Competition. It’s a simple word, yet a very complex word that covers many angles when it comes to how gasoline prices are determined. It seems so easy to explain, but don’t let that trick you—it’s incredibly difficult to explain and adequately understand.
Say you’re on a Sunday afternoon drive, and notice a gas station near you charging $3.50. Down the road a few miles, that price could easily be 10 or more cents higher or lower. The question is “how” or “why” is that? Think of it this way. Are you more likely to get a better deal on a car if there are two similar car dealers next to each other? Perhaps, because the dealers are too close. Say there is a third similar car dealer miles away. Is he going to be at the same level of competition and sell his cars for the same price as the two dealers next to each other? Likely not. He may charge more or less. Maybe people don't know there are two other dealers down the road. Maybe the dealer is almost outside of the city and the land value isn't as high, so his taxes aren't as high.
These situations do take place at gas stations. And more factors can impact what a station will charge. Timing can greatly impact what price a station charges as well! Many motorists fail to realize that the price a station pays for gasoline changes daily. If one station gets lucky and buys gas on Monday and the cost goes up Tuesday, the station that bought on Monday doesn’t necessarily have to raise prices like the station that bought on Tuesday. Maybe the station that got caught buying for a higher price on Tuesday will pass that higher cost on by raising its gas price.
Perhaps the difference is what brand the station is---branded stations usually pay a slightly higher cost for their gasoline. In return for paying a higher cost, those stations are guaranteed first supply in case of emergency situations. Independent stations don’t pay as much, but aren’t guaranteed supply.
While competition sounds easy to understand, there are always a large number of factors that could influence what one station charges. Keep in mind how many variables there are next time you fill up.
【小题1】What could be the best title for the passage?

Crime is a serious problem in Britain. One sort of crime which particularly worries people is juvenile crime—that is, crimes committed by young people. For some years, juvenile crime has been increasing. There are two main sorts of juvenile crime：stealing and violence. Most people do not understand why young people commit these crimes. There are, I think, a large number of different reasons.

These crimes are not usually committed by people who are poor or in need. Young people often dislike and hate the adult world. They will do things to show that they are rebels. Also in Britain today it is easier for young people to commit crimes because they have more freedom to go where they like and more money to do what they like.

There are two other possible causes which are worth mentioning. More and more people in Britain live in large towns. In a large town no one knows who anyone else is or where they live. But in the village I come from crimes are rare because everyone knows everybody else.

Although it is difficult to explain, I think the last cause is very important. Perhaps there is something wrong with our society which encourages violence and crime. It is a fact that all the crime children are exposed to films and reports about crime and violence. Many people don’t agree that this influences young people, but I think that young people are very much influenced by the society they grow up in. I feel that the fault may be as much with our whole society as with these young people.

How many causes of juvenile crime are mentioned in the text? 

A. two.     B. three      C. four      D. five

According to the passage which young group from Britain is least likely to commit crimes?

A. adults in big cities

B. adults who are in great need of help

C. young people in big cities

D. young people in the countryside

In the last paragraph, the underlined part “our society which encourages violence and crime” means ___.

A. people don’t care much about violence and crime

B. the people who commit crimes are not punished severely

C. some criminals escaped being punished

D. social environment has a bad effect on young people

What’s the main meaning of this passage? 

A. Different kinds of juvenile crime.

B. The causes of juvenile crime.

C. Increasing crime rate in Britain

D. Stealing and violence in Brotain

Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers (扬声器) and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of the American people. But most of the radio broadcast is music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
Besides pop music, there are two other kinds of music that is important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. The other is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
【小题1】 In America, every student likes ______.

Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.

Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers (扬声器) and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.

Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of the American people. But most of the radio broadcast is music.

Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.

Besides pop music, there are two other kinds of music that is important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. The other is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.

In America, every student likes ______.

A. folk music       B. country music    C. pop music       D. western music

According to the passage, most of the car radio broadcast is ______.

A. sports           B. the weather  C. politics        D. music

What do the cowboys do according to the passage?

A. They sell cows.                   B. They watch cows.

C. They sing and dance.             D. They travel around.

How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.       B. Four.             C. Five.           D. Six.

What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Music in America                  B. Music Listeners

C. Cowboys in America            D. International Language

Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.

Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers (扬声器) and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.

Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of the American people. But most of the radio broadcast is music.

Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.

Besides pop music, there are two other kinds of music that is important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. The other is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.

1. In America, every student likes ______.

A. folk music       B. country music    C. pop music       D. western music

2. According to the passage, most of the car radio broadcast is ______.

A. sports           B. the weather  C. politics        D. music

3. What do the cowboys do according to the passage?

A. They sell cows.                   B. They watch cows.

C. They sing and dance.             D. They travel around.

4. How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.       B. Four.             C. Five.           D. Six.

5. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Music in America                  B. Music Listeners

C. Cowboys in America            D. International Language