Passage Four

　　The first European stock exchange was established in Antwerp, Belgium(比利時(shí)), in 1531.There were no stock exchanges in England until the 1700’s. A man wishing to buy or sell shares of stock had to find a broker(agents) to transact his business for him. In London, he usually went to a coffee house, because brokers often gathered there. In 1773, the brokers of London formed a stock exchange.

　　In New York City, brokers met under an old button wood tree on Wall Street. They organized the New York Stock Exchange in 1792.The American Stock Exchange, the second largest in the United States, was formerly called the Curb Exchange because of its origin on the streets of New York City.

　　A stock exchange is a market place where member brokers buy and sell stocks and bonds(債券) of American and foreign businesses on behalf of the public. A stock exchange provides a market place for stocks and bonds in the same way a board of trade does for commodities. The stockbrokers receive a small commission on each transaction they make.

　　The stockholder may sell his stock wherever he wants to unless the corporation has some special rule to prevent it. Prices of stock change according to general business conditions and the earnings and future prospects(前景) of the company. If the business is doing well, the stockholder may be able to sell his stock for a profit. If it is not, he may have to take a loss.

　　48.In the 1600’s, if a man wanted to buy or sell shares of stock in England, he had to do it through .

　　A.the government

　　B.himself

　　C.a broker

　　D.the stock exchange

　　C 事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。文章第一段第三句指出，如果(在18世紀(jì)以前)有人想在英國(guó)買(mǎi)賣(mài)股票就必須通過(guò)經(jīng)紀(jì)人(代理人)替他交易。

　　49.The second largest stock exchange in the U.S. used to be called .

　　A.the Wall Street Exchange

　　B.the New York Stock Exchange

　　C.the Curb Exchange

　　D.the U.S. Exchange

　　C 事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。文章第二段第三句指出，美國(guó)證券交易所是美國(guó)第二大證券交易所，曾因其發(fā)起地點(diǎn)在紐約市的街道上而被稱為Curb Exchange。

　　50.Which of the statements is true?

　　A.The stockholder can sell his stock to anywhere at any time.

　　B.There were no stock exchange in England in the 1700’s.

　　C.The price of stock is not stable.

　　D.The stockbrokers do the transaction without charging for the stockholders.

　　C 文章第四段第二句指出，股票價(jià)格根據(jù)公司的總體情況、收益及公司未來(lái)的發(fā)展情況而變化。從而可以判定C正確，即：股票價(jià)格不穩(wěn)定。

　　51.The passage is mainly about .

　　A.the Wall Street

　　B.the stock exchange

　　C.the stock

　　D.the stockholder and stockbroker

　　B 主旨大意題。文章主要講的是證券交易所的形成和發(fā)展?fàn)顩r，所以B為正確答案。

　　Passage Five

　　It is customary for adults to forget how hard and dull and long school is. The learning by memory of all the basic things one must know is a most incredible and unending effort. Learning to read is probably the most difficult and revolutionary thing that happens to the human brain and if you don’t believe that, watch an illiterate adult try to do it. School is not easy and it is not for the most part very much fun, but then, if you are very lucky, you may find a real teacher. Three real teachers in a lifetime is the very best of my luck. My first was a science and math teacher in high school, my second, a professor of creative writing at Stanford, and my third was my friend and partner, Ed Ricketts.

　　My three had these things in common: They all loved what they were doing. They did not tell; they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of all, the truth, that dangerous stuff, became beautiful and very precious.

　　I shall speak only of my first teacher because in addition to the other things, she brought discovery.

　　She aroused us to shouting, book waving discussions. She had the noisiest class in school and she didn’t even seem to know it. We could never stick to the subject. Our speculation ranged the world. She breathed curiosity into us so that we brought in facts or truths shielded in our hands like captured fireflies.

　　I can tell my son who looks forward with horror to fifteen years of drudgery that somewhere in the dusty dark a magic may happen that will light up the years if he is very lucky.

　　52.According to the author, what is the most difficult thing to people in school?

　　A.Listening.

　　B.Reading.

　　C.Writing.

　　D.Speaking.

　　B 事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。從文章第一段第三句“Learning to read is probably the most difficult and revolutionary thing…”可知,讀是最難的。B項(xiàng)為正確答案。

　　53.The very best of the author is that he .

　　A.met a good teacher

　　B.he graduated from Stanford

　　C.made friends with his teachers

　　D.met some good teachers in his life

　　D 事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。從文章第一段第五句“Three real teachers in a lifetime is the very best of my luck.”可知，最大的幸運(yùn)是一生中遇到幾位好老師(met some good teachers in his life)。D項(xiàng)為正確答案。

　　54.Among his teachers, left him a very deep impression.

　　A.the university teacher

　　B.the high school teacher

　　C.Ed Ricketts

　　D.the first two teachers

　　B 從文章第三段開(kāi)頭“I shall speak only of my first teacher because in addition to the other things, she brought discovery.”可以推出，“my first teacher”(高中教科學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)的老師)給作者留下了很深的印象。B項(xiàng)為正確答案。

　　55.The author hoped that his son .

　　A.may be lucky to meet a good teacher

　　B.may study in school for fifteen years

　　C.can read many books

　　D.may study science and math

　　A 從文章最后一段“…somewhere in the dusty dark a magic may happen that will light up the years…”可以推斷，作者希望兒子在15年的上學(xué)苦役中可以幸運(yùn)地遇到好老師(may be lucky to meet a good teacher)。A項(xiàng)為正確答案。