题目内容
Bargain
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 In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.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.
At 20 year of age F.W. Woolworth found work in exchange for room and board at a local dry goods store , and after his employers held a successful clearance sale he saw the possibilities of a discount store. His key improvements were having the goods on open display instead of behind the counter , and having prices plainly marked instead of bargaining.
With borrowed funds he opened his first F.W. Woolworth store in the suburb of Utica, New York in 1879, but the store closed the following year . Deciding that his problem had been a poor location. He opened a new store in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylyania in 1881. Within months he was opening multiple stores in business partnerships with local retailers,and within a few years Woolworth was a millionaire. In 1909 he opened his first store in England, and in 1913 the company opened its new headquarters in New York’s Woolworth Building—then the tallest building in the world.
Woolworth had a deep fear of dentists , allowing his teeth to rot ,and died of a dental(牙齿)lunch counters in many stores , Woolworth was America’s largest restaurant chain through the 1940s. The company peaked as the world’s largest department store chain in the late 1970s, with more than 4 . 000 stores. By the late 1990s business was sputtering (喷溅), and the company closed all of its American department stores,renamed itself Venator, and sold the Woolworth Building . In 2003 Venator renamed itself after the company’s most successful division, Foot Locker, Inc . Under separate ownership , Woolworth stores are still operated in Austria , Germany , Mexico, South Africa , and the United Kingdom.
1.The first F. W. Woolworth store failed mainly because .
A.it was located too far away from the city center
B.it was a new brand for customers
C.its goods are much too expensive
D.it was inconvenient for customers to choose goods
2.A clearance sale offers customers a good chance .
A.to make a purchase on cash
B.to buy something in a very low price
C.to bargain with the sellers
D.to pick up what you like for free
3.Which is the right order of events that happened in this passage?
a.Woolworth became a millionaire
b.first F. W. Woolworth store opened
c.F.W. Woolworth found work at a local dry goods store
d.The company peaked as the world’s largest department store chain
e.Woolworth died of a dental infection
A.d-b-c-e-a B.a-c-b-d-e C.c-b-a-e-d D.a-d-e-c-b
4.We know from this passage that .
A.Woolworth built the tallest building in the world in 1913.
B.the number of Woolworth reached its peak before the death of F.W. Woolworth
C.offering free lunch is one of the characters of Woolworth store store chain
D.Woolworth had no chain stores in America for about 20 years
5..F.W.Woolworth’s success mainly owes to .
A.his hard working and diligent efforts
B.his gifted talent in selling
C.his new market concept and sales model
D.his rich experience in the dry goods store
The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks(火星) fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr.Smith, a rich neighbour, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.
“ Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (钉) , even if it is only to pass the time ? ” said the blacksmith. “ Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you .”
The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.
Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.
“ How funny it seems, ” he used to say, “ even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.”
1.The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ___________.
A. his father told him to B. he wanted to learn a skill
C. Jones encouraged him to D. he just wanted to pass his time
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. Old Mr. Smith enjoyed making the shoe tacks.
B. The blacksmith had predicted the young man would be in need of the skill.
C. The higher prices they paid, the more tacks the shoemakers would get.
D. The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young.
3.What can we learn from the story ?
A. Practice makes perfect.
B. Skill makes life easy.
C. A good beginning makes good ending.
D. Every man has his gift.
The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks (火星) fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.
“Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (钉), even if it is only to pass the time?” said the blacksmith. “Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you.”
“How funny it seems,” he used to say, “even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.”
1. The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ________.
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
3. What can we learn from the story?
A. Practice makes perfect. B. Skill makes life easy.
C. A good beginning makes a good ending. D. Every man has his gift.
