It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.
Hit the sales.
No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.
Pay close attention to advertisements.
Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.
Shop online.
Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.
The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store. The first paragraph implies that ______.
| A．nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts |
| B．recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts |
| C．Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts |
| D．Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts |
In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.
| A．if the weather is not very cold | B．if we don’t have to fight for the best deals |
| C．if we don’t have to get up early | D．If we get what we want at a good price |
The underlined word “specials” means_______.
| A．some experts in shopping | B．certain things for especially low price |
| C．some kind of help for a certain customer | D．things that can only be found on Friday |
We can have more choices _____.
| A．on Black Friday | B．in a particular store |
| C．on the Internet | D．from retailers |
In this passage the writer means ______.
| A．to tell us the best way to do shopping |
| B．to attract more readers to do wise shopping |
| C．to show us how hard it is to do Christmas shopping |
| D．to give us advice on how to get a good deal at Christmas time |
Millions of sports lovers are still thinking about one thing----the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia. Close to 2900 men and women competed in the 2014 Winter Games about a month ago.
The Olympics brought a lot of attention to Sochi, a city on the Black Sea, which is a popular area for vacation travelers. The area is known for its mild winters.
At least $50 billion was spent on the 2014 Winter Games, making it the costliest Olympics in history. Seven billion dollars was spent on the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. Olympic officials chose Sochi to host the 2014 games almost seven years ago. At that time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the games would cost about $13 billion. Yet the actual expenses exceeded his estimate. So where did all the money go?
Some observers say the high cost is partly the result of security measures. Brian Jenkins, a terrorism expert from the RAND Corporation, gave the following explanation. There were anywhere between 70,000 and 100, 000 policemen and military troops deployed around the city.
The main threat came from separatist and Islamist groups from the North Caucasus, especially from Chechnya and Dagestan. One group claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings in Volgograd last December. The attacks killed more than 30 people. The city is only about 600 kilometers away from Sochi.
Bruce Hoffman is a terrorism expert from Georgetown University in Washington DC. He says the increased security made Sochi a difficult target for terrorists.
It is thought that the terrorists' intention was to make life difficult for the Russians and to create some sort of incident that would take away the enjoyment.
The last Olympians from around the world on Russian soil were in 1980. That was a year after Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan. More than sixty countries didn’t take part in the Moscow Summer Games to show their anger.According to the passage, why did the Sochi Winter Olympics cost so much?
| A．Because it was held at an area popular for vacation travelers. |
| B．Because the Russian government wanted to make it the best ever held. |
| C．Because security measures at Sochi were stricter than before. |
| D．Because the original plan was made 7 years before. |
It can be known from the passage that Bruce Hoffman was .
| A．a terrorism expert from the USA |
| B．the writer who wrote this article |
| C．an athlete who competed in Sochi |
| D．a terrorism expert from RAND Corporation |
Which of the following is false?
| A．Sochi Olympics cost about 4 times as estimated. |
| B．Next winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver. |
| C．Many countries refused to attend the 1980 Olympics. |
| D．Security is often a problem in international sport games. |
The terrorists might have attacked Sochi Olympics because .
| A．they wanted to make trouble for the Russians |
| B．they thought Russia shouldn't spend so much on sport |
| C．they thought Putin was not a nice president |
| D．they were not interested in winter sports |
Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．
Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．
Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain． |
| B． Bee population has been increasing． |
| C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine． |
| D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers． |
After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel ____________.
| A．annoyed | B．angry | C．nervous | D．excited |
Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?
| A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination |
| B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination |
| C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar |
| D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory |
What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?
| A．Science | B．Education |
| C．Culture | D．Sports |
In the Caucasus (高加索) region of Russia, nearly 50 out of every 100,000 people live to celebrate their 100th birthday, and many don’t stop at 100! By comparison, in America only 3 people in 100,000 reach 100. But these Russian old people aren’t alone. The Pakistanis, who live high in the Himalaya Mountains, and the Ecuadorans (厄瓜多尔人) of the Andes Mountains seem to share the secret of long life, too.
These people remain healthy in body and spirit despite the passage of time. While many older persons in industrial societies become weak and ill in their 60s and 70s, some Caucasians aged 100 to 140, work in the fields beside their great-great-grandchildren. Even the idea of aging is foreign to them. When asked “at what age does youth end?” most of these old people had no answer. Several replied, “Well, perhaps at age 80.”
What accounts for (解释) this ability to survive to such old age, and to survive so well? First of all, hard physical work is a way of life for all of these long-living people. They begin their long days of physical labor as children and never seem to stop. For example, Mr. Rustam Mamedov is 142 years of age. His wife is 116 years old. They have been married for 90 years. Mr. Mamedov has no intention of retiring from his life as a farmer. “Why? What else would I do?” he asks. All these people get healthful rewards from the environment in which they work. They all come from mountainous regions. They live and work at elevations (海拔) of 1,660 to 1,000 meters above sea level. The air has less oxygen and is pollution-free. This reduced-oxygen environment makes the heart and blood vessel (血管) system stronger.
Another factor that may contribute to the good health of these people is their isolation. To a great extent (程度), they are separated from the pressures and worries of industrial society. Inherited (遗传) factors also play some role. Most of the longest-living people had parents and grandparents who also reached very old ages. Good family genes may, therefore, be one factor in living longer.
| A．become weak and hopeless |
| B．benefit from physical work |
| C．are too old to work in the fields |
| D．are still working in the fields |
| A．Retiring from their lives as farmers. |
| B．Having been married for 90 years. |
| C．Hard physical work. |
| D．Having no intentions. |
| A．Clean mountain air. | B．Daily hard work. |
| C．Good genes | D．Stress and pressure. |
| A．the state of being separated | B．pressure |
| C．lack of physical labour | D．worry |
| A．Russian people live longer than Americans |
| B．People in the city live longer than those in the country |
| C．The reason why mountainous people live longer |
| D．Pressures and worries contribute to long life |
Chemical Safety
Procedures for handling chemical spills(泄露) and leaks.
Chemical spills and leaks can be broken down into two basic types: simple spills, which you can clean up yourself and complicated spills, which require outside assistance.
If your spill meets any of the following conditions, it is a complicated spill.
★A person is injured; or
★The identity of the chemical is unknown; or
★Multiple chemicals are involved; or
★The chemical is highly poisonous, flammable (可燃的) or reactive ; or
★The spill/leak occurs in a “public space” such as a corridor; or
★The spill/leak has the potential to spread to other parts of the building such as through the ventilation (通风) system; or
★The clean up procedures are not known or appropriate materials are not readily available; or
★The clean up requires a respirator (呼吸器) (including cartridge respirators) to be worn and no personnel have been trained and fit-tested in accordance(一致) with the campus Respiratory Protection Program; or
★The spill/leak may endanger the environment by reaching waterways or outside ground, or by going down a drain
If none of the above conditions are met, the spill is defined as a simple spill. You may clean up simple spills in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Chemical Safety Guide. For consultative assistance, call Division of Research Safety (DSR) at 333-2755.
| How to report a complicated spill Evacuate(撤退) to a safe location, and alert others to evacuate. Dial 9-911 from a campus phone. Tell the operator you are calling to report a chemical spill at the University of Illinois. Have the following information ready. Name of chemical Quantity spilled Location of spill (Full building name and room number) Number of people injured or slashed If applicable, the occurrence of a fire or explosion Your name and phone number 5. Have someone knowledgeable about the chemical spilled meet the fire department at the main entrance to your building. Take a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of the chemical, if it is readily available. |
| A．Some spilled liquid causes a fire in the building. |
| B．Yellow and green gases are leaking from the storage room. |
| C．An unknown red chemical is found on the corridor floor. |
| D．A researcher spills his milk all over the lab floor. |
| A．put on a respirator as soon as possible |
| B．refer to Chapter 6 of the Chemical Safety Guide |
| C．get away from the spill and report it to authorities |
| D．call Division of the Research Safety at 333-2755 |
| A．a mask | B．an explanation about the chemical |
| C．a device | D．another kind of chemical |
| A．Students in the Chemistry Department of a university. |
| B．Researchers working at Chemical Institution of Illinois. |
| C．Members of Division of Research Safety. |
| D．Staff members at a chemical manufacturing company. |
| A．inform people of the dangers of various chemical spills |
| B．introduce complicated spills and necessary measures in response to them |
| C．encourage students to join the campus Respiratory Protection Program |
| D．compare simple spills and complicated spills |
In China, if you are not married by the time you are 30, you are in for trouble social blame and pressure from family and friends can get you down. And if you are a woman, it’s even worse.
Many young people get married simply to get other people off their backs (免受别人的指责) . This is a serious compromise. One ends up not marrying the ideal partner.
There are, however, a few young people who refuse to compromise if they can’t find a good marriage partner, they say, they would rather not marry at all.
34-year-old Kate is a university lecturer in English. She said she would not describe herself as celibatarian (独身主义者) but simply a woman who hasn’t come across the right man yet. She has sharp comments for the way in which the old generation looks at marriage.
“Many people think marriage is a duty---to your parents, family and society. Nobody cares if your marriage is happy or not, she said, I think this is very wrong and I intend to live and act according to my own will.”
Happily for her, her parents are open-minded and not lay stress on her. But the same does not apply to her friends. They are constantly trying to get her together with some young man or another. She always refuses politely.The main idea of the passage is that
| A．marriage is a duty to society |
| B．people should get married before 30 years old |
| C．late marriage should be respected |
| D．women should get married earlier than men |
| A．she doesn’t think he is the right man she wants |
| B．he is either too old or too young |
| C．he is either important or little learned |
| D．he doesn’t have good manners |
| A．interested in | B．satisfied with |
| C．worried about | D．likely to suffer |
| A．In China, one may face social blame and family pressure if one hasn’t got married by 30. |
| B．Miss Kate’s parents are always worried about her marriage. |
| C．Miss Kate won’t compromise if she can’t have her ideal marriage. |
| D．Miss Kate wants to marry a worthy young man. |
| A．everybody will be happy and satisfied |
| B．nobody will pay attention to whether you are happy or not in your family life |
| C．you can easily find an ideal partner |
| D．young people will have nothing to worry about in marriage |