My daughter recently asked me what a Travel Agency does. There is one located on our street and it has just been completely rebuilt. I told her that they helped people book their trips and vacations. “Why haven’t we ever been in there?” she wanted to know. “Because we do everything ourselves online these days” I explained. “But why do it yourself if other people want to do it for you?” she wondered out loud.
The answer is that the travel agency makes a little bit of money on each ticket you book through them. If you book your ticket yourself, online, you save that money. Saving money sounds great except that when you think about it you typically spend three evenings comparing prices to end up saving $30 on a $300 trip. All those $30 discounts add up of course so I guess we should be happy with that.
Still, how bad is it really to pay someone $30 and trust them to buy you something decent? Wouldn’t you say your free evenings are worth more than $10 a piece?
Consider books for a moment. Buying your book at Amazon saves you maybe 30% to 40% on each book. Add to that the convenience of shopping from home and getting the package delivered to your home address. So far so good.
Unfortunately that does mean you spend way too much time browsing Amazon. com while you could do something fun instead. Like maybe reading an actual book?
Then the package arrives and you aren’t home and end up having to pick it up at the local post- office. All in all I wonder how much time I end up investing in the whole process.
Time sounds free, but to most of us, it is more valuable than money.
The Internet Economy promised to get rid of the middle-men and we loved it. Somehow, I’m starting to get the feeling that we ourselves ended up doing the work of that middle-men we were so eager to get rid of.
In any project you can always pick two of these: fast, cheap or good. We seem to have focused a lot on ‘cheap’ and ‘good’ but the extra time we need to invest to keep it ‘fast’ comes out of our own pockets.
You can always make more money but you can never make more time.
1.What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
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A．It mainly shows the curiosity of the author’s daughter. |
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B．It indicates that the Internet has influenced our daily life. |
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C．It tells us the importance of a travel agency. |
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D．It shows why people need a travel agency. |
2.What’s the author’s attitude towards the Internet Economy?
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A．The author thinks online shopping saves time and is a convenient way to buy products. |
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B．The author worries about sending personal information over the internet. |
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C．The author doesn’t think online shopping is satisfactory in every way. |
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D．The author likes the convenience but is concerned about the e-commerce environment. |
3.What’s the best title for the passage?
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A．The convenience of the Internet Economy. |
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B．How to save money in the Internet Economy. |
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C．The hidden cost of the Internet Economy. |
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D．How to save time in the Internet Economy. |
Celebrated in the city of Munich, Germany, the Oktoberfest, as it is popularly called, is a 3-week festival that takes place in the months of September and October. Also called the largest beer festival in the world, the Oktoberfest gathers about 6 million visitors worldwide every year. Seeing the popularity of the festival, many countries around the world have adapted to what they call their own version of the Oktoberfest. So if you are not able to make it to Germany, you can always enjoy the festival in the areas mentioned below. Don’t miss out on it!
Brazil: welcome to the German town of Blumenau in Brazil. Well, we are not talking about Germans living in the town, but the place was originally founded by immigrants from Germany in the year 1850. The town is built in a traditional German style and there are a fair number of people who still live the way it used to be in good old days. The Oktoberfest is celebrated in a small village called Parque Vila Germanica between the dates of October 1st to October 18th. Guests can enjoy the festival in addition to exploring the town and its sites which include a beer museum.
Vietnam: celebrated in Ho Chi Minh City since 1992, the Oktoberfest event over here is conducted between the 6th and the 11th of October and the decorations are like the original festival in Munich, with large wooden tables lined with beer.
The Philippines: unlike the original Oktoberfest which is celebrated in a certain area, the Oktoberfest in the Philippines is a recent addition to the already existing festival which takes place between the 4th of September and the 9th of October. Now the event is set to be celebrated in a total of 30 parties in various cities around the country.
Canada: over 700,000 guests (second highest after Munich) in and around Canada take part in the Oktoberfest celebrated in Ontario between the 9th and the 17th of October.
1.In which place does the Oktoberfest take place from September to October?
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A．In Blumenau. |
B．In Ontario. |
C．In Ho Chi Minh City. |
D．In Munich. |
2.From the first paragraph we can know that _______.
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A．the Oktoberfest in Germany is the biggest beer festival in the world. |
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B．every year about 600,000 people celebrated the Oktoberfest in Germany |
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C．the Oktoberfest lasts longer in Germany than in any other country |
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D．in Germany the name “beer festival” is better known than the Oktoberfest |
3.About the Germany town of Blumenau, we know that ______.
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A．only Germans live in the town |
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B．the town was first founded by Germans |
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C．people in the town all live in the old German way |
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D．the town has many beer festivals |
4.The author’s purpose in writing this passage is ______.
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A．to call on more people to travel abroad |
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B．to attract more tourists to the Oktoberfest in Munich |
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C．to introduce Oktoberfest celebrations in the world |
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D．to describe the development of the Oktoberfest |
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher stressed the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not a proper topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it”. Soon I was interrupted again by his words：“You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t request you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really?’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.
Always remember: what the English teachers say is always right to us students.
1.A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because _______.
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A．I didn’t have the slightest interest in them |
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B．English idioms are not important |
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C．My teacher didn’t emphasize the importance of them |
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D．I was not careful with English idioms |
2.At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant _______ .
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A．I had talked too much |
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B．he was not interested in the topic |
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C．he was only interested in the Great Wall |
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D．he had something to tell me |
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
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A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall. |
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B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
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C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
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D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting. |
4.After the Englishman explained the idiom, _______.
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A．I felt very silly |
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B．the Englishman became a real fool |
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C．I thought he had made me a fool |
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D．I became more careful in everything |
Not many foreigners can say that they have lived in China for as long as I have. Perhaps some can hack(应对) it for about two or three years and then they want to either go back home or move on to another country. As for me, I cannot get 36 of this place. I love it here so much and I honestly believe that I am very comfortable here. It feels just like 37. And, here 38 the story.
It was August 2001 and I had just said 39 to my family and friends as I 40 to Los Angeles International Airport to catch my 41 to Incheon, South Korea which would then 42 me to Beijing. When I arrived in LA I was very excited and a little 43 because I didn't know what to 44 when I arrived in China. It 45 like receiving a wrapped gift and you had no idea what was in it 46 you opened it. As I 47 the Korean Airlines 48 desk I gave the attendant(空乘人员) my ticket. He looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, sir. This flight was yesterday." I was in 49 and lost for words. The attendant told me I had to wait several hours until they could 50 whether I could get onto another flight.
I was so afraid at this time that I called my mother and frantically(狂乱地) told her," I missed my flight! I don't think I can go to 51! I'm better off going back to Washington, DC!" That's when she 52 I call my leader in China and ask whether I could still go there. Looking 53 all of the papers I found a phone number and called the Beijing office. 54, my leader was there and assured me I could still join the group. Also, KAL had a seat for me on the next flight. So, after 24 hours and a 55 in Korea, I arrived in Beijing. I don't know what my feeling was, but I wasn't tired because I had finally arrived and I just wanted to look around the city. As I traveled to the hotel in the car I saw all the wonderful buildings, friendly people and interesting sites. I was so happy to be here.
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Let’s hope the sunny weather ____ for Saturday’s football match.
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A．keeps up |
B．picks up |
C．carries on |
D．puts up |
Only when you get a special permit can you have the ___ of interviewing the prime minister of China.
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A．advantage |
B．possibility |
C．preference |
D．privilege |
