As prices and building costs keep rising, the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) trend in the US continues to grow.

“we needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross, “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.

Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe-making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $520. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I have finished a car repair course. I should be able to fix the car by myself.”

John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-youselfer”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.

 

1.We can learn from the text that many newly married people_______.

  A. find it hard to pay for what they need

B. have to learn to make their own furniture

C. take DIY courses run by the government

D. seldom go to a department store to buy things

2. John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to ______.

  A. run a DIY shop                 B. make or repair things

C. save time and money            D. improve the quality of life

3. Jim decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when______

  A. his car repairs cost too much 

B. the car repair class was not helpful

C. he could not possibly do two jobs

D. keeps house and looks after his children

 

 

As prices and building costs keep rising, the “do-it-yourself”（DIY）trend in the US continues to grow.
“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross, “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Roses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $520. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I have finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
【小題1】We can learn from the text that many newly married people__________.

A．find it hard to pay for what they need

B．have to learn to make their own furniture

C．take DIY courses run by the government

D．seldom go to a department store to buy things

【小題2】John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to __________.

A．run a DIY shop	B．make or repair things
C．save time and money	D．improve the quality of life

【小題3】 Jim decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when__________

A．his car repairs cost too much	B．the car repair class was not helpful
C．He couldn’t possibly do two jobs	D．keeps house and looks after his children

【小題4】 When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim_________.

A．makes shoes in his home	B．does extra work at night
C．does his own car and home repairs	D．keeps house and looks after his children

The college entrance exam is not only a big challenge (挑戰(zhàn)) for Chinese high school students, but also a very important exam in the lives of South Korean students.

Although the long, cold winter has already started in South Korea, the annual (一年一度的) national exams have made the atmosphere very heated.

More than 675,000 South Korean high school graduates took the college entrance exam last Wednesday. They usually take exams in Korean, maths, sociology (社會學(xué)), history and foreign languages.

Officially there is one college place for every 1.33 students. But because all the students want to go to the top universities in the country, the competition can reach one place for 10 students. The students want to attend these colleges for both their famous names and better job opportunities.

Because students face fierce competition, they have to study very hard to realize their dreams. Park Seung said he and his classmates often go to school before 7:30 a.m. After school has finished at 6:30 p.m., most of them go to the library to continue their study instead of returning home. Since many libraries in South Korea are open 24 hours a day, they often stay long into the night. Many of the Senior 3 students only sleep for three to four hours a day. “I feel a lot of pressure, but I have to study very hard in order to make my dream come true. This is my lifetime goal and it will be a turning point in my life which could decide my future,” Park said.

The exam day is a very serious day for the whole of South Korea. Vehicles are not allowed within a 200-metre radius (范圍) of all the test sites to make sure the students have quiet surroundings. Tooting (吹奏) of horns is forbidden, even airplanes are ordered to avoid landing and take-off near the test sites during listening comprehension test hours.

Students are told their scores in December before they apply for college. This is followed by face-to-face oral tests. There are public and private universities in South Korea. Many private universities are well-known, but their fees can be 18, 000 yuan each term. This has made a lot of students think again.

1.What do we know about South Korean annual national exams?

A．Senior 3 students have to compete fiercely because there is only one place for 10 students.

B．Senior 3 students have to stay long into night at school.

C．Many of the Senior 3 students can’t have enough sleep.

D．Airplanes are ordered to avoid landing and take-off during national exams.

2.We can infer that there are almost ________ college places for high school graduates.

A．675, 000

B．507, 520

C．500, 000

D．600, 000

3.The students want to study in top colleges mainly because ________.

A．they can succeed more easily in future	B．they can learn more
C．they can make more money	D．it is interesting to study there

4. Before students are allowed to colleges ________.

A．they will be interviewed	B．they will ask questions of colleges
C．they will not be tested any more	D．first they will pay all the education fee at all

 

As prices and building costs keep rising, the “do-it-yourself”（DIY）trend in the US continues to grow.

“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross, “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Roses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.

Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $520. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I have finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”

John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.

1.We can learn from the text that many newly married people__________.

A. find it hard to pay for what they need

B. have to learn to make their own furniture

C. take DIY courses run by the government

D. seldom go to a department store to buy things

2.John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to __________.

A. run a DIY shop                         B. make or repair things

C. save time and money                   D. improve the quality of life

3. Jim decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when__________

A. his car repairs cost too much          B. the car repair class was not helpful

C. He couldn't possibly do two jobs    D. keeps house and looks after his children

4. When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim_________.

A. makes shoes in his home                   B. does extra work at night

   C. does his own car and home repairs   D. keeps house and looks after his children

 

 

How to Save on Sightseeing New York City Attractions

With so many unique attractions, world-famous museums, theaters, and skyscrapers there is always plenty to do in New York． However, sightseeing, in New York City might not be the easiest or the cheapest experience．

This is why our team of real, life-long New Yorkers has created the New York Pass． If you want to discover the best of what this amazing city offers while still saving some time and money on your visit, the New York Pass is something you should be interested in．

How You Benefit from The New York Pass?

Free entry to over 50 attractions – Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Museum of Modern Art, Madison Square Garden Tour,． NBC Studio Tours, New York Aquarium．& many others．

Free 140-page guidebook in English, German & Spanish, containing hours of operation, maps and directions to every tourist attraction , shop and restaurant．

Line skipping privileges（特權(quán)）－As a New York Pass holder you are entitled (享有權(quán)利)to fast track entry to the New York City ‘s busiest attractions．

Over 650 worth of entrance fees－that’s how much it would cost if you visited all the attractions that New York Pass grants entrance to –wihtout using the New York Pass． That doesn’t even include the additional discounts you receive for having a NY Pass．

100% Risk Free, Money Back Guarantee－New York Pass insurance gives you extra comfort in case your travel plans change, offering refund on non-used Passes．

Plese Note:

You can visit as many attractions as you want－even more with the time saved with fast track entry ． You don't need to carry too much cash and the New York Pass keeps control on your spending．

New York Pass Prices;

Offer Ends : Fri  13 Feb 2009

Product	Price
1 Day Adult Pass	$75
1 Day Child Pass	$55
2 Day Adult Pass	$110
2 Day Child Pass	$90
3 Day Adult Pass	$140   $112
3 Day Child Pass	$120   $96
7 Day Adult Pass	$180   $144
7 Day Child Pass	$140   $ 112

1．What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To attract tourists to New York．

B．To describe how to use the New York Pass．

C．To introduc the New York Pass．

D．To explain why the New York Pass is created

2．What benefit can you get from the New York Pass

A．You can change your travel plans as you like,

B．You can get the free guidebook in four languages．

C．You don’t have to carry cash with you

D．You can visit the Statue of Liberty for free．

3．Jack and his two kids will visit New York for three days in January in 2009,how much should he pay for the New York Pass?

A． 304         B． 380            C．420        D．520

4．If the Empire State Building is too crowded, you can         

A．get the refund from the New York Pass immediately

B．enter it before others by using the New York Pass

C．get more discounts and save more money

D．visit many other attractions as long as you want