Question

There is nothing in the US quite like Black Friday. Before midnight on Thursday, in malls across the US, people start queuing up outside the locked entrances of stores, making longer and longer lines, holding coupons (優惠券), sipping coffee and hot chocolate, rubbing their hands and stamping (跺腳) their feet for warmth, excitedly chatting, and waiting for the clerks to open the door when the time arrives.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which fell on Nov 28，2014, “has become in recent decades a special American holiday”, said the International Business Times. Indeed, up to 147 million Black Friday shoppers were expected to put up with the dark of night and the elbows(手肘)of other shoppers so that they could bring home some bargains, according to the US National Retail Federation.

But why does the shopping festival have such a name?

The name was first used in Philadelphia in the 1970s. The streets and sidewalks of the city became so packed with traffic and crowds on the day after Thanksgiving Day that the local police did not look forward to it. Because of this, they called the day “Black Friday”, said The Huffington Post. However, others believe that Black Friday takes its name from the fact that because of the increase in sales on the day, shops are able for the first time in the year to move out of the “red” – that is, debt – and into the “black”, or profit. Businesses, of course, try to take advantage of this day. A decade ago, retailers (零售商) opened at 5 or 6 am. Now, many of the big stores open at midnight.

People really seem to like the whole experience of queuing up before midnight, “for it isn’t just about the bargains”, noted CNN. “For many shoppers, it’s just fun to be part of a large crowd. Those who go to the malls at midnight are driven by the same thing that makes a million people get together in Times Square each New Year’s Eve.”

1.Which of the following statements about Black Friday is TRUE?

A.It is a special day in the US on which government hands out coupons to customers.

B.It is a shopping festival in the US that falls on the second Friday after Thanksgiving.

C.It has been a traditional American holiday since the founding of the nation.

D.It is an opportunity for Americans to get things they want at a much lower price.

2.According to The Huffington Post, the name of “Black Friday” may be first used ______.

A.at the beginning of the 20th century in the US

B.by American people who expected to bring home bargains after Thanksgiving Day

C.by the police to show their displeasure toward heavy traffic caused by shopping crowds

D.to describe the bad weather on the day

3.According to the article, people who queue up for Black Friday ______.

A.usually help each other to find good bargains

B.have great fun as part of the waiting crowd

C.have a lot of complaints about the service of the retail clerks

D.have to wait until 5 to 6 am to start shopping

4.What is the article mainly about?

A.The shopping habits of Americans.

B.An introduction to the origin and influences of Black Friday.

C.Tips on how to get good bargains on Black Friday.

D.People’s mixed feelings toward Black Friday.

Answer 1

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.B

【解析】

試題分析：本文主要講述了美國的星期五，每到星期四的半夜，人們都會排很長的隊，聊著天，跺著腳等著商店的職員開門，拿著優惠券等著購物。而2014年11月28日的星期五，是在感恩節后面一天，有14700萬黑色星期五購物者期待忍受黑夜和其他購物者的手肘來獲得更多的優惠券。而至于購物節為什么會被成為黑色星期五。原因是在感恩節之后，費城的街道和兩側交通癱瘓，而被稱為黑色星期五。而其他人認為黑色星期五的名稱是因為星期五銷量的上升，使得商店從新年的赤字變成黑色。

1. that they could bring home some bargains”可知，在Black Friday那天，美國人可以用很低的價錢買到他們想要的東西，故選D。

2. streets and sidewalks of the city became so packed with traffic and crowds on the day after Thanksgiving Day that the local police did not look forward to it. Because of this, they called the day ‘Black Friday’ , said The Huffington Post.”可知，Black Friday 是警察用來對因購物人群造成的交通擁擠表示不滿的，故選C。

3. 細節題。由最后一段中的“People really seem to like the whole experience of queuing up before midnight”和“For many shoppers, it’s just fun to be part of a large crowd. 可知，B項正確。

4. 細節題。文章主要介紹了Black Friday的起源和它所帶來的影響，故B項切題。

考點：考查說明文閱讀