Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.

Yes, a rose is a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.

Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.

Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals.    

       While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.

Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”

       As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.

60.What is the central theme of this text?

A.The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.

B.The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.

C.The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.

D.The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.

61.How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?

       A.By setting up more chain stores across the country.

B.By selling roses in supermarkets.

C.By selling high quality roses at a low price.

D.By selling roses by the dozen.

Father Maurice Chase used a special way to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Catholic priest(神父) took $ 15,000 in cash to Los Angeles’ Skid Row (贫民区) and gave it away. Twenty wheelchair – bound people received $100 bills, while the rest received $1to $ 3 each.
“I come out here to tell them that God loves them and I love them and that some one is concerned about them,” Chase said.
Chase has given away cash and blessings every Sunday at the same corner for 24 years.Several hundred people wait for him every week.
He makes a point of coming on Thanksgiving and Christmas, too, but this is the first year he spent his birthday in the downtown neighborhood where people live mainly in shelters and on dirty sidewalks.
“ It’s the place that makes me the happiest.I just love it,” said Chase. “I look forward to coming here.”
The money comes from donations he receives from rich and famous people he met during his work as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University.
The crowd broke into choruses of “Happy Birthday” several times. Some people presented him birthday cards, to his delight.
Travis Kemp, a 51 – year – old disabled man with long black hair, was one of the lucky 20 to receive $ 100. He said he had no special plans for spending the money. “He has a lot of respect from me,” Kemp said. “I know I couldn’t do it.”
【小题1】On his 90 th birthday, Chase      

A.handed out cash to the needy
B.collected money for poor people
C.visited poor people’s homes with gifts
D.held a party at Los Angeles’ Skid Row
【小题2】Which of the following makes Chase feel the happiest?
A.Celebrating his birthday with his neighbours.
B.Working in Loyola Marymount University.
C.Celebrating Christmas with the people he has helped.
D.Going to Los Angeles’ Skid Row to help people there.
【小题3】What’s the source of the money Chase used to help people?
A.All his savings.
B.His earnings as a Catholic priest.
C.Donations from the wealthy and celebrities(名人).
D.Donations from Loyola Marymount University.
【小题4】Travis Kemp is mentioned in the text to show .
A.he was the luckiest person on that day
B.the disabled need to be taken care of
C.Chase is greatly appreciated by the needy
D.even old people came to celebrate Chase’s birthday
【小题5】Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?
A.Every recipient could get $100 in cash from Father Maurice Chase.
B.Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away not only on his birthday but also on other occasions.
C.Although Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away on his birthday, he didn’t receive anything in return.
D.Father Maurice Chase earned a lot of money as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University.

 

I am trying to muster(鼓起)the courage to toss away my mobile phone to enjoy a more peaceful and ring –free life.

Can you imagine not having your mobile phone? In our high-tech, in-a-hurry age, a cell-free life is a hard concept to swallow. Our mobile phones can now access the Internet, and many people feel the need to express their every thought on their blog pages. If I gave up my cellphone, people would think I was mad.

I wish I had the strength to toss away my technology . I have an office phone, a home phone, e-mail and if people want to contact me. they can. If I’m out, people can leave a message. Do they really need to find me 24/7 ? However, I’m a bit like Frodo in the movie Lord of the Rings. The power of the ring is too strong and I can’t let it go.

Mobile phones have become necessary tools in our busy life. For most people , they hold all contacts and many of us don't write up address books any more. The latest phones carry our music, pictures, movies and everything else. We feel lost without this device and when we do misplace it , we feel cut off from our fellow,

“Where have you been?” said a friend, who saw me a week after I lost my cell, “I tried calling you , but you disappeared. You disappeared off the face of the Earth。” See, when you don’t have a mobile phone, you don’t exist.

I’m not really going to toss my mobile phone away, in fact. We humans are such social animals and mobile phones serve us well. So in 2009, I’ve dicided not to serve my mobile phone. Like all machine, I can always turn it off.

1.What does the underslined phrase“toss away”mean?

A.give away      B.get away     C.break away      D.throw away

2.The writer mentions Frodo to        

A.show it is difficult to get rid of the mobile phone

B.show how much he likes Frodo

C.suggest a cell-free life is what he wants

D.introduce a film character to us

3.What do we know about mobile phones in the 4 th paragraph?

A.Mobile phones can do anything for us .

B.Mobile phones have become very important in our life

C.We could not live without mobile phones

D.We would be cut off by our fellow without mobile phones

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.The writer is not really going to toss his mobile phone away.

B.When you don't have a mobile phone, you don’t exist.

C.The writer decides not to serve his mobile phone

D.We humans can control ourselves and machines will.

 

 

Father Maurice Chase used a special way to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Catholic priest(神父) took $ 15,000 in cash to Los Angeles’ Skid Row (贫民区) and gave it away. Twenty wheelchair – bound people received $100 bills, while the rest received $1to $ 3 each.

“I come out here to tell them that God loves them and I love them and that some one is concerned about them,” Chase said.

Chase has given away cash and blessings every Sunday at the same corner for 24 years.Several hundred people wait for him every week.

He makes a point of coming on Thanksgiving and Christmas, too, but this is the first year he spent his birthday in the downtown neighborhood where people live mainly in shelters and on dirty sidewalks.

    “ It’s the place that makes me the happiest.I just love it,” said Chase. “I look forward to coming here.”

The money comes from donations he receives from rich and famous people he met during his work as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University.

The crowd broke into choruses of “Happy Birthday” several times. Some people presented him birthday cards, to his delight.

Travis Kemp, a 51 – year – old disabled man with long black hair, was one of the lucky 20 to receive $ 100. He said he had no special plans for spending the money. “He has a lot of respect from me,” Kemp said. “I know I couldn’t do it.”

1.On his 90 th birthday, Chase      

    A.handed out cash to the needy

    B.collected money for poor people

    C.visited poor people’s homes with gifts

    D.held a party at Los Angeles’ Skid Row

2.Which of the following makes Chase feel the happiest?

    A.Celebrating his birthday with his neighbours.

    B.Working in Loyola Marymount University.

    C.Celebrating Christmas with the people he has helped.

    D.Going to Los Angeles’ Skid Row to help people there.

3.What’s the source of the money Chase used to help people?

    A.All his savings.

    B.His earnings as a Catholic priest.

    C.Donations from the wealthy and celebrities(名人).

    D.Donations from Loyola Marymount University.

4.Travis Kemp is mentioned in the text to show .

    A.he was the luckiest person on that day

    B.the disabled need to be taken care of

    C.Chase is greatly appreciated by the needy

    D.even old people came to celebrate Chase’s birthday

5.Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?

    A.Every recipient could get $100 in cash from Father Maurice Chase.

    B.Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away not only on his birthday but also on other occasions.

    C.Although Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away on his birthday, he didn’t receive anything in return.

    D.Father Maurice Chase earned a lot of money as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University.

 

Obama Still Smokes in Secret
US President Barack Obama has just made life more difficult for cigarette makers. He has just signed a law that will set tough new rules for the tobacco industry. The new law gives the US Food and Drug Administration the power to strictly limit the making and marketing of tobacco products.
At a White House signing ceremony Monday, Obama said that he was among the nearly 90% of smokers who took up the habit before their 18 th birthday.
Obama, who has publicly struggled to give up smoking, said he still hadn’t completely kicked the habit. Every now and then he still smokes in secret.
“As a former smoker I struggle with it all the time. Do I still smoke sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No.” Obama said at a news conference.
“I don' t do it in front of my lads.I don ?t do it in front of my family.I would say that I am 95% cured, but there are times when I mess up, " he said.
"Once you go down this path, it' s something you continually struggle with, which is exactly why the law is so important.The new law is not about me, it' s about the next generation of kids coming up.What we don ' t want is kids going down that path," he said.
Nearly 20% of Americans smoke and tobacco use kills about 440,000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases.

  1. 1.

    The new law makes life difficult for             .

    1. A.
      Obama
    2. B.
      tobacco industry
    3. C.
      White House
    4. D.
      US Food and Drug Administration
  2. 2.

    What do we know about Obama?

    1. A.
      He no longer smokes.
    2. B.
      He still smokes as usual.
    3. C.
      He began to smoke at eighteen.
    4. D.
      He is trying hard to give up smoking.
  3. 3.

    According to the passage, Obama is most concerned about           .

    1. A.
      children
    2. B.
      officials
    3. C.
      his family
    4. D.
      Businessmen

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