On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea (跳蚤) markets. These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.
For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.
Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.
1. What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?
A. Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper.
B. Display your goods in front of the garage.
C. Find rare items and fix their prices.
D. Clear your garage and front lawn.
2. The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ____.
A. distributed B. rejected C. discovered D. stored
3. When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?
A. They can bargain on a price acceptable to both. B. They can question their value.
C. They can expect a 50% discount. D. They can compare with the other sellers.
4. What do we know about the garage sale?
A. It is only held in the spring of the year.
B. The goods on display are totally useless.
C. Garage sales are popular with Americans.
D. All the goods are selling far below their real value.
Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic(神奇的魔力), wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss(大惊小怪) about any holiday, This still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating(令人困扰的) little habit, like sneezing or yawning(打哈欠).I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.What is the author’s attitude toward dreaming?
| A．He likes it | B．He thinks it puzzling |
| C．He hates it | D．He doesn’t accept it as part of his life |
For the author of the passage, dreaming is.
| A．an irritating little habit |
| B．a horrible but wonderful experience |
| C．a true reflection of reality |
| D．another kind of existence |
The author of the passage suggests that people who say they never go out for a walk are.
| A．interesting | B．mysterious(难以理解的) | C．foolish | D．lazy |
The author of the passage enjoys dreaming most .
| A．only when he was a child | B．only when he is a grown-up |
| C．both as a child and as a grown-up | D．only in his old age |
The author of the passage complains(抱怨) that most people .
| A．are overexcited about their dreams |
| B．have had dreams most of the time |
| C．are not interested in talking about their dreams |
| D．consider their dreams of too much importance |
The man sitting opposite Robert was the Financial Controller. Everybody called him “the FC” for short. He made all the decisions about money. Robert needed some more. That was why he had to see him. The two men did not get on very well. In fact, they had always disliked each other.
“Your request is out of the question,” the FC said. Robert had difficulty in controlling himself, but he managed somehow. He explained that he wanted the money in order to make more programmes.
“And why do you want to do that?” the FC asked sharply. Again, Robert almost lost his temper. “Because more and more people are listening to my department’s programmes. There’s great demand for them,” he answered.
The FC did not seem to believe him. But Robert had a report on the numbers of listeners to all EBC programmes. The FC became less confident. Robert threw the report down on the table and told him to read it.
The FC looked at it in silence. The figures (数字) proved that he had been wrong, but he did not want to admit it. “Well,” he finally said, “I may have made a small mistake.” Robert noticed the word “may.” He got up to leave. But he had the feeling that he would get the money after all.In the story the Financial Controller was a person who was in charge of
| A．Robert’s department’s programmes | B．EBC programmes |
| C．EBC money | D．both B and C |
“Your request is out of the question.”Here “out of the question”means
| A．without any question | B．with some question |
| C．impossible | D．possible |
Robert decided to make more programmes because
| A．he wanted to meet the needs of the listeners |
| B．“the FC” disliked him |
| C．the members of his department wanted him to do so |
| D．he wanted to show himself off |
Why were more and more people listening to Robert’s programmes?
| A．Because he always lost his temper (脾气) |
| B．Because he disliked “the FC” |
| C．Because the programmes were rich and to the taste of the listeners |
| D．We don’t know |
Who do you think won the argument(争论)in the end?
| A．The Financial Controller | B．Robert | C．Nobody | D．The listeners |
Read the following directions on a bottle of medicine：
“Take two tablets(药片)with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours, as required, For maximum night-time and early morning relief, take two tablets at bed - time, Do not take more than six tablets in twenty-four hours.
For children six to twelve years old, give half the amount for a grownup. For children under six years old, ask for your doctor’s advice.
Reduce the amount if nervousness, restlessness, or sleeplessness occurs,”The directions on this medicine bottle clearly warn the patient not to take more than.
| A．twenty-four tablets a day. | B．eight tablets a day. |
| C．six tablets a day. | D．three tablets a day. |
We can infer from the directions that _______.
| A．the medicine could cause some people to feel nervous. |
| B．children may take the same amount that grown-ups take. |
| C．one may not take this medicine before going to bed. |
| D．the medicine is a liquid. |
If one cannot sleep, it is suggested that he _________ .
| A．take two tablets before going to bed. |
| B．take less than two tablets before going to bed. |
| C．stop taking the medicine. |
| D．ask advice of a doctor. |
Obviously the medicine _________ .
| A．may be dangerous to small children. |
| B．cannot be taken by children under twelve years old. |
| C．may be taken by children but not by grown-ups. |
| D．may be taken by grown-ups but not by children. |
What does the underlined word “ restlessness” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．失眠 | B．过敏 | C．心悸 | D．坐立不安 |
[1] Many good reasons for parents to send their children to camps.
[2]When children go to camp, they are on their own, sometimes for the very first time in their lives. They have to decide what to wear, what to eat and which activities to participate in. As a result they develop confidence and independence.
[3]As self-respect develops from learning to be on their own, children continue to try new activities. Also it is possible that they will engage in what they are unfamiliar with. In school, children do not experience success in the same way. Camp can be a school without failure because just having fun makes them a success.
[4]One of the greatest benefits of a camp experience is that children develop social skills. In a camp setting, a good counselor will make sure that every camper is included in the activity and that each child interacts with the others in a positive way. They learn to give and take, and they learn how to work and cooperate. Something as simple as clean-up, is not only there to get the cabin clean, but to promote a team atmosphere of working together which in turn results in friendship.
[5]The obvious benefit of camp is that campers make long lasting friendships. These friendships can often be unique and special because campers are living with each other and see the true personalities. Children learn to see others from a different viewpoint. Children tend to be accepted for who they are and do not have to be concerned about what they wear, what they are good at and how they look. This is because in a camp setting, respect and caring finally win out over materialistic objectives.
[6]In a word, camp does give children fun, friends and fulfillment.What do you think may be the best title for this passage? (No more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________________The underlined phrase “on their own” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ________.
(No more than one word)
____________________________________________________________________________According to Paragraph 3, what makes camping different from a school?
(No more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________________What is the main idea of Paragraph 4? (No more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________________According to Paragraph 5, why can camping improve friendship? (No more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________________
The slogan “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” has been going strong for 27 years now. Dogs and cats have been popular Christmas gifts in the gifts in the UK and Europe for many years. But some people still haven’t quite got the message.
The slogan still holds good. Some 105,000 dogs were rounded up by local government last year because they had been abandoned, many of them shortly after the festival season.
The main reason given by owners for handing their dogs over to the Dogs Trust is that the dogs need more attention than they can give; behavioral problems and moving home are also reasons given.
But Eleanor Silk, the Trust’s communications director, says, “It’s often four or five months after Christmas, in early summer, when owners find that the dog has got too big and too active, or it hasn’t been trained properly and has caused damage around the home.”
In any case, some organizations that help pets are quick to point out that if you are serious about getting a puppy(小狗) as a pet, Christmas is not the time to do it. Puppies need to get used to their new surroundings, to be introduced to a routine, and to be looked after like small children. It’s hard to meet any of these needs at Christmas. What’s more, pulling a puppy out of a Christmas stocking in itself sends the wrong message to children. It encourages children to think of the puppy as a toy, rather than a responsibility.
Appreciating what you’re taking on with a dog can be a sobering (清醒的) realization. “For life” means thinking about the effect they’ll have on your life. It also infers you will need to care for the dog for its whole life.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Dogs and Cats—the Most Popular Christmas Gifts. |
| B．A pet is for Life, Not just for Christmas. |
| C．How to Take Care of Your Pets over Christmas. |
| D．Let’s Help Those Abandoned Pets |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a reason for pets to be abandoned?
| A．Pets spread some diseases. |
| B．Pets damage some things in the house. |
| C．The owners can’t take good care of the pets. |
| D．The owners have to move to other places. |
The underlined words “rounded up” in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.
| A．given out as gifts |
| B．thrown away |
| C．gathered into one place |
| D．raised to make money |
The fifth paragraph mainly tells us________.
| A．how to take best care of Christmas pets |
| B．the right time to have a puppy as a pet |
| C．the reasons why Christmas is not the time to get a pet |
| D．the worries about Christmas pets from organizations that help pets |
Why is the author against the idea of putting a dog in the Christmas stocking as a Christmas gift?
| A．Because these dogs can still cause damage. |
| B．Because children will not take dogs seriously. |
| C．Because children don’t like to have dogs as Christmas gifts. |
| D．Because a Christmas stocking is not big enough to put a dog in. |