SECTION5:READINGTEST(30minutes)
Directions:ReadthefollowingpassagesandthenanswerINCOMPLETESENTENCESthequestionswhichfolloweachpassage.UseonlyinformationfromthepassageyouhavejustreadandwriteyouranswerinthecorrespondingspaceinyourANSWERBOOKLET.
Questions1~4
AFormercolleaguerelishedtellingmelastweekabouttwoforthcomingnewadditionstothepopulation.Hiswifeisfittopopwithidenticaltwingirls.
Heandoursisterpublication,TheTimes,gotmethinking:couldthetwinslivetobe150?Times2posedthisveryquestionalongsideaphotographofathumb-suckingnewborn.Decrepitudeisnolongerinevitable,itsaid.Sciencewillhelpustostoptherot.Thereis,somescientistssay,arealDorianGrayamongus—someonewho,throughamixtureofgoodgenes,healthylifestyleandtimelymedicalinterventions,willgivetheimpressionofstayingyoungthroughoutanextraordinarilylonglife.
Iwasstillponderingthelikelihoodoflivingto150whenIwaspresentedwithanotherbigquestion:justhowdidDerrenBrowndoit?Inatelevisionstunt,heclaimedtohavepredictedthesixwinningLottonumbers,sparkinganonlineguessinggameabouthowitwasachieved. Indeed,”DerrenBrown”and“lottery”werethetwotopsearched-forkeywordsonthewebthatleduserstotimesonline.co.uk.Dozensoftheorieswereoffered—fromcameratrickerytosimplesleightofhand.
Evenactuarieswerespeakingaboutit.CliveGrimley,apartneratBarnettWaddingham,boughtintothemostpopulartheory.“AccordingtosomeoneonYouTube,heusedsplit-screentechnologytogivetheimpressionthattheballswereintheliveshot,wheninfacttheywereastaticimage,”hemused.“Theleft-handsideo[thescreen,whichshowedthenumberedballsinarow,wasafrozenimage.Inreality,anassistantwasputtingthebailsinplaceduringthe30-seconddelaybetweenthembeingdrawnandBrownrevealinghisnumbers.LikeEdwardNortoninTheIllusionist,it’sallatrick.“Justasillusory,hesays,areprotectionsofretirementincome.Pensionerstodaycanexpecttospendathirdoftheirlivesinretirement—afigurethatcouldgrowtohalfourlifeormore,aswealldielater.
Itmaysoundgoodintheory,butGrimleyhassomesoberingviews:thestatepensionagewillhavetorocket,agrowingnumberofpeoplewillbeforcedtotake“theglidepath”—graduallywindingdownintoretirementratherthanstoppingworkaltogetherimmediately—andtheonusforfundingourlatteryearswillincreasinglyfallonourownshoulders.TheNHSwillcrumbleunderthepressure,with100-pluspensionersbatteringdownthedoorsatdoctors’surgeries.
Earlyevidencestacksuphisargument.Itisalreadyproposedthatthestatepensionageforwomenwillriseto65by2020,makingitequaltothatofmen.Forbothsexes,itwillriseto68by2046.Thatwillhefarfromsufficient,though.“Increasestostateretirementagearegoingtohavetobefairlyradical—Idon’tthinkanyonewantstoadmitjusthowradical,”saidGrimley.
Whenyoureachthemagicage-whateverthatmayhe—youcouldbesorelydisappointed.TheInstituteofDirectorssaidlastweekthatthegovernmentshouldfreezethestatepensiontohelpcutitsgrowingbudgetdeficit,andfreezes—orcuts—couldsoonbecomethenorm.
Howmuchyoustandtogetfrompersonalpensionsavingscouldbeashock,too:Annuityrateshavedroppedalmost10%sincelastsummer,pusheddownbythegovernment’sattemptstoreflatetheeconomy.Ithaspumped$175billionintothefinancialsystembybuyingupgilts.Thishaspushedgiltpricesupandyieldsdownbyasmuchas50to100basispoints,anditisthesethatdetermineannuityrates.
Moreover,thesortofincomeyoucanexpectfromyourpensionpotisalsodeterminedbylifeexpectancy.Clearly,thelongeryou’reexpectedtolive,thelowertheannuityrate.Threedecadesago,in1980,benchmarkannuityratesfora65-year-oldmanwerealmost16%.Today,they’relessthanhalfthatat7%—knocking$9,000ayearoffwhatyou’dgetfora$100,000pot.Whatifinanother30yearsthey’rejust3%?Thatwouldknockoffanother$4,000,givingyouapitiful$3,000ayearforevery$100,000ofpensionsavings.Nevermindthetwins.I’dbettergetonwithcrackingthecodeforpredictingthenumbersofthoseLottoballs.
1.Whydoestheauthorintroducethetopicofthelikelihoodoflivingto150atthebeginningofthepassage?
2.Whatis“theglidepath”(para.5)?Whatisthepossibleeffectoftaking“theglidepath”?
3.WhydoestheauthormentionthepredictionofLottonumbersinthepassage?
4.GiveabriefsummaryoftheissueofpersonalpensionsavingsintheUnitedKingdomintroducedinthepassage.
Directions:ReadthefollowingpassagesandthenanswerINCOMPLETESENTENCESthequestionswhichfolloweachpassage.UseonlyinformationfromthepassageyouhavejustreadandwriteyouranswerinthecorrespondingspaceinyourANSWERBOOKLET.
Questions1~4
AFormercolleaguerelishedtellingmelastweekabouttwoforthcomingnewadditionstothepopulation.Hiswifeisfittopopwithidenticaltwingirls.
Heandoursisterpublication,TheTimes,gotmethinking:couldthetwinslivetobe150?Times2posedthisveryquestionalongsideaphotographofathumb-suckingnewborn.Decrepitudeisnolongerinevitable,itsaid.Sciencewillhelpustostoptherot.Thereis,somescientistssay,arealDorianGrayamongus—someonewho,throughamixtureofgoodgenes,healthylifestyleandtimelymedicalinterventions,willgivetheimpressionofstayingyoungthroughoutanextraordinarilylonglife.
Iwasstillponderingthelikelihoodoflivingto150whenIwaspresentedwithanotherbigquestion:justhowdidDerrenBrowndoit?Inatelevisionstunt,heclaimedtohavepredictedthesixwinningLottonumbers,sparkinganonlineguessinggameabouthowitwasachieved. Indeed,”DerrenBrown”and“lottery”werethetwotopsearched-forkeywordsonthewebthatleduserstotimesonline.co.uk.Dozensoftheorieswereoffered—fromcameratrickerytosimplesleightofhand.
Evenactuarieswerespeakingaboutit.CliveGrimley,apartneratBarnettWaddingham,boughtintothemostpopulartheory.“AccordingtosomeoneonYouTube,heusedsplit-screentechnologytogivetheimpressionthattheballswereintheliveshot,wheninfacttheywereastaticimage,”hemused.“Theleft-handsideo[thescreen,whichshowedthenumberedballsinarow,wasafrozenimage.Inreality,anassistantwasputtingthebailsinplaceduringthe30-seconddelaybetweenthembeingdrawnandBrownrevealinghisnumbers.LikeEdwardNortoninTheIllusionist,it’sallatrick.“Justasillusory,hesays,areprotectionsofretirementincome.Pensionerstodaycanexpecttospendathirdoftheirlivesinretirement—afigurethatcouldgrowtohalfourlifeormore,aswealldielater.
Itmaysoundgoodintheory,butGrimleyhassomesoberingviews:thestatepensionagewillhavetorocket,agrowingnumberofpeoplewillbeforcedtotake“theglidepath”—graduallywindingdownintoretirementratherthanstoppingworkaltogetherimmediately—andtheonusforfundingourlatteryearswillincreasinglyfallonourownshoulders.TheNHSwillcrumbleunderthepressure,with100-pluspensionersbatteringdownthedoorsatdoctors’surgeries.
Earlyevidencestacksuphisargument.Itisalreadyproposedthatthestatepensionageforwomenwillriseto65by2020,makingitequaltothatofmen.Forbothsexes,itwillriseto68by2046.Thatwillhefarfromsufficient,though.“Increasestostateretirementagearegoingtohavetobefairlyradical—Idon’tthinkanyonewantstoadmitjusthowradical,”saidGrimley.
Whenyoureachthemagicage-whateverthatmayhe—youcouldbesorelydisappointed.TheInstituteofDirectorssaidlastweekthatthegovernmentshouldfreezethestatepensiontohelpcutitsgrowingbudgetdeficit,andfreezes—orcuts—couldsoonbecomethenorm.
Howmuchyoustandtogetfrompersonalpensionsavingscouldbeashock,too:Annuityrateshavedroppedalmost10%sincelastsummer,pusheddownbythegovernment’sattemptstoreflatetheeconomy.Ithaspumped$175billionintothefinancialsystembybuyingupgilts.Thishaspushedgiltpricesupandyieldsdownbyasmuchas50to100basispoints,anditisthesethatdetermineannuityrates.
Moreover,thesortofincomeyoucanexpectfromyourpensionpotisalsodeterminedbylifeexpectancy.Clearly,thelongeryou’reexpectedtolive,thelowertheannuityrate.Threedecadesago,in1980,benchmarkannuityratesfora65-year-oldmanwerealmost16%.Today,they’relessthanhalfthatat7%—knocking$9,000ayearoffwhatyou’dgetfora$100,000pot.Whatifinanother30yearsthey’rejust3%?Thatwouldknockoffanother$4,000,givingyouapitiful$3,000ayearforevery$100,000ofpensionsavings.Nevermindthetwins.I’dbettergetonwithcrackingthecodeforpredictingthenumbersofthoseLottoballs.
1.Whydoestheauthorintroducethetopicofthelikelihoodoflivingto150atthebeginningofthepassage?
2.Whatis“theglidepath”(para.5)?Whatisthepossibleeffectoftaking“theglidepath”?
3.WhydoestheauthormentionthepredictionofLottonumbersinthepassage?
4.GiveabriefsummaryoftheissueofpersonalpensionsavingsintheUnitedKingdomintroducedinthepassage.
举一反三
- Howmanyprimefactorsof<em>x</em>arealsoprimefactorsof<em>y</em>?<br/>(1)<em>x</em>=30<br/>(2)<em>y</em>isamultipleof<em>x</em>.
- 下列运算符的使用错误的是() A: 100<br/>+ 'a' B: [1,<br/>2, 3] + [4, 5, 6] C: 3<br/>* 'abc' D: 10<br/>% 3
- 4-9下面代码的执行结果是( )。 a= [1,2][br][/br]a.append(3)[br][/br]a.insert(3,[4,5])[br][/br]print(a) A: [1, 2, 3, [4, 5]] B: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] C: [1, 2, [4, 5] , 3] D: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 3]
- 在命令行窗口输入以下命令[br][/br]>> A=[1:3];[br][/br]>>A(5)=100 A的值为( )。 A: [1:3:100] B: [1:100] C: 1 2 3 100 D: 1 2 3 0 100
- [1]AshleyPower’smotherboughtacomputerforherwhenshewaseight.Whenshewasthirteen,shewassurfingtheInternetregularly,butshecouldn’tfindanywhereforteenagerstomeetandtalk.Andonedayshethought,“IfIhadmyownwebsite,I’dmakeitareallyinterestingsiteforteenagers.”<br/>[2]So,whenAshleywassixteen,shelaunchedherownwebsite,called<em>Goosehead</em>.Shehadnoideahowbigasuccessitwouldbe,butthreeyearslater,thesitewasthemostsuccessfulteensiteintheUSA!Itwasgetting100,000hitseveryday,andAshleyhadabout30employees.<br/>[3]Afterafewyears,thewebsitecloseddown.ThenAshley,wholivesinLosAngeles,wasaskedtowriteabookcalled<em>TheGooseheadGuidetoLife.</em>Thebookisabouthowtodesignawebsiteandstartabusiness.Itbeginswithasectioncalled“AllAboutAshley,”whereAshleytellsreaderswhatitisliketobethebossofacompanywhenyouareonlysixteen.“Iwassohappy.Butitwascrazyinalotofways.Igotverystressed.Imean,Iwasonlysixteen—Ididn’tevenhaveacar!Ifyouweresixteenandyouhadyourowncompany,you’dbestressed,too！”<br/>[4]InaninterviewAshleygaveadvicetoteenagerswhowantedtostarttheirownbusiness,“Justbestrongandhaveyourdreamsandworkhardatthem.Anddon’tlistenwhen______,becauseIheard‘no’alot.Justkeepgoinguntilyouhear‘yes’!”<br/>1．ForwhatpurposedidAshleycreate<em>GooseHead</em>?(nomorethan10words)<br/>2．WhatisthemainideaofParagraph2?(nomorethan6words)<br/>3．Accordingtoparagraph3,whatdidAshleydoafter<em>GooseHead</em>closeddown?(nomorethan10words)<br/>4．HowdidAshleyfeelasayoungbossofacompany?(nomorethan5words)<br/>5．FillintheblankinParagraph4withproperwords.