I have been using the Internet since I was five years old, when my dad first sat me down in front of a computer and connected me to the World Wide Web.

I’ve always felt like a master of the Internet world. AOL Instant Messaging, MSN, Gmail, Facebook, Myspace—I’ve got them all under control. I thought there was nothing more to it besides checking my email and wasting my time, until I was introduced to e-commerce: business on the Internet.

My friends often said they got cheap textbooks off Amazon.com, or had a good deal on Steve Madden boots that were on sale at SteveMadden.com. Unfortunately for me, I continued my “e-commerce-less” Web-surfing, unaware of all the deals I was missing out on.

That is, of course, until my sister finally sold the idea to me.

“Why are all these packages arriving in the mail for you, Katy?” I asked her one day. Strange envelopes had been put on our doorstep for weeks now, each one always addressed to my sister.

“Oh, it’s the stuff I ordered online!” she answered. I watched in surprise as she opened item after item. There was no way our parents were letting her spend that much money—online or off!

“How much did all of this cost?”

“Oh, only about $15 in all!” She said excitedly. “Everything on eBay is on sale! It’s better than going to the mall.”

I felt as if in my entire life, there had been a store right in my backyard that I had never walked into! That week, I ordered a used Spanish textbook for my summer course online for 10 percent of the publishing price. A few days later, I bought an iPod protector and a book or two via the wonderful eBay.com.

1.What can we infer from the passage?

A. The author started doing online shopping at the age of five.

B. The author is a master of the Internet world.

C. The author learnt online shopping from her sister.

D. The author often bought things via Amazon.com.

2.Why was the author surprised when she saw her sister’s items?

A. Because she had no knowledge of online shopping.

B. Because she didn’t like the stuff her sister bought.

C. Because she thought that her parents would be happy to see her sister’s items.

D. Because she hadn’t thought her sister should buy so many things.

3.The underlined sentence suggests that the author ________.

A. wanted to go for a walk in her backyard

B. showed great interest in the Internet

C. was eager to open up an online shop

D. had never done online shopping before

Getting ripped off from time to time is just part of traveling---don’t let it ruin your day or your overall experience. But there are things you can do to avoid some of the most common rip-offs. Let me share my travel tips for how to avoid hidden fees, disappointed experiences and overpriced items.

Baggage Fees

Depending upon the airline, you can pay $15 to $75 for the first checked bag, and more for overweight bags. When possible, pack a bag lightly enough to a carry-on or fly airlines that still allow free checked bags(two bags for Southwest and one for JetBlue). Many airline programs allow members with a high status to have a free checked bag, so check your status.

Overpriced Hotel and Airport Food

To avoid the overpriced water sold at airports, bring an empty water bottle with you through security at the airport. Then, fill it up at a water fountain or ask a waiter at a coffee shop to fill it up for you. Pick up some snacks at a local corner store instead of hitting the hotel room mini bar, which can lead to expensive surprises on your final bill.

Tourist Trap Restaurants

If you’re visiting a restaurant or attraction that has online presence, Google it or search it on Yelp to see what the locals say about it and to find any available coupons(优惠券) that might get some extra savings. Often restaurants run deals on Yelp where if you “check in” at that restaurant and review it, you get a free dessert or 15% off the total bill, etc. By researching online, you’ll not only see whether there are any coupons or extra savings available, but people will tell you if the chef changed a month ago and the food is awful now.

1.To have a free checked bag, you shall not_______.

A. take a light carry-on B. have a high status

C. take overweight bags D. choose Southwest Airlines

2.If you want to drink free water at an airport, you can______.

A. take a bottle of water through security

B. go to a water fountain

C. go to a store at the airport

D. order a coffee at a coffee shop

3.The passage is probably written by______.

A. a travel agent

B. an economical person

C. an experienced traveler

D. a skilled net-worker

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves — the positive(积极的) and negative(消极的) effects are just as lasting.

We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

This “self-talk” helps us motivate(激励) ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. However, harsh and critical language will most probably cause the clerk to be defensive.

Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.

Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

A. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us

B. inspiring words give us confidence

C. negative words may let us down

D. words have a lasting effect on us

2.There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because ____.

A. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves

B. we can benefit (受益) from talking to ourselves

C. talking to ourselves always gives us courage

D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone

3.The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely______.

A. remind ourselves

B. praise ourselves

C. make ourselves relaxed

D. give ourselves entertainment

4.The author would probably hold the view that ________.

A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers

B. negative words may stimulate us to make more progress

C. people tend to remember friendly words

D. it is better to think twice before talking to others

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