Watson entered Mr. Smith's office. The boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn't do well without giving them a second chance.
"Watson," said Mr. Smith, "this past year your department hasn't earned money. We're going to drop that department. It's finished. I’m sorry, —but you'll have to go." "But, sir — if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School."
"What's that!" said the boss. "Riverside! I didn't know you had a boy there. That's an expensive school for a man with your salary."
"I know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He's a star athlete and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ there."
The boss sat perfectly still for a long time — a faraway (恍惚的) look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, "We've got to close your department, Watson. But you'll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours—maybe more pay. Now get out. You're here for life."
Watson got out, with surprise on his face. Then the boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie's last letter from Riverside School —written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read:
I can’t say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it's the same everywhere when you're a cripple (跛脚的人). But don't worry about me, Dad. They've got a good chemistry department here. And there’s one boy here who is really great. He's a track star and boxing champ (冠军) and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, 1 want to do something for Champ. Something big — that he won’ t even know about.
Your son,
Herbie
1.Mr. Smith wanted to fire Watson because _____.
A. Watson would take over a new job in another department
B. Watson had his son study in Riverside School
C. Watson's son knocked a boy down who hit Herbie
D. Watson's department didn't earn money that year
2.We can learn from the text that _____.
A. Mr. Smith didn't know that Champ was Watson's son at first
B. Mr. Smith was told not to fire Watson by Herbie
C. Mr. Smith decided to give Watson another chance in no time
D. Mr. Smith wanted to realize Champ's dream
3.According to the text, which words can best describe Mr. Smith?
A. Selfish and greedy.
B. Sympathetic and grateful.
C. Hardworking and strict.
D. Easy-going and optimistic.
4.The author wrote the text in order to _____.
A. share a moving story with us
B. make our children enjoy life
C. provide us with tips on work
D. help us to deal with our boss
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A brand is a name, word, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of these, intended to identify the goods or services of a company or a group of companies. Another purpose of a brand is to contrast one company from another. The most important skill of professional marketers is the ability to create, maintain, protect, and enhance the brands of their products and services. Branding has become so important that today hardly any company or product is without one. Therefore, brand management is an increasingly important element in marketing.
Brand power refers to the relative strength of a company’s brand in the minds of consumers, and can influence consumers’ choice of products. Brands are powerful to the extent that they give high brand loyalty and strong brand associations, name recognition, perceived quality and other assets to a company. A strong brand can be one of a company’s most important assets.
High brand power provides a company with many competitive advantages. A powerful brand enjoys a high level of consumer brand awareness and loyalty. Because consumers expect stores to carry the brand, the company has more bargaining power when negotiating with retailers (零售商). And because the brand name brings high credibility, a company with a strong brand can more easily launch new products with the same brand name.
Many companies use the advantage of a strong brand power strategically to expand their business. When a company introduces an additional item with a new flavour, form, colour or package size in a given product category and under the same brand name, it is called a line extension. Another strategy is called brand extension. This involves the use of a successful brand name to launch new or modified products in a new category, thereby employing brand recognition in order to increase sales of new products.
Brand recognition is certainly important. Because consumers often hold long-standing perceptions about brands, high brand power ensure a company continued sales of its products.
1.What does the word “assets” in the 2nd paragraph mean?
A. points B. advantages C. aspects D. elements
2.All of the following statements are the advantages of a high brand power EXCEPT that______.
A. a high brand wins the loyalty of consumers
B. a high brand usually sets a much higher price
C. it’s easy for a high brand company to launch new products
D. a high brand company is more competitive when doing business with retailers
3.A brand extension ______.
A. happens when the company is developing a new product
B. means the expansion of a company’s business in its established field
C. takes place when the company introduces a similar item but with a new colour
D. refers to the use of an established brand name to promote a new product in a new category
4.What might be the best title of this passage?
A. Brand Power B. Famous Brands
C. Company Brands D. Brand Products
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The booking notes of the play "the Age of Innocence":
Price: $10
BOOKING
There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:
------ in person
The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a. m. -8 p. m.
-----by telephone
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card(Visa, MasterCard and Amex
accepted)
------ by post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.
------on line
Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satanfiedtheatre. com
DISCOUNTS:
Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday.
Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(suitable)for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.
Group Bookings: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more.
School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.
Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
1.If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT ________.
A. use the Internet.
B. ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card.
C. go to the Box Office on Sundays.
D. complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office.
2.According to the notes, who can get $2 off?
A. A 20-year-old full-time college student.
B. A 55-year-old woman.
C. An 18-year-old teenager.
D. The people who book the tickets on Fridays.
3.If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?
A. $120 B. $126
C. $140 D. $150
4.From the passage we can know all the following information except that ________.
A. There are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre.
B. The audience can't refund money if the performance is on show.
C. A group of 12 persons can get 10 percent discount.
D. A school party of 15 students should pay $90 for the standby tickets.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The fourth round of heavy smog to hit Beijing in four weeks has sent more people to the hospital with respiratory（呼吸的） illnesses and led to calls for laws to control the pollution.
Pan Shiyi, a celebrity real estate developer said he is planning to propose (提案) a Clean Air Act to the local government. As a representative to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, he started an online survey at 9:20 a.m. Within three hours, more than 25,000 web users, or 99 percent of total respondents（应答者）, welcomed his proposal on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter.
They have good reasons to stand alongside Pan. The latest round of haze（雾霾）reduced visibility to under 500 meters in many parts of the city. The smog has also led to a great increase in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children and the elderly. Anxious parents and doctors almost all blame the smoggy air for the illnesses. Though most schoolchildren are home for the winter holidays, the bad air can easily move indoors. Besides, ordinary medical masks fail to provide adequate protection, so some people have turned to gas masks and respirators（呼吸器）.
The causes of the scary smog are rather mysterious, though experts blame excessive emissions and the mountains around Beijing that trap pollution in winter, unless there is adequate wind to clear it away. Some critics have pointed fingers at China’s top two oil firms, China National Petroleum Corp and China Petrochemical Corporation, saying the companies’ outdated production technologies produce large quantities of substandard, high-polluting gas fuel.
Meanwhile, concerned Beijingers have moved their brainstorming sessions to cyberspace. If Pan’s proposal for a Clean Air Act is adopted, netizens say the new law should include items providing for “car-free days” in times of smog, higher standards for vehicle fuel, stricter restrictions on industrial and exhaust gas emissions, and more effective protection for the public.
Beijing is not the only city that has ever lost the blue sky. Five days of thick fog caused thousands of deaths in Britain in December 1952, urging the government to pass the first Clean Air Act in 1956, which introduced smokeless zones and cleaner fuels to reduce pollution. That may provide some experience for Beijing to refer to.
1.What can we learn from the passage?
A．People are clear about the causes of the smoggy weather.
B．Children staying indoors will not get respiratory illnesses.
C．Smog is worse for people with lower resistance to diseases.
D．Masks can give people protection against the smoggy weather.
2.Britain is mentioned in the last paragraph to ______.
A．suggest Beijing should learn from other countries
B．let people know many places have this problem
C．tell people the situation in Britain is worse
D．call on the government to pass Britain’s Clean Air Act
3.What’s the best title for this passage？
A．The Use of Gas masks and Respirators
B．Beijingers Call for Clean Air Act
C．Effective Protection for Blue Sky
D．The Mysterious Causes of the Scary Smog
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从下面A~G选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。选项中有二项为多余项。
Culture Shock
Culture shock refers to the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, uncertainty, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within a different and unknown cultural or social environment, such as a foreign country.
Generally speaking, we could say that there are four stages of culture shock. The first stage is called “the honeymoon”. In this stage, you are excited about living in a different place. 1.
The next stage is “the hostility(敌意)stage”. In this stage, you begin to notice not everything is as good as you originally thought it was. 2. Moreover, people don’t treat you like a guest anymore.
Then you come to the third stage called “recovery”. In this stage, you start to feel more positive. 3. The whole situation starts to become more favorable and you begin to learn to adapt yourself to it.
The last stage of culture shock is called “adjustment”. In this stage, you have reached a point where you actually feel good. 4. The things that originally made you feel uncomfortable or strange are now things that you understand. Now you have adjusted to the new culture and you feel comfortable.
Not all individuals visiting another country will experience all these four stages. 5. It also occurs within cultures as individuals move from place to place or from one setting to another (e.g., from high school to college).
A. You feel that friends should help each other to deal with culture shock.
B. And you try to develop comprehension of everything you don’t understand.
C. In addition, culture shock is not limited to the overseas visitor.
D. You become tired of many things about the new culture.
E. You have learned enough to understand the new culture.
F. You begin to understand you need to travel a lot.
G. And everything seems to be marvelous and everybody seems to be so nice to you.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（每空不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
China's Tea Villages
In most Chinese tea villages, March is the time of year in ___1.___ locals start to pick and process tea. The usually quiet villages suddenly become busy centers of activity, as people take out special tools and prepare ___2.___ tea processing. In some villages, local residents hold traditional ceremonies, __3.___ (thank) heaven for its blessing. The price of tea ___4.___ (pick) in March is extremely high because __5.___ is fresh, tender and contains multiple trace elements.
China ___6.___ (be) famous for tea production since ancient times. Of the goods transported and traded along __7.___ Old Silk Road linking China to the Middle East and Europe, the importance of tea was matched only by silk. China produces Oolong, black, green, white, yellow __8.___ dark (aka post-fermented) tea. The Oolong, green and black __9.___ (vary)are most notable for their high quality.
Most of China's tea villages are found in remote mountainous areas in the country's south and southwest, __10.___ the beautiful scenery is often hidden under clouds.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Yesterday, I met a delightful woman at a work event. As we talked, she told me about her in Manila, Philippines. She spoke about the her culture values their elders, and she explained that children are from the time of birth to respect and people older than themselves.
It was to hear that,so I enjoyed listening and learning. Here is her memory I found so beautiful:
When she was growing up, her father had three jobs to his family. She said her dad never , and though he worked very hard, he always had for them. One day, her father was at his full-time job. For several months, he was mailed temporary disability checks he was recovering.
When her father was able to return to his full-time job, he took all those disability that were sent to him while he was recovering and handed them back to the . He told them that he had two good legs and arms, and did not need this money. He told them to give the money to people who could not work, to people who needed it.
The woman telling the story was a little girl at that time. She had her father that very day when he went back to his company all those unopened checks. "My father is my hero," she . Lowering her voice, she said she would never forget what he did, and what an and influential mentor(导师) he was on how to live a life.
From my communication with her, it was that her father's same sweet spirit had been to this woman, and to her family. Hearing this story was so refreshing to my soul. I hope it is for you too.
1.A. study B. childhood C. friendship D. hobby
2.A. way B. pattern C. memory D. skill
3.A. adopted B. brought C. attended D. educated
4.A.greet B. admire C. honor D. welcome
5.A. surprising B. refreshing C. convincing D. puzzling
6.A. that B. what C. it D. this
7.A. depend on B. watch over C. take in D.care for
8.A. explained B. apologized C. complained D. regretted
9.A. food B. clothing C. space D. time
10.A. defeated B .injured C. fired D. punished
11.A. while B. though C. because D. since
12.A. presents B. goods C. checks D. awards
13.A. company B. committee C. community D. charity
14.A. frequently B. regularly C. actually D. normally
15.A. observed B. accompanied C. supported D. reminded
16.A. on B. about C. for D. with
17.A. remarked B. reported C. sighed D .announced
18.A. advanced B. effective C. inspiring D. honest
19.A. possible B. necessary C. strange D. obvious
20.A. given in B. passed down C. held on D. handed out
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写上该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分
I’d like to tell you what our school had worked out a new program. The purposes of the program is to make our school more beautiful, and to turn our school into the better place for us to study and live in. According on the program, we will plant different kinds of trees, flower and grass around our school. Beside, we will build a small garden in where we can do some reading and take a rest. What’s more, some statues of famous people will set up to encourage us work harder. Don’t you think it a wonderful program?
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华。你的两位朋友Tom与Peter几天前发生了争吵。3月9日是Peter生日，Tom想送他一个礼物来缓和关系，修复友情，特地发来邮件寻求你的建议。请你根据以下要点给Tom回一封邮件：
1.礼物选择
2.你的理由
3.其他和解建议
注意：
1.词数100左右
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数
Dear Tom,
I’m glad to hear that you are considering making up with Peter.
LiHua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析