Ⅲ.阅读理解

Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life: death and taxes. Many people feel that the United States has the worst taxes in the world.

Taxes are the money that people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States: federal, state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes.

Salaried people who earn more than four to five thousand per year must pay a certain part of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies for different people. It depends on the salaries. The federal government has a two level income tax: that is, 15 or 28 percent. $17，850 is the cut­off. The tax rate is 15 percent below $17,850 and 28 percent above.

The second tax is for the state government: New York, California, or any of the other forty­eight states. Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item which people buy in the state. Some states use income tax and sales tax to raise their revenues (收入).

The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms: property tax (people who own a house have to pay taxes on it ) and excise (执照) tax, which is collected on vehicles in a city. The cities use this money for education, police, public works, etc.

Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. They often say that the government misuses their tax dollars. They all believe that taxes are too high in this country.

31. How much money does an American earning $40,000 per year pay to the federal government as income tax according to the passage?

A.$11,200. B.$6,000.

C.$17,850. D.$5,000.

32.What happens to buyers when a sales tax is collected?

A.They have to pay more than what the item costs.

B.They can pay less than what the item costs.

C.They have to pay exactly what the item costs.

D.They will all give up buying the item.

33. What tax does an American have to pay to the city if he owns a car?

A.Property tax. B. Excise tax.

C.Income tax. D. Sales tax.

34.After reading the passage, we might feel that Americans seem to be________.

A.satisfied with their taxes

B.proud of their taxes

C.unhappy about their taxes

D.happy about their taxes

Ⅳ . 任务型读写

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。

It’s common for kids of all ages to experience school anxiety—school­related stress. This is often most apparent at the end of summer when school is about to start again, but it can occur year­round. Where does the stress and anxiety come from?

Teachers

A good experience with a caring teacher can cause a lasting impression on a child’s life—so can a bad experience. While most teachers do their best to provide students with a positive educational experience, some students are better suited for certain teaching styles and classroom types than others. If there’s a mismatch (不协调) between student and teacher, a child can form lasting negative feelings about school or his own abilities.

Friends

Friends can also be a source of stress. Concerns about not having enough friends, not being in the same class as friends, not being able to keep up with friends in one particular area or another, and interpersonal conflicts are a few of the very common ways kids can be stressed by their social lives at school. Dealing with these issues alone can cause anxiety in even the most confident kids.

Bullies (欺凌弱小者)

Things have changed in the world of bullies since I was a kid.The good news is that teachers and parents are paying more attention. Many schools now have anti­bullying programs and policies. Though bullying does still happen, help is generally more easily accessible than before.

The bad news is that bullying has gone high­tech. Many students use the Internet, cell phones and other media devices to bully other students, and this type of bullying often gets very aggressive. One reason is that bullies can be anonymous (匿名的) and enlist other bullies to make their targets miserable.Another reason is that they don’t have to face their targets. So it’s easier to get rid of any empathy that they may otherwise feel. There are ways to fight against “cyber­bullying”， but many parents aren’t aware of them—and many bullied kids feel too overwhelmed to deal with the situation.

Passage outlineSupporting details

A general

35. ________◇Kids of all ages are 36. ________ to experience school­related stress.

◇School anxiety may happen all year round,37. ________when the new school year begins.

38. ________of

school anxiety

TeachersThe school anxiety from a bad experience with a teacher can 39. ________for a long time.

FriendsThe problems such as fearing to fall 40. ________friends and being afraid of not having enough friends should be 41. ________ together but not alone.

BulliesGood news：

·School bullies are being paid more attention to than before.

·Help is more easily 42. ________as most schools have anti­bullying programs and policies.

Bad news：

·Modern 43. ________has made school bullies more aggressive.

·Many parents don’t 44. ________the importance of fighting against “cyber­bullying.”

参考答案

Ⅰ.1.D　apologize to sb. for sth./ doing sth.“因某事向某人道歉”。

2.A　本题考查long before 与before long的区别。表示“在……之前要多少时间”用“it + be +一段时间(long)+ before从句”。

3.A　考查形容词作后置定语。句意为：出席聚会的所有人都喜欢该电视剧的音乐。只有present表示“出席”，且作定语后置于被修饰词之后。所以选择A。