Why do people buy art? To answer this question, ask yourself what your reasons are for thinking of getting a piece of art. An artwork can cost a large amount of money, but if it meets your needs, it’s worth every penny. 

People buy art for many reasons. Many people buy an artwork simply because they like it, even if it is by an unknown artist. Art, as long as you enjoy it, is never a waste of money.

Art is for enjoyment. Art is meant to be shown. Don’t ever feel pressured into buying something you won’t enjoy looking at day after day, no matter what other people may say. Don’t buy something that doesn’t attract you just because it is trendy, or because the artist is famous, or because you have been advised that the artwork will make a good investment. If you don’t like the artwork at all, don’t buy it!

Art improves your environment. Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an integral（必需的） part of the decoration? Art lends life and color to otherwise plain and ordinary walls. A well thought--out art collection will help create a unique atmosphere in your home and make it more attractive.

Art makes a statement. The kind of art you surround yourself with says much about your personality tastes and values. Art truly is a mirror of the soul.

Art enriches your life. Love--even the love of a work of art--contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan (寿命). Art should enrich your life. Otherwise, why do you spend precious time and resources on it?

Just remember to select something which will appeal to your tastes, and keep to a sensible budget. Good art needn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Happy art collecting!

1.What’s the purpose of the passage?

A. To advise us to buy an expensive artwork.

   B. To remind us to be sensible when buying an artwork.

   C. To teach us how to choose works of art.

   D. To explain the benefit of art to people.

2.According to the author, what should you consider when buying a piece of art?

   A. Whether it brings pleasure to you.

   B. Whether it is fashionable at present.

   C. Whether you can profit from it in the end.

   D. Whether it is created by a famous artist.

3.Which of the following words best describes a work of art placed in a house?

   A. ordinary  B. attractive  C. necessary  D. unique

4.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 means that ____.

   A. art can show what you look like

   B. art is an expression of yourself

   C. a mirror has a feature similar to art

   D. a mirror can be a piece of true art

When you buy a T-shirt, or a fur coat in a store, it often carries a label （标签），telling who made it or from which store it was bought . Indeed, some labels show the dress is famous and it is very expensive, so buyers secretly wish they might be carried forever. On the other hand, buyers who deal with the cheapest products would be pleased to do away with labels entirely.
However, there is another label more important than the one showing from which store the dress was bought. When a person buys a fur coat, or a jacket from a store, a label telling what the product is made of should be carried on it.
This label is required by law. Besides telling what the product on show is made of, the label should be in clear English and be where one can find it easily. The information on the label must be the truth.
The reason for this label is that most buyers today aren’t expert enough to know exactly what kind of fur or material they buy. The buyer must believe in the store that sells the products or in what the labels say.
56. The passage is mainly about_________.
A. some knowledge of clothing labels    
B. some advice on how to get dressed
C. some advice on buying clothes    
D. some knowledge of the quality of clothes
57. According to the passage, from a label we can know all of the following EXCEPT_________.
A. who made the clothes           B. where one bought the clothes
C. how much the clothes cost       D. what material the clothes are made of
58. The law requires that a product should carry a _________.
A. clean label    B. clear label     C. white label   D. secret label
59. The author probably thinks that_________.
A. all buyers want their clothes to wear labels forever
B. many buyers depend on labels when buying clothes
C. most stores don’t sell clothes with labels
D. most labels don’t tell buyers the truth

When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes． Think about the kind of clothes you really need． Then look for those clothes you really need． Then look for those clothes on sale．

There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes． The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes． The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water． A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water． The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat． If you do as the directions (说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time．

Many clothes today must be dry cleaned． Dry cleaning is expensive． When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned． You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed．

You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made． Well-made clothes last longer． They look good even after they have been washed many times． Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily(不一定) better made． They do not always fit better． Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes．

If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that __ ．

       A．don’t fit you              B．don’t last long       

       C．need to be dry cleaned    D．can be washed

The labels inside the clothes tell you______．

       A．how to keep them looking their best     B．how to save money

       C．whether they fit you or not            D．where to get them dry cleaned

The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is __ ．

       A．to look for well-made clothes        

       B．to see how much money you can spend on it

       C．to know how to wash them         

       D．to read the labels inside them

We learn from the passage that cheaper clothes __ ．

       A．are always worse made             B．must be dry cleaned

       C．can not be washed                 D．can sometimes fit you better

The best title for the passage should be __ ．

       A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes        

       B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping

       C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper     

       D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes

When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes. Think about the kind of clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes on sale.

There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes. The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes. The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water. A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water. The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat. If you do as the directions on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time.

Many clothes today must be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive. When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned. You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed.

You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made. Well-made clothes last longer. They look good even after they have been washed many times. Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily better made. They do not always fit better. Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes.

1.If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that ________.

       A. don’t fit you  B. don’t last long  C. need to be dry cleaned D. can be washed

2.The labels inside the clothes tell you ________.

       A. how to keep them looking their best       B. how to save money

       C. whether they fit you or not              D. where to get them dry cleaned

3.The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is ________.

A. to look for well-made clothes          B. to see how much money you can spend on it

       C. to know how to wash them                     D. to read the labels inside them

4.The best title for the passage should be ________.

       A. Buy Less Expensive Clothes                   B. Taking Enough Money When Shopping

       C. Being a Clever Clothes Shopper              D. Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes

I needed to buy a digital camera, one that was simply good at taking good snaps (快照), maybe occasionally for magazines. Being the cautious type, I fancied a reliable brand. So I went on the net, spent 15 minutes reading product reviews on good websites, wrote down the names of three top recommendations and headed for my nearest big friendly camera store. There in the cupboard was one of the cameras on my list. And it was on special offer. Oh joy. I pointed at it and asked an assistant, “Can I have one of those?” He looked perturbed (不安).“Do you want to try it first?" he said. It didn't quite sound like a question. "Do I need to?" I replied. "There's nothing wrong with it?" This made him look a bit insulted and I started to feel bad. "No, no. But you should try it," he said encouragingly." Compare it with the others. "
I looked across at the others: shelves of similar cameras placed along the wall, offering a wide range of slightly different prices and discounts, with each company selling a range of models based around the same basic box. With so many models to choose from, it seemed that I would have to spend hours weighing X against Y, always trying to take Z and possibly H into account at the same time. But when I had finished, I would still have only the same two certainties that I had entered the store with: first, soon after I carried my new camera out of the shop, it would be worth half what I paid for it; and second, my wonderful camera would very quickly be replaced by a new model.
But something in the human soul whispers that you can beat these traps by making the right choice, the clever choice, the wise choice. In the end, I agreed to try the model I had chosen. The assistant seemed a sincere man. So I let him take out my chosen camera from the cupboard, show how it took excellent pictures of my fellow shoppers... and when he started to introduce the special features, I interrupted to ask whether I needed to buy a carry-case and a memory card as well.
Why do we think that new options (选择) still offer us anything new? Perhaps it is because they offer an opportunity to avoid facing the fact that our real choices in this culture are far more limited than we would like to imagine.
1. The shop assistant insisted that the writer should __ .
A. try the camera to see if there was anything wrong with it
B. compare the camera he had chosen with the others
C. get more information about different companies
D. trust him and stop asking questions
2. What does the writer mean by "it would be worth half what I paid for it"  (Paragraph 2) ?
A. He should get a 50% discount.
B. The price of the camera was unreasonably high.
C. The quality of the camera was not good.
D. The camera would soon fall in value.
3. The writer decided to try the model he had chosen because he __ .
A. knew very little about it
B. didn't trust the shop assistant
C. wanted to make sure the one he chose would be the best
D. had a special interest in taking pictures of his fellow shoppers
4. It can be inferred from the passage that in the writer's opinion, __
A. people waste too much money on cameras
B. cameras have become an important part of our daily life
C. we don't actually need so many choices when buying a product
D. famous companies care more about profit than quality