Have you ever wondered what a Degree might be worth to you in your job or career(事业)? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $10,000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma(毕业证).

Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Degree in 11 of today’s growing fields-without having to go to college full time. With Harcourt, you study at home, in your spare time-so you don’t have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like Business Management, Accounting, Dressmaking ＆Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering, and more! Your training includes everything you need! Books, lessons, learning aids-even professional-quality tools and equipment-everything you need to master your training and more ahead to a new career is included in the low tuition(学费) price you pay. Your education is nationally recognized! Nearly 2, 000 American companies-including General Electric, IBM, Mobile, General Motors, Ford, and many others-have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employees in your area will, too!

Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today’s hottest fields! Step-by-step lessons make learning easy. Prepare for promotions(提升), pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training!

Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon(票券) above. Then write in the name and number of the one program you’re most interested in, and mail it today. We’ll rush your free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities(机会) in the field you’ve chosen. Act today!

Mail coupon today! Or call the number below 1-800-372-1589. Call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www. Harcourt-learning. com E-mail：Harcourt＠learning. com.

This advertisement aims at calling on people to ________.

A. attend full-time universities

B. work part time to further their education

C. improve their education at home to get better jobs

D. earn their degrees in different ways that suit them

Which of the following is NOT clearly mentioned in this advertisement? 

A. The way how you will get your degree. 

B. Tuition price. 

C. The hot fields you will be preparing yourself for.

D. The length of time it will take you to get a degree.

What does the writer of this ad intend to say by naming General Electric, IBM, Ford, etc.?

A. To show that their training is widely used in the country. 

B. To show that the training program is fully supported by famous companies in the U. S.

C. To prove the value of their training in every area.  　

D. To show the importance of getting recognized by the most famous companies.

It seems to the writer that the greatest attraction for people to take their training is______. 

A. its convenience

B. the degree’s nation-wide recognition

C. the economic benefit(利益) it will bring about

D. the hot fields the training will help people to enter

How many ways are mentioned in the ad for people to get in touch with the Harcourt Learning Direct?

A. One. 　　　   　B. Two. 　　   　　C. Three. 　  　　　D. Four.

Have you ever listened to young children talking in the playground? There are always boasting. They say things like, “My Dad’s car is bigger than your Dad’s” and “My mom is smarter than yours.” They __1__ like to boast about their families.

There were three little boys, Harry, Td and Gavin, who were always __2__. Gavin was the worst. Everything about his family was always __3__ or the biggest or the most expensive. __4__ other others said, he could always go one better.

One day when they were walking to __5__ Harry said, “My father has a bath twice a week.” Ted spoke next. “That’s __6__,” he said. “Having a bath twice a week is __7__. My father has a bath every day, sometimes twice a day.”

Ted looked at Gavin. Now it was his __8__. But what could he say? “This time I’m going to win.” Ted thought.

Gavin didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t say that his father had a bath three times a day. That was __9__. He walked on his silence. Ted smiled at Harry, and Harry smiled back. They were sure that for once they had __10__ Gavin. They reached the school gates. Still Gavin said nothing.

“We’ve won,” Ted said to Harry, but he spoke too soon. Gavin said, “My Dad’s do clean that he doesn’t have to bathe at all.”

A. particularly     B. probably    C. seldom       D. never

A. fighting   B. boasting     C. arguing      D. playing

A. fascinating      B. interesting  C. graceful     D. the best

A. However B. What  C. Whatever   D. Like

A. the playground       B. their homes       C. bathroom   D. school

A. nice B. funny  C. easy    D. nothing

A. dirty       B. comfortable       C. enough       D. adequate

A. turn B. father  C. family D. speech

A. sufficient B. unique       C. silly    D. the case

A. stricken B. beaten C. hit      D. won

Have you ever had to decide whether to go shopping or stay home and watch TV on a weekend? Now you  36 do both at the same time. Home shopping television networks(网络) have become a  37 for many people to shop without  38 having to leave their homes.
Some shoppers are  39 of department stores and supermarkets—40 the crowds, waiting in long lines, and sometimes   41 of finding anything they want to buy. They’d rather sit quietly at home in front of the TV set and   42  a friendly announcer describe a product   43  a model shows it. And they can   44  around the clock, buying something   45  by making a phone call.
Department stores and even mail-under companies are   46  to join in the success of home shopping. Large department stores are busy  47 their own TV channels(频道)to encourage TV shopping in the future.  48 can ask questions about products and place   49  , all through their TV sets.
Will shopping by television   50  take the place of shopping in stores? Some industry managers think so.  51  many people find shopping at a   52  store a great enjoyment. And for many shoppers, it is still important to   53  or try on dresses they want to buy. That’s   54  specialists say that in the future, home shopping will   55  together with store shopping but will never entirely replace(取代) it.

Having said goodbye to his parents, Alvin, with his wife and one-year-old son, set off back home． 16 excited, Alvin and Clare talked and laughed happily． And even little Alax  17 from time to time． The family were   18 from trip．
But about three hours later things began to   19 ． It was starting to snow． Alvin sped up the car,   20 to arrive home before dark． But it was too dangerous to drive fast now． Because it was snowing more and more heavily． So Alvin had to   21 down． The snow on the  22 was getting deeper and deeper until it was hard to   23 on it． Their car slipped (滑落) off the way and got stuck in the deep snow   24 the engine refused to start again．
“The snow doesn’t seem to   25 ． Shall we stay in the car waiting to be frozen to death or walk ahead through the snow?” Alvin asked． Clare said she  26 to walk． So they got out of the car with their son and began walking． But   27 was to come． Soon they lost their  28  and had to walk aimlessly on and on．
Night came． They were not afraid of the dark． But they were  29 that poor Alax would die of cold． However, their faith to keep Alax   30 made them filled with courage, warmth and strength． They  31 and rested in turn and then continued their walk． They had countless falls but each time true love encouraged them to rise to their   32 again．
One, two, three, …seven days passed． On the eighth day,   33 at last came from Alvin’s parents, the police and local people． But the young   34 had to have their feet cut off because of the bad frost-bites(冻伤)． Fortunately, there was  35 seriously wrong with little Alax．

Having lived in the house for so long, we found our kitchen looked old. We decided it was time to   1   the kitchen, and my husband and I were discussing   2   colors. The children, sitting nearby, suddenly all spoke together: “Not the measuring stick.”
“No,” I   3   them. “Not the measuring stick..”
The measuring stick isn’t a (an)   4   stick but the kitchen side of the door between our kitchen and dining room. Along the edge we’ve   5    each child’s growth by making a mark showing his or her   6   on every birthday. Over the years so many colored pens, pencils and markers have been used, that now, this white door is somewhat like an abstract painting.
Names and dates show different    7  , and I can tell by the script(手迹) who measured whom. An eight-year-old measured her three-year-old sister, a grandchild measured her grandmother, my husband measured me. At the parties, when this door   8   back and forth frequently, friends stop to   9   the names and dates. When we ask if they would like to be always remembered, they usually smile   10   and go back right up into place,   11   to be measured.
Many of those listed on the door are still  12  ; some have stopped. Some remain with us only in   13 . When my mother came to see my eldest daughter graduate from university, we measured her too. It was her last visit to our home.
We haven’t  14   the new kitchen color plan yet, but one thing is certain: whatever color we choose, the back of the kitchen door will always remain   15  , with lots of names and dates in various colors.