1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 218及答案与解析 Section B 0 The History of Rhinestones A) Rhinestones have a glittering past. Originally rhinestones were referred to Czechoslovakian or Bohemian glass dating as far back as the 13th century in Bohemia and the Czech Republic. Both places have a history steeped in beautif
2、ul hand blown glass as well as molded and cut glass. By 1918 glass was no longer limited to functional items. Czechoslovakian glass began to make its appearance in dazzling and brilliant jewelry. This Czech glass became known as rhinestones. Rhinestones were manmade gems from highly refined glass. B
3、y using various metals the glass was colored to the desired shade. It was then pressed into molds. Each stone was then ground and polished by machine, resulting in a brilliant glass stone. Often the stones were foiled on the back which increased their brilliance. B) Today, the same refining process
4、is still used. You will often hear rhinestones referred to as paste. Originally paste was referred to a glass stone that was made of ground glass which was molded and then melted, producing an opaque dense glass frosted stone. Paste had many air bubbles and swirl marks. The high lead content glass w
5、as then polished and faceted, and set on either copper or silver resulting in a brilliant stone. Today the term “paste“ usually refers to rhinestones. In Europe rhinestones are often referred to as paste, strass, and diamante. C) Austria is another area with a history in rhinestone production. In 18
6、91 Daniel Swarovski created a new glass cutting machine which quite literally revolutionized the jewelry business. This machine could cut faceted glass, producing finely finished product in a very short time. Prior to this invention it would take a very long time for each stone to be cut by hand and
7、 finished. Swarovskis background in glass making, combined with his glass cutting machine soon found him producing rhinestones with a lead content of over 30%. The brilliance of these rhinestones was superior to anything seen on the market. Swarovski wasnt content with his invention and the best rhi
8、nestones ever seen. His next invention was once again transforming to the jewelry industry. He created a vacuum plating for the backs of the stones with silver and gold, reducing the need for hand labor. Still today Swarovski rhinestones are recognized as the highest quality in the industry. Over 80
9、% of rhinestone jewelry manufactured in America use Swarovski rhinestones. D) Rhinestones have played an important role in costume jewelry for hundreds of years. It is used to enhance and decorate the costumes, and sometimes rhinestones will provide the entire design. During the Victorian period com
10、mon design patterns for jewelry included snakes, flowers, and hands most often adorned with rhinestones. The 1890s were a time for extravagant jewelry heavily adorned with rhinestones. As time moved forward designs became simpler with figural shapes once again making their fashion statement However
11、this time they were small and more elegant with small rhinestone decorations. E) During the Edwardian period extravagance had made a comeback with diamonds and pearls being the focal point. Once again rhinestones were in heavy use, often used to imitate the real thing. During the 1920s fashions were
12、 rapidly changing. Dresses had gone from tight, fitted to a looser, more comfortable style. Two distinct styles occurred during this era the feminine style and the androgynous style (having both female and male characteristics). Jewelry from the 1920s drew on the art decoration period. The majority
13、of rhinestone jewelry was made with clear rhinestones. F) As the 1920s moved jewelry once again became bolder. Dramatic color was in style. Designer Coco Chanel was an integral figure in setting the stage for jewelry of this era. During the 1930s, during the Depression, labor-intensive fashion was n
14、o longer feasible. While the world was in chaos, jewelry represented an affordable comfort to many women. Inexpensive costume jewelry could be used to revitalize an old outfit. The industry began to produce bright colored enamel pieces decorated with rhinestones. Dogs, birds, or cats with a rhinesto
15、ne eye were common place. G) The jewelry during the 1940s once again became big and bold with rhinestones being produced in every imaginable color, large stones set on large bold settings was the norm. By the 1950s there were two very distinct looks elegant and sophisticated for the more mature woma
16、n, and casual and fun for the younger woman. The 1950s saw jewelry made completely from rhinestones. For the younger woman were flirty pieces, for the older woman sophisticated elegance. Whole sets of rhinestone jewelry became extremely popular. In 1953 the aurora borealis rhinestone was introduced
17、to the market with its fabulous array of color. It was an instant hit! H) By 1960s women were wearing very functional clothing. By the late 1960s the hippie fashions were extremely popular with their roots tied to Mother Nature. Tie dyed shirts, long flowing skirts, frayed jeans were everywhere. Thi
18、s generation had no interest in rhinestone jewelry. By the mid 1970s the punk look had been born and the rhinestone was revitalized. It was the disco movement brought the rhinestone back to center stage. The disco movement turned into the club movement during the 1980s and rhinestone jewelry continu
19、ed to gain popularity. I) Since the 1970s rhinestones have remained main stream in the jewelry world. They continue to gain popularity and today there is a style to suit almost every ones needs. There is rhinestone jewelry which is perfect for a bride, rhinestone jewelry for a prom girl, rhinestone
20、jewelry for the young and fun crowd, the business woman, the sophisticated woman, and the mature woman. Beautiful pieces of rhinestone jewelry adorn almost every womans accessories. If trends are an indication of the rhinestones future, it appears to have a brilliant healthy life ahead of it. Pleasi
21、ng for most women with a fashion sense who instantly recognize the value and beauty of rhinestones! 1 Dogs, birds, or cats with a rhinestone eye were in fashion during the Depression. 2 The feminine style and the androgynous style became popular during 1920s. 3 Czech glass became known as rhinestone
22、s when it was used for manmade jewelry. 4 Rhinestone jewelry seems to have a promising prospect if trends indicate its future. 5 As tie dyed shirts and frayed jeans were extremely popular, rhinestone jewelry couldnt appeal to the hippie generation. 6 Paste was used to be referred to a glass stone th
23、at was made of ground glass. 7 Daniel Swarovski was soon able to produce rhinestones which contain more than 30 percent of lead. 8 Snake-shaped rhinestones were a common design pattern during the Victorian period. 9 The Austria-branded Swarovski rhinestones are considered as the highest quality in t
24、he industry now. 10 Whole sets of rhinestone jewelry were very poplar during the 1950s. 10 Hints and Tips to Save Money A) Spend less. This is not oversimplifying the best way to save money! It is essential if you are serious about being a long-term money saver. Review what you spend and look at way
25、s you can save money. Consider making telephone calls for instance only at off-peak times. Do you really need to have newspapers and magazines delivered? Can you do without those coffees you buy at break time every day would a flask of coffee taken to work save you money? What about using the public
26、 lending library instead of buying books or music CDs? Once you start looking for ways to spend less you will quickly become an expert and really save money. B) Establish a personal budget. This is essential for families and individuals. You will not be able to save money unless you know how much mo
27、ney you have coming in, and how much money you have going out. Once you have prepared a budget of incoming money and outgoing money, you will be able to identify areas where you can save. It is MUCH more difficult to save money over a long period of time (the rest of your life?) without a budget. C)
28、 Bulk is good. Think about shopping and buying in bulk. You can also save money by cooking in bulk. This is a real way you can save money with little preparation and almost no extra outlay. Always purchase in bulk when you can. Prepared foods and convenience foods will always be much more expensive
29、than all the ingredients needed to make the food. Preparing food in bulk and in advance also gives you the opportunity to plan ahead and be more accurate in your budget Save money by buying in bulk whenever you can. One thing to be aware of when buying in bulk is to be sure that any product you buy
30、will get used before it goes bad you wont save money if you have to throw stuff away. Buying in bulk is not only a good way to save money it is also a good strategy for coping with and surviving emergencies. D) Make sure a sale is a sale. By this I mean do your price research before you commit to ma
31、king an expensive purchase in a retailers money-off sale. You have to be sure the sale really is a sale and not a creative marketing strategy of the store to encourage you to spend your money without thinking. Once you have researched the true price of a product (any product) you are in a good posit
32、ion to take advantage of a sale, special offer or discount and really save money. “Buy one get one free“, “50% off“, and “Huge Discount“ will only help you save money if the actual price you pay is lower than you would pay somewhere else for exactly the same product. E) Buy used. Sure, we all like t
33、o buy new. But there are huge money savings to be made in buying used. Typically cars lose one-third of their value in the first 24 months from new. Why not buy a car 24 months old? Other items such as clothes can be worth even less just the day after new. Look for ways to buy “as good as new“ items
34、 and save money. Typical products you might consider buying used to save money include: cars, clothes, electrical goods, garden items. tools and sheds, household items. pots and pans the list of used goods where you can save money is endless. F) Dont carry excessive debt. Some debt in our lives may
35、be essential. We may need a mortgage (抵押 ) to purchase a home, we may need to use our credit card to make purchases until pay-day, but your aim to save money should be to have as little debt as possible. Credit card debt is typically the most expensive debt we may carry. You will be able to save mon
36、ey every month if you make it an absolute rule to pay off your outstanding balance every month. If you can have the discipline to do this you will save money by effectively having no debt, and thus no interest charge on your credit card(s). G) Save money fast. No, I mean really save some money. Each
37、 week or each month get into the habit of putting an amount, however small into your savings. You could start by saving a very small fixed amount each time and then move to putting in larger amounts once you begin to save money from your other money saving strategies. You will find that by saving mo
38、ney on a regular basis you will quickly build up a store of reserve money and also feel motivated to save more. The hardest part is to take the first step and start saving money so START TODAY and save some money NOW! If you find it impossible to save money once you have it, consider having money de
39、ducted from your paycheck direct each month. This can be a great way to save money rapidly as once it is set up you will not notice it is being collected and your savings will grow with no more effort from you. H) Shop wisely. Consider markets, superstores, farmers markets, local shops, malls and st
40、ores. Anywhere is worth checking out to see if you can save money. Farmers markets can be particularly good places to save money. Typically you are buying direct from the producer of the product so the savings are passed on to you. Use your bulk buying strategy here farmers markets often offer oppor
41、tunities to save money by buying larger quantities of food, for instance potatoes, rice or corn. Save money and shop wisely. I) Eat in rather than out. This is a huge area where you can save money. A cup of coffee taken out could easily cost you TWENTY times (or more) what it would cost you to make
42、it at home. So think before you drink when you are out. Eating is the same. Fast food restaurants are counting on your eating food that you perhaps dont really need at that time but buy just because it is quick. Why not wait until you get home and have a more nutritious meal and save money at the sa
43、me time? J) Use less. This money saving tip is a lesson we all need to learn. We live in a consumer society where waste is a huge problem. If we could all use and consume less there would be less waste, less power consumption, and the benefits for you are SAVING MONEY. Consider using less shampoo wh
44、en you wash your hair, this may not mean washing your hair less effectively but it means not flushing the excess shampoo and your money down the drain. What about saving on heating? Turn the thermostat (恒温器 ) down or put on extra clothes when you are cold. Turn off lights, the TV and the computer wh
45、en they are not in use. Each little saving you make will build up and enable you to save money. Huge savings in energy can be made which will save you money and be good for our planet and the other people on it. 11 When you find it impossible to save money once you have it, you can deduct it from yo
46、ur paycheck direct each month. 12 Saving energy can help not only protect the environment but save your money. 13 Among the typically essential debts in our lives, the most costly one is credit card debt. 14 When buying in bulk, you have to keep in mind that make sure any product you buy will get us
47、ed before it goes bad. 15 We eat at the fast food restaurants because it is quick rather than we really need the food. 16 When the actual price is lower than the price offered elsewhere, “buy one get one free“ sale can help you save money. 17 You can find out where you can save money by preparing a
48、personal budget of incoming money and outgoing money. 18 Having newspapers and magazines delivered to your doorstep is not economical. 19 Things like cars, household items and electrical tools are typical products that might be considered buying used. 20 To shop wisely, one can save money by buying
49、products in farmers markets. Section C 20 A new report released by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) reminds us of a topic education writers almost never address the indecent side of the recruitment of teachers abroad for U.S. schools. The AFT report, “Importing Educators: Causes and Consequences of International Teacher Recruitment,“ has some shocking disclosures, and deserves a close reading. The report says that one recruiter for overseas-educated teachers in Newark, N.J., forced recruits to sign a contract obligating them to kick back 25 percent of their s
