Insurance companies provide a service to the community by protecting it against expected and unexpected disasters. Before an insurance company will agree to insure anything, it collects accurate figures about the risk. It knows, for example, that the risk of a man being killed in a plane accident is less than the risk he takes in crossing a busy road. This enables it to quote(報價) low figures for travel insurance. Sometimes the risk may be high, as in motor-racing or mountaineering. Then the company charges a much higher price. If too many climbers have accidents, the price rises further. If the majority of climbers fall off mountains, the company will refuse to insure them.

An ordinary householder may wish to protect his home against fire or his property against burglary(入室行竊). A shopkeeper may wish to insure against theft. In normal cases, the company will check its statistics and quote a premium(保險費). If it is suspicious(可疑的), it may refuse to quote. If it insures a shop and then receives a suspicious claim, it will investigate the claim as a means of protecting itself against false claims. It is not unknown for a businessman in debt to burn down his own premises so that he can claim much money from his insurance company. He can be sure that the fire will be investigated most carefully. Insurance companies also accept insurance against shipwreck or disaster in the air. Planes and ships are very expensive, so a large premium is charged, but a reduction is given to companies with an accident-free record.

Every week, insurance companies receive premium payments from customers. These payments can form a very large total running into millions of dollars. The company does not leave the money in the bank. It invests (投資) in property, shares (股票) ,farms and even paintings and stamps. Its aim is to obtain the best possible return on its investment. This is not as greedy as it may seem since this is one way by which it can keep its premiums down and continue to make a profit while being of service to the community.

The main idea of the first paragraph is that      .

   A. insurance companies protect the community against disasters

   B. insurance companies often collect accurate figures about the risk

   C. insurance companies base their decisions on the risk involved

   D. insurance companies charge different prices in the same cases

The insurance company will usually investigate a suspicious claim to    .

   A. refuse to quote the insurance fee          B. make sure that the claim is reasonable

   C. decide how much the company should pay D. find out when the accident happened

The underlined word "premises" in Paragraph 2 most probably means"     "

   A. land and buildings                   B. insurance contract

   C. debt papers                                            D. financial papers

The author’s attitude towards customers’ premium payments being used by insurance companies is __

    A. critical             B. doubtful              C. neutral            D. positive

The purpose of this passage is to __

    A. explain how insurance companies operate

    B. encourage people to invest in insurance companies

    C. persuade people to insure against unexpected disasters

    D. advise people how to insure their life and property

【小題1】C

【小題2】B

【小題3】A

【小題4】D

【小題5】A


解析:

【小題1】主旨大意題．根據(jù)文章第一段可知C為正確答案，其他幾項均在文中提到，但不是全段的大意，故選C。

【小題2】推理判斷題．根據(jù)文章第二段If it is suspicious(可疑的)，it may refuse to quote．If it  insures a shop and then receives a suspicious claim，it will investigate the claim as a means  of protecting itself against false claims，可推斷出目的是為了保證索賠是合理的，從而避免錯誤賠償，因此選B．

【小題3】推測詞義題。Premise意為“房屋及其周圍的房基地”，根據(jù)常識也可推斷有些商人想燒毀房子從而獲得保險公司的賠償，故選A．

【小題4】 觀點態(tài)度題．根據(jù)全文及文章最后一句可知作者對保險公司利用客戶的保險金從而最終提供更好的服務(wù)是持肯定態(tài)度的，故選D.

【小題5】 主旨大意題；綜觀全文可知，本文是介紹保險公司如何操作的，故A為最佳選項．

練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.

Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.

Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.

As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals—many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.

During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from.

We can know from the first paragraph that ______.

A. the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody

B. people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up

C. patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948

D. the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers

What do we know about the NHS?

A. It’s managed by the central government.

B. Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions.

C. It hires more people than any other unit in Europe.

D. Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care.

All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ______.

A. take care of the local people’s health

B. often take part in competitions to see who is the best

C. work under high pressure nowadays

D. have more responsibilities than before

What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?

A. suffering                  B. different          C. prevented                 D. free

The biggest problem for the NHS is ______.

A. many hospitals are too old to be used

B. some services are in the charge of individuals

C. more and more patients go to GPs for treatment

D. there is not enough money for further reform

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：

Mr. Briggs got a job with an insurance company(保險公司) after he left school and went around visiting people in their homes to sell them life insurance. One day, after he had been working for the company for about a year, the insurance manager sent for him and said, “Mr. Briggs, I have been looking at your record as a salesman with our company, and there is one thing that surprises me about it. Why have you been selling insurance only to people over 95 years old, and why have you been giving them such generous（寬厚的）conditions? You’ll ruin our company if you go on like that.”

  “Oh, no, sir,” answered Mr. Briggs at once, “Before I started work, I looked at the figures(數(shù)字) for deaths in this country during the past ten years, and I can tell you that few people die at the age of 95.”

Before he worked in an insurance company, what was Mr. Briggs?______.

A .He was a worker.   B. He was an official.

C. He was a student.   D. He was a businessman.

The word “ruin” in the second paragraph means       .

A. lose  B. break   C. leave   D. destroy

Which of the following is true according to the passage?      

A.Mr. Briggs had studied the figures for deaths for several years.

B. Mr. Briggs began to look at the figures after he started work.

C. A great number of very old people die every year.

D. The number of the very old people who died every year is small.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

When traveling abroad, it is wise to carry your money in traveler's checks because checks are protected against loss or theft. If your checks are lost or stolen, the issuing authority will refund(賠償) your money.

Not only are they safe, they are also convenient. They are available in different currencies and they can be cashed at most banks throughout the world. Most shops, hotels and restaurants also accept them.

Traveler's checks are very easy to use. When you collect them, you sign each check once. The cashier enters the amount in your passport. When you cash, you sign each check again. The cashier will usually ask to see your passport again too.

To get traveler's checks you usually go to your bank. They can be paid in cash or in other ways. Large amounts, however, must be ordered in advance.

For the safety and convenience of traveler's checks, you are charged two commissions(傭金，酬勞): an insurance commission when you buy them and an encashment commission when you cash them.

It is suitable to make a note of the serial numbers of your checks. Keep this separate from your traveler's checks.（詞數(shù)191）

People like to carry their money in traveler’s checks when traveling abroad, because______

A. they cannot be lost or stolen     B. they can be used anywhere

C. they are safe and handy         D. they can save travelers plenty of money

If your traveler's checks are lost or stolen, who will refund you?

A. The authority that issues you the passport.    B. The insurance company.  

C. The bank where you buy your checks.

D. The travel agency that arranges your travel.

You sign your traveler’s check for the second time in order to ________.

   A. get your passport        B. cash it

   C. claim insurance         D. pay for commission

Which of the following statement is TRUE?

   A. You need not pay a commission for the safety of your traveler’s checks.

   B. People usually get traveler’s checks from foreign banks.

   C. Traveler’s checks can be exchanged for the money of the country you visit.

   D. You cannot get your passport until you get your traveler’s checks.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：完形填空 題型：短文改錯

 

第二節(jié)：短文改錯（共10小題，每小題1分，滿分10分）

A man went to an insurance office to have his life insured. The manager of the office ask him how old his parents were when they were died. “Mother had a bad heart and passed away at age of 30. Father died of tuberculosis (肺結(jié)核) when he was 35.” “I’ m very sorry,” said the manager, “We can’ t insure our life as your parents were not health” Disappointing, the man left the office. He met a clerk who had listened their talk. “You mustn’t be so frank and tell the truth.” said the clerk. “Not office will insure you if you speak like that. Use your imagination a little.” The man went to other office and was shown into the manager’ s room. “Well, young man, how old were your parents when they died?” “Mother was 93, and died while she was play football.” 

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學(xué)年上海市松江區(qū)高三英語5月模擬測試 題型：完型填空

Unemployment will certainly be in double-digits next year--and may remain there for some time. And for every person who __1_ as unemployed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ household survey, you can bet there’s another either too __2__ to look for work or working part time who’d rather have a full-time job or else taking home less pay than before. And there’s yet another person who’s more fearful that he or she will be the __3__ to lose a job.

__4__, 10 percent unemployment really means 20 percent underemployment or anxious employment, all of which translates __5__ into late payments on mortgages, credit cards, auto and student loans, and loss of health insurance. It also means sleeplessness for tens of millions of Americans, and, of course, __6__ purchases.

Unemployment of this magnitude and duration also translates into ugly __7__, because fear and anxiety are __8__ grounds for the political resentment against immigrants, blacks, the poor, government leaders, business leaders, Jews and other easy _9__. It’s already started. Next year is a mid-term election. Be prepared for worse.

So why is unemployment and underemployment so high? And why is it _10__ to remain high for some time? Because, as noted, people who are worried about their jobs or have no jobs, and who are also trying to _11__ from under a pile of debt, are not going to do a lot of shopping. And businesses that don’t have customers aren’t going to do a lot of new _12__. And foreign nations also suffering high __13__ aren’t going to buy a lot of our goods and services. And without customers, companies won’t __14__. They’ll cut payrolls instead.

This brings us to the obvious question: Who’s going to buy the stuff we make or the services we provide, and therefore bring jobs back? There’s only one __15__ left: The government.

1. A.  keeps to     B. sticks   to          C. shows up     D. attaches

2. A. discouraged       B. timid                C. sure         D. upset

3. A. first         B. next             C. last         D. only

4. A. On the other hand B. By contrast          C. As a whole       D. In other words

5. A. enormously        B. definitely           C. exactly      D. directly

6. A. fewer         B. more             C. better           D. worse

7. A. economics     B. trades               C. politics     D. industries

8. A. necessary     B. fertile              C. scarce           D. heated

9. A. opponents     B. targets              C. victims      D. potentials[來源:]

10. A. due          B. able             C. equal            D. likely

11. A. get out          B. get around           C. get into     D. get off

12. A. programming  B. planning         C. investing        D. advertising

13. A. signature        B. unemployment     C. crisis           D. inefficiency

14. A. rent         B. run              C. sell         D. hire

15. A. manufacturer B. applicant            C. buyer            D. employer

 

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案