Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high school liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!
1.Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
A. The first day after Christmas. B. 25 days before Christmas.
C. After Thanksgiving. D.November 29
2.When do people usually do shopping?
A. Before Thanksgiving. B. On Christmas.
C. Anytime. D. Before Christmas.
3.How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
A. In California, parents and children get together to play games.
B. In England, people celebrated by performing plays.
C. They bought nothing and made the others decide not to.
D. In Mexico, high school students dressed up.
Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn’t changed her mind. After she graduated from high school, she went on to college. Four years later, she received her bachelor’s degree (BA) in English and her teaching certificate. Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers, Mrs. Blake takes more classes; she hopes to get a master’s degree (MA). With an MA, she will receive a higher salary and if possible, she hopes to get a doctor’s degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake’s high school, like that in many high schools in the United States, is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period, which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M, Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make our examinations, check assignments at all, Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.
1.How long is it since Mrs. Blake graduated from high school?
A. four years B. eight years C. twenty years D. twelve years
2.According to the article, which is the right order of the degrees a person can receive after going to university?
A. a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree – a doctor’s degree
B.a doctor’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree
C. a master’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree
D. a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree – a master’s degree
3.How many degrees has Mrs. Blake achieved so far?
A. four B. two C. three D.one
4.Which of the following sentences is not true?
A. Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality.
B. Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United States.
C. Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degrees.
D. The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of many other high schools in the states.
It's a fact that we all dream. Some dreams seem to last for hours, others only for seconds. Some of us have strange dreams, some have interesting dreams, and some of us have unpleasant dreams. Tests in the 1980s showed that these dreams occur within 90-minute cycles, each cycle made up of six stages. In the last stage people experience rapid eye movement, known as REM, and it is in this stage that dreaming takes place. Eighty percent of people who were woken during this sixth stage could easily remember their dreams. On the other hand, when during the first five stages (NREM), only seven percent could describe a dream.
However, of these same people woken during the first five stages, 74% were able to remember thinking activity, although they would not call it a dream. NerysDee, who has written about dreams in a book called "Your Dreams and What They Mean" says: "Perhaps during NREM sleep we are sorting out our outer mundane problems, but in REM sleep we are dealing with inside matters." She also makes the following statement about 90-minute cycle: It may also prove the reason why insomniacs who wake in the middle of the night find it impossible to get to sleep again for at least an hour and a half. In other words, until they have missed out one complete 90-minute sleep period.
1.Which of the following statements about dreams is TRUE?
A. Everyone dreams but very few can recall what they dream.
B.Some people have long dreams and others have very short ones.
C. People can only remember unpleasant dreams.
D.More than eighty percent of people can remember their dreams.
2.According to the tests in the 1980s, dreaming takes place______.
A.between each 90-minute cycle
B. at any time during 90-minute cycles
C.during the first five stages of 90-minute cycles
D. in the last stage of 90-minute cycles
3.People woken during REM sleep can______.
A. hardly remember their dreams
B. easily remember their dreams
C. only remember their dreams
D. partly remember their thinking activity
4."Insomniacs" are persons who______.
A. can always remember their dreams
B. have trouble getting into sleep at night
C. experience rapid eye movement
D. usually wake after each 90-minute sleep period
A shopping center is a place where many different shops and stores are collected under one roof. You can buy everything there and there are also banks, restaurants and, sometimes, a post office.
There are other places in the United States which are called five-and –ten-cent stores because they used to sell things for 5 to 10 cents. Today they sell almost anything and some of the things cost several dollars. Supermarkets are found in all the cities. They sell food and many other goods. You walk around the supermarket, choose the things you want, put them into a special basket prepared by the store and pay for them all together at the door. Supermarkets often stay open later than other stores.
Stores are usually open every day of the week except on Sunday. Some close on Saturdays in July and August.
1.The shops and stores in a shopping center are .
A. in the same building B. on the top of a big roof
C.close to your house D. near banks and restaurants
2.A five-and-ten-cent store usually sells .
A. expensive things B. small and cheap things
C. things worth many dollars D. everything you need in the house
3.________have baskets ready for people to carry the things they are going to buy.
A. Shopping centers B.Fine stores in America
C. Five-and-ten-cent stores D. Supermarkets
4.Which of the following can be the topic of the article?
A. What a shopping Center is? B. Why people like supermarkets?
C. Three types of places for shopping. D.Old and new stores.
Henry was not at math. Even when the teacher explained something a second time, he still couldn’t it.
“Never mind. I’ll sit the boy who’s the best at ,” Henry thought, “and his answers.”
The day of the exam , and Henry sat next to Allan, was at the top of the class in math. Henry copied Allan’s answers his own exam paper. At the end of the exam, the teacher said, “Well, boys and girls, I’ve decided to give a red to the student who got the grade. It’s for me to decide who I’ll give the star to, however, two students, Henry and Allan, got the grade.” After a moment she went on, “ I’ve decided to give the star to this time.”
Henry was _ __ when he heard this. He stood and said, “But I got the same grade as Allan, madam.”
“That’s .” The teacher said. “However, Allan’s answer to Question 6 was ‘I don’t know.’, but was ‘Nor do I.’ .”
1.A. well B. best C. better D. good
2.A. retell B.understand C. remember D. answer
3.A. in front of B. besides C. behind D. next to
4.A. English B. Chinese C. science D. math
5.A. check B. choose C. keep D. copy
6.A. ended B.came C. over D. start
7.A . who B. that C. whom D. which
8.A. never B. almost C. sometimes D. always
9.A. in B. on C. at D. onto
10.A. star B. coat C. pen D.book
11.A. least B. best C. lowest D. highest
12.A. unusual B. easy C. hard D. important
13.A.because B. though C. until D. if
14.A. low B. high C. different D.same
15.A. So B. Because C. And D. But
16.A . nobody B. Henry C. Allan D. anybody
17.A. afraid B. worried C. pleased D. angry
18.A. out B. up C. for D. by
19.A . wrong B. true C. OK D. all right
20.A.yours B. mine C. his D. others’
—I found the mark rather frightening.
—______ It frightened me to death just now.
A. That's reasonable advice. B. Isn't it a good idea?
C. Do you think so? D. I can't agree more.
