An allowance(零花錢(qián)) is an important tool for teaching kids how to budget(預(yù)算), save and make their own decisions. Children remember and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.

How large an allowance is suitable? Experts say there is no right amount. Actual amounts differ from place to place, and from family to family.

To set an appropriate allowance for your child, work up a weekly budget. Allow for entertainment costs such as movies and snacks. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. “If you make the child responsible for these ‘ills’,” says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, “he or she will learn to budget for necessary expenditures.”

Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can, keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose purchasing power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.

It can be hard, but avoid excusing your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Stephens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $ 5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch. “If you lose your money,” Brooke’s mother told her, “you walk home.”

One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, then she called home for a ride. “Mom made me walk home,” recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in Brooklyn. “At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson.”

Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied directly to a child’s daily chores. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home, which can develop his or her initiative (主動(dòng)性).

27.　 Which of the following is the possible title of the passage?

A. How to develop a child’s initiative.　　　　　

B. How to work up an amount of pocket money.

C. How to teach a child to make money. 　

D. How to teach a child about money management.

28.　 It can be inferred from the passage that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may　　　 .

A. spend all the money very soon.　　　　　　　

B. be spoiled and finally ruined

C. feel responsible and careful about money

D. lose the money and can not return home

29.　 In Paragraph 4, the words “his peers” refer to　　　 .

A. his parents　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. his teachers　 　　

C. his financial experts　　 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. his friends

30.　 What lesson can we learn from the story of Stephens, a financial planner in Brooklyn?

A.To be strict with children is helpful in furthering their career prospects.

B.Teaching somebody the careful management of money at an early age is very important.

C.Careful management certainly leads to career success.

D.Follow the parents’ advice and you can be successful.

London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.

So how does it work？First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes，which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go for the length of time you use the bike.

Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion (擁擠) in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been “filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.

However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn’t dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not been registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they wouldn’t charge for the first day as a “gesture of goodwill”. Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.

Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things, saying, “My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a big pedal-powered push forwards.”

24.   London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the new bike scheme in order to ___________.

A. reduce the air pollution of the city        

B. encourage the citizens to take exercises

C. deal with the city’s traffic problems        

D. increase employment opportunities

25.   All the following are the problems of the scheme EXCEPT___________．

A. the high cost to hire a bike               

B. not charging for the first day of the scheme

C. not registering their usage of the bikes     

D. docking the bikes properly

26.   From the passage we can infer that __________.

A. the London Mayor is confident in the scheme

B. the scheme will be cancelled because of the problems

C. all the citizens in London support the scheme

D. the cycling revolution is not successful

Experience the Colorado River the Hualapai Way!

River Runners offers the ONLY One Day Whitewater trip

ANYWHERE at the GRAND CANYON!

　 Since 1973, Hualapai River Runners has been conducting whitewater rafting (漂流) journeys on the Colorado River. Our experienced guides expertly sail along the river and share the history of the Canyon and the Hualapai people with you.

Visitors experience the excitement of whitewater rapids and then stop to enjoy the impressive beauty of Travertine Falls and a tasty lunch. No charge for children 2 years and under.

One-Day Trip

Retail $249.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation)

Whitewater rafting tours begin in Peach Springs. Hualapai River Runners transports you to Diamond Creek, which is the starting point for the 37 mile rafting tour. Lunch is included and upon arrival at the rafting tour termination point, fly out of the Grand Canyon by helicopter to Grand Canyon West.

Two-Day Trip

Retail $549. 00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation)

　 Two-day rafting trips with one night on the Colorado River. All supplies and meals are included. Two days in the Grand Canyon, on the Colorado River, allows more time to explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Tours Include：

* Round-trip transportation from Peach Springs to the starting point and from the termination point back to Peach Springs.

* Snack, drinks and lunch(vegetarian meals available upon request)

* Waterproof dry bags for storing your cameras, sunscreen, dry clothes, etc.

　 The helicopter part of transportation is weather permitting. If the helicopter transportation is cancelled because of bad weather, the raft will continue an additional two hours to South Cove and a maximum $20. 00 per customer will be given back.

　 Special Website booking rate 15% off rafting in April 2012. So book now!

Call us Toll Free Today! Tel: 1-888-868-9378

21.　 Where do whitewater rafting tours start?

A. Travertine Falls.　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　 B. Peach Springs.

C. Diamond Creek. 　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Grand Canyon West.

22.　 We learn from the passage that　　　 .

A. Hualapai River Runners provides dry clothes

B. you will get $20 back if you are dissatisfied

C. the trip is free of charge for children under 2

D. online booking has a better offer all year round

23.　 What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To attract people to the sights. 　　　　　　　　　　

C. To explain how to make a rafting trip.

B. To explore the Hualapai culture.　　　　　　

D. To introduce the history of the Colorado River.

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for an appointment（約會(huì)） at 9:30.

The nurse had him take a 　26 in the waiting area, 　27 him it would be at least 40 minutes 　28 someone would be able to see him. I saw him 　29 his watch and decided, since I was 　30 busy – my patient didn’t 　31 at the appointed hour – I would examine his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment.

The gentleman said no and told me that he 　32 to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his 　33 . He told me that she had been 　34 for a while and that she had a special disease. I asked if she would be 　35 if he was a bit late. He replied that she 　36 knew who he was, that she had not been able to 　37 him for five years now. I was 　38 , and asked him, “And you 　39 go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?”

He smiled and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I know who she is.” I had to hold back 　40　 as he left.

Now I 　41 that in marriages, true love is 　42 of all that is. The happiest people don’t 　　43 have the best of everything; they just 　44 the best of everything they have. 45 isn’t about how to live through the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

1.　　　 A. breath 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. test 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. seat D. break

2.　　　 A. persuading 　　　　　　　 B. promising 　　　　　　　 C. understanding D. telling

3.　　　 A. if 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. before 　　　　　　　　　 C. since D. after

4.　　　 A. taking off　　　　　　　　 B. fixing 　　　　　　　　　　 C. looking at D. winding

5.　　　 A. very 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. also 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. seldom D. not

6.　　　 A. turn up 　　　　　　　　　 B. show off 　　　　　　　 C. come on D. go away

7.　　　 A. needed 　　　　　　　　　 B. forgot 　　　　　　　　　　 C. agreed D. happened

8.　　　 A. daughter 　　　　　　　　 B. wife 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. mother D. sister

9.　　　 A. late 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. well 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. around D. there

10.　 A. lonely 　　　　　　　　　　 B. worried 　　　　　　　　 C. doubtful D. hungry

11.　 A. so far 　　　　　　　　　　 B. neither 　　　　　　　　　 C. no longer D. already

12.　 A. recognize 　　　　　　　　 B. answer 　　　　　　　　　 C. believe D. expect

13.　 A. moved 　　　　　　　　　　 B. disappointed 　　　　　 C. surprised D. satisfied

14.　 A. only 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. then 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. thus D. still

15.　 A. curiosity 　　　　　　　　 B. tears 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. words D. judgment

16.　 A. realize 　　　　　　　　　　 B. suggest 　　　　　　　　　 C. hope D. prove

17.　 A. agreement B. expression 　　　　　　　　　　 C. acceptance D. exhibition

18.　 A. necessarily 　　　　　　　 B. completely 　　　　　　 C. naturally D. frequently

19.　 A. learn 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. make 　　　　　　　　　　 C. favor D. try

20.　 A. Adventure 　　　　　　　 B. Beauty 　　　　　　　　　 C. Trust D. Life

– Jack, could I use your bike? I need to go to the market this afternoon.

– _________! I won’t use it.

A. Take it easy B. Don’t mention it C. Go ahead D. It’s up to you

_____ of this area ______ covered with green trees and grass.

A. Three-fourths; is                                                  B. Three-fourths; are

C. Three-fourth; are                                               D. Three-fourth; is

It was getting dark and the bad weather _____ the difficulty of searching for the survivors.

A. put on B. added to C. turned up D. picked up

The movie last night couldn’t be ________. I want to see it a second time.

A. better                        B. worse                             C. best                         D. worst

– Have you been working here for a long time?

– Yes, since I _____ from college.

A. had graduated　　　　　 B. graduated C. has graduated　　　　　 D. graduates

– What made you so tired?

– _____ driving all day.

A. Practiced                   B. To practice                      C. Practicing                 D. Practice