1 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Exploring the Appeal of Vintage

Today, the term “vintage” applies to almost everything. Vintage is more recent than an antique (古董) which is defined as 100 years old or more. It basically means reviving something old-fashioned or filled with memories. For an object to be considered vintage, it must be unique and genuine enough to retain at least some of its original charm.

We buy vintage because it creates a sense of personal connection for us: it speaks to our childhood memories and that feels good. We also buy vintage because we’re rebels. Vintage is a protest against modern mainstream culture. In an age of technology, buying vintage is a refuge from our fast-paced, high-tech world. We want our children to make the most of their creativity and know how to entertain themselves without electronic gadgets. Ironically, early video games are now considered vintage.

Of all the vintage objects, vintage toys are forever attractive for both adults and children. Although some toys have emotional value, others have high market value and are expensive to collect. Vintage toys that were made in small quantities often bring a higher value than those that were mass produced. That means, if you own one of the 2,000 “Peanuts” royal blue beanie baby elephants that were manufactured with a darker blue coat than originally intended, you might have something valuable on your hands. In fact, due to a manufacturer error, this is the most collectible beanie baby around — and worth about £3,000.

If you’re motivated and feeling lucky, you can find deals on vintage toys by browsing charity shops, secondhand stores, community centers, flea markets and garage sales. You never know what kind of treasures are hiding at the bottom of a mixed box in someone’s basement, garage or attic.

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2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are the two speakers talking about?

A．Buying holiday presents.

B．Making a Christmas plan.

C．Sharing opinions on friendship.

2. What does the woman always give to her friends?

A．Fruit.

B．Coffee.

C．Chocolate.

3. What does the woman say about Mary?

A．She prefers fruit to coffee.

B．She is trying to lose weight.

C．She usually goes abroad during holidays.

4. How does the woman feel about Tim’s suggestion?

A．Doubtful.

B．Satisfied.

C．Surprised.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How does Andrew find self-service supermarkets?

A．Unsafe.

B．Convenient.

C．Time-consuming.

2. What is the woman’s unsatisfied with?

A．The poor products.

B．The rude salesperson.

C．The troublesome process.

3. Where does the woman prefer to buy water?

A．In a supermarket.

B．In a self-service store.

C．In a convenience store.

4 . A growing number of under-35s in England are discovering the joys of going to or selling at craft (手艺) fairs and makers’ markets. A 2019 report found that 34% of those who buy hand-made items prefer markets and festival s to galleries or online purchases. The current craft revival (复苏) started through TV and the internet, but now it’s also about face-to-face sales and experiences. When product designer Ben Watson went to his first-ever craft fair in October, he didn’t have great expectations. “I thought there would be retirement-age couples hanging around but found the huge variety of attendees, most of whom engaged with makers throughout the day,” he says.

Nicky Dewar, director at the Crafts Council, says that what we consider as craft has widened, which has brought in an increase in shoppers under 35 buying craft. They also prefer to buy in markets rather than online. There’s something lovely about seeing markets pop up in so many different spaces. They’re important for emerging businesses and a big step for traders.

Sinead Koehler, founder of Crafty Fox Market, says there’s been an explosion of specialist markets all over the country. The festive market provides a platform to showcase unique handcrafted gifts and decorations. The common spread of markets doesn’t find universal approval, though. Koehler says that many craftspeople are aware of markets: “There can be a wide range of possibilities at these events. Quality can vary.”

Involved in selling and running markets since 2015, Sinead O’Connor confirms there has been an increased interest in craft, but she warns traders against selling items that are sourced rather than made by the seller at markets. “I find it encouraging that a lot of customers mentioned they liked my crafts. The feeling I get is that people really like something that can’t be bought from Amazon,” she says.

1. What did the 2019 report find about one-third of craft buyers?

A．They turn online for a good deal.	B．They use sources from television.
C．They favor face-to-face purchases.	D．They show less interest in crafts.

2. What are craftspeople worried about according to Sinead Koehler?

A．People don’t have a correct understanding of craft.

B．The qualities of the items in the markets differ a lot.

C．There’s a lack of well qualified crafts in the markets.

D．The online craft businesses are a threat to galleries.

3. Why does Sinead O’Connor feel encouraged?

A．Many consumers appreciate her items.	B．She’s careful about the items sold.
C．She enjoy s a boom in business.	D．Her customers are critical.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Online Purchase Becomes Outdated	B．Buyers Create Interest in Making Craft
C．Shopping in Stores Is Making a Return	D．The Magic of Hand-Made Craft Is Back

5 . Why does the woman prefer to buy clothes on the website?

A．It offers the latest style.

B．Orders always arrive quickly.

C．The discounts are excellent.

6 . Chinese buyers used to prize foreign brands, thinking that products made by American or European companies are of higher quality (质量) than Chinese ones. Increasingly, that’s no longer the case.

Chinese people born before 1985 generally think that foreign brands are better than Chinese ones, billionaire William Li told Business Insider during a recent interview on CCTV 9. But for those who were born after 1985, it is a different picture.

“When I first went to the United Kingdom in 1997, I thought that the difference between China and Europe was quite big,” Li said. “But for those born in the 1990s, when they visit Europe or the US, they do not think there is a big difference.”

The change in thinking among Chinese buyers is showing up in many markets in China where western companies used to control. A study by Credit Suisse published in March found that young Chinese buyers are increasingly showing a “home brand bias”.

More than 90% of young Chinese buyers would prefer to buy home appliance brands, according to the study. Meanwhile, home companies producing food, drinks, or personal care products increased their share of the market by 3.3% over the last ten years to nearly 70%.

“Chinese buyers, especially the younger ones, don’t just believe that foreign brands are better. Right now, Chinese buyers think China is good and ‘Made in China’ is not bad at all,” Charlie Chen, head of China buyer research at Credit Suisse, told South China Morning Post in March.

The Chinese smartphone market is controlled by home companies- Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Apple is the only foreign brand in the top five, but it has lost large ground to the home brands in recent years. Its market share is believed to be down to 37% from a 2015 high of 54%.

1. What is this passage mainly about?

A．The quality of “Made in China”.

B．The change in Chinese buyers’ thinking.

C．Chinese products in the eye of foreigners.

D．The difference between older and younger Chinese buyers.

2. Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．More and more foreigners go to buy Chinese products.

B．Foreign products are more expensive than Chinese ones.

C．More and more Chinese buyers prefer Chinese products.

D．Older Chinese people don’t like foreign products any more.

3. Which fact best explains “home brand bias”?

A．Apple had a market share of 54% in 2015.

B．More than 90% of young Chinese buyers prefer home brands.

C．Chinese people born before 1985 think that foreign brands are better.

D．William Li found a big difference between China and Europe in 1997.

4. Who did most of the research for this report?

A．Credit Suisse.

B．CCTV 9.

C．South China Morning Post.

D．Business Insider.

5. What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Chinese products get more popular at home

B．Young Chinese are crazy for foreign brands

C．Made in China is welcomed all over the world

D．Apple has lost large ground to Huawei in China

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did Xiao save money?

A．By buying no clothes.

B．By sharing food with friends.

C．By buying second-hand houses.

2. When did Xiao buy her first house?

A．At the age of 18.

B．At the age of 27.

C．At the age of 33.

8 . The term “oniomania”, which is used to describe people with obsessive (强迫性的), problematic shopping and spending behaviors, consists of the Greek words “onios”, meaning “for sale”, and “mania”. Also known as Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) and Impulsive Compulsive Buying Disorder (ICBD), oniomania can leave negative impact on your financial health and mental wellbeing if left untreated.

At this point you might be wondering: “What’s the difference between an oniomaniac and someone who likes to shop perhaps a bit too much?” We tend to believe that the two are rather similar. Clinically (从临床上看), however, they are quite easy to separate.

Although people who like shopping will return an item if they do not like it and start budgeting if they run low on money, people suffering from oniomania are no longer able to make reasonable, let alone financially responsible, decisions. They sometimes emotionally dissociate from what they are doing, making their purchases while they are not really sure what to buy. Spending relieves feelings of anxiety and depression, but only temporarily. In a short time, they might become moody, annoyed, and depressed, and their confidence declines sharply.

To a certain extent, spending makes everyone feel good. In 2007, a group of researchers from MIT, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon looked at the brains of American consumers via MRI technology and found that when they purchased desirable objects, their nucleus accumbens — the brain’s pleasure center — would light up, indicating a positive stimulation. This stimulation can take on different forms. For instance, some people get particularly excited when they believe they have gotten a good deal. This, researchers say, is the result of the prefrontal cortex — the decision-making part of our brain — interacting with the insula, the part of our brain that processes pain. According to psychotherapist Joyce Marter, compulsive buyers in the U. S. make an average of 156 impulsive purchases per year. Each purchase sets them back around $81. 75, making for a grand total of $5, 400 per year and a thorough shocking $324, 000 per lifetime. That money could have been invested in a home, an education, or other products that you actually need in order to survive and thrive in the world. Ultimately, though, treating oniomania is about much more than just protecting your finances from your own impulses — it’s also about maintaining your personal mental health and improving your relationships with others.

1. What do we know about oniomania?

A．It is a normal behavior.

B．It influences people’s health.

C．It means people who like shopping.

D．It describes people’s difference.

2. What does the underlined phrase “run low on” probably mean?

A．Run out of

B．Go short of

C．Look down on

D．Become rich in

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Why many researchers take part in the study.

B．How everyone makes a wise decision.

C．How desirable objects are well welcome.

D．Why shopping makes common people happy.

4. What is the benefit of treating oniomania?

A．It is beneficial to education.

B．It develops our desires.

C．It keeps our mind healthy.

D．It is harmful to relationships.

9 . 听下面一段长对话，回答小题。
1. Why does the woman’s mother like going to the corner shop?

A．She is familiar with the shop owner.

B．There are more goods there.

C．Prices of the goods are lower.

2. Where is the new supermarket?

A．On Peace Road.

B．On Sunset Street.

C．On Guanghua Road.

3. What does the man think of online shopping?

A．Convenient.

B．Unsafe.

C．Cheap.

4. What is the woman’s payment method now?

A．Bank card.

B．Cash on delivery.

C．Cheque.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

On my way home from work yesterday, I     1     (stop) off at a local supermarket. Among other things, I wanted to buy a couple of     2     (coconut). When I picked them up, I was     3     (amaze) that each coconut was wrapped in clear, thin plastic. Supermarkets want to make sure that coconuts reach the consumer in the     4     (good) condition. The packaging helps to keep the product fresh; it means the product will last longer.

I understand that, but in this case it’s     5     (complete) wasteful and unnecessary. It already has its own     6     (nature) packaging. It’s got a tough shell that’s almost impossible to break!

I really believe we should do away with packaging completely. There is     7     supermarket in Germany that has no product packaging at all. Its customers take refillable containers with them when     8     (shop), and use them instead of plastic boxes and bags.