STRANGERS parties go wild these days. The main idea of them is to never let the people know who their matches are until the last minute. These are some popular practices that are storming the world’s youth on this V-day.
Speed dating
It’s exactly what the name implies. Complete with a timer, a whistle and 50 willing singles, speed dating is not the traditional dinner and a movie type of first date. Singles pay US $35 for three minutes with more than two dozen future dates. They ask questions and try to get to know each other. At the sound of a whistle, they do the same thing all over again―25 times in all.
Lock and key party
Women are given a lock and men are given a key, upon arriving at the party. Each key and lock has several matches. One can hunt for his/her later-to-be sweetheart in various groups, and try out the key or lock. Each time a lock and key match the pair are entered into a ballot (票数） for top prizes!
Dinner in the dark
Waiters wearing night vision glasses guide the guests through the pitch-black dining room. They are seated at the table and familiarized with the wine glass and plate. Food is handled with the fingers. People will not see the food they are eating or the guests at their table until the dessert course. At that moment, dining partners will appear.
Message party
Have A Cocktail, Leave A Message! When you arrive, you get a tag with a number and a pad of post-it notes. If you see someone you like, write a message on the message board. But wait… You’ve got a message… Go and collect it! You can make new friends and win lots of gifts. The more messages you leave on the bulletin board, the more chances you have of winning prizes. What do you think the similarities of these parties are?
A．All the parties have very  strict rules for their members. |
| B．If you want to go to any of the parties, you have to buy a ticket. |
| C．All the parties are aimed at strangers who want to be lovers. |
| D．All the parties are suitable not only for the young but for the old. |
In which party does a participant have to be careful with the time?
| A．Speed dating. | B．Lock and key party. |
| C．Dinner in the dark. | D．Message party. |
If you go to the Dinner in the dark, ________.
| A．you have to wear night vision glasses |
| B．you have to eat with your hands |
| C．guests eat all the courses in the darkness |
| D．your dining partners will help you choose the food |
How many of the parties offer gifts or prizes?
| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |
Credit cards let people buy things now and pay for them over months or even years. But some people get deep into debt: Some banks have terms and charges that can make it harder for people to pay off that debt. In the United States, there are calls for stronger government supervision of the credit card industry. They offer economic power at a price. In 2004, Americans had about $800 billion in credit card debt. Now they own about $ 968 billion.
Critics say banks make it too easy to get credit cards. But that may be changing. The crisis in the housing and credit they call markets is beginning to affect the credit card industry. More payments are late. Charges for late payments are a growing source of profit for banks. But late payments can also signal bad debts.
The central bank, the Federal Reserve, says two-thirds of American banks have recently reported tighter lending requirements. Many people report having their credit limits reduced without warning.
Some lawmakers are concerned that cardholders do not have enough protections from abusive policies. These include actions like raising interest rates because of an unrelated event. Also, banks may raise the chances of a late payment by changing monthly payment dates for credit cards.
According to a survey, 82% of Americans think credit cards provide a valuable service. But a majority, 58%, say they do not trust credit card companies. And three out of four think the government should regulate the industry more closely. Three out of four people feel there is always some condition that makes a card less appealing than the company made in scared. And a little more than half say they have had a card that is not as good as they expect. But close to 80% say no one really reads the terms and conditions when they sign up for a credit card. What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．We can enjoy more convenience by using credit cards. |
| B．Credit cards can improve your buying power. |
| C．We can buy things at lower prices by using credit cards. |
| D．Credit cards bring more debts as well as convenience. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Banks are making it harder for people to get credit cards. |
| B．Some people's credit limits have been reduced. |
| C．It is more difficult to borrow money from some banks. |
| D．Banks are receiving more charges from late payments. |
Which of the following can be a case of abusive policies?
| A．Banks make credit cards look more attractive. |
| B．Banks ignore the danger of bad debts. |
| C．Banks raise interest rates with no good reason. |
| D．Banks put off monthly payment dates. |
What can we know from the text?
| A．Banks actually prefer to see more late payments. |
| B．People should be more careful when applying for a credit card. |
| C．The US government provides better protection for cardholders. |
| D．The majority of Americans don't think much of credit cards. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Credit cards are still very well received in America. |
| B．Credit cards don't live up to some people's expectations. |
| C．Many people don't believe in credit card companies. |
| D．The results of a survey about credit cards in America. |
I never thought I would have a life-changing experience at Wal-Mart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed, the checkout line I was standing in wasn't moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies, wearing glasses and a nice smile. I thought, well, he's an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before scanning the items. Sure, his words were the usual, "How's it going?" But he did something different - he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was odd. I have grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don't give any thought to the question and just mumble something back. I could say, "I just found out I have six months to live," and someone would reply, "Have a great day!"
But that wasn't the end.
He gave them the change, walked around the counter, and extended his right hand in an act of friendship. He looked at the customers' eyes. "I do want to thank you for shopping here today, "he told them." Have a great day. Bye-bye."
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some sheepish grins. All had been touched by his simple gesture that they never expected. They would gather their things and
walk out, smiling. Of course, he did the same to me and I got to know his name, Marty.
Who was that guy? It was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy's body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because __
| A．the cashier couldn't work as fast as others |
| B．there were some big purchases |
| C．the cashier did more than scanning the items |
| D．the writer was not patient enough |
According to the writer, when common people ask you "How's it going?",______ .
| A．they don't really care what you may answer |
| B．they are just practising their conversation ability |
| C．they are inquiring about your private information |
| D．they don't expect to hear any negative answers |
What was most customers' reactivity on Marty's behaviours?
| A．They thought it priceless. |
| B．They were in some way moved. |
| C．They thought it awful and odd. |
| D．They felt somewhat offended. |
What can we infer about Sam Walton?
| A．He might be Marty's father or grandfather. |
| B．He might be friendly and devoted to Wal-Mart. |
| C．He might have died while working in the market. |
| D．He might have come back from the dead once before. |
What does the writer intend to express through the text?
| A．Our everyday life is always full of surprises. |
| B．Most customers enjoy being treated this way. |
| C．Being different is a good way of doing business. |
| D．A little positive action can make a big difference. |
Movie makers at one time worried that they might be put out of business by television. Recently, however, more and more people have been going to the movies. This may be partly because the economic situation in America has worsened. When at the movies, people forget their troubles, as they get involved in the story on the screen. Also, directors have recently been producing pictures that large numbers of people want to see.
Americans in the millions are returning to their love affairs with the movies. Motion picture industry experts see two main factors responsible for this: an increased need by Americans to escape from economic worries and a large number of new movies with broad audience appeal.
Movie makers admit that their rising popularity is partly the result of poor economic conditions, which traditionally bring an increase in theatre attendance. "When people are fearful about the future, they look for escape, "comments Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. "In a shaded theatre, with a 65-foot screen, you lose yourself for two and a half hours and people find this beneficial." What did movie makers worry about before?
| A．That they couldn't have enough money to make films. |
| B．That they couldn't find good actors. |
| C．That their movies might be played on television. |
| D．That people preferred watching TV to seeing films. |
Why are so many people going to see movies now?
| A．Because people now have much more money. |
| B．Because people don't have any other entertainment. |
| C．Because people want to escape from real life. |
| D．Because watching movies is now much cheaper than watching TV. |
The main topic of American movies is about __ .
| A．economy |
| B．love |
| C．tradition |
| D．not mentioned |
According to Jack Valenti, why have movies become popular?
| A．Because America's economy is bad and people want to escape from their economic worries. |
| B．Because a large number of new movies have broad audience appeal. |
| C．Because the directors have cut the budget in making movies. |
| D．Because the films are worth seeing and are excellent motion pictures. |
What's the passage mainly about?
| A．More Americans are watching movies than before. |
| B．Television will take the place of movies. |
| C．America's economic depression. |
| D．Americans prefer to watch movies rather than watch TV. |
While assisted living centres have been available in the United States for many years, the growth and availability of assisted living has had a dramatic increase since the early 1990s. An assisted living centre is a residential alternative that promotes maximum independence for each resident through a combination of supportive services and assistance. The definition of assisted living from one state to another may vary and so will the cost and types of services.
Assisted living centres vary in size, style and the optional services they may offer. Small family style living centres or the larger complex units can be found in the United States. Some facilities are operated by nonprofit organizations, while others are proprietary In addition, some facilities may be colocated or affiliated (附属) with a hospital or nursing facility.
An assisted living centre is any institution, rest home, boarding home, place, building or agency that is maintained and operated to provide personal care and services which meet some needs beyond basic provision of food, shelter and laundry in a free standing, physically separate facility which is not otherwise required to be licensed.
In general terms, an assisted living centre is required to provide assistance with daily living activities, including eating, bathing, dressing and personal hygiene; three meals a day; supervision （监督,管理) of self-administration of medications; laundry service including personal laundry, housekeeping, and 24-hour staffing.What is an assisted living centre?
| A．A hotel that serves meals. |
| B．A place for children to be taken care of. |
| C．An entertainment place for adults. |
| D．A place which gives supportive services and assistance. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．All assisted living centres offer the same kinds of services. |
| B．A1l assisted living centres cost the same. |
| C．There are different kinds of assisted living centres in the United States. |
| D．All assisted living centres are of the same size. |
The underlined word "proprietary" in the second paragraph probably means "____".
| A．state-owned |
| B．governmental |
| C．owned by a charity organization |
| D．private |
An assisted living centre offers the following services EXCEPT ____.
| A．meals |
| B．washing |
| C．education |
| D．housekeeping |
What does the passage talk about?
| A．What's an assisted living centre? |
| B．Assisted living centres are popular in the United States. |
| C．Assisted living centres offer good services. |
| D．Welcome to the assisted living centre. |
Sport is very popular in England. In other words lots of English people like the idea of sport and watch sport on TV. But the number who takes part in sport is quite small. On the whole, English people prefer to
be fat rather than be thin.
The most popular sport in England is football. Football is played on Saturday afternoon in most towns and the supporters of a certain team will travel from one end of the country to the other to see their team play. There are four divisions (级别 ) of the footbaLl league. Not surprisingly the best teams are in the first division. But the best supporters are often in the fourth division. You have to be a good supporter to watch the fourth division football! is the most popular sport in England.
| A．Basketball | B．Football |
| C．Golf | D．Tennis |
You have to be a good supporter to watch division football.
| A．the first | B．the second |
| C．the third | D．the fourth |
Why do many English people not take part in sport?
| A．They are too busy. |
| B．They like watching sport on TV. |
| C．They would like to be fat. |
| D．They prefer to be thin. |
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