It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.

         Hit the sales.

         No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.

         Pay close attention to advertisements.

        Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.

         Shop online.

         Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.

         The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store.

The first paragraph implies that ______.

         A. nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts

         B. recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts

         C. Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts

         D. Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts

      In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.

         A. if the weather is not very cold              B. if we don’t have to fight for the best deals

         C. if we don’t have to get up early  D. If we get what we want at a good price

The underlined word “specials” means_______.

         A. some experts in shopping                  

         B. certain things for especially low price

         C. some kind of help for a certain customer

         D. things that can only be found on Friday

We can have more choices _____.

         A. on Black Friday                                B. in a particular store

         C. on the Internet                                         D. from retailers

We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it is an ingredient in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices like chili peppers.

Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say “Ugh!” and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste.

The word “chocolate” comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.

When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.

   In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.

   Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and of course an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.

1. It was ______that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao.

A. the workers in the chocolate factory      B. the Spaniards 

C. the people in England                 D. the owner of a chocolate factory.

2. According to the passage which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Nobody had the idea of adding sugar until the sixteenth century.

B. The word “chocolate” comes from a Mexican word.

C. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys like them.  

D. Workers must dry and roast the beans to remove the bitter taste.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that___________.

   A. chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or a candy bar 

B. Mexicans like chocolate very much     C. chocolate is a product of the cacao tree

D. people liked the taste of chocolate mixed with milk

4. Which is the right time order of the events regarding chocolate?

   a. Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England.

   b. A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.

   c. The Spaniards started drinking cacao.

   d. It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.

   e. A factory mixed milk and chocolate together.

   A. a-b-c-d-e    B. c-d-e-b-a            C. c-d-a-b-e            D. c-d-b-e-a

A letter to Edward, a columnist(报刊专栏作家）

Dear Mr Expert:

I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always Promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20,I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.

Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine ― so much so that they make mine theirs.

It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can shou up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.

I enjoy having my friends here sometimes― it makes the place feel comfortable and warm― but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?

Joan

Edward’s reply to Joan

Dear Joan:

If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.

And if you’ve gathesed yourfriends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere(气氛),you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with― or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.

Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”

63. We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward         .

A. lives away from her parents

B. takes pride in her friends

C. knows Mr Expert quite well

D. hates her parents very much

64.We can infer from the first letter that         .

A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy

B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept

C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all

D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over

65. According to Mr Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?

A. She is afraid of hurting her friends.

B. She does not understand true friendship.

C. Her family experience stops her from doing so.

D. She does not put her needs first.

66. The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means       .

A. dependent life        B. fierce fight           C. bad manners           D. painful feeling

67.The second letter suggests that Mr Expert         .

A. is worried about Joan’s problem

B. warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends

C. advises Joan on how to refuse people

D. encourages Joan to be brave enough

Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. It is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

       Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

       The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.

       It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

       The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat（拍）yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!

You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.

A. dare to challenge yourself     B. feel it hard to change yourself

C. are unconfident about yourself  D. have a high opinion of yourself

How should you change your self-image according to the passage?

A. To keep a different image of others. B. To make your life successful.

C. To understand your own world.           D. To change the way you think.

What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to prepare for your success.     B. How to face challenges in your life.

C. How to build a positive self-image.  D. How to develop your good qualities.

Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A. Parents.     B. Adolescents.      C. Educators.       D. People in general.

While sometimes it’s necessary to have phone calls in public, loud phone conversations are not so      .

A. believable      B. acceptable     C. considerable     D. approachable