From Mr. Ward Hoffman.
Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud's article “What's the tipping point"(Financial Times Weekend, April 9-l0) when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic(讽刺的). If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets in London.
Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement (补贴) the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service.
Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 per cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an upmarket (高档的) restaurant. Here, in San Francisco Bay area restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restaurant workers live in this very expensive area.
After eating at an Italian restaurant in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill. It was expected. There is nothing more complicated (复杂的) than that about Americans tipping in restaurants.
Ward Hoffman,
Palo Alto, CA 94306, US
* * *
From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.
Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud's opinions about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception(例外). Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner.
It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt.
Philip McBride Johnson,
Great Falls, VA 22066, US
68. What can we learn from Hoffman's letter?
A. Quality of service determines tipping in the US.
B. Americans don't tip in non-fast-food restaurants.
C. Tipping in US upmarket restaurants is unnecessary.
D. How to tip in the United States is not complicated.
69. Johnson's letter shows ________.
A. a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more
B. diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant
C. repeat diners may get good service if they tip a bit more
D. the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers
70. From the two letters, we can learn Professor Raj Persaud ______ .
A. feels doubtful about the value of tipping
B. believes tipping improves quality of service
C. wants to ask Hoffman about tipping in the US
D. thinks tipping a bit more one can get good service
71. The two letters most probably appears in a ______.
A. notice B. handbook C. book review D. newspaper
A good first impression is important. So, how do you, when you’re meeting someone for the first time, make certain he or she doesn’t get the wrong image of you?
A study concluded that the first 30 seconds make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. Another study conducted by UCLA found that “people evaluate one another by using the three V’s: visual (appearance), vocal (voice) and verbal (what you say).”
Before you head out on your next date to meet someone new, let’s concentrate on these areas:
●How others will see you. (Visual) Are you dressed well? Do you look like this date is important to you? Did you take some time with your appearance? Watch your manners: people don’t like bad manners.
●How others will hear you. (Vocal) Is your voice too soft? You might come across as insecure. If you speak softly, make an effort to speak clearly — don’t make your date have to work to hear you.
●What others will hear you say. (Verbal) People have a natural desire to connect — let them know you’re interested in what they have to say by repeating it back to them. Don’t say the same thing everyone else is saying.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to make friends with others |
| B．How to enjoy yourself in your life |
| C．The importance of a good first impression |
| D．Good measures to communicate with others |
According to the text, when you want to make friends with someone, ______.
| A．you should talk as much as possible |
| B．there is no need for you to treat it seriously |
| C．you should try to master（掌握） the first few seconds（秒） |
| D．you should wear strange clothes to give him or her a deep impression |
Which of the following belongs to the description of “Vocal”?
| A．Dress yourself very well. |
| B．Speak carefully and clearly. |
| C．Repeat the same thing several times. |
| D．Spend some time on your appearance. |
Mobile phone（手机）has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned（禁止）students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone used among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phone as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction（分心的事）to student during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones___.
| A．because they are students |
| B．when they are free |
| C．when they are at school（在上学） |
| D．because they are children |
What does the underlined word “cheat” mean in the passage?
| A．聊天 | B．核对 |
| C．查询 | D．作弊 |
Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t _________ during school hours.
| A．use their mobile phones |
| B．leave their mobile phones at school office |
| C．help the teachers with their work |
| D．get in touch with （和……取得联系）their children |
The passage tells us that _________.
| A．students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for some special reasons |
| B．it is impossible to ban students from using mobile phone at school |
| C．some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t use their phones at school |
| D．parents should teach their children how to use mobile phones during school hours |
Some people think that all wild animals are very dangerous. Actually, very few of them will attack a man if he leaves them alone. If you met a lion or an elephant, suppose, you would run away, but even a lion will keep away from a man unless it is very hungry. Lions and tigers only kill and eat men when they have grown too old and too weak to catch their usual food, such as deer and other small animals. If you saw a wild elephant, perhaps you would be frightened. Elephants usually run away at once unless you attack them. Some animals get very frightened if they only smell a man; some take no notice at all but quietly walk in another direction. Wild animals only attack hunters when they are afraid that the hunters mean to harm their young ones, or then the hunters shoot at them and make them angry.The word “attack ’’ is closest in meaning to _____________ .
| A．hurt | B．catch |
| C．hit | D．follow |
Lions and tigers will not kill or eat men ____________ .
| A．unless men try to run away |
| B．if they are too old and too weak |
| C．if they are able to get enough food |
| D．however men act towards them |
Some wild animals will become very dangerous ______________ .
| A．when they grow old |
| B．if they are left alone |
| C．while they are looking for food |
| D．when their young ones are in danger |
This passage is mainly about______________ .
| A．how to protect wild animals |
| B．how animals look for their food |
| C．how to make friends with wild animals |
| D．how animals act towards men |
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mother was one of those people.
My father died when I was one-year-old. While I was growing up, we led a very hard life, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she seated me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, "Kemmons, you are sure to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it. "
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said that I would never walk again. Every night my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me whatever those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I walked on my own to school!
When the Great Depression broke out, my mother lost her job. Then I left school to support the two of us. At that moment I decided never to be poor again.
Over the years, I experienced a lot of business success. But the real turning point happened on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was very angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for an ordinary American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel （汽车旅馆）for families that would never charge extra money for children. Many people did not believe me at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was my strongest supporter. As in any business, I experienced a lot of difficulties. But with my mom's words in my heart, I never doubted I would succeed. Fifteen years later, I had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $l billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situations. But if you find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.What Kemmon's mother often told him during his childhood was____.
| A．caring | B．moving |
| C．encouraging | D．interesting |
Who played the most important role in making the author walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors. | B．Nurses. |
| C．His friend. | D．His mom. |
What caused Kemmon to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel. | B．His wife's suggestion. |
| C．His previous business success. | D．His mom's support. |
Which of the following best describes Kemmon's mother?
| A．Modest, helpful and hard-working. |
| B．Loving, supportive and strong-willed. |
| C．Careful, beautiful and helpful. |
| D．Strict, sensitive and supportive. |
. Which of the following led to Kemmon's success?
| A．Self-confidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family. |
| B．Mom's encouragement, clear goals, self-confidence and hard work. |
| C．Clear goals, mom's encouragement, a poor family and higher education. |
| D．Mom's encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities. |
The United States will introduce a new exam system for students who want to study in the USA and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which means a great change from the current English level test, was introduced by Theresa Jen, associate director of the International Service of the USA College Board, America's leading educational organization.
"The Advanced Placement International English Language （APIEL） will be offered for the first time all over the world on May 10, 2012," said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity(相似点) of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL （Test of English as a Foreign Language）, the GRE （Graduate Record Examination）, or the IELTS （International English Language Testing System）.
"I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam," said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu's classmates have never heard of the APIEL. "The APIEL is made for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. " Jen said.
"The APIEL will be used," said Jen, "because the TOEFL can no longer perfectly show the students' abilities of using English. " Xinhua reported that a large number of foreign students who had high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after being admitted.
"Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student's ability to read, write, speak and understand 'English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with fluency, and writing in an organized way. " Jen said.The underlined word "current" in the second paragraph means .
| A．high | B．present | C．low | D．formal |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS |
| B．it will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL |
| C．Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future |
| D．a student will have to take the APIEL if he/ she wants to study in English-speaking countries from 2012 |
The APIEL is designed for students who want to study in English-speaking countries, such as .
| A．the United States and Canada | B．Canada and Ireland |
| C．Australia and India | D．Britain and France |
According to the passage, the United States will introduce a new exam because .
| A．it will bring the US government quite a lot of money |
| B．more and more students want to get further education in the USA |
| C．the existing exam systems can no longer perfectly show the students' abilities |
| D．the Chinese pay special attention to English studies with China's entry into the WTO |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A New Exam Designed for Students |
| B．The Four Skills in Learning English |
| C．The Key to English-speaking Countries |
| D．TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to Be out of Date |