Many a online shopper stayed up until 2 am on Sunday, looking through the Internet to buy products being sold at half price before they could be snapped up（be bought）by other shoppers. Tens of millions of the Internet users were crazy to take advantage of the halfprice promotion, started by the ecommerce(电子商务) giant Alibaba Group on Sunday, Nov. 11, which is known as Singles’ Day in China, and is the Chinese answer to Cyber Monday in the United States.
By 7 pm on Sunday, 14.1 billion yuan’s worth of sales was made on tmall. com and taobao. com. That could make Singles’ Day the biggest ecommerce sales day on record. The research company comScore said US online retailers (零售商) saw $ 1.25 billion of sales during last year’s Cyber Monday, the day after Thanksgiving weekend and the busiest day for online retailers as US shoppers start to prepare for Christmas.
Singles’ Day originated with university students, and was later adopted by ecommerce companies as a promotional opportunity. Ecommerce companies, including Jingdong Mall and Amazon China, also took part in the promotion.“ In the past, people only shopped online occasionally, but now, online shopping is a lifestyle accepted by many，” said Zhang Yong, Tmall president.
Alibaba began to hold Singles’ Day promotions in 2009, and last year, its sales totaled 5.2 billion yuan.“I don’t know whether we would lose money, but I don’t think we could earn much on this day by selling goods at half price，” said Hao Hongfeng, chairman of Beijing Jiuxian ECommerce, a liquor retailer in Beijing who took part in the event. He said it is a good opportunity for online retailers to get their names known.Who first introduced Singles’ Day to the public?
| A．Some college students. |
| B．The online shoppers. |
| C．Researchers in comScore. |
| D．The online retailers. |
Why were the online retailers so active in the promotion?
| A．To make their names known to more people. |
| B．To make a lot more money. |
| C．To make more business friends through the event. |
| D．To sell more products. |
What’s the secret behind the success of this promotion?
| A．The quality of the products. |
| B．The fame of the retailers. |
| C．The favorable price. |
| D．The aftersales service. |
Which title do you think is more suitable for this article?
| A．Chinese Shopping Style |
| B．The Origin of Singles’ Day |
| C．Online Purchasing Power |
| D．A Craze for Online Promotion |
Earthquakes belong to disasters that we human beings cannot avoid. The 9.0magnitude earthquake, which centered near the east coast of Japan, about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo, was the most powerful one in its recorded history, whose great effect was only beginning to be felt.
The quake creating 30foot walls of water caused huge losses of life and property. Waves were strong enough to reach as far as about six miles inland in Prefecture on the east coast, sweeping across rice fields and tearing cars and boats into pieces. It destroyed entire towns by dragging houses onto highways. A train had left its rail and governments had lost contact with four trains in coastal areas. Electricity was cut off, affecting six million households, more than 10% of the total in Japan. In fact, there was no rail service overnight in Tokyo, highways were shut early on Saturday and the streets were crowded with displaced people.
What’s worse, there were still hundreds of deaths even when lucky survivors were pulled from roofs and carried to safety by military helicopters.
It was shocking that hundreds of more people were missing and tens of thousands of people were homeless. Naoto Kan said he had got used to earthquakes during his 30 years living in Japan but never experienced what he felt like that on Friday. “Buildings shook strongly and fell into pieces, setting off flames and fires. I was afraid the world was coming to an end,” he said afterwards.
It’s reported that the earthquake occurring at 2:46 pm, caused great terror and the US National Weather Service released tsunami (海啸) warnings for more 50 countries.
This passage mainly describes about_____ of Japan’s 9.0magnitude earthquake.
| A．the causes | B．the impact |
| C．the rescue work | D．people’s feelings |
What Naoto Kan said suggested that he was ________.
| A．terrified | B．calm |
| C．angry | D．disappointed |
Which statement about the Japan’s 9.0magnitude earthquake is TRUE?
| A．It created six miles high waves. |
| B．It burnt tens of thousands of houses. |
| C．It was centered on the east coast of Japan. |
| D．It caused the most deaths in recorded history. |
According to the US National Weather Service, we know ________.
| A．weather would greatly change after the earthquake |
| B．other countries would not be directly hit by a tsunami |
| C．Prefecture would be most seriously hit by the tsunami |
| D．more countries were likely to be struck by a tsunami |
Vacation
| Vacation News Welcome to Plymouth to spend your school holidays at a country hotel, a drive away from the sea. The comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the quiet countryside with beautiful scenery. Simple but nice food is offered. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. |
| The Green Center A mountain climbing lesson is provided for young people in the Green Center. We charge only￡57 for a week for beginners, equipment, food and rooms included. Don’t worry about walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. Be prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a real mountain climbing adventure. So keep good health if you want to sign up for the center. |
| The Wonderful World Sea Trip Our Wonderful World Sea Trip of 2015 will be different from any other holidays you have ever experienced before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. You will be well taken care of once you get on board the ship. You may expect first-class meals and comfortable cabins like your home. During the trip, you can either rest on deck(甲板)or enjoy yourself in the games rooms. Dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful plays when evenings fall. You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Venice and Hawaii to Macau and Cape Town. Come on! For a few thousand pounds, all you are dying for can be yours. |
If you want to go on holidays with pets, you are likely to ______.
| A．Join the Wonderful World Sea Trip |
| B．Go to the Green Centre. |
| C．Choose the holiday in Plymouth. |
| D．Visit Venice and Hawaii. |
In what way is the Green Centre different from the other two holidays?
| A．It provides a sport lesson. |
| B．It holds family gatherings. |
| C．It serves you with good food. |
| D．It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the Wonderful World Sea Trip?
| A．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
At the Green Centre, ￡57 covers the following EXCEPT .
| A．food | B．rooms |
| C．body exercises | D．walking shoes |
Strange it may sound, this is a true story about a lesson of honesty happening between a lucky thief and a worthy professor.
Once a thief won a lottery ticket but left it at his crime(犯罪) scene when he stole a suitcase from a professor. To his great surprise, his victim, who picked up the ticket and took the prize money of ￡25 000, managed to get in touch with him in order to return him the case. The robbery took place when John Smith, a math professor was changing a tyre on the motorway. The thief happened to pass by. He appeared to be a warm-hearted guy and stopped “to help”. When the professor found his suitcase in the car missing, the thief had driven off as fast as he could. The professor picked up the dropped ticket on the floor and put it in his pocket before driving home.
John Smith didn’t realize it was a winner until he knew the lottery results on TV. He got the prize money and began a battle with himself silently in his heart. At last，he decided not to keep the money although he just had been robbed of his suitcase by the owner of the ticket. He set out to advertise in newspapers and on radio for finding the owner, “ Don’t be surprised that I’m trying to find the man who robbed me in order to returned him the ￡25 000—a lottery win. Please meet me without telling me your real name if you don’t want to. ”.
Later John received tens of hundreds of calls from people around the country trying to trick him into handing them the cash. But he didn’t arrange to meet the right person in the park until he recognized the voice. The robber, was moved into tears when he returned the suitcase. “Why didn’t you keep the money？”he asked, not believing what was happening. The honest professor replied simply, “Because it’s not mine.” With these words, he walked off，spurningthe thief’s offer of a reward.The underlined sentence “Then he began a battle with himself silently.” suggested that .
| A．he made an immediate decision on knowing the lottery results |
| B．he silently decided to punish the robber by keeping the ticket |
| C．he realized that money played an important role as honesty . |
| D．he hesitated about how to deal with the ticket for some time |
Hundreds of people phoned the professor because they _______.
| A．lost their lottery ticket |
| B．hoped to take the money |
| C．knew who the robber was |
| D．wanted to make fun of him |
The underlined word “spurning” in the last sentence is similar to______.
| A．forgetting | B．accepting |
| C．refusing | D．making |
Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?
| A．A Magical Lottery |
| B．A Thief’s Lucky Day |
| C．A Stubborn Professor |
| D．A Reward of Honesty |
Coca-Cola has created a publicity stunt (作秀) in Singapore — a vending machine (自动售货机) which gives out free cans of Coke in return for hugs. The whacky idea is part of the company’s Open Happiness campaign designed to attract young people in Singapore.
Students at the National University of Singapore were surprised to find that the soft drinks company had placed the machine in the schoolyard. But instead of the drinks brand’s logo (标志), the words “Hug Me” are written across its red-and-white logo. Instead of paying money, customers have to hug the drinks machine to receive a free can of Coke.
Public displays of affection are uncommon and have long been discouraged in Singapore, but are on the rise among young people. The move is part of a campaign created by the advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather, intended to let the youth to see the brand as a non-threatening friend.
Leonardo O’Grady, leader of the campaign, said, “Happiness is contagious (传染的). The Coca-Cola Hug Machine is a simple idea to spread some happiness. We want to spread happiness in an unexpected, creative way to attract not only the people present, but the audience at large.”
He hopes that it will encourage consumers to bring positivity, optimism and fun into their lives and to open a Coke, sharing a little happiness.
The machines have been such a success that there are plans to roll them out across Asia. Mr. O’Grady added, “The reaction was amazing — at one point we had four to five people hugging the machine at the same time as well as each other! In fact, there was a long line of people looking to give hugs.”The underlined word “whacky” in Paragraph1 can be replaced by “______”.
| A．free | B．strange |
| C．uncertain | D．traditional |
What was the purpose of the campaign?
| A．To help sell more Coca-Cola drinks. |
| B．To display the famous logo of Coca-Cola. |
| C．To tell the young Coca-Cola is their friend. |
| D．To show Coca-Cola is especially generous. |
Leonardo O’Grady thinks that _______.
| A．the Coca-Cola Hug Machine is the best advertisement |
| B．the Coca-Cola Hug Machine can spread happiness |
| C．the Coca-Cola Hug Machine should be open only to the students |
| D．people who enjoy the campaign would buy more Coca-Cola drinks |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The campaign has achieved good results. |
| B．The campaign has cost Coca-Cola much money. |
| C．The Coca-Cola Hug Machines will be seen worldwide. |
| D．Coca-Cola focuses more on sharing happiness than on sales. |
The passage mainly tells us that ______.
| A．it is quite simple to spread some happiness |
| B．Coca-Cola soft drinks are popular in Singapore |
| C．people in Singapore are more positive across Asia |
| D．the Coca-Cola vending machine asks for hugs rather than money |
Lose yourself in the sights and sounds of Madrid –– a three-night break from £175 per person.
● Have a three-night break in Madrid, with a four-star hotel.
● Prices range from £175 to £245 per person, depending on when you travel (£350 as usual).
● Stay in the Hotel Santo Domingo in the heart of the city.
● Return flights are included in the cost of the voucher (代金券).
Details
● The voucher is valid (有效的) from January 9th, 2014 to March 25th, 2014 (no discounts during January 16th –18th, February 1st–2nd, 12th–16th, March 1st–2nd).
● £175 per person for arrivals between January 9th and January 31st; £210 per person for arrivals between February 1st and February 28th; £245 per person for arrivals between March 1st and March 25th.
● Once you have bought the voucher, book by calling 0800 368 0300. Book as early as you can. You cannot call off your deal once you book one.
● One voucher can only be used for one stay. You cannot use more vouchers to extend your stay. It’s not available with any other discounts. The unused parts of the deal are not exchanged for cash or any other service.
What you will get
Madrid’s mix of culture, wisdom and fun makes it one of Europe’s most exciting capital cities. By day, go to the Golden Museum Triangle to enjoy works of art by Picasso and Van Gogh, and visit the Royal Palace. At night, go to clubs to experience the culture. When it comes to the food, no words can describe it.
In the hotel, you can have free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, LCD televisions and bathrooms. As well as being based in the best shopping area in Madrid, the hotel is also close to the biggest museum.If a customer arrives at the Hotel Santo Domingo on January 20th, he’ll be offered a discount of ________.
| A．50% | B．40% | C．30% | D．10% |
What do we know about the Hotel Santo Domingo?
| A．It is a five-star hotel. |
| B．It lies in the west of Madrid. |
| C．It is located in a shopping area. |
| D．It is far from the biggest museum. |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To introduce the sights of Madrid. |
| B．To offer help to visitors to Madrid. |
| C．To advertise a hotel in Madrid. |
| D．To tell visitors how to book hotels in Madrid. |