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.

It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10 th and 11 th centuries. As wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (嫁妆) or decimum. Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion (遗弃),but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The decimum was the wife’s right to receive a tenth of all her husband’s property. The wife had the right to withhold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, And more than just a right: the documents showed that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case did the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.

The wife shared in the management of her husband’s personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance(遗产,继承物)against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria, Vivas, a Catalan woman of Barcelona. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro’s personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, “for the sake of peace.” Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the Catalan wife knew how to win herself, within the context of the family, a powerful economic position.

A decimum was      .

       A. the wife’s inheritance from her father    

       B. a gift of money to the new husband 

       C. a written contract            

       D. the wife’s right to receive one-tenth of her husband’s property

In the society described in the passage, the legal standing of the wife in marriage was      .

       A. higher than that of her husband       B. lower than that of her husband

       C. the same as that of her husband D. higher than that of a single woman

What compensation did Maria Vivas get for the field?

       A. Some of the land Miro had inherited.      B. A tenth of Miro’s land.

       C. Money for household expenses.       D. Money from Miro’s inheritance.

Which of the following is Not mentioned as an effect of the dowry system?

       A. The husband had to share the power of decision in marriage.

       B. The wife was protested from desertion.

       C. The wife gained a powerful economic position.

       D. The husband was given control over his wife’s property.

In the modern world more and more people meet the problem of identity.The most interesting example is that of a so – called “banana”, which refers to an American who has an Asian face but holds Western values.
In Shanghai, there now live a group of people from abroad.They look no different from the locals and speak fluent Chinese or even Shanghai dialect, but when it comes to writing Chinese characters, they are almost illiterate(文盲).Jack is such an example.He never learned to read or write Chinese characters, which he finds mysterious and difficult.From time to time, he files to the US as he does not feel Shanghai is where he comes from.“But when I am in the States, I feel that’s not my home either,” he said.
At De Gaulle Airport in France, there is a Swiss man who has been living in the waiting – room for a long time because he lost h is passport during his travels.He was refused entry into several countries.But when he was eventually allowed to return to Swizerland, he refused to leave the airport.His reason was very simple—“I am sure who I am.I need no acknowledgement from others,” he said during an interview.For th is reason  he was honored by the Western media as “the Hero of identity.”
As the Internet becomes more and more popular, the problem of identity becomes more serious.In a virtual world, people can have different addresses registered with different names.In the Internet chat room, even one’s gender(性别) is hard to determine.It seems that in the glohal village, people are saying hello every day to each other without knowing whom they are talking to.
What will be the next crisis(危机) of identity? With the development of cloning technology, it might be: who is the real “I”?
【小题1】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A.The importance of identity.
B.The crisis of identity.
C.Differences between Eastern and Western cultures.
D.Difficulty in living in foreign counties.
【小题2】The Swiss man had to live in De Gaulle Airport in France because      
A.he needed to board a plane at any time
B.he couldn’t afford to live in a hotel
C.he needed others acknowledgement
D.he couldn’t prove who he was
65.A “banana” in the passage is in fact an     
A.American traveling to Asia   B.American keeping Eastern culture
C.American born in Asia    D.America – born Asian
【小题3】We can infer from the passage that the author believes      
A.there will be more problems relating to identity in the future
B.Internet technology helps solve problems of identity
C.only people traveling abroad have problems of identity
D.people don’t need to worry about identity

Yousuf Karshthe Canadian portrait artist who photographed many of the most influential figures of the 20th centurydied in a Boston hospital on July l3 th2002He was 93

??? Working from a studio in OttawaKarsh produced famous portraits of such subjects as Winston ChurchillJohn FKennedyErnest Hemingway and Albert EinsteinActually he has become almost as famous as his legendary subjectsIn the latest edition of Who’s Whowhich listed the most notable people of the last centuryKarsh was the only Canadian of the 100 famous people listed——51 0f whom Karsh had photographed

??? As a master portraitistoften working in black and whiteKarsh was famous for talking to his subjects as he was getting the shot’s composition just rightasking them questions and putting them at easeIn preparationhe read as much as he could about the sittersbut avoided having the idea beforehand of how he would photograph themHe sought, as he wrote in Karsh Portfolio in 1967to capture the “essential element which has made them great” explaining“All I know is that within every mall a secret is hiddenand as a photographer, it is my task to reveal it if I can

Karsh was born in America in 1908and his uncleGeorge Nakashbrought him to John Garoall outstanding photographerto teach him in 1928Four years laterKarsh set up his own studio in Ottawa

In December of 1941his memorable portrait of Winston Churchill brought Karsh into international fameCanada’s Prime Minister Mackenzie King arranged for him to photograph Churchill following Churchill’s speech in the House of CommonsNot toldChurchill lit up a cigar, “Why was I not told of this?’’ Karsh asked him to remove the cigar andwhen he didn’tstepped forward and gently removed it with the comment“Forgive meSir”Churchill glowered (怒目而视) as the shot was takenthen permitted Karsh to take still another,jokingly commenting“You can even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed” The Churchill portrait has since appeared in publications all over the world

??? Karsh traveled to London in 1943 with his portable studio —— an 8-by-10 view camera and many studio lamps to photograph such notables as George Bernard Shaw and the royal familyAll these portraits fully illustrate Karsh’s ability

1.What did Karsh seek to do most in working?

ACapture the essence and greatness of the character

BPresent the true and vivid expression of the subject

CMake the photograph more colorful and expressive

DReveal the idea he has got in preparing for the shot

2.The underlined word “sitters”in Para 3 probably means __________

Acharacters seated????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? Bsubjects questioned

Cmodels photographed????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? Dphotographs taken

3.The last three paragraphs are mainly developed by __________

Afollowing time order????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? Bproviding examples

Cmaking comparisons????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? Dgiving causes and effects

4.From the passagewe can learn that __________

AChurchill was asked to stand still when Karsh took a photograph of him

BChurchill’s portrait hanging in the House of Commons gave Karsh great fame

CKarsh was listed as one of the 100 notables by Who’s Who in the last century

DKarsh could skilfully adjust the subjects’ mood when photographing them

 

Christmas bird – watching is popular in the U.S.A. When the holiday season comes, some Americans are likely to watch and count birds in the sky with great interest every day. This activity began in the early part of the last century. It has a one-hundred-year history. At that time, there was a so-called “holiday hunting” custom. In order to celebrate the holiday, the hunters went out to kill birds and beasts. By 1900, there were 27 bird lovers who decided to count birds instead of killing birds. Since then, Christmas bird-watching was held every year. It has been continued to the present.

There were 42000 people who took part in the bird-watching last Christmas, from December 16 the year before to January 3 next year. They were in the United States and Canada, central America, south America and the Caribbean, watching and counting birds in the sky. The whole viewing area was divided into 1600 points. Each birdwatcher was responsible for 25 meters, and was required to write down the types and quantities of birds within 24 hours.

A birdwatcher described what he had watched vividly in his diary—“ When I looked up, I saw a beautiful ‘landscape’ in the sky: Red-crowned cranes(丹顶鹤) were driving up in cunning wedges that split the air. They were so neatly arranged, coordinating their movements. I was excited and breathtaking. Interestingly, the “human” shape(人字行) always maintains 110° ” .

“Why do red-crowned cranes choose to use ‘human’ shape when flying in formation?” He continued, “In my opinion, there are four reasons: first, the ‘human’ shape can make red-crowned cranes use increasing air which is produced by each other’s wings when they are swinging in the sky. It can increase the glide time and save physical ability. Second, the ‘human’ shape will enhance communication among the birds. The orders and the relevant information issued by the lead bird can be conveyed to each member in this migratory group unimpeded, accurately, rapidly and conveniently. Third, such a formation will help to find the birds left behind because of feeling run down as fast as possible, so that the young, the weak, the sick birds can get everyone’s help and encouragement. Finally, the ‘human’ shape shows not only beauty but also unity. It can give enemies a deterrent.They will be terrified and did not dare to attack the birds.The migration security of the birds will be ensured.”  

Environmental experts admired and evaluated Christmas bird-watching highly. They pointed out that it made perfect sense. On the one hand it could enhance the human awareness of environmental protection. On the other hand it could provide first-hand information on birds.

49.When did Christmas bird – watching begin?

         A.Sometime during Christmas holiday.         B.At the beginning of 20th century.

         C.In the early 19 th century.          D.Since there was Christmas Day

50.What do bird – watchers do when they are bird – watching?

         A.They kill birds and beasts.          B.They watch birds and beasts.

         C.They watch and count birds.     D.They look at the sky and write diaries.

51.The following are all reasons for red – crowned cranes flying in “human” shape except      .

         A.they can help each other and ensure their safety

         B.they can communicate with each other in order to reduce tiredness.

         C.they can make use of the air produced by each other’s wings.

         D.they can look stronger in case they come across enemies

52.This passage consists of five paragraphs. Please arrange the five main ideas of the paragraphs in order of their appearance in the passage.

    a. How the bird – watchers divided their watching task and what was done.

         b. How Christmas bird – watching came into being.

         c. Christmas bird – watching is of great importance environmentally and scientifically.

         d. A Christmas bird – watcher watched and was amazed by red – crowned cranes.

         e. Red – crowned cranes fly in “human” formation for quite good reasons.

         A.a – b – c – d – e         B.b – c – e – d – a         C.b- a – d – e – c D.b – d – e – a – c

 

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