When Mary Barra took the wheel at General Motors in January she inherited a company in good shape. Five years after bankruptcy(破产), its profits were beyond expectations and its share price was rising. But the new boss's to-do list was long: fixing GM's loss-making European arm, keeping up momentum(势头) in China amid signs of a slowdown and giving new life to the product line. The former CEO, Dan Akerson, warned her that she would also face unexpected challenges. The first has arrived sooner than she might have expected.
What appeared to be a routine recall(召回) of about 800,000 older models, linked to a faulty ignition(点火) switch, has turned out to be anything but. The number of cars recalled has leapt to more than 2.6 million. The company's clumsy handling of a safety problem that first became apparent a decade ago is now linked to the deaths of at least 13 motorists.
Called before Congress to answer for GM's failings Ms Barra said she was “deeply sorry” but insisted that the post-bankruptcy “new GM” was not like the “old GM”, which had failed to deal with the ignition switches for years. Politicians and the public alike want to know how such a problem could have remained unaddressed for so long.
Cars are becoming ever more complex machines, with thousands of mechanical and electronic parts. Last year it happened to 22 million vehicles in America, compared with 18 million in 2012. In fact, GM was one of only three brands that recalled fewer vehicles than it sold. Minor problems, like squeaks(吱吱响) or rattles(卡嗒响), that do not affect safety are more common still. They may be fixed at a routine service; the owner may never know. The growing number of recalls is proof to an improving system for picking up faults.
But it is very complicated. Dealers must record replacements of parts under warranty(保修). The carmaker needs to spot the trend, recognize it as a problem and then determine whether or not it is a design fault that requires an extensive replacement. It relies on accurate recording of every warranty replacement in every region. This system appears to have broken down at “old GM”. Ms Barra needs to find out why.
The core problem is a widely used ignition switch that has a tendency to slip from the “on” position to “off” if a driver uses a heavy key-chain or bounces down a rough road. An improvement was made in 2008 to prevent the problem, which can lead to the engine shutting off, disabling the airbags. But despite a growing list of crashes and deaths, GM failed to order a recall for a component that would have cost a few dollars at most.
This is odd. Most carmakers want to identify and fix problems speedily despite having to bear the cost of buying and fitting a new component. A small part can do great harm, if bad publicity leads to reputational collapse, lost sales and law suits, including heavy penalties. Appearing to put profits before safety is an invitation to battering a firm's shares, as GM has discovered.
So far Ms Barra has handled the situation well. She seems to have acted as soon as she found out something was wrong. GM has appointed a worldwide safety president to cut through the process that may have delayed investigation and action. And in a sweeping housecleaning, GM has recalled another 2 million vehicles in America alone. GM looks set to accept moral, if not legal, responsibility. The terms of its exit from bankruptcy give immunity to lawsuits for injuries arising beforehand. But GM is likely to compensate survivors’ and victims' families anyway.
It is not yet clear how much of a hammering GM will take. But hours before Ms Barra's meeting with Congress, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a greatly desired “Top Safety Pick” for the new Chevrolet Malibu, one of a growing number of well-received cars from GM.
1.When Mary Barra took office, there was plenty more room for GM's improvement in that ________.
a. the development of Chinese market appears to be slowing down
b. former bosses have failed to fix GM's loss-making European arm
c. some car models lack appeal in the market
d. Mr. Akerson has left some challenges for her to handle
e. GM’s management teams are made up mainly of men
A. a, b, and e B. b, c, and d C. a, b, and c D. a, c and d
2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A. Problems like squeaks or rattles are frequent reasons for recalls.
B. Recalls are not uncommon in the auto industry.
C. Car companies welcome recalls to demonstrate improved products and services.
D. Minor problems may be fixed at a routine service without the owners’ knowledge.
3.Mary Barra has carried out the following strategies to manage the crisis and quiet the critics EXCEPT that ________.
A. as soon as she learned about the problem, she acted without hesitation
B. she faced facts and apologized sincerely
C. she took the legal responsibilities for their previous mistakes
D. she appointed a new president for global safety for GM
4.What does the underlined word “battering” in paragraph7 probably mean?
A. Benefiting. B. Regulating. C. Purchasing. D. Damaging.
5.What can we infer from GM's new Malibu being awarded “Top Safety Pick”?
A. GM's new model Malibu is specially designed to solve ignition problems.
B. GM products are gaining more and more popularity around the world.
C. GM seems to be on the road to saving itself from mistakes.
D. GM has worked out a solution to the broken-down recall system.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
When Mary Barra took the wheel at General Motors in January she inherited a company in good shape. Five years after bankruptcy(破产), its profits were beyond expectations and its share price was rising. But the new boss's to-do list was long: fixing GM's loss-making European arm, keeping up momentum(势头) in China amid signs of a slowdown and giving new life to the product line. The former CEO, Dan Akerson, warned her that she would also face unexpected challenges. The first has arrived sooner than she might have expected.
What appeared to be a routine recall(召回) of about 800,000 older models, linked to a faulty ignition(点火) switch, has turned out to be anything but. The number of cars recalled has leapt to more than 2.6 million. The company's clumsy handling of a safety problem that first became apparent a decade ago is now linked to the deaths of at least 13 motorists.
Called before Congress to answer for GM's failings Ms Barra said she was “deeply sorry” but insisted that the post-bankruptcy “new GM” was not like the “old GM”, which had failed to deal with the ignition switches for years. Politicians and the public alike want to know how such a problem could have remained unaddressed for so long.
Cars are becoming ever more complex machines, with thousands of mechanical and electronic parts. Last year it happened to 22 million vehicles in America, compared with 18 million in 2012. In fact, GM was one of only three brands that recalled fewer vehicles than it sold. Minor problems, like squeaks(吱吱响) or rattles(卡嗒响), that do not affect safety are more common still. They may be fixed at a routine service; the owner may never know. The growing number of recalls is proof to an improving system for picking up faults.
But it is very complicated. Dealers must record replacements of parts under warranty(保修). The carmaker needs to spot the trend, recognize it as a problem and then determine whether or not it is a design fault that requires an extensive replacement. It relies on accurate recording of every warranty replacement in every region. This system appears to have broken down at “old GM”. Ms Barra needs to find out why.
The core problem is a widely used ignition switch that has a tendency to slip from the “on” position to “off” if a driver uses a heavy key-chain or bounces down a rough road. An improvement was made in 2008 to prevent the problem, which can lead to the engine shutting off, disabling the airbags. But despite a growing list of crashes and deaths, GM failed to order a recall for a component that would have cost a few dollars at most.
This is odd. Most carmakers want to identify and fix problems speedily despite having to bear the cost of buying and fitting a new component. A small part can do great harm, if bad publicity leads to reputational collapse, lost sales and law suits, including heavy penalties. Appearing to put profits before safety is an invitation to battering a firm's shares, as GM has discovered.
So far Ms Barra has handled the situation well. She seems to have acted as soon as she found out something was wrong. GM has appointed a worldwide safety president to cut through the process that may have delayed investigation and action. And in a sweeping housecleaning, GM has recalled another 2 million vehicles in America alone. GM looks set to accept moral, if not legal, responsibility. The terms of its exit from bankruptcy give immunity to lawsuits for injuries arising beforehand. But GM is likely to compensate survivors’ and victims' families anyway.
It is not yet clear how much of a hammering GM will take. But hours before Ms Barra's meeting with Congress, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a greatly desired “Top Safety Pick” for the new Chevrolet Malibu, one of a growing number of well-received cars from GM.
1.When Mary Barra took office, there was plenty more room for GM's improvement in that ________.
a. the development of Chinese market appears to be slowing down
b. former bosses have failed to fix GM's loss-making European arm
c. some car models lack appeal in the market
d. Mr. Akerson has left some challenges for her to handle
e. GM’s management teams are made up mainly of men
A. a, b, and e B. b, c, and d C. a, b, and c D. a, c and d
2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A. Problems like squeaks or rattles are frequent reasons for recalls.
B. Recalls are not uncommon in the auto industry.
C. Car companies welcome recalls to demonstrate improved products and services.
D. Minor problems may be fixed at a routine service without the owners’ knowledge.
3.Mary Barra has carried out the following strategies to manage the crisis and quiet the critics EXCEPT that ________.
A. as soon as she learned about the problem, she acted without hesitation
B. she faced facts and apologized sincerely
C. she took the legal responsibilities for their previous mistakes
D. she appointed a new president for global safety for GM
4.What does the underlined word “battering” in paragraph7 probably mean?
A. Benefiting. B. Regulating. C. Purchasing. D. Damaging.
5.What can we infer from GM's new Malibu being awarded “Top Safety Pick”?
A. GM's new model Malibu is specially designed to solve ignition problems.
B. GM products are gaining more and more popularity around the world.
C. GM seems to be on the road to saving itself from mistakes.
D. GM has worked out a solution to the broken-down recall system.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary(子公式) to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers’ favourite enemy operates.
So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly(垄断).
Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival(复兴) is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns.
He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative(倡议)launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners.
1.Which of the following statement is RIGHT?
A.Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004.
B.The sales of McDonald is increasing in France.
C.Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales of McDonald in the world.
D.The nutrition information is always launched on McDonald products.
2.McDonaId's is blamed in Europe for the following reasons EXCEPT________.
A.making people fat B.exploiting workers
C.treating animals cruelly D.earning too much
3.Which of the following is not included in the McDonaId's packaging?
A.attentions B.fat C.protein D.salt content
4.What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe?
A.He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe.
B.He introduced "open door" visitor's days in each country.
C.He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary.
D.He engaged in a dialogue with the public.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary(子公式) to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers’ favourite enemy operates.
So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly(垄断).
Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival(复兴) is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns.
He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative(倡议)launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners.
1.Which of the following statement is RIGHT?
A.Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004. |
B.The sales of McDonald is increasing in France. |
C.Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales of McDonald in the world. |
D.The nutrition information is always launched on McDonald products. |
2.McDonaId's is blamed in Europe for the following reasons EXCEPT________.
A.making people fat | B.exploiting workers |
C.treating animals cruelly | D.earning too much |
3.Which of the following is not included in the McDonaId's packaging?
A.attentions | B.fat | C.protein | D.salt content |
4.What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe?
A.He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe. |
B.He introduced "open door" visitor's days in each country. |
C.He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary. |
D.He engaged in a dialogue with the public. |
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
---Obama took oath (宣誓)of office in the White House。
---When was _____?
---____was on January 23,2013.
A. that, It B. it, It
C. this, It D. it, That
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Huang Lizhi took her first class in African sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa in February, her professor asked her and her classmates what impresses them most when it comes to Africa.
Unexpectedly, Huang, 31, found that words like “poverty” and “safari” – negative words that were often associated with the continent in media reports – were the kind of terms her African classmates didn’t want to hear. Instead, they preferred to hear the question answered in this way: “Africa is the cradle of humankind” and “Africans are passionate and generous”.
Apparently, there are some misunderstandings between us. It’s true that with incidents like the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa and the emergence (出现) of pirates off the coast of Somalia hitting the news, it’s easy for us to keep forgetting that Africa has one of the world’s oldest civilizations – Egypt, born by the world’s longest river, the Nile. The proof is in the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza, which are both popular among tourists. And the tombs of ancient Egypt have also become endless sources for the literature and film industries.
When it comes to the natural environment of Africa, our misunderstandings are only bigger. But the truth is that instead of being extremely hot all year and covered by desert, the continent has large areas of savannas (稀树草原) where lions, giraffes and zebras live, the snowcapped Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa – and even thick forest on the island of Madagascar.These misunderstandings are one of the reasons why the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held on Sept 3 and 4 – to understand each other better.
Indeed, only by visiting Africa herself did Huang see the convenient living conditions, the amazing natural beauty and the friendly people.In her eyes, her classmates were as hopeful about the future of their own countries as they were about Africa as a whole, and they were quick to demonstrate both their strong will and activity. “At that moment, I knew exactly what they wanted – they wanted their culture to be respected.”
1.Which of the following best explains “cradle ” underlined in paragraph 2?
A. A small bed for babies.
B. A basket to hold something.
C. A place for people to relax themselves.
D. A place where something important began.
2.What can we infer about Africa according to the passage ?
A. It is very hot all the year round. B. It’s not a safe continent to live in
C. It’s different from what we imagine. D. It is bound to have a bright future
3.Which of the following would Huang agree with ?
A. To see is to believe B. Think twice before you do
C. A miss is as good as a mile D. Don’t judge a person by his appearance
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Valuing a Culture. B. Understanding Africa.
C. Paying a Visit to Africa. D. Discovering a Continent.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1.Who deals with deliveries in the company at present?
A. Jennings Motors. B. Eric George. C. Tom Smith.
2.When will the package be delivered?
A. Next Tuesday. B. Next Monday. C. Today.
高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析
(2014·日照模拟)The new traffic rules that took effect on January 1 are much stricter than________in the past.
A.that B.this
C.it D.those
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
New traffic rules that took effect on January l, 2013 are much stricter than in the past.
A.that B.this C.those D.What
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
New traffic rules that took effect on January l, 2013 are much stricter than ________ in the past.
A. that B. this C. those D. What
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When studying in Australia, do not worry about understanding the local language. General English programs are offered to help you English. As a General English at Greenwich College,I will tell you what you can learn from these programs.
I teach English at all levels from beginners to .My classes usually with a fun activity. We play vocabulary and grammar .Sometimes we listen to Australian and decide if we like the lyrics(歌词).After we have all ,we move onto the grammar or vocabulary of the day. We it through writing or speaking.
We our other skills(reading,writing or listening)in the afternoon,and use these skills to better understand the grammar or vocabulary. , at the end of the day, we talk about to live and work in Australia. We discuss the problems, how to understand different accents, new words and make new friends. If there are any problems,we help each other, offering advice and .
General English also offers accent classes to improve your speaking ability. We offer special grammar and conversation classes, a movie club! You can also come with us to the Opera House,the beach,the zoo or even to a museum.
If you feel about using your spoken English,don’t worry! Everyone feels the .So,in General English we have activities that you talking to classmates,excursions(远足)that your confidence,and student parties that help you talk to others.
It's a great way to all your English skills as well as have a fantastic . Maybe I’ll see you in my class soon.
1.A.test B.posses C.cover D. grasp
2.A.student B.worker C.teacher D. guide
3.A.advanced B.awkward C.addicted D. accustomed
4.A.deal B.start C.compete D. work
5.A.toys B.sports C.games D. music
6.A.songs B.dialogues C.news D. reports
7.A.turned up B.shut up C.warmed up D. made up
8.A.catch B.practice C.appreciate D. enjoy
9.A.depend on B.keep on C.base on D. focus on
10.A.Occasionally B.Secondly C.FortunatelyD. Eventually
11.A.why B.how C.when D.whether
12.A.including B.remaining C.deciding D.judging
13.A.practice B.disadvantage C.support D.challenge
14.A.as well as B.in addition C.except fo D. as a result of
15.A.nervous B.comfortable C.excited D.proud
16.A.opposite B.fixed C.same D.forced
17.A.take B.imagine C.get D. remind
18.A.catch B.build C.appreciate D. draw
19.A.improve B.value C.assess D. arrange
20.A.feeling B.thought C.adventure D. experience
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析