Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big salaries on offer（可使用的）in the UK do not go as far as those earned in other countries,making Britain and Ireland the worst places to live in Europe．
France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index（指数）out today,according to the place comparison website Switch．com．
The French enjoy longer lives,better healthcare,more holidays and cheaper prices．In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes．The amount we spend on healthcare and education is below the European average．
Only Ireland and Poland spend less,but Ireland has more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK．People in Germany,Spain,France,Italy,the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy longer life expectancy than Britons．And while we may be giving up work earlier,the average age at which we retire is still the fourth highest in Europe——and the UK state retirement age is set to rise．
Ann Robinson,of Switch．com,said:“There’s more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Britons are giving up on （对……不再抱希望）the UK and heading to France and Spain．We earn substantially more than our European neighbors,but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads,food on the table and our homes warm” ． “It’s giving us a decent standard of living,but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy．For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life．”
小题1:In Europe,to enjoy the best quality of life,you’d better live in _______．| A．Britian and Ireland | B．Spain and France | | C．Ireland and Poland | D．Britian and Italy |
小题2:Which of the following about the UK is TRUE according to the passage?| A．People in the UK pay more than the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes． | | B．People in the UK enjoy the highest quality of life． | | C．People in the UK spend most on the healthcare and education． | | D．People in the UK die two years older than in France． |
小题3:The underlined word“decent”in the last paragraph means “_______”| A．good enough | B．bad enough | C．ordinary | D．neither bad nor good |
小题4:What do you think would be the best title for the passage?| A．Money is a must to make you live a good life． | | B．High standard of living means good quality of life． | | C．High standard of living is one thing and good quality of life is another． | | D．To live a good life,go to Britian． |
|
小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:A
小题4:C |
试题分析：文章介绍英国人的收入水平很高，但是各方面的费用都要高于欧洲的其他国家，所以高生活标准不意味着高生活质量。
小题1:细节题：从第二段的句子：France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index（指数）out today,according to the place comparison website Switch．com．可知在欧洲享受最高质量的生活应该在法国和西班牙，选B
小题2:细节题：从第三段的句子：In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes．可知英国人在燃料，食物，烟酒方面的费用都比欧洲平均水平高，选A
小题3:猜词题：“It’s giving us a decent standard of living,but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy．这句话的意思是：它给了我们很高生活水平，但是没有给我们其他国家的生活质量，decent意思是good enough，选A
小题4:推理题：从最后一段的句子：For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life．”可知高生活标准不意味着高生活质量，选C |
核心考点
试题【Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big 】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
You hear a rumor（谣言）from a friend,who heard it from another friend,who read it on a note passed in math class,which was written by somebody who probably just made it up．Chances are rumors are always spreading around your school．Sometimes it can be very hurtful．But why do people still do so?
When people are feeling bad about themselves,they sometimes think they’ll feel better if there were someone worse off than they are．It’s okey being near the bottom,as long as they’re not actually on the bottom．The easiest way for them to make sure someone else is on the bottom is to make up a rumor that puts him or her there．
If everybody else is spreading rumors,you might feel you have to do the same thing in order to fit in．Unfortunately,the person who the gossip or rumor is about is usually let out of the group for the same reason that you’re let into it．
When you know a secret that nobody knows,or are the first person in your group to hear a rumor,it can make you the center of attention．A rumor or piece of gossip is sometimes like money;telling it to people is like buying their attention．Certain people always want to be at the top of the ladder（梯子）．You probably know at least one person who wishes to be the leader,and make all the decisions．One way they do this is by reducing the status（地位）of another person．Spreading rumors and gossip is one way people reduce another person’s status．
Sometimes a period when everyone is happy and getting along just seems kind of dull．Spreading rumors might get two people to start a fight,and that would make life a little more exciting．All those newspapers and TV shows full of gossip about famous people are proving that rumors are a popular form of entertainment．
小题1:We know from Paragraph 2 that some people spread rumors to _______．| A．be more confident | B．feel like part of a group | | C．attract attention | D．be more powerful |
小题2:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 may mean some people _______．| A．love looking down from a high position． | | B．hope to become leaders． | | C．are not afraid of falling down． | | D．are fond of spreading rumors． |
小题3:What do we know from the last paragraph?| A．Famous people like spreading rumors． | | B．Rumors can make people feel bored． | | C．Some people seek excitement from rumors． | | D．There are many rumors in newspapers． |
小题4:The passage is mainly about ________．| A．what rumors mean | B．how hurtful a rumor is | | C．how people spread rumors | D．why people spread rumors |
|
This is an open letter to the three people who stole my handbag from the department store where I am employed as a shop assistant.
When you took my bag, I don’t know what you thought you were going to get. With my wages, there"s not much left on a Tuesday. I hope the ￡5 was useful to you. If you really need a couple of pounds, I suppose you could always cash one of the two checks left in my check book. Of course, I phoned the bank right away and the check-cashing card is no longer valid, so it won’t be of much use to you.
Actually I don’t care about the money too much. We single parents who work to support our families understand only too well what it means to be short of cash. However, I don’t suppose it went very far among the three of you. Sorry about that!
I wish you had left the bag behind and just taken the wallet and check book. There were all kinds of papers and notes that I really need. I really think that was very inconsiderate of you. I mean, how would you like something like that to happen to you?
Well, perhaps the bag will turn up. It wasn’t even an expensive one, just a plain, old brown leather shoulder bag. You probably threw it in the nearest rubbish bin or threw it into the bushes. We"ve looked around, of course, but no one saw which way you went after you left the shop.
I"m not really angry with you. I know how the pressures of modern life can affect us, but I am sad at the loss of my personal things. I feel helpless. The police were very icy, and they just shrugged their shoulders. “It happens all the time,” they told me. Some small comfort, I suppose. But I’ve lost just a little more faith in human nature. And as my young son said when I told him what had happened, “Why? Mummy, why us?” I couldn"t answer that question. I wonder if you can.
小题1: In writing Paragraph 2, the writer wants to .| A．describe the contents of the bag in detail | | B．tell the thieves hardly any money was available | | C．state the fact that she was careless with the money | | D．give some suggestions to the three thieves |
小题2:Which of the following is the most valuable to the writer?| A．The cash in her bag. | | B．The handbag itself. | | C．The papers and notes in the bag. | | D．The check book in the bag. |
小题3:What can we conclude about the police?| A．They are unable to find the thieves. | | B．They show sympathy to the woman. | | C．They have doubts about human nature. | | D．They think the case quite common. |
小题4: Why does the author write the letter?| A．To give the thieves a serious warning. | | B．To express her affection for her valuable bag. | | C．To call people’s attention to their belongings. | | D．To complain about the fall of morality. |
|
Travelling abroad for leisure is becoming more and more popular for Chinese. The UK is high up in the list of places that the Chinese want to visit. There is a sense of mystery about the UK; it’s often the images of England’s green parks, countryside and Victorian houses that people point to as an alternative to polluted, overcrowded cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou.
The capital is viewed as modern and dynamic, while being filled deep with history. When asked what other images are thought of by the UK, the reply is often “the Queen, tea and Oxbridge”. So what’s stopping them actually coming? Sebastian Wood ,the British ambassador in Beijing, has described the UK as a “fortress”, and while this is perhaps an exaggeration(夸张)，Britain does have a reputation as a country that is harder to access.
The main problem for Chinese tourists is obvious. Although visa applications are now completed online, visitors are still required to visit one of 12 UK centers across the country for a face-to-face interview and fingerprinting. If you don’t live near one of these enters already, you’d have to travel some distance to get there.
Another problem is also to be mentioned. If travelers from China visit the UK, they also want to cover as much ground as possible. But the UK is not included in the Schengen visa, which allows access to a host of 26 European countries such as France and Germany. So it makes the former seem a less worth it.
There is also the issue of cost: £47 for a Schengen visa, £82 for the UK. On top of this, the UK is viewed as stricter in its handing of visas compared with the rest of Europe, fed by urban legends of rejected applications. In the end, the decision comes down to one question: Is Britain worth a visit?
小题1: The underlined word “fortress ” in paragraph2 is something similar to ______.| A．temple | B．apartment | C．castle | D．market |
小题2:Which of the following statements is NOT true for the UK visa?| A．One can apply for a visa online. | | B．One must have a face-to-face interview. | | C．No one can get a visa without a fingerprinting. | | D．No one needs to travel a long distance to get a center. |
小题3:What can a visitor do if he gets a Schengen visa?| A．He can only visit the UK. | | B．He can only visit 26 European countries. | | C．He can visit the UK and France. | | D．He can travel to any country he likes. |
小题4:What is the writer’s attitude towards visiting the UK?| A．He really supports Chinese people to visit the UK. | | B．He suggests Chinese people visit London strongly. | | C．He thinks it is troublesome to visit the UK. | | D．He believes everyone should go to see the Queen and Oxbridge. |
|
At age 11, Ghulam was married off to 40-year-old Jaiz in a rural Afghan village, making her only one of more than 10 million young girls who are being forced to wed men old enough to be their fathers of grandfather every year.
In an effort to start a global conversation about the devastating effects of early marriages, which are currently practiced in more than 50 developing countries, the United Nations designed October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child this year.
Although child marriage is against the law in many countries, and international treaties forbid the practice, it is estimated that about 51 million girls below age 18 are currently married, often under the cover of darkness and in secret. In Afghanistan alone, it is believed that approximately 57 percent of girls wed before the legal age of 16.
Various factors drive parents of child bridges to marry off their daughters, from the community’s pressure to confirm to age-old cultural customs to economic considerations. In poor, developing nations, it is not uncommon for families to settle debts by offering their daughters as payment.
Experts agree that early marriage denies the girl education and robs them of their childhood because most young wives, burdened by grownup responsibilities, do not get a chance to interact with their peers or carry on friendships outside the household. In many cases, the girls are lorded over by their husbands and in-laws, leaving them vulnerable(易受伤害的) to domestic violence as well as physical, sexual and verbal abuse. Underage wives who are lucky enough to escape from their husbands end up living in poverty, or worse. Most girls who enter early marriages are expected to get pregnant right away, which often leads to tragedy for both the mothers, who are still children themselves, and their babies.
Unless international organizations take steps to reverse the troubling trend, it is estimated that over the next decade, 100 million more girls—or about 25,000 girls a day ---will marry before they turn 18.
To learn more about campaign to end the practice of early marriages, please click: Too Young To Wed.
小题1:The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.| A．attract readers’ attention | | B．introduce the following topic | | C．list the countries practicing early marriages | | D．give readers an example of early marriages |
小题2:The fifth paragraph mainly talks about __________.| A．the number of girls involved in early marriages | | B．the causes of early marriages in developing counties | | C．the tragic effects of early marriages | | D．the countries that allow early marriages |
小题3:The UN made October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child in order to __| A．urge parents to treat girls equally as boy | | B．call on people to pay more attention to girls’ education | | C．call on people to pay more attention to girls in poor countries or areas | | D．start a global campaign against early marriages |
小题4:Which of the following is a cause of early marriages?| A．The present girls develop much earlier than before | | B．Some poor parents marry off their young girls for economic problems. | | C．Many young girls receive little or no education for different reasons. | | D．Most girls suffer from domestic violence and have babies too early. |
|
The new science of spending comes to a surprising conclusion, How we use our money may as much or more than how much we’ve got it.
Money spent on experiences, rather than material ,goods, more happiness.
Imagine that you wake up tomorrow morning to ＄1 million under your bed . What would you do that cash?
The money will probably make you think about one thing all else—yourself. A large amount of research reveals that money our selfish sides. We will much on what that money can do for us alone, Perhaps you are imagining buying a faster car, or even a new house,
But studies show that goods often fail to deliver happiness, Fortunately ,our ongoing research many ways to get more happiness from every dollar you spend, Changing how you spend money can increase your happiness.
But making these needs to challenge some of our ideas of spending It’s hard not to buying a house as a wise investment（投资）, But new research shows it brings very little happiness, A study in the United States found that homeowners, on average , were no happier than .
So, working hard to save money for a house might not be such a good idea it means spending less time with your families and friends.
And dozens of studies show that people get more happiness from buying than material things, Experiential purchases --- such as trips, concerts and special meals--- are more connected to our sense, of self.
And experiences come with one more , They tend to bring us to other people , but more often , material things are enjoyed . So social contacts are important to mental and physical health.
| 小题1: | | A．present | B．matter | C．appear | D．equal |
|
| 小题2: | | A．carries along | B．breaks out | C．holds on | D．brings along |
|
| 小题3: | | A．keep | B．own | C．discover | D．count |
|
| 小题5: | | A．above | B．below | C．before | D．after |
|
| 小题6: | | A．shows | B．explains | C．proves | D．designs |
|
| 小题7: | | A．depend | B．concentrate | C．take | D．look |
|
| 小题8: | | A．mental | B．material | C．beautiful | D．clever |
|
| 小题9: | | A．outgoing | B．lasting | C．willing | D．exciting |
|
| 小题10: | | A．invites | B．offers | C．prefers | D．follows |
|
| 小题11: | | A．changes | B．plans | C．decisions | D．mistakes |
|
| 小题12: | | A．know | B．view | C．dream | D．judge |
|
| 小题13: | | A．buyers | B．sellers | C．builders | D．renters |
|
| 小题14: | | A．if | B．how | C．unless | D．though |
|
| 小题15: | | A．houses | B．cars | C．experiences | D．health |
|
| 小题16: | | A．clearly | B．hardly | C．generally | D．deeply |
|
| 小题17: | | A．advantage | B．conclusion | C．purpose | D．identify |
|
| 小题18: | | A．familiar | B．close | C．proper | D．native |
|
| 小题19: | | A．completely | B．worldwide | C．secretly | D．alone |
|
| 小题20: | | A．gain | B．damage | C．improve | D．build |
|
|
