If you watch British television on Friday March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry, they’re not mad, it’s all part of a biennial fund-raising event called Red Nose Day.

Organized by the charity Comic Relief, founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa.

Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows broadcast by the BBC. This year, for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.

But Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops.

These small, inconspicuous shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop. But there’s one big difference—it’s all secondhand.

There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don’t want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. Most items go back on sale at a small part of their original price and the money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.

The idea of buying used clothes may sound off-putting, but for shoppers who have less spending money, such as the elderly or those in low-paying jobs, it has been a welcome option for years.

Now, “thrifting”—shopping at charity shops— is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion.

“I love shopping at thrift stores. You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn’t bother me that other people may have worn them, I simply wash them before I wear them,” said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old Internet user from the US, in a comment on a Yahoo forum.

So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge that your money helped a good cause.

1.What do famous people in Britain do in support of the Red Nose Day event?

A．Appear on comic TV shows.

B．Donate large sums of money.

C．Donate expensive clothes to charity shops.

D．Play in a music video with the Prime Minister.

2.What do we learn from the passage about Comic Relief?

A．It was founded in 1985 by two British comedians in Africa.

B．It organizes the Red Nose Day fund-raising event.

C．It runs nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK.

D．It is financially supported by the UK government.

3.One reason for the popularity of the thrift shops is that __________.

A．they sell a wide variety of goods

B．their business model is simple

C．their goods are carefully checked, cleaned and priced

D．they provide things, sometimes special, at low prices

4.The passage is written mainly to __________.

A．inspire more people to join in charitable causes in the UK

B．introduce the traditions of the Red Nose Day

C．analyze why charity shops are popular in the UK

D．explain how charity shops work in the UK

I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling（叛逆）．I wish it were so．At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents．You should be learning to stand on your own feet．But take a good look at the present rebellion．It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents．Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching(紧握）at one another's hands for reassurance．
They claim they want to dress as they please．But they all wear the same clothes. Then set off in new directions in music．But somehow they all end up with listening to the same record together．Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that many people are doing it．They have come out of their cocoon（茧） into a larger cocoon．
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and go his or her own way．Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market．These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be． 
And many of today's parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children．All this adds to a great barrier(障碍） for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path．
But the barrier is worth climbing over．The path is worth following, You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party．You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records．You may have some thoughts 'that you don't care to share with your classmates at once, well, go to it．Find yourself．Popularity will come-with the people who respect you for who you are．That is the only kind of popularity that really counts．

1. 1.

   In this passage, the author wants to tell         

   1. A.
      teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves
   2. B.
      readers how to be popular with people around
   3. C.
      parents how to control and guide their children
   4. D.
      people how to understand and respect each other
2. 2.

   According to the author, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but in fact, most of them            ．

   1. A.
      have much difficulty understanding each other
   2. B.
      lack confidence
   3. C.
      dare not cope with （处理） problems single-handed
   4. D.
      are much afraid of getting lost
3. 3.

   Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   1. A.
      There is no popularity that really counts．
   2. B.
      What many parents are doing is helping their children find their own paths．
   3. C.
      It is bad for a teenager to disagree with his or her classmates．
   4. D.
      Most teenagers claim that they want to do what they like to, but they are actually doing the same．
4. 4.

   What does the author think of advertisements?

   1. A.
      Convincing．
   2. B.
      Influential
   3. C.
      Instructive．
   4. D.
      Authoritative（权威的）．
5. 5.

   During the teenage years, one should learn to       

   1. A.
      differ from others in as many ways as possible
   2. B.
      get into the right reason and become popular
   3. C.
      find one's real self
   4. D.
      rebel against parents and the popularity wave