Competition. It’s a simple word, yet a very complex word that covers many angles when it comes to how gasoline prices are determined. It seems so easy to explain, but don’t let that trick you—it’s incredibly difficult to explain and adequately understand.

Say you’re on a Sunday afternoon drive, and notice a gas station near you charging $3.50. Down the road a few miles, that price could easily be 10 or more cents higher or lower. The question is “how” or “why” is that? Think of it this way. Are you more likely to get a better deal on a car if there are two similar car dealers next to each other? Perhaps, because the dealers are too close. Say there is a third similar car dealer miles away. Is he going to be at the same level of competition and sell his cars for the same price as the two dealers next to each other? Likely not. He may charge more or less. Maybe people don't know there are two other dealers down the road. Maybe the dealer is almost outside of the city and the land value isn't as high, so his taxes aren't as high.

These situations do take place at gas stations. And more factors can impact what a station will charge. Timing can greatly impact what price a station charges as well! Many motorists fail to realize that the price a station pays for gasoline changes daily. If one station gets lucky and buys gas on Monday and the cost goes up Tuesday, the station that bought on Monday doesn’t necessarily have to raise prices like the station that bought on Tuesday. Maybe the station that got caught buying for a higher price on Tuesday will pass that higher cost on by raising its gas price.

Perhaps the difference is what brand the station is---branded stations usually pay a slightly higher cost for their gasoline. In return for paying a higher cost, those stations are guaranteed first supply in case of emergency situations. Independent stations don’t pay as much, but aren’t guaranteed supply.

While competition sounds easy to understand, there are always a large number of factors that could influence what one station charges. Keep in mind how many variables there are next time you fill up.

1.What could be the best title for the passage?

A．How Competition Impacts Gas Prices

B．Gas Prices Go Up or Down

C．Competition---a Very Complex Word

D．We Can’t Stress Enough the Need for Competition

2.The example of car dealers is used to show _________.

A．car prices are determined by car dealers

B．location is an important factor in pricing

C．the quality of service matters most

D．dealing strategy should be flexible

3.The gas prices of a station always change partly because _________.

A．a gas station always wants to charge more

B．the gasoline is in great demand

C．the cost of the gas the station buys varies daily

D．gas is in greater need on Monday

4.According to the passage, branded stations _________.

A．spend less money on their gasoline

B．have more staff than independent stations

C．charge less for high quality oil

D．offer a steady oil supply

Competition. It’s a simple word, yet a very complex word that covers many angles when it comes to how gasoline prices are determined. It seems so easy to explain, but don’t let that trick you—it’s incredibly difficult to explain and adequately understand.

Say you’re on a Sunday afternoon drive, and notice a gas station near you charging $3.50. Down the road a few miles, that price could easily be 10 or more cents higher or lower. The question is “how” or “why” is that? Think of it this way. Are you more likely to get a better deal on a car if there are two similar car dealers next to each other? Perhaps, because the dealers are too close. Say there is a third similar car dealer miles away. Is he going to be at the same level of competition and sell his cars for the same price as the two dealers next to each other? Likely not. He may charge more or less. Maybe people don't know there are two other dealers down the road. Maybe the dealer is almost outside of the city and the land value isn't as high, so his taxes aren't as high.

These situations do take place at gas stations. And more factors can impact what a station will charge. Timing can greatly impact what price a station charges as well! Many motorists fail to realize that the price a station pays for gasoline changes daily. If one station gets lucky and buys gas on Monday and the cost goes up Tuesday, the station that bought on Monday doesn’t necessarily have to raise prices like the station that bought on Tuesday. Maybe the station that got caught buying for a higher price on Tuesday will pass that higher cost on by raising its gas price.

Perhaps the difference is what brand the station is---branded stations usually pay a slightly higher cost for their gasoline. In return for paying a higher cost, those stations are guaranteed first supply in case of emergency situations. Independent stations don’t pay as much, but aren’t guaranteed supply.

While competition sounds easy to understand, there are always a large number of factors that could influence what one station charges. Keep in mind how many variables (变数) there are next time you fill up.

63.What could be the best title for the passage?

A. How Competition Impacts Gas Prices

  B. Gas Prices Go Up or Down

  C. Competition---a Very Complex Word

  D. We Can’t Stress Enough the Need for Competition 

64. The example of car dealers is used to show _________.

  A. car prices are determined by car dealers

  B. location is an important factor in pricing

  C. the quality of service matters most

  D. dealing strategy should be flexible

65. The gas prices of a station always change partly because _________.

  A. a gas station always wants to charge more

  B. the gasoline is in great demand

  C. the cost of the gas the station buys varies daily

  D. gas is in greater need on Monday

66. According to the passage, branded stations _________.

  A. spend less money on their gasoline

  B. have more staff than independent stations

  C. charge less for high quality oil

  D. offer a steady oil supply

I took home a briefcase full of troubles．As I sat down on that hot and damp  1 , there seemed to be no  2   to the problems hanging around in my brain ．So I picked up a book , settled into a comfortable chair and  3 my own special therapy （疗法）:  4  reading ．

       I  5  three or four hours on two short chapters of Personal History by Vincent Sheean—tasting each paragraph, staying over a sentence, a phrase, or even a single word, building a detailed mental picture of the scene．No longer was I in Sydney, Australia, on a sticky hot night．Enjoying every word, I  6  foreign journalist Vincent Sheean on a tour to China and another to Russia．I was  7  in the author’s world．And when finally I put it down , my mind was totally  8 ．

       Next morning , four words from the book—“take the long  9 ” were still in my mind ．At my desk , I had a long-view look at my  10 ．Once more , super-slow-reading had given me not only  11  but perspective （视角），and helped me in my everyday affairs ．

       I discovered its  12  years ago．Before that , if I had been really interested in a book, I would  13  from page to page,  14  to know what came next．Now, I decided , I had to become a miser （守财奴）with  15  and stretch every sentence like a poor man spending his last dollar．

       I had started with the practical object of making my book last．But by the end of the second week I began to realize  16  I was getting from super-slow-reading itself．Sometimes just a particular phrase  17  my attention, sometimes a sentence．I would read it slowly, analyze it , read it again—perhaps changing down into an even  18  speed—and then sit for 20 minutes thinking about it before moving on．I was like a pianist  19 a piece of music , phrase by phrase , practicing it, trying to discover and  20  exactly what the composer（作曲家） was trying to convey．

1．A．day                       B．morning              C．afternoon            D．evening

2．A．solutions               B．doubt                  C．wonder               D．courses

3．A．tried on                 B．applied                C．practiced             D．managed

4．A．fast                      B．super fast            C．super slow          D．slow

5．A．spent                    B．wasted                C．cost                    D．took

6．A．united                   B．attended              C．attracted              D．joined

7．A．found                   B．lost                     C．persuaded            D．accepted

8．A．broken                  B．discouraged         C．refreshed             D．awakened

9．A．view                     B．care                    C．walk                   D．distance

10．A．therapy               B．problems             C．reading                D．work

11．A．difficulty             B．success               C．achievement        D．pleasure

12．A．use                     B．disadvantage        C．value                   D．importance

13．A．look                    B．read                    C．analyze                D．digest

14．A．worried               B．eager                   C．glad                    D．anxious

15．A．books                 B．troubles               C．words                 D．music

16．A．how well             B．how long             C．how many           D．how much

17．A．caught                B．missed                C．escaped               D．paid

18．A．faster                  B．higher                 C．lower                  D．slower

19．A．playing                B．studying              C．writing                D．singing

20．A．realize                B．recognize          C．repay           D．understand

Competition. It’s a simple word, yet a very complex word that covers many angles when it comes to how gasoline prices are determined. It seems so easy to explain, but don’t let that trick you—it’s incredibly difficult to explain and adequately understand.

Say you’re on a Sunday afternoon drive, and notice a gas station near you charging $3.50. Down the road a few miles, that price could easily be 10 or more cents higher or lower. The question is “how” or “why” is that? Think of it this way. Are you more likely to get a better deal on a car if there are two similar car dealers next to each other? Perhaps, because the dealers are too close. Say there is a third similar car dealer miles away. Is he going to be at the same level of competition and sell his cars for the same price as the two dealers next to each other? Likely not. He may charge more or less. Maybe people don't know there are two other dealers down the road. Maybe the dealer is almost outside of the city and the land value isn't as high, so his taxes aren't as high.

These situations do take place at gas stations. And more factors can impact what a station will charge. Timing can greatly impact what price a station charges as well! Many motorists fail to realize that the price a station pays for gasoline changes daily. If one station gets lucky and buys gas on Monday and the cost goes up Tuesday, the station that bought on Monday doesn’t necessarily have to raise prices like the station that bought on Tuesday. Maybe the station that got caught buying for a higher price on Tuesday will pass that higher cost on by raising its gas price.

Perhaps the difference is what brand the station is---branded stations usually pay a slightly higher cost for their gasoline. In return for paying a higher cost, those stations are guaranteed first supply in case of emergency situations. Independent stations don’t pay as much, but aren’t guaranteed supply.

While competition sounds easy to understand, there are always a large number of factors that could influence what one station charges. Keep in mind how many variables (变数) there are next time you fill up.

63.What could be the best title for the passage?

A. How Competition Impacts Gas Prices

B. Gas Prices Go Up or Down

C. Competition---a Very Complex Word

D. We Can’t Stress Enough the Need for Competition

64. The example of car dealers is used to show ______________.

A. car prices are determined by car dealers

B. location is an important factor in pricing

C. the quality of service matters most

D. dealing strategy should be flexible

65. The gas prices of a station always change partly because ______________.

A. a gas station always wants to charge more

B. the gasoline is in great demand

C. the cost of the gas the station buys varies daily

D. gas is in greater need on Monday

66. According to the passage, branded stations ______________.

A. spend less money on their gasoline

B. have more staff than independent stations

C. charge less for high quality oil

D. offer a steady oil supply

.
Our spiritual intelligence quotient，or SQ，helps us understand ourselves，and live fuller，
happier lives．
While we’re all born with SQ，most of us don’t even realize that we have it．Fortunately，you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ．Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding．
Sit Quietly．The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude（独处）and
silence．To tune in to your spirit，you have to turn down the volume in your busy，noisy，complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all．Start small by creating islands for silence in
your day．In the car，instead of reading or doing something else，use the time to think．At work，
shut the door to our office between meetings，take a few breaths and let them out very，very slowly．Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed．
Step Outside．For many people，nature sets their spirit free．Go outside to watch a beautiful
sunset．If you are walking with your dog，take the time to admire flowers in bloom；follow the flight of birds；watch clouds float overhead．
Ask Questions of Yourself．Ask open-ended questions，such as “What am I feeling？” “What are my choices？”or “Where am I heading？” But don’t expect an answer to arrive through some
supernatural form or e-mail．“Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question，”says Reverend  Joan Carter，a Presbyterian（长老会的）minister in Sausalito，California．“But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective（视角）I never considered before．”
Trust Your Spirit．While most of us rely on gut feeling（本能的反应）to realize danger，spiritual intelligence pushes us，not away from，but towards some action that will lead to a greater good．
68．The passage is mainly about_________．
A．what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit your life
B．what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved
C．the relationship between your SQ and your life
D．advantages and disadvantages of SQ
69．The underlined phrase “tune in to your spirit” in the third paragraph probably means______．
A．get your spirit relaxed    B．keep up your spirit
C．keep seated quietly D．change your spirit
70．The author mentions the example of Reverend Joan Carter to show that_________．
A．there are no immediate answers to your questions
B．e-mails can’t keep working out a problem
C．the more questions you ask，the better answers you’ll get
D．changing your way of thinking might help you solve a problem
71．From the passage，we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is________．
A．a peaceful mind             B．deep thought
C．spare time and hobbies   D．good spirits