Some people will do just about anything to save money.And I am one of them.Take my family's last vacation.It was my six－year－old son's winter break from school，and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip.The flight was overbooked，and Delta，the airline，offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day.I had meetings in New York，so I had to get back.But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay.I took my nine－month－old and took off for home.

The next day，my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight.Yes，I encouraged—okay，ordered—them to wait it out at the airport to “earn” more Delta Dollars.Our total take：$1,600.Not bad，huh?

Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either.But as a big－time bargain hunter，I know the value of a dollar.And these days，a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.

I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露) the worst tricks.I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade.I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade：A Consumer Survival Guide.And I really do what I believe in.

I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth.I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes，clothes for my children，and expensive restaurants.But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut.It keeps its shape longer，and it's the first thing people notice.And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture.Quality lasts.

1.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?

A．They took a later flight.

B．They had early bookings.

C．Their flight had been delayed.

D．Their flight had been cancelled.

2.What can we learn about the author?

A．She rarely misses a good deal.

B．She seldom makes a compromise.

C．She is very strict with her children.

D．She is interested in cheap products.

3.What does the author do?

A．She's a teacher.

B．She's a housewife.

C．She's a media person.

D．She's a businesswoman.

4.What does the author want to tell us?

A．How to expose bad tricks.

B．How to reserve airline seats.

C．How to spend money wisely.

D．How to make a business deal.

C

Paris has the Eiffel Tower; New York has the Statue of Liberty; and Brussels, the Manneken

Piss.

Think of the Belgian capital and, if anything, you think of the small peeing (撒尿) boy ____  a 60-meter-high bronze figure standing on a block, supplying a constant stream of water to the basin under him.

Some might laugh. But for Jacques Stroobants, the statue is up there with the best of them.

“I’m proud of him. People come from all around the world to see him,” says 60-year-old Stroobants with a fatherly glance at the little boy.

As the most famous landmark of Brussels, Manneken Piss has a very special place in the heart of Belgians.

The original Manneken Piss dates back to 1388, but the statue tourists see today dates from 1619 when the city built a second one after the original was destroyed.

Many stories go round Manneken Piss. Nobody knows why he was made. One story is that he saved Brussels by putting out the flames of a deadly fire with his well-aimed piss. But the most believable story is that the boy, the son of a wealthy man, was kidnapped. The father had a statue built in honor of the way his son was found-peeing against a tree.

Perhaps best-known for his naked beauty, the “peeing boy” has also been clothed in some of the finest clothes money can buy.

Stroobants has been changing his clothes for the last 29 years. On average, he has clothes on 300 days a year. And on special days, he pees beer.

A few of the ways he’s been dressed are; a football player, Mozart and an army general. Now, he has more than 600 pieces of clothes.

There is no strict charge for those wishing to provide clothes for the little boy. But certain conditions must be met.

“The clothes cannot include either advertising or political message,” said Stroobants, because they would cheapen the national treasure.

But Manneken Piss is still something local people can make money from ___ by selling all kinds of souvenirs.

72. Which of the following is NOT true about Maneken Piss?

A. It has a history of more than 600 years.   B. It stands in Brussels. 

C. It is best known for the clothes he wears. D. It is 60 meters high.

73. The Manneken Piss has a special place in the heart of Belgians because          .

A. it’s good-looking with water running constantly

B. it brings joys to people who see it   

C. it helps people make beer

D. it’s a symbol of the city.

74. We can learn from the passage that          .

A. for most of the year, the boy is naked

B. Stroobants is probably in charge of taking care of the statue

C. people can provide any clothes for Manneken Piss

D. people make money by advertising Manneken Piss

75．Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A. Tourists cannot provide clothes for the peeing boy.

B. The Manneken Piss has attracted many visitors.

C. The peeing boy is the national treasure of Belgium.

D. Local people make money by selling souvenirs.

Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”

Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”

You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.

Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable(能预测的) future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.

What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”

1.What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?

   A. Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced.

   B. Information technology is developing at an amazing speed.

   C. Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult.

   D. There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry.

2.According to the author, the biggest benefit of the Internet is that___.

  A. it saves companies huge amounts of money      B. it speeds up profit making

  C. it brings people incredible convenience          D. it provides easy access to information 

3. The author gives the example of FinalThoughts.com to make the point that____.

   A. there are some genius ideas on the Internet

   B. almost anything is available on the Internet

   C. people can find good bargains on the Internet

   D. some websites provide novel services to increase hits

4.What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?

   A. There is a link between income and computer ownership.

   B. Many American children don’t put computers to good use.

   C. Studies show that boys are more computer literate than girls.

   D. The U.S. will stay ahead in the information technology in years.

5.What is the message the author intends to convey?

   A. The Internet is going to get firm hold of our lives some day.

   B. The Internet is going to influence our lives even more greatly.

   C. We should have a positive attitude towards the changes the Internet brings.

   D. Children should be well prepared for the challenges in the information age.

Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable(能预测的) future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”
【小题1】What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?

A．Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced.

B．Information technology is developing at an amazing speed.

C．Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult.

D．There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry.

Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable(能预测的) future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”
【小题1】What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?