A bargain is something offered at a low and advantageous price. A more recent definition is: a bargain is a dirty trick to force money out of the pockets of silly and innocent people.
The cost of producing a new-for example - toothpaste would make 80p the proper price for it, so we will market it at £1.20. It is not a bad toothpaste, and as people like to try new things it will sell well to start with; but the attraction of novelty soon fades, so sales will fall. When that happens we will reduce the price to £1.15. And we will turn it into a bargain by printing 5p OFF all over it.
Sometimes it is not 5p OFF but 1p OFF. What breathtaking rudeness to advertise 1p OFF your soap or washing powder or whatever! Even the poorest old-age pensioner ought to regard this as an insult(侮辱), but he doesn't. A bargain must not be missed. People say one has to have washing powder (or whatever) and one might as well buy it a penny cheaper.
The real danger starts when unnecessary things become ‘bargains’. Many people just cannot resist bargains. Provided they think they are getting a bargain they will buy clothes they will never wear or furniture they have no space for. Once I heard of a man who bought an electric saw as a bargain and cut off two of his fingers the next day. But he had no regrets: the saw had been truly cheap.
Quite a few people actually believe that they make money on such bargains. A lady once told me: “I’ve had a lucky day today. I bought a dress for £120, reduced from £400; and l bought a beautiful Persian carpet for £600, reduced from £900.” It will never occur to her that she has actually wasted £720. She feels as though she had made £580. She also feels, I am sure, that if she had more time for shopping, she could make a living out of it.
Some people buy in large quantities because it is cheaper. Once a couple bought enough sugar for their lifetime and the lifetime of their children and grandchildren. They thought it a bargain not to be missed. When the sugar arrived they didn't know where to store it - until they realized that their toilet was a very spacious one. So that was where they piled up their sugar. Not only did their guests feel rather strange whenever they were offered sugar to put into their coffee, but the toilet became extremely sticky.
To offer bargains is a commercial trick to make the poor poorer. When greedy fools fall for this trick, it serves them right.
1.Which word best describes the language style of the passage?
A. Polite. B. Foolish.
C. Humorous. D. Serious.
2.What does the underlined word “novelty” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Good quality. B. Low price.
C. Curiosity. D. Newness.
3.How does the author feel about 1p OFF a product?
A. It’s a gift for poor people.
B. It’s an offense to shoppers.
C. It’s a bargain worth trying.
D. It’s a real reduction in price.
4.Which statement will the author probably agree with?
A. Bargains are things people don’t really need.
B. Bargains are often real cheap products.
C. Bargains help people make a living.
D. Bargains play tricks on people.
All you have is what you bring with you
I’ve always felt a need to be prepared for whatever situation I’ve found myself in.
My mother once took me to a store when I was seven years old. She and I got to the checkout counter, and she realized she had forgotten a couple of things on her shopping list. She left me with the cart and ran off to get what she needed.
“I’ll be right back.” she said.
She was gone just a few minutes, but in that time, I had loaded all the things on the belt and everything was rung up. I was left staring at the cashier, who was staring at me. “Do you have money for me, son?” she said. “I’ll need to be paid.”
I didn’t realize she was just trying to amuse herself. So I stood there, ashamed and embarrassed.
By the time my mom returned, I was angry. “You left me here with no money! This lady asked me for the money, and I had nothing to give her!”
Now that I’m an adult, you'll never catch me with less than $200 in my wallet. I want to be prepared in case I need it.
I’ve always admired people who are over-prepared. In college, I had a classmate named Norman. One day he was giving a presentation on an overhead projector and in the middle of his talk, the light bulb (灯泡) on the projector blew out. We would have to wait ten minutes until someone found a new projector.
“It’s Okay.” he announced. “There’s nothing to worry, about.”
We watched him walk over to his bag and pull something out. He had brought along a spare bulb for the overhead projector. Who could even think of that?
I often told my students, “When you go into the wilderness, the only thing you can depend on is what you take with you.” And essentially, the wilderness is anywhere but your home or office. So take money. Pack a light bulb. Be prepared.
1.Why did the cashier ask a seven-year-old boy to pay for the purchases?
A. The boy was shopping by himself.
B. The cashier was playing a joke on him.
C. The boy’s mother asked her to do so.
D. The boy’s mother was away for something else.
2.Why was the boy angry with his mother?
A. His mother left him alone.
B. His mother forgot to buy something.
C. He lost face in front of the cashier.
D. He had just quarreled with the cashier.
3.Why did Norman bring a spare bulb with him?
A. He was always well-prepared.
B. His presentation was about bulbs.
C. He knew the classroom equipment was of poor quality.
D. He predicted the bulb on the projector would blow out.
4.What do the two stories tell us?
A. Accidents happen almost every day.
B. Money is the key that opens all doors.
C. In fair weather, prepare for a rainy day.
D. Chances favor those who are well-prepared.
Summer is slipping away from me. Some days, it makes me want to cry. Other days, I feel a sense of expectation within me just thinking about fall that makes me want to burst. Tonight, all five of us were in the family room doing our own things.
At this moment, my littlest kid is my number one trouble and my number one joy. He has a tooth on the way and although it’s such a tiny thing, it’s causing so much grief. I’m holding him a lot and I’m not going to lie. I live for his afternoon nap(小睡) so I’m able to actually get dressed and use the restroom.
The big E is starting school soon. The other day, I found myself a bit depressed about the end of summer and the beginning of another school year. I looked out of our front window with eyes that were heavy and a bit teary. Then, I suddenly realized just how silly this end of summer depression of mine is. I can't change time. But, I can change my emotions and my thoughts. I decided not to spend my final days of summer vacation walking around with a sad face. I decided to hug the last few days of summer and remind myself that before I know it, we will be back in our school routine and all will go well.
This week we plan on meeting teachers. I'm taking my girl to have her nails done before her first day of kindergarten. We want to bake a few dozen cookies. We'll take our evening walks as usual and stay up late. And last but not least, I’ll get school clothes ready, I’ll pack lunches and write lunch notes, we’ll read “The Kissing Hand,” like we normally do, and I’ll tuck(掖好被子) my third grader and kindergartener in their little beds before the big first day.
Thank you summer, you’ve been warm and wonderful, you’ve been sweet and sticky, you’ve been refreshing and exactly what we need. And your sunsets have been amazing, so thank you.
1.According to Paragraph 1, the author ___________.
A. feels excited B. has bad feelings
C. feels worried D. has mixed feelings
2.How will the author spend the final days of the summer vacation?
A. Live a simple life. B. Stay at home and relax herself.
C. Treasure the vacation. D. Walk around with a depressed face.
3.From the passage, we can learn that the author ___________.
A. is fond of reading novels B. often takes evening walks
C. has two annoying children D. has no time to get dressed
Each of us struggles for self-respect and self-worth to some degree. I spent much time trying to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.
I was a happy kid with a lot of friends and a Supportive family. But growing up was really ___ and even scary sometimes.
During my childhood, I was constantly involved in something that included people’s viewing my achievements or my _____. I wanted everyone’s praise and acceptance, but I was my own toughest critic (挑剔的人).
After I graduated from high school, my _______ to be “thin” began to trouble me. I began trying to diet by _____ my food.
In the beginning, I felt great—attractive and successful, almost superhuman. I even thought that I was better than everyone else. What I didn’t see was that I was slowly _____ myself.
People around me began to _____ my weight loss. They said with concern. “You’re losing too much weight.” “Elisa, you’re so thin.” All their words only suggested that I was getting closer to “_______”.
Sadly, I took my physical _____ the first important in my life, _____ that it was the way to become successful and accepted.
Then I cut down my ______ more and more, until a ______ day consisted of half a teaspoon of nonfat yoghurt and coffee in the morning, and a cup of grapes at night.
But my poor ______ began to cause me to lose ______. Then one night, like many nights before, I couldn’t sleep, and my heart felt as though it might beat out of my chest. I tried to ____, but I couldn’t. The beating became so rapid and so strong that I could no longer ______. What I had done to diet nearly caused me to have a heart attack. I stood up, and immediately fell down. I was really ______, and I knew I needed help. My roommate rushed me to the ______, beginning the long road to my ______. It took a lot—doctors, nurses, nutritionists, food supplements...
And most important, a sense of what was true about myself got back on track with reality. I realized that, with my ______ of trying to be “perfect” on the ______, I had sacrificed who I was on the inside. What I know now is, we are—each and every one of us—already perfect.
1.A. natural B. easy C. hard D. possible
2.A. natures B. backgrounds C. scores D. failures
3.A. problem B. desire C. way D. promise
4.A. controlling B. checking C. collecting D. balancing
5.A. killing B. forgetting C. asking D. questioning
6.A. help B. accept C. reject D. notice
7.A. perfection B. devotion C. destination D. attention
8.A. strength B. exercise C. appearance D. examination
9.A. believing B. realizing C. pretending D. declaring
10.A. expense B. movement C. food D. travel
11.A. pleasant B. difficult C. typical D. different
12.A. memory B. nutrition C. knowledge D. taste
13.A. weight B. hope C. sleep D. job
14.A. relax B. walk C. cry D. talk
15.A. breathe B. resist C. wake D. remember
16.A. scared B. annoyed C. discouraged D. disappointed
17.A. bed B. hospital C. school D. office
18.A. glory B. discovery C. recovery D. victory
19.A. skill B. decision C. experience D. deal
20.A. whole B. face C. mind D. outside
假设你是李华，你的美国朋友Chris 现就读于济南某国际学校。他想了解中国发展状况。12月30号起将在成龙电影院放映纪录片《厉害了，我的国》（Amazing China）影片展现了中国近几年在科技，经济，人民生活等方面的发展成果。请根据以下提示，用英语给Chris 写一封电子邮件。内容包括：
（1）邀请观看电影
（2）简述影片内容（具体列举至少两件发展成果）
（3）请求对方回复
注意：1．词数100词左右：
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
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：在错的词下画一横线，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(从第11处起)不计分。
I hate to say sorry，and there is a change in my school arrangements．So I’m afraid I won’t able to keep my appointment to discuss Chinese paintings with you．I sincere apologize to you for any inconvenience causing by the unexpected change．Therefore I suggested we put it off from 3 pm this weekend until the same time in next Thursday．Will that be fine for you? Good news is that a exhibition of Chinese paintings are to be held this weekend．Works by many nationwide famous painter will be included，among who Qi Baishi is most famous in China．A visit there will surely help you better understand Chinese paintings．
Looking forward to your earliest reply．
