Part 3 Reading and Writing

IX. Reading Comprehension(共50分)

A) Choose the best answer(12分)

Traditionally, the President is the highest-pad public employee. A salary of $ 400,000, along with other benefits, is paid to the President annually. But President Obama’s income for 2008 was far more than that, according to the White House.

The White House recently published the tax returns (纳税申报单)of Obama and Vice –president Joe Biden. Tax returns are reports of tax that a person has to pay. They often include income information used to calculate the tax. In the US, people whose incomes are over a certain amount have to file tax returns(纳税申报)every year. The tax returns of government officials are open to the public. This transparency helps to prevent corruption(腐败)。

From Obama’s tax returns , we can see that the President and first lady President’s two books Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope(《无畏的梦想》). The two books, published in 1995 and 2006,are very popular and have been on the bestseller(畅销书)list for a long time.

The Obama’s income is down from 2007,when they made ＄4.2 million. However, that is still far more than former US President George Bush earned, who reported a total of ＄719,274 for his final year. The Obamas’ income also greatly exceeded(超出)that of Biden, who reported a family income of ＄2269,256.That’s about a tenth of what the Obamas earned. As Vice-president, Biden earns a salary of ＄220,000.US families earn an average income of about ＄50,000.

The Obama’s tax returns also show that together, the President and his wife paid about ＄933,000 intaxes. They gave $172,050 —nearly 6.5 percent of their earnings —to different charity groups. In the US, if a person gives his money to churches and non-profit(非盈利)organizations, the law reduces his or her taxes. This is one reason why rich people in the US like to give money to charity.

74. _______had the highest income in 2008.

A. Obama           B. Biden           C. Bush         D. George

75. How much did Obama and his wife earn in 2008?

A. $400,000         B. $2,660,000       C. $4,200,000    D. $719,274

76. In the US, which people have to file tax returns?

A. Everybody                     

B. Wealthy people   

C. Government officials   

D. People whose incomes are over a certain amount.

77. The Obamas have given_______ percent of their earnings to charity.

A. 10              B. 6.5              C. 9.7          D. 4.3

78.Why should the tax returns of government officials be open to the public?.

A. Because it can help to prevent corruption

B. Because it can make government officials well-known to the public.

C. Because it can help government officials to get more money.

D. Because the government wants them to pay more taxes to the public.

79. According to the law, if a rich man gives his money to charity,_______.

A. he will be praised by the people     

B. he will pay fewer taxes        

C. he will be free of taxes        

D. he will get some extra money from the government.

B) Choose the words or expressions to complete the passage(12分)

For many years the United States and the other countries used gold and silver as money. Paper money was used to stand for the holdings(储备)of both gold and silver. The value of silver was limited to that of gold. Fifteen ounces(盎司) of silver had the same value of one ounce of gold. These values did not change until after 1860 when mines(银矿)in the west of the United States began to  80  large amounts of silver. This extra amount of silver caused the price of silver to_81    . Then fifteen ounces of silver would no longer buy one ounce of gold. In 1871 Germany declared(宣布)that it would not support its paper money with silver any more. Instead, it would use only gold. Other countries of Europe quickly  82  the same. The United States passed a law in 1973 that prevented the government from using silver as money. Western silver producers protested(抗议)loudly and put much pressure on the  83  makers. Five years later a new law was 84  . It said that the government must buy four and half million ounces of silver each month. The new law increased the amount of silver money. The country had two kinds of quite different views on the issue(发行)silver money. Businessmen, bankers and other rich men wanted to 85  the use of silver money because it made the dollar less valuable. But farmers, labourers and the others who owned the money not only wanted silver money but also wanted an unlimited supply of it.

80. A. produce     B. find            C. search         D. dig

81. A. rise         B. lift            C. fall            D. set

82. A. did         B. took           C. made          D. acted.

83. A. law         B. money         C. gold           D. silver

84. A. refused      B. accepted       C. planned         D. passed

85. A. end         B.  continue      C. protect         D. allow