阅读理解。阅读下列短文, 从给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出****选项。

　　Britain’s long-term unemployed could be forced to carry out manual work or risk losing their welfare benefits under plans being put forward by the government.

The U. S. -style scheme would see the long-term jobless ordered to take up four-week placements in order to get them used to having a full-time job.

The idea is part of major reforms, due to be unveiled this week, to make cuts to Britain’s huge welfare bill, reduce dependency on benefits and weed out those earning money but not declaring it, papers said.

“What we are talking about here is people who have not been used to working having both the opportunity and perhaps a bit more of a push as well, to experience the workplace from time to time. The vast majority of people in Britain will think that is the right thing to do. ”Foreign Secretary William Hague told BBC TV.

Shortly after the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Union took power in May, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith unveiled plans to simplify the complex web of benefits available to reduce errors and inefficiencies.

Duncan Smith said the system had become regressive and was not giving people the right encouragement to work as many were financially better off unemployed.

Under his plans, separate benefits for items such as housing, income support or disability will be replaced by a“universal credit”system whereby(靠那个)individual households would get a single welfare payment to ensure those in work would be better off.

The Observer newspaper said that in return, long-term unemployed would be told to take up work placements of at least 30 hours a week for a four-week period.

If they refuse or fail to complete the programme, their jobseekers’ allowance, worth 64. 30 pounds a week for those over 25, could be stopped for at least three months.

【文章大意】由于英国的福利过高, 再加上近年来的经济危机造成的高失业率, 越来越多的英国人不愿再去劳心费力地工作, 干脆赖在家里向政府伸手要钱。当局为了减少养“好逸恶劳者”的经费, 出台强制性劳动方案, 要求失业的人从事劳力工作, 以此督促他们积极寻找工作。

1. What will the unemployed with welfare benefits face if the major reform takes effect?

A. They will lose their welfare benefits if they don’t work.

B. They will be encouraged to buy their own farms.

C. They will do some kinds of jobs.

D. Either A or C.

【解析】选D。细节理解题。第一段第一句话的carry out manual work or risk losing their welfare benefits说明在新政下“懒汉”们面临的两种选择。

2. What will most British people think of the new reform according to William Hague?

A. They are against it since the unemployed are poor.

B. They are for it since the unemployed should keep fit.

C. They are for it since it’s unfair for the employed and unemployed.

D. They don’t care as there’re a few unemployed people having welfare benefits.

【解析】选C。推理判断题。第四段中The vast majority of people in Britain will think that is the right thing to do. 说明绝大多数英国人支持新政。

4. The underlined word in Paragraph 6 most likely means　　　.

A. well-received　　　　　 　 B. far-reaching

C. old-fashioned D. live-and-let-live

【解析】选C。词义猜测题。从该词所在句的was not giving people the right encouragement to work可知即将取消的措施就要过时了。

4. What is the aim of Britain’s major reform for the long-term unemployed?

A. To reduce the cost of welfare bill with healthy economy system.

B. To make them healthier and save cost in medical care.

C. To help more people go through financial crisis.

D. To increase pay and bonus for those employed.

【解析】选A。主旨大意题。第三段的to make cuts to Britain’s huge welfare bill是直接目的, 最终的目的还是要建立合理健康的福利制度体系。

阅读理解。阅读下列短文, 从给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出****选项。

Who Owns the Moon?

Within the next ten years, the U. S. , China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does that give them property(财产)rights?

A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international law signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies(天体)are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs.

But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don’t own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions(派遣团)to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush.

“This is a very relevant discussion right now. We’ve got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world, ”said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA’s Co Lab, a collaborative(协力完成的)public-private working group. He was speaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency.

To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission.

【文章大意】本文介绍了世界范围内的登陆月球热, 以及作者对这种现象的担忧。

1. In the passage the writer seems to be worrying that　　　.

A. the US will live on the moon forever

B. the moon will not be able to hold all mankind

C. the potential land rush will become more and more frequent

D. no one can answer the question“Who owns the moon? ”

【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第三段space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush一句可知太空行业认为领导人们正严肃地问自己如何应对潜在的登陆热, 这也表达了作者的担心。

2. “The Google Lunar X Prize”aims to　　　.

A. encourage private groups to land on the moon

B. help NASA host a discussion about land rush on the moon

C. help some developing countries to complete their lunar projects

D. reward some countries or private groups which haven’t stepped on the moon

【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据最后一段several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize一句可知Google Lunar X Prize用来鼓励私人团体登陆月球。

3. The underlined word“that”in the first paragraph refers to　　　.

A. the Outer Space Treaty

B. if and when they plant a flag

C. the NASA working group

D. monks from the Middle Ages

【解析】选B。词义猜测题。that代指前句中的if and when they plant a flag。本句意为: 如果当他们在月球上插上一面国旗时, 这会赋予他们领土所有权么?

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. The U. S. astronauts will live on the moon for a longer time.

B. Many countries and private groups plan to go to the moon.

C. Why some private groups wish to land on the moon.

D. It is easy to gain some property rights on the moon.

【解析】选B。主旨大意题。最后一段主要介绍了世界上一些国家及私人团体或个人正计划登陆月球。