The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato’s Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated (高雅时尚的) brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories (装饰品) that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices (零售价).
The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like.
Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but “this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores”, because of the economy.
If you're selling
Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment (寄售), Plato's Closet buys on the spot.
Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition.
Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center.
There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card.
Secondhand success
Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season.
Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying.
Price comparison
Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37.
Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90.
Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89.
Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365)What is the difference between Plato's Closet and other resale shops?
| A．They offer service for people of different ages. |
| B．The offerings in Plato's Closet are more expensive. |
| C．Plato's Closet only offers high-end brands for women. |
| D．Plato's Closet also sells books to the customers. |
Which of the following about Plato's Closet is NOT true?
| A．Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch are the two hottest brands in Plato's Closet. |
| B．Only young people can buy proper clothes and accessories in Plato's Closet. |
| C．Goods in Plato's Closet are sold at up to 70 percent off retail prices. |
| D．Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s. |
In Plato s Closet, which of the following is not accepted?
| A．Items you sell must be. in very good condition. |
| B．You can bargain with buyers about the prices of goods. |
| C．The clothes you sell should be less than two years old. |
| D．You can sell your goods on the spot instead of on consignment. |
If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato's Closet, you can save_______.
| A．57.9 dollars | B．44 dollars | C．77 dollars | D．25 dollars |
A
Before I started school, people felt that I was not going to be successful. At the age of four I started speech lessons because basically I could not speak well enough for anyone to understand me. The story goes downhill from here.
The first grade was a struggle. I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn’t do it. The second grade was not much better. I still struggled with the inability to read. It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home. I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one. However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years.
It was in the fifth grade. Mrs. Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her. She did not make me feel defeated. On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be. And that is just what I did.
For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher. Because of Mrs. Wakefield’s influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone. I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year. I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be.The writer ______ when he was in the third grade.
| A．did better in reading | B．began speech lessons |
| C．went to a new school | D．received a high award |
We can learn from the passage that the writer ______.
| A．is a very successful teacher now |
| B．thinks teaching is a challenging job |
| C．has solved problems with his own effort |
| D．works in the same school with Mrs. Wakefield |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To express his devotion to his work. |
| B．To show his respect to a special teacher. |
| C．To share his teaching experience with us. |
| D．To tell us his story of overcoming difficulties. |
How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always presenting new things to the child — things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his parents. He is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is continually being told not to do things or being punished for what he has done wrong.
When the young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.According to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that __.
| A．life for a child is comparatively easy |
| B．a child is always loved whatever he does |
| C．if much is given to a child, he must do something in return |
| D．only children are interested in life |
After a child grows up, he __.
| A．will have little time playing |
| B．has to be successful in finding a job |
| C．can still ask for help in time of trouble |
| D．should be able to take care of himself |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．People are always satisfied with each part of their life. |
| B．Life is less interesting for old people. |
| C．Children are free to do what they want to do. |
| D．Adults should no longer rely on others. |
The underlined word "responsibilities" in the second paragraph means__________.
| A．duties | B．jobs | C．suggestions | D．desires |
The main idea of the passage is _________ .
| A．life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains |
| B．young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard |
| C．childhood is the most enjoyable time in one's life |
| D．one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life |
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 affair 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 theater 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 theater, 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 no one would go to the cinema. |
| B．That movies couldn’t be a business any more. |
| 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 have troubles. |
| C．Because people wanted 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 the passage, which statement is True?
| A．At present, more and more people have been going to the movies. |
| B．Movies attracted people only by motion pictures. |
| C．Jack Valenti is anxiously looking for escape from movies. |
| D．Movie industry is welcome by Chinese people. |
What does the underlined word mean in the first paragraph?
| A．become bad | B．become popular | C．become attractive | D．become amazing |
Tourism wasn’t as important as it is today. In the past, only people with a good deal of money could travel on holidays to other countries. More people travel today than in the past because there is a growing middle class in many parts of the world; that is to say, people now have more money for travel. Special plane fares for tourists make travel less expensive and more attractive than ever before. One person doesn’t travel for the same reason as another. But most people enjoy seeing countries that are different from their own. They also like to meet new people and to taste new food.
Tourism causes many changes in a country and in people’s lives. People build new hotels and restaurants and train native men and women as guides to show visitors around interesting places. There’re new nightclubs and other amusements. International tourism is clearly a big business.In the old days _________ could travel to other countries.
| A．boys and girls, men or women, young or old |
| B．either kings or queens |
| C．both the poor and the rich |
| D．nobody but those who had money |
More people travel today than in the past because______________.
| A．people have become interested in traveling |
| B．traveling today is easier than in the past |
| C．people now have spare money for travel |
| D．great changes have taken place in the world |
What makes travel more attractive than before?
- Travel by air to other countries is much cheaper today.
- More guides are being trained to show beautiful spots.
- Modern telegraph lines make travel less expensive.
- New hotels and restaurants have been built.
| A．Tourism won’t bring any changes in people’s minds. |
| B．People have some trouble in making journey. |
| C．With the development of tourism, great changes have taken place in many parts in the world. |
| D．Tourism causes only some changes in clothing. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The Change of Tourism | B．Tourism |
| C．The Importance of Tourism | D．The Cause of Tourism Change |
The olive is one of the oldest planted crops known to man and is still widely grown in the Mediterranean.An olive tree can have a life of 500 years and is strong enough to continue to grow if ever chopped to the ground.It takes up four years before the olive tree is ripe enough to bear fruit.
Olive trees originated in the Mediterranean region where there is the perfect climate for the olive tree planting.It is characterized by abundant sunshine year-round and hot,dry summers with an average temperature of 80°F.In winter,it rarely drops below 50°F.Olive trees were first planted by humans around 4000 BC in an area known as the Fertile Crescent.Before the areas became desert,countries such as modern-day Turkey and Iraq had a lush environment with soil that plants grow well.Archaeological findings suggest that farming began in the Fertile Crescent before 7000BC.Instead of living as hunter-gatherers,these early humans settled down and harvested native plants.They selected olive trees that produced larger and oilier olives than the wild trees.
Olives and olive oil became valuable trade items between societies and civilizations.People who moved from one place to another and traders from the Fertile Crescent introduced olive oil to Syria and Crete,which spread to Egypt,Greece,and Rome.It continued to migrate westward until olive trees were first introduced to Califomia between 1769 and 1785.
The olive tree and olive oil have important symbolism in each religion.In Christianity,a dove(鸽子)brought an olive branch to Noah as a symbol of peace and new life after God flooded the Earth.The Prophet Muhammad suggested the use of olive oil for medicinal(药用的) purposes and massage(按摩).
Olive oil has medicinal benefits.Olive oil has been used for health benefits.Regular eating olive oil can reduce the risk of cancers.It was used during the Spanish Civil War from 1808 to 1813 to treat cases of fever.In 1960,oleuropein(橄榄多酚)was removed from olive leaves,which helps with food poisoning.If an olive tree is chopped to the ground,______.
| A．it can’t grow any more |
| B．it can produce more new ones |
| C．there is no doubt that it will die |
| D．it is able to grow back strongly |
What does the underlined word “lush”in para.2 probably mean?
| A．Of bad climate. | B．Changeable or unstable. |
| C．Extremely disadvantaged. | D．Growing thickly and strongly. |
We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_____.
| A．the olive tree can stand extreme cold |
| B．the olive tree enjoys the long sunshine |
| C．the olive is the oldest tree in the world |
| D．the climate of deserts suits the olive tree |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
①Olive trees bear fruits every four years.
②Olive oil was a food production before 7000BC.
③In Muhammad,olive oil was used as medicine.
④Olive trees were introduced to California in the 18th century.
A.②③④ B. ①②③ C. ①③④ D. ①②④What is this passage mainly about?
| A．The history of the olive tree. |
| B．The characteristic of the olive tree. |
| C．The origin and medicinal benefits of the olive tree. |
| D．The different symbols of the olive tree in each region. |
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