on Capitol Square?

A. Wisconsin Historical Museum.           B. Swiss Historical Village.

C. Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café.        D. Christopher Columbus Museum.

2.Where can you go for a visit on Monday?

A. Wisconsin Historical Museum.    B. Swiss Historical Village.

C. Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café.  D. Christopher Columbus Museum.

3.Where can visitors have lunch?

A. At Wisconsin Historical Museum.           B. At Swiss Historical Village.

C. At Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café.        D. At Christopher Columbus Museum.