I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham's for the first fortnight of the January sale．I can't say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I'll never forget．
I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales, where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock （货物） and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced．Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn't sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them．Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale．Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds”（clothes not in perfect condition） for the sale and they are sold very cheaply．
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building．This made me very nervous．
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand．The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in．I couldn't believe my eyes; this wasn't shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn't keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind．
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted．Quarrels broke out．Mothers were using their small children to crawl through people's legs and get hold of things they couldn't get near themselves．
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose; each wanting to be the first served．Where had the famous English queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper81 was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why twice a year, Graham's were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this．
In the sale fever; people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying．As long as it was a bargain it was OK．You won't believe this．But as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours．Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale. What kind of clothes is likely to be s0ld 5% cheaper?
| A．Last summer's clothes, |
| B．Clothes not in perfect condition． |
| C．Clothes bought in specially for the sales． |
| D．Clothes for winter． |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The customers gave up the queuing, for which the English are famous． |
| B．The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted． |
| C．Small children enjoyed crawling though people's legs． |
| D．The security guards were fearless of the crowd． |
In the author's opinion, why were Gradhani's happy to make, their expensive store into a "battlefield"?
| A．There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales． |
| B．They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business． |
| C．They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes． |
| D．They wanted to make more money by having sales． |
The expression "crashed out" means _____．
| A．chatted with her friends | B．slept soundly |
| C．broke down | D．dined out |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Best Bargain． | B．Hunting for a Job． |
| C．Sale Fever． | D．A Pleasant Fortnight． |
What’s On Stage
An acrobatic show: To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe (剧团) will present “The Soul of China”, where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills will run down your spine(脊柱) as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30 p.m., September 13-19
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint Show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9:00 a. m.-5:00 p.m. until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Oil paintings: The Wanfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil painting by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District (Shaoyaoju area)
Concerts
Beijing rocks: “The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock” is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium orchestra：La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orehestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world in memory of the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death.
Time: 7:30 p.m. September 11-14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of NationalitiesWhat do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned above?
| A．When you watch it, you will certainly feel cold. |
| B．Unexpected things will make you excited and surprised. |
| C．Something strange will puzzle everyone, including scientists. |
| D．Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching. |
The most characteristic thing about the Fashion Night of Chinese Rock is that ______.
| A．it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China |
| B．it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes |
| C．it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians |
| D．it will let the audience choose the performers and the music |
Suppose it is September 14 today, how many activities can people choose to attend?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
On the whole, we can conclude ______.
| A．we can enjoy a large variety of cultural activities in Beijing |
| B．people in Beijing prefer modern culture to something traditional |
| C．most of the cultural activities in Beijing are for foreign visitors only |
| D．there are usually more cultural activities in September than in any other month |
Fat and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team " Football, tennis, cricket - anything with a round ball．I was useless," he says now with a laugh．But back then he was the one always made fun of in school gym classes in Devonshire, England．
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him．At first he went biking alone in a nearby forest．Then he began to ride the bike along with a runner friend． Gradually, Saunders set his mind on building up his body, increasing his speed and strength．At the age of 18, he ran his first marathon．
The following year, he met John Ridgway and was hired as an instructor at Ridgway's School of Adventure in Scotland, where he learnt about Ridgway's cold - water exploits．Greatly interested, Saunders read all he could about North Pole explorers and adventures, then decided that this would be his future．
In 2001, after becoming a skillful skier, Saunders started his first long - distance expedition towards the North Pole．It took unbelievable energy．He suffered frostbite （冻疮） ,ran into a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit, pulling his supply -loaded sled （雪橇） up and over rocky ice． Next October, Saunders, 27, heads south from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, a 2900 - kilometer journey that has never been completed on skis．What change happened to Saunders after he was 15 yeas old?
| A．He became good at most sports． |
| B．He began to build up his body． |
| C．He joined a sports team． |
| D．He made friends with a runner． |
The underlined word "exploits" （Paragraph 3） is closest in meaning to______．
| A．journeys | B．researches |
| C．adventures | D．operations |
Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Saunders?
a．He ran his first marathon． b．He skied alone in the North Pole．
c．He rode his bike in a forest,d．He planned an adventure to the South Pole．
| A．acdb | B．cdab | C．acbd | D．cabd |
What does the story mainly tell us about Saunders?
| A．He is a success in sports． |
| B．He is the best British skier． |
| C．He is Ridgway's favorite student． |
| D．He is good instructor at school． |
In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities (品质) of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults (过错) in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on (信赖) a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (经验) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor (幽默), too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?
| A．understanding. | B．honesty. |
| C．reliability. | D．a sense of humor. |
If you have fair-weather friends, ______ .
| A．they will give you all that they have when you need help |
| B．you will be refused when you get into trouble |
| C．you will become rich |
| D．you can be sure that you get real friends |
Good friends need to ______.
| A．always point out each other's mistakes |
| B．be helped with money |
| C．understand each other's feelings |
| D．have money or luck |
This passage mainly discuss ______ .
| A．the qualities of a friend |
| B．where to choose friends |
| C．how to get along with friends |
| D．the importance of having a friend |
The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on the earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.
It is the elephant’s great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas(热带草原). In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Disappearance of African elephants. |
| B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants. |
| C．The effect of African elephants’ search for food. |
| D．The eating habit of African elephants. |
What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?
| A．Fixing the time. | B．Worsening the state. |
| C．Improving the quality. | D．Deciding the conditions. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The African elephant is the largest animal on the earth. |
| B．African elephants have 300 pounds of plants every day, including small trees and underbushes. |
| C．The African elephant is in a way the builder of the environment like other land animals. |
| D．If the African elephant disappears, the whole ecosystem won’t be affected. |
The passage is developed mainly by .
| A．showing the effect and then explaining the causes |
| B．pointing out similarities and differences |
| C．describing the changes in space order |
| D．giving examples |
Traveling can be a way to gain life experiences，especially during Spring Break—a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip？Don't worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
Save：This probably is the most important preparation for traveling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead：Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
Do your homework：No matter where you go，research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
Plan sensibly：Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
Travel in groups：Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences.
Work as you go：Need more money to support your trip？Look for work in the places you visit.
Go off the beaten path：Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesserknown area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
Pack necessary things：The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
Use the Internet：The net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www.bargainslowestfare.com_and_www.Economictravel.com.
By planning sensibly，even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.This passage is about________.
| A．how to plan your travel |
| B．how to travel with enough money |
| C．how to make your travel interesting |
| D．how to get life experiences |
Before your trip，the first thing you should do is________.
| A．to make a plan of the route |
| B．to get information from the Internet |
| C．to save money by spending less |
| D．to buy tickets in advance |
The writer advises you________.
| A．to share costs with any other people |
| B．not to go to wellknown places |
| C．not to visit dangerous places |
| D．to buy anything you want to buy |
During your trip，________.
| A．you need more shoes than clothes |
| B．you shouldn't look for work all the way |
| C．you can gain valuable life experiences |
| D．you should forget to do your homework |