Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high school liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

A．The first day after Christmas.	B．25 days before Christmas.
C．After Thanksgiving.	D．November 29

小題2:When do people usually do shopping?

A．Before Thanksgiving.	B．On Christmas.
C．Anytime.	D．Before Christmas.

小題3:How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

A．In California, parents and children get together to play games.

B．In England, people celebrated by performing plays.

C．They bought nothing and made the others decide not to.

D．In Mexico, high school students dressed up.

Angry Birds has become a worldwide gaming mega hit but how did this game come into existence? Rovio is the name of the company that created angry birds, however, it's not the first game they developed. Surprisingly they have been creating games for several years but had just never broken through into the mainstream the way they did with angry birds. The idea for the game came about in 2009 when the company was looking at different ideas for games which they thought could become popular. It was a simple idea spawned from some sketches(素描) of wingless and legless birds which were angry.
The sketches caught on among the staff who in turn created a unique design which became angry birds. The pigs were added into the game later in the development as an enemy. During this period of development, pig flu was being heavily reported in the news which is where the idea for the pigs appeared.
The basis of the game is very simple and is not unique to angry birds but has been seen in many other games previously. It's a simple physics/puzzle game. The player is given a slingshot and a limited supply of angry birds with different characteristics. Some birds are faster than others while others can be split into multiple birds. You control the trajectory(軌跡) of the birds with the slingshot which launches them towards rickety structures containing your main enemy, the pigs. In order to advance to the next level you must eliminate(消滅) all of the pigs before your birds run out.
Rovio has released several different versions of the game at this point. The original, Seasons, and Rio. Seasons is a collection of holiday themed versions of the game while Rio was a movie tie in for the movie Rio. All versions continue to be updated with new levels which are free to those who have previously purchased the game.
小題1:What's the meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?

A．Turned.	B．Played a role.
C．Changed.	D．Came into being.

小題2:In the game, the birds ________.

A．have different kinds that only include faster birds and slower birds

B．have to be controlled to kill all of the pigs before your birds run out

C．a(chǎn)re the enemy of the pigs which have been infected with pig flu

D．lose their temper for the pig flu so they try to kill the pigs

小題3:According to the text, the game players ________.

A．must pay for this game—angry birds one level by one level

B．only pay for once and then it will be updated freely

C．should control angry birds to kill all the animals with pig flu

D．will become angry easily for playing the game too much

小題4:Which one is the best title of the passage?

A．The Unknown Game—Angry Birds

B．Facts and Hints About the Game Angry Birds

C．Rovio Created Famous Games

D．Pigs and Angry Birds

Tattoos and body piercings(穿孔) have moved up on the trend list in recent years.Around Western schools lots of teens are sporting new holes and “flesh ink”(紋身)．As with all other subjects, the Chinese will surely have to deal with this situation with respect to their children.To get a better view of what has happened in the West, let's sit down and hear what they say.
Tiara from Indiana：
I personally think body piercing is sickening.If there were supposed to be holes in your body, you would have been born with them.I do, however, think that ear piercing is not wrong.There is a difference between ear piercing and belly button piercing.Ear piercing is not nearly as dangerous.I would be sick if someone stuck a needle in my belly button.
Lee from Illinois：
Hi! I live in Illinois.I am 23.I have 12 tattoos and three piercings.I love my tattoos and consider myself an art collector.You would be surprised at who has given me the thumbs up on my art work.People on the street stop me to look at the tattoo on my leg.Most of them don't know what it is.They just think the work itself is great.
Subotai from California：
I'm not forbidden of self­expression, but when I see high school students getting these piercings, I really wonder.In some cases, the drive is deeper and darker than mere fashion.A friend of mine tried piercing her own tongue with a safety pin.It got infected and she had a tongue the size of a cow's.
Jackson from Ohio：
I don't think it is wrong, but when people do it all over the place like their face and everything—I think that's ridiculous.People who get the big “dragons that cover the whole body—I don't think that's necessary.” When I see naked chicks on guys, I think, “You have no respect for women.”
小題1:Who doesn't think tattoos and piercings except ear piercing are beautiful?

A．Jackson.

B．Lee.

C．Tiara.

D．Subotai.

小題2:We can conclude that ________.

A．tattoos and piercings are a new kind of elegant art

B．a(chǎn)ll the teachers in the West are in favour of tattoos and piercings

C．everything is changeable as time goes on

D．it is necessary to live with different views of beauty

小題3:The best title for this passage is probably ________.

A．Body Art or Causing Damage

B．Doing Damage to the Young People's Bodies

C．Young People's Different Curiosities

D．The Latest Fashion

If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don't need to feel surprised. They are a flash mob(暴民). Who are they? Are they mobs? Don't be confused by their name. Actually, a flash mob is a group of people who gather suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly disappear.
They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communications networks. The messages may be sent to friends, who send to more people. At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some activities such as exchanging books, coming together to look at the sky, waving their hands and yelling something at the top of their voice for 30 seconds. Then, they quickly disappear before the police can arrive. Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its place if the first one has been cancelled for any reason.
Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob gathered on June 3,2003. Wasik claimed that he created the flash mob as a social experiment designed to laugh at fashion seekers and stress the cultural atmosphere of wanting to be an insider or part of “the next big thing”．
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people. Such an activity might seem amusing and magical, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place. Undoubtedly, flash mob can serve as good political tools and have great potential, such as using to advertise a product.
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular. People use it to do many things. Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory.
小題1:What is NOT the feature of the flash mob?

A．It can get together quickly.

B．It can change its place freely.

C．It can do activities suddenly.

D．It can injure people seriously.

小題2:How do flash mobs inform one another?
①By using the Internet.②By writing letters.③By yelling.④By waving hands.⑤By using mobile phones.
⑥By holding a meeting.

A．③④

B．①⑤

C．②⑥

D．⑤⑥

小題3:Why did Bill Wasik create the flash mob?

A．To advertise some products.

B．To help people make friends.

C．To laugh at fashion seekers.

D．To create some memories.

小題4:What can we learn about the flash mob from the passage?

A．Bill Wasik organized the first successful flash mob in May, 2003.

B．People are encouraged to take a more active part in an activity.

C．Flash mobs tend to do something illegal for a short time.

D．Flash mob gathering can frighten all the people present.

Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺騙)?When someone tells you something that is true，but leaves out important information that should be included，he can give you a false picture．
For example，someone might say, ''I just won a hundred．dollars on the lottery(彩票)．It was great．I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!"．This guy's a winner，right? Maybe，maybe not．We then discover that he bought$200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner．He’s really a big loser! He didn't say anything that was false，but he left out important information on purpose．That's called a half-truth．Half truths are not technically lies，but they are just as dishonest．
Some politicians often use this trick．Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term，her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs．Then she seeks another term．One of her opponents says, “During Governor Smith’s term，the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true．However，an honest statement would have been，“During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths．It's against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth．An advertisement might say，''Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache．'' It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company．
This kind of deception happens too often．It’s a sad fact of life：Lies are lies，and sometimes the truth can 1ie as well．
小題1:The underlined word“opponents”in Paragraph 3 means            ．

A．enemy

B．partner

C．cooperator

D．a(chǎn)ssistant

小題2:We may infer that the author believes people should            ．

A．buy lottery tickets if possible

B．make use of half-truths

C．be careful about what they are told

D．not trust the Yucky Company

小題3:How many examples does the writer give to show how the truth is used to deceive?

A．One．

B．Two．

C．Three．

D．Four．

小題4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Using half truths is against the law．

B．Technically，half truths are in fact lies．

C．Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache．

D．Governor Smith did a good job during her last term．

小題5:M1ich of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

A．He’s really a big loser!

B．Sometimes the truth can lie as well．

C．Advertisers will sometimes use half truths．

D．It’s against the law to make false statements．

Celebrities(名人) are more in love with themselves than the average person，according to a new study．
In case anyone needed proof, a new study supports the widely held perception：Famous people are more narcissistic(自我陶醉的)，which means they are more in love with themselves than the average person is．That is the conclusion drawn by Drew Pinsky and S．Mark Young of the University of Southern California，whose study of 200 celebrities will appear in the Journal Of Research in Personality．
It is not the entertainment industry that turns stars into narcissists，the study found．Rather, it suggests，the self-adoring(自戀的)people seek jobs in show business．The study, whose subjects were a11 celebrities from Pinsky’s‘Loveline’radio show, found that reality TV stars were the most narcissistic of all celebrities．Female stars were also more likely than the male stars to exhibit narcissistic characteristics．
It’s “common sense” that celebrities are narcissists，said Jeremy Ritzlin，a longtime Hollywood psychologist who has not seen the study．“Everyone knows famous people are really in love with themselves，”he said．“So it would be natural for narcissists to be attracted toward the stage and spotlight，where other people will also think highly of them．”
Pinsky, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at USC’S Keck School of Medicine，said narcissists desire attention，are overconfident，behave strangely and lack sympathy．“However, they are easily-liked，especially on first meeting，are outgoing and perform well in public，” added Pinsky, who has hosted the radio show“Loveline”for 20 years．
Celebrity guests appearing on the program were randomly chosen to participate in the study．They anonymously(匿名地)took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test．which rates self-love levels based on seven components：superiority, exhibitionism，entitlement，vanity，authority, exploitativeness，and self-sufficiency．
小題1:Who are most likely to be self-adoring in the study?

A．The women stars．	B．The men stars
C．The average people．	D．It is not mentioned in the passage．

小題2:According to the forth paragraph．the fact “celebrities are narcissists”             .

A．is common in the entertainment industry

B．is a misunderstanding of Jeremy Ritzlin

C．is known to most of the people

D．is unreal on the stage

小題3:According to Pinsky, narcissists may NOT               .

A．hope to attract attention

B．be kind to poor people

C．believe in themselves

D．be liked by others easily

小題4:How were the celebrities surveyed in the study?

A．They were interviewed by Drew Pinsky and S．Mark Young．

B．They were invited to the University of Southern California．

C．They appeared on Pinsky’s‘Loveline’radio show．

D．They took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test．

小題5:The author of this passage wants to tell US               ．

A．how psychologists make a study

B．how entertainment industry produces celebrities

C．how people think of the famous stars

D．how celebrities feel about themselves

"Extra? Extra！Gasoline hits four dollars a gallon!”
No one will really be shocked一except, perhaps, the old-timers who tell about the good old days when gas was three gallons for a dollar, and people drove around "just for the fun of it".
As a matter of fact; the price of gas has been rising fast and steadily for several years, and many adjustments have already been made.
There was, for a time, considerable unemployment in the auto industry, and three quarters of the garages and service stations have gone out of business. However; the bicycle and motor-scooter business has flourished（興旺); and many people have found employment there: Now that Federal Motors has brought out its new Lilliput, which travels forty miles on a gallon, the auto business is picking up again. The factories that haven't switched over to two-wheel transportation are working on their new smaller models. There is talk, too, about bringing out new steam and electric automobiles that will be just as economical as the old cars.
In the meantime, streetcars are gradually replacing buses all over the country because of the greater economy of electric power. And many people who have seldom used public transportation are now riding the streetcars while their automobiles rust（生銹）in their garages. There's no market at all for their big, luxurious cars, for only the wealthy can now afford to operate them. Many people are now shopping in their own neighborhood, and small businesses are thriving.
Ministers, educators, and editorial writers are pointing out that there has been a great improvement in family life. Families now stay at home more for their fun, and children and parents are becoming better acquainted. The stores report a booming business in parlor games, hobby materials, books, musical instruments and albums.
People have lost their pale indoor look. The revival of the lost art of walking has brought a healthy pink back to many a cheek. This return to the heels has revolutionized the clothing styles; people now need to be ready for all kinds of weather:
These conditions, however, may not last. Already our clever chemists are at work on new synthetic fuels which, they say, will put us right back where we were一on wheels. Shall w e wish them success or not?
小題1:Which of the following is NOT a result of the gas price rising?

A．More people prefer to travel on public transportation which costs less than driving cars.

B．People return to the traditional exercise of walking, which helps them to look healthier.

C．People shop in nearby stores without having to drive, so small businesses are declining.

D．The auto industry has been forced to develop new models which are more economical.

小題2:The purpose of writing this passage is＿．

A．to show the chain reaction of the rising gas price

B．to discuss whether it's necessary to work on new fuels

C．to warn people not to use too much gasoline

D．to picture what life will be like if gas runs out

小題3:What is the best title for this passage?

A．New fuels on the way

B．Cars or bicycles, that is a question

C．End of the good old days

D．From wheels to heels

Micro bloggers：have you ever compared the number of fans on your Sina Weibo or Tencent micro blog with those of your friends ?Don’t imagine you have more fans just because your number is bigger——some of them might be “zombie fans”，or fake(假的)followers．
That’s what Chen Chuanliang ，creator of Leijian Network，found when he bet against his friend several months ago．Chen，who used to do data mining for Microsoft Asia Research Institute，discovered that there were far more invalid(無效的)micro blog accounts than he had imagined．
Later Chen picked 1 0 users on Sina Weibo and analyzed their statistics．Kai-Fu Lee，the former CEO of Google China，who’s on Chen’s list of research，posted a message on his micro blog after he found out that he had more than 1 million fake fans(out of about 5 million)，joking“I have 1 million zombie fans ?If united，we can finally defeat those plants．”
According to a report by S Weekly in March，zombie fans on micro blogs are defined as invalid accounts signed up by network companies for the purpose of increasing the number of fans for certain users and getting them more attention．
And this kind of fake followers are also very much alive on Western social networks such as Twitter and Facebook ．
The Financial Times reported in August，that Newt Gingrich，a Republican candidate in the US presidential election，bought about 80 percent of his 1．3 million Twitter followers and tried to use them as help in his campaign．
Now there are also business deals through which users can get hundreds of thousands of fans for their micro blog accounts，by paying a small amount of money．
“We have been working to find ways to block or delete those invalid accounts，”Mao Taotao，a spokesperson for Sina Weibo told S Weekly.
“But as the fake accounts grow so fast，they’re going to be here for a while．
小題1:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Micro Bloggers	B．Blog Accounts
C．Zombie Fans	D．Micro Blog Fans

小題2:Users get zombie fans for their micro blog accounts by________.

A．making friends with people

B．paying a little money

C．helping their weibo followers

D．doing search on the Internet

小題3:It can be learnt from the passage that________.

A．there are more fake fans in America than in China

B．invalid accounts for micro blogs will be deleted in no time

C．there exist many fake fans on western social networks as well

D．Newt Gingrich had 1．3 millions followers in his presidential election

小題4:The underlined word“their” in the passage refers to

A．deals’

B．fans’

C．campaigns’

D．users’

Endless playing of songs like All I want for Christmas in shops during the festive season doesn’t just drive us mad —the songs also make us more careless with our money, research has warned.
While repeated performance of Jingle Bells may seem like an innocent attempt to raise customers’ spirits during the nightmare of Christmas shopping, the songs also have a more delicate impact.
“Background music, or “Muzak”,can be used by marketers to impose cultures ---such as the commercialization of Christmas--- onto consumers and influence their behaviour,” experts said.
Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of.”
“Often we are told that we have the freedom to choose where we want to shop, but during Christmas the use of music in this way is so common that our freedom to choose disappears.”
Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often “dumb down” the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour.
It is thought that slowing down the rhythm of music in shops can trick customers into thinking less time has passed, and therefore spend more time examining the shelves, for example.
Some providers of background music have been known to promote their services by claiming they can boost profits by controlling the behaviour of customers.
“A common trick is to take a popular current song and record an instrumental version which can be slowed down or sped up at different time of the day to influence behaviour in different ways,” Dr. Bradshaw said.
Background music is often classed as “Muzak” in honor of the Seattle-based company which began producing its soft-sounding melodies in the 1930s.
小題1:According to Dr. Bradshaw, in what ways does Christmas music influence customers?
①their mood              ②their income
③their sense of time        ④ the sort of products they buy

A．①②③

B．①③④

C．②③④

D．①②④

小題2: Shopkeepers slow down the rhythm of music in shops to ___________.

A．let customers spend more time shopping

B．make customers and sales assistants relaxed

C．let customers enjoy the beautiful music

D．help customers find what they really want

小題3:What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops?

A．Classical music	B．Popular modern songs.
C．Folk songs.	D．Jazz music.

小題4:What is the best title of the passage?

A．Music makes happy Christmas

B．Christmas “Muzak”

C．How to make Christmas music?

D．Christmas music makes us spend more

Japanese couples，too busy for a normal social life，are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives．
Several agencies have sprung up (涌現(xiàn)) offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals．The first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events．
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai —— which means “I want to cheer you up” —— charge around ￡100 for each “guest”．Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra．
The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan．With lifetime employment (終身雇傭制) a thing of the past，couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding．Increasingly busy and stressed out，many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends．
When they marry，however，they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner’s wedding guests．Office Agents，the largest provider of pretend friends，makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding．
Hiroshi Mizutani，the company’s founder，said the fake friends he provides must look happy，be well dressed and look like people with good jobs．
小題1:Why did fake friends industry come into being in Japan?

A．Because of social and economic changes．

B．Because of lifetime employment．

C．Because of normal social life．

D．Because of work pressure．．

小題2:Pretend friends will be present on the following occasions except __________ ．

A．weddings	B．funerals
C．work	D．family gathering

小題3:The agents make sure that fake friends __________ ．

A．have done their housework

B．have good jobs

C．must look happy and be well dressed

D．feel uncomfortable

小題4:What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Japanese couples are under pressure to get married．

B．The first guest-for-hire company in Japan started．

C．Japanese couples’ social life is boring．

D．Japanese couples rely on fake friends．