高考英语 实战演练专题阅读理解(86-90)

2012届高考英语实战演练专题阅读理解（86-90）《附详析》

(第86篇)

When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job —but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip，” says the 45year old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement.”

One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff，” says Steve, “so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz (能手) I knew to explain things to me.”

He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars，cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.

Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house — what should I do? ‘A lot of times，I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go to find it and learn something in the process，” he says.

In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars (研讨会) for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also s tarted going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.

“I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all i t truly takes is a little self education，” says Steve. “You can do anything once you understand the basics.”

[语篇解读] 经过不断的学习，史蒂夫从不懂理财的工程师发展成为善于理财的百万富翁。

1. When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he________.

A. couldn’t balance his work and life

B. made up his mind to become a millionaire

C. didn’t know how to manage his money

D. often went to banks to borrow money

[解析] 细节理解题。根据第一段的he couldn’t balance his checkbook和I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement 可知，Steve Maxwell 刚毕业后不懂得如何理财。

[答案] C

2. T he underlined part “live below their means” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “________”．

A. take effective measures

B. live a miserable life

C. spend more money than they had

D. spend less money than they had

[解析] 词义猜测题。根据下文“他们从来不冲动地买东西，买东西时尽量获得低价，减少外出度假计划”等线索可以推断出，史蒂夫一家在尽量减少开支。

[答案] D

3. Since Steve Maxwell became a millionaire, he________.

A. has been unwilling to help others

B. hasn’t stopped learning from practice

C. has been willing to follow others’ advice

D. has stopped to invest in houses

[解析] 推理判断题。根据第四段的A lot of times，I wouldn’t know the answer，but I’d go find it and learn something in the process可以看出，史蒂夫总是在教别人理财的过程中学到一些东西。

[答案] B

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. A self made engineer

B. How to balance your checkbook

C. Don’t a void investing

D. Educate yourself to become a millionaire

[解析] 标题归纳题。史蒂夫从开始的根本不懂理财到最后成为百万富翁，靠的是不断的学习——向别人讨教，从书本上学习，D项点出了他成功的秘诀。文章最后一段的self education是关键词。