Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you’ll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn’t enough for consumers (消费者) these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don’t buy anything just because it’s cheaper than usual! “New and Improved!” or “All Natural” on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of ingredients (配方) on the back. Third, compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand.

Another suggestion for consumers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages (普通包装). These products are cheaper because producers don’t spend much money on packing or advertising. The quality, however, is usually as good as the quality of well-known name brands. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren’t very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.www.zxxk.com

Wise consumers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials, but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology (心理) behind the ads. In other words, well-informed consumers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom (底部) of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, consumers can make a wise choice.

1.All the following statements are true about the phrase “ordinary items” in Paragraph 2 except ________.

A. ordinary products are usually cheaper than famous brands

B. producers spend less money on packaging of ordinary items

C. ordinary items never say “New and Improved” or “All Natural”

D. the quality of ordinary items is usually as good as that of famous brands

2.What does the writer think about ads?

A. They are believable.                                            B. They are attractive.

C. They are helpful to consumers.                     D. They are full of misinformation.

3.One of the author’s suggestions to consumers is ________.

A. to make use of ads

B. to buy only ordinary items instead of famous brands

C. to buy high quality items such as famous brands after lunch

D. not to buy items with words like “New and Improved” or “All Natural”

4.The author implies(暗示) that _________.

A. ads sometimes don’t tell the truth

B. discount clothing stores are good places to go to

C. going into the supermarket hungry, you may buy less than you plan to

D. the quality of ordinary items is usually higher and the prices are relatively lower.

Experts believe that there are about 40,000 different types of jobs in the world. Choosing the right one is a difficult job in itself.

    "Finding a job" is not the same as "choosing a job". Many young people end up in a job that they are not suited to. "Chance" may play a more important part than "decision". So here are a few steps to help you think about jobs, which you might enjoy doing after school or university.

    First, it is important to recognize what kind of person you are and which special qualities make you different from everyone else.

    To examine your skills and abilities even further, ask yourself this question: in the following three areas - skills with people, skills with information or skills with things - which are your best skills?

You may have noticed something while you are doing this task. The point is that there is a difference between an interest and a skill. If you like and enjoy looking at pictures, it is an interest. But if you can draw a horse that looks like a horse and not a big dog, that is a skill. The best job is one that uses your skills in something that you are interested in. In addition to this, it is an advantage if you believe that a particular job is worth doing in the world.

After that, the next step is research. To find out as much as possible about different kinds of work, go to the library and read books, magazines and newspapers. Ask your friends about the work they do. If you are interested in banking, it is better to talk to a bank clerk who is twenty - four, rather than a bank manager who is sixty - four. Do not rely on your parents' friends for information. A younger person will be able to describe a normal day at work and tell you about the interesting or boring things when you first start working.

   Finally, trust your own ideas and your own thinking! It is your own life, so find something that you enjoy doing.

64. The difference between "finding a job" and "choosing a job" lies in ________.

    A. finding a job is a decision while choosing a job is a chance

    B. finding a job is more important than choosing a job.

    C. a job that you find is one who is more suitable for you than one that you choose

    D. a job that you choose is based on your decision and suits you while one that you find often isn't.

65. What is the first step to find a job that suits you well?

    A. The first step is to recognize what kind of person you are and which special qualities make you different from everyone else.

    B. The first step is to find out as much as possible about different kinds of work.

    C. The first step is to ask your friends about the work they do.

    D. The first step is to consider your parents' advice.

66. All the things are ways of research about different kinds of work except ________.

    A. go to library and refer to books

    B. turn to your friends to help

    C. turn to your parents' friends for advice

    D. talk to a younger person for information

67. If you are interested in banking, you should talk to a bank clerk who is twenty four instead of a bank manager who is sixty - four because _________.

    A. they will be able to describe a special day at work

    B. they are full - time workers and can tell you about the interesting or boring things at work

    C. it is easier to find a bank clerk than to find a bank manager

    D. they are easier to get along with

Starry Night
Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.
I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).
Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.
Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.
And so the sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.
What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?
【小题1】Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.

Starry Night

Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.

I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).

Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.

Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.

And so the sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.

What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?

1.Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.

A. The singing angels                             B. the giant trees

C. the sleepy village                               D. the sparkling stars

2.Van Gogh does NOT describe a feeling of ______ through the Starry Night.

   A. happiness         B. vitality            C. power                    D. despair

3.The underlined word “prison” in the 3rd paragraph probably means ______.

   A. trouble in one’s life                                   B. mental illness

   C. control from the authority                  D. a place where criminals are kept

4.What is the main purpose of this passage?

 A. To explain how Van Gogh painted the Starry Night.

 B. To tell us how to appreciate the Starry Night.

 C. To prove Van Gogh was in a hallucinating state of mind while painting the picture.

 D. To show us the beauty of the sky on a starry night.

Starry Night

Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.

I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).

Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.

Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.

And so the sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.

What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?

72. Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.

A. the sparkling stars　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. the giant trees

C. the sleepy village　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. The singing angels

73. Van Gogh does NOT describe a feeling of _______ through the Starry Night.

　 A. happiness　　　　　 B. vitality　　　 C. power　　　　　　　 D. despair

74. The underlined word “prison” in the 3rd paragraph probably means _______.

　 A. mental illness 　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　B. trouble in one’s life　

　 C. control from the authority　　　　　　　　 D. a place where criminals are kept

75. What is the main purpose of this passage?

　 A. To tell us how to appreciate the Starry Night.

　 B. To explain how Van Gogh painted the Starry Night.

　 C. To prove Van Gogh was in a hallucinating state of mind while painting the picture.

　 D. To show us the beauty of the sky on a starry night.