55．What kind of clothes is probably to be sold 5% cheaper?

       A. Last summer's clothes.

       B. Clothes not in perfect condition.

       C. Clothes bought in specially for the sales.

       D. Clothes for winter.

54．From the article we can infer that the writer wants to _______.

    A. advise us to eat more fast food          B. tell us how to choose fast food

    C. encourage us to cook dinner at home  D. tell us where to have dinner

C

      I needed to get some money so after Christmas I took a job in the clothes department at Graham's. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I'll never forget.

       I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock （货物） and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are reduced（降价） a little. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn't sell last year; these are reduced a lot to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in "seconds" （clothes not in perfect condition） for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.

       When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.

       When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn't believe my eyes; this wasn't shopping, it was a battlefield（战场）! One poor lady couldn't keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.

       Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Mothers were using their small children to crawl（爬行）through people's legs and get hold of things they couldn't get near themselves.

       Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanted to be the first served. Where had the famous English queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper! I was taking money quickly and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham's were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.

In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was cheap, it was OK.

I was so tired that I crashed out for four hours after I got home. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, feeling the sound of the alarm clock which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.

53．The writer talks about _______ disadvantages of the fast food.

A. three                   B. four                      C. five              D. six

52．The fast food will be about three times as expensive as _______.

       A. the food in a store                 B. fresh fruits and vegetables

       C. the food you cook at home                 D. the food in other restaurants

51．When you think of _______, you feel even tired after work.

       A. eating the fast food                B. preparing the fast food

       C. shopping and cooking dinner        D. turning toward the hamburgers

50．Which sentence is true according to the passage?

A. Masha wants to be a reporter when she grows up.

B. Marie is now studying English in the USA.

C. The Qinghai Tibet Railway hasn’t been built yet.

D. People in Tibet can get to Beijing by train in two days.

B

You're driving home from work. You' re tired, and the thought of shopping for food and cooking dinner makes you even more tired. Suddenly you see a brightly lit sign: "Hamburgers! Fries! " Your hands are holding the wheel. Which way are you going to turn?

If you turn toward the hamburgers, you' ll find much of what you' re looking for. You won't have to do any shopping, and you won't have to do any cooking. Not only that, but you won’t even have to clean up after you’ve eaten.

Of course, the fast food will be about three times as expensive as food you buy in a store. That' s because you' ve got to pay for someone else to buy the food and cook it, and for those unpleasant containers that save on cleanup. Fast food is also less nutritious （有营养的） because the meals are not as balanced （均衡的） as those you can prepare at home. And the meals don ' t have enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Fast-food restaurant owners, who always care about money, also may cut corners on quality（质量） of foods. Worst of all, those hamburgers will be the same old hamburgers as you’ve had a million times before. With home cooking, you can eat anything you want, not just what you can find in fast-food restaurants.

The choice is yours, of course. However, if you want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise, try cooking at home.

49．What does Michiko want to be in the future?

   A. An inventor.              B. A teacher.         C. A tour guide.     D. A doctor.

48．What is Masha’s dream?

A. Going to a top university.             B. Visiting the Bird Nest.

C. Visiting Egypt some day.              D. Inventing a language machine.

47．Who is from the USA?

A. Andrew.         B. Marie.            C. Michiko.         D. Masha.

   I am 13. I dream of going to a top university after I graduate. I want to be a doctor in the future.

Michiko, Japan

   I am a 12 year-old girl. I like traveling very much. How I wish to visit Egypt some day!

Masha, Russia

   I am a 16 year-old girl in Tibet. The Qinghai Tibet Railway has been built. I can reach Beijing by train in about 48 hours. My dream is to go to Beijing to visit the Bird Nest.

Joma, China

  I am 14 years old. I dream of inventing a machine that can send things or people

from one place to another in a minute.

Andrew, the USA