Online shoppers started buying on Thanksgiving and did not let up on so-called Cyber (网络的) Monday, the day retailers designated for more discounts and promotions. By 6 p.m. on Monday, Eastern time, sales were 20 percent higher than during the same time period on the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2009, according to a research firm owned by I.B.M. that tracks online sales.Cyber Monday was created in 2005 to encourage people to shop online from work, where they could use a high-speed Internet connection that they lacked at home. It never was the busiest online shopping day. But now that broadband Internet connections have replaced dial-up access in most American homes, fewer consumers are waiting until they get to their work computers to shop online.The day has evolved into a way for online retailers to keep up the spending momentum that began in earnest on the day after Thanksgiving. The scene at the fulfillment center of , the online shoe retailer, outside Louisville, Kentucky, offered physical evidence of this year's online holiday shopping trends. To satisfy the demand, not only did the company expand its warehouse to a second building, but also plans to add 500 employees the week."It's absolutely crazy," said Craig Adkins, the vice president for fulfillment operations. He said orders were "significantly larger than we thought."Online retailers were careful to note that while the strength of sales on Friday and Monday might be indicators (标志) of the season, they were only the beginning. The peak shopping day for many online retailers comes in mid-December as shipping deadlines approach. Many companies offer deals like free shipping throughout the holidays.One of them, , says the busiest day comes near the final day of its free shipping offer for Christmas delivery.Like other retailers, also got an early start, offering its holiday discounts as early as October in its electronics category. Thousands more deals were added on Friday, including a number of limited-time offers.Shoppers are increasingly using cell phones to shop online, whether to buy products or simply to research. said that it expected around seven percent of people to use their cell phones to shop on Monday, nearly double from last year.Another relatively new phenomenon is the use by online retailers of social media sites like Facebook to get the word out. Land's End, for instance, created "12 hours of Twitter" on Monday, during which it promoted its discounts, some of which were played up only on Twitter.1. What is the possible meaning of "let up" (Para. 1)?A) Encourage other people.B) Disappoint other people.C) Speed up their buying.D) Reduce their buying. 2. What can be known about the year 2005 according to Paragraph Two?A) People across the country were encouraged to shop online on Monday.B) The Internet connection speed at work places was higher than at home. C) Few customers enjoyed online shopping since the goods were expensive.D) All American homes got connected to the Internet by dial-up access.3. What does the author try to show the readers by taking as an example?A) The continually hot online holiday shopping. B) is a very successful business.C) The fast evolution of online shopping.D) How online retailers attract customers.4. Which of the following is true about online retailers according to the passage?A) The busiest day for online retailers is the day before Christmas.B) All online retailers offer free shipping throughout the holidays.C) The sales of many online retailers go up around Mid-December. D) Many online retailers prefer their customers to shop through cell phones.5. What is the main idea of the passage?A) The preference of online shoppers.B) The psychology of online shoppers.C) What online retailers care about on holidays.D) How online retailers deals with holiday seasons.

Online shoppers started buying on Thanksgiving and did not let up on so-called Cyber (网络的) Monday, the day retailers designated for more discounts and promotions. By 6 p.m. on Monday, Eastern time, sales were 20 percent higher than during the same time period on the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2009, according to a research firm owned by I.B.M. that tracks online sales. Cyber Monday was created in 2005 to encourage people to shop online from work, where they could use a high-speed Internet connection that they lacked at home. It never was the busiest online shopping day. But now that broadband Internet connections have replaced dial-up access in most American homes, fewer consumers are waiting until they get to their work computers to shop online. The day has evolved into a way for online retailers to keep up the spending momentum that began in earnest on the day after Thanksgiving. The scene at the fulfillment center of , the online shoe retailer, outside Louisville, Kentucky, offered physical evidence of this year's online holiday shopping trends. To satisfy the demand, not only did the company expand its warehouse to a second building, but also plans to add 500 employees the week. "It's absolutely crazy," said Craig Adkins, the vice president for fulfillment operations. He said orders were "significantly larger than we thought." Online retailers were careful to note that while the strength of sales on Friday and Monday might be indicators (标志) of the season, they were only the beginning. The peak shopping day for many online retailers comes in mid-December as shipping deadlines approach. Many companies offer deals like free shipping throughout the holidays. One of them, , says the busiest day comes near the final day of its free shipping offer for Christmas delivery. Like other retailers, also got an early start, offering its holiday discounts as early as October in its electronics category. Thousands more deals were added on Friday, including a number of limited-time offers. Shoppers are increasingly using cell phones to shop online, whether to buy products or simply to research. said that it expected around seven percent of people to use their cell phones to shop on Monday, nearly double from last year. Another relatively new phenomenon is the use by online retailers of social media sites like Facebook to get the word out. Land's End, for instance, created "12 hours of Twitter" on Monday, during which it promoted its discounts, some of which were played up only on Twitter.1. What is the possible meaning of "let up" (Para. 1)?A)  Encourage other people.B)  Disappoint other people.C)  Speed up their buying.D)  Reduce their buying. 2. What can be known about the year 2005 according to Paragraph Two?A)  People across the country were encouraged to shop online on Monday.B)  The Internet connection speed at work places was higher than at home. C)  Few customers enjoyed online shopping since the goods were expensive.D)  All American homes got connected to the Internet by dial-up access.3. What does the author try to show the readers by taking as an example?A)  The continually hot online holiday shopping. B)   is a very successful business.C)  The fast evolution of online shopping.D)  How online retailers attract customers.4. Which of the following is true about online retailers according to the passage?A)  The busiest day for online retailers is the day before Christmas.B)  All online retailers offer free shipping throughout the holidays.C)  The sales of many online retailers go up around Mid-December. D)  Many online retailers prefer their customers to shop through cell phones.5. What is the main idea of the passage?A)  The preference of online shoppers.B)  The psychology of online shoppers.C)  What online retailers care about on holidays.D)  How online retailers deals with holiday seasons.