Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.
Yes, a rose is a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.
Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.
Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals.    
While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.
Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”
As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.
60．What is the central theme of this text?
A．The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.
B．The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.
C．The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.
D．The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.
61．How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?
A．By setting up more chain stores across the country.
B．By selling roses in supermarkets.
C．By selling high quality roses at a low price.
D．By selling roses by the dozen.

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　 One of Mark Twain’s classic novels is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is 　36 in a small American town in the 19 th century. The people in this town are very traditional and 　37 a quiet life.The story is about a boy called Tom Sawyer, who lives with his aunt Polly. He is often in 38 with his aunt. Aunt Polly is very kind, 　39 Tom thinks she is always trying to control him.

　 Tom is different from 　40 children in the town. He loves adventure. He does a lot of bad things, but he never really 　41 anyone. He tries very hard not to go to school, and often jumps 　42 his bedroom window at night to meet his friends. He is very clever. One day, Aunt Polly asks him to do some painting, and he 　43 to get all the boys in the town to do the work for him by inventing a new 　44 game. It is these little stories 　45 make readers want to keep reading the novel, but it is the adventures that 　46 the most important part of the book.

　 Tom’s best friend is Huck Finn, a boy who has no home. In one adventure, they spend the night outside, and they see a man kill another man 　47 . Later in the book, Tom, Huck and another boy decide to leave the town 　48 they think that life there is too boring. They __49__ to an island in the middle of a river. They 　50 fires, catch fish and sleep under the stars. They also make a 　51 to travel up and down the river. 　52 seeing the boys for days, the people in the town think that they have died. One day, when Tom cones back to his aunt’s house to leave a letter 　53 that he is not dead, he hears his aunt talking about his funeral（葬礼）. 　54 Tom has an idea. On the morning of their funeral, the boys run back into town and 　55 their own funeral before telling everyone that they are still alive.

36. A. made　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. set　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. taken　　　　　　　 D. written

37. A. have　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. pass　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. live　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. own

38. A. trouble　　　　　　　　　　　 B. silence　　　　　　　　　　 C. peace　　　　　　　 D. war

39. A. and　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. but　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. still　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. as

40. A. another　　　　　　　　　　 B. others　　　　　　　 C. the others　 D. the other

41. A. damages　　　　　　　　　 B. destroys　　　　　　　　　 C. ruins　　　　　　　　　　　 D. hurts

42. A. out of　　　　　　　　　　　 B. into　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. onto　　　　　　　　 D. in front of

43. A. tries　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. fails　　　　　　　　 C. manages　　 D. struggles

44. A. fighting　　　　　　　　　　 B. painting　　　　　　　　　 C. touring　　　　　　　　　　 D. sailing

45. A. which　　　　　　　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. what　　　　　　　　　　　 D. where

46. A. is　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. was　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. are　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. were

47. A. in charge　　　　　　 B. in advance C. in the long term　　　　 D. in the dark

48. A. because 　　　　　　　　　 B. while　　　　　　　　　　　 C. even though　　　　　　 D. if

49. A. run into　　　　　　　 B. run away　　　　　　　　 C. run across　　　　 D. run out of

50. A. catch　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. set　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　　　　 D. put

51. A. bike　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. boat　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. camel　　　　　　　　　　　 D. cage

52. A. By　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Upon　　　　　　　　　　　 C. At　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Without

53. A. writing　　　　　　　　　　　 B. telling　　　　　　　　　　　 C. saying　　　 D. meaning

54. A. Then　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Besides　　　　　　　　　　 C. Also　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Lastly

55. A. join　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. present　　　　　　　　　　 C. participate　　　　　　　 D. attend

When Don Richmond and his brother Mark stole their mother’s pocket address book one day, some 13 years ago, the two young men had nothing but good intentions.

Their   36   - Brian, a radio personality in Singapore and Suanne, a health advisor had   37   at a young age and didn’t have the means to have a big   38  . Don and his brother had heard their parents   39   several times that they wished they’d been able to   40   more people to share their joy. Since Mark was having great   41   following in his father’s footsteps as a radio host, he felt he was   42   to give his parents the perfect 25 th wedding   43   present the wedding they’d always wanted. Don was   44   in school at that time.

The Richmond boys got   45  . Going through the address book, they   46   family, old friends and colleagues, as well as made   47   to fly their grandmother in from England. At that point, Brian had not seen   48   mother for about seven years. On the evening of the August 1^st wedding anniversary, Don and Mark   49   to meet their parents at the hotel where the feast would take place. They’d   50   thirteen tables and all their invited guests had already been told to remain   51   so as not to spoil the surprise. Their parents were caught   52   unawares (出其不意地) when they entered the room and were   53   by 130 guests yelling at the same time “Surprise!”

“My parents were truly   54   ,” says Don, now 31. “My parents say it was their best wedding anniversary ever. But they also   55   us that peaceful dinners with the family are pretty good, too.”