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If you ask your parents: “Did you buy salt recently?” They might either say: “Yes, we bought more salt than usual”, or “No, we couldn’t find any in the market.”
This is because of the recent craze(狂热) of salt buying in China. In big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, salt almost sold out in only one night.
After the big earthquake in Japan on March 11, there was a nuclear leak(核泄漏). And rumors(传言) about whether it will affect our daily life appeared: first, iodized(含碘的) salt can keep us from the dangers of radiation(辐射)；second, there will be less sea-salt in the ocean because of the nuclear pollution.
Both the government and experts said the rumors were not true, but people still bought as much salt as possible. Why? Many salt-buyers didn’t really care or know what experts or the government were saying. That was the real reason behind the craze of salt buying.
On March 20, the government said the salt market is back to normal. And most of China’s salt is from lakes, not the ocean.
Now, many people want to return the salt they bought. “There is no reason why those people should get their money back,” an article in Xinhua Daily Telegraph said. “They made the craze in the first place.”
Perhaps people should learn a lesson from the salt: don’t believe everything you hear.
The recent craze of salt buying in China happened because of ________.
A. the earthquake
B. the rumors
C. the shortage(缺乏) of salt
When did the rumors start?
A. On March 11.
B. After March 11.
C. On March 20.
According to the passage most of China’s salt is from ________.
A. lakes B. the ocean C. rivers
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. People believed what the government and experts said first.
B. People could return the salt and got back their money later.
C. Salt almost sold out in only one night because of the rumors.
The passage tells us that ________.
A. we can’t believe everything we hear
B. there must be a nuclear leak after an earthquake
C. only iodized salt can keep us from the dangers of radiation

“Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao?” says Wang Lin, 28, a writer in Beijing.
Taobao, China’s largest online shopping web site, has become an important part of Wang Lin’s life. She spends lots of money on Taobao.
A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the fun of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young workers. More women shop on line than men. Clothing and home-use products are the most popular on line.
It was reported that more than 250 billion(十亿) yuan was spent on online shopping last year, 80% through Taobao.
Taobao means “looking for treasure(珠宝)” in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books, from candies to DVD players.
You may ask the security of online shopping, Wang Lin said, “It’s very safe and convenient. Unless you receive the products from the sellers and are satisfied(满意的) with them, the shop owner will not get the money. You can also get your money back if you want to return the products.”
The most popular things on line are ________.
A. candies and DVD players
B. clothes and books
C. clothing and home-use products
Taobao is ________.
A. a shopping mall
B. an online shopper
C. an online shopping web site
Most online shoppers are ________.
A. young people B. women C. men
The underlined word “security” may mean ________.
A. 质量 B. 安全 C. 信誉
The best title(标题) of the passage is ________.
A. Wang Lin’s life
B. Online shopping in China
C. Shopping on line is not safe

Mark Twain was a famous American writer. He loved writing, hunting and fishing very much. One year he went to Maine on vacation and spent three very happy weeks there.
When it was time to get back home, Mark Twain went to the station with his baggage(行李). After putting it on the train, he sat on a comfortable seat. A few minutes later, another man came over and sat next to him. Mark Twain looked at the man and saw that he was unhappy. He thought it would be impolite to say nothing first, and they began to talk. They talked about the weather and then Maine. The stranger said, “We have some beautiful woods(森林) in Maine. I guess you have been there, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I have,” answered Mark Twain. “I’ve just spent three pleasant weeks there. And let me tell you something: although fishing isn’t allowed in Maine this season, I’ve got two hundred pounds of beautiful fish. I like eating fish, so I put them on the ice to take them home. May I know who you are, sir?”
The stranger looked at Mark Twain for several seconds and answered, “I’m a policeman. My job is to catch people who hunt and fish during the wrong seasons. And what do you do?”
Mark Twain answered, “Well, sir, I’m the man who tells the biggest lies(谎言) in America.”
Mark Twain spent in Maine for _________.
A. one week B. two weeks C. three weeks
Mark Twain went home ________.
A. by bus B. by train C. by plane
The man next to Mark Twain was ________.
A. a policeman B. a writer C. a reporter
Mark Twain’s vacation in Maine was ________.
A. boring B. tiring C. pleasant
Which of the following is true about Maine?
A. It has beautiful woods.
B. Fishing isn’t allowed there.
C. It’s Mark Twain’s hometown.

At present, more and more people are crazy about travelling. Why do people travel? “To see more of the world.” many people would say. But travelling abroad now means much more than that for the growing number of Chinese tourists. Of course it offersus good opportunities to meet people from other countries, learn about their culture and customs.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), more than 1 billion people travelled to anothercountry in 2012. In 2012, Chinese people travelled abroad 30 percent more than in 2011. The prosperity (繁荣) of the tourism industry can also bring both our country and foreign countries great economic benefits (经济利益). Chinese people usually travel abroad in large tourist groups and visit several countries in one trip.
Chinese people don’t just travel for sightseeing. The China International Travel Service Company said that all their tour trips sold out a month before Christmas Day. Stores offered discounts (打折) during that time, so shopping in Europe and the United States is popular among Chinese travelers.
In December, China is going through a very cold winter. So many people like to go to somecountries in Southeast Asia because the weather there is quite pleasant.
The improvement of living standards means more Chinese can travel abroad. But many of them don’t have a sense of public manners. A report by Living Social website in March 2012 even listed Chinese as the world’s second worst tourists.
If you want to change that bad name, remember to avoid the following: littering, spitting, snatching bus seats, line-jumping, taking off shoes in public, talking loudlyand smoking in non-smoking areas. Besides, we should learn some necessary manners of foreign countries.
What are more and more people crazy about at present?
How many people traveled to another country in 2012?
Where is shopping popular among Chinese travelers?
Why do people like to go to some countries in Southeast Asia in winter?
What do Chinese people do when they travel abroad?

Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phones. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device which uses satellites (卫星) to find the user’s position(位置). It can find your position to within 20 meters. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are.
GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. You can hold it in your hand, or put it in your pocket. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.
There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting the Earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control satellites and make sure they are working well.
Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile phones. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate. There are also new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will be like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never get lost again.
. According to the passage, with the help of the GPS, people __________.

A．can’t find their directions in different countries

B．can always find where they are

C．can learn about the culture of an unknown place

D．can spend the least time getting to another place

. The underlined word “They” in paragraph 3 means ____________.

A．Receivers	B．GPS devices
C．Satellites	D．Ground stations

We can learn from the passage that ____________.

A．GPS can’t be put into a watch

B．GPS are becoming dearer and dearer

C．People can start their cars with a GPS

D．People can’t lose their way with a GPS when driving

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