An alcohol breath test (ABT) is often used by the police to find out whether a person is drunk while driving. In the United States, the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for people aged 21 years or older, while people under 21 are not allowed to drive a car with any level of alcohol in their body. A “positive” test result, a result over the legal limit, allows the police to arrest the driver. However, many people who tested positive on the test have claimed that they only drank a “non-alcoholic” energy drink. Can one of these energy drinks really cause someone to test positive on an ABT? Researchers in Missouri set up an experiment to find out.
First, the amount of alcohol in 27 different popular energy drinks was measured. All but one had an alcohol level greater than 0.005%. In nine of the 27 drinks, the alcohol level was at least 0.096%.The scientists then investigated the possibility that these small levels of alcohol could be discovered by an ABT. They asked test subjects to drink a full can or bottle of an energy drink and then gave each subject an ABT one minute and 15 minutes after the drink was finished.
For 11 of the 27energy drinks, the ABT did find the presence of alcohol if the test was given within one minute after the drink was taken. However, alcohol could not be discovered for any of the drinks if the test was given 15 minutes after the drink was consumed. This shows that when the test is taken plays an important role in the test result. The sooner the test is conducted after the consumption of these drinks, the more likely a positive alcohol reading will be obtained.What is the legal alcohol level for a 20-year-old driver in the US?
| A．0.000%. | B．0.005%. | C．0.080%. | D．0.096%. |
What is the purpose of the Missouri experiment?
| A．To warn people of the dangers of drinking energy drinks. |
| B．To introduce a new method of calculating blood alcohol levels. |
| C．To discover the relation between energy drinks and ABT test results. |
| D．To change the current legal alcohol limit for drivers in the United States. |
The underlined word “subjects” in Paragraph 2 refers to_____.
| A．the things that are being discussed |
| B．areas of knowledge studied in school |
| C．the person in an experiment |
| D．the people who belong to a country |
Which of the following affects the ABT test result most for energy drink consumers?
| A．The age of the person who takes the test. |
| B．The place where the test is given. |
| C．The equipment that the test uses. |
| D．The time when the test is taken. |
Nearly a thousand people laugh heartily together for half an hour every morning in a park in Shenzhen. Guangzhou Daily took a closer look at those happy people.
They are members of a group named Laughing Club, and when they get together, all they do is laugh.
Zhang Lixin, the founder of the club and regarded as the ‘laugh leader’, told the paper that laughing does him a lot of good. He started after he read some advice in a book and tried giggling after quarrelling with his wife to relax.
After laughing for a few days, Zhang found himself more outgoing and relaxed. Soon his wife joined him, bringing the family more laughter and less bickering.
When he got to know a kind of “laughing yoga” is good for the health, Zhang went to Bombay to learn from the locals and developed what he learned into more than 30 ways of laughing.
The “lion bellow (吼)”is to shout with the fingers outstretched near the ears. There is the “open mouth laugh”, the “bow-pulling laugh”, the “welcoming laugh” and even the “quarrelling laugh”, with different arm movements of laugh style.
The “laugh movement” swept over Shenzhen in a few of months, attracting tens of thousands of people to join, and has been followed in nearby cities such as Guangzhou.
Every morning at the lake front and at 8 pm on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at the mountain peak square in Lianhua Mountain Park, club members gather to laugh and shout loudly.From the first paragraph we know that _________________________.
| A．Guangzhou Daily is the source of the information |
| B．those happy people come from Guangzhou Daily |
| C．there is a Guangzhou Daily office near Laughing Club |
| D．Guangzhou Daily supported the laugh movement |
The people in Laughing Club laugh because they _____________________.
| A．live a happy life | B．always feel happy |
| C．just can’t help it | D．want to relax themselves |
Which of the underlined words has a meaning similar to “laughing”?
| A．Giggling. | B．Quarrelling. | C．Outgoing. | D．Bickering. |
According to the passage, when cannot you see club members practicing laughing in Lianhua Mountain Park?
| A．At 8 pm on Sunday. | B．At 8 pm on Monday. |
| C．At 8 pm on Friday. | D．At 8 pm on Wednesday. |
What’s the idea expressed by the last two paragraphs?
| A．The members of Laughing Club are increasing. |
| B．The laugh movement is becoming popular. |
| C．The laughing is done only in parks. |
| D．Laughing Club is practicing laughing hard. |
The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day.
The bad weather caused a lot of trouble. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren’t too unhappy about it, though, as they headed out to play in the snow: building snowmen; having snowball fights; and some even snowboarding and skiing.
In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around￡1 billion to businesses and the economy.
Anyone wanting to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports because of the snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving many passengers stranded at airports.
So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren’t enough snow-ploughs and other equipment and it doesn’t make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently.
The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues. More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to venture out!The bad weather caused the following troubles except
| A．school children headed out, playing in the snow |
| B．more than 3000 schools had been closed |
| C．bus services were withdrawn in London |
| D．hundreds of flights were cancelled |
The underlined word “stranded” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _____________.
| A．hungry | B．sleepy | C．trapped | D．excited |
We can infer from the passage that ____________________.
| A．few people will travel around in the future days |
| B．heavy snow will hit Britain more frequently in the future |
| C．only school children benefit from the heavy snow |
| D．employees are glad to be free because of the snow |
From what Boris Johnson said we can learn that _________________________.
| A．the UK will always be ill-prepared for heavy snow |
| B．the snow now moving northwards will cause no trouble |
| C．London can’t afford to buy snow-ploughs and other equipments |
| D．London doesn’t have enough snow-ploughs and other equipments |
Which of the following statements can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Hardest snow hit south-east of England. |
| B．Heavy snow caused chaos in Britain. |
| C．Unexpected snowfall, pleasant time for children. |
| D．Great loss to businesses and the economy in Britain. |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s（鳄鱼） back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (伤口) in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”.
Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (细菌) on the teeth of the crocodileThis passage is most likely to be found in _____.
| A．a travel guide | B．a newspaper | C．a textbook | D．a novel |
The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
| A．Her eyes were badly poked. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT ______.
| A．brave | B．diligent |
| C．quick | D．humorous |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The husband should save the wife |
| B．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
The Healthy Habits Survey（调查）shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1.How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
•Finding：A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
•Step：Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day.
2.How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
•Finding：Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30%wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
•Step：We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs（病菌）to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
•Finding：Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
•Step：Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge（海绵）that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds.What is found out American seniors?
| A．Most of then have good habits. |
| B．Nearly 30%of then bathe three days a week . |
| C．All of then are fighting germs better than expected . |
| D．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day |
Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands .
| A．twice a day | B．three times a day |
| C．four times a day | D．eight times a day |
Which of the following is true according to the text ?
| A．We should keep from touching our faces . |
| B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth . |
| C．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet . |
| D．We should wash our hands before touching a door handle . |
The text probably comes from .
| A．a guide book | B．a popular magazine |
| C．a book review | D．an official document |
Russian President Putin named Time magazine's "Person of the Year"
Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time magazine's’ "Person of the Year" on December 19th. 2007 for strengthening stability（稳定）that made Russia a world power again.
The magazine recognized Putin's "extraordinary feat（技艺）of leadership in taking a country that was in a mess and bringing it stability，"said Richard Stengel，Time's managing editor.
The magazine noted that "Person of the Year" is not an honor or an endorsement（认可）but a recognition of leadership that shapes the world.
Putin，who is 56 years old，is very popular in Russia，making a great effort to cause economy to come to life on revenue（收入）from oil and natural gas.
Putin recently supported vice-PM Dmitry Medvedev's presidential bid，and said he would accept Medvedev's offer to serve as prime minister if Medvedev is elected on March 2.
The Kremlin said Wednesday the Time recognition was seen there as an acknowledgement of Putin's role in helping Russia pull out of its social and economic troubles in the 1990s.
Others considered for "Person of the Year" included Nobel Prize-winner Al Gore and author J.K. Rowling.
This year's choice was a return to the magazine's tradition of picking an individual rather than last year's choice of "You"，which refers to anyone creating or using content on the World Wide Web.
Putin is the fifth Russian（or Soviet）leader to be named Person of the Year：Gorbachev，Andropov，Khrushchev and Stalin，who was named twice.How did Putin try to make Russia a world power again？
| A．By performing arms race. | B．By making war. |
| C．By strengthening stability. | D．By getting foreign help. |
How many times have Russian leaders been named "Person of the Year" so far？
| A．Five times. | B．Six times. | C．Seven times. | D．Eight times. |
Which of the following is Not True according to the passage？
| A．Russia used to be in a mess. |
| B．Time always picks an individual to be the "Person of the Year". |
| C．Oil and natural gas caused Russia's economy to come to life. |
| D．Putin will leave office on March 2nd, 2007. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the matter?
| A．Negative | B．Positive | C．Criticize | D．Objective |
HK's family affair
The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
The art festival, considered to be Asia's best, was launched in 1973.
“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,” Douglas Gautier, the festival's management director, told a press briefing in the capital.
In the 34 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Romeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
The lineup (阵容) includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, the Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt, and arc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
In an effort to increase attention, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales.
For more information, please check www.hk.artsfestival.org.The press briefing must have been held ______.
| A．in Hong Kong | B．in Europe | C．in Beijing | D．in Zurich |
By means of "discount packages", you can pay ______.
| A．more than the usual cost |
| B．less than the usual cost |
| C．for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket |
| D．for the ticket but not for hotel rooms |
We do NOT have any information about ______.
| A．what programmes there will be |
| B．in which theatres there will be performances |
| C．who will perform |
| D．when the festival will be held |
Where is this material from?
| A．Literature Magazine | B．Textbook |
| C．Website www.hk.artsfestival.org. | D．Newspaper |
WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.
It’s not easy, even desperate.
“We have many children left to place: 40 out of 75,” said Straub, who works for a Paris-based foreign exchange programme called LEC. When exchange programmes started 50 years ago, family life was more accommodating. For one thing, more mothers stayed home.
But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30,000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend their academic year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes.
School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic.
In searching for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone who has the ability to do it.
“We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25- year-old programme that sends about 30,000 teenagers on academic year exchange programmes worldwide.
“For elderly people, exchange students keep us young; they really do!” said Jean Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Porst from Denmark.Vickie Weiner is the person who ________.
| A．works for a programme called LEC |
| B．works for a programme called ASSE |
| C．is 25 years old |
| D．hosts foreign students |
From the passage we can learn that at the beginning of the exchange programmes_______.
| A．all the families could host foreign students |
| B．only young couples could host foreign students |
| C．only those who were retired could host foreign students |
| D．those who were not too old could host foreign students |
Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
| A．US Struggles to Find Host Families |
| B．Idea of Hosting Students Is Different |
| C．Foreign-exchange Program Is Going On |
| D．Exchange Students Keep Old People Young |
Mo Yan, a Chinese writer has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan--a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi in shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory, In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the stone year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific （多产的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, be is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony was held on December 10. Mo Yan won a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million.How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?
| A．Excited and proud. | B．Worried and cautious. |
| C．Uncertain and shocked | D．Happy and surprised.. |
Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was ________.
| A．on a farm | B．in a factory |
| C．in the army | D．in a school |
One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he _________.
| A．explains difficult matters in simple words |
| B．focuses on social problems in the country |
| C．writes about topics he is familiar with |
| D．describes his characters in a unique way |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature |
| B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize |
| C．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize |
| D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan |
At least 371people were killed and over 750 others injured Saturday in two earthquakes that hit Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan Province , officials said.
Saif-ur-Rehman, spokesperson of Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that a total of 359 people were killed and 750 others injured up till Saturday in the 7.7-magnitude(震级) earthquake that hit the province on Thursday, while the second earthquake measuring 7.2 at the Richter scale, which struck the area on Saturday afternoon, killed 12 people.
He said that the Thursday 's quake affected six districts with Awaran as the worst hit area, where 312 people were killed and 525 others injured when thousands of houses collapsed（坍塌）in various towns and villages of the district.
The spokesman said that Kech area of the province was also badly affected, where 46 people died and 240 injured in various villages.
The Saturday's earthquake hit Nokjo area of Awaran, killing 12 people, injuring dozens others and destroying many houses.
The spokesperson said that the condition of the injured and affected people is not yet known, as it happened in a far area where it would take several hours for the rescue teams to reach.
Overall the two quakes affected a population of 185,000 and 37, 000 families, said the spokesperson.
The Chinese government has sent three flights carrying relief assistance, including medicines, emergency medical equipment, water purifiers, blankets, tents weighing 260 tons in total.
It is said that the Chinese government will also be handing over cash grant worth 1.5 million U.S. dollars to Pakistan's Economic Affairs Division on Sept.30 for the quake victims.According to the text, up till Saturday, the deaths in the earthquake that hit the province on Thursday reached ________.
| A．371 | B．359 | C．383 | D．312 |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
| A．More than 750 people were injured on Saturday in the two earthquakes. |
| B．Five hundred and twenty-five people were injured in Awaran in the Thursday 's quake. |
| C．Six districts were affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan. |
| D．No more than one of the two earthquakes struck Awaran, Balochistan Province. |
We can know from the text that .
| A．the condition of the injured people in the two earthquakes was not knownon Saturday |
| B．the two quakes affected a population of 37, 000 and a total of 185,000 families |
| C．the Chinese government would send 260-ton relief materials to Pakistan on Sept.30 |
| D．the Chinese government showed great concern for the earthquake-hit areas |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Earthquakes Hit Pakistan |
| B．Balochistan Province Manages Disasters |
| C．More Relief Assistance is Needed |
| D．Pakistan Faces Great Loss |
GWANGJU, South Korea, Sept. 28，2013 (Xinhua) — Cultural ministers from China, Japan and South Korea participating in the 5th China-Japan-South Korea Ministerial Conference on Culture held here Saturday agreed to strengthen cultural exchange and cooperation to promote the cultural prosperity of East Asia.
Cai Wu, China's Minister of Culture, Hakubun Shimomura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and Yoo Jinryong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea attended the meeting in the South Korean city with more than 2,000 years of history.
At the meeting, Cai said that the east and west differ in history, culture and values, but the East Asia as a whole, especially China, Japan and South Korea, should take good advantage of their cultural and historical similarities, trying to create “shared East Asia value”and seeking a greater say around the world.
The ministers drew the Gwangju Joint Document at the meeting to strengthen cultural exchange and cooperation in the fields of culture industry, exhibitions, cultural heritage preservation and the youth exchanges to promote the program of “East Asia City of Culture.”
China, Japan and South Korea also agreed that the host country of the annual ministerial meeting will organize a joint cultural festival, including art performances, exhibitions, academic seminars and other relevant events starting from 2014.
The annual trilateral Ministerial Conference on Culture was firstly launched in 2007. The Gwangju meeting is the fifth round of this series, and the last round of this meeting was held in Shanghai, China in May 2012.Which of the following information is True according to the text?
| A．The 5th China-Japan-South Korea Ministerial Conference on Culture was held on Sunday. |
| B．The 5th China-Japan-South Korea Ministerial Conference on Culture is aimed at promoting the cultural prosperity of West Asia. |
| C．Yoo Jinryong, Minister of Culture, Science, Technology and Tourism of Korea attended the meeting. |
| D．GWANGJU is a South Korean city that has a history of more than 2,000 years. |
The underlined phrase “seeking a greater say”in Paragraph 3 probably means .
| A．looking for more chances to speak Asian languages |
| B．trying to get greater power or right of acting or deciding |
| C．attempting to take up more space in the world |
| D．getting more time to set a good example to others |
This text mainly tells us ________.
| A．three Asian leaders meet each other to discuss economic problems |
| B．how the program of “East Asia City of Culture”came into being |
| C．three Asian countries agree to promote cultural prosperity of East Asia |
| D．the trilateral Ministerial Conference on Culture firstly began in 2007 |
We can know from the text that .
| A．the fourth Ministerial Conference on Culture was held in GWANGJU |
| B．the trilateral Ministerial Conference on Culture is held once a year |
| C．the Ministerial Conference on Culture has never been held in China |
| D．no changes were made about the forms of activities to be held in the future |
Paracutin was born in Mexico in February, 1943. At the end of one week Paracutin was 500 feet high, and it is now over 9,000 feet high. Today Paracutin is asleep.
What is Paracutin? It was the first volcano(火山) in the world which was seen from its birth right up to the present day. On February 20, 1943, a peasant and his wife set out to work in their corn fields from the Mexican village of Paracutin. They were surprised to find the earth warm under their feet. Suddenly they heard noises deep in the earth and a small hole appeared in their field. In the afternoon there was a sudden loud noise and stones were thrown high in the air. The peasants ran from the field and turned to watch. They saw the birth of a volcano.
Large quantities of stone and lava（岩浆）broke out and a little hill began to form. By evening this hill was 100 feet high and hot ashes（灰烬）were falling on the village. At night the strong light of the hot lava lit up the countryside. The trees near the village were killed and the villagers had to leave their houses. When the village was destroyed, its name was given to the volcano. The news quickly reached Mexico City, far to the east. Many people came to watch the scene. The volcano grew and grew for ten years and hundreds of square miles of forest were destroyed. Then Paracutin went to sleep.Paracutin was once the name of______.
| A．a peasant | B．a village | C．an old mountain | D．a Mexican |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Paracutin is not active now. |
| B．Paracutin is the first volcano in the world. |
| C．Paracutin did not exist until the early 1940s. |
| D．It took Paracutin 10 years to grow to its present size. |
What was destroyed in the growing up of the volcano?
| A．The little hill of stone. |
| B．The villagers living close by. |
| C．The forest and fields round Paracutin. |
| D．The Mexican peasant and his wife. |
In this passage the writer is trying to______.
| A．tell us an interesting happening |
| B．explain a scientific theory |
| C．make us believe something |
| D．make up an interesting story |
What can we learn about volcanoes from this passage?
| A．New volcanoes may appear in places where people do not expect them to be |
| B．Volcanoes are always growing. |
| C．Volcanoes are active from time to time. |
| D．New volcanoes are active for only ten years. |
Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy (破产) protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.
Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency (自满) ,” that explanation doesn’t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak predicted that digital photography would overtake film (胶片) — and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 — but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.
“It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future”, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.
Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching into new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets (资产) into the new businesses.
Although Kodak predicted the unavoidable rise of digital photography, its corporate (企业的) culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.
Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. What do we learn about Kodak?
| A．It went bankrupt all of a sudden. |
| B．It is approaching its downfall. |
| C．It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry. |
| D．It is playing a dominant role in the film market. |
Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?
| A．To show its early attempt to reinvent itself. |
| B．To show its effort to overcome complacency. |
| C．To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution. |
| D．To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji photo. |
Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?
| A．They find it costly to give up their existing assets. |
| B．They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges. |
| C．They are unwilling to invest in new technology. |
| D．They are deeply stuck in their glorious past. |
What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?
| A．A burden. | B．A mirror. | C．A joke. | D．A challenge. |
Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 BC to about 1300 AD, when sea travel offered new routes. It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway.
However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft (嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit.
They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy, and religion. It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed ______.
| A．to deal with a lot of difficulties | B．to know the making of products |
| C．to receive certain special training | D．to remember the entire trade route |
The Silk Road became less important because ______.
| A．it was made up of different routes | B．silk trading became less popular |
| C．people needed fewer foreign goods | D．sea travel provided easier routes |
New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people ______.
| A．shared each other’s beliefs | B．learned from one another |
| C．traded goods along the route | D．earned their living by traveling |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Silk Road: Past and Present | B．The Silk Road: East Meets West |
| C．The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers | D．The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning |
Wugging, or web-use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user. By using Everyclick.com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won’t cost them a penny.
Research shows that students are extremely passionate about supporting charity — 88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity. This figure is high considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income. 19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than £5,000. With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible.
Beth Truman, a 21 year old recent university graduate, has used everyclick.com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the “wugging” grow in popularity with students. “When you’re at university you become more socially aware, but it’s sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself,” says Beth. “Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny.”
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don’t feel they have the means to do so. Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding.
Everyclick.com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK’s 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks. Everyclick.com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity. Launched in June 2005, Everyclick.com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK.
According to the passage, “wugging” is actually _______.
| A．a student movement | B．a charity-related action |
| C．a school organization | D．a website |
In the case of charity, everyclick.com _______.
| A．frees students of the financial worries |
| B．receives much money from students |
| C．offers valuable information to students |
| D．praises students for their money-raising |
What does Beth Truman think of the “wugging” movement?
| A．It makes Everyclick.com popular in the UK. |
| B．It becomes easy to do charity because of it. |
| C．It results in students’ more social awareness. |
| D．It helps students to save money. |
From the passage, we can conclude that _______.
| A．most full time students do charity on the Internet every day |
| B．Everyclick.com helps students pay for the college education |
| C．“wugging” is a win-win idea for both students and charities |
| D．Everyclick.com is the most successful search engine in the UK |
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