Question

Having long been underrated(低估) and ignored, the penny is one of America's most enduring failures. But a recent proposal to ban the penny by some US congress members seeks to put the coin to sleep — permanently.

Representative Jim Kolbe from Arizona is the man who proposed the bill to stamp out penny. He says the coin has outlived its usefulness. With metal prices soaring, Kolbe says it costs 1.23 cents to produce a penny. Producing the coins will amount to a $20 million waste each year.

It is not simply about the cost of production. Centuries of inflation have made the penny—first put into circulation in 1787—close to worthless.

Many Americans don’t even view pennies as currency any more. They take them only reluctantly in change and then put them in jars or desk drawers at home. An estimated $10.5 billion in pennies, or $93.75 per household, sits idle in piggy banks and behind sofas.

Anti-penny advocates argue that 1-cent coins cost US companies more than $300 million a year in lost productivity. This comes mostly from the time and effort spent counting and putting pennies into paper rolls for bank deposits.

Jim Kolbe suggests that all cash transactions be rounded to the nearest nickel. For example, items that cost 11 or 12 cents would be rounded down to 10, 13- and 14-cent items would be rounded up to 15. People paying by credit or bank card, however, would likely continue to pay exact amounts.

But plenty of Americans oppose the ban. Some say eliminating the penny would cause significant hardship to a wide range of people.

US economist Raymond Lombra says that moving to the 5-cent nickel would cost consumers $ 3 billion over five years. The poor suffer more since they tend to buy with cash instead of credit cards.

Penny supporters point out that the penny is the only coin carrying the image of America’s much respected president Abraham Lincoln. Some major charities are also alarmed by talk of a penny ban. They often base fund-raising campaigns on donations of pennies and other coins. One such campaign is called “Pennies for Patients”. They have raised more than $68 million through coin collections since 1994.

A recent US Today poll found that 55 percent of adults want to keep the penny. They may not value pennies as currency like before, but they remain attached to them as an old, familiar friend.

“The penny has been a necessary part of the American experience---whose childhood would be complete without penny candy and other small purchases?” read a post supporting the penny on a forum.

It shapes US superstitions. “Find a penny, pick it up, and all day you will have good luck.” “A penny saved is a penny earned.” And little girls are sometimes called “as pretty as a penny”.

Title: Ban    1   Or Not?

   2  :

They have long been underrated and ignored.

Reasons for the ban:

● The coin has outlived its usefulness.

●    3   to produce coins are rising fast.

● Centuries of inflation have made the penny close to worthless.

● Large amount of    4   is wasted counting and putting pennies into paper rolls for

bank deposits.

   5  :

● All cash transactions are rounded to    6  .

● People paying by credit or bank card would continue to pay exact amounts.

Reasons against the ban:   

● Eliminating the penny would cause significant hardship to a wide range of people.

● Rounding to the 5-cent nickel would cost consumers $3 billion over five years.

● The penny is the only coin carrying the image of America’s much respected president___7  .

●    8   base fund-raising campaigns on donations of pennies and other coins.

● 55 percent of adults regard it as a necessary part of    9  .

● The penny shapes    10  .

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 Pennies

 Problem with pennies/Problem/Fact/Situation

  Prices of metal

 time and effort

 Solution suggested/Advice/Tip/Suggestion

 the nearest nickel/the 5-cent nickel

 Abraham Lincoln

 Some major charities

 the American experience

 US superstitions

【解析】

試題分析：

 主旨題：從第一段的句子：But a recent proposal to ban the penny by some US congress members seeks to put the coin to sleep — permanently.可知這篇文章講的是是否要停用便士。填

Pennies

 詞義歸納題;從第一段的句子：Having long been underrated(低估) and ignored, the penny is one of America's most enduring failures. 可知這是便士的問題：Problem with pennies/Problem/Fact/Situation

 從第二段的句子：With metal prices soaring, Kolbe says it costs 1.23 cents to produce a penny. Producing the coins will amount to a $20 million waste each year.可知生產便士的成本高了。 Prices of metal

 從第五段的句子：This comes mostly from the time and effort spent counting and putting pennies into paper rolls for bank deposits.可知數便士的時候浪費了很多的時間和精力。 time and effort

 詞性轉化題：從第六段的句子：Jim Kolbe suggests that all cash transactions be rounded to the nearest nickel.可知suggest改成：Solution suggested/Advice/Tip/Suggestion

 從高第六段的句子：Jim Kolbe suggests that all cash transactions be rounded to the nearest nickel.可知答案是the nearest nickel/the 5-cent nickel

 從第九段的句子：Penny supporters point out that the penny is the only coin carrying the image of America’s much respected president Abraham Lincoln.可知答案是Abraham Lincoln

 從第九段的句子：Some major charities are also alarmed by talk of a penny ban.可知答案是Some major charities

 從倒數第二段的句子：“The penny has been a necessary part of the American experience 可知答案是the American experience

 從最后一段的句子：It shapes US superstitions可知填 US superstitions

考點：考查任務型閱讀

點評：任務型閱讀考查學生在知識重組基礎上，運用多中表達方式表意的能力，突顯遣詞造句能力的考查。比如，用意義相同或相反的詞完成句子的能力。需要考生在捕捉到相關信息之后，將捕捉到的信息進行加工轉化。