Although Paris is often considered the city of romance, close to a million adults who call it home are single. Many single people say that France’s capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating”. At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet, singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes，brown hair, and is 1.8 meters tall, or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.
At this Paris location, single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door, they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles. With purple baskets in hand, shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay, they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.
Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish (美化) one’s appearance or to lie about one’s age over the Internet. The supermarket, on the other hand, is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition, what one finds in another’s grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person’s character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man’s way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These days it’s possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.
1.What do many single people in Pairs complain about?
A. The difficulty in finding a match.
B. The idea of supermarket dating.
C. The items on their grocery list.
D. The inconvenience in shopping.
2.Which of the following can be inferred but is not clearly stated in the second paragraph?
A. The dating supermarket is located in Paris.
B. The dating supermarket is open only on Thursday evenings.
C. Only single people can shop in the supermarket.
D. The dating supermarket has very good business.
3.How do love shoppers meet one another?
A. They schedule their meeting in advance.
B. They go through a special checkout.
C. They pick out their groceries with great care.
D. They dial the phone numbers on their shopping items.
4.Why do the people prefer the supermarket dating to Internet dating?
A. The supermarket dating is more convenient.
B. The supermarket dating is more fun.
C. The supermarket dating is more trustworthy.
D. The supermarket dating is more economical.
I hate Black Friday sales. It’s often a gathering of people who are here for many different reasons. Some are looking for a deal on that one item for their loved one, or perhaps themselves. Their intentions are completely unrelated to the festive time of the year.
It was several years ago when my wife asked me to meet her at the local department store on Black Friday morning. They had advertised a child’s bike that she wanted to purchase for our son. We stood with a very large crowd, waiting for the manager to blow the whistle. After a while the whistle blew, it was like throwing a bucket of small fish into a tank of sharks. I suddenly felt my wife’s hope was slim. I told her that if we obtained a bike, fine, but if we did not, I was OK with that too.
As the pile of bikes began to gradually decrease in size, I saw my polite opportunity to wrap my hands around the comer of one of the boxes. I lifted it up and suddenly felt some mild resistance. I looked up see one of the largest gentlemen I had ever seen in my life. Frightening was not the word to describe his presence. He wore lots of belts of metal studded leather around both arms and even his neck. Tattoos (纹身) were an obvious passion of his.
I started to give up the box but he gently pushed it back in my direction and back into my hands. He then directed it into my shopping cart. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Merry Christmas.” My wife and I went to the checkout, paid for the bike and went home. All the way home I was thinking that this moment was by far the best gift I had ever received for Christmas. The kindness of a stranger broke all preconceived notions (预想) I may have had of stereotypes and prejudices.
1.How did the author feel when going into the store?
A. The crowd was like small fish. B. They might not get the bike.
C. He was excited to do the shopping. D. The whistle was blown too late.
2.What happened when the author was buying the bike?
A. He was scared by a man’s look at first. B. A gentleman bought the bike for him.
C. A stranger helped him lift the box. D. He gave up the bike he first touched.
3.What can we learn from the author’s experience?
A. Look before you leap. B. Custom is a second nature.
C. Doing is better than saying. D. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
4.What may be the best title for the passage?
A. Black Friday Sales B. My son’s best bike
C. The best Christmas gift D. A strange gentleman
WELCOME TO THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Visit the limited-time “Interactive! The Exhibition” at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and save more than 30% on museum admission tickets with an audio tour.
WHEN
Through June. 28, 2017
WHAT’S INCLUDED
$19 (reg. $28)… Admission for one person to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, including “Interactive! The Exhibition” with an audio tour. Please note: the virtual reality(虚拟现实)experience will be an additional cost and participants must be 10 years old or above.
WHY WE LOVE IT
●The exhibition is a hands-on experience focusing on movies, TV, music and the arts.
●Experience virtual reality, 1980s video games, robots, 3D printing.
●Climb aboard Air Force One, view the expensive comfortable presidential car and a Marine One helicopter.
●Explore Reagan’s legacy(遗产): Step into an Oval Office copy and see a piece of the Berlin wall.
●The audio tour has more than 50 stops and original material not copied in the exhibits
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
This is a season-specific event. All sales are final. No refunds(退款)or exchanges. Not valid after the expiration date. Valid any regular museum operating day through June. 28, 2017. Museum hours are 10 a.m.—5 p.m., seven days a week. Valid for one person. Cannot combine with other offers. Must use in one visit. Tickets include admission to “Interactive! The Exhibition” and the entire museum’s galleries and grounds.
1.What can visitors do while visiting the library and museum?
A. Fly on Air Force One.
B. Experience virtual reality for free.
C. Approach technology of different times.
D. Learn about the president’s daily routine.
2.What does the author say about the admission ticket?
A. It can be enjoyed with other offers.
B. It allows limitless visits to the museum.
C. It isn’t accessible to children.
D. It cannot be changed once sold.
3.What type of writing is this passage?
A. A notice.
B. An official report.
C. An advertisement.
D. A tour review.
1.When people think of factories, they think of clouds of dirty smoke or of pipes_________（倾泻）chemical waste into rivers。
2.It also watches the river and stops the_________（非法的）hunting of animals, which has put the wild animals population at risk.
3.A healthy environment is important for our__________(生存)．
4.The efforts of the Chinese government and people to protect this muchloved river will be___________(感激) for years to come.
5.Many people b _____________this change on gases such as carbon dioxide.
6.Therefore, the more petrol and electricity we _________（消耗) , the more carbon we are to release.
7.When the teacher entered the classroom, she found the pupils were a_________ in their Maths exercise.
8.The price of oil has been on the d_________ recently.
9.The whole family arranged a party to celebrate the new a_________.
10.Teachers are supposed to give c_________ to (称赞)students, thus inspiring students in a positive way.
How to become a better student
Maybe you are an average student.You probably think you will never be a top student.This is not necessary so，however.Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to.Here’s how：
1)Plan your time carefully.When you plan your week，you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list，you should make a schedule of your time. First，list your time for eating，sleeping，dressing，etc.Then decide a good，regular time for studying. Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.
2)Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area.Keep this space，which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room，free of everything but study materials.No games，radios，or television！When you sit down to study，concentrate on the subject.
3)Make good use of your time in class.Take advantage of the class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later.Taking notes will help you remember what the teachers say.
4)Study regularly.When you get home from school，go over your notes.Review the important points that your teacher mentioned in class.If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day，read that material.This will help you understand the next class.If you do these things regularly，the material will become more meaningful，and you will remember it longer.
5)Develop a good attitude about tests.The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject.They help you remember your new knowledge.The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test，so don’t be overly worried.
There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
How to become a better student
General method | How to do | Advantage |
Plan your time carefully | Make a list | Force you to 1. what is happening to your time |
Make a 2. | ||
Find a good place to study | Free of everything but study 3. | You can 4. on the subject |
Make good use of your time in class | Listen to 5. the teachers say | Really listening in class means 6. work later |
Take notes | ||
Study regularly | Go over your notes | Help you 7. it better，and remember it longer |
8. new material | ||
Develop a good 9. about tests | Don’t be overly worried | Remember your new 10. |
More than 10 years ago，it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple (菠萝)．The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and，more often than not，hard with an unpleasant taste within.Then in 1996，the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.
The new type of pineapple looked more yellowygold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside.But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hitandmiss pineapples we had known.In no time，the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm，rapidly becoming the world’s bestselling pineapple variety，and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth，up until then only found in tinned pineapple.
In nutrition (营养) it was all good news too.This nicetasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C (维生素C) than the old green variety.Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins，but also good against some diseases.People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit.The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a_fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eaters.
Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple，Del Monte tried to keep the market to itself.But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples.Del Monte turned to law for help，but failed.Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out of the market.
1.We learn from the text that the new type of pineapple is________.
A. green outside and sweet inside
B. goodlooking outside and soft inside
C. yellowygold outside and hard inside
D. a little soft outside and sweet inside
2.Why was the new type of pineapple selling well?
A. It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice.
B. It was less sweet and good for health.
C. It was developed by Del Monte.
D. It was used as medicine.
3.The underlined word “fixture” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something________.
A. that people enjoy eating
B. that is always present
C. that is difficult to get
D. that people use as a gift
4.We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte________.
A. allowed other companies to develop pineapples
B. succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself
C. tried hard to control the pineapple market
D. planned to help the other companies
