Running up big bills on credit cards means you'll have trouble （）the full debt when

听力原文： Soaring council tax bills have pushed the cost of running a home up by four times the rate of inflation, new figures show. The average cost of running a property rose by 5% between 2003 and 2004, according to the Halifax. Money spent on repairing properties also rose by 9% during the period to average ￡576, accounting for 20% of the total rise. Meanwhile increases in the cost of household appliances, heating bills and routine maintenance all further pushed up the cost of running a property.

Which of the following words could best replace the word "soaring" in the first sentence.*

A．climbing

B．rising

C．flying

D．crawling

A.climbing

B.rising

C.flying

D.crawling

A.over

B.on

C.into

D.up

Mary wanted to avoid running down a dog but ran ___a big tree by the roadside.

A、into

B、on

C、over

D、up

Slash Your Bills — 6 Ways to Keep More Cash

Like a lot of hardworking couples, Ilah and Dennis Hardesty of Long Beach, California, live paycheck to paycheck. Their $1,200 monthly rent eats up about half of Dennis's take-home pay as a manager for a racing car engine manufacturer. Private school tuition for their three teens takes another $400 bite. Income from Ilah's two part-time jobs — as a fitness trainer and school secretary—disappears at the gas station and the grocery store.

The bottom line？ Even with no car payments and just $300 in credit card debt, the family barely gets by. "We don't have a penny in savings", says Ilah. "No, I actually do have one cent in my account".

With inflation outpacing wage growth in recent years, it's not hard to find families like the Hardestys running out of money before they run out of month. According to the nonpartisan (无党派的) Economic Policy Institute, which studies lower-and middle-class economic trends, the median hourly wage of an American worker after inflation is less today than in 2003. The result is less buying power after the bills are paid.

These days, inflation is hovering around three percent, so anyone who remembers the double-digit price spikes of the 1970s might wonder what all the fuss is about. But even moderate inflation takes its toll, says personal finance expert Jonathan Pond, author of You Can Do It! The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement. In fact, annual inflation of just three percent doubles the cost of living every 23 or 24 years. Meanwhile, some essential expenses — energy, health care, higher education — are far outpacing the inflation index. No wonder families are feeling pinched.

Pinched doesn't have to mean powerless, though. Here, then, are six ways to save money on the big bills.

Education Options

Here's a pop quiz: Who's turned out move current CEOs of S&P 500 corporations — Harvard or the University of Wisconsin？ Pencils up: They're running neck and neck, according to a recent study by Spencer Stuart, an executive recruiting firm. The study reinforces what should be common sense: There's no direct correlation between where a child goes to undergraduate school and later success. In fact, the pricey Ivies trained only ten percent of those CEOs.

So if your family's budget favors State College over Snooty U., don't sweat it. Kids who are motivated will succeed, no matter the color of their cap and gown. Look for quality institutions in your area. Consider a local four-year college and save on mom and board.

Or opt for a community college the first two years (tuition is bargain-basement), then finish up at a state school or private university. Don't forget: Once your child moves on to, say, Tufts, he will get a Tufts diploma.

Financial planners also suggest that parents give priority to their own retirement savings over c ollege funds, since there are no loans, grants or scholarships for surviving your senior years.

Taking Care of Health Care

Like education; health care costs have been outpacing inflation, which is one reason why employers are shifting more of the insurance burden to individuals. To control the expense, many people are opting for higher deductibles and lower monthly premiums. What's more, says Pond, "four-fifths of Americans enjoy pretty darn (非常) good health and could be safe choosing a policy with fewer bells and whistles. If no one in your family uses expensive pharmaceuticals, why pay for a high-priced drug benefit？"

But what happens if you suddenly need a costly long-term drug？ Many policies allow you to upgrade to a plan with better benefits, after a six-month waiting period. You might also check out WalMart. The company recently started a program in 27 states to fill 30-day generic prescriptions for just $4 each. Nearly 300 drugs are covered. Among them are cloni

A．Y

B．N

C．NG

A.Some teachers.

B.Some Young Pioneers.

C.Some children.

A.Y

B.N

C.NG

第二节 短文理解2

阅读短文，从各题所给的三个选项中选出最佳答案。

It is Sunday morning. There are a lot of people in the park. Some Young Pioneers are in the park. too. and they me having a good time.

Some are playing games under a big True. Some are singing and dancing. Some boys and girls are running up the hill. Others are rowing boals on the lake.

Where is Li Lei'？ lie is sitling by tile lake. What's be doing？ lie's reading.

Where is Meinlei？ She is on the grass. What's she doing？ She is running after a nice butterfly (蝴蝶).

She wants to catch it.

Who are in the park？

A．Some teachers.

B．Some Young Pioneers.

C．Some children.

The paper Chase

“Running a house is a lot like running a business．”says Stephanie Denton，a professional organizer based in Cincinnati。0hio，who specializes in both residential and commercial paperwork and record keeping．To get a Successful grip on organizing documents，bills，and other materials，Denton suggests the following tips：

Create a space in which you can always do your paperwork．This is perhaps the most important element of a successful system．If you can’t devote an entire desk to the task，at least invest in a rolling file cart to store active paperwork and a two—drawer 6le cabinet for family records．Store the rolling file cart wherever it is most convenient and comfortable to do your work，whether that is the kitchen，officer ,or family room．

When in doubt，throw it out．The first step to implementing a workable filing system is to eliminate paper you don’t use，don’t need，or that you could easily access again elsewhere．Throw out duplicate statements，old catalogs，and all of the coupons，mailings，0r 0fferings you’ll never have an opportunity to use or even read．

Set aside two days a month t0 pay bills．If a monthly due date doesn’t fit into your cycle，call up the creditor and suggest a more convenient date．Keep two manila folders at the front of your system for current bills—one to correspond with each bill—paying day—and file all incoming bills．Keep a list in the front of each folder of what needs to be paid in case the invoice never arrives or gets misplaced．

Think of your 6ling system not as a rigid tool，but as a living，breathing system that can accommodate your changing needs．A good filing system is both mentally and physically flexible．Everyone’s needs are different，says Denton，but when devising a filling system，ask yourself：“where would I look for this ？”Create main headings for your 6ling system，Such as Investments，Taxes，Children，and so forth．and file individual folders under the main headings．Never overstuff your files．

第 17 题 Paragraph 2______