Unit 8 Money

Section One Reading Comprehension

Directions: There are 2 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions

or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A)，B)，C)

and D).

Passage One

Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage:

Some people would say that the Englishman‘s home has become his workshop. This is partly because the ordinary Englishman is deeply interested in working with his hands and partly because he feels that he must do for himself many household jobs for which some years ago he would have asked for workers‘ help. The main reason for this is a financial one: the high cost of labour has meant that builders‘ and decorators‘ costs have reached a level which is too high for ordinary people. So, if they wish to keep their houses looking bright and smart, they have to do some of the repairing and decorating themselves. As a result, there has grown up the ―Do-It-Yourself Movement‖ after World War II.

The “Do-It-Yourself Movement” began with home decorating but has since spread into a much wider field. Nowadays there seem to be very few things that cannot be made by the ―do-it-yourself‖ method. A number of magazines and handbooks exist to show just how easy it is to build anything from a coffee table to a fifteen-foot sailing boat. You follow the simple directions step by step and, before you know where you are the finished article stands before you complete in every detail.

Unfortunately, it is not always quite as simple as it sounds! Many people have found that one cannot learn a skilled worker‘s job overnight. How quickly one realizes, when doing it oneself, that a job which takes the skilled man an hour or so to complete takes him five or six at least. And there is the question of tools which cost money. It is not surprising then that many people have come to realize that the money of paying the workers to do the job is, in fact, less than ―do it oneself ―.

1. An Englishman‘s home has become a workshop because he ________. A) tries to work with his own hands to save some money

B) wants to have some physical training at home

C) wants to earn some money in his spare time by working at home D) has some people work for him at home at the weekend

2. The word ―financial‖ (Para.1) has something to do with ________. A) social position C) decorating skills

B) house repair D) money

3. The ―Do-It-Yourself Movement‖ (Para.2) is ________. A) an organization which helps women look for good jobs B) a group of people who help each other C) an activity many people now take part in D) the name of a very popular magazine in Britain

4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A) Before starting a repairing job, one must first study the methods for some time. B) Some books tell people that it is not too difficult to build a small boat.

C) It needs both skills and tools to do a good job.

D) It is not as easy as some people think to make a coffee table. 5. From the passage, we can see that the writer ________. A) likes to have the jobs done by skilled workers

B) thinks it sometimes less costly to pay for others to do the job than do it ourselves C) realizes that some people can learn a skilled worker‘s job easily D) is strongly against the ―Do-It-Yourself Movement‖

Passage Two

Questions 6-10 are based on the following passage:

Few people can resist a bargain. But bargains are not always what they seem. Some sales and bargains are good deals, but not all are. Here are some pointers to help you tell the difference between real bargains and bad deals.

Sometimes a product is on sale for ―below manufacturer‘s cost‖. Watch out for this kind of ―bargain‖. Why would anyone want to sell a product for less than it cost to make it? Before buying, you should find out why it is being sold at a loss to the manufacturer. Is it damaged? Is it out of style? Does it come with any guarantee?

Another pointer is to read price tags on sale items carefully. For example, a price tag in a store may say ―regular price $ 16‖. The regular price is the price of the item before the sales started and after the sale ends. The regular price is only for that store, however. In another store, the price could be lower.

A price tag may also say ―original price $ 16‖. That means at one time the item sold for $16 —even as much as five years earlier! For example, the original price of pocket calculators was high when they were introduced. Now the price is much lower. Showing the original price would be misleading.

Finally, be careful how you use cents-off coupons. A coupon can save you money only if you intend to use the item. The price of an item may vary at different stores, so use the coupon at the store with the lowest price. Don‘t forget to add any sales tax to the item before you figure out the ―cents-off‖ price.

6. The purpose of the author to write this article is ________. A) to show that there are no real bargains

B) to warn the reader that some sales are not bargains C) to sell a certain product

D) to warn the reader not to spend money on bargains 7. Which of these statements is an opinion? A) Few people can resist a bargain. B) A tax adds to the price of an item.

C) The regular price is the price before or after a sale. D) The price of pocket calculators has dropped.

8. The author‘s opinion of an item that sells below manufacturer‘s cost is that ________. A) it is out of style

B) it is always a good deal C) it has no guarantee

D) there may be something wrong with the item

9. The author suggests that cents-off coupons should be used ________. A) only for items with no tax B) for as many items as possible C) in stores with the lowest prices D) only at the largest store

10. The original price would be misleading in that ________. A) there might be a sharp drop in price of the item B) there might be a sharp drop in quality of the item C) there might be a sharp change in style of the item D) there might be no use of the item now

Section Two Vocabulary & Structure

Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. 1. Many people spend a large amount of time ________ over money in their lifetime. A) agonizing B) pursuing C) chasing D) panicking

2. It was better not to inquire too closely into how he had ________ his fortune (财富). A) addicted C) assumed

B) amassed D) attracted

3. Few people who ________ to fame ever achieve it.

A) inspires B) aspires C) respires D) perspires

4. The company went ________ because it couldn‘t sell its products. A) debt B) jobless

C) bankrupt D) incapable

5. When I phoned to ________ my flight, I was told there was a strike at the airport.

A) affirm B) assert C) confront D) confirm

6. She enjoys a firm reputation in this country but wider international success has been ________. A) idealistic C) elusive

B) avoidable D) attainable

7. Most marriages that fail see financial problems as a contributing ________. A) facet B) aspect

C) section D) factor

8. When my wife and I wake in the morning, we always greet each other in love and ________. A) harmony

B) agreement

C) uniform D) common

9. Most marriages that fail see _________ problems as a contributing factor. A) economical C) business

B) commercial D) financial

10. Had the great inventor stored his money, he ________ a wealthy man. A) would die B) had died C) died D) would have died

11. ________ his money, he would have died a wealthy man. A) Had the great man stored B) Did the great man store C) If the great man should store D) If the great man stored 12. They spoke in whispers lest they ________. A) might be heard B) be heard C) could be heard A) since C) lest

D) are heard B) because D) though B) authorize D) patent

13. They spoke in whispers ________ they should be heard.

14. If you don‘t ________ your invention, someone else might steal your idea. A) obtain C) pledge

15. Live now, pay later – that‘s his ________ of life. A) approach B) standard

C) philosophy D) access

16. He gave his son some money for the ________ of his school books.

A) pursuit B) persuasion C) purse D) purchase

17. He was shocked when there was such a(n) ________ for education all around him. A) thirst C) stock

B) opportunity D) pray

18. Having found that my wallet is not that fat, I decide to ________ vacation. A) fall back on B) cut back on C) sit back on D) run back on

19. You shouldn‘t keep your guests ________ talking until the small hours. A) on C) across

B) up

D) through

20. About 70% of its profits are being ________ into the investment program. A) stored back B) consumed back C) plowed back D) placed back

Section Three Translation from Chinese into English

Directions: Translate the following sentences into English. 1. 正是由于他在面试中表现不错，他才获得了这份工作。

2. 从金钱的角度来说，这份工作好处不大，但是我从中可以得到有价值的经验。 3. 我公司经营各种电子产品已经十几年了。 4. 每个地方或国家都有自己的风俗习惯。

5. 任何人如果停止汲取新知识，就肯定会落后。

6. 他对新闻界的看法是，记者们不是支持他，就是反对他。 7. 即使昨天我知道这件事, 我也不会告诉你的。

8. 电是一种非常重要的能源，没有它，现代化工业就不能发展。

Section Four Writing

Directions: For this part, you are required to write a composition on the topic Money and