Some time ago ,I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended ,as there are a whole lot of antique shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair.

The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth - so I decided that my approach must be wrong.

I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper,“ Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said,“ Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,”I said. “OK, ”he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds. ”“It ‘s got a slightly broken leg,”I said. “Yes, I saw that, it's nothing.”

Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?”I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done. ”“I'll buy it,”I said. “What do you mean？ You’ve just sold it to me,”he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I'm sorry, I'll give you twenty -seven pounds for it. ”“ Your must be crazy, ”he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair. ”“ You’re right, ”I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said,Would you mend this chair for me?I wouldn't have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver?”He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.

1.We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer ________.

A. was rather impolite               　　   B. was warmly received

C. asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair      D. asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair

2.The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper ________.

A. changed his mind　　　　　　　       B. accepted the offer

C.decided to help the writer　　　　       D. saw the writer’s purpose

3.How much did the writer pay?

　A.　 ￡ 5.　　B. ￡ 7.　　    C. ￡ 20.　　　　D. ￡ 27.

4.From the text, we can learn that the writer was ________

　A. honest　　　　B. careful　　　　 C.　 funny　　 D. smart　

It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.

         Hit the sales.

No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.

         Pay close attention to advertisements.

Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.

         Shop online.

Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.

         The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store.

1. The first paragraph implies that ______.

         A. nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts

         B. recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts

         C. Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts

         D. Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts

2. In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.

         A. if the weather is not very cold                       B. if we don’t have to fight for the best deals

         C. if we don’t have to get up early                     D. If we get what we want at a good price

3.The underlined word “specials” means_______.

         A. some experts in shopping                               B. certain things for especially low price

         C. some kind of help for a certain customer   D. things that can only be found on Friday

4. We can have more choices _____.

         A. on Black Friday                                                   B. in a particular store

         C. on the Internet                                                  D. from retailers

5.In this passage the writer means ______.

         A. to tell us the best way to do shopping

B. to attract more readers to do wise shopping

         C. to show us how hard it is to do Christmas shopping

         D. to give us advice on how to get a good deal at Christmas time

When traveling abroad, it is wise to carry your money in traveler's checks because checks are protected against loss or theft. If your checks are lost or stolen, the issuing authority will refund(赔偿) your money.

Not only are they safe, they are also convenient. They are available in different currencies(货币) and they can be cashed at most banks throughout the world. Most shops, hotels and restaurants also accept them. Traveler's checks are very easy to use. When you collect them, you sign each check once. The cashier enters the amount in your passport. When you cash, you sign each check again. The cashier will usually ask to see your passport again too.

To get traveler's checks you usually go to your bank. They can be paid in cash or in other ways. Large amounts, however, must be ordered in advance.

For the safety and convenience of traveler's checks, you are charged two commissions(佣金，酬劳): an insurance commission when you buy them and an encashment commission when you cash them.

It is suitable to make a note of the serial numbers of your checks. Keep this separate from your traveler's checks.

72 . People like to carry their money in traveler’s checks when traveling abroad, because______

A. they cannot be lost or stolen           B. they can be used anywhere

C. they are safe and handy         D. they can save travelers plenty of money

73.  If your traveler's checks are lost or stolen, who will refund you?

A. The authority that issues you the passport.

B. The insurance company. 

C. The bank where you buy your checks.

D. The travel agency that arranges your travel.

74.  You sign your traveler’s check for the second time in order to ________.

   A. get your passport                      B. cash it

   C. claim(要求) insurance                  D. pay for commission

75 . Which of the following statement is TRUE?

   A. You need not pay a commission for the safety of your traveler’s checks.

   B. People usually get traveler’s checks from foreign banks.

   C. Traveler’s checks can be exchanged for the money of the country you visit.

   D. You cannot get your passport until you get your traveler’s checks.

Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich. Thankfully, these major German cities offer sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country’s most historic sites.

Berlin on Bike

Berlin on Bike takes visitors through the German capital via five bicycle tours, all with guides. Regular tours include the Wall Tour and Berlin’s Best, with stops at some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Reichstag explores what life was like in East Berlin under Communist Rule. The cost of the tour includes the bike and helmet rental, and tourists may choose to continue renting their bikes once the tour has ended.

Berlinonbike.de/English/index.php

Munich City Sightseeing Tour

The Munich City Sightseeing Tour transports travelers throughout the city via an open-air, double-decker bus. Passengers can hop on and off at various stops throughout the day. This tour includes stops at such sites as the Munich central train station, the 1972 Olympic Stadium Park, Munich’s opera house and Karlsplatz, the gate to the historic city. The bus features a narrated tour guide and offers an English-language option.

Raileurope.com/activities/munich-city-sightseeing-tour/index.html

Nice City Tours- Cologne

Nice City Tours offers three tours of Cologne, available to private or business groups in a variety of languages. The old Town Tour runs for two hours and includes a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral and some of the city’s old squares. The Brewery Pub Tour explores some of the city’s most beloved breweries and pubs, and details the history behind Kolsch, Cologne’s resident beer. Finally, the Old Town and Rhine Tour begins by visiting some of old town’s most historic sites and ends with a ride down the Rhine River.

Nicecitytours.con/tours.htm

1. The similarity of the three tours lies in that they all include_____.

2.If you take a great interest in beer, which tour might be suitable for you?

3.Where can you probably see this passage?

Some people don't believe that driving more slowly can save lives．But the truth is that driving more slowly can help a person to avoid serious accidents．

The above chart（表格） shows the distance that it takes to stop a car at a given speed．The distance is measured in feet．The shaded area（阴影部分） shows the driver's thinking distance．That's the distance it takes for the driver to react to a danger that he sees．The white area shows the car's braking distance．That's the distance it takes for the car to stop once the brakes（闸、刹车） are used．The number at the top of each bar shows the total number of feet that it takes to stop the car

According to the chart, what is the total number of feet needed to stop a car that is traveling at 50 miles per hour?

    A．55．  B．73．  C．128．  D．183．

What is the braking distance for a car that is travelling at 60 miles per hour?

    A．66 feet． B．119 feet． C．185 feet． D．251 feet．

Which of the following statements about braking and speed is true?

 A．The braking distance is what it takes for the driver to react to a danger that he sees．

B．The speed of a car has a direct effect on the distance needed to stop the car．

C．The braking distance increases only when a driver drives faster than 50 miles per hour.

   D．Driving slowly can help a person to avoid all accidents