Are you a problem shopper? The answer is “Yes”, if you or someone else thinks that you sometimes get carried away with shopping. In other words, do you or does someone else think you are occupied in extreme shopping? If people have regrets later about their shopping, or have an “out-of-control” feeling about the quantities of what they buy or the amount of credit they use, they may be considered to be problem shoppers.

Extreme shopping can lead to a more serious problem –addictive shopping. Addictive shoppers feel driven by the desire to shop and spend money. They experience great tension which drives them to shop and spend money and they feel a “rush” during the time they are occupied with the shopping activity.

Extreme or addictive shopping may result from long-time unpleasant feelings, of which anxiety, pain and shame are common ones. When we feel bad inside, we often do something to make ourselves feel better. In this case, we often go shopping.

A few people shop to relieve their boredom or emptiness. For some people, the motivation is a desire for status, power, beauty or success. Some love to shop as it makes them feel valued in the eyes of the shop assistants. Others shop simply because it makes them forget, at least temporarily, tension, fear or unhappiness in their life.

Besides, shopping malls are designed to encourage continual shopping. For instance, there are some malls where you can’t see clocks displaying the time because they don’t want you to become too aware of the time you spend there. What’s more, food courts, coffee shops and restrooms are provided, so you don’t have to leave the mall because of your physical needs.

Therefore, once you become aware of how market forces work, you will certainly come to control your shopping behavior. For example, how much time you will spend and what areas you will visit can be decided before you enter the mall. Keep a written account of what items you will buy and how much money you will spend. Make a plan for what you are going to buy before you feel the urge to shop and then stick to it. That is vital for gaining self-control.

Whichof the following people may not be problem shoppers?

A．Those who cannot control the amount of credit they use.

B．Those who just walk around the shopping malls.

C．Those who are occupied in too much shopping.

D．Those who feel sorry for their shopping.

According to the passage, what may not result in addictive shopping?

A．The awareness of how market forces work.

B．The desire for status, power, beauty or success.

C．Boredom, emptiness, tension, fear or unhappiness in people’s life.

D．Long-time bad feelings of anxiety, pain and shame.

How can we control our shopping behavior according to the passage?

A．Never going to the shopping malls because there are many tricks.

B．Applying for a credit card before we go shopping.

C．Making the shopping time as short as possible.

D．Making a shopping list before we go shopping.

The author writes this passage to_______________.     .

A．inform the shopping malls how to attract more shoppers

B．scold the problem shoppers

C．provide solutions for the problem shoppers.

D．tell a shopping story

A father in Wuhan, nicknamed "Eagle Dad" for his controversial parenting style, has dismissed critics' claims that he pushes his 4-year-old son too hard.

Police officer Wang Shaoyan came under the spotlight this month after his child took part in an 18-kilometer race in the Hubei provincial capital.

Some parents attacked his methods of extreme physical training, while others reacted strongly to his admission that he regularly exposes the youngster to cold showers. "I just want my son to reach his full potential," Wang said, adding that 4-year-old son not only runs 3 km every day he also takes cold showers from time to time to strengthen his body's resistance and willpower.

"He has never taken any sick leave from kindergarten," he said proudly. However, some parents find his methods too extreme.

"I'm not sure a 4-year-old is prepared for such intense training," said Zhang Ruxia  a woman who gave birth to two boys in October in Tianjin. "You can have good intentions to train your child at an early age but you also have to consider whether he can take it." Wang responded by saying children are too young to make decisions, and it is up to parents to lead them on the right path.

"I read many materials before and the whole process is step-by-step without pushing or imposing on my son," Wang said. The father said he was not acting rashly but following a scientific way of education. He said the doubts about his methods reflect the declining standards of modern education.

"Many people in Japan give their children cold showers too ,and no one is fussing about it，" he said. The traditional way of education applied by most of his peers might not necessarily help bring the best out of a child he said.

Wang said in addition to the physical training, he has also laid out a detailed and particular program to strengthen the intelligence of the child. "I have hired some university students to expand his knowledge in natural sciences, while playing the video for English-language teaching as well," he said.

1.For what reason was Wang made known to the public?

A. He employed some college students to teach his son.

B. He made his kid take a long distance race.

C. He exposed his 4-year-old to cold showers.

D. He forced his youngster to run 3 km every day.

2.Which statement is supported by the parents who hold the opposite opinion?

A. Extreme physical training can explore children's full potentials.

B. Taking cold showers regularly is beneficial for children's development.

C. It's up to parents to lead children on the right path.

D. The way to educate children should agree with their age.

3.What does the phrase "fussing about” probably mean in the 8th paragraph?

A. Minding about.      B. Paying attention to.

C. Laughing at.  D. Talking about.

4.In Eagle Dad’s opinion, his extreme parenting was questioned because____.

A. he didn’t take it step by step in a scientific way

B. the highly tense work-out was misunderstood

C. modern education is not challenging enough

D. some parents were jealous of his success

 

The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperatures could mean the end for some migrating animals.

Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds on the way. Whales and turtles (海龟) cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm. "Obviously these animals have developed their travelling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 to 50 years and it is extremely unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr Robert Hepworth.

Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures, turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says. It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer.

With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms, the report concludes.

Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include:

· the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food (tiny shrimp) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows and

· the White-Nose Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters.

The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover. "We need governments to start taking action at the national and international lever. “The clock is running.” said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behaviour, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat.

1.What is the main topic of the text?

A．The effect of climate change on migrating animals.

B．How animals are adapting to changes in temperature.

C．The actions required to save migrating animals.

D．The need for government policies to prevent global warming.

2.By saying "the clock is running" in the last paragraph, Dr Hepworth means that “_______”.

A．it may be too late to save some animals

B．it is time to start protecting the animals

C．there is not much time to solve the problem

D．it takes time to complete the actions

3.According to the report, how will global warming affect turtles in the future?

A．They will only produce female babies.

B．Their food supply will gradually disappear.

C．Some will suffer from higher rates of cancer.

D．They will be in greater danger because of more violent storms.

4.Which of the following is mentioned as a consequence of rising temperatures?

A．More storms will affect the ability of whales to find their feeding grounds.

B．20 percent of all birds are likely to die out because of land loss.

C．Migrating animals are likely to start adapting to the changes more quickly.

D．Warmer oceans will increase the competition between different kinds of dolphins.

5.What can be inferred (推断) about turtles from the text?

A．They are the only animals besides humans that suffer from cancer.

B．They have traditionally lived longer than other ocean-based animals.

C．Those born nearer a hotter area are more likely to be female.

D．Most kinds of turtles are likely to die out within 50 years.

 

Thousands of people began pouring into Pennsylvania from other states. They wanted to buy lottery(彩票) tickets. The tickets cost only $0.9each. But that small spending could bring them a reward of $90 million. That was the second largest lottery jackpot(积累奖金) in history。

More than 87 million tickets were bought for the Pennsylvania lottery drawing . Those who bought tickets had to choose seven numbers from 1 to 80 The chance of winning was one in 9.6 million. But that little chance certainly did not affect tickets sales. In the last few days before the drawing , tickets were selling at the unbelievable rate of 500 per second .

Experts say many people buy lottery tickets because they just want to have a piece of the action .Others say the lottery is a stock market for poor people . It allows them to dream about wealth they will  probably never have .

But many people believe lotteries are no better than legalized(合法化) gambling . Some critics note that most people who play are poor and may not be able to afford the tickets .There are also many addicts who take the game seriously, They may pour their life savings into lottery tickets .Some clubs have been formed to help them kick the habit.

Politicians like lotteries because they provide money that would otherwise have to come from new taxes. The profits from lotteries are usually used to pay for education or programs for senior citizens. But critics say this arrangement just allows states to legalize vice(恶习) under the name of social progress . No matter whether you regard state lotteries right or not , you can not refuse to accept their extreme popularity with many Americans .

1.The main idea of the passage is that________________.

A．lotteries are of great benefit to everyone who buys them.

B．play a lottery is just like investing in the stock market

C．a lot of people buy lottry tickets ,but lotteries cause disagreement

D．lotteries are just legalized vice

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?

A．Politicians like lotteries because they do not have to pay extra tax.

B．The popularity of lotteries in America actually is social progress .

C．Some critics do not like lotteries because many poor people waste their money on them .

D．People love the lottery because it is a stock market.

3.In just one hour in the last few days , the Pennsylvania lottery sold tickets totaling about ______________.

A．$1.62million       B．$90 million        C．$9.6million        D．$87million

4.People who are addicted to playing lotteries should __________.

A．join a club                             B．kick the habit

C．win the Pennsylvania                     D．save every cent

 

Why 2012 was the best year ever

It may not feel like it, but 2012 has been the greatest year in the history of the world. Never has there been less hunger, less disease or more prosperity (繁荣). The West remains in the economic depression, but most developing countries are charging ahead, and people are being lifted out of poverty at the fastest rate ever recorded. The number of deaths caused by war and natural disasters is also mercifully low. We are living in a golden age.

Take global poverty as an example. In 1990, the UN announced Millennium Development Goals, the first of which was to halve the number of people in extreme poverty by 2015. It turned out this year that the target was met in 2008.

The doom-mongers (末世论者) will tell you that we cannot maintain worldwide economic growth without ruining our environment. But while the rich world’s economies grew by 6 per cent over the last seven years, fossil fuel (矿物燃料) consumption in those countries fell by 4 per cent. This remarkable achievement has nothing to do with green taxes or wind-farms. It is down to consumer demand for more efficient cars.

Advances in medicine and technology mean that people across the world are living longer. The average life span in Africa reached 55 this year. Ten years ago, it was 50. The number of people dying from Aids has been in decline for the last eight years. Deaths from malaria have fallen by a fifth in half a decade.

War has historically been human’s biggest killer. But in most of the world today, a generation is growing up that knows little of it. The Peace Research Institute in Oslo says there have been fewer war deaths in the last decade than any time in the last century.

Fifty years ago, the world was breathing a sigh of relief after the Cuban missile crisis. Young couples would discuss whether it was responsible to have children when the future seemed so dark. But now, it’s worth remembering that, in spite of all our problems, the forces of peace, progress and prosperity are prevailing (占优势).

1.What has caused the decrease in the fossil fuel consumption?

A. People have to pay heavier taxes on fossil fuel.

B. There are more and more renewable resources now.

C. There is a sharp decline in the number of cars.

D. People are purchasing more energy-saving cars.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. People don’t suffer from malaria any more.

B. There were many more war deaths in the last century.

C. The young generation shows little interest in war.

D. The number of Aids-affected people is declining.

3. Which one does NOT help prove that 2012 was the best year ever?

A. Fewer natural disasters occurred.                         B. Global poverty relieved.

C. Cuban missile crisis ended.                                      D. Technology and medicine advanced.

4. The author tries to inform people that _______.

A. 2012 witnessed more advances in developed countries

B. 2012 brought us less starvation and more prosperity

C. 2012 saw economic growth as well as environmental destruction

D. 2012 provided us with a peaceful world free from conflicts