On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea markets(跳蚤市场). These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.

    For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can. be restored with, a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.

    Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.

What's the attitude many Americans have for flea markets?

    A) They don't like them because it's a waste of time.

    B) They suspect the goods sold there.

    C) They don't trust the sellers of the goods.

    D) They like them very much especially for good bargains.

What do Americans like to do with secondhand goods?

    A) Resell them at a higher price.

    B) Restore them and make them look new.

    C) They use them as furniture in their homes.

    D) They use them for a while and then discard them.

When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?

    A) They can question their value.

    B) They can compare with the other sellers.

    C) They can bargain on a price acceptable to both.

    D) They can expect a fifty percent discount.

Which of the following is TRUE about the garage sales?

    A) Only in spring and fall can people enjoy them.

    B) The goods orb display are all totally useless.

    C) All the goods are selling far below their true worth.

    D) One may buy a TV on a regular basis.

On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are.

Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere.

     Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms.

Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects.

Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English teachers assign Special English to their students. They praise it for improving their students' ability to understand American English and for the content of the programs. Universities and private companies in many countries produce packages of Special English materials for student use.

At the beginning, Special English program was         .

       A．well received

       B．rejected by native people

       C．doubted by some professionals

       D．intended for teaching English

What kind of English is spoken on Special English?

       A．British English.

       B．American English.

       C．Both British and American English.

       D．Not certain.

Which of the following are the elements that make Special English unique?

       a．limited vocabulary

       b．short simple sentences

       b．good communication method

       d．slow speed

       e．interesting feature programming

       A．a, b, c      B．a, c, d       C．a, b, d      D．b, d, e

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Special English has been founded for less than 50 years.

       B．Native English speakers don’t have a great affection for Special English.

       C．Special English usually starts with 20 minutes of the latest news.

       D．People can learn some idioms from Special English.

From the last paragraph we can infer that        .

       A．listening to Special English can be a student’s homework

       B．listening to Special English can improve the content of the program

       C．some student record the Special English material for sale

       D．learning English from VOA is a traditional way for English learner.

On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea （跳蚤） markets．These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded．They hunt and search for something they can reuse．Americans love secondhand merchandise （商品） which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use．In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated．

       For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards．They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again．Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price．Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck．The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value．One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay．

       Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture．These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good．Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale．More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully．The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell．Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis．If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth．

What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?

       A．Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper．  

     B．Display your goods in front of the garage．

       C．Find rare items and fix their prices．                    

       D．Clear your garage and front lawn．

The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________．

       A．distributed          B．rejected            

       C．discovered         D．stored

When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?

       A．They can bargain on a price acceptable to both．   

       B．They can question their value．

       C．They can expect a 50% discount．                 

       D．They can compare with the other sellers．

What do we know about the garage sale?

       A．It is only held in the spring of the year．        

       B．The goods on display are totally useless．

       C．Garage sales are popular with Americans．       

       D．All the goods are selling far below their real value．

On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea (跳蚤) markets. These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.
For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.
Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.
1. What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?
A. Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper.  
B. Display your goods in front of the garage.
C. Find rare items and fix their prices.         
D. Clear your garage and front lawn.
2. The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ____.
A. distributed                B. rejected               C. discovered          D. stored
3. When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?
A. They can bargain on a price acceptable to both. B. They can question their value.
C. They can expect a 50% discount.             D. They can compare with the other sellers.
4. What do we know about the garage sale?
A. It is only held in the spring of the year.
B. The goods on display are totally useless.
C. Garage sales are popular with Americans.  
D. All the goods are selling far below their real value.

On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are.

Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere.

Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms.

Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects.

Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English teachers assign Special English to their students. They praise it for improving their students' ability to understand American English and for the content of the programs. Universities and private companies in many countries produce packages of Special English materials for student use.

1.At the beginning, Special English program was        .

A．well received

B．rejected by native people

C．doubted by some professionals

D．intended for teaching English

2.What kind of English is spoken on Special English?

A．British English.

B．American English.

C．Both British and American English.

D．Not certain.

3.Which of the following are the elements that make Special English unique?

a．limited vocabulary

b．short simple sentences

c．good communication method

d．slow speed

e．interesting feature programming

A．a, b, c            B．a, c, d             C．a, b, d            D．b, d, e

4.From the last paragraph we can infer that       .

A．listening to Special English can be a student’s homework

B．listening to Special English can improve the content of the program

C．some student record the Special English material for sale

D．learning English from VOA is a traditional way for English learner.