A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget (配件) may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.
French holiday shoppers are choosing larger numbers for “green” gifting this Christmas, studies show. About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting fi
rm Deloitte.
The survey of Christmas consumer behaviors in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items. Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are popular in France, with many reporting a rise in business.
“Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago,” said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism. His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 a month.
A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.
But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, said that environmental concerns are not why customers buy used goods. “The number one c
oncern is getting the lowest possible price,” said Goldenberg. “Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more.”
Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are fashionable, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff. “The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting” over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Helot foundation for Nature and Humanity.We can judge from the Deloitte study that _________.
| A．over a quarter of the French give second-hand Christmas gifts |
| B．the French are less willing to buy eco-friendly gifts than other Europeans |
| C．80% of French people are happy to receive second-hand gifts |
| D．less than 10% of European consumers are likely to give second-hand gifts |
According to Goldenberg, the main reason for customers to buy used goods is that _______.
| A．they want to be eco-friendly | B．they want to  save money |
| C．it is encouraged by websites | D．it is a new fashion in Europe |
All the following might be a promoted gift EXCEPT ________.
| A．a theatre ticket |
| B．a second-hand book |
| C．a nearly-new digital toaster |
| D．a box of heavily packaged chocolate |
Which of th
e following statements is TRUE?
| A．Old people are not open minded enough to accept second-hand gifts. |
| B．People wish to receive second-hand gifts because of the economic downturn. |
| C．Ravut’s website received a sharp decrease in visits during the Christmas holidays. |
| D．In de Monclin’s opinion, people should spend more time with friends and family during holidays |
Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks’ time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive （存活）if the rain is spread throughout the year, If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes （沙丘） are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern UnitedStates, cliffs （悬崖） and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing – very, very slowly – as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.
60. Many plants may survive in deserts when__________________.
A. the rain is spread out in a year B. the rain falls only in a few weeks
C. there is little rain in a year D. it is dry all the year round
61. Sand dunes are formed when___________________.
A. sand piles up gradually B. there is plenty of rain in a year
C. the sea has dried up over the years D. pieces of rock get smaller
62. The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is____________.
A. too much sand B. more sand than before
C. nothing except sand D. something else besides sand
63 It can be learned from the text that in a desert ____________.
A. there is no rainfall throughout the year B. life exists in rough conditions
C. all sand dunes are a few feet high D. rocks are worn away only by wind and heat
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers （青少年）. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut.” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up （蜷伏）with me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list.” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years.” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should crate chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
56．“The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son .
A．is always busy with his studies B．doesn’t want to be disturbed
C．keeps himself away from his parents D．begins to dislike his parents
57．What troubles Tina and Mark most is that .
A．their daughter isn’t as lovely as before
B．they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly
C．they don’t know what to say to their daughter
D．their daughter talks with them only when she needs help
58．Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends.
B．Teenagers do not want to understand their parents.
C．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.
D．Teenagers talk little about their own lives.
59．What can be learned from the passage?
A．Parents are unhappy with their growing children.
B．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers.
C．Parents should be patients with their silent teenagers.
D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers.
Welcome to Adventureland!
Everyone loves Adventureland! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore（探索）, enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing to come back. What are you going to do this time?
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.
Visit the Amazon jungle（丛林）village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives, and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we’ll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and climb into our simulator（模拟装置）for the Journey to Mars!
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several.
In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then there is still the Aviary to see…
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventureland. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center. Come here for information and ideas too.
63．The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors .
A．realize the importance of traveling B．become familiar with mountain countries
C．learn how to make things such as fishing nets
D．learn something about different places in the world
64．If you are interested in knowing about what people’s life will be, you may visit .
A．the Travel Pavilion B．the Future Tower C．the Safari Park D．the Pyramid
65．If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?
A．The Pyramid. B．The Nature Park. C．The Future Tower. D．The Travel Pavilion.
International Studies （BA）
Key features
● Recognizes the “global community”（国际社会）
● Has close connections with practical research
● Much of the teaching is done in small discussion groups
About the course
The course gives you chances to know great power polities between nation states. It will provide more space to study particular issues such as relationship among countries in the European Union, third world debt, local and international disagreement, and the work of such international bodies as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, and the World Bank.
The course puts theories into the working of the international system with close attention to particular countries. You will also have a better knowledge of methods of solving the international problems.
Related（相关的）courses
BA （Hons） Community Management
BA （Hons） Public Policy and Management
Employment possibilities
International organizations
International business
Earth Science （BSc）
Key features
● Based on key courses and the latest research findings
● Pays much attention to practical skills
● Offers chances for fieldwork（实地考察）
About the course
The demand for natural resources is becoming an increasingly serious problem for the future of mankind. Graduates in Earth Science will play an important role in meeting this demand, and in knowing the meaning of using the natural resources.
The course covers geography and geology. You will carry out fieldwork in the UK and possibly overseas, and a research in an area of interest to you in the final year.
Related courses
BSc （Hons） Geograhpy
BSc （Hons） Geology
Employment possibilities
Mineral, oil, water or other related engineering industries
64．International Studies is a course in ________.
A．international polities B．international business
C．international systems D．international bodies
65．After taking the course of International Studies, the students will _______.
A．become practical and open-minded B．have a greater ability to discuss theories
C．know how to settle international problems
D．have good jobs in any international organizations
66．Earth Science, as described in the second text, ________.
A．is attractive because of the chances for fieldwork
B．pays more attention to practical skills than theories
C．is built on important courses and the results of recent studies
D．encourages students to play a role in using natural resources
67．It can be inferred that the above two texts are written for the students who _______.
A．enjoy research work B．plan to choose courses
C．study in the UK D．are interested in overseas fieldwork
Besides giving off gases and dusts into the air, humans produce waste that is poured on the environment. Often, this waste produced by major industries and people is harmful to both nature and human life.
One of the main causes of the large amount of dangerous waste is that people do not realize how large a problem it is. Because it can be simply removed and sent to a landfill（废渣填埋场）, the problem is often believed to end there. In addition, industries have often shown an unwillingness to find ways to deal with dangerous waste because of the related expenses. Many industries and governments build simple landfills to store waste, and often just pour waste chemicals into nearby bodies of water. Often, chemicals used for industrial production cause dangerous forms of waste. The amount of these chemicals has increased greatly in the past, but it is often difficult and expensive to get rid of these chemicals or to store them in a way safe to human life and the environment.
Every year, major health problems result from dangerous waste. Sadly, it is often only after someone has died or become seriously ill that governments will take measures to reduce levels of harmful waste.
Some governments have realized how serious the dangerous waste problem is and are now trying to settle this problem. They are also trying to limit the amount of waste industries are allowed to produce.
Not only governments but ordinary people as well must work together to solve the problem. They can choose not to buy those products which require the production of dangerous waste, and produce less harmful waste themselves. Many scientists think that waste production can be cut. The waste can be reduced by at least one third using existing technologies and methods.
72. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Measures of Reducing Dangerous Waste
B. Danger of Harmful Waste to Mankind
C. Dangerous Waste and Water Pollution
D. Environmental Protection
73. According to the text, people .
A. do not produce harmful waste in their daily life
B. do not know where to place the dangerous waste
C. are not clear about how serious the dangerous waste problem is
D. are not sure about where harmful waste ends
74. What troubles industries most in dealing with the dangerous waste problem?
A. How to get government support.
B. How to increase their production.
C. How to store harmful waste.
D. How to cut down the related costs.
75. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The polluting industries are not allowed to sell their products.
B. Present technologies have settled the harmful waste problem.
C. Everyone should obey the government rules for the problem.
D. To solve the problem requires the efforts of the whole society.