The market is a concept. If you are growing tomatoes in your backyard for sale you are producing for the market. You might sell some to your neighbor and some to the local manager of the supermarket. But in either case, you are producing for the market. Your efforts are being directed by the market. If people stop buying tomatoes, you will stop producing them.

If you take care of a sick person to earn money, you are producing for the market. If your father is a steel worker or a truck driver or a doctor or a grocer, he is producing goods or service for the market.

When you spend your income, you are buying things from the market. You may spend money in stores, supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants. Still you are buying from the market. When the local grocer hires you to drive the delivery truck, he is buying your labor in the labor market.

The market may be something abstract (抽象的). But for each person or business that is making and selling something, it is very concrete. If nobody buys your tomatoes, it won’t be long before you get the message. The market is telling you something. It is telling you that you are using energies and resources in doing something the market doesn’t want you to do.

Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A. Selling and Buying.               B. Everything you do is producing for the market.

C. What is the market?               D. What the market can do for you.

All of the following acts are producing for the market except________.

A. working in a bank                         B. volunteering at a nursing home

C. driving a taxi                    D. growing beans for sale

You are buying from the market when you________.

A. borrow a book from the library           B. drive to the seaside for a holiday

C. look after your children            D. dine at restaurant

The word “concrete” in the last paragraph may most probably mean________.

A. serious             B. important              C. necessary         D. real

I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz（爵士音乐） concert last Friday. The advertisement（广告） in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theatre box in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00.Since I work from 9:00 to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theatre was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unluckily, the theatre is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round（往返的） trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for fifteen minutes waiting for the bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip. So I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again the next day. On Thursday, my luck changed. I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly twenty minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and headed back（奔回） across the town. By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth it to hear the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, however, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.

1.The man learned that there would be a concert last Friday ________.

A. from his friends                                                   B. from one of his workmates

C. over the radio                                                          D. from the newspaper 

2.One day the man took________ to get to the theatre by bus.

A. forty-five minutes                                      B. fifteen minutes 

C. just twenty minutes                                 D. over an hour      

3.The underlined word “relieved” may best be replaced by“________”.

A. worried                            B. pleased                           C. puzzled                   D. sorry   

4.The writer mainly shows us his________.

A. enjoyment of the concert                                 B. anger for buying the ticket

C. efforts to buy the ticket                                     D. disappointment at the concert 

 

Mexico City is truly one of the most amazing cities in the world with a mixture of both the old and new world. From the moment your plane starts to land in this vast city, you know that your trip will be quite an adventure.

Once in your taxi and the moment you leave the airport, you are amazed at the large amount of slow traffic. The volume of the traffic can be stressful to some.

    The "Paseo de la Reforma (改革大道)", running southwest across the city, is one of the major tourist and business areas in Mexico City with many high quality hotels only walking distance from great restaurants and other tourist attractions. The only problem you will have is trying to see all of these sites during your vacation time.

    One of the most popular attractions in this area is the National Museum of Anthropology along the northwest part of the street. There are thousands of artifacts on display showing the history of the area and numerous items found from the many Aztec sites in the area. Walking southwest from the museum, you will soon reach the Mexico City Zoo, which is a great place to spend an afternoon.

    Across the street from the museum is the Chapultepec Castle, once an important site in the Mexican-American war. It's also a good idea to take the train up the hill to where the castle is located as the hill is steep (陡峭的). It's important to keep in mind that Mexico City is over 7,000 feet above sea level and some feel it difficult to breathe when walking.

    You can take a taxi to the Coyoacan market during the evening on a weekend. It's a great place to get some cheap souvenirs （纪念品）to bring back home and to enjoy some traditional Mexican cuisine. However, you must be careful where you eat and that the meat is well cooked.

1. The tourists in Mexico City may not be satisfied with______.

   A. the high speed of the traffic         B. the heavy traffic of the city

   C. the polluted air in the city          D. their safety in the city

2. Which of the following shows the correct positions of the following places?

   P = Paseo de la Reforma       M = the National Museum of Anthropology

   C = the Chapultepec Castle     Z = the Mexico City Zoo

 

 

 

3.Which of the following attractions may interest those who want to study the military (of the army) history of Mexico City?

   A. The National Museum of Anthropology. B. The Coyoacan market.

   C. The Chapultepec Castle.               D. The Aztec sites.

 

 

I have learnt a lot about Chinese life and culture while teaching in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province and found them very interesting．

First, family life is quite   1   in China． In the USA, many young people   2   home after they finish their education and start working． However, in China, it is   3   for people to live with their parents until they get married．   4  , many of my Chinese friends told me that their  5   lived with them and helped take care of them when they were children． It seems that Americans think independence is more important   6   the Chinese think family relationships are more important．

Bargaining is another   7   that I have tried to learn． In the USA, prices are   8   and you can’t ask for a lower price． However in some small Chinese stores and tourist places, you are   9   to bargain． My Chinese friends taught me to ask for 40 percent or 50 percent   10   the original price． If the salesperson doesn’t agree to my price, I should   11   to leave and he might let me come back and sell me the item． It is a skill that you have to   12   if you live in China．

Tipping hasn’t been easier to   13  ． In the USA, many people in the service   14   want to get   15   money for serving customers． Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture．   16   I tried to tip a taxi driver． He looked a little   17   and refused to take the money．

In dinners, perhaps what surprises an American visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their   18  ． Actually, this is a   19   of true friendship and politeness． My Chinese friend told me if I didn’t want to eat it, I should just   20   the food in the plate．

1.A． unique   B． different   C． private       D． harmonious

2.A． come      B． build C． leave          D． abandon

3.A． regular   B． true          C． common    D． usual

4.A． Also        B． However   C． Therefore D． Although

5.A． parents  B． relatives    C． babysitters         D． grandparents

6.A． while      B． since C． when         D． as

7.A． way             B． custom        C． lesson        D． habit

8.A． made      B． agreed       C． charged     D． set

9.A． expected        B． taught        C． suggested D． required

10.A． up             B． away  C． off           D． on

11.A． promise        B． pretend     C． decide       D． hope

12.A． tolerate        B． understand        C． practise     D． consider

13.A． adjust to       B． turn to       C． refer to     D． stick to

14.A． area         B． department         C． branch       D． industry

15.A． easy  B． extra C． pocket       D． prize

16.A． Often   B． Once        C． Sometimes       D． Before

17.A． excited         B． satisfied   C． frightened        D． confused

18.A． own           B． children    C． neighbors         D． guests

19.A． signal   B． mark        C． sign    D． feature

20.A． leave    B． remain     C． put         D． taste

 

You needn’t go to the railway station by taxi because it is within walking ________.It only takes five minutes to walk there.

A．touch　 　　              B．distance　　       C．speed　　           D．reach