The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable（有利可图的，有益的）. On that day, retailers（零售商）slash prices to get consumers to buy.  It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.

 “It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser（较少的，较小的）price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare（噩梦）for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.

While the lead up to Christmas is known as the season of giving, Black Friday can get ugly.

Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart（沃尔玛公司）worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”

Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.

With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. “Credit is still strictly controlled whether through credit cards or through borrowing from banks,” he said. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed.  Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.

And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.

Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully.     

1. The underlined word “slash” in the first paragraph probably means _________.

 A. reduce         B. raise         C. increase        D. change

2.The sentence “This day should be a shopper’s dream.” should be placed between ________.

 A. paragraph two and paragraph three        B. paragraph one and paragraph two

 C. paragraph three and paragraph four      D. paragraph five and paragraph six

3.Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?

 A. Because there are too many people saving more and spending less.

 B. Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year.

 C. Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident.

 D. Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

 A. Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception.

 B. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted.

 C. The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day.

 D. Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.

 

 

A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.

The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.

Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue”, he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled task the driving is.”

Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (减轻) the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving privileges.

Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of

those states have restrictions on passengers. California is the strictest, with a novice (初学者) driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20 for the first six months.

46. Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?

A. Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.

B. A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.

C. Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.

D. A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

47. According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to _________.

A. their lack of driving experience???    B. their frequent driving at night

C. their improper way of driving???     D. their driving with passengers

48. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A. Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.

B. Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn.

C. Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons.

D. The licensing authorities are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents.

49. A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that _________.

A. driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule

B. they should be prohibited from taking on passengers

C. the licensing system should be greatly improved

D. they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m.

50. The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system _______.

A. is under discussion?????           B. has been put into effect

C. is about to be set up??????         D. has been perfected

 

Dorothea Shaw is 71 years old and nearly blind, and she chose to live alone far away from people. She lives in Belize — a county the size of Wales with a population only that of Swansea. Her home is at Gales Point, a tiny village which can be reached only by sea or air; after a 10-mile walk into the hills one finally reaches a piece of land and two small houses so hidden in the thick over-grown forest that only a handful of people know Dorothea is there.

She lives happily and totally alone – growing her vegetables, looking after her trees and dogs, cats and chickens. Once a month or so an old friend passes by with her food supplies and letters-usually including a letter from her sister in Scunthorpe and some bits of clothing from friends in Canada. Sometimes a local man will come and cut wood for her and a group of British soldiers will come across her and be greeted with the offer of a cup of coffee.

At night she lies in her tiny sleeping room with the dogs on the floor, the cats on the table near the typewriter and one of the hens settled down in a corner of the bookshelf, and listens for hours to any Spanish, English, German or French broadcasts she can find on her radio. Sometimes she gets lonely but most of the time the animals and the radio are company enough.

But recently the very things that she had tried to get free from so well have begun to catch up with her. The peace of the forest has been destroyed by the noise of earth-moving machines not many miles away. What she once only heard of distantly on the radio is now on her doorstep. Things began to change three years ago. The new main north-south road in Belize was cut through the forest only four or five miles away. “Now more people know I’m here.” She says. “I feel more and more uneasy each day.”

1.Dorothea’s small houses ________.    

A．are entirely surrounded by trees

B．have always been her home

C．were built for just a few people

D．are in a county with the same population as Wales

2.Dorothea lives in the tiny village because ________.

A．she doesn’t like living near people	B．she is too old to move
C．machines destroyed her home	D．there’s nowhere else for her to live

3. Dorothea doesn’t get lonely since she has _______ with her.

A．her sister

B．some animals

C．friends from Canada

D．a postman

4.Dorothea spends a lot of time __________.

A．growing all the food she needs	B．cutting down trees
C．listening to the radio	D．studying languages

 

 

● DISPLAY ● OUR JOURNEYS ● 12 April-29 May 2008 Young people explore how they have adapted to life in Oxford. “When I first came here,” says one young African woman, “I just wanted to cry all the time. And now I have learned to laugh again.” Working with photographer Rory Carnegie and writer Nikki van der Gaag, young men and women explore their journey from the time they first arrived in a strange place to where they find themselves today. Organized by The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival (10－17 April 2008). Supported by the Maggie Black Trust and Oxford City Council.

● ACTIVlTlES FOR CHlLDREN AND FAMILIES ● MODERN ART TROLLEY FREE Art activities for children every weekend during the exhibition in the Entrance Space from 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. Just drop in. Children must be led by an adult.

● WORKSHOP FOR 8 TO 12 YEAR OLDS Thursday 7 April, 10：30 a. m. to 1：30 p. m. Looking at themes from the exhibition and exploring pictures based ideas through group discussion and using digital cameras. Led by Judie Waldmann.

● BOOK LAUNCH FREE The Drawing Book by Sarah Simblet is a practical approach to drawing the world around you. Sarah Simblet, who teaches at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford, will be present to give a short talk about the development of her book. Special price of￡18 on copies purchased in the evening. Booking recommended on 01865 813802

● TEACHERS’ EVENING FREE Thursday 21 April, 5 p.m. to 7：30 p. m. Lecture by Susan Bright, independent writer and lecturer, at 5：30 p. m. followed by an opportunity to view the exhibition. FREE Education Notes will be provided for teachers attending the evening.

● WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS Saturday 7 May, 10：30 a. m. to 1：30 p. m. Workshop for primary teachers who would like to develop their practical art skill as well as gain an understanding of modern art practice. Led by Judie Waldmann, artist and former primary school teacher.

● TALKS AND WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS Exhibition talks and artist-led workshops to create work in response to the exhibition are available for pre-booked school groups. Suitable for primary and secondary schools, to check availability and discuss details call Sarah Mossop on 1865 813816.

1.If you are a teacher and interested in art, you probably would like to go to ________.

A. TEACHERS’ EVENING

B. MODERN ART TROLLEY

C. WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

D. TALKS AND WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS

2.What can we learn from the passage？

A. Susan Bright will give a short talk at the launch of the Drawing Book.

B. Rory Carnegie and Nikki will teach young people how to take photos.

C. The workshop led by Judie is intended for the secondary school students.

D. The children who go to the Modern Art Trolley must be led by an adult.

3.Which of the following would be the best title of the text？

A. FREE JOURNEYS                                                     B. SPRING EVENTS

C. WEEKEND ACTIVITIES                                               D. ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHERS

4.The passage makes you believe that __________.

A. if you attend “BOOK LAUNCH”, you can get the book at a low price.

B. school groups can attend talks and workshops for them at any time.

C. almost all the young people have difficulty in adapting to life in Oxford.

D. TEACHERS’ EVENING is only accessible to teachers.

 

Peter, Anna, Celia和Allan正在讨论参加一个学生趣味俱乐部。阅读下面五个学生趣味俱乐部的介绍（选项A、B、C、D和E ），选出符合个人需求的最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项涂黑。选项中有一项是多余选项。

57. Peter wants to swim at 9 a.m. on Saturdays.

58. Anna wants to ride horses.

59. Celia needs inexpensive temporary accommodation.

60. Allan is interested in amateur theatricals.

Overseas Visitors Club

Membership is open to young people ( aged 25 or under ) from all countries. Temporary accommodation is availabe at reduced rates for members. The club organizes a wide variety of activities, including parties, discos, visits to theatres, and excursions to places of interest in the Berkbridge area. These activities are free or offered at low prices.

The club has a centre for assisting overseas visitors and students find temporary and part-time work. The center has a job database, and fax, copier and computer facilities availabe for members.

For more information, telephone 81—03277841

B. Schiller Center

Set up by the German community in Berkbridge, the Center provides German language and culture classes for foreigners. It also offers accommodation for Europeans aged 18—30.

The Center also runs an advice service to help members with visa, work permit and general welfare information.

Membership: 30 pounds a year, plus five pounds per month.

C. YMCA / YWCA

Two adjoining buildings----one for men ( YMCA ); one for women ( YWCA ). Weekly groups are organized for photography, art, drama and dancing. There are squash and tennis courts in each building. Both buildings share a swimming pool. The Card Room offers playing card and chess facilities.

Hours: Weekdays 8:00—23:00   Weekends 10:00—20:00

Membership fees: Aged 16—27, 15 pounds per year, plus 50 pence per visit.

               Aged over 27, 20 pounds per year, no extra charge per visit.

D. Outdoors Club

This club organizes a wide range of open-air activities, including mountain climbing, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing and skiing. Membership is open to all, but physically fit young people are especially welcome.

Membership: 25 pounds in the summer ( April—September ), 50 pounds in the winter ( October—March )

E. Students Club

This club is open to all students, whether domestic or overseas. The club building has bars, restaurants, swimming pool, gymnasium, TV lounge and sauna. There is no membership fee; just show your student card at the door.

Opening hours: Weekdays 8:00—23:00, Weekends 9:00—20:00.