Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. He knows what he wants, and his purpose is to find it and buy it; the price is a less important consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it, the salesman immediately produces it, and the business of trying it is done at once. All being well, the bargain can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction.

For a man, slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants. Then the salesman tries to sell the customer something else—he offers the nearest he can to the thing required. He usually says, "I know this jacket is not the style you want, sir, but would you like to try it on for size? It happens to be the color you want." Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual reply is: "This is the right color and may be the right size, but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on."

Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? She does so in the opposite. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only "having a look round." She is always open to persuasion; indeed she considers of great importance what the saleswoman tells her, even what her friends tell her. She will try on any number of things. Highest in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always trying to find an unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one counter to another before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It takes a great deal of time but gives great joy. Most dress shops supply chairs for the waiting husbands.

53. When a man is buying clothes, he ___________.

A. puts price before quality　　B. chooses things that others think suitable for him

C. does not mind much the price he has to pay for the right things

D. buys good quality things, so long as they do not cost too much

54. When a man cannot get what he wants, he ________.

A. buys something of the same color in a slight different style

B. usually does not buy anything

C. will try on some other clothes of the same style

D. wastes no time in buying something else

55. What does the passage tell us about women shoppers for clothes ?

A. They welcome suggestions from anyone

B. Women seldom consider buying cheap clothes

C. Women often buy things without thinking　　D. They listen to advice but never take it

56. The most obvious difference between men and women shoppers is ________.

A. that men do not try clothes on in a shop while women do

B. that women bargain for their clothes and men don't

C. that women do their shopping standing up but men do theirs sitting down

D. the time they take over buying clothes

When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job — but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip,” says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement.”
One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff,” says Steve, “so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz (能手) I knew to explain things to me.”
He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars，cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.
Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house — what should I do? ‘A lot of times, I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go to find it and learn something in the process,” he says.
In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.
“I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self education,” says Steve. “You can do anything once you understand the basics.”

1. 1.

   The underlined part “live below their means” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “______”

   1. A.
      take effective measures
   2. B.
      live a miserable life
   3. C.
      spend more money than they had
   4. D.
      spend less money than they had
2. 2.

   Since Steve Maxwell became a millionaire, he ______

   1. A.
      has been unwilling to help others
   2. B.
      hasn’t stopped learning from practice
   3. C.
      has been willing to follow others’ advice
   4. D.
      has stopped to invest in houses
3. 3.

   What would be the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      A self made engineer
   2. B.
      How to balance your checkbook
   3. C.
      Don’t avoid investing
   4. D.
      Educate yourself to become a millionaire
4. 4.

   It can be inferred from the passage that ______

   1. A.
      self education is very important to one’s life
   2. B.
      everyone should learn how to invest in their life
   3. C.
      Steve Maxwell was quite interested in finance classes in college
   4. D.
      Steve became rich because he saved every penny he had earned

“I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said 'yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana -- she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audience (观众) that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete (比赛). "She's always been my role model. I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens (青少年) about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Shelley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself."
【小题1】What do the words "on cloud nine" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

"I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said ‘yes’ and it was announced again."

 It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine．

 "I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audience（观众）that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.

Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her

dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete（比赛）．"She's always been my role model．I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."

One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot...”

As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens（青少年）about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.

When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself."

1.What do the words “on cloud nine” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. frightened       B. troubled       C. very happy      D. very angry

2.Shelley takes her dance teachers as a role medel mainly because she is        .

A. determined      B. friendly       C. strict        D. experienced

3.How many children did the Hennigs have according to the text?

A. 1.           B. 2.            C. 3.            D. 4.

4.What suggestion does Shelley give to the teens?

A. Be yourself with the support of friends

B．Meet friends whenever possible

C. Go easy on yourself and others

D. Have a good role model