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 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(contents) 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. 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.

Wise consumers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials, but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology 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 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. ordinary items never say “New and Improved” or “All Natural”

C. producers spend less money on packaging of ordinary items

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

2.One of the author’s suggestions to consumers is ____.

A. to make use of ads

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

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

D. to buy any ordinary items instead of famous brands

3.The author implies that ____.

A. going into the supermarket hungry, you may buy more than you plan to

B. the quality of ordinary items is usually high and the prices are relatively low

C. discount clothing stores are good places to go to

D. ads sometimes don’t tell the truth

 

When we talk about stars ,especially women stars ,it seems that they are always young, pretty and own charming body shapes. But recently a Britain's Got Talent（英国达人）star Susan Boyle has changed our views absolutely.
Simon Cowell ,one of the judges of the talent show spoke of his shock over Ms Boyle's voice. "This lady camp up ,and I'm thinking, 'This will take five seconds and I can go to have a cup of tea'. That changed when she began to sing I Dreamed to Dream from Les Miserables. She knew we were going to have that reaction and just to see that look of satisfaction on her face through -it was one of my favorite moments," Cowell said.
The performance was posted on line and before long, the 47-year-old Scottish woman has been famous all over the world.
Speaking from her home in Scotland, Ms Boyle said that she hasn't thought of changing her appearance. She said that her friend helped her with make-up. "I mean, that's hardly a makeover," she added.Ms Boyle also spoke of the reason she first began to explore her vocal talents, "I was kind of slow at school, so getting like singing was a good way of hiding behind that and thus it built my confidence."
【小题1】Susan Boyle is _________

A．a judge

B．a reporter

C．a beautiful

D．a Scottish woman

【小题2】Susan Boyle had a look of satisfaction on her face when she was singing because______.

A．she was confident of her singing

B．she was satisfied with the judges

C．she was pretty and in good shape

D．she sang the song I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables

【小题3】According to the passage, which is NOT true?

A．It was the vocal talents that built Susan's confidence

B．Susan Boyle was not good at her lesson when at school.

C．Susan Boyle became famous because of her appearance.

D．Simon Cowell didn't think Susan Boyle a good singer at the first sight.

【小题4】What can we learn from Susan Boyle's success

A．It's never too old to learn.

B．It's easier to succeed at the age of 47.

C．If you have a dream, try to make it come true!

D．If you are not able to study well, to be a singer instead.

There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of environment in which he is reared (培养). If an individual is handicapped (妨碍) environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.

The importance of environment in determining an individual's intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter was reared by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child, sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, having identical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level.

1.This passage can be best titled_________.

A．Intelligence and Environment

B．Measuring Your Intelligence

C．The Case of Peter and Mark

D．How the brain Influences Intelligence

2.According to the passage, the average I.Q. is _____.

A．85               B．125              C．110              D．100

3.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that _______.

A．individual with identical brains seldom test at same level

B．an individual's intelligence is determined only by his environment

C．changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain

D．lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligence

4.This passage suggests that an individual's I.Q.______.

A．can be increased by education

B．stays the same throughout his life

C．can be predicted at birth

D．is determined by his childhood

 

I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that's a ____16____ thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to____17___ it.

The____18____ started when my friend Katy found Grandma's false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I____19____ took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and____20____ to talk to them. I had to get down on my knees and____21____ her to shut up so my grandma wouldn't____22____ and get hurt.

After that happened, I____23____ there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing（令人窘迫）.

Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King. ____24____ ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They'll have two Whoppers (巨无霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost____25____.

After a while, I started wishing I could____26____ Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel____27____ in our home.

Then last Wednesday, something happened that____28____ everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and____29____ them about their____30____　 for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.

"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She's____31____ and rich in experience."

That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.

This is how I ended up on____32____ today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her____33____   she was a great heroine. I was____34____ of my grandma and hoped she would____35____ know that I had been ashamed of her.

1.A. funny　　　　 B. common　　　　C. terrible　　 　D. clear

2.A. admit　　　　 B. receive　　　  C. refuse　　　　 D. show

3.A. quarrel　　　  B. accident　　　 C. trouble　　 　  D. adventure

4.A. already　　　  B. always　　　　C. simply　　　 　D. hardly

5.A. enjoying　　　 B. pretending　 　C. imagining　 　 D. continuing

6.A. warn　　　　　B. demand　　　 C. advise　　　  D. beg

7.A. mind　　　　　B. hear　　　　　 C. see　　　　　 D. fall

8.A. expected　　 　B. declared　　　 C. realized　　 　D. doubted

9.A. Because of　　 B. Except for 　  C. Such as 　　 　D. Instead of

10.A. died 　　　　  B. cheered 　　　C. disappeared　　D. suffered

11.A. meet 　　　　 B. avoid　　　　 C. arrange 　　 　D. hide

12.A. independent　  B. inconvenient　 C. unwelcome　　 D. unfamiliar

13.A. changed 　　　B. finished　　　 C. stopped　　　　D. Prepared

14.A. interview 　　 B. report 　　　  C. tell 　　　　　 D. write

15.A. news 　　　　 B. lives　　　　  C. advantages　　  D. achievements

16.A. free　　　　 　B. popular　　　 C. interesting　　  D. embarrassing

17.A. show 　　　　 B. stage　　　　  C. duty　　　　　 D. time

18.A. and then 　　  B. even if　　　  C. so that　　　　 D. as if

19.A. sure　　　　 　B. proud　　　　 C. ashamed　　　 D. afraid

20.A. never　　　　  B. even　　　　　C. still　　　　　 D. once

 

 Good ads may well ______ the consumers’ emotional needs as well as providing information.

A. see to         B. turn to       C. lead to            D. refer to