Space tourism might be the dream of many people on the planet, but a journey to space is not is not as easy as simply buying some tickets at a travel search engine；it is only reserved for the privileged few that can afford the cost.. One of the options that impressed me most is the one offered by a company called Space Adventures.

  What they have in place is a space tourism program that slows you to travel with the Soyuz to the International Space Station (ISS).The trip starts a few months in advance with intensive training dealing mainly with gravity operations, fight control and survival activities.

When all tins training is over, your space trip begins. The trip can be planned exactly according to your needs, whether you’re going for scientific research , or simply for an adventure. I doubt whether you will find any other kind of trip that has such a thorough preparation period beforehand.

   One of the great things to do, even if it makes your space trip a bit more expensive, is that you could go on a space walk during your trip. That would definitely be a good opportunity to dance outside with your loved one to a slow waltz…Sorry, I forget there’s no sound in space!

Whatever option you choose, the only obstacle you might face is the cost. All the other requirements seem to be less than those for getting a visa to a foreign country. Generally your height should be between 160 and 185 cm, your weight between 50and 95 kg and be in good health.

   Finally ,in answer to the question you’ve been wondering about .Granted, space tourism is expensive, but exactly how expensive would a normal scheduled flight to the ISS cost? Would you believe it costs between $30 and $40 million? A Russian language course is included!

  51. Besides the body requirements, which of the following is most likely to stop someone from going into space?

A . Their knowledge.    B . The  climate .   C . The  cost .  D. A visa

  52．Which of the following statements best describes the main idea of this passage？

A．Space tourism― a dream made reality？

B．Are you ready for space tourism？

C．How to participate in a space tourism program.

D．Why only a few privileged persons can afford space trips.

53．The word “that” in the fourth paragraph refers to           ．

A．a space walk                      B．a space tourism program

C．a space trip                        D．a space dance

54．According to the passage, who is most likely to take part in the space tourism program?

A．Mike, a millionaire, who is about 170 cm in height and weighs 98 kg. He is in good health

B．Julia, a model, whose height is 165 cm  and weight is 48 kg. She has heart disease.

C．Ivan, an office workers, is 175 cm in height and weights 70 kg. He is in excellent health condition.

D．Steven, a wealthy businessman who is very healthy, has a height of 178 cm and weighs 80 kg.

55．What’s the author’s tone in writing this passage?

A．Disapproving.    B．Humorous.   C．Positive.    D．Indifferent.

Being that I worked in a grocery store for 7 years, I know quite a bit about impulsive purchases. In fact, I helped (sadly to say) push certain products by placing them in a certain fashion. Through said experience, I tend to know some of the best ways to counter the impulsive nature of buying things that are unnecessary.
The following is a 3- point list to counter the need to buy something shoved in your face…
Don't bring the kids.
You wouldn't believe (or maybe you parents would) how much more junk parents buy for their kids that is completely impulsive. Working as a checker at a grocery store, I quickly learned that most of the time kids were with their parents, the parents would buy something else within 10 feet of the check stand.
Bring exact cash.
I like to use my debit card because I am able to track every penny better, but holding and letting go of cash is much tougher for me personally. So, if I am going through a tough time budgeting properly, I will bring the allotted (限定的)amount of cash to the place of business and only allow that to be used.
Ignore salesman.
If you are at a department store and someone asks if you need help, try to ignore their push as much as possible. Sure, if you know nothing about laptops, get their advice, but even then I suggest doing your research pre-shop. Salesman could care less what you want. It's all about what their quota or commission is. Ignore them.
【小题1】Why does the author write the passage?

Being that I worked in a grocery store for 7 years, I know quite a bit about impulsive purchases. In fact, I helped (sadly to say) push certain products by placing them in a certain fashion. Through said experience, I tend to know some of the best ways to counter the impulsive nature of buying things that are unnecessary.

The following is a 3- point list to counter the need to buy something shoved in your face…

Don't bring the kids.

You wouldn't believe (or maybe you parents would) how much more junk parents buy for their kids that is completely impulsive. Working as a checker at a grocery store, I quickly learned that most of the time kids were with their parents, the parents would buy something else within 10 feet of the check stand.

Bring exact cash.

I like to use my debit card because I am able to track every penny better, but holding and letting go of cash is much tougher for me personally. So, if I am going through a tough time budgeting properly, I will bring the allotted (限定的)amount of cash to the place of business and only allow that to be used.

Ignore salesman.

If you are at a department store and someone asks if you need help, try to ignore their push as much as possible. Sure, if you know nothing about laptops, get their advice, but even then I suggest doing your research pre-shop. Salesman could care less what you want. It's all about what their quota or commission is. Ignore them.

1.Why does the author write the passage?

A．To talk about her own shopping experiences.

B．To give readers some advice about resisting buying unnecessary things.

C．To complain about some bad experiences.

D．To tell us she has the habit of buying things that are unnecessary.

2.Why does the author like to use debit card?

A．Because her debit card is convenient.

B．Because she has not much cash.

C．Because she can know where every her penny goes.

D．Because she has many debit cards.

3.Which statement about the passage is WRONG?

A．Parents always bring something else for their children.

B．The author will bring the exact cash to buy things when going through a tough time.

C．Salesmen care much about what you want, so you can follow their advice.

D．The author worked in a grocery store for 7 years.

There are four types of persons who go to work part-time. These include retirees who want a bit more income or socialization, parents who want to spend more time with their children, college and high school students and temporary agency workers who want more experience. Many people enjoy the advantages of working part-time, but benefits are rarely offered to part-time employees.
Most people are hoping for health insurance and retirement benefits when taking a job. Traditionally, companies only offer benefits to employees who work 30 hours or more a week. This is only a 25% reduction in hours, so it doesn’t free up a lot of time for the employee who needs part-time hours. Even when a part-timer is offered health benefits, he is rarely offered paid time off and retirement benefits. Dental benefits are almost never offered to part-time employees.
Many businesses hire part-time employees for the simple reason of saving money. If they work less than a certain number of hours, the employers don’t need to pay for benefits. There are companies, however, that are beginning to offer benefits to part-time employees. This includes benefits for health, paid time off and retirement plans. Some companies have begun to offer this in order to take in high quality, trained professionals who just want part-time hours. If a company wants a qualified employee, it will have to compete with other companies. People who may only want to work part-time may be forced to take a full-time job to get the benefits. Companies who offer benefits to part-timers have an advantage by offering more choices to their employees in terms of hours.
Conducting an Internet search is probably the quickest way to find companies that provide benefits for part-time employees. Many large corporations like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods offer benefits to part-time employees among other things. Look for companies that offer a team approach to their employees. Employees are given choices and part of decision-making in the business. Businesses that allow employee input are more likely to offer benefits to part-timers.
【小题1】People prefer to work part-time mainly because they __________.

There are four types of persons who go to work part­time. These include retirees who want a bit more income or socialization, parents who want to spend more time with their children, college and high school students and temporary agency workers who want more experience. Many people enjoy the advantages of working part­time, but benefits are rarely offered to part­time employees.

Most people are hoping for health insurance and retirement benefits when taking a job. Traditionally, companies only offer benefits to employees who work 30 hours or more a week. This is only a 25% reduction in hours, so it doesn't free up a lot of time for the employee who needs part­time hours. Even when a part­timer is offered health benefits, he is rarely offered paid time off and retirement benefits. Dental benefits are almost never offered to part­time employees.

Many businesses hire part­time employees for the simple reason of saving money. If they work less than a certain number of hours, the employers don't need to pay for benefits. There are companies, however, that are beginning to offer benefits to part­time employees. This includes benefits for health, paid time off and retirement plans. Some companies have begun to offer this in order to take in high quality, trained professionals who just want part­time hours. If a company wants a qualified employee, it will have to compete with other companies. People who may only want to work part­time may be forced to take a full­time job to get the benefits. Companies who offer benefits to part­timers have an advantage by offering more choices to their employees in terms of hours.

Conducting an Internet search is probably the quickest way to find companies that provide benefits for part­time employees. Many large corporations like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods offer benefits to part­time employees among other things. Look for companies that offer a team approach to their employees. Employees are given choices and part of decision­making in the business. Businesses that allow employee input are more likely to offer benefits to part­timers.

20．People prefer to work part­time mainly because they ________．

A．don't want to spend more time on work

B．have so many household and social affairs

C．hope to have more money, time and experience

D．only expect to make more friends

21．From the second paragraph we can learn that part­timers ________．

A．can enjoy as many benefits as full­timers

B．prefer retirement benefits to health insurance

C．often retire without enjoying any benefit

D．often enjoy fewer benefits than full­timers

22．What's the advantage of hiring part­time employees?

A．They don't need the insurance.

B．They can save employers some money.

C．They have no choice but to work hard.

D．They can also be changed into full­timers.

23．We can infer from the last paragraph that ________．

A．it's easy to find companies providing benefits

B．companies not allowing employees input don't offer any benefit to part­timers

C．Starbucks in England doesn't provide benefits to full­timers

D．employees are often forced to choose their jobs