Tired of all the pushing in supermarkets? Fed up with waiting in endless lines to pay for what you have bought? Angry at wasting time in traffic jams only to find no parking spaces when you eventually arrive at the store? If this is you, then online shopping is the answer to your dreams of trouble-free shopping. Or is it?

Online shopping brings its own challenges. Here are a few things to bear in mind when browsing (浏览) various websites. The claim made by online sites is that shopping online is a safe and secure way to make purchases. The evidence challenges this. In any case, you only have to be the victim of fraud (诈骗) once to experience all the problems that come with this form of stealing. Use only sites that have a trusted history and an excellent reputation.

Another problem is the appearance of items in reality is often quite different from what you see on your computer screen. This might not be a problem if you are buying washing up powder but could be a major disappointment when that beautiful blue dress you ordered turns up in green. Also, product descriptions are sometimes simply untrue. Perhaps the wisest plan is to purchase items where design and color are not essential to customer satisfaction.

Some even argue that online shopping indirectly contributes to global warming. Yes, your car can stay parked but how are online goods delivered? Often by some large vans pouring out carbon monoxide and adding to our already desperate traffic problems. You are also by now becoming increasingly irritated (使烦恼) by the fact that the delivery is late and you have wasted the leave from work you have taken to receive it!

Without question, online shopping is here to stay and it has its benefits. However, perhaps it is not as wonderful as some of its supporters claim it to be.

1.The author lists several questions in Para. 1 to???????? .

A. support online shopping????????????? ?????????????

B. collect answers from readers

C. show his dislike of going shopping?????? ?????????????

D. introduce the topic of the passage

2.By what can online shoppers avoid fraud?

A. Using only trusted websites.???????????????

B. Choosing big websites.

C. Collecting shopping evidence.?????????????

D. Seeking advice from the police.

3.The author agrees with the fact that ______.

A. customers are never satisfied with products

B. online shopping is a safe way to make purchases

C. online shopping has nothing to do with global warming

D. delivery delay often makes online shoppers unhappy

4.What is the author’s attitude towards online shopping?

A. Very popular.?? B. A wise choice.??? C. Not trouble free.? D. A waste of time.

Tired of all the pushing in supermarkets? Fed up with waiting in endless lines to pay for what you have bought? Angry at wasting time in traffic jams only to find no parking spaces when you eventually arrive at the store? If this is you, then online shopping is the answer to your dreams of trouble-free shopping. Or is it?

Online shopping brings its own challenges. Here are a few things to bear in mind when browsing (浏览) various websites. The claim made by online sites is that shopping online is a safe and secure way to make purchases. The evidence challenges this. In any case, you only have to be the victim of fraud (诈骗) once to experience all the problems that come with this form of stealing. Use only sites that have a trusted history and an excellent reputation.

Another problem is the appearance of items in reality is often quite different from what you see on your computer screen. This might not be a problem if you are buying washing up powder but could be a major disappointment when that beautiful blue dress you ordered turns up in green. Also, product descriptions are sometimes simply untrue. Perhaps the wisest plan is to purchase items where design and color are not essential to customer satisfaction.

Some even argue that online shopping indirectly contributes to global warming. Yes, your car can stay parked but how are online goods delivered? Often by some large vans pouring out carbon monoxide and adding to our already desperate traffic problems. You are also by now becoming increasingly irritated (使烦恼) by the fact that the delivery is late and you have wasted the leave from work you have taken to receive it!

Without question, online shopping is here to stay and it has its benefits. However, perhaps it is not as wonderful as some of its supporters claim it to be.

36. The author lists several questions in Para. 1 to         .

       A. support online shopping                      B. collect answers from readers

       C. show his dislike of going shopping            D. introduce the topic of the passage

37. By what can online shoppers avoid fraud?

       A. Using only trusted websites.               B. Choosing big websites.

       C. Collecting shopping evidence.                        D. Seeking advice from the police.

38. What can we learn about online shopping from Para. 3?

       A. It’s normal for a blue dress to change into green.

       B. We shouldn't believe product descriptions easily.

       C. It’s usually wise for us to buy colorful products.

       D. Product appearances are sometimes not good.

39. The author agrees with the fact that ______.

       A. customers are never satisfied with products

       B. online shopping is a safe way to make purchases

       C. online shopping has nothing to do with global warming

       D. delivery delay often makes online shoppers unhappy

40. What is the author’s attitude towards online shopping?

       A. Very popular.   B. A wise choice.    C. Not trouble free.  D. A waste of time.

Starry Night
Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.
I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).
Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.
Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.
And so the sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.
What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?
【小题1】Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.

1. Mean old ladies

There is always a reason why an old lady gives you a serious look – you are being too loud, dressed improperly or not crossing the street in the right place. Sometimes it can be lovely, but if you are already having a bad day, a mean old lady can drive you mad.

What to do about it:

I’ve come to realize that when people start conflicts, it is actually an expression of their inner state expressed in an outside way. You, your personality, your looks or your actions have nothing to do with it. It is not personal, so why take it personally?

2. That person, who cuts in front of everybody in line

This is something that gets me angry. Even if I am not in a hurry, I still feel bad for the other people in line who are being treated unjustly. Are you more patient than I am or do you feel annoying too?

What to do about it:

If we have negative thoughts then we are wasting our energy on negativity. Situations like this could be a great opportunity to learn to control our first negative responses and practice understanding. After all, the person may just have a quick question or maybe there is an emergency.

Friends that tell you “I told you so”

It is one thing to admit that you made a mistake and another to hear it from a friend. Friends should be there to support you and cheer you up when you are feeling down, not make themselves feel better at your expense, right?

What to do about it:

It helps to remember that when people say “I told you so”, they may mean, “Please listen to my advice to avoid future mistakes.” If this is not the help you need – voice it out, without getting defensive.

1.According to the author, what can you do when meeting with a mean old lady?

A. Take it personally.                       B. Take it seriously.

C. Don’t apologize to her.                   D. Don’t get upset.

2.When seeing someone cutting in line, we’d better ________.

A. stop him immediately                             B. treat it with a good state of mind

C. pretend not to see it                                 D. teach him a good lesson

3.The third tip intends to advise you ________.

A. not to keep silent at a friend’s improper suggestion

B. to tell your friend if they have misunderstood you

C. not to talk to your friend if they feel better at your expense

D. to apologize to your friend when you’ve done something wrong

4.What is the best title for this passage?

A. What to do when meeting with these people?

B. How to ask your friends for help when in trouble?

C. How to give advice to your friends when asked to?

D. What to say when faced with different situations?