On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea markets(跳蚤市场). These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.

    For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can. be restored with, a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.

    Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.

What's the attitude many Americans have for flea markets?

    A) They don't like them because it's a waste of time.

    B) They suspect the goods sold there.

    C) They don't trust the sellers of the goods.

    D) They like them very much especially for good bargains.

What do Americans like to do with secondhand goods?

    A) Resell them at a higher price.

    B) Restore them and make them look new.

    C) They use them as furniture in their homes.

    D) They use them for a while and then discard them.

When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?

    A) They can question their value.

    B) They can compare with the other sellers.

    C) They can bargain on a price acceptable to both.

    D) They can expect a fifty percent discount.

Which of the following is TRUE about the garage sales?

    A) Only in spring and fall can people enjoy them.

    B) The goods orb display are all totally useless.

    C) All the goods are selling far below their true worth.

    D) One may buy a TV on a regular basis.

On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea （跳蚤） markets．These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded．They hunt and search for something they can reuse．Americans love secondhand merchandise （商品） which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use．In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated．

       For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards．They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again．Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price．Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck．The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value．One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay．

       Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture．These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good．Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale．More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully．The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell．Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis．If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth．

What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?

       A．Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper．  

     B．Display your goods in front of the garage．

       C．Find rare items and fix their prices．                    

       D．Clear your garage and front lawn．

The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________．

       A．distributed          B．rejected            

       C．discovered         D．stored

When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?

       A．They can bargain on a price acceptable to both．   

       B．They can question their value．

       C．They can expect a 50% discount．                 

       D．They can compare with the other sellers．

What do we know about the garage sale?

       A．It is only held in the spring of the year．        

       B．The goods on display are totally useless．

       C．Garage sales are popular with Americans．       

       D．All the goods are selling far below their real value．

On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea (跳蚤) markets. These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.
For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.
Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.
1. What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?
A. Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper.  
B. Display your goods in front of the garage.
C. Find rare items and fix their prices.         
D. Clear your garage and front lawn.
2. The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ____.
A. distributed                B. rejected               C. discovered          D. stored
3. When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?
A. They can bargain on a price acceptable to both. B. They can question their value.
C. They can expect a 50% discount.             D. They can compare with the other sellers.
4. What do we know about the garage sale?
A. It is only held in the spring of the year.
B. The goods on display are totally useless.
C. Garage sales are popular with Americans.  
D. All the goods are selling far below their real value.

On a flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged rich white South African lady had found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain(抱怨) about her seat. “What seems to be the problem, Madam?” asked the attendant.

“Can’t you see?” She said, “You have seated me next to a black person! I can’t possibly sit next to this kind of person. Find me another seat!”

“Please calm down, Madam,” the stewardess replied. “The flight is very full today, but I will tell you what I will do---- I will go and check to see if we have any seats available(可利用的) in club or first class.”

The woman glanced at the angry black man beside her. A few minutes later, the stewardess returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady.

“Madam, unfortunately, as I expected, economy is full. I have spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”

Before the lady had a chance to answer, the stewardess continued, “It is most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, learning this condition, the captain felt that it was shocking that someone should be forced to sit next to such a tiring person.”

Having said that, the stewardess turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, “So if you’d like to get you things, sir, I have your seat ready for you…”

At this point, obviously the surrounding passengers stood and gave an applause while the black man walked up to the front of the plane.

1.Why did the lady complain about her seating?

A. Because she didn’t want to sit in economy.

B. Because she would like a seat in first class.

C. Because she didn’t want to sit next to a black man.

D. Because she didn’t want to sit in club.

2.What was the good news for the lady?

A. The black man would have to change for another seat.

B. The captain understood her situation.

C. The cabin director was sparing no effort to help her.

D. They have one seat in first class.

3.What was the other passengers’ attitude towards the lady?

A. They liked her very much because she was a rich lady.

B. They disliked her because she looked down upon the black man.

C. They applauded for her when she moved to another seat.

D. They disliked her because she was not polite to the stewardess.

4.What was unexpected to the lady?

A. The plane was so full that day.

B. They found a seat for her in club.

C. The captain himself was concerned about her problem.

D. They found another seat for the black man.

On my first visit to India with my husband, we met a really nice woman named Uma on the plane. Talking with her made the long flight      much faster.

     When we arrived. we learned that our bags had      not made the trip with our plane. As we were filling out the      luggage forms, we couldn't help noticing the mountain of unclaimed baggage in a corner. Would we      see our belongings again? This was not a good beginning of our 6-week trip.

       It was now 4 am Saturday morning. The officials had told us there was no      in checking to see if our bags had arrived until Monday. What should we do next?      we  stood there wondering, Uma came over. Learning of our      , she said. "Our driver will soon be here to      me up. Come home with me."

     We entered the steamy early      scene outside. Lots of people were waiting for their loved ones. calling their names and     them into warm hugs as they reconnected.      minutes, Uma said, "There's our car!" We piled into the small car, already      with family members who had come to       Uma home.      

      At the house, Uma's family took us in       we had known one another for a long time. They fed us delicious Indian meals, took us on       of their city and brought us to their favorite temples. On      morning. their driver brought us to the airport, where we were happy to find our bags,       and sound.

      What a gift Uma's       was! In my very first moments on Indian soil. I learned an unforgettable lesson about the warm, generous       of the Indian people. Uma had begun achain reaction that we did our best to      on wherever we went.

1.A. go ahead        B. go by            C. go up              D. go through

2.A. anyhow         B. somehow         C. anyway            D. however

3.A. missing         B. losing            C. gone              D. stolen

4.A. seldom         B. forever           C. even              D. ever

5.A. trouble         B. problem          C. point             D. use

6.A. Before         B. After             C. As               D. Since

7.A. situation        B. condition       C. suggestion         D. conclusion

8.A. call            B. pick           C. get               D. bring

9.A. morning        B. afternoon       C. night             D. evening

10.A. putting         B. turning         C. collecting         D. gathering

11.A. For            B. By            C. Within            D. During

12.A. covered        B. crowded        C. compared         D. charged

13.A. see            B. bring          C. send              D. welcome

14.A. even though     B. as if           C. in case           D. now that

15.A. tours          B. journeys        C. voyages          D. travels

16.A. Friday        B. Saturday         C. Monday         D. Sunday

17.A. quiet          B. good           C. heavy           D. safe

18.A. kindness       B. politeness       C. bravery          D. carefulness

19.A. action         B. spirit           C. state             D. deed

20.A. depend        B. put             C. pass             D. turn