"Everybody loves a bargain．" One person’s useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person's bargain．That is why so many Americans do not throw things away．They put them outside their houses．They put on a "For Sale" sign．And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper．It tells, when and where the yard sale will take place．These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn．Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house．Then they sit all day in the sunlight—like tired guests at a party—waiting for someone to take them home．
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale．Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else．Cooking equipment is also popular．So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs．
Then there are objects called "white elephants"．A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless．It may be an electric light shaped like a fish．You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it．To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy．
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect．It may be old toy trains, for example, or paintings of dogs．Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before．Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special．They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating（谈判）over prices, even if they really do not need the object．Later, they may hold their own yard to sell all the things they have bought．What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
| A．Things people no longer use． | B．Things of great, value． |
| C．Things out of season． | D．Things of beauty and joy． |
A white elephant refers to something _____．
| A．that can cause a feeling of pain |
| B．disliked by the owners while appreciated by others |
| C．that looks like a golden fish |
| D．sold at the lowest prices in the old newspaper |
Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
| A．It is held outdoors． | B．It may not be held on a cold day. |
| C．It can last for a whole day． | D．It is usually held with a party． |
D
Bernice Gallego sat down one day this summer, as she does pretty much every day, and began listing items on eBay. She dug into a box and pulled out a baseball card. She stopped for a moment and admired the picture. “Red Stocking B. B. Club of cincinnati,” the card read, under the reddish brown color photo of 10 men with their socks pulled up to their knees.
As a collector and seller, it's her job to spot old items that might have value today．It's what Bernice, 72, and her husband, Al Gallego, 80, have been doing since 1974 at their California antique （古玩） store．
This card, she figured, was worth selling on eBay．She took a picture, wrote a description and put it up for auction （拍卖）．She put a $10 price tag on it, deciding against $15 because it would have cost her an extra 20 cents．Later that night she got a few odd inquiries—someone wanting to know whether the card was real, someone wanting her to end the auction and sell him the card immediately．
The card is actually 139 years old．Sports card collectors call the find "extremely rare" and estimate the card could fetch five, or perhaps, six figures at auction．
Just like that, Bemice is the least likely character ever for a rare-baseball card story．"I didn't even know baseball existed that far back," Gallego says, "I don't think that I've ever been to a baseball game．" The theory is that the card came out of a storage space they bought a few years back．It is not uncommon in their line of work to buy the entire contents of storage units for around $200．
When she met with card trader Rick Mirigian, she found out what the card was—an 1869 advertisement with a picture of the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings．
"When I came to meet her and she took it out of a sandwich bag and she was smoking a cigarette, I almost fainted," Mirigian says．"They've uncovered a piece of history that few people will ever be able to imagine．That card is history．It's like unearthing a Mona Lisa or a Picasso．"
68．What can we conclude from Paragraph 3?
A．Bernice had to pay some fees for her card on eBay．
B．Bernice wanted to end the auction that night．
C．Bernice decided to sell the card for $15．
D．eBay charged her 20 cents for the card．
69．The underlined word "fetch" in Paragraph 4 most probably means "____"．
A．go and bring B．add up to C．go down to D．be sold for
70．From the passage, we may learn that ____．
A．Bernice is a baseball fan
B．Bernice is the last person to purchase the rare-baseball card
C．Bernice unexpectedly became the owner of the rare-baseball card
D．Bernice didn't realize the value of the card until she put it up for auction
71．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．A Surprisingly Valuable Discovery B．Bemice Gallego—A Lucky Collector
C．Sports Card Collectors D．The History of the Baseball Card
C
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program （ISP） at the International Center provides a welcoming place for immigrants where they can build the skills they need to fully participate in the professional and social life of their new country．
About the Program
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program （ISP） at the International Center provides an integrated （综合的） set of educational, cultural, and professional activities at ICNY to help immigrants:
●improve their English
●develop the networks they need to achieve their goals and fully participate in American life
●find a welcoming "home away from home"
Participants have access to a wide-range of programming, including:
●more than 40 weekly classes in English language and American culture
●practical and career-skills workshops
●opportunities to explore New York City and the nearby area through trips and tours
ISP is particularly focused on helping newly arrived immigrants at a critical point in their lives．Recent arrivals in financial need receive one-year scholarships and low-cost meals．ISP is funded by Andrew Romay and a sum of money from the Open Society Institute．
If you are interested in applying for ISP, please fill out our online application or contact ISP Program Manager, Elaine Roberts at （212） 255-9555 or at eroberts@intlcenter．org．
Resources for Current ISP Members
RECOMMENDED CLASSES
●Intermediate level: Introduction to Writing & Interviewing Skills on Wednesday, from
11 am-l2:l0pm．
●High Intermediate/Advanced: Tips for Success at Work and Beyond on Tuesday, from 2-3:25pm．
●Advanced: Career Skills Workshop on Wednesday, from 6-8pm．Sign-up required．
●For all levels: Interviewing Skills Workshop on Saturday, from 11 am. - 2 pm. Sign-up required.
UPCOMING EVENTS
To see a list of upcoming events, visit our News & Events page.
OTHER RESOURCES
If you would like helpful resources on topics such as ESOL, healthcare, housing, or finding a job, please visit our Member Resources page．
65．The main purpose of ISP is to ____．
A．help new immigrants set up a home away from home
B．equip new immigrants with the skills needed
C．provide support for new immigrants in financial need
D．help old immigrants at a critical point
66．You can become a member of ISP by ____．
A．visiting News & Events page B．surfing Member Resources page
C．contacting Andrew D．contacting Elaine
67．Which class best suits Tracy, who hopes to improve her interviewing skills but is busy on weekdays?
A．Intermediate level． B．High Intermediate/Advanced．
C．Advanced． D．For all levels．
B
The Couch Surfing network is an online community stretching across the globe with over one and a half million members．The basic concept is to provide a platform for travelers to contact people who are willing to put them up free of charge．Travelers connect with potential hosts online and, if they like each other, exchange details to make further arrangements．
Basil is one traveler from Switzerland who is currently couch surfing with a Chinese host in Beijmg．"I thought staying in hostel is nice but you mostly meet foreigners and speak English．If you use Couch Surfing you have chance to meet people living here and really get a chance to know the life of the place you visit．" Basil was speaking during a regular meeting of the Beijing network of Couch Surfing with a membership of almost 2,000．
Although some people may have concerns about meeting complete strangers and giving them full access to your house, Beijing group member Fred Sharp from California says that the Couch Surfing community is one that generally attracts trustworthy people．
"I have never had a problem with guests。I'd say that this Couch Surfing community worldwide is a fairly trustworthy community Like I say, always be cautious, make sure that you read everyone's profile that you're considering hosting, and if it doesn't feel right just say 'no', it's ok．"
Originally launched in the US as a non-profit organization in 2004, Couch Surfing is growing fast across the world．China is no exception with around 30,000 members and hundreds more signing up each week．One of them is Beijing resident Hai Yan who joined in November 2009．She says the first time she hosted a guest was a very positive experience．"My first guest was from Italy He was very kind and helpful．He bought me a present from Italy, a handbag．It's a famous brand!"
As the organization grows from strength to strength, hotel owners across the world will be watching very closely and possibly thinking twice about raising their prices too high．
61．The Couch Surfing network is intended to ____．
A．give reliable information about hotels
B．provide people with a platform to contact each other
C．find potential hosts who want to supply travelers with couches
D．offer travelers convenience to find suitable hosts for free accommodations
62．According to Fred Sharp, ____．
A．couch surfers can fully rely on Couch Surfing community
B．Couch Surfing community enables you to meet different people
C．Couch Surfing community is trusted by all couch surfers
D．couch surfers may form a judgment on hosts and make a final decision
63．We can infer from the passage that ____．
A．Couch Surfing has a long history
B．Hai Yan is satisfied with her host
C．Couch Surfing is getting popular in China
D．Basil works at the Beijing Network
64．The last paragraph suggests that hotels will ____．
A．be replaced by the organization B．probably not charge too much
C．not consider raising their prices D．show no concern about the organization
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
A
The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted, and shoulders bent forward he leaned on his trusty stick with each unhurried step. His torn cloth jacket, patched trousers, worn out shoes, and warm personality made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. He stopped, turned with his whole body, and winked at a little girl seated by the door. She flashed a big smile right back at him.
A young waitress named Mary watched him walk toward a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said, "Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair." She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she moved the table up close to him, and leaned his stick against the table where he could reach it.
In a soft, clear voice he said, "Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your kind gestures."
"You're welcome, Sir." She replied. "And my name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment, and if you need anything at all in the mean time, just wave at me!"
After he had finished a hearty meal, Mary brought him the change from his ticket. He left it on the table. She helped him and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, "Come back and see us, Sir!" He turned and nodded a thank-you. "You are very kind." he said softly, smiling.
When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted. Under his plate she found a business card, and a note scribbled on a napkin. Under the napkin was a one-hundred-dollar bill.
The note on the napkin read, "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you."
The man she had waited on was the owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees had ever seen him in person.
56．The old man left $ 100 under the napkin because he ____．
A．was grateful for Mary's kindness
B．wanted to encourage Mary to do more good deeds
C．appreciated Mary's kindness and work attitude
D．thought highly of the tasty meal in the restaurant
57．What do we know about Mary and the old man?
A．Mary knew who the old man was from the note．
B．Mary recognized the old man when she served him．
C．The old man intended to have Mary as his secretary．
D．It was the first time that Mary had seen her boss in the flesh．
58．It can be inferred that the old man went to the restaurant to ____．
A．have a good meal B．enjoy good service
C．have an on-site visit D．show his generosity
59．The passage is developed mainly by ____．
A．following the order of space B．following the order of events
C．making comparisons D．providing examples
60．The best title of the passage would be ____．
A．Employer and Employee B．The Secret of Happiness
C．A Gift from the Manager D．Good Service in the Restaurant
E
Could we "terraform" Mars —that is, change its frozen, thin-aired surface into something more friendly and Earthlike? Should we? The first question has a clear answer: Yes, we probably could．Spacecraft, including the ones now exploring Mars, have found evidence that it was warm in its youth, with rivers flowing into vast seas．And right here on Earth, we've learned how to warm a planet: just add greenhouse gases to its atmosphere．Much of the CO2 that once warmed Mars is probably still there, in frozen dirt and polar ice caps, and so is the water．
Most of the work in terraforming, says NASA scientist Chris Mackay, would be done by life itself． "You don't build Mars," Mackay says．"You just warm it up and throw some seeds．" Powerful greenhouse gases could be produced from elements in dirt and air on Mars and blown into the atmosphere; by warming the planet, they would release the frozen CO2, which would quicken the warming and increase atmospheric pressure to the point where liquid water could flow．Meanwhile, says botanist James Graham of the University of Wisconsin, human settlers could seed the red rock with a succession （系列） of ecosystems ?first bacteria and lichens （地衣）, which survive in Antarctica, later mosses （苔藓）, and after one thousand years or so, redwoods．Getting breathable oxygen levels out of those forests, though, could take thousands of years．
However, Mars is in no immediate danger．Some space scientists recently recommended going to the moon or an asteroid （小行星） first, and pointed out the space agency lacks the funds to go anywhere．It didn't estimate the cost of gardening a dead planet．
72．What is the most essential to make Mars fit for living?
A．Turn ice into flowing water． B．Clean the dirty atmosphere．
C．Make the atmosphere more suitable． D．Go to the moon or an asteroid first．
73．What does the author think of the idea ofterraforming Mars?
A．We could do it． B．We couldn't do it．
C．We should do it． D．We shouldn't do it．
74．In the botanist's opinion, man needs to __________.
A．enable Mars to clean its atmosphere
B．build a greenhouse on Mars
C．send some people to settle on Mars
D．cultivate ecosystems from lower to higher life form
75．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Making Mars the New Earth． B．A Good Way to Change the Universe
C．Humans' Great Power． D．Terrible Science and Technology．
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