There is nothing in the US quite like Black Friday. Before midnight on Thursday, in malls across the US, people start queuing up outside the locked entrances of stores, making longer and longer lines, holding coupons (优惠券), sipping coffee and hot chocolate, rubbing their hands and stamping (跺脚) their feet for warmth, excitedly chatting, and waiting for the clerks to open the door when the time arrives.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which fell on Nov 28，2014, “has become in recent decades a special American holiday”, said the International Business Times. Indeed, up to 147 million Black Friday shoppers were expected to put up with the dark of night and the elbows(手肘)of other shoppers so that they could bring home some bargains, according to the US National Retail Federation.
But why does the shopping festival have such a name?
The name was first used in Philadelphia in the 1970s. The streets and sidewalks of the city became so packed with traffic and crowds on the day after Thanksgiving Day that the local police did not look forward to it. Because of this, they called the day “Black Friday”, said The Huffington Post. However, others believe that Black Friday takes its name from the fact that because of the increase in sales on the day, shops are able for the first time in the year to move out of the “red” – that is, debt – and into the “black”, or profit. Businesses, of course, try to take advantage of this day. A decade ago, retailers (零售商) opened at 5 or 6 am. Now, many of the big stores open at midnight.
People really seem to like the whole experience of queuing up before midnight, “for it isn’t just about the bargains”, noted CNN. “For many shoppers, it’s just fun to be part of a large crowd. Those who go to the malls at midnight are driven by the same thing that makes a million people get together in Times Square each New Year’s Eve.”Which of the following statements about Black Friday is TRUE?
| A．It is a special day in the US on which government hands out coupons to customers. |
| B．It is a shopping festival in the US that falls on the second Friday after Thanksgiving. |
| C．It has been a traditional American holiday since the founding of the nation. |
| D．It is an opportunity for Americans to get things they want at a much lower price. |
According to The Huffington Post, the name of “Black Friday” may be first used ______.
| A．at the beginning of the 20th century in the US |
| B．by American people who expected to bring home bargains after Thanksgiving Day |
| C．by the police to show their displeasure toward heavy traffic caused by shopping crowds |
| D．to describe the bad weather on the day |
According to the article, people who queue up for Black Friday ______.
| A．usually help each other to find good bargains |
| B．have great fun as part of the waiting crowd |
| C．have a lot of complaints about the service of the retail clerks |
| D．have to wait until 5 to 6 am to start shopping |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．The shopping habits of Americans. |
| B．An introduction to the origin and influences of Black Friday. |
| C．Tips on how to get good bargains on Black Friday. |
| D．People’s mixed feelings toward Black Friday. |
We are looking for teachers for our private secondary school in Nigeria. This is a Christian school and we are looking for Christian teachers. Accommodations are provided and salaries can be discussed. Volunteers are welcome to apply but those with teaching qualifications and experience will be first chosen. Subjects: English, French or Art. Those who teach other subjects are also welcome.
Applicant 1 Modupe Bvuma
I have a master's degree in Managerial Psychology and know a little French. I'm looking for a job either as a teacher or as a personnel manager. I'm a Christian and live in Nigeria, Africa and I'd be glad to be given the opportunity.
Applicant 2 Rachel Moore
I'm an Australian and have experience in working with children in the local church, although I don't believe in Jesus. I have bachelor's degrees in both Art and Education. I have relinquished my job with my pupils and now have settled in Nigeria, Africa to look for a job teaching English or French.
Applicant 3 Mwanyimi Bushabu
I've been in Africa for 5 years as a banker. It is advantageous for me to teach French at your school since it's my mother tongue, I am a Church member and promise I shall keep the Christian standards at your school.
Applicant 4 Freddie Matthews
I am to graduate from the University of Nottingham, England. I have gained teaching experience by tutoring children in lots of families and will have a teaching qualification. I'm interested in your job.
Applicant 5 Adelaide White
I am an Egyptian living in San Francisco, the USA. I'm a Christian. I have been a teacher of English and French for 12 years. I am currently an advisor in schools. Besides my master's degree, my post bachelor's degree is in Pupils Personnel Service Credentials. I want to return to my continent.According to the passage, for teachers to work in the mentioned secondary school in Nigeria, ________.
| A．their salary will be determined by the school. |
| B．the housing issue is left for further discussion. |
| C．their religious belief ought to be confirmed. |
| D．they must have got related qualifications. |
Supposing the school needs an African to teach French, who would be the best choice?
| A．Modupe Bvuma. | B．Mwanyimi Bushabu. | C．Rachel Moore. | D．Adelaide White. |
Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “relinquished” in the passage?
| A．quit | B．discussed | C．reconsidered | D．shared |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Mwanyimi Bushabu is a Christian and works as a banker in his motherland. |
| B．It is not probable for Rachel Moore to be employed as a teacher by the school. |
| C．Adelaide White has 12 years' teaching experience but now is out of work. |
| D．Freddie Matthews has gained experience in teaching in a university. |
On Thursday afternoon Mrs. Clarke, dressed for going out, took her handbag with her money and her key in it, pulled the door behind her to lock it and went to the Over 60s Club. She always went there on Thursdays. It was a nice outing for an old woman who lived alone.
At six o’clock she came home, let herself in and at once smelt cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke in her house? How? Had someone got in? She checked the back door and the windows. All were locked or fastened, as usual. There was no sign of forced entry.
Over a cup of tea she wondered whether someone might have a key that fitted her front door—“a master key ”perhaps. So she stayed at home the following Thursday. Nothing happened. Was anyone watching her movements? On the Thursday after that she went out at her usual time, dressed as usual, but she didn’t go to the club. Instead she took a short cut home again, letting herself in through her garden and the back door. She settled down to wait.
It was just after four o’clock when the front door bell rang. Mrs. Clarke was making a cup of tea at the time. The bell rang again, and then she heard her letter box being pushed open. With the kettle of boiling water in her hand, she moved quietly toward the front door. A long piece of wire appeared through the letter box, and then a hand. The wire turned and caught around the knob on the door lock. Mrs. Clarke raised the kettle and poured the water over the hand. There was a shout outside, and the skin seemed to drop off the fingers like a glove. The wire fell to the floor, the hand was pulled back, and Mrs. Clarke heard the sound of running feet.Mrs. Clarke looked forward to Thursday because__________.
| A．she worked at a club on the day |
| B．she lived alone |
| C．she visited a club on Thursdays |
| D．a special visitor came on Thursday Clarke |
If someone had made a forced entry,________.
| A．Mrs. Clarke would have found a broken door or window |
| B．he or she was still in the house |
| C．things would have been thrown about |
| D．he or she would have needed a master key |
According to the passage, which of the following is right?
| A．She is about more than 50 years old. |
| B．The next day after she found something unusual in her house, she stayed at home. |
| C．The man who tried to enter her house wore a pair of gloves. |
| D．Mrs. Clarke was in an attempt to trick the thief when she noticed something unusual. |
The wire fell to the floor________.
| A．because Mrs. Clarke refused to open the door |
| B．when the man’s glove dropped off |
| C．because it was too hot to hold |
| D．because the man just wanted to get away |
Many children would start school hungry without breakfast clubs, teachers have claimed. A new survey suggests these clubs are the only way many students can get a meal before lessons.
About 54% of the 552 school staff questioned by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers(ATL)said their school provides a breakfast club for pupils. The biggest reason for them to attend these clubs is that their parents or carer goes to work early, cited by 76.8% of those questioned.
About 22.6% said children attended due to lack of money at home because parents or carers are unemployed and 15.2% said lack of money at home due to changes or cuts to benefits.
About 17.6% said pupils mainly attend breakfast clubs to socialize.
The survey found that teachers believe that offering breakfast to pupils often helps improve their concentration and ability to learn. One primary school teacher said: “Although there is a charge for our breakfast club, we have accessed funding for those pupils on free school meals and the breakfast club had an effect on their attendance, concentration and being in school for the start of lessons.
ATL general secretary Dr Roper said a nutritious meal at the start of the day has a huge impact on pupils’ ability to learn. “Many schools do everything they can to ensure children eat well during school term-time. But there are many children living in poverty, who we fear won’t be getting a decent meal a day in the holidays and this is something the government needs to address,” she said.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “We know how important it is for children to
have a good breakfast. We want schools and local authorities to use their budgets to best meet the needs of their children. Many provide breakfast clubs which offer a free meal to children from poorer families. The Pupil Premium, which will double to ￡ 2.5 billion in 2014-2015, targets extra money to help schools to provide support such as this to the most disadvantaged children. The free school meal scheme also ensures that these children have access to a nutritious lunch every day.How many factors are mentioned which can account for the popularity of breakfast clubs?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
By getting breakfast offered by breakfast clubs, pupils can______.
| A．perform better in their study |
| B．know how they can save money |
| C．eat better for their lunch and supper |
| D．make more friends with their classmates |
The pupil Premium and the free school meal scheme are mentioned in order to show_____.
| A．every child should get access to a nutritious meal |
| B．breakfast clubs play a key role in children’s growth |
| C．many efforts are made to provide a good and free meal |
| D．many schools can’t offer a good and free meal to children |
In which part of a magazine can we probably read this passage?
| A．Entertainment. | B．Education. | C．Culture. | D．Health. |
A woman was walking her dog along a beach in New Zealand in late June when she saw something that looked like a white ball in the sand. It turned out to be a young Emperor penguin that was lost. At his age, he should have been close to Antarctic, swimming for fish and playing on the ice floes(冰川). But this penguin started swimming north and just kept going.
The penguin attracted a lot of attention in New Zealand. It has been 40 years since an Emperor penguin was last seen there. Researchers at the Department of Conservation were called in. They decided to watch the penguin closely, but not to disturb it in any way. Many New Zealanders came to Peka Peka Beach to look at the elegant penguin. They were careful to keep their dogs away from it so it wouldn’t be frightened.
The public nicknamed the animal Happy Feet. Researchers started to notice that Happy Feet didn’t seem well. It turns out that he had been eating the sand from the beach, likely thinking it was snow.
The public raised more than 11,000 pounds for an operation to get the sand out of his stomach. The operation was a success, and Happy Feet was taken to a zoo in Wellington, NZ. A group of experts met to decide how to help Happy Feet return to the wild.
Last Sunday, they put him on a boat called the Tangaroa, in a specially built ice-filled box and took him out into the Southern Ocean, southeast of New Zealand. There, they released him into the ocean, which is his natural habitat. He took one last look at his human helpers and then dived into the ocean.
“Emperor penguins spend their first five years at sea,” said Peter Simpson of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. “ What happens now is up to the penguin.”
Happy Feet was fitted with a satellite transmitter(发射机)so they can monitor his progress using the Internet. So far, the trackers shows that he swam northeast for a little while before getting his bearings and heading south.Where is the young penguin supposed to appear?
| A．On the sunny beach. | B．Near the Antarctic. |
| C．Inside the hole in the ice. | D．In the depths of the ocean. |
The public collected some money to______.
| A．build a home for the penguin |
| B．get the sand out of the penguin’s belly |
| C．do some research on the penguin |
| D．return the penguin to his habitat |
What does Peter Simpson mean by saying “ What happens now is up to the penguin.”?
| A．The penguin needs no protection from human. |
| B．Human beings can do noting to help penguins. |
| C．No one knows what will happen to the penguins. |
| D．Whether the penguin can survive depends on himself. |
The holidays are a time to give. These charities---and many more—are looking for volunteers and donations.
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund is helping to protect endangered species through the Symbolic Species Adoption program. Those who “adopt” an animal will receive an adoption certificate and a photo of their species. Anyone can support endangered species year round by buying WWF apparel(服装). worldwildlife. Org/giving
DoSomething. org
This month, Dosomething. org launched their holiday campaign, “Grandparents Gone Wired”. The goal of the campaign is to make it easier for senior citizens to keep in touch with their loved ones using the Internet. Teens can volunteer to help seniors in their community. Volunteers are able to win prizes and scholarships. dosomething. org/grandparents
Coins for Change
Disney’s Club Penguin, a virtual gaming site for kids, launched its annual Coins for Change campaign this month. From Dec. 15 to Dec. 27, Club Penguin players can donate virtual coins to real-world causes. If players reach the donation goal, Club Penguin will donate $2 million to charity projects. clubpenguin.com.
Toys for Tots
Each year, the U.S. Marine Corps Toys Program collects new, unwrapped toys for the holidays. Communities across the nation host Toys for Tots drives around the holiday season. The toys collected are given as gifts to needy children so they can experience the joy of Christmas. toyfortots.org
American Red Cross
All you need is a pen and a piece of paper. The American Red Cross Holiday Mail Heroes Program is collecting handwritten card to send to members of the U.S. Armed Forces during the holidays. The charity has also set up a Holiday Giving Catalog where you can buy personal gifts, such as babysitting lessons. redcross.org
The Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Drive
The Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Drive is a non-profit organization sponsored by ABC’s Good Morning America and Burlington Coat Factory. During the holiday season Burlington stores collect gently worn coats. The donated coats are given to people in need to keep warm during the winter. onewarmcoat.orgDavid, 8, is fond of playing virtual games. Which charity should he attend?
| A．Coins for Change. | B．Toys for Tots. |
| C．DoSomething,org. | D．American Red Cross. |
Handwritten cards for members of the U.S. Armed Forces are collected by____.
| A．Disney’s Club Penguin |
| B．the Warm Coats& Warm Hearts Drive |
| C．the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program |
| D．the American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Program |
From the passage we can learn that______.
| A．Club Penguin donates $2 million to charity projects yearly |
| B．old toys collected are given to needy children as gifts |
| C．teens can help seniors contact their family members online |
| D．whoever donates warm coats is likely to win scholarships |