Anne Nelson has no doubts when she's arguing with a salesman over the price of a car. She first checks car prices and does some research and then adopts a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. That helped her get 15 percent knocked off the price of a used BMW. But what about asking for a discount on vegetables at the grocery store? Or bargaining for a better rate for a hotel room? To some, maybe the very thought of doing these is terrifying. Bargaining was once considered an old art only done in old world markets. But, this ancient form is spreading rapidly in modern day America, experts say. This is thanks to a weakened economy, a decrease in consumer spending, and most of all, plenty of choices of products and sellers. Experts say that a growing number of people are starting to realize once again that a price tag is merely just a starting point for negotiations. "People want better deals. As economic times have got more difficult, they're no longer afraid to ask for _ , "says Britt Beemer, chairman of the Charleston, South Carolina travel information and planning office. Experts say that spend-thrift sensibility shouldn't be limited to big ticket items such as homes and cars. Rick Doble, editor of savvy-discounts.com, says he bargains over everything: hotel rooms, electronics, and even food. "Nine times out of 10, when you ask, you'll get a better deal, " Doble says. "Companies know they have to be prepared to offer the best deal these days, "says Steven Cohen, founder of the Negotiation Skills Co. in Massachusetts. "Because consumers have a huge amount of choice, bargaining is becoming more experienced and clever, especially over the Internet. " The most important reason why bargaining is popular in modern day America is that _ . A) the consumer earn less money than before B) the businessmen are not as honest as before C) there are plenty of choices of products and sellers D) the economic times have got more difficult
C
Backpacking in Europe is a wonderful experience for young people around the world.After high school or university,you can plan a European backpacking trip. Packing As you plan the things you will carry,bring warm clothes and a raincoat or umbrella to deal with changing weather in different European countries.Europeans like dressing nicely,and good clothes will make you feel less like a dusty backpacker.It is not worth taking the trouble to bring a hair dryer or shampoo,as you can buy basic necessities in Europe. Hostels The cheapest places to sleep when backpacking in Europe are hostels(where people can stay and eat fairly cheaply).Most hostels have a lot of information about low-cost ways to see local attractions,and many offer tours.The cost for hostel beds differs from country to country.In Paris,you might pay 30 euros,but in Bulgaria,you can get a bed for 10 euros.In general,hostels are more expensive in large,popular cities such as Paris,Rome and London. Many backpackers use rail passes ,which allow unlimited travel within country groups over a period of time.If you have the time to travel by train and will be traveling in a country group,this can be a good deal.Otherwise,you may consider point-to-point tickets,local trains,buses and airlines such as Ryanair,easyJet and Wizz Air,which offer cheap flights. Food Eating out in Europe can come with a high cost,and the best way to cut your food budget is to cook meals in the shared kitchens in hostels.You can make several meals into picnics to take advantage of Europe's parks.When shopping for your picnic,try and buy at a local market.You save some euros while supporting the local industry at the same time.When eating out,choose restaurants away from tourist attractions. Which of the following is an advantage of hostels? A) They are often built in popular cities. B) They are mainly open to young people. C) They usually provide tour information. D) They always ask the same price for their beds.
C
Q: Dear editor, I am writing to ask what has happened to our young people.They are not as polite or hard-working as my generation(I will give you two examples. Last Friday, I got on the underground at 9:15 a.m. It was very crowded so there was no free seat.There were some boys sitting on the seats near me.I didn't know why they were not at school.They were talking and laughing loudly. It was difficult for me to read my newspaper with all the noise.At the next stop, a pregnant woman and her daughter got on with lots of shopping bags.I expected the boys to let them sit down.They saw the woman but they did nothing.I had to ask them to give the woman and her daughter seats. They did so but gave me a rude look. Last Saturday, I had dinner with my friend's family.I was glad to see his children, who I hadn't seen for ten years.During the dinner, I started talking about world politics with the children.It soon became clear that they didn't know much about it.They couldn't tell me the name of the King of Spain or President of Italy.All they knew about was the Internet or which singers were the most beautiful.In my days, students knew the kings, the queens and the presidents of every country in Europe. I worry about the future of Germany.How could these young people become good workers and parents? They sit around McDonald's after school instead of going to the library like I did at their age.Maybe they have too much money.Perhaps some readers can give us some ideas about what to do with this "lost generation". Yours sincerely, Frantz Vogts. When Mr Vogts met the boys on the underground , he _ . A) knew there was no hope for him to get a seat B) felt he would be in trouble C) thought they should have been studying instead of staying there D) expected that they would get off at the next stop
A: C
*Question*
Having spring around makes you feel different after such a long winter journey. The power of sunshine brings us a lot of comfort, optimism, self-confidence and of course a smile. Imagine how great it will be if we are so positive all year round! Living like this is possible if you really think about it. In order to exist in such a state of happiness, we must have sunshine radiating from within ourselves, shining from our hearts, minds and souls. Actually,that's your choice, and if you think that way then your own life will reflect that attitude of yours! In order to make "sunshine" or rather, "light" part of our being, it is so important that you watch your thoughts, your words and your actions so that you will accept what you really feel you'd like to create in your own life. Watch your thoughts and really become aware of how many negative thoughts pass through your mind about yourself and other people around you. Watch to see how often you gossip about other people, which is actually often attached with feelings of jealousy and insecurity about yourself. You are also supposed to take a close look at your "intention". How many of you do something for another person without expecting to receive something in return? It might not even have to be a material or physical thing you expect; expecting to be recognized for what you have done is enough to create conditions on Having spring around makes you feel differentyour intention. Think about it! Putting all of these together, it seems that most of us are creating monsters inside us just by simply talking, thinking and not putting our heart out with the right intention towards helping someone else. If you take all your negative attitudes in one hand and measure your need to feel "sunshine" in the other, you will see how both these elements really contradict each other. Be brave and break your patterns and your habits this spring, and by doing so,you will allow the true sunshine to take place by radiating out from your heart and into your life and the lives of... The passage is written mainly to _ . A) stress the importance of the positive life style B) analyze the intentions and thoughts in our mind C) offer advice on having sunshine from our inside D) warn us about the bad effects of negative attitudes
**Answer**
C