One morning a few years ago, Harvard President Neil Rudenstine overslept. For this busy man, it was a sort of alarm: after years of non-stop hard work, he might wear himself out and die an early death.
Only after a week’s leave—— during which he read novels, listened to music and walked with his wife on a beach—— was Rudenstine able to return to work.
In our modern life, we have lost the rhythm between action and rest. Amazingly, within this world there is a universal but silly saying: “I am so busy.”
We say this to one another as if our tireless efforts were a talent by nature and an ability to successfully deal with stress. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, and to be unable to find time to relax—— this has become the model of a successful life.
Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the guide telling us where to go, the food providing us with strength, the quiet giving us wisdom.
How have we allowed this to happen? I believe it is this: we have forgotten the Sabbath, the day of the week—— for followers of some religions—— for rest and praying. It is a day when we are not supposed to work, a time when we devote ourselves to enjoying and celebrating what is beautiful. It is a good time to bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals, walk and sleep. It is a time for us to take a rest, to put our work aside, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world.
Rest is a spiritual and biological need; however, in our strong ambition to be successful and care for our many responsibilities, we may feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. The Sabbath gives us permission to stop work. In fact, “Remember the Sabbath” is more than simply permission to rest; it is a rule to obey and a principle to follow.The “alarm” in the first paragraph refers to “_______”.
| A．a signal of stress | B．a warning of danger |
| C．a sign of age | D．a spread of disease |
According to Paragraph 4, a successful person is one who is believed to _______.
| A．be able to work without stress |
| B．be more talented than other people |
| C．be more important than anyone else |
| D．be busying working without time to rest |
Some people feel guilty when taking time to rest because they _______.
| A．think that taking a rest means lacking ambitions |
| B．fail to realize that rest is an essential part of life |
| C．fail to realize that religions force them to rest |
| D．think that taking a rest means being lazy. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．We should balance work with rest. |
| B．The Sabbath gives us permission to rest. |
| C．It is silly for anyone to say “I am busy.” |
| D．We should be available to our family and friends. |
The most popular names in the west
Every year in Englishspeaking countries，people list the most popular names. Here are some examples. In the United States at the moment the three most popular names for girls are Emily，Emma and Madison. For boys，they are Michael，Joshua and Mathew. In Britain a parent today might call their little girl Grace，Jessica or Ruby. If they have a little boy they could call him Jack，Thomas or Oliver.
In China names have very clear meanings. If a girl is called Mei，her name means “beautiful”. If a boy is called Wu，his name means “like a soldier”. Names in Englishspeaking countries are like this too. The girl's name Joy is probably partly chosen because the parents wish their daughter to be joyful and bring joy to others. If a girl is called Ruby，it may be because of the beautiful red precious（宝贵的）stone.
Parents often pick names that can be shortened. This can be confusing（困惑的）for Chinese people. Parents might choose such names because they want to be able to speak to their kid in a personal way.
For example，a popular name is William. But William can be shortened to Will，Willy，Bill and Billy. The same is true of the favourite old name for a girl，Elizabeth. Elizabeth can be shortened to Beth，Liza and Liz.
Another reason why kids get the names they do is that parents want to name their boy or girl after someone who is famous，such as an actor，a pop music star or a sports star. David is a popular name in Britain，partly because of the fame of the footballer David Beckham.In Britain，people may call a little girl ______.
| A．Emily | B．Grace |
| C．Mathew | D．Oliver |
Which name may have something to do with “gladness”？
| A．Mei. | B．Wu. | C．Joy. | D．Ruby. |
In Englishspeaking countries，parents often choose shortened names because they want to keep what they and their children talk about ______.
| A．short | B．quiet |
| C．loud | D．personal |
Strange it may sound, this is a true story about a lesson of honesty happening between a lucky thief and a worthy professor.
Once a thief won a lottery ticket but left it at his crime(犯罪) scene when he stole a suitcase from a professor. To his great surprise, his victim, who picked up the ticket and took the prize money of ￡25 000, managed to get in touch with him in order to return him the case. The robbery took place when John Smith, a math professor was changing a tyre on the motorway. The thief happened to pass by. He appeared to be a warm-hearted guy and stopped “to help”. When the professor found his suitcase in the car missing, the thief had driven off as fast as he could. The professor picked up the dropped ticket on the floor and put it in his pocket before driving home.
John Smith didn’t realize it was a winner until he knew the lottery results on TV. He got the prize money and began a battle with himself silently in his heart. At last，he decided not to keep the money although he just had been robbed of his suitcase by the owner of the ticket. He set out to advertise in newspapers and on radio for finding the owner, “ Don’t be surprised that I’m trying to find the man who robbed me in order to returned him the ￡25 000—a lottery win. Please meet me without telling me your real name if you don’t want to. ”.
Later John received tens of hundreds of calls from people around the country trying to trick him into handing them the cash. But he didn’t arrange to meet the right person in the park until he recognized the voice. The robber, was moved into tears when he returned the suitcase. “Why didn’t you keep the money？”he asked, not believing what was happening. The honest professor replied simply, “Because it’s not mine.” With these words, he walked off，spurningthe thief’s offer of a reward.The underlined sentence “Then he began a battle with himself silently.” suggested that .
| A．he made an immediate decision on knowing the lottery results |
| B．he silently decided to punish the robber by keeping the ticket |
| C．he realized that money played an important role as honesty . |
| D．he hesitated about how to deal with the ticket for some time |
Hundreds of people phoned the professor because they _______.
| A．lost their lottery ticket |
| B．hoped to take the money |
| C．knew who the robber was |
| D．wanted to make fun of him |
The underlined word “spurning” in the last sentence is similar to______ .
| A．forgetting | B．accepting |
| C．refusing | D．making |
Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?
| A．A Magical Lottery |
| B．A Thief’s Lucky Day |
| C．A Stubborn Professor |
| D．A Reward of Honesty |
The other day at lunch I was part of a whole group of colleagues and we were talking behind our boss’s back. She’s the new principal (校长)of our middle school.
We talked about how kind she is to us. She writes notes to wish us happy holidays, or to thank us for jobs well done. She checks on us when she knows we’re facing difficulties outside of school with our health or with our families.
All too often, When we talk NICE behind someone’s back, they never know about it！I sent her a quick email to report the conversation. She replied saying how much she appreciated hearing about it!
I like to do the same for my students. Of course I give them my own compliments(恭维),but I love to let them know when others adults have noticed their good behavior and attitudes. Then it’s absolutely necessary to let THEM know it too! It matters when what they notice is good.
I’ve known from the other side how much this can mean. I often lack confidence in my own abilities as a teacher, so it gave me quite a lift when a friend who works with families in the community mentioned that he has heard several times from parents how glad they are to have their kids in my class. It just feels more important somehow to have the words said by people who don’t know I’ll ever hear them.
Sure, it’s pleasant when we can say nice things about other people. Watch for your next opportunity to be the reporter! Make sure to tell them about the nice things being said behind their backs!Why did these colleagues talk behind their boss’s back?
| A．They were afraid of her. |
| B．She treated them badly. |
| C．She was kind to them. |
| D．It was their daily practice. |
Why did the author report their conversation to her principals?
| A．They were good friends. |
| B．The principals hated them. |
| C．She guessed her principals might be glad to hear it. |
| D．She wanted to be praised. |
What encouraged the author to be a good teacher?
| A．Others’ nice talk behind her back. |
| B．Her good knowledge in teaching. |
| C．Her rich experience in teaching. |
| D．Her principal’s help. |
Planet Earth would be a scary place for humans if dinosaurs still ruled the world.
Though there are still some traces of life from the Jurassic Period, the Age of Dinosaurs more than 65 million years ago.
This mass extinction is believed to be the result of an asteriod（小行星）hitting Earth. A new report by the journal Biological Reviews called " The Extinction of Dinosaurs” concludes that this impact was, indeed, the cause of the dinosaurs’ demise. But the space blast(爆炸) wasn't the only reason these creatures aren't still around today.
Dinosaurs need food to survive. Meat-eating monsters like the Tyrannosaurus Rex(霸王龙) were at the top of the food chain, and fed off plant eaters like the horned Triceratops (三角恐龙). These herbivores (食草动物) were decreasing in population after the asteroid hit Earth, which left the meat-eating species less food to survive on. “In any ecosystem where you remove links to key species, that community has problems," Richard Butler, one of the review's authors, told National Ceographic.
While the herbivore population was going down, Earth's temperatures were rising when volcanoes erupted. Hot vapors and gases began wiping out some of the dinosaur population and weakening the survivors.
These changes made the asteroid's impact especially powerful. It caused more volcanoes to erupt, heated up Earth's atmosphere, and led to a sharp drop in the level of oxygen in the oceans.
With the dinosaurs gone, mammals(哺乳动物) began to evolve into bigger and more diverse species. Many animals we see today, like birds, sharks, and even some cats and dogs, appeared after the asteroid hit Earth. But none rule Earth quite like the dinosaurs did.. Which of the following words can replace the underlined word’’ demise" in Paragraph 2?
| A．Death. | B．Evolvement. |
| C．Presence. | D．Decrease. |
According to what Richard Butler said, what caused dinosaurs to die out?
| A．A shortage of clean water. |
| B．A break in the food chain. |
| C．A small variety of animals. |
| D．The constant warming climate. |
What was the negative effect of the asteroid hitting Earth?
| A．Oceans became too hot for animals. |
| B．There was less oxygen in the oceans. |
| C．Earth's climate became violent. |
| D．The majority of the plants gradually died out. |
The text is mainly about .
| A．the evolvement of mammals on Earth |
| B．the gradual process of climate change |
| C．the importance of the balance of ecosystem |
| D．the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs |
A new word has suddenly become wildly popular in China —"tuhao" — which loosely translated means "nouveau riche". There have been more than 100 million references to the word "tuhao" on social media since early September.
It's being used to describe everything from the new People's Daily building, to expensive celebrity weddings full of bling, and the new gold-coloured iPhone.
In Chinese "tu" means earth and "hao" means rich. To say someone is tuhao is to imply they come from a poor peasant background, and have made it rich quick — but don't quite have the manners, or sophistication to go along with it. It's like the term "nouveau riche", says Professor Steve Tsang at the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies in Nottingham - but has even more negative meanings, suggesting a certain vulgarity(粗俗).
"Tuhao" is actually an old word, dating back perhaps as far as the Southern Dynasty 1,500 years ago,but it has always meant something rather different. During the communist revolution, from the 1920s to early 1950s, it was widely used to refer to landholders and gentry who would bully those beneath them.
This new usage of the term took off in September after a widely-shared joke about a rich, but unhappy man, who goes to a Buddhist monk for advice, expecting to be told to live a more simple life. The monk replies instead with the phrase: "Tuhao, let's be friends!"
Chinese Internet users are highly creative in their use of language, and are constantly inventing, and re-inventing words as a way of getting past censorship(审查) rules. But in this case, its popularity seems to be down to the fact that it expresses China's changing society so well — many people sneer at those with wealth, but are secretly jealous.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Tuhao, a new popular word in China |
| B．The long history of Tuhao |
| C．The new usage of Tuhao |
| D．Tuhao, a newly-invented Chinese word |
Which of the following may NOT be considered “tuhao”?
| A．A vulgar nouveau riche |
| B．A bully landholder |
| C．A quick-rich peasant without proper manners |
| D．A Buddhist monk. |
The last but one paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．what the new usage of the word is |
| B．how the word becomes popular again |
| C．why the unhappy man went to the Buddhist monk |
| D．what advice the monk gave the unhappy man |
What does the underlined word in the last paragraph mean?
| A．respect | B．envy |
| C．laugh | D．disbelieve |
We know more about the surface of the planet Mars than we know about what is at the bottom of Earth’s oceans.
Until recently, scientists had mapped only about 20 percent of the sea floor. But our knowledge of the deep seas is changing because of information from satellites. Scientists have produced a new map that provides a detailed picture of the oceans. The map is expected to help oceanographers, industry and governments.
The new map is twice as detailed as the map made 20 years ago. David Sandwell is a geophysics professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California. He and other scientists worked on the mapping project. He says they turned to space to look deeper into the ocean. He spoke to VOA on SKYPE.
“The way we’re doing that is to use a satellite altimeter (高度计), a radar to map the topography (地貌) of the ocean surface. Now that seems sort of strange that you’d map the topography of the ocean surface when you really want to get at the sea floor. But, the ocean surface topography has these bumps and dips due to gravitational effects that mimic what’s on the sea floor.”
The scientists collected and studied information from two satellites. Some of the data came from the European Space Agency’s Cryo-2 satellite. It was placed in Earth’s orbit to watch sea ice. The other satellite is the American space agency’s Jason-1. It is studying the surface of the oceans. Scientists combined the satellite data with images gathered by sonar ( 声呐：利用声波探测水下物体的装置或系统) equipment on ships. Sonar works by sending sound waves through the water. When the sound waves hit an object, its presence is confirmed.
“That enables us to look at smaller-scale features and also features that are buried by sediments in the ocean basins.”
The new map shows the sea floor as it has never been seen before. It shows thousands of underwater mountains and places where continents pulled apart. It shows where earthquakes were active many years ago. They all are buried deep underneath the ocean floor.
In one place, three mountain ridges join at the same area. Huge tectonic (构造的) plates can be seen clearly there.The passage is likely to _____.
| A．be an advertisement | B．appear on VOA |
| C．make a comment on radar | D．appear on SKYPE |
What will be mentioned in the following paragraph, according to the last paragraph? _____.
| A．The detailed information about the place. |
| B．The more important thing in the ocean. |
| C．The things buried in the ocean. |
| D．Scientists told SKYPE they will explore at the same area. |
Scientists collected and studied information by _____.
| A．the European Space Agency’s Cryo-2 satellite |
| B．the American space agency’s Jason-1 |
| C．sonar equipment on ships |
| D．the Cryo-2 and the Jason-1 |
What’s the best title of the passage? _____.
| A．Scientists Create New Maps of Ocean Floor |
| B．Scientists Knows More Oceans Than Mars |
| C．Oceans Will Provide Us With Maps |
| D．People Knows Easily About Mars |
| Writer/ Time |
Topic: Who’s a better singer, Andy Lau (刘德华) or Jacky Cheung (张学友)? |
| Jim 8-15-2006 5:25 pm. |
Some people say Jacky is the best Chinese singer. I don’t think so! Andy is the best. I went to his concert last year. It was so wonderful, I almost cried! OK, I did cry, but that’s because Andy is so handsome! |
| Tom 9-3-2006 4:38 pm. |
I disagree with Jim. Andy sounds like every other singer. His voice is nothing special. On the other hand, Jacky’s voice is unique, and his songs are so romantic! |
| Linda 9-10-2006 8:54 pm. |
I think they’re about the same. But Andy is a better actor. I’ve seen almost all of his movies. Remember the one where he was an airplane pilot, and his plane crashed near a farm? I love that movie! |
| John 9-16-2006 10:25 pm. |
I also think Jacky is a better singer. I prefer his Cantonese songs. Maybe they sound better because Cantonese is his first language. |
| Tom 10-2-2006 10:12 am. |
I agree. Jacky’s Cantonese songs are better than his Mandarin songs. (Though, I still like all his songs!) |
Who likes Andy Lau the best? __________.
| A．Jim | B．Tom |
| C．Linda | D．John |
Why did Jim cry? Because ___________.
| A．she was sad at a concert. |
| B．she had a broken heart. |
| C．she was angry at Jacky Cheung |
| D．she thought Andy Lau was very good looking |
Why does John think Jacky’s Cantonese songs sound the best? Because _________.
| A．Jacky has no experience singing in Mandarin |
| B．it’s his native language |
| C．his mandarin pronunciation is bad |
| D．Jacky’s Mandarin songs are boring |
Which of the following is TRUE? __________
| A．Nobody likes Andy’s movies. |
| B．Tom has the same opinion as John. |
| C．Tom thinks Andy’s voice is more special than Jacky’s. |
| D．Jim has never seen an Andy Lau concert. |
In general, it’s hard to spend enough time in both concentrating on lessons and taking part in social activities. But I wanted to succeed in both. I knew this would be a challenge but I didn’t realize how difficult it was until my class in the high school began.
I got on well with other girls. After school, I often had ice cream with them first instead of finishing my homework before it was time to hand it in. I always finished it the next day between classes. I knew it wasn’t very good and the grades that I got showed I was not hard working enough. I realized that I needed to find some kind of balance.
So I created a timetable that would divide my time between studying and relaxing. It was a good idea but I was only able to follow it for a few days because it made me under too much pressure.
Later, I tried another plan. Each week I listed everything that I had to get done during the week and the time by which I had to get it done. The under the things I had to do, I made another list of things that I could do if I had time.
It worked really well. Ever since I have never missed any important things. At the same time, I enjoyed my spare time a lot.
Planning my time has been challenging, but I continue to do it. I’m glad that I’ve learned to balance things and it has helped prepare for what is coming after graduation.Why did the writer follow the first timetable only for a few days?
A．Because it had a specific list
B．Because it wasn’t a good idea
C．Because it brought her too much pressure.What wasn’t included in the writer’s second time plan?
A．The things she shouldn’t do
B．the things she had to get done
C．The things she could do if she had timeAccording to the passage, which of the following is true?
A．The writer had few friends because of bad grade
B．Learning to balance things is helpful to make plans for the future
C．The writer preferred to spend more time in relaxing than studyingWhich do you think is the best title of the passage?
A．Facing challenges
B．Concentrating on lessons
C．Balancing study and play
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),"he said. "You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．1anguage can help brain power |
| D．1anguage learning and maths study |
In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.
| A．say language is also a kind of physical labor |
| B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language |
| C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
| D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
The underlined word “bilingual'’ probably means ______.
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a person who is good at learning foreign languages |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially our spoken English.
Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need.
| Global English Centre * General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing * 3-month (700 yuan ), 6-month ( 1,200 yuan ) and one-year (2,000 yuan ) courses. * Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day, Mon.—Fri. * Experienced college English teachers. * Close to city centre and bus stops. Tel: 67605272 Add: 105 Zhongshan Road 100082 |
| Modern Language School * Special courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills. * Small classes (12 — 16 students) on Sat.& Sun. from 2:00 — 5:00 pm. * Native English teachers from Canada and USA. * Language lab and computers supplied. * 3-month course:1,050 yuan; 6-month course: 1,850 yuan Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675 Park Road, 100056 Tel: 67353019 |
| The 21st Century English Training Centre * We specialize in effective(卓有成效的)teaching at all levels. * We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan. * We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays. * Entrance exams: June 1 and Dec. 1 * Only 15-minute walk from city centre. Call 67801642 for more information |
| The International House of English * Three / Six-month English courses for students of all levels at very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week; convenient(方便的)class hours: 9:00 — 12:00 am and 2:00 — 5:00 pm. * A four-month evening program for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes). * Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers experienced in teaching English as a second /foreign language. * Free sightseeing and social activities(活动) * Very close to the Central Park. For further information call 67432308 |
You work from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm every day. Which schools will you choose?
| A．Global English Centre and Modern Language School |
| B．Global English Centre and the International House |
| C．Modern Language School and the 21st Century |
| D．The 21st Century and the International House |
The 21st Century is different from the other three schools in that ____.
| A．its teaching quality is better |
| B．it is nearest to the city centre. |
| C．its courses are more advanced |
| D．it requires an entrance examination |
If you take the evening program at the International House, you will pay ____.
| A．60 yuan | B．240 yuan |
| C．720 yuan | D．960yuan |
If your friend wants to take a course in English for hotel management, he may call at _____ for class information.
| A．67605272 | B．67353019 |
| C．67801642 | D．67432308 |
Ecoworld Discovery Centre
The future is here at Ecoworld Discovery Centre!
Class for children!
Hands-on games, challenging and fun! Discover the environmental world in an exciting and educational way. Special activities for different ages.
Organic gardens!
Find out how to protect the environment in your own back garden! Learn practical and exciting tips to follow at home. Find out what live under the grass and in the trees!
Wind turbine (风车) tower!
Climb the 500 steps to the top of the 85-metre wind turbine tower and see the amazing view of Carlstown and the river beyond. For a little more charge, go on a special tour of the machine room(children under 12 not allowed without an adult).
Gift shop and restaurant!
Amazing gifts for all the family, each one specially chosen by our team of eco experts! The restaurant has a great choice of food and drinks, with a wide selection of vegetarian dishes available. There is access for wheelchair users to both the gift shop and the restaurant, and large print food menus for visitors with poor eyesight. Picnic area and free parking every day.
KIDS-Special meals at reduced prices!
Opening time:
April 1st--- September 30th.
Monday-Friday 10 am-6pm, Weekends 10am-7pm.
October 1st---March 31st.
Monday-Friday 10am-2pm, Weekends 10am-4pm.
Tel: 01882-7092, Fax:01882-7093What can children do in the Class for children?
| A．Play some hands-on games. |
| B．Enjoyed different food and drinks. |
| C．Go on a tour of the machine room. |
| D．Get some tips to protect their home. |
Where can you see the view of Carlstown?
| A．Outside the restaurant. |
| B．On the wind turbine tower. |
| C．Near the picnic area. |
| D．In the organic garden. |
At what time does the centre close on Monday in April?
| A．2pm. | B．4pm. | C．6pm. | D．7pm. |
Who is the Ecoworld Discovery Centre mainly designed for?
| A．Eco expert. |
| B．Special helpers. |
| C．Children and their parents. |
| D．Gift shop-keepers. |
IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer, and the man behind it is Ingvar Kamprad, one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Born in Sweden in 1926, Kamprad was a natural businessman. As a child, he enjoyed selling things and made small profits from selling matches, seeds, and pencils in his community. When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for his good grades. Naturally he used it to start up a business—IKEA.
IKEA’s name comes from Kamprad's initials (I.K.) and the place where he grew up (‘E’and ‘A’). Today IKEA is known for its modern, minimalist furniture, but it was not a furniture company in the beginning. Rather, IKEA sold all kinds of miscellaneous goods.
Kamprad’s wares included anything that he could sell for profits at discounted prices, including watches, pens and stockings.
IKEA first began to sell furniture through a mail-order catalogue in 1947. The furniture was all designed and made by manufacturers near Kamprad’s home. Initial sales were very encouraging, so Kamprad expanded the product line．Furniture was such a successful aspect of the business that IKEA became solely a furniture company in 1951.
In 1953 IKEA opened its first showroom in Almhult, Sweden. IKEA is known today for its spacious stores with furniture in attractive settings, but in the early1950s, people ordered from catalogues. Thus response to the first showroom was overwhelming: people loved being able to see and try the furniture before buying it. This led to increased sales and the company continued to thrive. By 1955, IKEA was designing all its own furniture.
In 1956 Kamprad saw a man disassembling(拆卸) a table to make it easier to transport. Kamprad was inspired. The man had given him a great idea: flat packaging. Flat packaging would mean lower shipping costs for IKEA and lower prices for customers. IKEA tried it and sales soared. The problem was that people had to assemble furniture themselves, but over time, even this grew into an advantage for IKEA. Nowadays, IKEA is often seen as having connotations(内涵) of self-sufficiency. This image has done wonders for the company, leading to better sales and continued expansion．
Today there are over 200 stores in 32 countries. Amazingly, Ingvar Kamprad has managed to keep IKEA a privately-held company. In 2004 he was named the world’s richest man. He currently lives in Switzerland and is retired from the day-to-day operations of IKEA. IKEA itself, though, just keeps on growing.The author states in Paragraph 6 that flat packaging___________.
| A．needs large space to assembly furniture |
| B．is a business concept inspired by Kamprad |
| C．helps reduce transportation costs |
| D．makes the company self-sufficient |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Ingvar Kamprad is the richest man in the world. |
| B．IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer. |
| C．The advantage of IKEA’s furniture is dissembling. |
| D．Ingvar Kamprad established IKEA and led it to great success. |
What is the author’s attitude towards IKEA’s future according to the last paragraph?
| A．Indifferent | B．Optimistic |
| C．Doubtful | D．Pessimistic |
The passage is developed primarily in terms of ___________.
| A．order of events |
| B．analysis of a process |
| C．examples that illustrate(阐释) a problem |
| D．comparison and contrast |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew (摄影组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry, “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we are on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise?” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew were out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay(海湾)。 Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir.” They said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio(摄影棚)。 “ All right,” the director explained, “ now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of minute, the director suddenly put his face in the hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out ______________.
| A．to watch a beautiful sunset |
| B．to find an actor and an actress |
| C．to film a scene on the sea |
| D．to meet the audience |
Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset
Because he was angry with his crew
Because it was his secretary’s suggestion
Because he wanted to get a scene of sunsetThe director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because___________.
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands __________.
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D． because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine. |
A lot more people are about to get a chance to buy Google Glass. It’s the Internet-connected eyewear that has become the hottest sale.
Google will sell the “Explorer” version(版本) of Glass to any U.S. person who places an online order for the device beginning at 9am. PDT April 15. The product will cost $1,500. Google is saying how many sets of Glass will be available during the limited-time offer.
This version of Glass, though, still isn’t the perfect product that Google hopes to sell in stores later this year.
For now, Google is still trying to recruit(招聘) more people willing to serve as volunteers for its attempt to build a wearable device that features some of the same feature as a smart phone. “ Our Explorers are moms, bakers, surgeons, rockers, and each new Explorer has brought a new view that is making Glass better,” Google said.
The device has a small screen attached above the right eye. A user can check e-mails, see Twitter post or get directions without having to use a phone. It can also take hands-free photos and video through voice-activated(声控的) commands. The ability to record images so easily has raised safely concerns about drivers wearing Glass. The lawmakers have to draw up new rules forbidding use of the device in moving vehicles.
Google regards Glass as a breakthrough(突破). It will make it easier for people to surf the Internet while on the go. They also hope that the device could help police officers, firefighters, doctors and reporters do their jobs better.What is special about Google Glass?
| A．People can only order it online. |
| B．It’s cheaper than the ordinary glasses. |
| C．People can explore the Internet with it. |
| D．It doesn’t contain any actual glass in the future. |
Google is still trying to recruit more volunteers to _____________.
| A．improve their products |
| B．sell their products |
| C．advertise their products |
| D．wear their products |
We can use Google Glass to do the following EXCEPT_____________.
| A．check e-mails | B．make a call |
| C．take video | D．find your way |
What problem may Google Glass bring to people?
| A．Its screen is too small for people to surf the Internet. |
| B．It may cause traffic accidents if people use it while driving. |
| C．Users must use their hands to take photos. |
| D．It is difficult for many people to learn to use. |
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