A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget   may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France. French holiday shoppers are choosing larger numbers for "green" gifting this Christmas, studies show. About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte. The survey of Christmas consumer behaviors in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items. Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are popular in France, with many reporting a rise in business. "Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago," said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism. His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 a month. A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea. But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, said that environmental concerns are not why customers buy used goods. "The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price," said Goldenberg. "Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more." Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are fashionable, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff. "The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting" over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the... According to Goldenberg, the main reason for customers to buy used goods is that   _  . A) they want to be eco-friendly B) they want to save money C) it is encouraged by websites D) it is a new fashion in Europe
B


(Question)
If you wish to become a better reader, here are four important things to remember about reading _ : * Knowing why you are reading or what you are reading to find out will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or slowly. * Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are directions for making or doing something, arithmetic  problems, science and history books, which are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each important ideas. * Some things should be read rapidly throughout. Examples are  simple stories meant for enjoyment, news letters from friends, pieces of news from local, or home-town, papers, telling what is happening to friends and neighbors. * In some of your reading, you must change your speed from fast to slow and slow to fast, as you go along. You will need to read certain pages rapidly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas which must be remembered. Which should be read slowly according to the passage? A) Stories for enjoyment B) Arithmetic problems C) Letters from friends D) News from hometown newspapers
(Answer)
B


Ques: Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when she went to pick up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week.Anderson saw the nickelgray Toyota Camry and used her daughter's key to unlock the car,start the engine and drive home. When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later,he found only an empty parking spot.He first assumed the car had been towed,but when the police couldn't find a record of it,they took a theft report. The morning after Anderson took back the car,her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers.She found Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and looked up his phone number on the Website for the university. When she told Vansant the car was in her driveway,"It sounded real fishy at first,like maybe she wanted to hold the thing for ransom,"Vansant said! He eventually went to the house with a police officer,where he was reunited with his car.According to a police report,the case was closed "because of the mistaken car identity."Anderson wasn't charged. Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief"."Her key fit not only my lock,but my ignition as well--so highfive for Toyota,I guess,"he said. Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said  key technology wasn't as sophisticated as two decades ago,and there were so many ways to cut a key,making it possible for such a mixup to occur.He said the company now has a microchip embedded in the keys for 90 percent of its vehicles that allows them to start only with the correct key. Who should be responsible for the accident?---- A) Toyota Camry. B) Charlie Vansant. C) Toyota Company. D) The police.
Ans: C


Ques: Soccer star David Beckham will be there with his pop star wife Victoria. Elton John is attending with partner David Furnish. The guest list for the April 29 union of Prince William and Kate Middleton is still being kept secret, but details have begun to leak out, with some coming forward to say they are attending and the Mail on Sunday newspaper claiming to have  the  official  invitation  roster  . The palace dismissed the newspaper's list as speculation   Sunday. It won't be clear until the day how the royal couple has balanced the protocol demands   that they invite statesmen, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians and the like with invitations to the people they really want to see, particularly the crowd they made friends with when they met and fell in love at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Kate Reardon, editor of high-society magazine Tatler, said many  _ Britons acted as if they didn't really care about receiving an invitation while secretly checking the mail every day to see if the invitation had arrived. "Everyone's been hoping," she said. William and Middleton have showed their modern side by inviting a number of close friends, including some former sweethearts, the newspaper said. The wedding is not technically a state event, which somewhat limits the protocol requirements applied to the guest list. But royal obligations   still order that a large number of the 1,900 or so seats go to guests from the world of politics, not actual friends of the couple. The couple have also invited many guests from the charities they work with, and Middleton has used her influence to invite the butcher, shopkeeper and pub owner from her home village of Bucklebury. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were not invited and many other international leaders are also expected to be watching on TV, not from a seat at Westminster Abbey. It is not clear if treasured Brits from the world of stage and screen and pop music will be on the list. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A) The guest list for the wedding is officially announced. B) The wedding is technically a state event. C) Only the actual friends of the couple will be invited to the wedding. D) A large number of guests from the world of politics will be invited.
Ans:
D