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Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it repaired, as there are a lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though a little more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth. I realized that my approach must be wrong so I decided to try another way. I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair? Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK. I’ll give you twenty pounds for it,” he said. “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I added. “Yes, I saw that. It’s nothing,” the shopkeeper replied.
Everything was going according to the plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell after the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” the man asked in surprise. “Yes, I know. But I’ve changed my mind. I am sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. He shouted, “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said, “And what would you have said if I had walked in and asked you to repair my chair?” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it. We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll repair this for you. Five pounds will be the cost,” the man answered. He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.
1.What happened to the writer in the first shop?
A. He broke his leg.
B. His chair was repaired.
C. He was refused impolitely.
D. The shopkeeper bought his chair.
2.What does the underlined phrase “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph mean?
A. The shopkeeper changed his mind.
B. The shopkeeper accepted the price.
C. The shopkeeper decided to help the writer.
D. The shopkeeper found out the writer’s purpose.
3.How much did the writer pay the shopkeeper at last?
A. 5 pounds. B. 7 pounds.
C. 20 pounds. D. 27 pounds.
4.From the passage, we can learn that the writer was__________.
A. honest B. smart
C. careful D. crazy
5.Which of the following statements is true?
A. The writer wanted to sell his chair for 20 pounds.
B. It was very easy to repair the writer’s broken chair.
C. The writer succeeded in getting his chair repaired at last.
D. The man in the first shop thought the chair was too old to repair.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost mention recycling. Recycling in the homes is very important. However, having to recycle often means we already have more products than we need. We are just dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way, but it would be much better if we did not bring so many goods home.
The total amount of packaging（外包装） has increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It is 1/3 of a home’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets, food products are packaged twice with plastic and paper. Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of land because of this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Besides, the plastic from the package puts some creatures in danger, especially birds and fish.
Recycling helps, but the recycling itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such waste in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, few of them have the idea that this cannot continue. For example, supermarkets should encourage customers to reuse their plastic bags.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have been used to the idea that packaging means excellence while anything unpackaged is of poor condition. This is especially true of food. But this idea has spread to other products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how many unnecessary goods are collected. We need to face the waste of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.
1.What does the underlined word “over-consumption” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. Using too much packaging.
B. Recycling too many wastes.
C. Buying more products than needed.
D. Making more products than necessary.
2.Which of the following damage of over packaging is NOT mentioned?
A. It may waste land.
B. It may pollute the food.
C. It may do harm to the living things.
D. It may make the green house effect worse.
3.According to the passage, which of the following is true about recycling?
A. It leads to a waste of land.
B. It means burning packaging for energy.
C. It is the only solution to the greenhouse effect.
D. It helps reduce the harm caused by too much packaging.
4.Why do people prefer packaged products?
A. Supermarkets encourage them.
B. People care more about packaging.
C. It is necessary for all the products to have package.
D. People think unpackaged products are of poor condition.
5.What does the writer tell us in the last paragraph?
A. Fighting waste is difficult.
B. People don’t waste any more.
C. People only recycle necessary goods now.
D. We should continue our consumer culture.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Audrey Hepburn won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was showed in 1953. But she is remembered as much for her help as for her acting.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey’s father was British and her mother was Dutch. Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood. During World war Ⅱ, she lived and studied in the Netherlands. Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks. Audrey studied dance as a teenager and during college. But when she returned to London after the war she realized she wasn’t going to be a ballet dancer. So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies.
But it was Audrey Hepburn’s move to America that made her truly famous. In 1951 she played the character “Gigi” in the Broadway play Gigi and won popular praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24.
Audrey made more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was “Hoolly Golinghtly” in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. Three years later she played “Eliza Doolittle” in My Fair Lady. She was married twice. In 1989, the UN Children’s Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF(联合国儿童基金会) projects. The UN agency said she was a tireless worker. She often gave 15 interviews a day to raise money and get support for UNICEF projects.
Audrey Hepburn often said her love to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War II. She said she knew what it was like to be hungry and to be saved by international help. She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from cancer.
1.Why did Audrey live and study in Netherlands?
A. She was born there.
B. The schools were better there.
C. She could stay away from war.
D. Her parents wanted her to study ballet there.
2.How old was Audrey when she acted in Breakfast at Tiffany’s?
A. 32. B. 25. C. 24. D. 15.
3.What made Audrey work so hard to support UNICEF?
A. Her parents’ wish. B. Her love to children.
C. Her wish to be famous. D. Her own early experiences.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Audrey lived in America in the 1950s.
B. Audrey’s parents were both British.
C. The character “Gigi” was her most popular role.
D. Audrey gave up dancing when she went to college.
5.In what order did Audrey do the following?
①She began to appear in movies.
②She returned to London from the Netherlands.
③She played “Eliza Doolittle” in My Fair Lady.
④She won an Academy Award as Best Actress.
⑤She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects.
A．①②③④⑤ B．②①④③⑤
C．①②④③⑤ D．②①③④⑤
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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Renault Ménage: This 2-seating luxury car provides a comfortable driving experience. But its powerful engine means you had better be prepared for a big fuel bill each week. Its fantastic look will make you the focus of all attention.
Company: Renault, France. Price:$85,000
Fiat 500: Although expensive, it will soon pay for itself with the money you save on petrol. It has the most efficient and cleanest petrol powered engine. It has 4 seats and it is perfect for a family.
Company: Fiat, Italy. Price:$35,000
Land Rover Discovery: With 7 seats, this car is suitable for all driving conditions. It has good control for driving in the city and the power for rough roads and carrying heavy things. But it consumes lots of fuel.
Company: Land Rover, Britain. Price:$51,999
Hyundai i20: 4 seats inside. Perfect for short journeys but doesn’t have the power to make long distance driving enjoyable and comfortable. Still, at this price you can't complain and you'll be smiling when you have to fill up the tank too. It really saves fuel.
Company: Hyundai, Korea. Price:$8,000
1.Which of the following is true?
A. Each car above has 4 seats.
B. The four cars are made by European companies.
C. Land Rover Discovery is the second most expensive of above.
D. Both Renault Ménage and Fiat 500 consume lots of fuel.
2.John needs to drive his two sons to school and he likes European cars. What may he choose?
A. Hyundai i20 or Fiat 500.
B. Fiat 500 or Land Rover Discovery.
C. Renault Ménage or Fiat 500.
D. Land Rover Discovery or Hyundai i20.
3.Which of the following cars are greener?
A. Hyundai i20 and Fiat 500.
B. Renault Ménage and Fiat 500.
C. Land Rover Discovery and Hyundai i20.
D. Renault Ménage and Land Rover Discovery.
4.If you choose a Land Rover Discovery, you will__________.
A. spend less money on fuel
B. take 5 people at most each time
C. be able to drive on rough roads
D. be more friendly to the environment
5.Where can we see this passage?
A. In a novel.
B. In a news report.
C. In a science magazine.
D. In an advertisement.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
