When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices(装置)tell the time — which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007.

But while the wise have realized that they don’t need them, others—apparently including some distinguished men of our time—are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £250,000 for a piece.

This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches come with extra functions — but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?

If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.

Watches are now classified as “investments”(投资). A 1994 Patek Philippe recently sold for nearly £350,000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15,000 to £30,000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It’s a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up—they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £350,000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex.

The sales of watches to young people have fallen because they______.        

A. have other devices to tell the time                      B. think watches too expensive

C. prefer to wear an iPod                                      D. have no sense of time

It seems ridiculous to the writer that ______.

A. people dive 300 metres into the sea

B. expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones

C. cheap cars don’t run as fast as expensive ones

D. expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell

What can be learnt about Swiss watch industry from the passage?

A. It targets rich people as its potential customers.

B. It’s hard for the industry to beat its competitors.

C. It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.

D. It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches.

Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Timex or Rolex?                                      B. My Childhood Timex

C. Watches? Not for Me!                               D. Watches — a Valuable Collection

完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
Years ago, in a small fishing village in Holland, a young boy taught the world about the
rewards of unselfish service.
Because the entire village lived on fishing, a volunteer rescue team was needed in case of emergency. One night, the winds   31  , the clouds burst and a strong storm overturned a fishing boat at sea. The crew in trouble   32  the SOS. The captain of the rescue rowboat team   33  the alarm and the villagers   34  in the town square overlooking the sea. When the team started their rowboat fought their way through the wild waves, the villagers waited   35  on the beach, holding lamps to   36  the way back.
An hour later, the rescue boat reappeared through the fog and the   37  villagers ran to greet them. Falling   38  on the sand, the volunteers reported that the rescue boat could not hold any more   39   and they had to leave one man behind. Even one more passenger would have surely   40  the rescue boat and all would have been lost.
   41  , the captain called for another volunteer team to   42  the survivor. Sixteen
-year-old Hans stepped forward. His mother grabbed his arm, crying, "please don't go. Your father   43  in a shipwreck  (船只失事) 10 years ago and your elder brother, Paul, has been lost  44  for three weeks. Hans, you are all I have left."
Hans replied, "Mother, I have to go.    45  everyone said I can't go, let someone else do it? Mother, this time I have to do my duty. When the call for service   46 , we all need to take our turn and do our part. Hans kissed his mother, joined the team and   47  into the night. "
Another hour passed, which seemed to Hans' mother like a century.    48   the rescue boat dashed through the fog with Hans standing up in the bow.    49  his hands, the captain called, "did you find the lost man?"    50  able to control himself, Hans excitedly cried back, "Yes, we found him. Tell my mother it's my elder brother, Paul!"
31. A. stilled                    B. screamed              C. stopped            D. calmed
32. A. set about          B. sent out         C. came up with   D. took over
33. A. sounded          B. set             C. took             D. made
34. A. gathered          B. followed         C. fought          D. struggled
35. A. nervously         B. angrily          C. fearfully        D. happily
36. A. hope              B. light            C. expect            D. try
37. A. promising         B. hoping          C. cheering           D. standing
38. A. uncomfortable     B. exhausted       C. disturbed             D. painful
39. A. villagers          B. sailors          C. captains            D. passengers
40. A. pushed           B. pulled          C. overturned          D. settled
41. A. Anxiously         B. Strangely        C. Unexpectedly      D. Doubtfully
42. A. look after         B. look for         C. lookout           D. look on
43. A. died              B. pulled          C. went               D. interrupted
44. A. in the fire         B. at sea           C. on strike          D. in the war
45. A. How about         B. What for        C. What if          D. What with
46. A. comes                    B. goes                     C. flies                     D. climbs
47. A. appeared          B. disappeared     C. came                 D. went
48. A. Therefore         B. Firstly          C. when              D. Finally
49. A. Making           B. Keeping         C. Showing              D. Cupping
50. A. Hardly                   B. Only                    C. Seldom                 D. Always


Calculus Book for sale!
Thomas’ Calculus — Weir, Hass, & Giordano 11th edition(版本)
Brand new, never been used but I will let it go for used price. Bookstore sold at $150. Call me and let me hear your offer.
Tel: 773-885-6604
READING IS GOOD FOR YOU, PEOPLE!
Why don’t more people read today? I have so many great books for sale. If you are interested in any of these GOOD BOOK DEALS, email me or call me at 650-759-7174 to pick them up.
·All the Days Of My Life(So Far), by Alison Sweeney $5
·All Our Yesterdays, by Robert B.Parker $1
·The Meaning of Everything, by Simon Winchester $5
·Exploring Language, by Gary Goshgarian $5
·The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery $1
·Jack at Sea, by Philippe Dupasquier $1
“The Children’s Classics” Book Set —$200
This is a book set that I’d love to keep, but just don’t have any extra room on my already crowded bookshelf. It is an old, traditional set. The set is in excellent condition. There are nine titles in the set (see list below). I honestly have no idea what this set is worth, but I’ve been told I should sell the set for well over $200, so make me an offer and we’ll see what we can do. Please contact me by email if you are interested: lucia1134@yahoo.com
Book Titles
·Black Beauty (276 pgs)            ·Tom Sawyer (272 pgs)
·Treasure Island (270 pgs)           · Heidi (278 pgs)
·Alice in Wonderland (276 pgs)       · Andersen’s Fairy Tales (278 pgs)
· Arabian Nights (276 pgs)          ·Robin Hood (278 pgs)
·King Arthur (274 pgs)
【小题1】The purpose of the text is to         .

A.introduce some new books on sale
B.advertise some books to the readers
C.explain the benefits of reading books
D.persuade the readers to read more interesting books.
【小题2】Why does the owner sell “The Children’s Classics” Book Set?
A.The owner thinks it too old
B.The owner has bought a new set.
C.The owner has read it for many times.
D.The owner’s bookshelf has no more room.
【小题3】If you are interested in Tom Sawyer, you can         .
A.email lucia1134@yahoo.comB.visit the owner in person
C.call 773-885-6604D.call 650-759-7174

How many times have you got upset because someone wasn't doing his job,because your child isn't behaving?How many times have you been irritated (恼怒的) when you've planned something carefully and things didn't go as you'd hoped?

This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us—it’s part of the human experiences.

One thing that irritates me is when people talk during a movie,or cut me off in traffic. Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances—don't we all?And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or irritated.

Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind: see the glass as already broken .

See, the cause of our stress, anger and irritation is that things don't go the way we like, the way we expect them to. Think of how many times this has been true for you. And so the solution is simple:expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned,expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.

One quick example: on our recent trip to Japan, I told my kids to expect things to go wrong—they always do on a trip. I told them, “See it as part of the adventure.”

And this worked like a charm. When we inevitably(不可避免地) took the wrong train on a foreign­language subway system, or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea, or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children's Castle closed on Mondays...they said, “It's part of the adventure!” And it was all OK—we didn't get too bothered.

So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks some day, you might get upset. But things will be different, if you see the glass as already broken, from the day you get it. You know it'll break some day, so from the beginning, see it as already broken. Be a time­traveler, or someone with time­traveling vision, and see the future of this glass, from this moment until it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, you won't be upset or sad—because it was already broken, from the day you got it. And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.

1.The author would probably agree that________.

A.we should control our anger and irritation

B.we must get well prepared for the future

C.optimism can help us overcome our anger and irritation

D.anger and irritation is a natural part of our life

2.The purpose of the author is to________.

A.tell us his own experience in life

B.advise us how to find peace of mind

C.tell us a happy trip he took with his children

D.ask us to see things from both sides

3.By the underlined part (in Para.3), the author tells us to________.

A.get ready for the worst result of things

B.enjoy the process of things

C.expect little from life

D.find the relationship between cause and effect

4.The author’s children could enjoy their trip to Japan because________.

A.everything went smoothly

B.they had a lot of adventures

C.they had expected things to go wrong

D.they could soon get used to the customs there

5.We can learn from the passage that the author________.

A.often gets angry in his life

B.can adjust his state of mind accordingly

C.always expects others to act in his way

D.always suffers from his anger and irritation

 

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding that many guys were chasing after her, while he was so ordinary. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised but due to being being polite, she promised.

  They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, too. Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him. It was so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why do you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, my hometown, and my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. Then she also started to speak, speaking about her faraway hometown, her childhood, and her family.

  That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their love. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands. He had tolerance, kind-hearted, warm and careful. Thanks to his salty coffee! They married. And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that was the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive my whole life’s lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I didn’t like the salty coffee then, what a strange bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life, for it was prepared by you.”

1. The man was nervous at the coffee shop, because _______.

 A. everybody stared at him at that time

 B. many guys chased after the woman

 C. he didn’t feel himself a match for the woman

 D. he had the strange habit of drinking salty coffee

2. From this passage, we can infer that ________.

 A. the man’s lie won the woman’s love

 B. the man’s parents onced lived near the sea

 C. the woman talked with the man, for they had the same experience

 D. the woman realised what salty coffee had to do with a good man

3. What can be concluded about the man?

 A. He had intended to give his wife a surprise at his death

 B. He unwillingly developed a taste for salty coffee after marriage

 C. He was so stubborn as to drink for a life what he didn’t like

 D. He enjoyed his lifelong bitter salty coffee out of love

4. Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?

 A. A Foolish Lie               B. Salty Coffee

C. A Sad Love Story        D. Love in a Coffee Shop

 

 

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