On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea (跳蚤) markets. These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.
For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.
Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.
1. What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?
A. Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper.  
B. Display your goods in front of the garage.
C. Find rare items and fix their prices.         
D. Clear your garage and front lawn.
2. The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ____.
A. distributed                B. rejected               C. discovered          D. stored
3. When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?
A. They can bargain on a price acceptable to both. B. They can question their value.
C. They can expect a 50% discount.             D. They can compare with the other sellers.
4. What do we know about the garage sale?
A. It is only held in the spring of the year.
B. The goods on display are totally useless.
C. Garage sales are popular with Americans.  
D. All the goods are selling far below their real value.

Section B

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

F. potential     G. shortcuts         H. specific      I. structurally   J. surprises

The home inspection is an essential part of any home buying process. Without a home inspection, you can never be sure what you're getting and when buying a home that's a lot of money to __41__ on uncertainty. A home inspection ensures that there are no __42__ and that you can enjoy your future home for years to come.

A home inspection will __43__ hiring a company to send a home inspector out to go through your potential home with you and thoroughly inspect everything to make sure there are no major problems that might not be obvious to the average home owner. He will go over all the wiring, plumbing(管道系统), the roof and the foundation to make sure everything is __44__ sound. At the same time as the home inspection it's always a good idea to have a pest (昆虫) inspection to check for damaging insects such as carpenter ants.

Different states have different regulations for home inspections. So you need to be aware of what the requirements of your __45__ state are and make sure the inspector covers these areas. It’s a good idea to ask to see any __46__ certification, which a professional home inspector will gladly show you. It’s also best to make certain that your specific inspector has experience with your region. A local home inspector will better __47__ conditions in your area such as damp basements, winter damage to roofing or cracks in the foundation caused by normal settling.

A thorough home inspection takes time, so don’t settle for someone that you feel might be taking __48__. Many home inspectors are happy to have you accompany them on the inspection. A walk through with the home inspector is a great time to learn about how your home works and what to look for in terms of __49__ trouble.

A home inspection is just absolutely necessary and one will provide much peace of mind once you move into your new home. 

I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father’s age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means.

A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, “ Fifty is what forty used to be.” He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now.

“ Your are not getting older, you are getting better.” says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion.

And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies(悼词). In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all:

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to me.

Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend (混合) of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher (哲学家) was right when he said.” Old is always fifteen years from now.”

44. The author seems to tell us in Paragraph 1 that ________.

A. time alone will tell B. time goes by quickly

C. time will show what is right             D. time makes one forget the past

45. When the author turned fifty, people around him ________.

A. tried to comfort him                        B. got inspiration with him

C. were friendlier with him                   D. found him more talkative

46. The author considers his fifty years of life

A. peaceful              B. ordinary           C. satisfactory            D. regretful

47. We can infer from the passage that

A. the old should led a simple life          B. the old should face the fact of aging

C. the old should take more exercise    D. the old should fill themselves with curiosity

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids' also. But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

    My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less — not one hour and one minute.

    We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath everyday. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.

    The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept --- my mother actually had the nerve to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

    Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

    As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

    My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. Using this as a background, I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world.

What can we infer from the passage?

A. The author is not happy to have such a mean mother.       

B. The author's mother broke the Child Labor Law to make money.

C. The author's mother failed to educate her children to be honest adults

D. The author is strict with her children.

Why couldn’t the author eat candy for breakfast?

  A. Because she preferred cereal, eggs or toast to candy.

  B. Because her mother couldn’t afford for candy.

  C. Because her mother thought it not good to eat candy for breakfast.

  D. Because her mother had to gave candy to the author’s sister and two brothers.

The author’s mother made her children work because _________ .

   A. she had trouble falling into sleep

   B. she could not keep such a big family without her children’s help

   C. she was teaching her children to live by themselves.

   D. she had no time to do housework.

My dream ended when I was born. Although I never knew it then, I just held on to something that would never come to pass. Dreams really do exist. But in the morning when you wake up, they are remembered just as a dream. That is what happened to me.

I always had the dream to dance like a beautiful ballerina（芭蕾舞女演员）turning around and around and hearing people applaud for me. When I was young, I would turn around and around in the fields of wildflowers that grew in my backyard. 

Reality woke me up when I heard someone saying, "I don't know why you bother trying to dance. Ballerinas are pretty and slender(苗条) www..comgirls. Besides, you don't have the talent to even be a ballerina." I remember how those words hurt every feeling in my body. I fell to the ground and wept for hours. 

I enjoyed hanging out by the water. I would sit there for hours and stare at my reflection(倒影). There I was, looking nothing like a pretty ballerina dancer. Reflections don't lie. Once the waves would come, my reflection was washed away just like my dream to dance.

As I grew older, I began to realize that the reason my dream was even born was because it was something that was inside of me. The dream I had was never nurtured(培育) and cared for, so it slowly died. It's not that I wanted it to die, but I allowed it to die the day I started listening to the words, "You can't do it." When I finally woke up from many years of dreaming, I realized that you can't only settle for dancing in the wildflowers, you have to move on to the platform.

Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage？

A. Care for your dream

B. Dream and reality

C. Nothing is impossible

D. Efforts to be a ballerina will pay  

The author didn’t realize her dream of being a ballerina mainly because_______.

A. she was bored of dancing and performing  

B. she had lack of self-respect  

C. her health conditions allowed her dream to die

D. she was deeply affected by others easily

From the passage, it can be inferred that _________.

A. the author was once a pretty and slender girl with wonderful dream.

B. we should dare to give up our dream facing much pressure and difficulty

C. if you stick to your dream and never say die, you will enjoy a bright life

D. You should necer give up.

What is the main purpose of writing the passage?

A. to complain    B. to praise     C. to warn    D. to criticize

The underlined expression “settle for” in the last paragraph means_________.

A. turn down     B. take up    C. give up   D. settle down