A new retail phenomenon from Japan which allo...

A new retail phenomenon from Japan which allows customers to walk away with free products is to launch in Britain.

From tomorrow, visitors to Sample Trend’s central London store can try anything on its shelves, and all of the products can be taken home without charge. For a nominal annual membership fee of £60, users are free to enter the shop once a month and help themselves to no less than £250 worth of goods every year. The only ‘catch’ is that shoppers are asked to complete a simple questionnaire about each product they try.

Known as ‘try-vertising’, the concept allows manufacturers to test products and receive consumer feedback before launching onto the open market. It is already very popular in Japan and now looks set to transform the fortunes of the embattled（严阵以待的） UK retail industry. According to new figures, stores are facing a Christmas crisis with the weakest High Street trading for six months.

Michael Ghosh, the brainchild（创意者）behind Sample Trend, said: “The concept behind Sample Trend is unique in the UK. It allows shoppers the opportunity to walk away with a number of real, full-size products of their choosing without handing over a penny.”

The concept of in-store try-vertising is simple but effective. Businesses across all sectors, from cosmetic manufacturers to beverage（饮料） makers, place new products on the shelves at Sample Trend and wait for consumers to try them out.

Customers complete a short 10-point questionnaire about the product, and the feedback they provide is used to make any last-minute improvement before the product is brought officially to market. The Sample Trend store stocks everything from cosmetics, food and drink, and household goods.

Ghosh, the former advertising and sales director for Disney Europe, said such feedback may also build brand loyalty from the outset---a particularly appealing prospect for new businesses.

1.What can we know about the Sample Trend?

A. It has turned out to be a success in London.

B. The goods in the shop are free for everyone

C. The customers can only go to it once a month.

D. It sells everything people need.

2.The word “catch” (in para2) can be replaced by _________

A. advantage     B. disadvantage    C. problem    D. requirement

3.The customers need to fill a questionnaire to________

A. give suggestions for the products

B. recommend the products

C. give feedback about the products

D. express their thanks

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new retail phenomenon from Japan which allows customers to walk away with free products is to launch in Britain. From tomorrow, visitors to SampleTrend’s central London store can try anything on its shelves, and all of the products can be taken home without charge.

For an annual membership fee of £60，users are free to enter the shop once a month and help themselves to no less than £250 worth of goods every year. The only ‘catch’ is that shoppers are asked to complete a simple questionnaire about each product they try. Known as ‘try-vertising’，the concept allows manufacturers to test products and receive consumer feedback(反馈）before launching onto the open market. It is already a sensation in Japan and now looks set to transform the fortunes of the embattled UK retail industry. If everything goes well, countries such as Germany and France will give it a try. According to new figures, stores are facing a Christmas crisis with the weakest high street trading for six months. Michael Ghosh, the founder behind SampleTrend, said, “The concept behind SampleTrend is unique in the UK. It allows shoppers the opportunity to walk away with a number of real, full-size products of their choosing without handing over a penny.” The concept of in-store try-vertising is simple but effective. Businesses across all sectors from cosmetic manufacturers to beverage makers, place new products on the shelves at SampleTrend and wait for consumers to try them out.

Customers complete a short 10-point questionnaire about the product. The feedback they provide is used to make any finishing touches before the product is brought officially to market. The SampleTrend store stocks everything from cosmetics, food and drink, and household goods. Ghosh, the former advertising and sales director for Disney Europe, said such feedback may also build brand loyalty from the outset— a particularly appealing prospect for new businesses.

1.The most attractive part of the idea for customers is that_____.

A. they only pay £60 for a life-long membership

B. they can help to make the products better

C. it won’t take much time to finish the questionnaire

D. they can take things home without paying for them

2.The idea of ‘try-vertising’ originates from_____.

A. Germany 　 B. Britain 　　 C. Japan 　　 D. France

3.The purpose of ‘try-vertising’ is to_____.

A. get feedback for their new products

B. sell more products at Christmas time

C. encourage people to buy more products

D. give customers free products as gifts

4.What does Michael Ghosh think of this business idea?

A. Puzzling. 　　 B. Unpractical.

C. Promising. 　 D. Surprising.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

A firm from New Zealand has revealed a set of robotic legs which they claim will soon allow ________ wheelchair-bound people to walk again.

A. extremely         B. previously           C. actually             D. eventually

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The word“diary”comes from the Latin word“diarium”，which means“daily allowance”.It refers to a book for disconnected writings by date and is used for business notes，planning activities，keeping track of scheduled appointments，or documenting what has already happened.

In America，from the 1940s through the 1980s，a diary was thought of mostly as a way to privately express one’s deepest thoughts while keeping marks about the day.In those times，and even continuing on today，writing in a diary was like writing to a special friend.Many times，movies would show a teenage girl beginning to write in her diary while she said aloud，“Dear diary,…”What followed was a brief statement of the day，usually filled with emotion.

Those private reflections may have historical significance long after the author’s death.A diary kept by a young German Jewish girl by the name of Anne Frank provides us with invaluable lessons about history，for she documented her experiences while she hid from the Nazis during their occupation of the Netherlands in the World War II.Her diary became one of the world’s most widely read books and is the basis for many films.

Semuel Pepys，who lived during the 17th Century，is the earliest diary-keeper that is famous today.His diary is also an important documentation of history，for it gives personal insight into London’s Great Plague and the Great Fire.Pepys took diary writing from the realm of business to the individual.His diary is being published on the Internet，and it's interesting to note that there has been a new entry every day since January of 2003.It will continue over the course of several years to come.Reading his diary is fascinating，and it makes his life all the more real to us.

Today’s electronic version of the diary，the web log，or“blog”has once again stretched the diary to be much more than a personal account of the day’s events.There are blogs to document recipes，traveling，movies，independent news，product announcements，photos，and anything else that needs to be recorded over time.Search engines like Technorati.com have been created to keep track of the more than 112 million blogs that are currently public.In its newest replacement，the diary has become more popular than ever.

1.Generally what is a diary used for?

A. Taking business notes.　　 B. Planning activities.

C. Keeping daily happenings.　　 D. Confirming the appointments.

2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word“realm”in the fourth paragraph?

A. Kingdom.　　 B. Field.　　 C. Department.　　 D. Land.

3.Why does the author mention Anne Frank’s diary in the third paragraph?

A. To let us know the popularity of her diary.

B. To show us the invaluable lessons about the history.

C. To present her dramatic and interesting experience during the War.

D. To emphasis the importance of keeping diaries for historical purposes.

4.What can we know about the blog?

A. It has been more widely accepted by the public.

B. Technorati is the only search engine created for it.

C. The diary remains the same form but still popular.

D. Nothing but the individual daily events can be recorded.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Energy drinks are not allowed _______ in Australia but are brought in from New Zealand.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

American families are accustomed to settling in faraway places, which has been a national phenomenon. Decades of data, including a more recent Gallup study, characterizes the US as one of the most geographically mobile countries in the world. “About one in four US adults(24 percent) has reported moving within the country in the past five years.” the reported noted. With the exception of Finns(23 percent) and Norwegians(22 percent), Americans move considerably more than their European peers.

Though some may move for love or family, the major reason why Americans choose to move around is, unsurprisingly, related to work. Citing data from the Current Population Survey, a post on the blog of the New York Fed noted that between 1998 and 2013, “slightly more than half of interstate(州际的) migrants said they moved for employment­related reasons—a category that includes moves undertaken for new jobs, job transfers, and easier commutes(通勤).”

The seeking of opportunity, particularly for an immigrant nation, is a national mythology(神话) as well as an emotional attachment to work. A new working paper analyzed by Ben Steverman at Bloomberg suggests that workers in the US now “put in almost 25 percent more hours than Europeans” in a given year. This figure has steadily risen since the 1970s, when the hours logged by workers in Western Europe and the US were roughly the same.

There are, of course, some internal factors. The US is much vaster than most European countries, plus it boasts(拥有) a common language. It is considered to be a sign of an efficient labor market that US workers can be persuaded to move to regions where there is a steady growth in jobs, such as the Sun Belt in recent years. And while American workers often have fewer labor protections than their European counterparts, as a report by the World Bank noted in 2012, American “labor laws give employers the power to fire, hire, or relocate(重新安置) workers according to their needs”， a flexibility that is thought to aid economic growth. The World Band report added that the occupation of the average US employee in 2006 was 4 years, compared to 10 years in the European Union.

Nevertheless, while Americans remain excessively mobile, FaithKarahan and Darious Li at the New York Fed are the latest to note that US workers are moving around less than before. During the 1980s, 3 percent of working­age Americans relocated to a different state each year; that figure had been cut in half by 2010. “While part of the decline can be attributed to the Great Recession，” the authors suggest, “this__phenomenon took place over the course of several decades and is not necessarily related to the economic conditions.”

So what accounts for this phenomenon? A round­up of theories by Brad Plumer at The Washington Post included the aging of the US workforce, the further rise of two­income households, the burdens of real estate, evolving workplace culture, as well as the flat line of wages, which makes moving away for a job, on average, a less rewarding financial proposition.

Karahan and Li put much stock in the effects of an aging workforce, to which they attribute at least half of the decline in interstate migration. “In short, a young individual today is moving less than a young person did in the 1980s because of the higher presence of older workers，” they write, suggesting that employers have shifted their employment tactics(策略) to adapt to the changing demographics(人口统计数据) of the workforce. Needless to say, movies about this era in American life, in which fewer people set out to start lives in wide­ranging places, will probably be much less exciting.

1.According to the passage, in the past five years, Americans have moved ________.

A. relatively less than the British B. less frequently than Italians

C. slightly more than Norwegians D. considerably more than Finns

2.What can we infer from Paragraphs 2 and 3?

A. Americans choose to move mainly for work and family.

B. Americans have a very strong interest in work.

C. Americans invested more time in work than Europeans in 1975.

D. Americans tended to move to Europe between 1998 and 2013.

3.Which of the following is NOT the reason why American workers move more than their European peers?

A. There is a common language in the US.

B. The US is much vaster than most European countries.

C. American labor laws give employers more freedom to deal with them.

D. They are offered more efficient labor protections.

4.The underlined part “this phenomenon” in Paragraph 5 refers to ________.

A. the Great Recession

B. the decline of working­age Americans' interstate migration

C. the reduction in the number of working­age Americans

D. Americans' tendency to remain mobile

5.How do American employers deal with the aging workforce according to the passage?

A. By sticking to their previous policies. B. By adjusting to it.

C. By improving their employees' job skills. D. By raising employment standard.

6.As to the current situation of Americans migration, the author might feel ________.

A. curious B. strange C. confused D. disappointed

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Clothing rental is a hot new industry and retailers (零售商) are demanding to get on board in hopes of attracting green shopper.

But is renting fashion actually more environmentally-friendly than buying it, and if so, how much more? Journalist and author Elizabeth Cline investigated (调查) this question and concluded that it's not as sustainable as it seems.

Take shipping, for example, which has to go two ways if an item is rented — receiving and returning. Cline writes that consumer transportation has the second largest carbon footprint of our collective fashion habit after manufacturing.

She writes, ''An item ordered online and then returned can send out 20 kilograms of carbon each way, and increases up to 50 kilograms for rush shipping. By comparison, the carbon impact of a pair of jeans purchased from a physical store and washed and worn at home is 33.4 kilograms, according to a 2015 study by Levi's.''

Then there's the burden of washing, which has to happen for every item when it's returned, regardless of whether or not it was worn. For most rental services, this usually means dry cleaning, a high impact and polluting process. All the rental services that Cline looked into have replaced perchloroethylene (氯乙烯), a carcinogenic (致癌的) air pollutant, still used by 70 percent of US dry cleaners, with alternatives, although these aren't great either.

Lastly, Cline fears that rental services will increase our appetite for fast fashion, simply because it's so easily accessible. There's something called ''share washing'' that makes people waste more precisely because a product or service is shared and thus is regarded as more eco-friendly. Uber is one example of this, advertised as ''a way to share rides and limit ear ownership.'' and yet ''it has been proven to discourage walking,bicycling, and public transportation use.''

Renting clothes is still preferable to buying them cheap and throwing them in the dustbin after a few wears, but we shouldn't let the availability of these services make us too satisfied. There's an even better step — that's wearing what is already in the closet.

1.What is Elizabeth Cline's attitude toward clothing rental?

A.Approving. B.Unfavorable.

C.Objective. D.Enthusiastic.

2.The Uber example in Paragraph 6 indicates that　　　　 .

A.rental services are on the rise

B.clothing rental will be as successful as Uber

C.renting clothes might waste more than expected

D.renting clothes might make people lose interest in fast fashion

3.The author suggests that we should　　　　 .

A.give up renting any clothing

B.purchase inexpensive clothes

C.rent clothes rather than buy them

D.make full use of clothes we've possessed

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A.Clothing rental is a new fashion.

B.Clothing rental is retailers' preference.

C.Renting clothes is not that eco-friendly.

D.Renting-clothes business is in a dilemma.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is the custom for people to bow to one another in Japan. When Fred visited that country he bowed too, even though he felt ________ doing it.

A. innocent　　 B. awkward　　 C. elegant　　 D. stressful

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The term bystander effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress. When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses. Being part of a large crowd makes it so no single person has to take responsibility for an action (or inaction).

The most frequently cited example of the bystander effect in introductory psychology textbooks is the brutal murder of a young woman named Catherine "Kitty" Genovese. On Friday, March 13, 1964, 28-year-old Genovese was returning home from work. As she approached her apartment entrance, she was attacked and stabbed by a man later identified as Winston Moseley.

Despite Genovese’s repeated calls for help, none of the dozen or so people in the nearby apartment building who heard her cries called police to report the incident. The attack first began at 3:20 AM, but it was not until 3:50 AM that someone first contacted police.

While Genovese's case has been subject to numerous misrepresentations and inaccuracies, there have been numerous other cases reported in recent years. The bystander effect can clearly have a powerful impact on the general conduct of people in a society, but why exactly does it happen? Why don't we help when we are part of a crowd?

There are several factors that contribute to the bystander effect. First, the presence of other people creates a diffusion of responsibility. Because there are other observers, individuals do not feel as much pressure to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present.

The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate. Other researchers have found that onlookers are less likely to intervene if the situation is ambiguous. In the case of Kitty Genovese, many of the 38 witnesses reported that they believed that they were witnessing a "lover's quarrel," and did not realize that the young woman was actually being murdered.

Characteristics of the situation can play a role. During a crisis, things are often chaotic and the situation is not always crystal clear. Onlookers might wonder exactly what is happening. During such chaotic moments, people often look to others in the group to determine what is appropriate. When people look at the crowd and see that no one else is reacting, it sends a signal that perhaps no action is needed.

So what can you do to avoid falling into this trap of inaction? Some psychologists suggest that simply being aware of this tendency is perhaps the greatest way to break the cycle. When faced with a situation that requires action, understanding how the bystander effect might be holding you back and consciously taking steps to overcome it can help. However, this does not mean you should place yourself in danger.

But what if you are the person in need of assistance? How can you inspire people to lend a hand? One often-recommended tactic is to single out one person from the crowd. Make eye contact and ask that individual specifically for help. By personalizing and individualizing your request, it becomes much harder for people to turn you down.

高三英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s a natural phenomenon. The minute you think you want to buy something new, you go online to read reviews about it. Not only is this done with shopping, it’s also done for movies to see , restaurants to go to and almost everything that is worth having an opinion on. The concept of writing down a review for all to see is something that has caused the birth of reviews sites. These are sites where people post reviews on other people, services, businesses, products and more.

In some cases you have professionals do the review and in some other cases you will have the average person write it up. Review sites have a number of ways in which they can gain revenue for themselves in the form of advertising. In some cases, a business can pay his way through to a better listing spot. This does not mean that a positive review will be promoted where it is not warranted (担保).

Review sites are largely a public forum and it is not necessary for people to reveal their identity. Since people are anonymous (匿名的) and sign up access is open to all, there are chances that reviews will be planted or will be negatively written simply to discredit a particular product or service.

There is a lot of criticism towards these websites since they do nothing to control the kind of entries made or the source of these entries. On the other hand, there are professional review sites. These people are accountable for each of their reviews. Any doubts you have will be addressed personally by the one writing the review. Such sites work on much better principles allowing for a fair opinion.

Considering they have a better reputation, they are aware of some the latest products that are released worldwide. This gives you a better chance of finding reviews of the latest product. While a review site will help you narrow down your choice, it by no means should influence your final decision. That is based entirely on the way you see fit.

1.Nowadays, before buying something, people usually ________.

A．ask the opinion of others                 B．surf famous review sites.

C．ignore topics of review sites.               D．read reviews on the Internet.

2.The underlined word “revenue” in Paragraph 2 probably means”______”.

A．the announcement posted by sites

B．the income earned from sales or services

C．the freedom of writing reviews

D．the program made by advertisement companies

3.What do we know about the professional reviews sites?

A．The reviews on the sites are written mainly by professors.

B．Those who write the reviews on the sites are serious sometimes.

C．The reviewer addresses your doubt personally for you.

D．The reviewers on the sites are ready to write to you if you like.

4.This passage was written mainly to tell us________.

A．to make good use of review sites

B．to consult something with reviewers

C．not to make a decision before reading reviews

D．not to believe some review sites

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析