It will be a long time ______- he returns.

A．until

B．before

C．when

D．after

 

Three months after the government stopped issuing（发放）or renewing permits for Internet cafes because of security（安全）concerns, some café owners are having financial concerns of their own.

The permits were stopped suddenly three months ago by the government until new safeguards could be put in place to prevent misuse of the information superhighway, but for café owners it’s a business breakdown with no fix in sight.

“I heard in a request to open up an Internet café and received the conditions,” said the businessman Obeidallah. “I rented a place in the Sharafiah district at SR45,000 and prepared the place with equipment that cost me more than SR100,000. When I went to the local government after finishing everything, I was surprised to find that they’d stopped issuing permits for Internet cafes.”

Having an Internet café without Internet is much like having a coffee shop without coffee. “I’m avoiding closing the place, but it’s been more than three months with the situation ongoing as it is.” Obeidallah said. “Who will bear the losses caused by the permit issue?”

The decision took many café owners by surprise. “I asked to open an Internet café, and I was handed a list of all the things that were needed to follow through, such as a sign for the place, filling out forms,” said Hassan Al-Harbi.

“I did all that was asked and rented a place. And after the Haj vacation I went to the local government and they surprised me, saying that there are new rules that forbid the issuing of any more Internet café permits and that one can’t even renew his permit. I’ve lost more than SR80, 000,” Al-harbi added.

As for government, officials say a method to deal with it is on the way, but security concerns come before profit（盈利）.

67．The government stopped issuing or renewing permits for Internet cafes ______.

A. to prevent misuse of new safeguards in Internet cafes

B. to make café owners earn less profit from their business

C. to stop the use of the information superhighway on Internet

D. to make sure of the proper use of the information superhighway

68．The government’s decision led to the fact that many café owners _______.

A. suffered heavy financial losses           B. asked to open up Internet cafes

C. continued to operate Internet cafes        D. asked the government for payment

69．The underlined phrase in the last paragraph “on the way” means _____.

A. to be studied                                 B. to be put into practice

C. to be changed                          D. to be improved

70．The café owners found the government’s decision ______.

A. surprising and unacceptable                     B. understandable and acceptable

C. reasonable but surprising                 D. surprising but acceptable

　There is a story of a country where the rate of inflation（通货膨胀率）is so high that clever people pay for a taxi ride before the trip instead of after. This story may or may not be true. But inflation was almost that serious in Germany from July 1920 until December 1923. Prices went up so fast that by the end of 1923 they were 50 billion percent higher－a rise of almost 25000 / 40 a month.

　　There was so much paper money, and it had so little value, that people carried bags full of money around to pay for things. One woman told the story of standing outside a shop with a basket full of 500 000 mark notes（马克）. She wanted to buy just one piece of meat, and she hoped she had enough money. But when she was looking, a thief robbed（抢夺） her. He didn't take her money, though, he threw it away and took the basket in stead.

　　At first workers demanded to be paid every day. But as the situation be came worse, they had to be paid twice a day. But they had to run out and spend the money at once, or it would lose its value. People bought anything that was for sale, but food was almost impossible to find. Farm workers re fused to take money. They wanted to be paid in potatoes instead.

　　New policies（政策）ended the inflation in 1923, when the government introduced a new money. But about half of the German people lost every thing in those three and a half years.

　　1．People paid for a taxi ride before the trip because they________

　　　　A. did not want to carry so much money with them

　　　　B. had so much paper money that they wanted to spend them quickly

　　　　C. wanted to save money

　　　　D. were afraid of the taxi driver

　

　　2．According to the passage, in Germany the prices in 1920 were ________.

　　　　A. higher than those in 1923

　　　　B. lower than those in 1923

　　　　C. the highest in history

　　　　D. the lowest in history

　　

　　3．The thief stole the basket instead of the money in it because he thought _________

　　　　A. he couldn't buy a piece of meat with the money

　　　　B. the basket was more valuable than the money

　　　　C. the basket was what he needed most

　　　　D. the money was of no value

　　

　　4．The farm workers demanded to be paid in potatoes because they be lieved that _______

　　　　A. the money could not buy potatoes

　　　　B. the money might lose its value

　　　　C. the potato was too expensive

　　　　D. the potato was valuable

 

It was not long_____ he got to know it.

A．when

B．before

C．after

D．until

 

It was not long_____ he got to know it.

         A．when                  B．before                      C．after                         D．until