Passage Two
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
It’s an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no
because the boiler could go, or the roof fall off, and we have no savings to save us. I
say you only live once and we work hard and what’s the point if you can’t go on
holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year – we just won’t go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship
to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than
not booking a holiday. A YouGov poll of 2,000 people found 22% said they were
arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. What’s less clear
is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession – financial pressures mean
couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable. A recent research shows
arguments about money were especially damaging to couples. Disputes were
characterised by intense verbal (言语上的) aggression, tended to be repeated and not
resolved, and made men, more than women, extremely angry.
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal
because of what it symbolises, which may be different things to men and women.
“People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it’s
for,” he explains. “They’ll say it’s to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to
show
someone you love them.” He says men are more likely to see money as a way of
buying status and of showing their parents that they’ve achieved something.
“The biggest problem is that couples assume each other knows what’s going on
with their finances, but they don’t. There seems to be more of a taboo (禁忌) about
talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you’re doing,who’s
paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy
relationship, you don’t have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it.”
注意:此部分试题请在答题卡 2 上作答。
61.What does the author say about vacationing?
A. People enjoy it all the more during a recession.
B. Few people can afford it without working hard.
C. It is the chief cause of family disputes.
D. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Passage Three
Questions 23 to 26 are based on the passage you have just heard.
听力原文 Passage Three One of the greatest heartbreaks for firefighters occurs when they
fail to rescue a child from a burning building because the child—frightened by smoke and
noise—hides under a bed or in a closet and is later found dead. Saddest of all is when
children catch a glimpse of the masked firefighter but hide because they think they have
seen a monster. To prevent such tragedies, firefighter Eric Velez gives talks to children
in his community, explaining that they should never hide during a fire. He displays
firefighters’ equipment, including the oxygen mask, which he encourages his listeners to
play with and put on. “If you see us,” Velez tells them, “don’t hide. We are not
monsters. We have come to rescue you.” Velez gives his presentations in English and
Spanish. Growing up in San Francisco, he learned Spanish from his immigrant parents. Velez
—and other firefighters throughout North America who give similar presentations—will
never know how many lives they save through their talks, but it’s a fact that informative
speaking saves lives. For example, several months after listening to an informative speech,
Pete Gentry in North Carolina rescued his brother, who was choking on food, by using the
method taught by student speaker Julie Parris. In addition to saving lives, informative
speakers help people learn new skills, solve problems, and acquire fascinating facts about
the exciting world in which they live.
Questions 23 to 26 are based on the passage you have just heard.
23. Why do some children trapped in a burning building hide from masked firefighters?
A. They mistake the firefighters for monsters.
B. They do not realize the danger they are in.
C. They cannot hear the firefighters for the noise.
D. They cannot see the firefighters because of the smoke.