Why Rent Textbooks?
Textbook renting is now a new fashion among college students. 1. Let’s examine carefully further and see why renting books is a cost-effective way without shelling too much money from your pocket.
Gives value for your money
2. Those non-major subjects, are better acquired through renting. It saves one money and helps you give out the money you save on some other personal possessions you need in college. 3.
Saves time
You can save a great deal of time when renting a textbook. Instead of browsing your way for hours trying to look for better deals online, you can simply go to a popular book renting marketplace online and just order away.
4.
User Friendly
Aside from being able to save money and time, 5. Imagine trying to scan the virtual bookshelf and checking on comments of previous users and figuring out which ones got bad comments and which had great ones. It could be fun at first but if you are short of time, the process can become annoying. If you rent books, you will only be needing the book’s ISBN number and find it right away. No more time-wasting site search.
A. renting textbooks brings convenience to all users.
B. There is literally no need to skimming for hours.
C. The idea of renting one never existed since the book are affordable in libraries.
D. Research was made to find out if renting helps one save money and time rather than buying new textbooks.
E. Renting textbooks allows you to save at least 50% off the standard retail price (零售价) for each item.
F. Renting textbooks is a relatively new idea for everyone, indeed.
G. You don’t have to buy all of your textbooks.
Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.
“Storm at Sea”, a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.
As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise—it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath—perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿) nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic (共生的) existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.
1.Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is______.
A. always energetic B. lacking in liveliness
C. shaped like a square D. favored by ancient poets
2. What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?
A. To describe the movement of the waves.
B. To show the strength of the storm.
C. To represent the vitality of the ocean.
D. To prove the vastness of the sea.
3.In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to______.
A. a beautiful and poetic place B. a flesh and blood person
C. a wonderful world D. a lovely animal
Dutch treat is a late-nineteenth-century term, and it originally refers to a dinner where everyone is expected to pay for his own share of the food and drink. If people go “Dutch treat”, or simply “go Dutch”, it means that they will share the expenses of a social engagement.
There are many other “Dutch” expressions in English, many of which were invented in Britain in the seventeenth century, when the Dutch and the English were commercial and military rivals. The British used “Dutch” to refer to something bad, cheap and shameful. A “Dutch bargain” at that time was an uneven, one-sided deal; “Dutch reckoning” was an unitemized(未逐条记载的) account; and “Dutch widow” was slang for prostitute. Later centuries brought in “Dutch courage”, for bravery caused by drink; “Dutch concert”, for noisy music; “Dutch nightingale”, meaning a frog; and “double Dutch”, for incomprehensible language or talk.
Some of the expressions are still in use today, but some are not. In fact, in American English, some “Dutch” expressions have nothing to do with the Dutch, but something with the German. It was probably because of the similar spelling and pronunciation that people made a mistake in distinguishing between “Dutch” and “Deutsch” (the German word for German), when German immigrants came to America in the 1700s. For instance, “the Pennsylvania Dutch” refers to the German descendants, instead of the Dutch descendants, living in Pennsylvania.
1.Many of the “Dutch” expressions were invented with negative sense, because ___________.
A. The Dutch were underdeveloped people.
B. Britain and Holland were competitors at that time.
C. The Dutch had many bad habits.
D. The British were superior to the Dutch.
2. With the information you get from Paragraph 2, make a guess at the meaning of the sentence “You are in Dutch”. It probably means ____________ .
A.You are in Holland. B. You are welcome.
C. You are in trouble. D. You are lucky.
3.According to the passage, some native American “Dutch” expressions were related to the German instead of the Dutch, simply because ______________.
A. People hated the German as much as the Dutch.
B. People made a mistake at the beginning.
C. People made a joke about the German.
D. The German immigrants proclaimed that they were Dutch.
Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously, Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer.” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said. “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.” “Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead.” A new message appeared on the screen: “ENTER NAMES
VOYAGER 1:…
VOYAGER 2:…”
Mark’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED (自动回收程序已启动).”
The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.
But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒) , until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION (目的地)：MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025.”
1.Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?
A. He wanted to take a voyage. B. He wanted to practice his skill.
C. He was so much attracted by it. D. He was eager to do an experiment.
2.Where did the boys’ father most likely work?
A. In an electronic factory.
B. In a computer company.
C. In a scientific research center.
D. In an information processing center.
3. Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of______.
A. a computer game B. a company website
C. a software producer D. an astronomy
4.Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
A. He was afraid of being scolded.
B. He didn’t like the loud noise and light.
C. He didn’t want to play games any more.
D. He was afraid something dangerous might happen.
5. What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
A. They were blown into the air.
B. They were sent to another planet.
C. They were hidden in the strong light.
D. They were carried away to another country.
Searching for airfares often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.
Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through multiple websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there’s no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.
“You just don’t know when to pull the trigger. It’s not like buying anything else I can think of,” said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
Harriet Levy paid $179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $169 to $360.
There’s no reason for it, Harrison said.
Fares can vary significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $755 to $1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, then fell to $718 on Sunday.
The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press (美国联合通讯社)followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It’s the most expensive time to buy.
There’s no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:
● Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when airlines most often offer sales.
● Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are highest eight to ten weeks and two to three weeks in advance.
● Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive (独家) sales to travelers who interact (互动) with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.
● The so-called discount airlines – JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier – adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren’t always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines’ fares is the only way to get a good deal.
1. What can we infer from the first sentence of the text?
A. Passengers are unable to search for airfares.
B. Airlines often play games with passengers.
C. Airfares are set in different situations.
D. It’s difficult for passengers to get the best price.
2.The underlined phrase “pull the trigger” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.
A. start searching B. get the highest price
C. make a purchase D. get on board the plane
3.By using a lot of figures, the author intends to _______.
A. show there is standard price for every single airline
B. discover the rules behind airfares
C. guarantee passengers a low price
D. prove airfares can vary widely
4.Passengers are advised to book flights _______.
A. in the middle of the week
B. on special websites
C. several months before traveling
D. with airlines which are famous for offering discount prices
I grew up in a small town and the main entertainment was Friday night high school football. It was just a sleepy little town where parents wanted to raise their children away from crime and of a big city, and where teenagers like me leaving to find something bigger and better.
All that changed one summer night. My friend Lisa, Martin and Tyler held a party for my eighteenth birthday at Lisa’s house. they kept handing alcohol to me I was pretty . I asked Tyler to take me home. With some , we made it out to his car and drove home. News came next morning. My friend Martin was in a car accident. That night after Tyler and I left, Martin, who was more drunk than me, got into his car and towards the highway to go home. Driving on the wrong side of the road, he never saw the truck coming. The driver didn’t see him to avoid the car. They hit head on. Martin died immediately, and the driver was thrown the truck windshield（挡风玻璃）and died a week later.
Whenever I back on that day, I can’t help thinking that it was my to drink so much that night. things would be different. I know Martin the choice to drink and drive that night, but a part of me will always feel for what happened.
I may not change the world with my story, but I do hope that by my story I can make you that you not only have a responsibility for yourself but also for others. Don’t ever think that your choices are yours . Every choice is like a stone dropped into water—each ripple (涟漪) represents someone who your choice . That’s quite an influence, isn’t it?
1.A. death B. fashion C. danger D. challenge
2.A. succeeded in B. dreamed of C. applied for D. agreed to
3.A. As B. While C. When D. Although
4.A. lost B. drunk C. frozen D. sleepy
5.A. fun B. difficulty C. hope D. method
6.A. died B. injured C. killed D. hurt
7.A. constantly B. frequently C. clearly D. equally
8.A. headed B. walked C. pushed D. fled
9.A. in trouble B. in time C. in danger D. in place
10.A. above B. below C. into D. through
11.A. turn B. hold C. look D. get
12.A. desire B. fault C. right D. chance
13.A. Thus B. Nevertheless C. Otherwise D. Therefore
14.A. faced B. avoided C. regretted D. made
15.A. responsible B. disappointed C. sensitive D. embarrassed
16.A. remembering B. sharing C. declaring D. stopping
17.A. explain B. escape C. limit D. realize
18.A. alone B. finally C. merely D. perhaps
19.A. clean B. deep C. still D. fresh
20.A. affects B. inspires C. attracts D. benefits
