There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another. Three basic ways may be described as the market system, the administered system, and the traditional system.

　　In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the marketplace. It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them. In a market, transactions may take place via barter or money exchange. In a barter economy, real goods such as automobiles, shoes, and pizzas are traded against each other. Obviously, finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task. Hence, the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably. In the modern market economy, goods and services are bought or sold for money.

　　An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions. This agency will issue commands as to how much of each good and service should be produced, exchanged, and consumed by each economic unit. Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy. The central plan, drawn up by the government, shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production, consumption, and exchange for the whole economy.

　　In a traditional society, production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition; every person’s place within the economic system is fixed by parentage, religion, and custom. Transactions take place on the basis of tradition, too. People belonging to a certain group or caste（阶级） may have an obligation to care for other persons, provide them with food and shelter, care for their health, and provide for their education. Clearly, in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone, progress may be difficult to achieve. An inactive society may result.

1.What is the main purpose of the passage?

　 A. To outline contrasting types of economic systems.

　 B. To explain the science of economics.

　 C. To argue for the superiority of one economic system.

　 D. To compare barter and money-exchange markets.

2.In the second paragraph, the underlined word “real” could best be replaced by _______.

　 A. valuable         B. concrete         C. absolute            D. reliable

3.According to the passage, a barter economy can generate ______.

 A. rapid speed of transactions             B. misunderstandings

　 C. inflation                             D. difficulties for the traders

4.According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control in the administered system?

　 A. Individual households.                    B. Small businesses.

　 C. Major corporations.                   D. The government.

5.Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a criterion（标准）for determining a person’s position in a traditional society?

　 A. Family background                 B. Age

　 C. Religious beliefs.                        D. Custom

Abby Subark is a mother of two from Boston. “For my kids, I’m nervous. I don’t know if they’ll be able to achieve their American dream.” She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich.

It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, poor scores, in the bottom on tests when they are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That’s what the working persons’  children are up against.

The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status. That’s about 200 years. The hallmark (特征) of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility (变动).

If you look at the mechanisms (机制) for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care.

White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, where you end up depends on where you start.

If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you.

But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.

The main idea of the passage is _______.

A. How the middle class comes about in the U.S.

B. It’s hard to realize the American dream for the poor.

C. Wealth and social status depend on family background.

D. Upward mobility in America is never easy.

Which of the statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. People used to have job opportunities and welfare for upward mobility.

B. A great many poor people can hardly realize their American dream.

C. You can make all your dreams come true in America if born rich.

D. Rich kids are more likely to go to college than poor kids.

The underlined sentence “where you end up depends on where you start” most probably means _______.

A. Your starting point cannot determine your destination.

B. Only a high goal can ensure success.

C. One’s birth has nothing to do with his fate.

D. One’s family lays solid foundation for his future achievements.

Why is Abby Subark nervous?

A. Her kids don’t want to compare with other rich kids in achievements.

B. Her kids don’t want to achieve success at all.

C. Her kids can achieve success through hard work and education.

D. Her kids can’t reach their goal without a rich family.

What can we infer after reading the passage?　

A. Poverty causes people much pain.

B. People below the poverty line can never be in the middle class.

C. Lower starting point makes it hard for people to realize their dream.

D. Poor people’s starting point is too low.

第二节　完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
　　阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
　　One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered．and they all admired his heart for it was 　31　. There was not a scar in it. Suddenly, an old man appeared and said, “Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as 　32　.”
　　The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s 　33　. It was full of scars, it had places 　34　 pieces had been removed and other pieces 　35　 in, but they didn’t fit quite right, and there were several 　36　 edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gaps where whole pieces were missing.
　　The young man laughed. “ 　37　 your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars.”
　　“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours 　38　 perfect but I would never trade with you. You see, every 　39　 represents a person 　40　 I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they 　41　 me a piece of their heart that fits into the 　42　 place in my heart. But because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we 　43　.
　　“Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart 　44　, and the other person hasn’t returned a 　45　 of his or her heart to me. These are the empty gaps—giving love is 　46　 a chance. Although these gaps are painful, they 　47　 open, reminding me of the love I have for those people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have been waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?’’
　　The young man walked up to the old man, 　48　 his perfect heart, and tipped a piece out. He 　49　 it to the old man.
　　The old man placed it in his heart, then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It 　50　, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.
　　The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his.
　　They embraced and walked away side by side.
31．A．ugly          B．perfect      C．beautiful     D．hurt
32．A．mine         B．his          C．theirs          D．ours
33．A．coat         B．appearance    C．face           D．heart
34．A．that        B．which       C．where　      D．whose
35．A．cut           B．set            C．put          D．brought
36．A．smooth       B．rough          C．broken             D．pretty
37．A．Comparing    B．Compared    C．Compare     D．Compares
38．A．looks        B．seems          C．is           D．fits
39．A．one        B．heart       C．piece         D．scar
40．A．on whom           B．in whom      C．with whom    D．to whom
41．A．take          B．give        C．lend        D．pass
42．A．empty         B．full            C．original       D．first
43．A．had           B．gave        C．shared       D．owned
44．A．in           B．away         C．off         D．up
45．A．lot            B．sheet          C．piece       D．pile
46．A．making       B．taking       C．keeping      D．bringing
47．A．keep          B．cut         C．come         D．stay
48．A．carried away  B．reached into    C．took out      D．brought up
49．A．offered      B．took        C．passed      D．served
50．A．fit             B．hit           C．beat           D．set

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

     One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered．and they all admired his heart for it was 　41　. There was not a scar in it. Suddenly, an old man appeared and said, “Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as 　42　.”

　　The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s 　43　. It was full of scars, it had places 　44　 pieces had been removed and other pieces 45　 in, but they didn’t fit quite right, and there were several 　46　 edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gaps where whole pieces were missing.

　　The young man laughed. “ 　47　 your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars.”

　　“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours  48　 perfect but I would never trade with you. You see, every　49　 represents a person 　50　 I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they 51　 me a piece of their heart that fits into the  52　 place in my heart. But because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we 　53　.

　　“Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart 　54　, and the other person hasn’t returned a 　55　 of his or her heart to me. These are the empty gaps—giving love is 　56　 a chance. Although these gaps are painful, they 　57　 open, reminding me of the love I have for those people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have been waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?’’

　　The young man walked up to the old man, 　58　 his perfect heart, and tipped a piece out. He 　59　 it to the old man.

　　The old man placed it in his heart, then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It 　60　, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

　　The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his.

　　They embraced and walked away side by side.

A．ugly　　　　　B．perfect　　　　　 C．beautiful　　　　D．hurt

A．mine　　　　 B．his　　　　　　　 C．theirs　　　　　D．ours

A．coat　　　　　B．appearance　　　　C．face　　　　　 D．heart

A．that　　　　　B．which　　　　　　C．where　　　　　D．whose

A．cut　　　　　 B．set　　　　　　　C．put　　　　　　 D．brought

A．smooth　　　 B．rough　　　　　　C．broken　　　　　D．pretty

A.Comparing　　　B．Compared　　　　C．Compare　　　 D．Compares

A．looks　　　　 B．seems　　　　　　C．is　　　　　　　D．fits

A．one　　　　　 B．heart　　　　　　 C．piece　　　　　 D．scar

A．on whom　　 B．in whom　　　　　C．with whom　　  D．to whom

A．take　　　　 B．give　　　　　　　C．lend　　　　　　D．pass

A．empty　　　 B．full　　　　　　　 C．original　　　　 D．first

A．had　　　　  B．gave　　　　　　 C．shared　　　　　D．owned

A．in　　　　　 B．away　　　　　　 C．off　　　　　　D．up

A．lot　　　　　 B．sheet　　　　　　 C．piece　　　　　D．pile

A．making　　　 B．taking　　　　　　C．keeping　　　　D．bringing

A．keep　　　　　B．cut　　　　　　　C．come　　　　　D．stay

A．carried away　　B．reached into　　　C．took out　　　 D．brought up

A．offered　　　　B．took　　　　　　C．passed　　　　　D．served

A．fit　　　　　　B．hit　　　　　　　C．beat　　　　　　D．set

Fish Ears Tell Fish Tales

　 Fish have ears. Really. They’re quite small and have no opening to the outside world carrying sound through the body. For the past seven years, Simon Thorrold, a university professor, has been examining fish ears, small round ear bones called otoliths (耳石).

　 As fish grow, so do their otoliths. Each day, their otoliths gain a ring of calcium carbonate (碳酸钙). By looking through a microscope and counting these rings, Thorrold can determine the exact age of a young fish. As a fish gets older, its otoliths no longer get daily rings. Instead, they get yearly rings, which can also be counted, giving information about the fish’s age, just like the growth rings of a tree.

　 Ring counting is nothing new to fish scientists. But Thorrold has turned to a new direction. They’re examining the chemical elements (元素) of each otolith ring.

　 The daily ring gives us the time, but chemistry tells us about the environment in which the fish swam on any given day. These elements tell us about the chemistry of the water that the fish was in. It also says something about water temperature, which determines how much of these elements will gather within each otolith ring.

　 Thorrold can tell, for example, if a fish spent time in the open ocean before entering the less salty water of coastal areas. He can basically tell where fish are spending their time at any given stage of history.

　 In the case of the Atlantic croaker, a popular saltwater food fish, Thorrold and his assistant have successfully followed the travelling of young fish from mid-ocean to the coast, a journey of many hundreds of miles.

　 This is important to managers in the fish industry, who know nearly nothing about the whereabouts of the young fish for most food fish in the ocean. Eager to learn about his technology, fish scientists are now lending Thorrold their ears.

What can we learn about fish ears from the text?

　A. They are small soft rings.

　B. They are not seen from the outside.

　C. They are openings only on food fish.

　D. They are not used to receive sound.

Why does the writer compare the fish to trees?

　A. Trees gain a growth ring each day.

　B. Trees also have otoliths.

　C. Their growth rings are very small.

　D. They both have growth rings.

Why is it important to study the chemistry of otolith rings?

　A. The elements of the otoliths can tell the history of the sea.

　B. Chemical contents of otoliths can tell how fast fish can swim.

　C. We can know more about fish and their living environment.

　D. Scientists can know exactly how old a fish is.

How would you understand “fish scientists are now lending their ears”?

　A. They are very interested in Thorrold’s research findings.

　B. They want to know where they can find fish.

　C. They lend their fish for chemical studies.

　D. They wonder if Thorrold can find growth rings from their ears.