For shopoholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thing ---- sales! Across the country, prices are reducing sharply on clothing, electronics and home furniture, but London is the place for serious shopping, and you can certainly pick up some amazing bargains. The sales start on Boxing Day -- 26th December, and continue for the month of January, but the keenest bargain hunters get there early to be first through the doors. In Oxford Street queues formed outside shops ahead of before-dawn openings for the start of their sales. At Brent Cross, in north London, more than 1,000 people were queuing at 3.30 am for the 'Next' clothing store's sale which began at 4 am. Some eager individuals even camped outside the shops to be first in the line. Consumers who _ were rewarded with discounts of as much as 80% as department stores joined the bargain sales. The shops are very crowded as the sales reached the boiling-point, with more than half a million people gathering on London's West End. Famous sales include the biggest, most popular shops such as Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty and John Lewis. Department stores are always a good bet -- you're likely to find everything you need under one roof, including much-needed food and drinks! It's a good time to stock up on cheap small tools, and there's no better time to invest in some designer clothes. Some people are taking their partners shopping with them, and buying their Christmas presents in the sale----a practical but unromantic way of making sure you get the gift you really want. For a less exciting but less stressful shopping experience, online sellers are also getting in on the act with January sales of their own. The most organized of all are those who are already doing their present shopping for next Christmas, in the January sales! In the sales, people can buy, at a very low price, all of the following except   _  . A) fashionable clothing B) bestseller C) TV sets D) bookcases
B

John Blanchard was studying the crowd making their way through the station. He was looking for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn' t, the girl with the rose. When reading a book in a Florida library a year before, John became interested not in the contents of the book, but in the notes penciled in the margin  . The handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and beautiful mind. He discovered the former owner' s name in the front of the book: Miss Hollis Maynell. He located her address and wrote a letter introducing himself. The next day he was shipped overseas to serve in the army. During the next year, they grew to know each other through the mail and their friendship developed. John requested a photograph, but she refused, saying if he really cared, it wouldn' t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return home, their first meeting was suggested--7:00 pm. at the Grand Central Station in New York. She wrote," You' ll recognize me by the red rose I wear on my coat. "So now John was in the station to meet the girl with a rose. As a pretty and slim girl in green came over, John noticed her blue eyes like flowers in spring. He walked directly towards her , entirely forgetting she was not wearing a rose. As John came closer to her, he saw another woman with a red rose stood nearby. Well past 40, this woman had graying hair done under a worn hat. Seeing the girl in green walk quickly away, John felt as if he were split  in two. He desired to follow that girl, but longed for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and supported him. The woman looked gentle and sensible. John went to her, saying, "1' m Captain John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I am glad to meet you here. May I take you to dinner?" She replied with a smile, I don' t know what this is about. But the lady in green who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if you asked me out to dinner, l' d tell you she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it... What happened to John after getting in touch with Miss Hollis Maynell? A) He began to serve the army abroad. B) He was seriously wounded in the war. C) He went on a business tour in Europe. D) He asked Miss Maynell for a photo.
A

One night Mrs. Riley, an elderly woman, was walking along a dark prefix = st1 /Londonstreet. She was carrying her handbag in one hand and a plastic carrier bag in the other. There was nobody else in the street except two young men. They were standing in a dark shop doorway. One of them was very tall with fair hair, the other was short and fat with a beard. The two young men waited for a few moments, and then ran quickly and quietly towards Mrs. Riley. The tall one held her from behind while the other one tried to seize her handbag. Suddenly Mrs. Riley threw the tall one over her shoulder. He crashed into the other one and they both landed on the ground. Without speaking, Mrs. Riley struck both of them on the head with her handbag and walked calmly away. The two surprised young men were still sitting on the ground when Mrs. Riley crossed the street towards a door with a lighted sign above it. Mrs. Riley paused, turned round, smiled at them and walked into the South West London Judo   Club. The two young men were standing in a dark shop doorway because_. A) they had nothing to do B) they were homeless C) they were waiting for a victim D) they were guarding the shop

C