After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing — a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.

The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.

    The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.

Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they’re gone, there is no trace that they were ever there.

The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.

Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.

    But the complete auto-healing won’t come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $100 US to the price of a car.

It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven’t been made yet, if it’s a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well.

From the article, we can find that _________.

A. the paint has already been used on cars by now

B. it beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect

C. car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes

D. marketing this paint in Europe is not under way

The paint used on cars can _________.

A. last 3 years before it is reapplied again

B. fade only in a few days

C. help to protect minor paint damage

D. reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent

What does the underlined part refer to?

A. certain models of Nissan                        B. name for one kind of paint

C. somewhere in Japan                              D. a word standing for a car-dealer store

What can be inferred from the article?

A. The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company.

B. The paint might work better in summer than in winter.

C. The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the pain is applied.

D. The paint is very popular in Japan.

After Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.

    I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales. Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock and the stock that people buy all the year round. Some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in especially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Lastly, they buy in “seconds” for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.

    When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building.

    When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping. It was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.

    Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colors and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small children to crawl through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.

    Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.

    In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking if they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain, it was OK.

    You won’t believe this, but as soon as I got home, I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.

What kind of clothes is likely to be sold only a little cheaper according to the passage?

A. Last summer’s clothes.                  B. Clothes not in perfect condition.

C. Clothes bought in specially for the sales.    D. Clothes for winter.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The customers gave up the queuing as soon as the sale began.

B. The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted.

C. Small children were not helpful to their mothers in the sale.

D. The security guards of the clothes department were as confident as usual.

After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan's Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing---a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin(弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction. The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works. Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they're gone, there is no trace that they were ever there. The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents. But the complete auto-healing won't come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $ 100 U.S. to the price of a car. It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X - Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven't been made yet, if it's a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well.
【小题1】From the article, we can find that_______.

After my dad died on Aug.30, 2001, my mother made sure we marked each anniversary. At first, my brothers and sister and I would travel hours to get home, but eventually we got to the point where just one or two of us would make it back to go to Mass with her and spend the day together.
The great love of her life, the man who broke up with her right before her college graduation, only to return two years later claiming he’d traveled the world and hadn’t found anyone to compare with her, remained a daily presence in her life. She spoke about him so often and kept his memory so alive that people were sometimes surprised to learn that he was gone. She took over the garden where he’d planted and made it her own.
When the 10th anniversary of his death approached, my mom began talking about it and planning for it weeks in advance. The date on her kitchen calendar was circled and marked R.I.P. (Rest in Peace). Of course she wanted all of us there and settled the dates for our coming back.
On Monday — the day before the anniversary — she went to morning Mass and walked downtown for lunch with friends, and later told my sister on the phone that she felt Dad still so close that as she was walking back home, she heard someone yell and thought, “Oh, there’s Dick.”
That evening she went out to water flowers, just as my father, 10 years before, had gone out to the garden to pick vegetables before he died. A neighbor heard the tin watering can strike the ground as she fell and hit her head. My mother died within hours, on Aug.30, 2011, the 10thanniversary. She needed to mark that anniversary, she wanted us all home and my dad had waited long enough.
【小题1】From the second paragraph we know that the author’s father______.

After moving to the United States, immigrant groups trying to fit in tend to choose high calorie fatty foods in an attempt to appear more American，a new study finds．That's one reason why immigrants approach US levels of obesity within 15 years of moving to America．
The researchers also did an experiment that measured whether or not the threat of appearing un-American influenced respondents' food choices．After being questioned about their ability to speak English，75 percent of Asian-Americans identified a typical American food as their favorite. Only 25 percent of Asian-Americans who had not been asked if they spoke English did the same.
When their American identity was called into question during a follow-up study, Asian-American participants also tended to choose typical American dishes，such as hamburgers and cheese sandwiches．In that experiment, 55 Asian-Americans were asked to choose a meal from a local Asian or American restaurant. Some participants were told that only Americans could participate in the study. Those who chose the more typical American fare ended up consuming an extra 182 calories，including 12 grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat（饱和脂肪）.
"People who feel like they need to prove they belong to a culture will change their habits in an attempt to fit in，"said Sauna Cheryan，an author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington." If immigrants and their children choose unhealthy American foods over healthier traditional foods across their lives，this process of fitting in could lead to poorer health." Cheryan added．
Social pressures，the study concluded, are at the heart of the problem．"In American society today, being American is associated with being white．Americans，who don't fit this image even if they were born here and speak English，feel that pressure to prove that they're American," said Cheryan．
【小题1】The author wants to show that __________.