On Sept.15, TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel review websites, named the world’s top 25 museums in its Travelers’ Choice Award according to the reviews and opinions of travelers worldwide. Now let’s take a look at the top four museums which are ranked as follows by the popularity around the world.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
It is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, with a collection of 2 million items from more than 5,000 years of world culture. The iconic museum includes important collections from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe as well as ancient Greece and Rome. Here, visitors can get lost in different centuries: They can see the Temple of Dendur from early Egypt, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses an US pop Andy Warhol’s Souper Dress, all in one place.
Muse d’Orsay, Paris
Located in the center of Paris on the bank of the River Seine, the Musee d’Orsay houses the world’s most amazing collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art. It offers the chance to view major works from greats like Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The museum is famous for being home to Starry Night over the Rhone, an oil painting by Van Gogh that is often praised along with his masterpiece Starry Night.
Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
It was named the world’s best museum in 2014. The world-famous Windy City museum houses nearly 300,000 works, including one of the largest collections of modern art, including pieces such as Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist, US artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s Black Cross and French artist Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River. A TripAdvisor reviewer commented, “No matter how many times I visit, it never gets old. Paintings from every era, works fro every great artist.”
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Nowhere is able to present the entire history of Spanish art like the Museo Nacional del Prado.
Here, visitors can enjoy a detailed view of the Spanish school of the Modern Age. Outstanding masterpieces by artists such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya and Joaquiin Sorolla make up an internationally-famous collection. The Italian school is another highlight of the museum’s collection, as it includes the 15th century masterpieces such as The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, The Death of the Virgin by Andrea Mantegna and The Dead Christ Supported by Angels by Antonello da Messina.
1.How is the Metropolitan Museum of Art different from the other three museums?
A. It is the largest art museum in the world
B. It is so big that visitors may easily get lost in it
C. It is the most popular museum of the four museums
D. Its main collection is from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe
2.If you are interested in impressionist art, _____ is a place you cannot miss.
A. Metropolitan Museum of Art B. Musee d’Orsay
C. Art Institute of Chicago D. Museo Nacional del Prado
3.Which is a correct match of the painting and the museum?
A. Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist—Musee d’Orsay
B. Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River—Metropolitan Museum of Art
C. Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses—Art Institute of Chicago
D. Andrea Mantegna’s The Death of the Virgin---Museo Nacional del Prado
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
On Sept.15, TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel review websites, named the world’s top 25 museums in its Travelers’ Choice Award according to the reviews and opinions of travelers worldwide. Now let’s take a look at the top four museums which are ranked as follows by the popularity around the world.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
It is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, with a collection of 2 million items from more than 5,000 years of world culture. The iconic museum includes important collections from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe as well as ancient Greece and Rome. Here, visitors can get lost in different centuries: They can see the Temple of Dendur from early Egypt, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses an US pop Andy Warhol’s Souper Dress, all in one place.
Muse d’Orsay, Paris
Located in the center of Paris on the bank of the River Seine, the Musee d’Orsay houses the world’s most amazing collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art. It offers the chance to view major works from greats like Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The museum is famous for being home to Starry Night over the Rhone, an oil painting by Van Gogh that is often praised along with his masterpiece Starry Night.
Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
It was named the world’s best museum in 2014. The world-famous Windy City museum houses nearly 300,000 works, including one of the largest collections of modern art, including pieces such as Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist, US artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s Black Cross and French artist Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River. A TripAdvisor reviewer commented, “No matter how many times I visit, it never gets old. Paintings from every era, works fro every great artist.”
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Nowhere is able to present the entire history of Spanish art like the Museo Nacional del Prado.
Here, visitors can enjoy a detailed view of the Spanish school of the Modern Age. Outstanding masterpieces by artists such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya and Joaquiin Sorolla make up an internationally-famous collection. The Italian school is another highlight of the museum’s collection, as it includes the 15th century masterpieces such as The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, The Death of the Virgin by Andrea Mantegna and The Dead Christ Supported by Angels by Antonello da Messina.
1.How is the Metropolitan Museum of Art different from the other three museums?
A. It is the largest art museum in the world
B. It is so big that visitors may easily get lost in it
C. It is the most popular museum of the four museums
D. Its main collection is from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe
2.If you are interested in impressionist art, _____ is a place you cannot miss.
A. Metropolitan Museum of Art B. Musee d’Orsay
C. Art Institute of Chicago D. Museo Nacional del Prado
3.Which is a correct match of the painting and the museum?
A. Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist—Musee d’Orsay
B. Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River—Metropolitan Museum of Art
C. Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses—Art Institute of Chicago
D. Andrea Mantegna’s The Death of the Virgin---Museo Nacional del Prado
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
On Sept. 15, TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel review websites, named the world’s top 25 museums in its Travelers’ Choice Award according to the reviews and opinions of travelers worldwide. Now let’s take a look at the top four museums which are ranked as follows by the popularity around the world.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
It is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, with a collection of 2 million items from more than 5,000 years of world culture. The iconic museum includes important collections from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe as well as ancient Greece and Rome. Here, visitors can get lost in different centuries: They can see the Temple of Dendur from early Egypt, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses an US pop Andy Warhol’s Souper Dress, all in one place.
Muse d’Orsay, Paris
Located in the center of Paris on the bank of the River Seine, the Musee d’Orsay houses the world’s most amazing collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art. It offers the chance to view major works from greats like Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The museum is famous for being home to Starry Night over the Rhone, an oil painting by Van Gogh that is often praised along with his masterpiece Starry Night.
Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
It was named the world’s best museum in 2014. The world-famous Windy City museum houses nearly 300,000 works, including one of the largest collections of modern art, including pieces such as Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist, US artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s Black Cross and French artist Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River. A TripAdvisor reviewer commented, “No matter how many times I visit, it never gets old. Paintings from every era, works from every great artist.”
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Nowhere is able to present the entire history of Spanish art like the Museo Nacional del Prado.
Here, visitors can enjoy a detailed view of the Spanish school of the Modem Age. Outstanding masterpieces by artists such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya and Joaquiin Sorolla make up an internationally-famous collection. The Italian school is another highlight of the museum’s collection, as it includes the 15th century masterpieces such as The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, The Death of the Virgin by Andrea Mantegna and The Dead Christ Supported by Angels by Antonello da Messina.
1.How is the Metropolitan Museum of Art different from the other three museums?
A. It is the largest art museum in the world
B. It is so big that visitors may easily get lost in it
C. Its main collection is from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe
D. It is the most popular museum of the four museums
2.If you are interested in impressionist art, is a place you cannot miss.
A. Metropolitan Museum of Art B. Musee d’Orsay
C. Art Institute of Chicago D. Museo Nacional del Prado
3.Which is a correct match of the painting and the museum?
A. Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist—Musee d’Orsay
B. Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River—Metropolitan Museum of Art
C. Andrea Mantegna’s The Death of the Virgin—Museo Nacional del Prado
D. Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses—Art Institute of Chicago
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Earth Day is one of the world's largest environmental movements. Held every year on April 22, Earth Day turns 50 this year. It was created by US politician Gaylord Nelson, aiming to give a voice to people who wanted environmental protection. 1. Back then, it helped to bring clean air and water laws to the US. Now a global movement, it's facing even bigger environmental threats.
2. One of these is The Ocean Cleanup based in the Netherlands. It has successfully made a device that can gather and collect waste from our oceans and rivers, a majority of which is plastic. For us, plastic is an item we use and then throw away. But if you throw away a plastic bottle today, it is non-biodegradable (不可生物降解的).It will still be around for hundreds of years. Much of this plastic waste ends up in the sea, where it kills more than 100 million sea creatures every year. 3.
It is not just our oceans that are under threat. Over time, deforestation (滥伐森林)，improper farming, and livestock grazing (放牧)can stop green areas from growing. 4. A Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGO) — The China Green Foundation — is working to change this by planting millions of trees. Another NGO that is making big changes is Welfare Togo. Togo is a developing country in Africa. It faces many environmental problems, including air and water pollution and desertification. To help, Welfare Togo opened 31 schools across the country that focus on teaching sustainable development. Its aim is using education to bring positive environmental changes to Togo.
5. However, through small everyday changes, such as recycling correctly, we can also bring about considerable changes to our natural world.
A.This is called desertification.
B.It aims to support environmental protection around the world.
C.His idea was so successful that more than 20 million people joined in Earth Day events.
D.However, because of high demand, we still make more than 300 tons of new plastic every year.
E.It challenges people to promote environmental education.
F.Not all of us can make such large contributions.
G.Fortunately, many NGOs are stepping up to promote positive changes.
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Europe is home to a variety of cultural treasures. Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide publisher, has offered pairs of cities for culturehungry but timepoor travelers.
London and Paris
It takes you about two hours to travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, a high-speed railway service. The two capital cities have been competing in fashion, art and nightlife for decades－but each secretly looks up to the other.
No one can doubt the grand and impressive beauty of Paris' Louvre Museum, but if you want to save money, you cannot skip the British Museum free to visit. Compared with London, Paris has more outdoor attractions such as the beautiful green walkway La Promenade Plantee.
In Paris, you'll see diners linger over red wine. While in London, you can try some afternoon tea, eat fish and chips or salted cake.
Vienna and Bratislava
Austrian capital Vienna and Slovakia city Bratislava are an hour apart by train. But since they are linked by the Danube River, the best way to travel is by ship. A tour of the two cities is the perfect way to experience everything from 17th century’s Habsburg dynasty splendor to scifi restaurants.
Vienna is famous for Mozart and imperial palaces. You can appreciate the perfect blending of architecture and nature in the grand Schonbrunn Palace, and reward yourself with a cup of Vienna coffee, which has made its way to the world's cultural heritage list.
Bratislava is best known for its fine dining－the remarkable UFO restaurant. You can enjoy a meatladen dinner here in an amazing setting.
1.What’s the relationship between London and Paris according to the text?
A. They help each other.
B. They attack each other.
C. They admire each other.
D. They don't like each other.
2.What are the advantages of Paris mentioned in the article?
a. The Louvre Museum
b. Free access to museums
c. More outdoor attractions
d. Better wines and perfumes
A. ac B. cd C. acd D. bcd
3.Which of the cities should you choose if you are interested in scifi restaurants?
A. London. B. Paris.
C. Glasgow. D. Bratislava.
4.Lonely Planet recommends these two pairs of cities because ________.
A. they are not expensive to visit
B. they are best known to the world
C. they are always enemies between each other
D. they are close but different in many aspects
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Pentagon(五角大楼), headquarters of the Department of Defense in US, is one of the world's largest office buildings. It is twice the size of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and has three times the floor space of the Empire State Building in New York. There are very few people throughout the United States who do not have some knowledge of the Pentagon. Many have followed news stories coming from this building. However, relatively few people have had the chance to visit it.
The Pentagon is in fact a city in itself. About 23,000 employees, both soldiers and other people, contribute to the planning of the defense of the country. These people arrive daily from Washington, D.C. and around over about 30 miles of highways, including express bus lanes(快车道) and one of the newest subway system in the country. They ride past 200 acres of grass land to park about 8,770 cars in 16 parking lots; climb 131 stairways or take 19 lifts to reach offices that occupy 3,705 square feet. While in the building, they tell time by 4,200 clocks, drink from 691 water taps, make use of 284 rest rooms, use up 4,500 cups of coffee, 1,700 pints of milk and 6,800 soft drinks prepared or served by a restaurant of 230 persons and distributed(分散于) in 1 dining room, 2 cafeterias, a snack bars, and an outdoor snack bar.
The building itself is an extraordinary structure. Built during the early years of World War II, it is still thought of as one of the most efficient buildings in the world. In spite of 17.5 miles of corridors(走廊) it takes only seven minutes to walk between any two points in the building.
60. Which of the following statements about the Pentagon is true?
A. Most Americans know about it.
B. It is now open to the public.
C. Around 23,000 workers contribute to its planning.
D. It is one of the world's tallest buildings.
61. Which of the following statements about the transportation of the Pentagon is NOT true?
A. It is easy to reach by subway. B. People can drive directly to it.
C. People can go there by bus. D. The parking lots cover 200 acres of land.
62. Why did the author write so many numbers in the second paragraph?
A. To show that he knew quite a lot about the Pentagon.
B. To show the vast size of the Pentagon.
C. To show it costs a lot of money to keep the Pentagon going.
D. To show that the Pentagon is a convenient place.
63. What do you know about the structure of the Pentagon?
A. All the offices are connected by the newest subway system.
B. The longest distance between two offices is 17.5 miles.
C. It takes no more than 7 minutes to walk from one place to another.
D. There are neither rest rooms nor snack bars in it.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Following the suggested route will help you explore the museum.
The Temple of Dendur
This 2000-year-old building stood near the Nile River, surrounded by a wall that no longer exists. But you can still peek through the gateway. Whose “house” is this? It's not for people. It’s for gods. Can you identify them? They face out. A king faces in, bringing offerings.
MetSpeaks
Bringing together some of the most respected thinkers on a given subject, MetSpeaks features lectures, discussions, talks, films, and forums in which compelling voices explore timely issues that connect to the Met’s exhibitions and permanent collection. Program times, audiences, and topics vary.
Time to Sketch
Settle down for a few minutes, pick something in this gallery, and have fun drawing it. Enjoy the chance to look carefully as you create your own sketch. You'll be surprised at how much more you notice, thanks to exploring art by sketching.
MetAccess
Make the Met yours! Choose from a variety of services and exciting programs that are tailored to meet the needs of visitors with disabilities. Program times, audiences, and topics vary.
Ask for the Access Information brochure and Access Calendar at Information Desks, download the Access Calendar (PDF), or call 212-650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org.
Admission
Fee includes admission to the Main Building and same-week admission to the Cloisters museum and gardens.
| Recommended | Fee |
| Adults | $25 |
| Seniors (65 and older) | $17 |
| Students | $12 |
| Members (Join Now) | Free |
| Children under 12 (accompanied by an adult) | Free |
1.How much is recommended to pay for 3 adult and 2 student visitors?
A. 99 B. 111 C. 87 D. 103
2.What can you know about the Temple of Dendur?
A. A high wall is surrounding the 2000-year-old building now.
B. A king faces out, bringing offerings in the temple.
C. The building is designed for Emperor to live in.
D. The Nile River witnessed the history of the building.
3.Which of the following is TRUE about the Met?
A. Issues connected with economic crisis will be discussed in MetSpeaks.
B. Visitors can choose something in the gallery and have fun drawing it on the wall.
C. Disabled people will find various services and programs offered especially for them.
D. You can email access@metmuseum.org for more Admission information.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Following the suggested route will help you explore the museum.
The Temple of Dendur
This 2000-year-old building stood near the Nile River, surrounded by a wall that no longer exists. But you can still peek through the gateway. Whose “house” is this? It's not for people. It’s for gods. Can you identify them? They face out. A king faces in, bringing offerings.
MetSpeaks
Bringing together some of the most respected thinkers on a given subject, MetSpeaks features lectures, discussions, talks, films, and forums in which compelling voices explore timely issues that connect to the Met’s exhibitions and permanent collection. Program times, audiences, and topics vary.
Time to Sketch
Settle down for a few minutes, pick something in this gallery, and have fun drawing it. Enjoy the chance to look carefully as you create your own sketch. You'll be surprised at how much more you notice, thanks to exploring art by sketching.
MetAccess
Make the Met yours! Choose from a variety of services and exciting programs that are tailored to meet the needs of visitors with disabilities. Program times, audiences, and topics vary.
Ask for the Access Information brochure and Access Calendar at Information Desks, download the Access Calendar (PDF), or call 212-650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org.
Admission
Fee includes admission to the Main Building and same-week admission to the Cloisters museum and gardens.
| Recommended | Fee |
| Adults | $25 |
| Seniors (65 and older) | $17 |
| Students | $12 |
| Members (Join Now) | Free |
| Children under 12 (accompanied by an adult) | Free |
1.How much is recommended to pay for 3 adult and 2 student visitors?
A. 111 B. 99
C. 87 D. 103
2.What can you know about the Temple of Dendur?
A. A high wall is surrounding the 2000-year-old building now.
B. A king faces out, bringing offerings in the temple.
C. The building is designed for Emperor to live in.
D. The Nile River witnessed the history of the building.
3.Which of the following is TRUE about the Met?
A. Issues connected with economic crisis will be discussed in MetSpeaks.
B. Visitors can choose something in the gallery and have fun drawing it on the wall.
C. Disabled people will find various services and programs offered especially for them.
D. You can email access@metmuseum.org for more Admission information.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Incredible experiences in Bucharest
Admire one of the world’s largest buildings
The world’s biggest parliamentary building, Palace of Parliament, happens to be in Bucharest. Hour-long guided tours manage to take in just a fraction of the building’s three-million-plus square feet (there are more than a thousand rooms) and focus on the tons of marble, hardwood, and gold used in the building’s construction in the 1980s, a time when Romania was trying to feed its own people. Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, both played a direct role in the construction. It was originally intended to house the presidential offices and the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party but was never finished.
See remains of old “Paris”
“Paris of the East” was Bucharest’s nickname in the decades before World War II. Decades of communist misrule and a tragic earthquake in 1977 brought much of the old city down but there are places here and there where that former elegance can still be glimpsed. The Cismigiu Gardens in the center of the city is a pearl of park built around a romantic lake and featuring old-growth trees and gracious, wrought-iron signposts and benches.
Learn about Romania’s roots
Walking though Bucharest’s busy streets, it’s easy to forget that outside the capital and a U large cities, Romania is a largely agricultural country, with a long and rich peasant tradition.The amazing Museum of the Romanian Peasant shows off the elaborate woodworking, pottery-making, egg-painting, and weaving skills of the peasantry in a way that’s both educational and amusing. Small tongue-in-cheek signs at the entrance to each room poke fun at modern life, bring a chuckle, and draw you in. Downstairs there’s a side exhibition on the Communists’ efforts to nationalize the peasantry in the 1970s and 1980s.
Appreciate 21st-century art
Romania has exploded onto the contemporary art scene in recent years. The excitement was generated initially by a group of young painters and visual artists from the northern city of Cluj-Napoca, but at least some of the action has shifted to the capital as new galleries and design centers open up. It’s hard to pinpoint precisely what constitutes Romanian contemporary art, though critics point to shared elements of wit and dark humor, a somber mood, and bits of surrealism in defining a common style.
1.Tourists to Bucharest can do the following things EXCEPT__________ .
A. admiring beautiful scenery of a park
B. appreciating its unique contemporary art
C. learning about the agricultural development in Romania
D. seeing the old city of Bucharest that has been well-preserved
2.It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
A. Ceausescu and Elena were two famous architects
B. Romanians might have suffered a lot during the 1970s and 1980s
C. Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the largest building in the world
D. Romanian’s 21st-century art originated from the capital city Bucharest
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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.
1.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
2.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.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards IKEA’s future according to the last paragraph?
A． Indifferent B． Optimistic
C． Doubtful D． Pessimistic
4.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
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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.
1.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
2.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.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards IKEA’s future according to the last paragraph?
A. Indifferent B. Optimistic
C. Doubtful D. Pessimistic
4.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
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析