Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York，so I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露)the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．They took a later flight. | B．They had early bookings. |
| C．Their flight had been delayed. | D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise. |
| C．She is very strict with her children. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a teacher. | B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a media person. | D．She's a business woman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. | B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. | D．How to make a business deal. |
Cafe Hub
Next to the Castle lies The Hub, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and one of the most talked about spots in town. Our cafe is open every day for mouth-watering lunches, snacks and fine dining. Come in and enjoy the atmosphere of The Hub or watch the world go by from our beautiful terrace.
The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh. Open every day from 9:30 a.m. till late.
Tel: 0131 473 2067 www.thehub-edinburgh. com
Farm World
Enjoy being "A Farmer for a Day". Join in delivering and feeding our spring babies -- bottle feeding sessions twice daily. Fun for all family. Horse Rides, BMX Bikes Cross Country Course, Tractor Ride through 600 acres, New Adventure Playground, Nature Trails. Full details on website.
Open: May—Oct Wednesdays to Saturdays and daily during school holidays 11 a. m.--5 p. m.
Tel: 01797 260256/260321 www. farmworld-rye, co. uk
Enter the Europe-wide student competition!
Are you curious, creative and energetic? Are you interested in the new media? Are you between 12 and 19 years of age? Then Join Multimedia 2006 is for you!
Your challenge will be to build a team and develop a multimedia presentation in English -- based on one of three different topics. You can register(报名) between May I and June 15, 2006 and will bare to turn in your entry before September 15, 2006.
The rewards are wonderful: ￡150,000 in prize for schools and teams and the chance to attend a European student camp -- plus new experiences, an opportunity to make friends throughout Europe!
For further information and registration forms go to: www. siemens, com/join _ multimedia. You' 11 have to register first if you want ________.
| A．to enter the Europe-wide student competition |
| B．to try Tractor Ride through 600 acres |
| C．to enjoy delicious food |
| D．to watch the world go by from the beautiful terrace |
According to the passage, there will be _______ rewards for the Europe-wide student competition.
| A．three | B． only one | C．two | D．four |
You can visit Farm World________.
| A．at 2 p.m. at Christmas |
| B．at 10:30 a.m. during school holidays |
| C．on Monday in May |
| D．any day in October |
From the advertisements above, we can learn that ________
| A．families can enjoy Horse Rides on New Adventure Playground |
| B．the Europe-wide student competition will be held on June 15, 2006 |
| C．Farm World provides lunches, snacks and fine dining |
| D．Cafe Hub is a popular place in the local area |
When six the very best students from different cities in Guangdong province all together chose universities in Hong Kong; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsinghua University; when the highest enrollment (录取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.
Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact reaction without hesitation. The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.
It's no doubt to call this HK craze (狂热), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.
How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua and attract so many mainland students?
First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the sum scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.
Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (双语) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.
Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.
Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it.
The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action taking of mainland universities, they can perform better together with HK universities.
At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (学费) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities. It’s time to move.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．The competition between HK University and Peking University. |
| B．Higher education in Hong Kong. |
| C．Some thought brought by the enrollment of HK universities. |
| D．The fall of mainland universities. |
Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because ______.
| A．HK universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study |
| B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities |
| C．many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience |
| D．Peking university has lost its worldwide reputation |
From the passage we can see HK universities _______.
| A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland |
| B．are proud of their teaching staff and facilities |
| C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1 out of 48 students can get the chance to study there |
| D．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular |
What does the author mean by saying “It’s time to move” in the last paragraph?
| A．The opportunities come for top students to study abroad. |
| B．Mainland universities should take measures as soon as possible to attract students. |
| C．Mainland universities should make full preparations to challenge HK universities. |
| D．Top students should be offered further education free of charge. |
Look at the following timetable and answer questions.
Time Table
| Lv.(Leave) Boston |
Ar.(Arrive) Midway |
Ar. New York |
| 5:00 AM Ex.(Except) Sun. 7:10 AM Daily 9:10 AM Ex. Sat. & Sun. 10:00 AM Ex. Hol.(Holiday) 1:15 PM Daily 3:40 PM Ex. Hol. 5:20 PM Daily |
7:00 AM 9:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:45 AM 3:15 PM 5:40 PM 7:20 PM |
10:45 AM 12:45 PM 2:45 PM --------- 5:45 PM 8:45 PM 9:55 PM |
What is the shortest time between Boston and New York by train?
| A．5 hours 35 minutes | B．5 hours 5 minutes |
| C．4 hours 25 minutes | D．4 hours 30 minutes |
On Christmas Day, how many trains at least will go from Boston to New York?
| A．Two | B．Three |
| C．Four | D．Five |
You are traveling in the 9:10 AM train. In Midway you get off and stay there for an hour. If you want to get to New York before dark, which train from Boston should you change?
| A．The 1:15 PM train. | B．The 5:20 PM train. |
| C．The 3:40 PM train. | D．The 10:10 AM train. |
(1) Mr. Brown (the motorist) (驾车人)
At about 9:20 p.m. on October 14th, I was driving along Market road in the direction of Midwick. I wanted to go to Sturham to collect my wife, who had been visiting some friends. I prepared to turn into Sturham Road, which was on my right. In the distance, I saw the lights of a car moving towards me but it was a long way from me. I put out my hand to show that I was going to turn right. Then I started to turn slowly towards Sturham Road. Suddenly there was a loud noise on the passenger’s (near) side of the cars. I stopped the car and got out. A motor-cycle (摩托车) had hit my car. The motor-cyclist had been thrown over the car. He was injured, so I ran to a shop to phone for help.
(2) Mr. Smith (the injured motor-cyclist)
On the evening of October 14th, I was going home along Market Road towards Newtown. I was riding my motor-cycle. I was going slowly because some of the street lights were out and the road was wet and slippery. Just before Sturham Road, a car suddenly drove right across my path. The driver did not flash his light to give a warning. I would not turn in time, so I hit the side of the car. When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital in Market Road.
(3) Mr. Lee (another motor-cyclist)
At about 9:10 p.m. on October 14,I left my home in Midwick. Ten minutes later I was riding my motor-cycle along the Marker Road. I was going to Newtown. There was a motor-cycle about 40 meters in front of me. It was not going very quickly. The man on it was riding near the curb(路边) but I was near the center of the road. The motor-cycle in front of me tried to turn to his right but there was no time. He hit the car and was injured. There was no car going along in front of us or put by the road.Which of these pictures exactly shows the scene of the accident?
X="the" place where the motor-cycle hit the car.
(Note: Cars and motor-cycles always keep to the left in England.)
Which of these statements about the accident is probably correct?
| A．The accident was caused by the carelessness of the first motor-cyclist. |
| B．The lights of the car moving towards Mr. Brown made him unable to see. |
| C．Mr. Brown knocked down a motor-cyclist on purpose (故意). |
| D．Mr. Brown wrongly thought that the lights of two motor-cycles were those of a car. |
It seems probable from the statements that Mr. Brown ______.
| A．gave no signal to show that he was turning right |
| B．failed to give a proper (适当的) signal at that time |
| C．did not give any signal until he was actually turning |
| D．flashed his light to show that he was going to turn |
We would find that Mr. Brown’s car was damaged on its _____ side.
| A．left | B．right |
| C．front | D．driver’s |
Robert Kohout, 39, was working outside his home last October when he heard a frightening noise. He turned round and saw Walter Graham’s car sinking into 8 feet of water of the inground swimming pool a little distance away from his yard. Kohout immediately called to Graham’s wife, Evelyn, to phone 911. Then he ran back to his house to get Terence Reif and Glenn Fajardo to help, who were at work inside the house. “There was no time for second thoughts,” said Reif, a farmer’s son. “The only thing to do is to get in the pool.”
The car doors were locked. Graham, 73, was unconscious, and his mercury was rapidly filling with water. Reif struggled to break the driver’s side window with a hammer but had trouble getting it done underwater.
Finally, some four minutes after the car had fallen into the pool, the glass was broken. By then, Graham was floating at the top of the flooded passenger compartment.
The three men pulled Graham out through the broken glass. He wasn’t breathing and his heart stopped beating, so they performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The rescue team arrived in no time. Doctors supplied him with advanced life support on the way to the hospital.
“These people were getting to Graham through the glass,” said Dr. Jeff. “All three acted without regard for their own safety.” Added Evelyn Graham, “they were truly angels, watching over us”.Who may Terence Reif and Glenn Fajardo most probably be?
| A．Walter’s wife and son. |
| B．Policemen. |
| C．Workmen. |
| D．Robert’s wife and son. |
In the second paragraph, the underlined word “mercury” refers to ______.
| A．another workman | B．the old man’s car |
| C．the swimming pool | D．a kind of machine |
What does the underlined word “resuscitation” refer to in the story?
| A．A way of helping people who need water. |
| B．A way of helping people who have heart trouble. |
| C．A way of saving people who have got drunk. |
| D．A way of saving people who have stopped breathing. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Angels around Us | B．The underwater Car |
| C．Rescue Team in Time | D．Safety First |