【推荐1】Signing up for a digital TV service provides you with access to over 200 channels from all over the globe. However, television today is dominated by adult language, making it hard for concerned families to find channels suitable for young eyes. Therefore, most movie channels are automatically removed form the list of TV channels for an entire family. The following are some good ones based on popularity on a global scale.
Discovery Channel
Discovery and its many channels can be considered as the founding father of informative channels on television. What National Geographic does in a scholastic(学术的) manner, Discovery tries to do in an entertaining manner—educating the masses about anything and everything.
Fox Family
Finding a movie channel that broadcasts pictures suitable for teenagers and kids alike is very difficult unless your service operator offers you Fox family movies. This channel screens most movies before it broadcasts them, ensuring that no movie shows unacceptable material for young eyes.
Nickelodeon
A channel very similar to Cartoon Network, it mostly shows US programs. However, their shows are sometimes a bit more mature for younger kids and better suited to kids aged 5 and up.
ABC Family
ABC started the ABC family channel in an attempt to introduce family-centered shows and serials to the public in the USA. The need for this channel was felt after ABC observed the lack of proper family type US channels.
Living
If travelling is a family hobby and better living is the motto then there is no better channel than Living. Kids can see never-seen-before sights, learning about new places while adults can practice their cooking and learn amazing things about motorbikes.
1. According to the text, most channels offered by a digital TV service ________.

A．can keep people away from TV violence

B．are welcomed by families with small children

C．are concerned about the proper use of language

D．are unsuitable for the whole family to watch together

2. Which of the following can best describe Discovery Channel?

A．Relaxing.

B．Touching.

C．Commercial.

D．Professional.

3. If people want to know about what a traditional family is like, they can choose ________.

A．Fox Family

B．Nickelodeon

C．ABC Family

D．Living

【推荐2】Everyone could feel a sudden impulse(冲动) and buy something unnecessary. Then how to avoid it? The best way is to just keep your hands away from tempting products. According to new research, individuals who touch possible items in stores are more likely to have an increased desire to purchase them than those who keep their hand off the products.

Suzanne Shu and Joann Peck, marketing professors at the University of Wisconsin’s business school conducted studies on the connection between touch and feelings of ownership and the effect of perceived(感觉)ownership on the value placed on an object. For one of the experiments, the experts placed two products, a Slinky toy and a coffee mug in front of the volunteers who were undergraduate students. About half of the participants were allowed to touch the products, while the other half were asked not to touch them. The volunteers then were asked to express their sense of ownership of the products and to report how much money they were willing to pay for each. The results showed that those students who were allowed to touch the objects reported significant increased level of perceived ownership. They also expressed a desire to pay more money to obtain the products.

The investigators also discovered that a sense of very pleasant feelings when touching products, determined how much money consumers were willing to pay. However, if the object did not feel pleasant to the touch, it significantly decreased the amount the buyers were willing to pay.

Researchers said that many stores have already followed the right path. But what can be done while shopping online, when touching of an item is not possible? In this case, the experts say, just picturing in mind that they are touching it and then owning it, will cause greater feelings of ownership, and thus the consumers will be more likely to make a purchase.

When you touch an object, you immediately feel some kind of a connection to it, according to the researchers. That connection stirs up(唤起) an emotional reaction. And that emotion can make people buy something they would never even consider buying if they had not touched it.

1. How does the author develop the text?

A．By providing typical examples.

B．By drawing a conclusion through research.

C．By comparing opinions from different fields.

D．By presenting a cause and analyzing its effects.

2. Which of the following was found in the research?

A．Touching a product affects the customer’s feelings of desire for it.

B．If you are not to spend money, it’s less possible for you to touch the product.

C．The longer you touch the goods, the more desire you have to own them.

D．Shoppers cannot resist the temptation when they meet things they like.

3. What would happen to them when people do online shopping?

A．They immediately feel a connection to it.

B．They will particularly want to touch the products advertised on the Internet.

C．They desire to possess it and do not care how much money they would pay.

D．People’s imaginable ownership led to a greater possibility of purchasing products.

4. What led the researchers to conduct this study?

A．To figure out the connection between touch and feelings of ownership.

B．To satisfy customers’ social needs when shopping.

C．To share the good ideas about avoid impulsive consumption.

D．To develop marketing strategies for trade companies.

【推荐3】Simple facts about the British currency

The British currency has two units—the pound and the penny. 100 pennies make £1.

Currency paper notes are   £5，£ 10，£ 20 and £ 50. The different notes are quite similar in size and appearance，so be careful! £50 notes are not common，and many shops will not accept them, because of the danger of false money.

Coins are £2. £1.50p. 20p. 10p. 5p. 2p and 1p.

In Scotland. Scottish banks issue their own bank notes of various values. British and Scottish notes and coins are interchangeable. However, you might find some unwillingness in the South of England to accept Scottish notes even though areas near Scotland will happily accept them. We therefore recommend that you exchange or spend any Scottish currency before leaving Scotland.

In conversation and shops, people often do not say "pounds". Something which costs £ 6.50 would usually be described as "six fifty". For things which cost less than one pound, people may say "pence", but often they say "pee", meaning "p". For instance. "That is ninety-nine pee". The larger coins will often be called, for example, "a fifty pee", or "a fifty pee piece".

Best ways of obtaining British money

You can change cash and traveller's cheques at British Banks, building societies (these are similar to banks). larger Post Offices, larger Travel Agents, some larger Tourist Information Centres. American Express, and Bureaux de Change.

Be careful, as some cost more than others! You will probably pay much more at Bureaux de Change at airports and in the centre of London.

Banks, building societies and travel agents will usually charge a fixed percentage fee, about 3%, with a minimum of fee of £2.50. Or it might be 2%, with a minimum fee of £3. Some, such as the Halifax Building Society, may charge a £2 handing charge, plus 1% fee. It is worth looking around. Larger post offices charge only a 1% fee, minimum £2.50, so they can be a good place to go.

1. What notes should you avoid while exchanging for British money?

A．£5 notes.	B．£10 notes.
C．£20 notes.	D．£50 notes.

2. How much is "eight thirty" in purchase?

A．£83.

B．£8.30.

C．83p.

D．8.30p.

3. Where can you probably get the most value of your money when changing for British currency?

A．British Banks.	B．Building Societies.
C．Larger Travel Agents.	D．Larger Post Offices.

【推荐2】The Festival of Cultures
August 11 – 14
City Park
The Festival of Cultures is an annual event to celebrate the wide range of cultures found in our great state. People representing 40 cultural groups will share their traditions and customs. Here are just a few of the festival's many activities.
Crafts: See the fine art of basket weaving from Vietnam and Zimbabewe. Watch the delicate art of making paper umbrellas from Thailand and the decorative craft of paper picado, or paper cutting, from Mexico. All craft demonstrations provide a firsthand view of how things are made. You will appreciate the process involved in making these products.
Music and Dance: Experience musical instruments that you have never heard before. Listen to the music of a sho from Japan, a bull-roarer from Australia, a sitar from India, and a chakay from Tailand. You will also be entertained by folk dances from around the world, such as the troika from Russia and the mayim mayim from Israel. From 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. on August 14, special folk-dancing classes for children will be offered. Children ranging in age from 6 – 8 can learn the kinderpolka from Germany. Children ranging in age from 9 – 12 can learn the raspa from Mexico.
Storytelling: Listen for hours as professional storytellers charm you with captivating tales. Fables, folktales, and ballads from various countries will be told. By popular demand, Gwendolyn Washington, a famous African American storyteller, is back.
Food: Enjoy______ foods from other countries, such as gyros from Greece, seafood paella from Spain, crepes from France, and tandoori chicken from India. These tasty dishes will be difficult to pass up.

The festival of Cultures is sponsored by the World Marketplace. For more information about the festival, call (800) 555 – 0199.
1. In the festival, you are most likely to see the art of making _______.

A．paper.	B．umbrellas.
C．bamboo beds.	D．flower vases.

2. Which of these is a dance from Germany?

A．The troika.	B．The raspa.
C．The kinderpolka.	D．The mayim mayim

3. The underlined word “irresistible” means ________.

A．in large quantities	B．with natural tastes
C．not able to be refused	D．hot but delicious

4. For a family with children aged 6—12, which day would be the best bargain for visiting the festival?

A．August 11	B．August 12
C．August 13	D．August 14

【推荐3】According to a sales report from askci.com on 2018’s Double Eleven, the national shopping day, women’s down garments(羽绒服)were among the top 10 hit products.     1    It seems the strong warmth provided by down garments has been nationally approved. Especially during a fiercely cold winter, when you tremble in the wind, who cares about being stylish?    2    As living standards rise, more expensive garments filled with goose down instead of duck down, have appeared in the market. Goose or duck?

    3    First, the down from mature geese is larger and thicker, which makes garments filled with goose down much warmer. Second, goose down is more flexible than that of ducks. The last difference is key for people sensitive to smells: Compared to duck down, goose down has no strange smell.     4    These are the advantages that account for the higher prices of garments made with goose down. However, duck down is still a good choice if you live in place where winter is windy, yet not that cold.

    5    

Although most down garments can make people look big and fat, you could choose longer ones for a slimming look. For colors, metallic colors are more stylish and pair more easily with other street-style outfits.

A．How to be stylish?

B．Ducks do not eat clean diet, which could give their feathers a strong smell.

C．Not everyone prefers wearing down garments.

D．Where to choose your down garment?

E．What’s the difference between the down from these two creatures?

F．They have been popular for many years in China.

G．All you need is warmth.

【推荐1】In ancient Greece，there were four major athletic meetings and the Olympian meeting played the most important part in the lives of the people.As time passed，the Olympian meeting gradually lost its local character and became first a national event and then international.No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go but some official records date from 776 BC.the Games took place every four years on the plain byMount Olympus.Thousands of people came from all parts of the Greek world to watch the games.The winner of the foot race had the great honor of giving his name to the year of his history.

After a long history of almost 1，200 years，the Games were stopped for religious（宗教的）reasons. It was then decided in 1896 to start the Olympic Games again. The meeting was held in Athens and 311 athletes from 13 countries took part in it but the idea of such an international meeting attracted the world's attention. After the 1908 London Olympics, many nations sent their best athletes. Although the Games have been time and again threatened by some unfavorable political events, the Games have taken place every four years.

Nowadays, the Games are held in different countries in turn. As the biggest international gathering of any kind in the world, athletes from different countries play games together and this provides them with good chances to learn to live together. The friendly feelings in the Olympic Village make people think of the world as one big family. The Olympic Games will be hosted in Beijing in 2008. It is believed that the Games will be a wonder of the world.

1. The first old Olympic Games took place______.

A．thousand years ago	B．in the seventh century AD
C．in modern times	D．before 700BC

2. The continuity of the Olympic Games was once broken because of_____.

A．religious reasons	B．wars
C．political events	D．Both A andB

3. The Olympic Games meeting finally formed______.

A．a local event	B．a national event
C．an international event	D．an official event

4. The friendly feelings between two countries are strengthened because______.

A．athletes come from different countries

B．they enable people to know each other better

C．athletes live in the Olympic village

D．they live in one big family

5. The author believes that the 2008 Olympic Games will be_______.

A．held as usual	B．held successfully
C．put off	D．stopped by some unfavorable events

【推荐2】The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors of the sport. As many as 6000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.

The Olympic Games always start in bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.

The runner with the Olympic torch then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath(誓言)on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.

The competition begins the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.

More and more women are taking part in the games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’s swimming events were introduced in 1912, but it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.

1. The spirit of the Olympics is to ________.

A．win a gold medal	B．be equal
C．gain glory	D．participate

2. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．the first team to march in the opening ceremony is the team of the host country

B．a sportsman represents all the athletes to take an oath after a wonderful display

C．medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams

D．women were allowed to take part in track and field events in 1912

3. Which of the following is NOT the Olympic event nowadays?

A．Tennis.

B．Shooting.

C．Riding.

D．Swimming.

4. Which is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Olympic Spirit.	B．Opening ceremony of the Olympics.
C．Rules for all Olympic events.	D．The birthplace of the Olympic Games.