21. Which of the following will be allowed for photography in the White House?

A. Camera phones. B. Four^inch lenses. C. Selfie sticks. D. iPads.

22. We can learn from the passage that_.

A. the photo ban in the White House annoyed visitors

B. the first lady plays a key role in changing the policy

C. visitors can take photos in the White House as they like

D. the sign torn apart by Michelle Obama read “NO PHOTOS”

23. Where can we most probably read the passage?

A. In a travel guide. B. In a government report.

C. In a newspaper. D. In a photography magazine.

B

Many people today do not enjoy grocery shopping, but the experience we have is still many times better than that of the past.

Gone are the days when consumers paid higher prices for the advantage of a painfully slow shopping experience. In addition to lower prices, supermarkets also offer shoppers added convenience and much quicker service.

In the old days, grocery shopping was quite a bit troublesome. Consumer-sized packages did not exist，so a clerk had to measure out the exact amount yoneeded for everything yobought. This system cost much labor and therefore was rather expensive. On top of that, the entire experience was extremely time-consuming as, much like buying meat at a butcher shop, the number of shoppers that a store could serve at the same time was limited by the size of its staff. The high labor costs and poor efficiency (效率)were quite a problem for both the industry and its public.

The supermarket is a large departmentalized retail store, offering “one-stop shop” convenience with housewares, magazines，beauty products, and much more in addition to the food items sold by traditional stores. Need soap to go with your newspaper and bread? The supermarket saves yotime by providing all three items under one roof. Along with added convenience comes added efficiency.

Shoppers can now fetch what they want from shelves instead of waiting for service. This in turn reduces the need for additional staff, helping owners to cut costs greatly and to pass the savings back to the consumer. In fact, supermarkets pass so much of the savings back that their margins are razor-thin — only 1 to 3 percent — so to make a profit, they must rely on extremely high turnover rates and keeping operating expenses low, for example, by not offering delivery for one. The result is a quick and painless shopping experience with very reasonable prices.

24. Which of the following is listed as a disadvantage of traditional grocery stores?

A. Fewer staff members. B. Less shopping time.

C. Smaller trading profits. D. Higher operating costs.

25. The underlined word “margins” means_.

A. savings B. prices C. profits D. expenses

26. Supermarkets don’t offer delivery for one because_.

A. they want to keep costs down B. it isn’t a good way to attract consumers

C. there is no demand for such a service D. it’s the major cause of low efficiency

27. The passage mainly aims to_•

A. introduce the origin of the supermarket

B. discuss the disadvantages of traditional grocery stores

C. explain why the general public hate grocery shopping

D. outline the advantages of supermarkets over traditional groceries

C

It was days or even weeks since I had been left on the island. My only companion was a dog called Philly which had survived the shipwreck. Memories of what happened were still fresh.

The magnificence of the ship had given us all a false sense of security. As the first signs of the storm started, our captain announced it，s nothing much, just another storm. Yet, he was wrong! The storm hit the ship so badly that large holes were made at the sides of the ship. As the freezing water started rushing in, our ship was consumed quickly by the dark water.

My train of thought was disturbed by Philly licking my hand dearly. Are yohungry? I spoke my first words ever since the shipwreck occurred. Woof, woof! Barked Philly enthusiastically. At this moment, my stomach gave a loud growl, too. I could not remember when my last meal was, probably a ten-course dinner on the ship. As I had never fished before, I thought maybe 1 could try something simpler, like picking fruits. With Philly at my side, armed with a sharp branch, we walked into the forest on the island together. Suddenly I thought I heard noises. Could there be anyone else on this island? I wondered. As we were looking for fruit trees，we chanced upon one that bore yellow, juicy-looking fruit. Philly started barking—we had company. It was a dark-skinned woman, holding a sharp spear, dressed in fur and grass. I backed away from her, afraid that she would be aggressive. Then, I saw that she was trying to save us. Pointing her spear at the fruit tree, she shook her head strongly.

I nodded at her to show I understood what she was saying. Signaling to us to follow her，she turned to walk along a small path that I had never noticed. At the end of the small path, there was a small village. Tears of joy filled my eyes.

28. What happened to the ship the writer had been on?

A. It was frozen in the sea.

B. It was turned over by the storm.

C. It was deserted because it was insecure.

D. It sank due to the damage caused by the storm.

29. According to the passage, which of the following can best describe Philly?