大学英语四级试卷-四级阅读练习

Crowded Cities

Humans are about to become a majority urban species for the first time. Does this trend mean poverty or prosperity for the world's urban dwellers? As a social problem, how is urbanization negatively affecting our society? The answer to these questions is not a simple one.

A UN forecast released last week reports that half of all humans will live in urban areas by the end of the year 2008-and 70 percent by 2050-even though cities occupy only about 3 percent of Earth's land surface. Urban growth is driven by the developing world, where African and Asian cities grow by a million people a week, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report. Cities are growing, in part, because their large, young populations are in their reproductive prime. But observers note that much more urban growth stems from steady migrations of rural dwellers looking for economic opportunity.

Economic Engines are Behind the City Expansion

Surging cities in economically challenged nations can present a host of problems. About a billion people currently live in expansive city slums (贫民窟) with inadequate access to clean water, proper sanitation (卫生), or legitimate housing, the report states. That number could double in three decades.

But some experts, including the report's lead author, say urbanization provides valuable economic opportunities. The historically wealthy nations in Europe and North America, for example, are more than 70 percent urbanized. \"Contrary to what most policy makers have been saying, urban growth can be extremely positive for economic growth, social development, demographic (人口统计学的) stabilization, and even for environmental issues,\" said George Martine, a demographer who wrote the UNFPA's recent State of World Population 2007 report. \"But in order for that to happen, we'll need to take a completely different approach from the one that people are taking now.\"

Martine notes that cities generate most of the world's income from goods and services. \"So to try to prevent urban growth is like shooting yourself in the foot from an economic standpoint,\" he said. \"If you have better chances for economic growth, this also has implications for social development-you need resources to provide social services. Education, health care, any type of social service costs less in cities per capital than it does in rural areas.\"

Unfortunately, many cities are failing to provide such services to their quickly growing populations, observers say. David Satterthwaite, a senior fellow with the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, says the blame falls squarely on governments. \"I get annoyed by people looking at urbanization negatively. What we should look at negatively is the incompetence of governments to actually manage it,\" he said.

Much urban growth is unregulated because some authorities don't want to encourage the trend toward urbanization, Martine added. \"They would like urbanization to stop because they see it concentrating poverty,\" he said. \"It's a very visible and negative manifestation in terms of politics.\"

\"Rightsizing\" Cities is the Only Way Out?

By 2050, there may be as many as 27 megacities（大城市）-cities with populations of ten million or more-up from 19 megacities today. But such huge centers won't represent most urban growth, experts say. Instead, global urbanization will largely occur in smaller cities that are part of broader, growing urban areas, they note. \"In general as cities get very large, you get a pattern of a very urbanized region, but a lot of production is decentralized,\" Satterthwaite said. He notes that many big cities, like Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Kolkata (Calcutta), India, actually have more people moving out than coming in.

Smaller cities may offer the chance at better governance-and thus greater success-because their developing

1

governments are more transparent, while some big cities have already become too burdensome, according to Kamla Gupta of the International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai (Bombay). \"There is a need to limit the physical and population size of cities that have expanded too much … and have achieved inordinately large population size,\" she said. \"It is extremely difficult to manage overgrown cities, in spite of huge investments.\"

One Size Doesn't Fit All

Geographer Nigel Thrift, vice chancellor of the UK's University of Warwick, stresses that the urbanization trend is anything but homogenous across the globe. \"You shouldn't infer that the same solutions would work in different parts of the world,\" he said. \"There are many Asian cities where, though there are many people living in difficult circumstances, the figures on economic growth suggest that it may be possible to do something about it. In other cities that's not the case.\"

He suggests that a kind of global Marshall Plan, the economic aid package that helped rebuild postwar Europe, could be implemented to address the needs of growing cities. Such aid would need to be flexible to accommodate the unique needs of different locales, he said. \"(In) cities with more potential, what you're doing there is investing in growth,\" he said. \"With the others, that's not enough.\"

In those most desperate cities, according to Martine, the author of the UN report, turning urban growth into a positive process begins with planning for decent housing. \"What really determines whether or not people are going to have access to what the city has to offer is to have a home, an address, a place they can keep their stuff, lock the door, or set up a little business,\" he said. \"It may be unstable at the beginning, but it's really the starting point for accessing what the city has to offer.\"

1. According to the UN report, how much of the world population will be urbanized by the year of 2050? A) 50% B) 30% C) 70% D) 3% 2. What is the more important factor that contributes to the urban growth? A) The large, young city populations are in their reproductive prime. B) The Africans and Asians like to live in the cities. C) The young people are more attracted to the city life.

D) The rural dwellers move in to look for economic opportunity.

3. How many people will live in expansive city slums in three decades? A) 1 billion. B) 2 billion. C) 3 billion. D) 4 billion.

4. Example(s) to show that urbanization provides valuable economic opportunities is (are) the ________. A) UNFPA’s recent State of World Population 2007 report B) historically wealth nations in Europe and North America C) positive effects of urban growth on economic growth D) cities’ social development, demographic stabilization

5. According to David Satterthwaite, who is to blame for the city's failing to provide sufficient services to its

dwellers?

A) The politicians. B) The immigrated rural dwellers. C) The city residents. D) The city governments.

6. Instead of the growing megacities, global urbanization largely takes place in ________. A) smaller cities that are part of broader urban areas B) big cities that are growing with more people moving in C) megacities with ten million or more population D) smaller cities that are transformed from rural areas 7. Kamla Gupta said it is necessary to ________.

2

A) control the immigration of rural dwellers B) limit the expansion of the city areas

C) limit the physical and population size of the cities D) manage the overgrown cities with huge investments

8. Geographer Nigel Thrift suggests that a kind of Marshall plan can be employed to ________________. 9. According to Martine, the beginning of turning urban growth into a positive process is to ___________. 10. The starting point for accessing what the city has to offer is __________________.

Passage 2

Carbon Monoxide（一氧化碳）, the Silent Killer

The winter season is arriving soon in the northern part of the world. Winter brings cold weather and with it a danger as old as man's knowledge of fire. The danger is death or injury by carbon monoxide poisoning. Today, we tell about this ancient and continuing danger.

Several years ago, a family in the western state of California was enjoying a holiday near the Pacific Ocean. The family included a father and a mother and five children. The oldest child was twelve years old. The youngest was three. The family was spending the weekend in a camper. A camper is a small shelter carried in the back of a truck. People can sleep in it for a few days.

The weather turned cold the second night the family stayed at the beach. The camper did not have any heating equipment to warm the inside area while family members slept. Someone decided to heat the space by placing a cooking device called a charcoal grill (焦炭烧烤架) inside the camper. The grill burned a wood product called charcoal. The fire immediately warmed the members of the family. They all went to sleep.

The next day, other people visiting the beach found the family. The parents and their five children had died in their sleep. They died because they did not know that burning wood products creates a deadly gas.

The deadly gas is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisoning is known as a silent killer. The California family went to sleep in their warm camper and never woke up.

Carbon monoxide poisoning causes death and injuries throughout the world. The poison gas has been a problem since humans first began burning fuels to cook food or to create heat during cold weather.

More people die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States each year than from any other kind of poisoning. American health records show that this poison gas kills about 220 people each year. More than 5 000 are taken to medical center emergency rooms for treatment. This dangerous gas is a problem in all areas of the world that experience cold weather.

Carbon monoxide gas is called the silent killer because people do not realize it is in the air. Carbon monoxide has no color, no taste, and no smell. It does not cause burning eyes. And it does not cause people to cough. Yet, carbon monoxide gas is very deadly. It is a thief. It steals the body's ability to use oxygen.

Carbon monoxide decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to body tissues. It does this by linking with the blood. When carbon monoxide links with the blood, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen to the tissues that need it. Damage to the body can begin very quickly from large amounts of this deadly gas. How quickly this can happen depends on the length of time a person is breathing the gas and the amount of the gas he or she breathes in.

There are warning signs of carbon monoxide. But people have to be awake to recognize them. Small amounts of carbon monoxide will cause a person's head to hurt. He or she may begin to feel tired. The victim's stomach may feel sick. The room may appear to be turning around. The person may have trouble thinking clearly.

People develop severe head pains as the amount of gas continues to enter their blood. They will begin to feel very sleepy and very tired. They may have terrible stomach pains.

3

Medical experts say the gas will affect people very differently. For example, a small child will experience health problems or die much quicker than an adult will. The general health of the person or his or her age can also be important.

An older person with health problems may suffer the effects of carbon monoxide more quickly than a younger person with no health problems. People with heart disease may suffer chest pains. They may begin to have trouble breathing.

What causes carbon monoxide gas? Any device that burns fuels such as coal, oil or wood can create the gas. Water heaters that burn natural gas create carbon monoxide. Fireplaces (壁炉) and stoves that burn wood create the gas. Natural gas stoves and gas dryers or charcoal grills also create carbon monoxide. Any device that burns the fossil fuels such as coal, oil, wood, gasoline, kerosene (煤油) or propane (丙烷) will produce carbon monoxide.

Experts agree that the leading cause of carbon monoxide poisoning is damaged equipment that burns these fuels. They say many people also die or are injured by the gas because they do not use these devices correctly.

Carbon monoxide gas is created by fuel burning devices because not all of the fuel is burned. Most devices used for home heating have a method of expelling the gas to the outside. For example, a fireplace has a chimney. Anyone who uses a device that burns fossil fuel must inspect the equipment carefully to decrease the chances carbon monoxide gas will escape. Companies that produce the devices usually provide directions about using the device correctly. These directions should be read and understood before using any equipment that burns fuel inside a home.

You can do a number of things to lessen the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. First, immediately leave the area if you recognize the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning in yourself or others.

You should seek emergency medical services once you are away from the area where you suspect the gas might be. Usually the treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning involves breathing in large amounts of oxygen. However, a doctor will know the best method to treat the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Secondly, if you suspect carbon monoxide gas is a problem in your home, you might try calling your local fire department. Many fire departments have the necessary equipment to find or detect carbon monoxide.

Thirdly, buy and use a special device that will warn when harmful amounts of carbon monoxide are in the area. These devices can be linked to a home's electric system. Others work with electric batteries. Experts say these devices should be placed near sleeping areas in the home.

The most important weapon against carbon monoxide poisoning is the safe use of materials to heat any enclosed area. Safety directions that come with any heating equipment must be followed. Older fossil fuel burning heating equipment should be inspected to make sure it is safe every year. Knowledge about the dangers of this deadly gas could be the most important information you ever learn.

1. From the first paragraph, what can we know about carbon monoxide?

A) Carbon monoxide poisoning mainly happened in the northern part of the world. B) Carbon monoxide comes with the arriving of winter season.

C) Carbon monoxide poisoning is an ancient and continuing danger. D) Carbon monoxide comes with the man’s knowledge of fire.

2. An example to show that carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer is that ________. A) the California family died in their sleep

B) the deadly gas is created by burning wood products

C) the California family died alone in a camper on the beach D) the deadly gas can kill the whole family together

3. In the United States, how many people are taken to medical centers for emergent treatment each year? A) More than 220. B) More than 5,000. C) About 220. D) About 5,000.

4

4. How does carbon monoxide decrease the blood's ability to carry oxygen? A) It steals the body’s ability to use oxygen. B) It damages the blood cells carrying oxygen. C) It links with blood instead of oxygen. D) It carries the oxygen to the body tissues.

5. Although there are warning signs of carbon monoxide, the precondition of recognizing them is that people

have to ________.

A) know very well these abnormal signs B) realize the importance of recognizing them C) be awake to recognize them D) stay up all night to be on alert to them

6. People with heart disease may suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning by showing the signs of _____. A) head pains and stomach sickness B) head pains and tiredness C) chest pains and trouble breathing D) chest pains and stomach pains

7. As suggested by the passage, anyone who uses a device that burn fossil fuels have to ________. A) have a method of expelling the gas to the outside B) make sure the fuel is completely burned C) inspect the equipment carefully before use

D) provide the directions about using the device correctly

8. As to carbon monoxide poisoning, the usual treatment includes breathing in ____________________. 9. If you suspect a carbon monoxide leak in your home, just call ____________________.

10. The household warning device for carbon monoxide should be installed somewhere near __________.

Passage 3

INTERNSHIPS ARE ABOUT PEOPLE, TOO

You probably decided to do an internship for the same reason most other college students do: To get some practical, real-world experience and skills in your chosen field. But don't forget about other reason internships and similar experiential activities are so critical to your future: The professional relationships you develop with people both inside and outside the organization where you intern. The more you do to cultivate these relationships, the more opportunities you'll create for yourself in the world of work, perhaps for years or even decades to come.

Who should you get to know during your internship and why?

Your Direct Supervisor

Two key factors influence your ability to build this critical relationship: Understanding your supervisor's goals and priorities, and understanding your supervisor's work style. Knowledge of each will help you take the steps to rebuild your current relationship or build a solid foundation with your future boss.

Of course, building a good relationship with your supervisor often isn't as easy as you might think. Your supervisor might very well be too busy to work much with you, or he may not have the mentoring capabilities you probably want and need. If you find yourself with a supervisor who doesn't seem to be trying to build a good relationship with you, you will have to take the lead and attempt to build a relationship with him. How? By asking intelligent questions, showing genuine interest in the work your supervisor is doing, telling your supervisor that you're willing and able to take on additional tasks and checking in periodically to update him on what you're doing and what you plan to do.

Understand Your Supervisor's Needs

Consider the key priorities and projects your supervisor needs to accomplish. Take the time to

5

anticipate and appreciate the pressures of balancing multiple priorities and conflicting needs. Reflect this perspective in your approach to your

work. How do your projects fit within this larger context? Would accomplishing your goals advance your boss's priorities or inadvertently (不注意地 ) conflict with another team that reports to him? Tie your work to the larger goals of the division. Value your supervisor's time. Plan your work carefully.

Understand Your Supervisor's Work Style

Is your supervisor formal or informal? Does he like to be briefed in writing before meetings or prefer to brainstorm (集体讨论) issues with you? Is your supervisor a hands-on manager who likes to be consulted about issues as they arise, or will regular and informal updates make your supervisor think you aren't taking the lead in performing your managerial role? Pay attention to the differences in your work style and your supervisor's style. Where possible, make adjustments to be consistent in style, eliminating unnecessary annoyances that can build into real miscommunications.

Evidence suggests that the most effective individuals in organizations understand that management is not unilateral Building a solid network of collegial relationships is critical, as is an informed and motivated staff and recognition of the interdependence between you and your supervisor. This recognition ensures that you stay in close alignment (结盟；合作) with the vision and direction of your organization, and gives you the tools and opportunity to advance.

Your Department Colleagues

What do you think your department colleagues? It's almost impossible not to build productive relationships with your coworkers in your department. After all, these are the folks you'll most likely be working with every time you're in the office. Even so, your department colleagues are probably going to be as busy, if not more so, as your direct supervisor, and they too may not have the time or the skills to reach out to you. So instead, you'll need to reach out to them, using many of the same strategies you'd use to build an effective relationship with your direct supervisor.

Other Workers in the Company/Organization

From a political standpoint, trying to get to know people you don't directly work with can be dicey. But you can sometimes find yourself in trouble with your supervisor or one of your department colleagues by simply going around the office, introducing yourself to people in other departments and chatting with them a bit. It's not so much that you're wasting time, but you may be perceived to be going beyond your (or your supervisor's or colleagues') office boundaries.

Don't, for example, agree to take on an extra project for someone in another department without your supervisor's Ok. But it's important to at least touch base with other people working in the organization. At minimum, find some time to talk to these more distant colleagues about the jobs they do, the career paths they've taken, and their advice and suggestions for you in your own future career planning.

People Outside the Organization

It can be easy to start thinking that you and your in-house colleagues are working in a vacuum, but you're not. Other people at other companies and organizations are doing similar things, but perhaps in different ways or for different reasons. You can learn from those people, and they, in turn, can learn from you and your colleagues. So set a goal during your internship to at least make initial connections with people in your field who are working for other organizations. Joining a local professional association relating to your industry is perhaps the best way to meet people from other

6

companies and organizations. Informational interviewing — having short question-and-answer meetings with people whose jobs or organizations interest you — is another excellent approach.

The experience and skills you gain from internships will *take you far in and of themselves, but the professional relationships you develop during your time as an intern will serve as the real catalyst (催化剂) for your future career growth. For in the real world, skills and experience will only take you so far. You need as many people as possible on your side, helping you find opportunities to which you can apply all that you've learned.

1. From the first paragraph we know that college students should also ____besides getting some practical, real -world experience and skills in the internship. A .take part in some activities in school

B. understand some relationships with the people around them C. cultivate their creativity

D. practice what they have learned in school

2. Whatever the reasons, if you find your supervisor doesn't seem to work much with you, you'll____.

A.. ask some intelligent questions to him

B .show your genuine interest in the work to him C. tell him you are willing to make a friend with him D .take the lead and build a relationship with him

3. There are two key factors that influence your ability to build relationship with your supervisor, ______________ A. knowing his/her goals and ability

B. noticing his/her priorities and personality C. rebuilding a solid foundation with him/her

D .understanding his/her goals, priorities and work style 4. What does \"understanding your supervisor's needs\" mean?

A. You should consider the pressures of balancing your supervisor's multiple needs.

B. You should think of the priorities and projects your supervisor needs to finish first. C. You should accomplish your goals first.

D. You should tie your work to your supervisor's.

5. What is said about relationship with the department colleagues in the text?

A. It's also important to build good relationships with one's colleagues as one does with his supervisor.

B. It's impossible to build productive relationships with them. C. It's important to reach out to them.

D. It's not necessary to use the same strategies one used with his direct supervisor. 6. Trying to get to know people in other departments may ___________________ . A. often help you build good relationships with your supervisor

B. make you in trouble with your supervisor or colleagues around you C. be easy for you to be promoted D. waste your time

7. Finding some time to talk to these more distant colleagues about the jobs they do may . A. go beyond your office boundaries B .be impossible to you C. be helpful to your own career D. be not easy to you

8. It is good for you to contact with the people outside your company because you and your colleagues are

7

not working _______________________________________________________________ .

9. Another excellent approach to obtain information from other companies or organizations is to have .

10. You need both experiences and skills in your future work, and you also need many people to help

you find opportunities to ____________________________________________________ .

Passage 4

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW THE MONEY？ Money is what people use to buy things and \"services\" (that is, to have things done for them) — and what they take for selling their own things or services. There are many kinds of money in the world and most countries have their own kind of money.

Money is also called many other names, like currency or cash. Most of the time a state or a government prints paper money and makes coins at a special place called a mint（造币厂)-

Many types of money have been used at different times in history. They are: commodity money（商品货币), convertible (可兑换) paper money, inconvertible money, bank deposits and electronic money.

Commodity money can be used for other purposes besides serving as a medium of exchange. We say it possesses intrinsic (指价值、性质固有的) value, because it is useful or valuable by itself. Some examples of commodity money are cattle, silk, gold and silver. Convertible paper money is money that is convertible into gold and silver. Inconvertible money is money that cannot be converted into gold and silver. Notes and coins are inconvertible money. They are inconvertible and are declared by the government as money. They are also a country's legal tender. Today, notes and coins are the currencies used in daily transactions. In a modern society, most of the money used is bank deposits, which include demand deposits, savings deposits, time deposits and negotiable certificates of deposit Electronic money is the money stored electronically in certain cash cards.

It began with Barter.

Man got quite a long time without money. He used what we call the barter system.

In the Stone Age, people lived in small, rigidly structured communities subsisting on hunting, fishing and gathering. Without surpluses, there was no exchange of produce. It was only when hunters and gatherers turned into herdsmen and agriculturalists that early forms of commerce began to develop.

The first kind of money used by primitive man usually consisted of things to wear or eat. The American Indians used carved shells called \"wampum\". Other types of \"money\" have been tobacco, grains, skins, salt, and beads. Eventually, pieces of metal replaced the other kinds of money. In the advanced civilizations of Egypt and ancient China, with their highly developed administrative and tax systems, primary products were assigned standard values and used as a forerunner (祖先) to money. Cowries (贝壳) were used in ancient China from 1500 BC to 200 AD as a form of money. They had developed into a kind of \"key currency\" over an astonishingly wide area from Polynesia to Mauritania (roughly 20,000 km apart). In a dark chapter of mankind's history, human beings themselves served as a means of payment

Fishermen, hunters and herdsmen often standardized the exchange rates for animal products. A decree (法令) issued in 1420 laid down that a tub of butter was worth 120 dried fish and 4 dried fish were equivalent to a pair of leather shoes. Hunters used animal skins as units of account and exchange, a top-quality beaver fur serving as reference value for other furs and commodities.

8

The First Coined Money

The first people to use coined money were the Lydians. In the eighth century B.C., they began to make pieces of metal money which were uniform in weight and design and which could be easily recognized.

Gold and silver had been used as money long before that, but not in the form of coins. They had circulated as bars from which pieces were cut and weighed, but there was no guarantee of purity or weight. It was the Lydians who first thought of stamping pieces of metal with some symbol as a guarantee. Other peoples imitated them and gradually the use of coins became widespread.

The First Paper Money

Later, after coins had been used for hundreds of years, paper money started out as a promise to pay in coin, much like an \"I.O.U.\" note. The title for first country to use paper money went to the Chinese. The very first attempt was during the reign of Emperor Han Wu-ti, (140 to 87BC). Constant military expeditions against the Huns in Mongolia had exhausted the empire.

The notes weren't actually made from paper but from the hide of a white stag— quite a rare stag(鹿) as it happened The notes were about 30cm square and bore a special marking. This first attempt was inevitably doomed as they ran out of stags.

However around 800AD the Chinese did produce paper money, called flying money owing to its tendency to blow away. It wasn't fully exchangeable. It was issued to traders by banks in return for money deposited in the capital. It could later be redeemed (赎回)when traders returned from the provinces. This helped stop merchants (商人) being robbed by highway men on their way home.

As Marco Polo reported enthusiastically in 1275, \"I tell you that people are glad to take these tokens, because wherever they go in the empire of the great Khan,, they can use them to buy and sell as if they were pure gold\".

Europeans had to wait until the 17th century when Sweden took the lead in issuing paper currency. Other countries gradually followed the Swedish example.

Money and Salary

We actually have the Romans to thank for the word salary. It is derived from the Latin word, sal, which means salt. Some people were paid 'wages' in salt, as opposed to money. Salt was very much prized within the Roman Empire. It could be used to preserve food, which was very important for an Empire. They also prized it as a means of flavoring food, although undoubtedly it was the preservation qualities that were the most important.

Roman soldiers were paid by using salt (sal), and they (unlike many other soldiers)were regularly paid, so salary is a term for a regular payment for services to an employer, directly taken from the Latin!

1. The place where a state or a government prints paper money and makes coins is called a .

A. money factory B. mint C. money-making factory D. money center 2. Which of the following statements about notes and coins is NOT true? A. They are convertible money. B. They are inconvertible money. C. They are a country's legal tender.

D. They are the currencies used in daily transactions.

3. Most of the money used in a modern society is _________________ . A. convertible paper money B. inconvertible money

9

C. bank deposits D. electronic money.

4. In the Stone Age, people survived by the following ways except _____________ .

A. hunting B. planting C. gathering D. fishing 5. The first kind of money used by primitive man usually consisted of _____________ . A. things to fish B. things to entertain themselves C. things to hunt D. things to wear or eat.

6. In the early history of money, had ever developed into a kind of \"key currency\" over an astonishingly wide area roughly 20,000 km apart.

A. cowries B. tobacco C. grains D. skins 7. served as reference value for other furs and commodities among hunters. A. A bear fur B. A top-quality beaver fur C. A top-quality tiger fur D. A deer fur

8. People who first thought of stamping pieces of metal with some symbol and making them into coins were . 9. Notes during the reign of Emperor Han Wu-ti was made from ________________ .

10. In Europe, the country that took the lead in issuing paper currency was______.

Passage 5

The Rising Grocery Bill

If you're seeing your grocery bill go up, you're not alone. From subsistence farmers eating rice in Ecuador to gourmets (美食家) feasting on escargot (蜗牛) in France, consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Abnormal weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in India.

The world's poorest nations still harbor the greatest hunger risk. Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month. But food protests now crop up even in Italy. And while the price of noodles has doubled in Haiti, the cost of food is packing a hit in Japan.

“It's not likely that prices will go back to as low as we're used to,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, economist and secretary of the Intergovernmental Group for Grains for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “Currently if you're in Haiti, unless the government is subsidizing (提供财政补贴) consumers, consumers have no choice but to cut consumption. It's a very brutal scene, but that's what it is.”

No one knows that better than Eugene Thermilon, 30, a Haitian day laborer who can no longer afford pasta (面食) to feed his wife and four children since the price nearly doubled to $0.57 a bag. Their only meal on a recent day was two cans of corns.

In the long term, prices are expected to stabilize. Farmers will grow more grain for both fuel and food and eventually bring prices down. Already this is happening with wheat, with more crops to be planted in the U.S., Canada and Europe in the coming year. However, consumers still face at least 10 years of more expensive food, according to preliminary FAO projections.

Among the driving forces are petroleum prices, which increase the cost of everything from fertilizers to transport to food processing. Rising demand for meat and dairy in rapidly developing countries like India is sending up the cost of grain, used for cattle feed, as is the demand for raw materials to make biofuels.

What's rare is that the spikes are hitting all major foods in most countries at once. Food prices rose 4 percent in the U.S. last year, the highest rise since 1990, and are expected to climb as much again this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As of December, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had

10

imposed some sort of food-price controls.

For many, it's a disaster. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it's facing a $500 million shortfall in funding this year to feed million needy people. On Monday, it appealed to donor countries to step up contributions, saying its efforts otherwise have to be scaled back. In Egypt, where bread is up 35 percent and cooking oil 26 percent, the government recently proposed ending food subsidies and replacing them with cash payouts to the needy. But the plan was put on hold after it sparked public uproar.

Meanwhile, record oil prices have boosted the cost of fertilizer and freight for bulk commodities - up 80 percent in 2007 over 2006. The oil spike has also turned up the pressure for countries to switch to biofuels, which the FAO says will drive up the cost of corn, sugar and soybeans “for many more years to come.”

Italians are feeling the pain in pasta, with consumer groups staging a one-day strike in September against a food deeply intertwined with national identity. Italians eat an estimated 60 pounds of pasta per capita a year. The protest was symbolic because Italians typically stock up on pasta, buying multiple packages at a time. But in the next two months pasta consumption dropped 5 percent, said farm lobbyist Rolando Manfredini. “The situation has gotten even worse,” he said.

In decades past, farm subsidies and support programs allowed major grain exporting countries to hold large surpluses, which could be tapped during food shortages to keep prices down. But new trade policies have made agricultural production much more responsive to market demands-putting global food reserves at their lowest in a quarter century. Without reserves, bad weather and poor harvests have a bigger impact on prices.

“The market is extremely nervous. With the slightest news about bad weather, the market reacts,” said economist Abbassian. That means that a drought in Australia and flooding in Argentina, two of the world's largest suppliers of industrial milk and butter, sent the price of butter in France soaring 37 percent from 2006 to 2007. Forty percent of escargot, the snail dish, is butter. “You can do the calculation yourself,” said Romain Chapron, president of Croque Bourgogne, which supplies escargot. “It had a considerable effect. It forced people in our profession to tighten their belts to the maximum.”

The same climate crises sparked a 21 percent rise in the cost of milk, which with butter makes famous French food item. Already, there's a lot of suspicion among consumers. “They don't understand why prices have gone up like this,” said Nicole Watelet, general secretary at the Federation of French Bakeries and Pastry Enterprises. “They think that someone is profiting from this. But it's not us. We're paying.” Food costs worldwide spiked 23 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to the FAO. Grains went up 42 percent, oils 50 percent and dairy 80 percent.

Economists say that for the short term, government aids will have to be part of the answer to keep unrest at a minimum. In recent weeks, rising food prices sparked riots in the West African nations of Burkina Faso, where mobs torched buildings, and Cameroon, where at least four people died. But attempts to control prices in one country often have serious effects elsewhere. Ukraine and Russia imposed export restrictions on wheat, causing tight supplies and higher prices for importing countries. Partly because of the cost of imported wheat, Peru's military has begun eating bread made from potato flour, a native crop.

“We need a response on a large scale, either the regional or international level,” said Brian Halweil of the environmental research organization Worldwatch Institute. “All countries are tied enough to the world food markets that this is a global crisis.” Poorer countries can speed up the adjustment to high food prices by investing in agriculture, experts say. If they do, farmers can turn high prices into an engine for growth. 1. Besides the abnormal weather, what is the reason behind the rising food prices? A) Dramatic changes in the global economy. B) Higher oil prices. C) Lower food reserves. D) Growing consumer demand in India. 2. In Abdolreza Abbassian's opinion, the food prices are ________. A) likely to go down if the governments subsidize consumers

11

B) not likely to increase if consumers cut consumption C) not likely to get back to as low as we’re used to D) likely to get back to as low as we’re used to

3. In the long term, the food prices are expected to become stable by farmers' growing more ________. A) wheat for people B) grain for both fuel and food C) crops for consumers D) grain in the coming year 4. In the United States, how much of the food prices are expected to rise this year? A) 2% B) 4% C)37% D) 40% 5. What can we learn about the record high oil prices from the passage? A) They have increased the cost of living.

B) They have made the biofuels production impossible.

C) They have increased the cost of fertilizer and transportation. D) They have forced countries to consume more fertilizers.

6. The reason why the food reserves are at their lowest level now is that ________. A) farmers are not growing as much crops as they used to B) major grain exporting countries are selling too much

C) new trade policies have made grain production more market-oriented D) bad weather and poor harvests have a bigger impact on prices

7. An example to show that how the market react nervously about the slightest news of bad weather is

________.

A) a drought in Australia and flooding in Argentina sent the butter price in France soaring B) the price of escargot is increasing as the price of butter is soaring

C) two of the world’s most largest suppliers of industrial milk and butter reduced production D) the high price of butter made the escargot business cut down staffs

8. According to economists, for the short term, to keep unrest at a minimum partly depends on ________. 9. Serious effects are often resulted elsewhere when people attempt to ________.

10. The thing poorer countries can do to speed up their adjustment to the high food prices is to _________.

Passage 6

From the Stone Age to the Phone Age

A Groundbreaking New Global Study Explores Behavioral Effects of Mobile Phone Use

From Tokyo to Birmingham, Chicago to Bangkok, mobile technology has made a radical difference in the way society works and plays, according to a major new behavioral study, On the Mobile, commissioned by industry leader, Motorola Inc. From men showing off their cell phones in public as symbols of status or even virility (男子气), to teenagers competing with each other for the coolest new technology, there is no denying that cell phones have permanently changed the way people interact.

The groundbreaking study was conducted by leading academic Dr. Sadie Plant, who was named one of Time magazine's \"People to Watch\" in its 2000/ 2001 winter issue. Dr. Sadie Plant traveled to nine cities around the world to conduct research for On the Mobile: Chicago, Tokyo, Bangkok, Peshawar, Dubai, London, Birmingham, Yangon and Montreal. Using a combination of personal interviews, field studies and observations, Dr. Sadie Plant identified a variety of behaviors that demonstrate the dramatic impact that cell phones are making as accessories to conduct life, love and work.

\"Whatever it is called and however it is used, the cell phone alters the possibilities and practicalities of many aspects of everyday life,\" says Plant. \"The cell phone changes the nature of communication, and affects

12

identities and relationships. It affects the development of social structures and economic activities, and has a considerable bearing on its users' perceptions of themselves and the world.\"

Some of the Major Findings from On the Mobile

Personal Power: Cell phones have given people a new found personal power, enabling unprecedented mobility and allowing them to conduct their business where they go.

Gender Differences: Females tend to value their cell phone as a means of expression and social communication, while males tend to use it as an interactive toy. However, evidence suggests that males are becoming far more chatty and communicative as a result of cell phone use.

Male Status Symbols: Men had a tendency to display their cell phones more proudly, using them to display their aggression in front of other men, and almost like a mating ritual in front of women.

Stereotypes: Dr. Plant identified six distinctive types of cell phone users based upon common traits and characteristics, and compared these types with six different kinds of birds. Owls, for example, tend to keep their cell phone use to a minimum, making and taking only necessary calls, while starlings tend to be more aggressive, pushing their way through crowds while talking loudly on their cell phones.

Innies and Outies: There are two distinct types of cell phone users-\"innies\" are quiet, discreet and unobtrusive (不唐突的，客气的) with their mobile conversations, while \"outies\" are louder and less concerned with the perceptions of people around them.

Secret Phones: Many cell phone users keep a secret second phone to conduct love affairs or clandestine (秘密的，暗中行事的) business deals, or even just as a hotline between friends.

The Thumb Generation: Texting has had a profound effect on the way teenagers use their thumbs in some regions. Because they are used to tapping out numbers and messages with their thumbs, they now point and even ring doorbells with their thumbs instead of their forefingers.

As a brand that has been at the forefront of the mobile technology revolution, Motorola commissioned this study to learn how people around the world are exploiting this technology and how it has changed their lives.

\"Attitudes about cell phones are different in different cultures,\" said Helen Normoyle, senior director of Consumer Insights for Motorola's Personal Communications Sector. \"The cell phone is helping people to cross borders-both physical and cultural. The never-evolving changes in the way it is used may tell us much about the changing nature of the world and its cultures in the future.\"

Mobile technology, specifically the use of cell phones, has become an integral part of modern life around the world. On the Mobile provides a detailed first look at how this technology has radically influenced human behavior.

The Negative Effects of Cell Phones on Society

Only a decade ago, if someone needed to make an urgent call or get directions, the only option was to find a phone booth (电话亭) or to get to a store with a public phone. Fortunately, technology provided a simple fix to the problem: cellular telephones. Cellular phones, or cell phones as they are more commonly known, now allow users to be mobile and still receive important calls or call home to check on the family. Although the cell phone was introduced with good intentions, the cons of this revolutionary device now outweigh the pros. Our society, because of cell phones, is now ruder and more dangerous than we ever could have imagined.

When cell phones first made their way into society, the only people to own one were at the top of the business hierarchy, primarily because they were too important to miss the latest rises and plummets (下垂，下降) of the stock market. Today, cell phones are far less bulky (大的，笨重的) and awkward and can be afforded by nearly everyone. Because of the endless brands and styles of these miniature phones, owning one has become all the rage. It is this growing trend that is causing us to lose touch with social etiquette (礼节). People now feel that if they are talking on a cell phone, they are exempt (免除) from courtesy and common sense. It is almost

13

impossible to go to a public restaurant or movie theater without hearing the ubiquitous (普遍存在的) ring of cell phones. Only a few years ago, if such an unfortunate event happened, the guilty party would simply blush and turn off the phone. Now the disrespectful individual will most likely answer the phone and continue talking, regardless of the fact that you and dozens of others are trying to watch a movie.

Not only have cell phones created a more rude society, but they have also made their users more dangerous. Talking on the phone, or even worse, trying to dial a phone number, causes drivers to lose track of what is happening on the streets around them. All situational awareness is lost while driving and talking. Fortunately, a few states are now passing laws that impose penalties on those who use cell phone while driving.

Cell phones are an ingenious (创造性的) solution to an endless number of problems that fate can send our way, but the carelessness and rudeness of cell phone users are ruining this otherwise worthwhile product. As cell phones become more abundant, users will become more and more unbearable. We all need to cut back on our cell phone use, not just to hold down the endless racket, but also to make our roads safer places.

1. From the first paragraph we learn that the most important role of the cell phone is _____. A) a means of interaction B) a symbol of status or virility C) a tool to compete with others D) the coolest new technology

2. According to Dr. Sadie Plant, the cell phone influences many aspects of everyday life and makes a change in_____.

A) the perceptions of its users B) the nature of communication

C) the relationships between people D) the development of social structures 3. What do we learn about Gender Differences from the passage? A) Females use their cell phones as an interactive toy. B) Females are more talkative on cell phones than males. C) Males view their cell phone as a means of expression. D) Males tend to show

4. How many of the Major Findings are related to the types of cell phone users? A) One B) Two C) Three D) Four

5. An example illustrating the profound effect of texting on the way teenagers use cell phones is they _____. A) tend to make and take only necessary calls B) use their cell phones to display their aggression C) tend to use their thumbs more than other fingers D) are less concerned with the people around them

6. Why did Motorola Inc. commission the study: On the Mobile? A) To find who consumes more cell phones. B) To investigate how popular the cell phone is. C) To find whether mobile technology is perfect.

D) To learn how the cell phone has changed our lives.

7. On the Mobile firstly provides a look at how cell phones has dramatically influenced _______. A) world economy B) world environment C)social problems D) human behavior

8. Cell phones are now very popularly used by people from all walks of life, which turns to be _______. 9. An obvious negative effect of cell phones on society is that it has created _______.

10. It is a dangerous but growing tendency for a person to talk on cell phones while _______.

Passage 7

14

The Education Gap

Education is the passport to modern life, and a pre-condition of national prosperity. But more than a quarter of the world's adults-900million-cannot read or write, and more than 100 million young children are deprived of even a primary school education. In most developing counties, after decades of education expansion, spending on learning is falling. The illiterate are virtually helpless in a world ruled by the written word, where notices and official papers can seem a mass of meaningless hieroglyphics (象形文字). People who cannot understand them are at the mercy of those who can; many, as a result, have been cheated of their rights or their land.

Enrollment: Rise and Fall

As they became independent, most developing countries enthusiastically embraced education. Two decades of astonishing expansion followed. Between 1960 and 1981, the world's thirty-two poorest countries (excluding India and China, which have long had good records) increased the proportion of their children enrolled in primary school from thirty-eight to seventy-two per cent. The thirty-eight next poorest achieved almost universal primary school enrollment by 1980; up from about two-thirds in 1960. It seemed as if it would not be long before every child alive could be sure of going to school.

By the end of the 1980s, that dream had turned to bitter disillusion. The decade brought economic disaster to developing countries. They slumped (衰退) when rich nations went into recession at the beginning of the 1980s, the subsequent recovery passed them by and they were hit again by the renewed recession in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The educational expansion of the 1960s and 1970s first halted, then went into reverse. By 19, enrollment rates had dropped in one out of every five developing countries. In some African countries, the number of children in primary schools declined by a third between 1980 and 1985. Tanzania's universal primary school enrolment fell to less than seventy-five per cent. UNESCO's Director-General, Federico Mayor, warns that this threatens to \"set back the countries of the South by a whole generation or even more\". Declining Expenditure

The proportion of national expenditure going to education declined in more than half of developing countries over the 1980s. In the world's thirty-seven poorest countries, the average expenditure per head on education dropped by a quarter. In Africa as a whole, says the World Bank, only ＄0.60 a year is spent on educational materials for each student, while it estimates \"minimum requirements\" at ＄5.00. Illiteracy and the Poor

In industrialized countries, absolute illiteracy was largely eradicated half a century ago, they contain only two percent of the world's illiterate. Functional illiteracy, however, remains: in Canada, the literacy of a quarter of all adults is seriously inadequate; in the United States, estimates range from five to twenty-five per cent; in France, the total numbers range from two to eight million people, depending on the study. Most are among the poorest members of their societies.

Generally speaking, the poorer a country, the higher the number of illiterate; two-thirds of adults in the very poorest countries cannot read or write. Furthermore, the poorest individuals suffer most. The poorer a child's family, the less likely he (or, particularly, she) is to start school and the more likely it is that those who do start will drop out.

The Disadvantaged Countryside

More people in the Third World live in the countryside, where schools and teachers are always scarce. But even in the cities, the poor miss out. In Calcutta (加尔各答), over sixty percent of children do not attend school because they have to work to help keep the family going, or look after younger siblings to enable their mothers to work. Two-thirds of the world's illiterate are women. Yet women's education is particularly important. The World Bank identifies it as perhaps the single most important determinant of family health and nutrition and its research shows that infant mortality rates fall steadily, and dramatically, for every year women spend at school. But tradition, prejudices and the burden of work to be done at home ensure that daughters are pulled out of

15

school first. In the first grade of Kampala's (坎帕拉) primary schools, the sexes are evenly balanced; by the seventh grade, there are more than twice as many boys as girls. Primary Education

Every dollar invested in primary school education, according to another World Bank study, is fifty percent more productive than one invested in secondary schooling, and gives twice as much as one spent on universities. Yet, throughout the Third World, these spending priorities are reversed.

A few countries have started changing the priorities, emphasizing primary education. Zimbabwe (津巴布韦) doubled its number of primary schools in its first five years of independence; the proportion of its budget spent on education is the fifth highest in the world, and the curriculum has been re-orientated to meet local needs. Bangladesh (孟加拉国) has opened more than 2,500 basic village primary schools with appropriate syllabuses (课程提纲) since 1985, at an annual cost of just ＄15.00 per pupil. Only 1.5 per cent of the children drop out compared to sixty per cent of their peers in the ordinary primary schools. Moreover, ninety-five per cent of pupils, the majority girls, continue their education after leaving.

Nonetheless, all these countries are under harsh economic pressure. There is little hope for the children of the Third World countries, even if their governments do change their priorities, unless their countries are enabled to develop.

1. From the first paragraph we know spending on education is declining in most developing countries due to _____.

A) official policy B) education expansion C) national prosperity D) international aids

2. By 1980, the enrollment rate of primary school in thirty-eight next poorest countries had reached _____ . A) 32% B) 38% C) 72% D) 100%

3. Why did the economy of developing countries decline in the late 1980s and early 1990s? A) Because of the economic recession. B) Because of the economic recovery. C) Because of the educational expansion. D) Because of the dropping enrollment rates.

4. According to UNESCO's Director-General Federico Mayor, what is a threat to the progress of developing countries?

A) Economic disaster. B) Renewed recession. C) Enrollment decline. D) Educational expenditure.

5. The World Bank says that the average expenditure on education in Africa is _____. A) higher than developing countries B) higher than industrialized countries C) lower than the maximum standard

D) much lower than the minimum standard.

6. What do we know about the education of the poorer countries? A) They have less functional illiteracy. B) Children are less likely to drop out. C) They have a higher number of illiterate. D) Children are more likely to start school.

7. According to the World Bank, what plays the most important role in family health? A) Children education. B) adequate nutrition. C) Women education D) Balanced diet.

8. In the countryside of the Third world, girls very often fail to complete their schooling because of the

16

housework, ______________.

9. Since 1985, Bangladesh has established over 2,500 basic primary schools in its villages with ______________.

10. Unfortunately, those countries which start to put emphasis on their primary schools are now under ________________.

passage 8

Sharing Economic Losses Through Insurance

Each minute of the day or night, everyone faces a possible financial loss. A home may be destroyed by fire, damaged by lightning, or leveled by a tornado (龙卷风). Personal belongings may be stolen. A car may be damaged in an accident, or it may cause injuries to people and property. Income may be lost as the result of the death, disability, or unemployment of a family wage earner. The chance that a loss of this kind may occur is called an economic risk.

Savings provide one way to take care of financial losses. But savings are not the answer to large losses. The best way to guard against large financial losses is through insurance.

Insurance Is a Plan for Sharing Risks and Losses

Ted Mather and four of his friends have a rock group called Quint. Each member of the group owns a valuable instrument. Ted's bass alone costs $900.If an instrument were stolen or damaged, it would be a serious financial loss for its owner.

Suppose, however, that the members of the group agree to share any losses that occur. For example, if Ted's bass were stolen, each member of the group would contribute $180 to replace it. In other words, they would share the loss. This is the principle of insurance. Persons facing the same risk share the losses that occur among them.

From an insurance standpoint, however, an informal agreement like that made by Quint would not provide much protection. Why? The reason is that all the instruments might be stolen or damaged at the same time. The group rehearses in the Mathers' garage and sometimes leaves their instruments there between rehearsals. They also travel together in a van when they perform. Suppose that a thief broke into the garage and stole all the instruments. What if the garage caught fire? What if all instruments were damaged in an accident on the way to or from a concert? Each member of the group would have to pay one-fifth of the total loss. For some members, this might be more than the amount of their own actual loss.

The purpose of insurance is to provide protection against financial losses at a reasonable cost. This is possible only when the cost of insurance is shared by many people who face a similar risk. But not all of them are likely to have actual losses at the same time.

You Buy Insurance from Insurance Companies

Almost 4, 800 companies in the United States are in the business of providing insurance protection. These businesses are called insurance companies. Because most insurance companies operate on a big scale, they provide a way for large numbers of people to share their losses.

When you buy insurance, you enter into a written agreement with the insurance company. This agreement is called a policy. The person who buys insurance is the policyholder. According to the agreement, the insurance company promises to pay the policyholder if certain types of losses occur. The policy states exactly what losses the company will pay for. For this protection, the policyholder makes regular payments to the insurance company. Each payment is called a premium (保险费). The premiums paid by all policyholders are used to pay those who have losses. In this way, a loss that might result in great financial hardship for one

17

person or household is shared by many people. Because only a portion of those insured will actually have losses, premiums are small compared to the amount of protection provided.

Many Kinds of Risks Can Be Insured

Insurance can provide protection against almost any kind of loss. Singers may insure their voices. Photographers may insure their negatives. The owner of a home freezer may insure against food loss in case of power failure. A business owner can insure his or her place of business. A business owner can also insure against a loss of profits during a shutdown following a fire or damaging accident.

However, the kinds of insurance protection that most people buy can be divided into three broad groups: property and liability（责任）insurance, life insurance, and health insurance.

Property insurance provides protection against possible financial losses resulted from damages to the policyholder's property. For example, a homeowner can buy insurance against losses resulting from fire and lightning, windstorm, explosion, riot, aircraft, and vandalism. Liability insurance protects against financial losses resulting from injuries to other persons or damage to their property. Injuries or property damage resulting from an automobile accident are examples.

Life insurance, of course, protects against financial losses resulting from a person's death. Health insurance protects against financial losses resulting from an illness or accident.

The Cost of Insurance Is Based on Probability

Like all private firms, insurance companies must charge enough for protection to pay their operating costs and make a profit. The main factor affecting the price of insurance, however, is the amount of risk involved. The more risk an insurance company assumes for a policyholder the higher the premium. Risk is measured in terms of probable losses.

An insurance company must collect enough money from all its policyholders to pay the claims of those who have losses. A claim is a request for payment of a loss. It is impossible to tell, of course, which policyholders will have losses. But it is possible to estimate with some accuracy how many will have losses. A company does this by studying its past losses.

For example, from its records, an insurance company can tell how many of its policyholders will probably die each year. It can tell how many policyholders will probably be hospitalized and unable to work. It can also predict how many homes will probably catch fire and what the average loss will probably be. Using this information a company can figure about how much it will have to pay in claims during a year. It can then determine what a policyholder must pay for protection. As some people would say, insurance premiums are based on probability.

Some Kinds of Insurance Are Provided by the Government

You have learned that needed goods and services cannot always be provided at a profit by business firms. Then they may be provided by government. This is how it is with some kinds of insurance. An example is flood insurance. To understand why, you need to keep in mind one of the principles of insurance. It works only when a large number of people share losses that only a few of them will have.

So, who needs flood insurance? Those who live where floods might occur. But if a flood did occur, it would result in losses to all those living in the flood area. To pay the losses, an insurance company would have to collect more in premium than most people would afford to pay. It would be as if each property owner were paying his or her own entire loss. Flood insurance, therefore, is made available by the federal government in communities that qualify.

The federal government also operates a crime insurance program. This insurance protects people and business firms in high crime areas against burglary and robbery. If a private company provided this protection,

18

the loss would be so great that most people could not afford it.

For somewhat the same reason, the federal government makes crop insurance available to farmers. When crop losses occur, they usually affect most of the farmers in an area. The principle of sharing losses in that case would not work.

And who hasn't heard of government insurance program best known as social security? The basic purpose of social security is to provide income for retired, disabled, or unemployed workers.

1. What can we know about an economic risk from the first paragraph? A) It refers to the financial loss caused by the natural disasters. B) It refers to the chance that personal belongs might be stolen. C) It refers to the financial loss caused by accidents.

D) It refers to the chance that an unexpected financial loss occurs.

2. According to the passage, what is the principle of insurance?

A) Persons facing the same risk share the losses that occur among them. B) Each member of the same group shares one-fifth of the total loss. C) The group members share the total loss on an equal basis.

D) Persons share the losses according to their contribution at the very beginning.

3. As the purpose of insurance is to cover the financial loss at a reasonable cost, the only possible way to

achieve this is to share the cost with ________.

A) people who have no possibility to suffer from the loss B) many people who may have actual losses at the same time

C) many people who are unlikely to have actual losses at the same time D) people who face the same risk at the same time

4. The agreement with the insurance company is called a policy which states ________. A) clearly who is the policyholder

B) exactly what losses the company will pay for

C) clearly how much the policyholder will pay for the company D) exactly what is the company’s promise to its shareholders

5. What do we learn about premium from the passage? A) A premium is the money paid by the insurance company. B) A premium is the regular payment made to the policyholder.

C) A premium is the policyholder’s regular payment made to the company. D) A premium is the money used to pay those who have losses.

6. Liability insurance is the protection provided against financial losses resulted from ________. A) damages to the policyholder’s property C) a person’s death B) injuries to other persons or damage to their property D) illness or accident

7. What is the major factor that affects the price of insurance? A) The amount of risk involved. B) The size of the insurance company. C) The operating cost of the insurance company. D) The probable payment of a loss.

8. It is possible for insurance companies to tell probable, not exactly, how many claims they need to pay for,

so we say that insurance premiums are based on __________________________. 9. When the profit is not attractive to the insurance companies, some kinds of insurance will be provided by

_______________________. 10. In the area where farmers are likely to sustain crop losses, the government provides them with

_________________________.

19