Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. My family’s last vacation was a good to prove it. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break from school, and we were home from Fort Lauderdale after a week-long trip. The flight was , 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 . 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 to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged — okay, ordered — them to wait it out at the , 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 . And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to .
I've made living looking for the best deals and the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. So far, I feel proud that I have written a couple of including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I in.
I tell you this because there is no in getting your money’s worth. Honestly, I’m also 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 . And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. lasts.
A．sample B．excuse C．situation D．example
A．leaving B．heading C．getting D．arriving
A．overbooked B．overcrowded C．overworked D．overpowered
A．get on B．get over C．get back D．get away
A．seats B．credits C．bargain D．value
A．flight B．office C．school D．airport
A．dollar B．time C．family D．work
A．pass up B．pass down C．pass along D．pass on
A．expanding B．expecting C．exposing D．explaining
A．dictionaries B．newspapers C．novels D．books
A．believe B．put C．give D．come
A．harm B．shame C．doubt D．shock
A．generous B．tightfisted C．joyful D．patient
A．notice B．realize C．know D．understand
A．Satisfactory B．Quantity C．Ability D．Quality
The simplest way to say it is this: I believe in my mother. My belief began when I was just a kid, who dreamed of becoming a doctor.
My mother was a . Through her work, she observed that people spent a lot more time reading than they watching television. She announced that my brother and I could only watch two to three pre-selected TV during the week. With our time, we had to read two books each from the Detroit Public Library and written book reports to her. She would mark them up with check marks and highlights. Years later we realized her marks were a . My mother was illiterate（文盲）.
When I entered high school I was a(n) student, but not for long. I began to like the fancy clothes. I wanted to the guys. I went from being an A-student to a B-student to a C-student. One night my mother came home from her various jobs and I about not having enough Italian knit shirts. She said, "Okay, I'll give you all the money I have this week scrubbing floors and cleaning bathrooms, and you can buy the family food and pay the bills. With the money , you can have all the Italian knit shirts you want." I was very pleased with that but once I got through allocating（分配）money, there was left. I realized my mother was a financial genius to be able to keep the roof over our heads and any kind of food on the table, let alone buy . I also realized that my wasn't going to get me anywhere. Success required intellectual preparation. I went back to my and became an A-student again, and I realized my dream and I became a doctor.
My story is really my mother's story--a woman with formal education or property who used her position as a parent to change the lives of many people around, especially her children. There is no job more important than . This I believe.
A．nurse B．teacher C．servant D．doctor
A．honest B．hardworking C．reliable D．successful
A．spent B．paid C．did D．took
A．programmes B．plays C．films D．games
A．weekend B．free C．evening D．play
A．read B．present C．teach D．translate
A．trick B．means C．tool D．joke
A．extreme B．normal C．immoral D．top
A．get rid of B．break away from C．hang out with D．keep in touch with
A．complained B．forgot C．worried D．argued
A．deposited B．exchanged C．earned D．won
A．left over B．paid off C．used up D．carried out
A．proposal B．command C．requirement D．arrangement
A．much B．none C．something D．nothing
A．garments B．shirts C．houses D．books
A．television B．money C．desire D．dream
A．guys B．mother C．school D．studies
A．happily B．eventually C．immediately D．exactly
A．little B．low C．strict D．high
A．persuading B．educating C．parenting D．working
The story happened on a not heavy rainy day.
After class, I took a few bottles to go and some water from the water room. Oh！There were so many people! I had to wait the rain. My hair didn’t get wet because I wore a hat, but my clothes .
When at last it was my ,I filled the bottles as quickly as possible. I began making my way back when I saw a boy towards me. He two umbrellas in his hand. He shouted hello and as he came ,I recognized that it was XiaoBai.
He my classmate for nearly three years but we never more than ten sentences. He was silent but I like talking. We were quite people and had nothing in common. I didn’t him and even didn’t want to see him.
“Hey! What’s wrong?” His words me out of my thought. “I saw you in the rain so I brought you this umbrella. But it seems a little ,your clothes are already wet.”
On hearing this, I was so that I couldn’t say a single word.
“Don’t just stand there. Let’s go!” He said and held the umbrella for me. We walked towards and this time, we talk .
“I know you don’t like me, but I want to with you.” he said, “you may think I am silent, but it is because I can’t find the to say.”
The rain finally stopped and we saw a rainbow in the blue sky. I said to myself, “It is wrong to someone only by his appearance.
A．collect B．drink C．carry D．hold
A．under B．in C．at D．on
A．did B．get C．was D．wet
A．wish B．duty C．job D．turn
A．come B．came C．coming D．comes
A．had held B．has held C．was holding D．holds
A．near B．nearly C．nearer D．nearest
A．has been B．had been C．is D．would be
A．shared B．talked C．spoke D．communicate
A．the same B．familiar C．strange D．different
A．hate B．ignore C．like D．get along
A．brought B．make C．get D．surprised
A．stood B．stand C．standing D．are standing
A．early B．frequent C．actually D．late
A．moving B．move C．moved D．moves
A．the classroom B．the park C．the playground. D．the bedroom
A．nothing B．little C．a lot D．something
A．make friends B．shake a hand C．make a friend D．have words
A．times B．right words C．silent place. D．umbrella
A．understand B．see C．judge D．decide
For John and Amy, birthdays have always been a big deal—a welcome excuse to celebrate life. When their son, Alex, three in 2005, they invited 20 friends to a nearby park. Not long after that the were brainstorming ways to teach Alex about giving to 1 . “We wanted to do something that would have a(n) on our community（社区）, and that our young child could in. We started wondering what fortunate kids do on their birthdays. The next day, we called a local shelter, and learnt that children typically didn’t do to celebrate at all. No cake. No gifts. No party.” The couple said.
Several weeks later, threw a party at the for the children who had birthdays that month. They decorated, served cake, and danced with 50 kids. Alex helped presents.
22 that first party, the couple have turned their simple idea Birthday Blessings, a non-profit that hosts monthly parties at 10 shelters.
To date, Birthday Blessings (birthdayblessings.org.) has thrown more than 500 at different shelters and handed out 22,000 party to nearly 4,000 homeless children in and around their community.
Birthday Blessings is entirely by volunteers. The charity（慈善）will take almost anything — toys, clothing, candy, baby items— it’s not used. “These kids never get anything new.” John said, “It makes a big to them psychologically.”
Being “part of this labor love” is making an impression on their son Alex. On his seventh birthday, his grandparents sent a check. it, the first thing he said was that he wanted to give half to the birthday kids.
A．turned B．grew C．came D．got
A．shelters B．neighbors C．friends D．couple
A．the other B．another C．others D．each other
A．impression B．influence C．permission D．limitation
A．participate B．take C．bring D．move
A．fairly B．less C．rather D．more
A．penniless B．jobless C．homeless D．hopeless
A．nothing B．anything C．everything D．something
A．Alex B．John C．Amy D．the family
A．shelter B．church C．school D．community
A．make out B．pass out C．show out D．leave out
A．Before B．Until C．After D．Since
A．into B．down C．out D．off
A．birthdays B．parties C．presents D．donations
A．cakes B．honors C．favors D．surprises
A．continued B．undertaken C．operated D．performed
A．as far as B．as soon as C．as simple as D．as long as
A．difference B．surprise C．benefit D．advantage
A．never B．always C．hardly D．already
A．Realizing B．Saving C．Opening D．Folding
After the birth of my second child, I got a job at a restaurant. Having worked with an experienced ______ for a few days, I was ______ to wait tables on my own. All went _____ that first week. When Saturday night came, I was luckily _____ the tables not far from the kitchen. _____, I still felt a little hard to carry the heavy trays (托盘).
Before I knew it, the ______ was full of people. I moved slowly, ______ every step. I remember how ______ I was when I saw the tray stand (架子) near the tables. It looked different from the one I was _____ on. It had nice handles, which made it ______ to move around. I was pleased with everything and began to ______ I was a natural at this job.
Then, an old man came to me and said, “Excuse me, dear, my wife and I loved ______ you work. It seems your tray stand has been very _____ to you, but we are getting ready to ______ now, and my wife needs her ______ back.”
At first his _____ did not get across. “What was he talking about?” Then I got it. I had set my trays on his wife’s orthopedic walker (助步器). I stood frozen as ice, but my face was _____. I wanted to get into a hole and ______.
Since then, I have learned from many mistakes such as the one I just ______. I have learned to be more ______ and not to be too sure of myself.
A．waitress B．assistant C．cook D．manager
A．promised B．invited C．allowed D．advised
A．well B．quickly C．safely D．wrong
A．left B．shown C．brought D．given
A．Therefore B．However C．Otherwise D．Finally
A．kitchen B．street C．restaurant D．table
A．changing B．minding C．taking D．saving
A．angry B．calm C．sad D．happy
A．fixed B．trained C．loaded D．waited
A．slower B．lighter C．quieter D．easier
A．believe B．agree C．regret D．pretend
A．letting B．making C．watching D．having
A．unusual B．familiar C．useful D．interesting
A．rest B．order C．eat D．leave
A．bag B．walker C．tray D．coat
A．message B．praise C．idea D．need
A．cold B．full of joy C．pale D．on fire
A．lie B．hide C．defend D．stay
A．repeated B．discovered C．corrected D．described
A．careful B．patient C．honest D．practical
If you think you are sick, you are sick no matter what says. , if you believe in your doctor, and if he tells that you are going to feel better, you probably will. The of the mind on the body does exist and sometimes can be powerful. It exists whether one is of it or not.
Take the of Mrs. Green, for example. She was unable to get to sleep at night and was too tired during the day to do some simple things that she enjoy doing. She had headaches more often which her from reading or watching TV. The more she thought about her conditions, she felt. At last she went to her doctor, whom she had known for years. The doctor listened to her and gave her a very examination. Then he said to her, “ There is nothing wrong with you physically, but I accept the fact you don’t feel well. I’m going to give you some pills that should help. I want you to one after dinner and one half an hour you go to bed tonight. Call me tomorrow and tell me you feel.
Mrs. Green telephoned, “Doctor, I had the first night’s sleep in two months. What is in this pills ?” The doctor said, “It is an old formula（配方） I have for years. Just taking them for a week.” Turning to the nurse, he said, “It’s wonderful what a little baking soda（苏打） can do.”
A．everyone else B．anyone else C．nobody else D．someone else
A．On the other hand B．As a matter of fact C．More often than not D．In other words
A．result B．cause C．reason D．effect
A．aware B．fond C．sure D．full
A．care B．cut C．case D．call
A．would B．could C．might D．used to
A．benefit B．allowed C．prevented D．forbade
A．the more B．the better C．the worse D．the less
A．hear B．see C．watch D．ask
A．thorough B．basic C．general D．main
A．serious B．special C．specially D．seriously
A．that B．which C．不填 D．why
A．eat B．take C．drink D．chew
A．when B．since C．after D．before
A．what do B．what C．how do D．how
A．The next day B．Later C．Shortly D．Tomorrow
A．bad B．terrible C．good D．right
A．at all B．on earth C．by the way D．for ever
A．sold B．written C．read D．used
A．keep up B．keep off C．keep on D．keep away