Bad luck, George thought, to lose his gloves on New Year’s Eve. He, calm on the outside but frantic in the inside, reentered the store. Several minutes of search turned out to be in vain. “Society has changed. People have changed…’’ he murmured to himself. “Years ago, if people picked up something lost, they would give it back.”
Back home, George was at a loss. In deep winter, he could not do anything without a pair of gloves.
After the holiday, George decided to buy another pair of leather gloves. Before boarding the subway, he stepped into Value Mart again to see if by any chance his gloves had been returned to the lost and found office.
“What color are they?” the woman in the office asked. “Black,” he answered.
She looked into her drawer and drew out a pair of men’s leather gloves. “Are they?”
“Yes! Those are mine!”
28. What is the most probable reason for George’s shopping? A. To kill time in Value Mart as usual. B. To prove how wise he was with money. C. To prepare for the coming New Year. D. To see whether there were gloves on sale.
29. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “frantic” in Para. 4?
A. Ashamed. B. Anxious.
C. Afraid. D. Angry.
30. What do we know about old George McNeilon? A. Economical but vain. B. Clever but simple. C. Pure but impolite. D. Warmhearted but poor.
31. What can be inferred from the passage? A. In daily life, accidents will happen. B. A penny saved is a penny earned. C. Never ever jump to conclusions. D. A loss may turn out to be a gain.
D
The sharing economy, represented by companies like Airbnb or Uber, is the latest fashion craze. But many supporters have overlooked the reality that this new business model is largely based on escaping regulations and breaking the law.
Airbnb is an Internet-based service that allows people to rent out spare rooms to strangers for short stays. Uber is an Internet taxi service that allows thousands of people to answer ride requests with their own cars. There are hundreds of other such services.
The good thing about the sharing economy is that it promotes the use of underused resources. Millions of people have houses or apartments with empty rooms, and Airbnb allows them to profit from these rooms while allowing
guests a place to stay at prices that are often far less than those charged by hotels. Uber offers prices that are competitive with standard taxi prices and their drivers are often much quicker and more trustworthy.
But the downside of the sharing economy has gotten much less attention. Most cities and states both tax and regulate hotels, and the tourists who stay in hotels are usually an important source of tax income. But many of Airbnb’s customers are not paying the taxes required under the law.
Airbnb can also raise issues of safety for its customers and trouble for hosts’ neighbors. Hotels are regularly inspected to ensure that they are not fire traps and that they don’t form other risks for visitors. Airbnb hosts face no such inspections.
Since Airbnb is allowing people to escape taxes and regulations, the company is simply promoting thefts. Others in the economy will lose by bearing an additional tax burden or being forced to live next to an apartment unit with a never-ending series of noisy visitors.
The same story may apply with Uber. Uber is currently in disputes over whether its cars meet the safety and insurance requirements imposed on standard taxis. Also, if Uber and related services flood the market, they could harm all taxi drivers’ ability to earn a minimum wage.
This downside of the sharing needs to be taken seriously, but that doesn’t mean the current tax and regulatory structure is perfect.
32. What is the positive thing about the sharing economy? A. It is a global trend.
B. It is beyond regulations. C. It brings in modest profits.
D. It takes advantage of spare resources.
33. What is the problem with Airbnb customers according to the passage? A. They can be noisy to hosts’ neighbours. B. They are likely to commit thefts. C. They are allowed not to pay taxes. D. They are not regularly inspected.
34. What is the argument over Uber according to the passage? A. Whether it provides reliable services. B. Whether it guarantees customers’ safety. C. Whether it lowers customers’ expenses. D. Whether it can compete with standard taxis.
35. What will be talked about in the following paragraphs? A. Existing regulations and laws.
B. Further development of Airbnb and Uber. C. Necessary improvements of current laws. D. More downsides of Airbnb and Uber. 第二节 (共5小题;每小题2分，满分10分)
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Americans are obsessed (着迷的) with telling their life stories. This phenomenon isn’t simply the product of the technological world. ___36___.
People are eager to tell stories and are fascinated by those of others. Even at preschool, “sharing time” is a common Monday-morning activity where the teenagers will sit in a circle and take turns telling a story about something they did over the weekend.
___37___. In many Asian countries, talking about and drawing attention to oneself can be seen as socially inappropriate. People are often unwilling to share their life stories and do not encourage others to do so. But there are also times when Asians do share their stories. ___38___. Asians believe that a person is largely decided by his or her social status and relationships, leaving little reason to broadcast detailed and revealing personal stories to establish a unique self.
Ironically, the more unique Americans strive to be, the greater their need to feel connected with others. In their culture of individuality, relationships are highly mobile and can be easily formed or dissolved (破裂).
Sharing personal stories brings them closer through the exchange of thoughts, feelings and desires. ___39___. But this motivation is not nearly as strong among Asians, for whom social relations are generally unconditional, obligatory(义不容辞的) and stable, and therefore require little maintenance (维护).
___40___. American parents encourage children to share their stories and create opportunities to re-experience the past with children. Asian parents, by contrast, engage their children in telling personal stories less frequently.
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