下面是小编整理的，希望对大家有帮助。
The "standard of living" of any country means the average person's share of the goods and services which the country produces. A country's standard of living, therefore, depends first andforemost on its capacity to produce wealth. "Wealth" in this sense is not money, for we do not live on money but on things that money can buy: "goods" such as food and clothing, and "services"such as transport and entertainment.
A country's capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of which have an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a great extent upon a country's natural resources, such ascoal, gold, and other minerals, water supply and so on. Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have a fertile soil and a favorable climate; other regionspossess perhaps only one of these things, and some regions possess none of them. The U. S. A is one of the wealthiest regions of the world because she has vast natural resources within herborders, her soil is fertile, and her climate is varied. The Sahara Desert, on the other hand, is one of the least wealthy.
Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. China is perhaps as well off as the U. S. A. in natural resources, but suffered for many years from civil and external wars,and for this and other reasons was. unable to develop her resources. Sound and stable political conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion, enable a country to develop its natural resourcespeacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally well served by nature but less well ordered. Another important factor is the technical efficiency of a country'speople. Old countries that have, through many centuries, trained up numerous skilled craftsmen and technicians are better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largelyunskilled. Wealth also produces wealth. As a country becomes wealthier, its people have a large margin for saving, and can put their savings into factories and machines which will help workersto turn out more goods in their working day.
26. A country's wealth depends upon______. ,
A. its standard of living
B. its money
C. its ability to provide goods and services
D. its ability to provide transport and entertainment
27. The word "foremost" means______.
A. most importantly B. firstly
C. largely D. for the most part
28. The main idea of the second paragraph is that______.
A. a country's wealth depends on many factors
B. the U. S. A. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world
C. the Sahara Desert is a very poor region
D. natural resources are an important factor in the wealth or poverty of a country
29. The third paragraph mentions some of the advantages which one country may have over another in making use of its resources. How many such advantages are mentioned in this paragraph?
A. 2 B. 3
C. 4 D. 5
30. The second sentence.in Paragraph 3 is______.
A. the main idea of the paragraph
B. an example supporting the main idea of the paragraph
C. the conclusion of the paragraph
D. not related to the paragraph
26. C 27. A 28. A 29. B 30. B
A wise man once said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. So, as a police officer, I have some urgent things to say to good people.
Day after day my men and I struggle to hold back a tidal wave of crime. Something has gone terribly wrong with our once-proud American way of life. It has happened in the area of values. Akey ingredient is disappearing, and I think I know what it is: accountability 责任感.
My job as a police pfficer is to impose accountability on people who refuse, or have never learned, to impose it on themselves. But as every policeman knows, external control on people'sbehavior is far less effective than internal restraints such as guilt, shame and embarrassment.
Fortunately there are still communities—smaller towns, usually—where schools maintain discipline and where parents hold up standards that proclaim:
"In this family certain things are not tolerated—they simply are not done!"
Yet more and more, especially in our large cities and suburbs, these inner restraints are loosening. Your typical robber has none. He considers your property his property; he takes what hewants, including your life if you enrage him.
The main cause of this break-down is a radical shift in attitudes. Thirty years ago, if a crime was committed, society was considered the victim. Now, in a shocking reversal, it's thecriminal who is considered victimized: by his underprivileged upbringing, by the school that didn't teach him to read, by the church that failed to reach him with moral guidance, by the parentswho didn't provide a stable home.
I don't believe it. Many others in equally disadvantaged circumstances choose not to engage in criminal activities. If we free the criminal, even partly, from accountability, we become asociety of endless excuses where no one accepts responsibility for anything.
Americans desperately need more people who believe that the person who commits a crime is the one responsible for it.
21. What the wise man said suggests that______.
A. it's certain that evil will prevail if good men do nothing about it
B. it's unnecessary for good people to do anything in face of evil
C. it's only natural for virtue to defeat evil
D. it's desirable for good men to keep away from evil
22. According to the author, if a person is found guilty of a crime, ______.
A. society is to be held responsible
B. modern civilization is responsible for it
C. the standards of living should be improved
D. the criminal himself should bear the blame
23. Compared with those in small towns, people in large cities have A. better sense of discipline B. more mutual respect C. less effective government D. less self-discipline
24. The writer is sorry to have noticed that______.
A. people in large cities tend to excuse criminals
B. people in small towns still stick to old discipline and standards
C. today's society lacks sympathy for people in difficulty
D. people in disadvantaged circumstances are engaged in criminal activities
25. The key point of the passage is that
A. stricter discipline should be maintained in schools and families
B. more good examples should be set for people to follow
C. more people should accept the value of accountability
D. more restrictions should be imposed on people
21. A 22. D 23. D 24. A 25. C
