C
There is a place where Christmas lives all year long. It is called Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The family-owned business calls itself the world’s largest Christmas store. The late Wally Bronner started the business in 1945.
Wayne Bronner, Wally’s son, is president and CEO of what is now a multi-million dollar corporation. He learned the business from an early age. Some of his best memories are traveling to other countries with his father to find new products for the store.
Bronner’s sells more than fifty thousand holiday products from seventy nations. Half of the products cost less than ten dollars. Wayne Bronner says demand for small objects to hang on Christmas trees has expanded over the years. People spend more time, effort and money into decorating their homes with these ornaments(装饰品), lights and religious scenes. Bronner’s is famous for its nativity scenes which show the birth of Jesus Christ.
Michigan has the nation’s highest unemployment rate. Bronner’s has been affected by the financial crisis, too. But not in reduced sales.
Wayne Bronner said, “Even though people are spending less, we’re having more people visit here. And as a result we’ve actually had a sales increase.” Bronner’s success is also linked to community co-operation and investment. Frankenmuth is a town of five thousand people in eastern Michigan’s farm country. The town was settled by Bavarian Germans in the 1800s. It has kept its traditions alive in buildings and restaurants.
Bavarian cultural themes and Bronner’s huge store bring three million visitors a year. The town is the most popular place for tourists in the state. Bronner’s business is aimed at a single day of the year. But that is not too different from other businesses.
“About half of our business is done in the last quarter of the year, in the last three months. And actually when you compare that with most retailers(零售商), that follows the same pattern.” Wayne Bronner says the family’s long-term planning and willingness to reinvest profits has grown the company into what it is today. Still, it does not hurt to build a business on a holiday which is celebrated worldwide. Currently, about only two percent of sales are overseas. But Wayne Bronner sees room for growth, especially through the Internet.
51. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is probably ______.
A. a private business            B. a state-run business
C. the world’s largest store       D. a nationalized corporation
52. Bronner’s mainly sells ______.
A. festival ornaments made by themselves
B. holiday products imported from foreign countries
C. festival ornaments during the summer and winter holidays
D. holiday products to tourists from foreign countries
53. We can learn from the passage that ________.
  A. most of Bronner’s products are expensive
B. people are spending less money on small objects
C. Frankenmuth is a modern town popular with tourists
D. Wally Bronner, founder of Bronner’s, has passed away
54. In what way has the financial crisis affected Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland?
A. Many of its staff have lost their jobs.
B. Only two percent of sales are overseas.
C. The corporation has had an increased sale.
D. People are spending less in Bronner’s.
55. Bronner’s success lies in the following EXCEPT ________.
A. aiming its business at a single day of the year
B. community co-operation and investment
C. the family’s long-term planning
D. the willingness to reinvest profits

"S. H.E. is going to sing at the CCTV annual Spring Festival Evening Party, is that true?" cried out Peng Weiye, a Senior 2 girl in Shanghai and die-hard S. H.E. fan.
After checking it on the Internet, Peng quickly phoned friends to spread the news. For fans like her, S. H. E. ’s performance is perhaps the only part of the old fashioned evening to get excited about.
The Taiwanese band is made up of Selina, Hebe and Ella. Their name comes from the first letter of each of the singers' English names.
Last week S. H. E. announced they would perform in Las Vegas, US, over Christmas and then in Guangzhou on January 15.
At their Shanghai show on October 30, hundreds of parents waited outside the Hongkou Stadium. Inside, thousands of teenagers sang, cried and shouted as the band performed.
"I love their music, healthy image and everything related to them. Thank God that, although my parents don't understand why I love them so much, they still bought me a ticket for that show," said Peng about the Shanghai performance.
It is not just on the mainland that the three girls have made audiences much excited. In the past year the band has passed through Taiwan, Hong Kong and even Singapore and Malaysia.
When the three high school girls entered a singing contest in Taiwan in 2000, none of them ever dreamed of being a superstar. "We had never met before, and we didn't talk at all at the beginning," recalled Ella.
When asked about the secret of their success, she said, "Our average looks and not-so-expensive clothes keep us close to our fans. We are happy to be the girls next door, your singing sisters."
"It's really a magical journey, from day-dreaming high school girls to singers performing on the same stage as our idols(偶像). Nothing but magical," she said.
【小题1】 Why was Peng Weiye, a Senior 2 girl, so excited?

A.S.H.E. band will get the old fashioned evening exciting.
B.S. H.E. will perform in Las Vegas over Christmas.
C.Her parents bought her a ticket for S. H. E. Is Shanghai show.
D.S. H.E. will perform on the CCTV Spring Festival Evening Party.
【小题2】How did the Taiwanese band get the name?
A.Their fans gave the name to them. B.Their idols had a deep influence on them.
C.A singing contest gave their idea of the band name.
D.The first letters of Selina, Hebe and Ella form the band name.
【小题3】What do you know about Peng Weiye?
A.She stayed outside the Hongkou Stadium to listen to S. H. E. 's performance.
B.She will watch the performance in Guangzhou on January 15.
C.She pays close attention to everything about S. H. E.
D.She was grateful that her parents understood and supported her.
【小题4】Which is true about S. H. E. ?
A.The secret to their success is their pretty faces and lovely clothes.
B.They were close friends when they entered a singing contest.
C.They caused a storm of excitement in Southeast Asia.
D.They have well prepared to perform with their idols.
【小题5】 Which do you think is NOT the reason for S. H. E’s popularity among their fans?
A.Their music and their healthy image.
B.Their success meets their fans’ day dream of becoming others’ idols.
C.They can make audience much excited
D.Their average looks and not-so-expensive clothes keep them close to their fans.

Does being rich make you happy? Many studies on happiness give negative answers. Here are some points in being happy.

Basic Human Needs Must Be Met

People whose basic needs for shelter, clothing and food are not met will find it very difficult to feel happy. Of course,there are exceptions,but for most of us,we can only be happy once our basic needs are met.

The Joneses Cannot Be Escaped

People's happiness is not determined by how much they have, but by how much people around them have. So, we tend to feel happy once our basic needs are met and we have more than the people surrounding us.

This means that while keeping up with the Joneses could be destructive if we let it go too far, it is also part of human nature to want to feel at least on the same level,financially,as those surrounding us.

You Should Escape The Rat Race

We should know the importance of staying out of the rat race. So yes, you need to work hard,get the education you need to land a good job and work long enough and hard enough to get to a place where you can easily meet your basic needs. What are basic needs? For most middle or upper middle class Americans, basic needs are not very basic anymore.

For most of us,once our basic needs have been met, happiness is achieved when we engage in activities we like,spend time with friends and family and stay active. Making money for the sake of making money does not make people happy.

Ideally, these questions should be answered when you're still young and just starting out. Don't wait until your midlife crisis to realize that half your life has passed you by and you're still unhappy.

1.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.The research on what determines happiness

B.Being rich makes people happy

C.What makes people feel unhappy

D.Key points on being rich and being happy

2.What does "the Joneses" in Paragraph 4 probably stand for?

A.Expensive things                        B.Neighbors

C.Money                               D.Richer people

3.From the passage,what people probably do in "the rat race"?

A.To enjoy their life with family.

B.To get high education for better jobs.

C.To work too hard for money only.

D.To work hard for basic needs.

4.What's the attitude of the author towards the passage?

A.Money is happiness.

B.The love of money is the root of all evil.

C.Money doesn't grow on trees.

D.Money is a big problem, but money isn't everything.

 

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