Remember when a trip to the supermarket was nothing more than a boring thing requiring little or no specialized knowledge? You could send your kids into a cart while you did shopping. You always bought the same brands, usually the brands your mother bought. You didn't know about unit pricing, and furthermore, you didn't care. It never occurred to you to read the labels on anything. After all, you'd bought these things a hundred times.   

But now, I really look on those days with a feeling of yearn (怀旧). How innocent we were! How carefree were those trips to the supermarket. No worries. Today a trip to the supermarket is filled with social influence. Every time I buy pork chops I think about the years I'm shaving from my life. I keep a careful eye on the freshness date and examine the tamper - proof packaging. I am a victim of that most dangerous social disease: shoppers' panic.   

I didn't realize how serious my condition had become until the last time I needed laundry soap. It seemed simple enough. Just run into the market, grab a box of the old reliable and pay for it. I hadn't planned on discovering Ecover, a new brand of laundry soap. It sat quietly on the shelf right next to my old reliable. "Healthy, gentle but effective. "My respect for it deepened with each new claim as I read the entire package. Then I looked at the price: $ 5.69 for 2 pounds. $ 5.69 ! I cast a quick glance at the old reliable, still on sale for $ 1. 39.   

Six bucks for laundry soap! These people must be crazy! Who's going to pay six bucks for laundry soap? It's not as though I can't afford it. See, it's concentrated use less, get more. BUT SIX BUCKS! And the box is made from recycled materials. . . . This act went on for a solid half hour, after which I left the shelf without any soap at all.   

Surely the meat department is most threatening place. Remember when protein was good for you? That's all over. Every bite you take kills you. I won't even mention meat's moral influence.

When all is said and done, we still must eat. I gather up my healthy cooking oil and my recycled paper towels and head to the checkout counter.

1．In the first paragraph, the author mainly wants to tell us that in the past________.

      A．it was convenient to go shopping in the supermarket

      B．shopping in the supermarket was very boring

      C．we never read the labels of commodities in the supermarket

      D．we used to buy the same brands of products in the supermarket

2．Recalling the old days' shopping in the supermarket, the author thinks it was_____

      A．pleasant               B．fresh                  C．dangerous           D．crazy

3．Eating pork chops will mean that ______.

      A．you must have a shave after that            B．you should think of the old days

      C．you are killing yourself slowly               D．you must go on diet after that

4．In the supermarket, the author was attracted by a new brand of laundry soap for its _____.

      A．price                B．claims             C．package           D．shape

5．What's the author's problem?

 A．She is too poor to afford the new brands in the supermarket.

 B．She cannot not find the right laundry soap in the supermarket.

 C．She has to use the most healthy things because of her poor health.

    D．She is greatly affected by social influences.

完形填空：

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1～25各题所给的四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案．

　It was Friday, Andy Barton was in a 　1 　mood(情绪).

　At six o'clock his 　2 　programme “Travel with us was on TV. Andy liked to get home 　3 　good time for that. But then, just as he was leaving the office to get home a little 　4 　a customer rang up with a few complaints (牢骚, 抱怨) for the next fifteen minutes. “I can 　5 　get home in time if I hurry.”Andy told himself as he 　6 　out of the office. But then, as he drove off in his car, he 　7 　that he was almost out of 　8 　.“ I'll have to stop at Fenton's.”Andy thought. He 　9 　Fenton's because it was a 　10 　petrol station.“ You do all the work yourself, but you pay 　11 　for the petrol.”he used to 　12 　.

　But at Fenton's, the pump was not working properly and it 　13 　ages to get petrol. 　14 　when Andy got home, it was already two minutes past six. Just then the phone rang. “Shall I 　15 　it?” Andy though. He tried to 　16 　his attention on the programme and forgot the phone. But it 　17 　ringing and finally he picked it up.

　“Mr. Barton?”　18 　said, “Fenton's Garage here.”

　“Fenton's?”sanid Andy .“ 　19 　, I was at your place only a few minutes 　20 　, getting some petrol. Did I 　21 　something behind or what?”“No, you didn't, Mr. Barton .” the voice went on. “That's just the 　22 　! You didn't leave anything behind! You went off without paying for your petrol, you 　23 　! Now normally, when that happened, we ring up the police. But 　24 　I recognized you and I know it was a mistake.”

　“I'm really very sorry.”Andy said.

　“Oh, 　25 　Mr. Barton. But could you come round now and pay for your petrol? And please hurry! We close at half past six!”

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

(1) A． good	B． bad	C． happy	D． worse	[　　]
(2) A． favourite	B． music	C． news	D． cartoon	[　　]
(3) A． in	B． at	C． on	D． for	[　　]
(4) A． late	B． later	C． earlier	D． early	[　　]
(5) A． surely	B． yet	C． still	D． also	[　　]
(6) A． rushed	B． went	C． walked	D． stepped	[　　]
(7) A． observed	B． noticed	C． understood	D． decided	[　　]
(8) A． order	B． work	C． breath	D． petrol	[　　]
(9) A． liked	B． loved	C． pleased	D． hated	[　　]
(10) A． self-service	B． good	C． strange	D．funny	[　　]
(11) A． less	B． much	C． the same	D． more	[　　]
(12) A． say	B． complain	C． explain	D． talk	[　　]
(13) A．took	B．cost	C．spent	D．spared	[　　]
(14) A．But	B．So	C．For	D．And	[　　]
(15) A． receive	B． accept	C． reply	D． answer	[　　]
(16) A． draw	B． pay	C． fix	D． get	[　　]
(17) A． kept	B． kept on	C． went on	D． stopped	[　　]
(18) A． he	B． a man	C． Mr. Fenton	D． a voice	[　　]
(19) A． Well	B． Oh	C． Why	D． Oh well	[　　]
(20) A． ago	B． before	C． later	D． earlier	[　　]
(21) A． lose	B． leave	C． get	D． take	[　　]
(22) A． trouble	B． worry	C． programme	D． thing	[　　]
(23) A． look	B． say	C． see	D． think	[　　]
(24) A． suddenly	B． certainly	C． unfortunately	D． luckily	[　　]
(25) A． that's all right.		B． don't mention it.
C． 　　 　　 you're welcome.		D． 　　 　　 all the same.		[　　]

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.
“It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”
The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?
“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”
In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.
“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”
But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.
“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”
【小题1】What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

A．It’s expensive but worthwhile because it works the best.

B．It confuses students because the knowledge taught in it is out of date.

C．It isn’t effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

D．It is effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

【小题2】 What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Something that cannot help to solve problems at all.

B．Something that solves a difficult problem in an easy way.

C．Something that seems useful but has no use at all.

D．Something that encourages interest in study.

【小题3】According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

A．effective in language learning but not for exams

B．effective for foreign students but not for local students

C．unnecessary in most cases and may harm the further study of students

D．unnecessary in secondary school but helpful to further study

【小题4】 What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Fleet Tutors and the Rowans School are competitors.

B．Entrance exams to schools are too difficult for most students.

C．Further study isn’t as difficult as was first thought.

D．Private tuition is worth the financial investment.

【小题5】What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

A．Critical

B．Objective

C．Supportive

D．Uninterested

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.

“It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”

The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?

“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”

In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.

“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”

But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.

“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”

1.What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

A．It’s expensive but worthwhile because it works the best.

B．It confuses students because the knowledge taught in it is out of date.

C．It isn’t effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

D．It is effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

2. What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Something that cannot help to solve problems at all.

B．Something that solves a difficult problem in an easy way.

C．Something that seems useful but has no use at all.

D．Something that encourages interest in study.

3.According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

A．effective in language learning but not for exams

B．effective for foreign students but not for local students

C．unnecessary in most cases and may harm the further study of students

D．unnecessary in secondary school but helpful to further study

4. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Fleet Tutors and the Rowans School are competitors.

B．Entrance exams to schools are too difficult for most students.

C．Further study isn’t as difficult as was first thought.

D．Private tuition is worth the financial investment.

5.What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

A．Critical

B．Objective

C．Supportive

D．Uninterested