A
Low-Cost Gifts for Mother's Day
Gift No. I
Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say “no need,” another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part? This one is free.
Gift No. 2
Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life,” Dr. Marie Savard said.
Gift No. 3
Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep,” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”
Gift No. 4
Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10 percent of the price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构). Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things -many of which are “green” - and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.
1. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?
A. Take notes. B. Be with her. C. Buy medicine. D. Give her gifts.
2. Where can you find a gift idea to improve your mother’s sleep?
A. In Gift No. 1. B. In Gift No. 2. C. In Gift No. 3. D. In Gift No. 4.
3. Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to________.
A. enjoy good sleep B. be well-organized
C. get extra support D. give others help
B
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York. So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to “earn” more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露) the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.
4. Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
A. They took a later flight. B. They had early bookings.
C. Their flight had been delayed. D. Their flight had been cancelled.
5. What can we learn about the author?
A. She rarely misses a good deal. B. She seldom makes a compromise.
C. She is very strict with her children. D. She is interested in cheap products.
6. What does the author do?
A. She's a teacher. B. She's a housewife.
C. She's a media person. D. She's a businesswoman.
7. What does the author want to tell us?
A. How to expose bad tricks. B. How to reserve airline seats.
C. How to spend money wisely. D. How to make a business deal.
