At first glance,price-comparison websites are an example of capitalism at its best.But it has caused fierce competition on price and eviscerated profits.Towers Watson,a consultancy,said that "unnecessary" price competition following the rise of comparison sites in Britain had cost insurers ￡1 billion a year.
Consumers should celebrate that;the firms' losses are their gains.But there is a catch.Comparison sites introduce a new layer of costs,including their own advertising campaigns.In theory,competition in the market for comparison sites ought to keep those costs down.But David Ronayne of Warwick University argues that consumers often lose out from comparison sites.They earn a commission for each shopper who uses them for consumption such as buying insurance.That referral（委托）cost is included in the price the consumer ends up paying.If the increased costs outweigh the saving the comparison enables,consumers end up worse off.
These worries are not just theoretical.In 2014,Britain's competition regulator found that many comparison sites were using their contracts with retailers（零售商）to ban them from offering lower prices elsewhere.That weakened rivals' incentive（对手的动机）to cut fees,because prices on their site could not fall.By keeping prices similar,the contracts also reduced the incentive for consumers to search on multiple sites,thus helping sites retain their users.
Weaker incentives to lower commissions mean weaker incentives to lower costs,too.That might explain why comparison websites advertise so heavily,and sometimes offer free gifts to those who use them.In a recent paper,Ben Edelman of Harvard Business School and Julian Wright of the National University of Singapore argue that when a site knows that the prices merchants provide through it will always be the lowest available,it increases investment in attracting customers,safe in the knowledge that the merchants and at last consumers will bear the cost.
Is there any way to ensure the market for price comparison is competitive?Asking consumers to check multiple websites defeats the point of using them.One solution is to have only one site,but regulate it as a public utility（功用）. Alternatively,the governments could run the site itself.But creating good search and comparison sites may be too hard for them.It is much better to acknowledge that consumers will always have to do some comparison themselves to "keep the system honest".
Websites that compare the comparison sites can help,although it is easy to see how they could fall prey to the same problems.Any firm with captive users（被动用户）,be it a comparison site a search engine,or a social-media platform,can charge a high price for access to the eyes of its customers.For all their innovation,Internet middlemen are not unlike supermarkets.Shoppers would never imagine that a single store had the lowest price for all the items they need.
1.According to the first two paragraphs,price-comparison websites______.
A.will offer smart consumers the best deals
B.will bring insurance firms increased profits
C.can help keep the costs of insurance firms down
D.may raise the price that consumers pay for their purchases
2.Current comparison sites tend to put most of their efforts in______.
A.lowering commissions B.contracting with retailers
C.attracting consumers D.cutting operating costs
3.According to the last two paragraphs,the author probably agrees that______.
A.it's desirable to have only one comparison site and have it run by the government
B.it's advisable that comparison sites with captive users charge a high price for its service
C.consumers should check multiple comparison sites before making a purchasing decision
D.websites that compare the comparison websites can help to build a competitive market
4.The passage mainly conveys the idea that comparison sites______.
A.create an effective channel for smart consumers
B.are competition's friends and enemies at the same time
C.offer win-win deals between consumers and retailers
D.have caused a new form of competition among retailers
To learn to think is to learn to question. Those who don’t question never truly think for themselves. These are simple rules that have governed the advancement of science and human thought since the beginning of time. Advancements are made when thinkers question theories and introduce new ones. Unfortunately, it is often the great and respected thinkers who end up slowing the progress of human thought. Aristotle was a brilliant philosopher whose theories explained much of the natural world, often incorrectly. He was so esteemed by the scientific community that even 1,200 years after his death, scientists were still trying to build upon his mistakes rather than correct them!
Brilliant minds can intimidate up﹣and﹣coming thinkers who are not confident of their abilities. They often believe they are inferior to the minds of giants such as Aristotle, leading many to accept current paradigms instead of questioning them.
I, like many thinkers of the past, once believed in my mental inferiority. I was certain that my parents, my teachers﹣adults in general﹣were always right. They were like a textbook to me; I didn't question what was written on those pages. I respected them, and accepted whatever they told me. But that attitude soon changed. My mind’s independence was first stimulated in the classroom.
Astern,65﹣year﹣old elementary﹣school science teacher once told me that light is a type of wave. I confidently went through years of school believing that light is a wave. One day, however, I heard the German exchange student mention that light could be made up of particles. As the others laughed at his statement, I started to question my beliefs.
Maybe the teachers and textbooks hadn’t given me the whole story. I went to the library， did some research and learned of the light﹣as﹣a﹣wave versus light﹣as﹣a﹣particle debate. I read about Einstein’s discovery of the dual nature of light and learned the facts of a paradox （悖论） that puzzles the world's greatest thinkers to this day. Light behaves as both a particle and a wave, it is both at once. I realized I had gone through life accepting only half of the story as the whole truth.
Each new year brought more new facts, and I formulated even more questions. I found myself in the library after school, trying to find my own answers to gain a more complete understanding of what I thought I already knew. I discovered that my parents and teachers are incredible tools in my quest for knowledge, but they are never the final word. Even textbooks can be challenged. I learned to question my sources, I learned to be a thinker. I once believed that everything I learned at home and at school was certain, but I have now discovered to re﹣examine when necessary.
Questions are said to be the path to knowledge and truth, and I plan to continue questioning. How many things do we know for sure today that we will question in the future？ At this moment, I know that our sun will burn for another five billion years, and I know nothing can escape the gravity of a black hole. This knowledge, however, may change in the next 20 years﹣maybe even in the next two. The one thing we can control now is our openness to discovery. Questions are the tools of open minds, and open minds are the key to intellectual advancement.
1.In the first paragraph, Aristotle is taken as an example to show that .
A.he is the greatest and respected philosopher of all time
B.huge influence of great thinkers may block human thought
C.advancements are made when thinkers question theories
D.great thinkers often make mistakes and then correct them
2.What does the underlined word “intimidate” in Paragraph 2 mean？
A.Frighten.
B.Encourage.
C.Strength.
D.Persuade.
3.We can conclude from the last paragraph that .
A.the author is not quite sure about his future
B.we human beings don’t dare to predict future
C.theory of black holes will change in two years
D.questioning is necessary to promote advancement
4.What does the passage mainly talk about？
A.Following rules.
B.Challenging yourself.
C.Questioning giants.
D.Predicting future.
Déjà vu， the strange feeling of having been to this very place or done this very thing before when you know you haven't， happens to most people at some point in their lives. The expression comes from the French， meaning "already seen".
My friend Shannon knew that she was going to marry her husband the day they met. She had dated a lot of men following her divorce， but none of them felt right. Then， she met Bob. There was something about the way he smiled， his voice and the shape of his hands， that made her think that they had known each other before. After talking it was clear that their paths had never crossed， but after their first lunch date， they became inseparable. What Shannon and Bob immediately felt for each other was more than just physical chemistry. It was a natural understanding and a depth of closeness that usually arises after couples are together for many years. They were married two months after they met and have been together now for ten years.
I'm often asked how to tell the difference between a feeling of déjà vu when we first meet someone and all attraction stemming from an addictive obsession （痴迷）.
There is a strong tendency among addicts to try to "fix" themselves with love， rushing prematurely into relationships inspired only by strong physical attraction. They often have nothing to do with déjà vu， but stem rather from a basic emptiness that longs to be filled. There is no true bond between the people involved，they hardly know each other， and these partnership attempts fail miserably when the pink glow of newness wears off. However，mostly déjà vu experiences convey a quality that is quiet and solid. The possibility of having a déjà vu is existing in partnerships of all kinds，particularly the more intimate ones. It can occur in business， friendships and family， often leading to outcomes that can impact the direction of our life.
Déjà vus can take place anywhere， at any time and with anyone. Don't let these possibilities pass you by. Summoning the courage to take a chance and act， to have faith in what is not yet visible， will make the experience your own.
1.What is déjà vu？
A.The false belief that one has experienced something before.
B.The fact that one is often cheated by his belief.
C.The wrong idea that couples share everything in life.
D.The feeling that one falls in love at first sight.
2.Why does the author mention his friend's love story in Paragraph 2？
A.To introduce the topic.
B.To entertain the readers.
C.To support the explanation.
D.To analyze couple relationship.
3.In what way is déjà vu different from physical attraction？
A.It occurs all the time.
B.It's stable and lasts long.
C.It involves a previous experience.
D.It appears only between couples.
4.What does the author suggest doing when déjà vu takes place？
A.Practicing before acting.
B.Calming down and letting it go.
C.Regarding it as nothing but imagination.
D.Seizing the opportunity and taking actions.
Learning Java by OnlineGatha
Price: $1.5 Words: 93,560 Language: English Published: May 21, 2018
This book has been designed for students as well as teachers to help them out in learning the fundamental concepts of the Java Programming Language. It uses a bottom-up approach in explaining various topics -- that is, it explains basic syntax(句法) and gradually moves towards the complex problems.
Ice Age by John Gribbin & Mary Gribbin
Price: $3.99 Words: 26,790 Language: English Published: December 15, 2014
John and Mary Gribbin tell the remarkable story of how we came to understand the phenomenon of Ice Ages. How frequently do Ice Ages occur? How do astronomical rhythms（节律） affect the Earth's climate? Have there always been two polar ice caps? What does the future hold?
The Pool Bible by Ken Walker
Price: $14.95 Words: 77,400 Language: English Published: March 21, 2013
Maintain your own pool - and save pots of money! A plain-language guide to care and maintenance of swimming pools by an expert in the field. The secrets of water balance and pH are laid bare for the backyard pool-owner! The Pool Bible is full of tips, tricks & advice. Save 10% of the cover price in the first 12 months or YOUR MONEY BACK. (PS - No-one has asked for a refund yet.)
The Oblivion Stone by Alexandra Moody
Price: $3.99 Words: 85,430 Language: English Published: February 12, 2018
A battle between the humans and the Unfaih appears on the horizon, and Sloane and Rhyn must take measures to stop the violence that threatens to destroy everyone they love. Can they find the solution in time? Get your copy of the third book in The Liftsal Guardians series now!
1.What’s the theme of the book by OnlineGatha?
A. Computer science B. School life
C. Climate change D. A TV program
2.What does the book The pool Bible promise its readers?
A. Quick delivery B. A free present
C. The chance of a refund D. Better after-sales service
3.Which book is published as part of a series?
A. Ice Age B. The Pool Bible
C. Learning Java D. The Oblivion Stone
假定你是红星中学的学生会主席李华，高考临近，你校决定举办高三毕业典礼(the Graduation Ceremony),请你代表学生会向全体高三学生发一则通知，内容包括：
1.毕业典礼时间 (7月4日)及地点(报告厅lecture hall);
2. 参加者：
3. 活动;
4. 注意事项。
注意：1、词数100左右：
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Notice
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Student Union
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线( \)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词：
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从11处起)不计分。
Last month our school held a Reading Week, which aim was to encourage the students to read wide. During the week, book lovers recommended a plenty of good books which were suitable to high school students. In addition, two famous writers are invited to give lectures on how to understand and appreciate great work of literature. The poetry recitation contest was another amazed activity for the students to bring his talent into full play. All the contestants took turns read their favorite poems to the audience. We all find the Reading Week very beneficial. It has not only enriched our school life, and helped us form the habit of reading.
