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In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics (策略).
One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food (垃圾食品) later in their trip. In department stores, the women’s shoe section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics (化妆品) section: while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.
Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wines went up.
When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few seconds upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $ 10 million houses.
1.Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?
A.To save customers time. B.To show they are high quality foods.
C.To help sell junk food. D.To sell them at discount prices.
2.According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?
A.Opening the store early in the morning. B.Displaying British wines next to French ones.
C.Inviting customers to play music. D.Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread.
3.What is the California builder’s story intended to prove?
A.The house structure is a key factor customers consider.
B.The more costly the house is, the better it sells.
C.An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste.
D.A good first impression increases sales.
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.
B.To introduce how businesses have grown from the past.
C.To report researches on customer behavior.
D.To show dishonest business practices.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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2.If you want to share a story of your pets with the readers, you need to submit it to ________.
A.Anecdotes and Jokes B.Smart Animals
C.Power of Love D.My Story
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way.” He was determined that none of his children would be denied an education.
Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point. Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning. Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen. "Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today.” "I learned that the population of Nepal is ....” Silence.
Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. “The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well . . . . ” he’d say. “Get the map; let's see where Nepal is.” And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.
This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.
As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.
Later during my training as a future teacher, I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.
1.What do we know from the first paragraph?
A.The author's father was born in a worker's family.
B.Those born stupid could not change their life.
C.The town elders wanted to learn about the world.
D.The poor could hardly afford school education.
2.The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to .
A.one new thing B.a request
C.the news D.some comment
3.It can be learned from the passage that the author .
A.enjoyed talking about news
B.knew very well about Nepal
C.felt regret about those wasted days
D.appreciated his father's educational technique
4.The author's father can be best described as .
A.an educator expert at training future teachers
B.a parent insistent on his children's education
C.a participant willing to share his knowledge
D.a teacher strict about everything his students did
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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FLORENCE, Italy—Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt. The Moldovan has lived here seven years as a caregiver to Italian kids and elderly, but in order to stay she’s had to prove her language skills by taking a test which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad.
Italy is the latest Western European country trying to control a growing immigrant(移民) population by demanding language skills in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.
Some immigrant advocates worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs, such measures will become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration(融合). Others say it’s only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society.
Other European countries laid down a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures.
Italy, which has a much weaker tradition of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy’s then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants’ children accounting for an ever larger percentage of births in Italy.
Cojochru, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence(居住权) would help her bring her two children to Italy; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe. She was skeptical that the language requirement would encourage integration.
Italians always ＂see me as a foreigner,＂ an outsider, even though she’s stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently, she said.
1.Why does Cojochru have to take a language test?
A.To continue to stay in Italy.
B.To teach her children Italian.
C.To find a better job in Italy.
D.To better mix with the Italians.
2.Some people worry that the new language requirement may ____________.
A.reduce Italy’s population quickly
B.cause conflicts among people
C.lead to financial difficulties
D.put pressure on schools
3.What do we know about Cojochru?
A.She lives with her sister now in Italy.
B.She enjoys learning the Italian language.
C.She speaks Italian well enough for her job.
D.She wishes to go back to her home country.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析