Passage 1
When I think of the post office, I’m reminded of that awful little man who is in charge of the parking lot. He won’t let me leave my car there even for a moment, unless I park exactly as he wishes. And he’s very difficult to please! I hear that soon my local post office will arrange a program to have stamps sent to homes, so that I won’t have to visit the post office to buy stamps when I need them. What’s more, the post office will soon install a drive- through letterbox. That way, I will hardly have to stop my car to drop off mail. So with all these new and modern postal conveniences, I won’t have to deal with that rude little parking lot officer. I just hope I never see his face on a postage stamp!
(A)1. What is that awful little man?
A. He is the person who minds the cars in the parking lot.
B. He is the person who always parks his car there.
C. He is the author’s friend.
D. He is a clerk in the post office.
(A)2. What kind of new program of service will NOT the local post office offer?
A. To offer free car parking. 
B. To send stamps to the buyer’s homes.
C. To install a drive-through letterbox.     
D. To provide customers more conveniences.
(B)3. The little man does not let the author park his car unless______.
A. the author gives him some money.
B. the author parks his car exactly as he the man wishes.
C. the author goes in to the office to buy some stamps.
D. the author parks his car there only for a moment.
(D)4. Why does the author no longer need to deal with the little parking lot officer?
A. He needn’t buy stamps at all.
B. The parking lot officer will not be there because he has been sent somewhere else.
C. He has sold his car and has no car to park at all.
D. He can depend on the new and modern postal conveniences.
(D)5. From the passage, we can conclude that the parking lot officer is ______.
A. rather friendly    B. very attractive 
C. a little polite    D. too strict with car drivers
Passage 2
People in the United States like to entertain people at home. They invite friends for a meal, a party or even a cup of tea. Sometimes, however, people use expressions that sound like
an invitation, but actually are not. For example, “Please come over for a drink sometime.” In fact, it is only just a polite way of ending a conversation. It is not a real invitation, because it does not contain a specific time or date. It just shows that the person who is speaking is friendly. So when you hear what sounds like an invitation, listen carefully.
When you accept or reject an invitation, it is polite to show pleasure at receiving the invitation. When you cannot accept the invitation, it is better to offer a vague excuse, such as an appointment with a certain friend, some other work to do or a prior engagement.
(A)6. People in the U. S. love to entertain people ______.
A. at home  B. at a snack bar  C. in a hotel    D. in a restaurant
(B)7. A real invitation must include ______.
A. a name list of all the guests  B. a specific time or date
C. a menu for the dinner      D. what kind of dress you should wear
(B)8. What does the speaker mean by saying “Please come over for a drink sometime."?
A. to invite  B. to show politeness  C. to entertain  D. to accept
(D)9. It’s normal to show ______ when you decline an invitation.
A. disagreement    B. disbelief 
C. discouragement  D. disappointment
(A)10. An expression sounding like an invitation is often used because it’s a good way of     .
A. ending a conversation  B. showing friendship 
C. being hospitable      D. being friendly
Passage 3
Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goe
kidnapping an heiresss shopping because he needs something. His purpose is settled and decided in advance. He knows what he wants, and his aim is to find it and buy it; the price is a secondary consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. The job can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any small talk to everyone’s satisfaction.
    Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? In almost every respect she does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on need. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only “having a look round”. She will try on any number of things. The most important thing in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always ready for the unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one shelf to another, before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It is a long and hard job, but obviously one to be enjoyed. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.