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.

Hallmark arrived in my hometown of Calcutta, India when I was 16. On Valentine’s Day(情人节), I waited in line with many other teenagers just for a chance to get into the store. I remember wishing two things. One of them is that the good-looking boy whom I could see through the store window was picking out a gift for me. Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day passed and I received nothing but a lecture from my father on how Western capitalism(资本主义) was ruining your culture.

The next Valentine’s Day, I still didn’t have a boyfriend, but I did receive a greeting card from a secret admirer. I can’t remember what it exactly said inside the card, but it hardly mattered. I know I’m not the only one who’s had the blues because of being single on Valentine’s Day.

 It’s not just on Valentine’s Day that I’m reminded of these feelings. One night, my friend and I were at the subway station in New York City waiting for the local to arrive. The station was mostly full of college students, and later an older couple walked in. Just at that moment, a street musician started playing She’s Only a Woman to Me. The couple began dancing around the station and lost in their own world. On the train, I found myself recalling the time when I was with a date at the subway station, and there he picked me up in his arms like I was a ballerina(芭蕾舞女演员).

My view of romance has changed from when I was 16 in Calcutta to now, 23, and living in Manhattan. This year, I won’t focus all my romantic expectations on one particular day. I’ll spend Valentine’s Day with friends in New York City. But I won’t try to hide somewhere or turn off my cellphone. Instead, I’ll help my coupled-up friends pack for their weekend trips to Rome.

The underlined word “Hallmark” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to a              .

       A. city                  B. street                       C. store                        D. man

We can infer that in the opinion of the writer’s father                           .

       A. his daughter should have received a gift

       B. people in India shouldn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day

       C. people in India should welcome Western culture

       D. his daughter should know more about capitalism

According to Paragraph 2, if someone has the blues, he or she is probably           .

       A. lucky                B. angry                       C. excited                     D. sad

What is implied in the passage?

       A. The writer now has a boyfriend.

       B. The writer now is afraid of Valentine’s Day.

       C. The writer will go to Rome with her coupled-up friends.

       D. The writer’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day has changed.

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to __36__ in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the __37__ ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too __38__ for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of __39__.

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a question to ask you. Is there __40__ between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. She didn’t answer immediately. She __41__ her head and continued to sew the quilt.

I was very worried because I thought I had _42_ her. I was _43__ and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:

“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread.Sometimes it __44_, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt __45__. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread.It can hardly be seen __46_, but it’s really there. Love is __47__.”

I listened carefully but I __48__ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly __49_ seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked __50 _. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness. After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father __51__ on the country road.

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.“Susan, don’t __52__ me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom.”__53__ his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.

Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and __54__. But from this experience, I understand that love is just __55__ in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

31.A.keep fit    B.rise early  C.earn money          D.collect fortune

32.A.magic      B.romantic C.fantastic   D.attractive

33.A.simple     B.easy C.relaxing   D.luxurious

34.A.the question    B.question   C.reach       D.control

35.A.feeling     B.love C.quarrel     D.smile

36.A.raised      B.shook      C.nodded    D.bowed

37.A.hurt B.injured     C.wounded D.harmed

38.A.in great surprise      B.in a great embarrassment

       C.with deep depression      D.at extreme sorrow

39.A.happens   B.comes about    C.appears    D.occurs

40.A.warm and soft        B.hot and hard    C.thin and cool    D.strong and durable

41.A.somewhere and sometime      B.anywhere or anytime

       C.more or less           D.here and there

42.A.inside      B.outside     C.faraway  D.nearby

43.A.could believe    B.couldn’t understand  C.wouldn’t recognize   D.might know

44.A.got sick   B.got stuck C.threw up   D.became disabled

45.A.quite healthy   B.very pale C.fairly red  D.much surprised

46.A.jump high       B.go hurriedly    C.run fast    D.walk slowly

47.A.think about     B.talk with C.worry about         D.laugh at

48.A.Reading   B.Seeing     C.Saying     D.Writing

49.A.fresh roses      B.gold ring        C.sweet kisses        D.beautiful jewelry

50.A.a thread         B.a needle               C.the cloth         D.the cotton


Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine an early Christmas churchman who reportedly helped young lovers. Valentine was killed for his Christian beliefs on February 14 more than 1700 years ago, but the day that has his name is even earlier than that.
More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers. As part of the celebration, girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container. Boys reached into the container and pulled one out. The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover or sweet heart for a year.
Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper and they sent each other Valentine’s Day cards that tell of their love. Sometimes they also sent gifts, like flowers of chocolate candy. Americans usually send these gifts and cards through the mail system. But some used another way to send this message. They have it printed in a newspaper. The cost is usually a few dollars. Some of the messages are simple and short “Jane, I love you very much”. Others say more. This one, for example, “Dan, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I hope you love me as much as I love you. Forever. May.”
Most of the newspapers that print such messages are local, but USA Today is sold throughout the United States, and 90 other countries as well. This means someone can send a Valentine message to lover in a far-away city or town almost anywhere in the world. These messages cost 80 dollars and more. An employee of USA Today says readers can have a small heart or rose printed along with their messages this year. Will this kind of Valentine’s Day message reach the one you love? Well, just make sure he or she reads the newspaper.
1. When was the day named after Valentine?
A. More than 1700 years ago before Valentine’s death  
B. More than 2000 years ago
C. On February 24                              
D. It is not mentioned in the passage.
2. Which is not true about the Roman holiday?
A. Girls put into a container large pieces of paper with their own names on them.
B. Boys and girls became sweet hearts by chance
C. Girls and boys were not lovers for a year.
D. It was celebrated as a holiday for lovers
3. What is the cost of printing a message to show one’s love? It’s _______________.
A. a few dollars                   B. 80 dollars, and more                C. very expensive
D. a few dollars in a local newspaper and 80 dollars in USA Today
4. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The ancient Roman girls were more open and easy-going than boys
B. Valentine was killed for helping lovers
C. Readers of USA Today can send roses to their lovers along with printed messages
D. Valentine was honored by people for his firm Christian belief and warm heart
5. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To briefly introduce the origin of Valentine’s Day and the modern style.
B. To advertise for USA Today.
C. To tell you that Americans are open to express their love
D. To sell roses on Valentine’s Day.              

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