2．Ford Motor Credit lengthens 45%of its lending to 60 months in order to_______．

　　 A．help more Americans to settle their debts

　　 B．encourage people to buy foreign cars

　　 C．make better use of its money

　　 D．attract more customers

[答案]D

[思路分析]此题考查判断推理。汽车公司借给消费者钱，其目的就是吸引消费者买汽车。

1．According to the author,　 what is a main reason for Americans to overspend？

　　 A．Americans buy a lot of foreign products．

　　 B．It is easy for Americans to manage their debts．

　　 C．Borrowing money has become a simple matter．

　　 D．Americans have more extra money than before．

[答案]C

[思路分析]此题考查判断推理。由第二段：“Lenders are providing easy credit(信贷)for borrowers．Many banks now offer every borrower a great variety of credit，a service once offered almost only to big companies．”和第四段“As we have overborrowed，so have we overspent．”可知C正确。

13. (2008·四川延考卷)D

词数：329体裁：议论文 难度：4星 文章标题：美国的信贷问题The American Overborrowing

Spending beyond one’s means is becoming a national problem for Americans．Borrowing has become so easy that it takes great willpower for people to refuse it．“I received a number of gold MasterCard and gold Visa card offers in the mail during the past two months，”said one computer engineer at AT ＆T Bell Laboratories in Chicago．“I got three of them in one day last week．”

　Lenders are providing easy credit(信贷)for borrowers．Many banks now offer every borrower a great variety of credit，a service once offered almost only to big companies．Norwest Bank Minneapolis offers lending programs for cars and boats that can cut monthly payments nearly in half. Carmakers，too，are lengthening easier terms．Ford Motor Credit states that 45 % of its recent lendings has been for sixty months，rather than the sixty-six-month period that was usual before．

The total consumer debt(债务)in　 the United States rose 73 percent between 1974 and 1984，as the debt for each man，woman，and child increased from $10，264 to $26，566．Huge debt now is present in our economy(经济)at all levels．As a nation，we are more than $7 trillion in debt，and the total keeps increasing astonishingly.

As we have overborrowed，so have we overspent．In late 1986，the share of after-tax income that Americans saved sank below 2 percent for a short time，less than half the figure at which we saved only 10 years ago．Americans now are buying from foreigners between about $50 and $100 billion more Mercedes and Toyotas, Paris fashions，and tours to Europe than the Boeing 747s， agriculture machinery , or Kansas wheat that the foreigners bought from America. The country could not produce and pay for all the things it wanted.

To make a long story short, we Americans have serious problems in keeping down spending and keeping up personal savings．It is high time for us American people to learn the basics of long-term money management.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to prepare for your success.　　

B. How to face challenges in your life.

C. How to build a positive self-image.

D. How to develop your good qualities.

[答案]C

[思路分析]此题考查主旨要义。文章仅仅阐述了如何避免消极，并建立积极向上的自我形象。选项A、B、D太空泛。 ( )5. Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A. Parents.

B. Adolescents.

C. Educators.

D. People in general.

[答案]B

[思路分析]此题考查判断推理。由文章的第一段“Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics, …”可知，本文是对Adolescents讲的。

3. How should you change your serf-image according to the passage?

A. To keep a different image of others.

B. To make your life successful.

C. To understand your own world.

D. To change the way you think.

[答案]D

[思路分析]此题考查细节理解。从Para2 最后一句“Thus changing the way you think is the key to …” 可知。

1. You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.

A. dare to challenge yourself

B. feel it hard to change yourself

C. are unconfident about yourself

D. have a high opinion of yourself

[答案]C

[思路分析]此题考查细节理解。从Para1 最后一句“If you find that believing yourself is a challenge”可知意思是“缺乏自信”。 ( )2. According to the passage, our self-images _________.

A. have positive effects

B. are probably untrue

C. are often changeable

D. have different functions

[答案]B

[思路分析]此题考查判断推理。 从Para 2 第二句，“This image includes…”及第四段的内容可知，B项正确。

11.(2008·广东卷)B

词数：402 体裁： 议论文 难度：4星 文章标题：如何形成积极向上的自我形象How to Build a Positive Self-image

Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics, but sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.

It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍) yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!

4. What is mainly discussed in the text?

　 A. Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.

　 B. Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.

　 C. Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.

　 D. Different varieties of clotheslines.

[答案]C

[思路分析]此题考查对篇章内容和结构的理解。A选项包含的范围太窄，只不是文章暗含的一方面。B和D较容易排除。

3. Who are in favor of clothesline drying?

　 A. housing businesses.　　　　　　　 B. Environmentalists.

　 C. Homeowners Associations.　　　　 D. Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors.

[答案]B

[思路分析]根据最后一段推断出答案。

2. Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

　 A. He is a kind-hearted man.　　　　　 B. He is an impolite man.

　 C. He is and experienced gardener.　　 D. He is a man of social responsibility.

[答案]D

[思路分析]根据第五段的第一、二句话推断出答案是D。有生态意识的人当然属于有社会责任感的人。