Many a online shopper stayed up until 2 am on Sunday, looking through the Internet to buy products being sold at half price before they could be snapped up（be bought）by other shoppers. Tens of millions of the Internet users were crazy to take advantage of the halfprice promotion, started by the ecommerce(电子商务) giant Alibaba Group on Sunday, Nov. 11, which is known as Singles’ Day in China, and is the Chinese answer to Cyber Monday in the United States.
By 7 pm on Sunday, 14.1 billion yuan’s worth of sales was made on tmall. com and taobao. com. That could make Singles’ Day the biggest ecommerce sales day on record. The research company comScore said US online retailers (零售商) saw $ 1.25 billion of sales during last year’s Cyber Monday, the day after Thanksgiving weekend and the busiest day for online retailers as US shoppers start to prepare for Christmas.
Singles’ Day originated with university students, and was later adopted by ecommerce companies as a promotional opportunity. Ecommerce companies, including Jingdong Mall and Amazon China, also took part in the promotion.“ In the past, people only shopped online occasionally, but now, online shopping is a lifestyle accepted by many，” said Zhang Yong, Tmall president.
Alibaba began to hold Singles’ Day promotions in 2009, and last year, its sales totaled 5.2 billion yuan.“I don’t know whether we would lose money, but I don’t think we could earn much on this day by selling goods at half price，” said Hao Hongfeng, chairman of Beijing Jiuxian ECommerce, a liquor retailer in Beijing who took part in the event. He said it is a good opportunity for online retailers to get their names known.Who first introduced Singles’ Day to the public?
| A．Some college students. |
| B．The online shoppers. |
| C．Researchers in comScore. |
| D．The online retailers. |
Why were the online retailers so active in the promotion?
| A．To make their names known to more people. |
| B．To make a lot more money. |
| C．To make more business friends through the event. |
| D．To sell more products. |
What’s the secret behind the success of this promotion?
| A．The quality of the products. |
| B．The fame of the retailers. |
| C．The favorable price. |
| D．The aftersales service. |
Which title do you think is more suitable for this article?
| A．Chinese Shopping Style |
| B．The Origin of Singles’ Day |
| C．Online Purchasing Power |
| D．A Craze for Online Promotion |
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to(料理), and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card(住宿登记卡) to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate(价钱). From then on, they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly(相应地).
With so many loopholes(漏洞) in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others? While taking a taxi in Finland, _____.
| A．a passenger can go anywhere without having to pay the driver |
| B．a passenger pays two US dollars for a taxi ride |
| C．a passenger can never be refused by the taxi driver wherever he wants to go |
| D．a passenger needs to provide good faith demonstration (证明) before leaving without paying |
We know from the passage that big hotels in Finland ________.
| A．are mostly poorly managed |
| B．provide meals for any diners |
| C．provide free wine and charge for food |
| D．provide meal for only those who live in the hotels |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The workers in Finland are paid by the hour. |
| B．The workers are always honest with their working hours. |
| C．The workers and their bosses will make an agreement in advance about the pay. |
| D．The bosses in Finland are too busy to check the working hours of their employees. |
The word “those” in the last but one paragraph probably refers to _____.
| A．people who are dishonest |
| B．people who often have meals in big hotels |
| C．people who often take taxis |
| D．people who are worthy of trust |
Learning English well is a great challenge, but with the help from technology（技术） it can be as easy as a piece of cake.
As well as the classroom, teachers and textbooks, the Internet, TV and radio programs can play an active role in helping learn English. The Internet is full of rich and up-to-date information. English learners might wish to try http://www.in2english.com.cn. It provides cultural information about Britain.
Another useful website for middle school students and teachers is: Besides reading 21st Century School Edition online, students are also invited to put their views on different topics up on the website.
Compared with the Internet, TV programs have their own advantages（优点）: one does not have to sit at a computer and one can hear and watch the programs much better.
One popular English-learning program is called "Modern English". This focuses on spoken English in practical situations such as taking photos and shopping.
If you watch Beijing Television Channel 8, you might see a program titled "Study Abroad". Cartoons are used to explain how to use the word in daily life. Listening to the radio may not be a new way to learn English but it is easy.
China Radio International airs a program called "Studio Classroom" at 6:30 a.m. every day. This 25-minute program is aimed at middle school students and covers subjects from current news to travel and history, all in simple language.
The author wants the readers to know that learning English __________.
| A．is very difficult for us |
| B．is very easy for us |
| C．is neither easy nor difficult |
| D．can be much easier with the help of technology |
One can practise spoken English in everyday situations in ___________.
| A．Studio Classroom | B．21st Century School Edition |
| C．Study Abroad | D．Modern English |
According to the author, TV programs are better than programs on the Internet because they __________.
| A．can let you hear and watch the programs much better |
| B．cost you nothing |
| C．have more English passages |
| D．have English courses whenever you need them |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．It introduces some websites of learning English |
| B．It introduces some TV and radio programs of learning English |
| C．It gives suggestions on learning English in modern ways |
| D．It explains different English courses |
Frank Smithson woke up and leaned over to turn off the alarm clock. "Oh no!" he thought to himself. " Another day at that office; a boss who shouts at me all the time."
As Frank went downstairs his eyes fell on a large brown envelope by the door. He was overjoyed when he opened it and read the letter inside. "Bigwoods Football Pools(足球赌博公司)would like to congratulate you. You have won half a million pounds."
Frank suddenly came to life. The cigarette fell from his lips as he let out a shout that could be heard halfway down the street.
At 11:30 Frank arrived at work. "Please explain why you're so late," his boss said. "Go and jump in the lake," replied Frank. "I've just come into a little money so this is good-bye. Find yourself someone else to shout at."
That evening Frank was smoking a very expensive Havana cigar(雪茄) when a knock was heard on the door. He rushed to the door. Outside were two men, neatly(整洁) dressed in grey suits. "Mr. Smithson," one of them said, "we're from Bigwoods Football Pools. I'm afraid there's been a terrible mistake…"What do we know about Frank?
| A．He was a lazy man. |
| B．He made a lot of money. |
| C．He didn't get on well with his boss. |
| D．He was a lucky person. |
When he heard the knock at the door, Frank probably thought_______.
| A．someone had come to make an apology |
| B．someone had come to give him the money |
| C．his friends had come to ask about the football pools |
| D．his friends had come to congratulate him on his luck |
On hearing "…there's been a terrible mistake…" Frank was most likely to be ______.
| A．disappointed | B．worried |
| C．nervous | D．curious |
Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it．Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people．When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment．Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction．Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are．
Focus on what you are thankful for．Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have．Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be．Focus on what you are thankful for．Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now．
When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being．Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner．What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment．
When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied．Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position．Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more．
When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you．Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you．Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment．Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition．
Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural．How can we live with contentment?
| A．To change our lifestyle． |
| B．To have a motivation in life． |
| C．To give less attention to what we are grateful for． |
| D．To realize the difference between needs and desires． |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．Make wise decisions |
| B．Know the present situation |
| C．Let go of regrets |
| D．Remember the past |
The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “______”．
| A．enjoy | B．change | C．create | D．neglect |
What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?
| A．Make time for simple pleasures． |
| B．Learn from successful people． |
| C．Focus on your future goals． |
| D．Create chance to learn more． |
As many as 4 out of every 1,000 infants born today have permanent hearing loss．When parents learn that their child has hearing loss, they are faced with many difficult decisions．These decisions can include choosing therapies and schools, as well as finding financial help for hearing aids or cochlear implants (人工耳蜗)．
Help Me Hear Foundation is a public charity that gives the gift of hearing to deaf children from families existing on very low incomes around the world．The foundation offers life-changing services for impoverished families, and provides real help for children with hearing impairment who may otherwise be left behind in schools or society due to their lack of hearing．
Help Me Hear Foundation believes that a child’s first years of development are critical．Being able to hear is vital to human, and Help Me Hear Foundation seeks to provide a positive lasting impression on society through its programs．Help Me Hear Foundation has many goals, including relieving the burden on communities with hearing-impaired infants and children, and strengthening the social structure of families and neighborhoods．
Recipients of Help Me Hear Foundation’s benefits receive state-of-the-art hearing devices that otherwise would cost thousands of dollars per child over the course of their lifetime．The Foundation raises money through donations for hearing aids and cochlear implants, which saves recipients and their families on average over $50,000 on related expenses．
The Foundation tries to be a transparent charity, and wants to be a catalyst for allowing deaf and hearing-impaired children to develop in a typical fashion alongside their peers．
Needy families can obtain information on specific services, and find out about deafness education by visiting the Help Me Hear Foundation’s website．The website offers helpful information on how hearing aids work, and how hearing aids ease many of the learning and language challenges that hearing-impaired children deal with on a daily basis．Help Me Hear Foundation was probably set up to _____．
| A．build schools for deaf children |
| B．research deaf children’s behavior |
| C．protect deaf children from being ignored |
| D．offer real help to poor deaf children |
We learn from the text that _____．
| A．the local government is in charge of the foundation |
| B．the work of the foundation depends on donations |
| C．even blind children can turn to the foundation |
| D．poor deaf African children cannot get help from the foundation |
Visit the foundation’s website, and you will learn about _____．
| A．the function of hearing aids |
| B．the specific services the foundation needs |
| C．the challenges that children face every day |
| D．the prices of a variety of hearing aids |
For whom is the text most probably written?
| A．Poor parents who have deaf children． |
| B．Doctors who want to improve skills． |
| C．Students who cannot see the blackboard clearly． |
| D．Teachers who have deaf children in their class． |
The author writes the text mainly to _____．
| A．tell how to avoid permanent hearing loss |
| B．explain how hard a life deaf children live |
| C．introduce Help Me Hear Foundation |
| D．advise people to give money to Help Me Hear Foundation |
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