Dear Derrick ,

Although under great pressure, we all get on well with each other in this large office. You are one of the people who keep the social temperature at such a comfortable setting. I don’t know anyone in the office who is better liked than you .

You can perhaps help with this. The collection of contributions towards gifts for employees’ personal-life events is becoming a little troubling. Certainly, the group sending of a gift is reasonable now and then. In the past month, however, there have been collections for two baby shower gifts, one wedding shower gift, two weeding gifts, one funeral remembrance, four birthday gifts, and three graduation gifts .

It’s not only the collected-from who are growing uncomfortable(and poor), but the collected-for feel uneasy receiving gifts from people who don’t know them outside the office, who wouldn’t even recognize their graduating children, their marrying daughters and sons, or their dead relatives.

This is basically a kind gesture (and one that people think well of you for), but the practice seems to have become too wide-ranging and feels improper in today’s office setting .

Thank you for understanding .

1. The underlined word “ contributions ” probably means _________ .

  A. reports                 B. suggestions               C. understanding                  D. money

2. Derrick is expected to _________.

  A. show more kindness                   B. discontinue the present practice

  C. quit being the organizer for gift giving     D. know more about co-workers’ families

3. This is basically a letter of _________.

  A. apology                B. dissatisfaction           C. appreciation                     D. sympathy

Kay and Charles Giddens sold their home to start a bed and breakfast. Four years later, the couple now dishes out banana pancake breakfasts, cleans toilets, serves homemade cookies to guests in a bed and breakfast surrounded by trees on a mountain known for colorful sunsets.

    “Do I miss the freeways? Do I miss the traffic? Do I miss the trees? No,” says Ms. Giddens. “This is a phenomenon that’s fairly widespread. A lot of people are rethinking their lives and

figuring out what they want to do.”

    Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing, living closer to work and commuting(通勤) less, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.

Vicki Robin, a writer, tells us how she deals with the changes in her budget, now far less than what she used to make.

“You become conscious of where your money is going and how valuable it is,”Ms. Robin says. “You tend not to use thing up. You cook at home rather than eat out. You find your life is not

a mess anymore, and you discover your living costs have gone way down.”

Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a babysitter for two weeks.“It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids,”she says.“Simplicity is not just about saving money ; it’s about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music.”

Ms. Luhrs now edits a magazines called Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture  and  shoes, and organize potluck（家常便饭）dinners instead of fancy receptions.

“Simplicity is about conscious living and creating the life you want. The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out the door, and the less money you have to earn,” Ms. Luhrs explains.

4.How does Ms. Giddens feel about the life she is living now?

A.Bored        B.Worried          C.Satisfied           D.Surprised

5.What does the phenomenon Ms.Giddens mentioned refer to?

A.Serving others  B.Finding a new job  C.Living a simple life.  D.Opening a restaurant

6.Janet Luhrs gave up her job as a lawywer in order to _________.

A.have one more baby girl            B.create her own magazine

C.make her career in music            D.spend more time with her kids

7.In which part of a newspaper will the text most probably appear?

A.Business       B.Lifestyle         C. Education          D.Entertainment

They like using the Internet. They have lots of pocket money to spend．And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us. Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in, and the things they want to buy — games, CDs and clothing — are easily sold on the Web.

But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own credit cards. Most have to use a parent’s card. They want a service that allows them to spend money.

That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyber (网络的) space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic. If successful, these products can stimulate (刺激)online sales.

In general, teenagers spend huge amounts: $153bn (billion) in the US last year and ￡20bn annually in the UK．Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school — 88 percent in the US, 69 percent in the UK. According to the Jupiter Research, one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online — mainly CDs and books.

In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children. Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street. They are more likely to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online.

One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cyber cash is through prepaid cards such as Internet Cash in the US and Smart cards in the UK. Similar to those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as￡20 or $50 with a concealed (隐藏的) 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.

8. What does the word “They” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A. Sellers.         B. Buyers.        C. Teenagers.               D. Parents.

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

A. More than half of the teenagers in the US and the UK have Internet access．

B. Teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards.

C. Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online.

D. Teenagers found it easier to persuade parents to buy online than in a shop.

10. A new way to help teenagers shop online is to use _________.

A. a new machine                  B. special coins and notes

C. prepaid cards                  D. pay-as-you-go mobile phones

11. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Online shopping traps.            B. Internet users in the US and the UK.

C. New credit cards for parents.           D. The arrival of cyber pocket money.

Babies love reading stories with bright and colorful pictures. As they progress, they'll enjoy

slightly longer stories, and will look forward to joining in. So whatever your kids are

interested in, look for stories that attract their interest.

Price: $22.95

Description:

A lyrical(抒情的)  book with colorful illustrations(插图) that explores the growth and continual

change of a garden. It's a pleasant story about the cycle of life.

Call Mrs. Smith at 758-9339 for more information.

Price: $21.95

Description:

This book is about the typical Australian animals in lots of different Australian

environments. The gently thyming(押韵) text is easily understood and accompanied by Pamela

Lofts' bright and colorful pencil illustrations, creating a warm and loving atmosphere.

Call Mr. Black at 758-9328 for more information.

Price: $12.95

Description:

Max, a wild and naughty boy, is sent to bed without supper by his exhausted mother. In his

room, he imagines sailing far away to a land of wild things. Instead of eating him, the wild

things make Max their king. This year, the book won the Caldecott Medal, and was named

one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books.

Call Mrs. Green at 758-2589 for more information.

Price: $8.95

Description:

This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss's classic tale of the coolest

and the most fashionable cat in history! The cat is one of the most popular characters in

children's fiction, and this book is a great way for readers to make his acquaintance.

Call Mr. Wilson at 758-4876 for more information.

12. How much would you pay for two copies of Isabella's Garden and one of The Cat in the Hatl?

   A. $67.85.         B. $56.85.              C. $54.85.              D. $48.85.

13. Whose book should his or her parents buy if a baby likes fiction?

   A. Glenda Millard's.                B. Marcia Vaughan's.

   C. Maurice Sendak's.               D. Dr. Seuss'.

14. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

   A. Isabella'.s Garden, has no pictures.

B. Where the Wild Things are is about Australian animals.

   C. The Cat in the Hat has won the Caldecott Medal.

   D. Pamela Lofts' illustrations can be found in Snug as a Hug.

15. The purpose of the passage is to

A. introduce several writers of children's books   

B. advise parents how to choose books for children

C. advertise several children's books        

D. show what books children like

The jobs of the future have not yet been invented.   16   . By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

Curiosity

    Your children need to be deeply curious.   17   . Ask kids, “What ingredients (配料)can we add to make these pancakes even better next time ?” and then try them out. Ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time?

Creativity

    True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new   18   . There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

Personal skills

    Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what’s going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kid from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions.   19   . “Why do you think she’s crying?” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face?” “If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?”

Self Expression

        20   there are many ways to express thoughts and ideas –music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A. So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist?

B. And we can’t forget science education.

C. Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill.

D. Encourage kids to cook with you.

E. Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill.

F. We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories.

G. We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways.