Though it is mere 1 to 3 percent of the population,the upper class possesses at least 25 percent of the nation's wealth.This class has two segments:upper-upper and lower- upper.Basically,the upper-upper class is the"old rich"-families that have been wealthy for several generations-an aristocracy of birth and wealth.Their names are in the Social Register,a listing of acceptable members of high society.A few are known across the nation,such as the Rockefellers,Roosevelts,and Vanderbilts.Most are not visible to the general public.They live in grand seclusion ,drawing their income from the investment of their inherited wealth.In contrast,the lower-upper class is the"new rich". Although they may be wealthier than some of the old rich,the new rich are anxious to make their money like everybody else lower than their class.Thus their prestige  is generally lower than that of the old rich,who have not found it necessary to lift a finger to make their money,and who tend to look down upon the new rich. However its wealth is acquired,the upper class is very,very rich.They have enough money and leisure time to cultivate an interest in the arts and to collect rare books, paintings,and sculptures.They generally live in exclusive areas,belong to exclusive social clubs,communicate with each other,and marry their own kind-all of which keeps them so distant from the common people that they have been called the out-of-fight class.More than any other class,they tend to be conscious of being members of a class.They also command an enormous amount of power and influence here and abroad,as they hold many top government positions,run the Council on Foreign Relations,and control multinational corporations.Their actions affect the life of millions. We can learn from the passage that   _   . A) the upper class is powerful and influential B) the upper class collects rare books to make money C) the upper class holds all top government positions D) the"old rich"make much more money than the"new rich"
A
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People have always been wondering about what our future will look like. Go on reading this text, and you will know what will happen in the next fifty years. How can we know what the future will look like? To be able to understand the future, you must know the past. What has taken us to where we are today and what has changed along the way? The world has changed a lot in the last 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago. Will this change in the next 150 years? No. What inventions have really made a difference in the last 150 years? In the past years, the inventions that have affected most people around the world for everyday living are the telephone, electricity, radio, television, computer, the car and the ability to communicate through the Internet. Then we of course have a lot of inventions that have made life easier, like new medicine, faster transports etc. In general, human beings have been working hard in the last 150 years to make the inventions so that they will be able to get control of the time and the world. Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the next 150 years. Why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons first we need to start to think about what kind of future we would like for ourselves and to pass on to the next generation, and then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future. What will humans do in order to keep the world under control? A) To produce more cars for transportation. B) To focus on making more inventions. C) To work much harder to achieve their goals. D) To spend more time working on the Internet.
B
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"English may be the global language of business but it is not enough by itself for companies to gain a lasting presence in many markets," the European Commission   says in a study published last month. The study collected by the British National Centre for Languages for the EU leader, says over 10 per cent of 2,000 small and medium-sized   firms in 29 European countries sampled   in the study have lost export contract   because of lack of language skills. The study says French is used to trade with partners in Africa, Spanish in Latin America, and Russian in Eastern Europe. "The picture is far more complex than the much-quoted view that English is the world language," the study says. Multilingual   Commissioner Leonard Orban admitted that English plays an important role worldwide, but he wants to improve more linguistic variety within the EU. The EU's linguistic headaches have exploded with the group's expansion. Languages have become a sensitive topic in Brussels where English is increasingly eclipsing   French as the main working language of the organization. Translation of EU papers into EU's 23 official languages costs 1 billion euros (US $1.31 billion) a year. "We want to be open not only to official languages of the Union, but also to others like regional   languages, languages of minorities, immigrants'   languages and third countries' languages," Orband said. Many EU students have improved their language skills during non-formal learning activities. Young people from more than 20 different nationalities travel across Europe to participate together in many cultural programmes, language courses, thematic workshops   and other activities that are organized in about 100 cities. What is the best title for the passage? A) Don't Ignore That Study B) Pay much Attention to English C) Do Study Many Languages besides English D) The Other Language Is More Important than English
C
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Spring is a wonderful season to celebrate rebirth and new life. The long, cold winter is over. The weather is warmer and sunnier. The trees again have leaves and the flowers are blooming. The season represents hope, joy and beauty. At this time, many people think of this classical music piece -- Spring, which shows happiness. Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi wrote it in the seventeen hundred. However, not all songs about spring are happy. This song written and sung by K.D. Lang is about dreaming of spring in cold dark places. She recorded I Dream of Spring in 2008. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote It Might as Well Be Spring for the movie State Fair in 1945. Frank Sinatra sings it. It is a feeling of restlessness or excitement brought on by the coming of spring. Richard Rodgers also wrote Spring Is Here, this time with Lorenz Hart. Ella Fitzgerald sings this song about feeling lonely during this season. Frank Loesser wrote the sad song, Spring Will be a Little Late This Year. Why has the season been delayed? Because the singer's lover has left her. Sarah Vaughn released  her version of the song in 1953. By now you may be thinking, "Enough with the sad songs, already!" Ok, then how about a cowboy song? Gene Autry was one of America's most famous singing cowboys. He recorded When It's Springtime in the Rockies in 1937. And finally, we'll leave you with a sunny song called Up Jumped Spring. Freddie Hubbard wrote this jazz song in 1977 and Billy Taylor Trio performs it. What's the purpose of the author to write the passage? A) Introduce some songs about spring. B) Introduce some wonderful music. C) Introduce some famous singers. D) Express his/ her love to spring.

A
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