Women turn to online shopping
Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping, according to a study published last week in the US.
For years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the 2004 holiday season, 58 percent of those making online purchases were women.
“It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming,” said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group, which carried out the study.
Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because women traditionally make decisions about spending.
Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages 18 and 29 were responsible for some of the most dramatic increase in the online gift-buying population this time around.
However, three- quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2004. They worried about credit card security, or just compared online prices with off-line prices, then dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
“ But even if shoppers don’t buy online , websites are becoming promotion tools for stores,” said Dan Hess, vice president of ComScore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most stores’ websites can make customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts arrive on time.
“ It’s all about making the shopping experience more efficient, more reliable and more comfortable.” Hess said.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is true?

Every weekend, many Americans drive around looking for things to buy. They are taking part in an unusual kind of outdoor treasure hunt: the yard sale (旧货出售). In some parts of the country, such a sale might be called a garage sale or a moving sale. Whatever the name, the activity is the same. People sell things they no longer want.

The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. It lists some of the things to be sold. Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day waiting for someone to take them home. Usually, the seller puts a price on each object at a yard sale. However, that price can almost always be negotiated (谈判).

Serious buyers also spend time getting ready for yard sales. They collect the newspaper announcements. Then they make lists of the sales they want to attend.

Most people who go to yard sales are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy bargaining over prices, even if they may hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they have bought.

To other people, yard sales are simply a way to have fun. In some communities, they are important social gatherings. Other people say yard sales help the environment. Old things are re-used instead of being thrown away.

In any case, yard sales are very popular in America. Hunting for unusual items is a sport for some people. For others, it is a way of life.

59 What can’t you get to know about the yard sales announced in a local newspaper?

A.When to attend the yard sale.

B. Where to attend the yard sale.

C. What is to be sold at the yard sale.

D. The prices of the things to be sold at the yard sale.

60 Before a yard sale, the sellers need to do all the following things EXCEPT ______.

A. putting a paid announcement in a local newspaper

B. bargaining over the prices with the buyers

C. putting the price of each object

D. carrying all the things to be sold out of the house early in the morning

61 Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. A yard sale can also be called a garage sale or a moving sale.

B. The sellers need to pay for putting an announcement in a local newspaper.

C. The sellers collect the newspaper announcements before the yard sales.

D. The prices for the items to be sold at a yard sale can be negotiated.

62.Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned as the reason why yard sales are very popular in America?

A. People can buy something special at yard sales.

B. People can buy something they really want.

C. People can enjoy bargaining over prices.

D. People regard yard sales as social gatherings.

More consumers are waiting for the further drop of housing prices with money in their hands  _      buying houses, according to a report.

A．no better than      B．little more than     C．other than         D．rather than

Every weekend, many Americans drive around looking for things to buy. They are taking part in an unusual kind of outdoor treasure hunt: the yard sale (旧货出售). In some parts of the country, such a sale might be called a garage sale or a moving sale. Whatever the name, the activity is the same. People sell things they no longer want.
The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. It lists some of the things to be sold. Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day waiting for someone to take them home. Usually, the seller puts a price on each object at a yard sale. However, that price can almost always be negotiated (谈判).
Serious buyers also spend time getting ready for yard sales. They collect the newspaper announcements. Then they make lists of the sales they want to attend.
Most people who go to yard sales are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy bargaining over prices, even if they may hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they have bought.
To other people, yard sales are simply a way to have fun. In some communities, they are important social gatherings. Other people say yard sales help the environment. Old things are re-used instead of being thrown away.
In any case, yard sales are very popular in America. Hunting for unusual items is a sport for some people. For others, it is a way of life.
59 What can’t you get to know about the yard sales announced in a local newspaper?
A.When to attend the yard sale.
B. Where to attend the yard sale.
C. What is to be sold at the yard sale.
D. The prices of the things to be sold at the yard sale.
60 Before a yard sale, the sellers need to do all the following things EXCEPT ______.
A. putting a paid announcement in a local newspaper
B. bargaining over the prices with the buyers
C. putting the price of each object
D. carrying all the things to be sold out of the house early in the morning
61 Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. A yard sale can also be called a garage sale or a moving sale.
B. The sellers need to pay for putting an announcement in a local newspaper.
C. The sellers collect the newspaper announcements before the yard sales.
D. The prices for the items to be sold at a yard sale can be negotiated.
62.Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned as the reason why yard sales are very popular in America?
A. People can buy something special at yard sales.
B. People can buy something they really want.
C. People can enjoy bargaining over prices.
D. People regard yard sales as social gatherings.

More consumers are waiting for the further drop of housing prices with money in their hands  _      buying houses, according to a report.