PART IV READING COMPREHENSION
In this part there are four passages followed by fifteen questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. choose the one that you think is the correct answer. Mark you choice on your answer sheet.
TEXT A Large companies need a way to reach the savings of the public at large. The same problem, on a smaller scale, faces practically every company trying to develop new products and create new jobs. There can be little prospect of raising the sort of sums needed from friends and people we know, and while banks may agree to provide short-term finance, they are generally unwilling to provide money on a permanent basis for long-term projects. So companies turn to public, inviting people to lend them money, or take a share in the business in exchange for a share in future profits. This they do by issuing stocks and shares in the business through The Stock Exchange. By doing so they can put into circulation the savings of individuals and institution, both at home and overseas. When the saver needs his money back, he does not have to go to the company with whom he originally placed it. Instead, he sells his shares through a stockbroker (证券经纪人)to some other saver who is seeking to invest his money. Many of the services needed both by industry and by each of us are provided by the Government or by local authorities. Without hospitals, roads, electricity, telephones, railways, this country could not function. All these require continuous spending on new equipment and new development if they are to serve us properly, requiring more money than is raised through taxes alone. The government, local authorities, and nationalized industries therefore frequently needed to borrow money to finance major capital spending, and they, too, come to The Stock Exchange. There is hardly a man or woman in this country whose job or whose standard of living does not depend on the ability of his or her employers to raise money to finance new development. In one way or another this new money must come from the savings of the country. The Stock Exchange exists to provide a channel through which these savings can reach those who need finance.
66. Almost all companies involved in new production and development must _____.
A) rely in their own financial resources.
B) persuade the banks to provide long-term finance.
C) borrow large sums of money from friends and people we know.
D) depend on the population as a whole for finance.
67. The money which enables these companies to go ahead with their projects is _____.
A) repaid to its original owners as soon as possible.
B) raised by the selling of shares in the companies.
C) exchanged for part ownership in The Stock Exchange.
D) invested in different companies on The Stock Exchange.
68. When the savers want their money back they _____.
A) ask another company to obtain their money for them.
B) look for other people to borrow money from.
C) put their shares in the company back on the market.
D) transfer their money to a more successful company.
TEXT B The year 1400 opened with more peacefulness than usual in England. Only a few months before, Richard II —— weak, wicked, and treacherous —— had been deposed (废黜), and Harry IV declared king in his stead. But it was only a seeming peacefulness, lasting for but a little while; for though King Harry proved himself a just and a merciful man —— as hostile and mercy went with the men of iron of those days —— and though he did not care to shed blood needlessly, there were many noble families who had been benefited by King Richard during his reign, and who had lost some what of their power and prestige from the coming in of the new king. Among these were a number of great lords who had been degraded from their former titles and estates, from which degradation King Richard had lifted them. They planned to fall upon King Harry and his followers and to massacre (屠杀) them during a great tournament (中世纪之马上比武大会) which was being held at Oxford. And they might have succeeded had not one of their own members betrayed them. But Harry did not appear at the lists; whereupon, knowing that he had been lodging at Windsor with only a few attendants, the conspirators marched there against him. In the meantime, the king had been warned of the plot, so that instead of finding him in the royal castle, they discovered through their scouts that he had hurried to London, and that he was marching against them at the head of a considerable army. So nothing was left but flight. One and another, they were all caught and some killed. Those few who found friends faithful and bold enough to afford them shelter dragged those friends down in their own ruin.
69. What does the author seem to think of King Harry?
A) He was the best king England had ever had.
B) He was unfair and cowardly.
C) He was just as evil as King Richard.
D) He was a better ruler than King Richard.
70. How did King Harry find out about the plot?
A) His scouts discovered it.
B) He saw the conspirators coming.
C) One of the conspirators told him.
D) He found a copy of the conspirators' plan.
71. How did the conspirators find out that Harry was in London?
A) They saw him leave Windsor.
B) Harry's attendants told them.
C) They saw him at the tournament.
D) Their scouts told them.
72. Why did the nobles wish to kill Harry?
A) Harry had taken away power given to them by Richard.
B) Harry was weak, wicked, and treacherous.
C) Harry had needlessly killed members of their families.
D) Harry had killed King Richard.
