Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.
Yes, a rose is a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.
Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.
Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals.
While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.
Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”
As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.
60.What is the central theme of this text?
A.The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.
B.The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.
C.The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.
D.The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.
61.How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?
A.By setting up more chain stores across the country.
B.By selling roses in supermarkets.
C.By selling high quality roses at a low price.
D.By selling roses by the dozen.
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62.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
(①to ⑦ represent paragraphs 1 to 7)Here I'd like to talk about how to develop your curiosity and make use of it to make discoveries. Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers when you are curious about something and want to know more about it.
Firstly, write down the subject that you are interested in on a note card or piece of paper. Just put the main idea down, such as “Discover more about dinosaurs.”
Next, think for a moment about what you already know about your subject and list information like the sentences below:
1. Dinosaurs lived long before human beings appeared.
2. Dinosaurs lived on the earth for more than 150 million years.
3. Some dinosaurs fed on plants, some on meat.
Thirdly, ask yourself “What can I do with what I want to learn?” On your paper, start writing down questions about the dinosaurs as you think of them:
1. What's the best weather for dinosaurs to live in?
2. How many kinds of dinosaurs are there?
3. Have dinosaurs really disappeared?
Fourthly, armed_with_your_list_of_questions,_you can now visit the nearest library or turn to computer to begin your research. As you learn more about your subject, you'll probably discover some new questions.
For example, you might discover that dinosaurs disappeared about 65 million years ago. Why? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more deeply.
The next time you find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions. And remember—learning more always bring more questions.While doing some research, you should take the following steps________.
①list what you want to know
②choose a research subject
③list what you already know
④discover new problems
A.①④③② | B.①②④③ |
C.②③①④ | D.②①④③ |
What does the underlined sentence “armed with your list of questions” mean?
A.Taking your list of questions with you to do more research. |
B.Writing down your list of questions before turning to the computer. |
C.Discussing your questions with your classmates for solution. |
D.Putting your questions aside before going to the library. |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.You can find all the answers online. |
B.Learn more, and you'll have no questions. |
C.Asking questions is the only way for research. |
D.During the research, more questions may arise. |
The best title for this passage is________.
A.Discovering Dinosaurs |
B.Asking Good Questions |
C.Finding Suitable Subjects |
D.Having Interesting Answers |
While astronauts in space get to do many exciting things, they miss out on ordinary things that we all take for granted—being able to walk on firm ground, hanging out with family and digging into a slice of hot steaming pizza. Though not much can be done about the first two things, there may soon be a solution to the third one, thanks to this cool 3-D pizza printer!
About a year ago, NASA offered $125 ,000 to Anjan Contractor, a 3-D technology expert, to build a device (设备) that would allow astronauts to make pizza on demand. The mechanical engineer promised that his invention would produce pies in large quantities that looked, tasted and even smelled like pizza made in common ovens.
Late last year, the engineer presented a video of his first prototype (原型) that begins by creating a single slice of dough (面团) that is cooked and printed at the same time. Then comes the tomato “sauce” — a mix of tomato powder, oil and water and finally, a protein slice that resembles cheese. While the video doesn’t show the baking process, the inventor says that once the pizza is printed, it can be ready to be consumed in 7 seconds.
While the pie in the video looks delicious enough to attract any pizza lover, Anjan Contractor is far from ready for astronauts. That’s because he still has to find a solution to make the food container in the printer last for 30 years. Though that may sound unrealistic, actually it is not.
Anjan Contractor believes that the only way that is possible is that the water is removed from all the ingredients (配料) and then they are reduced to the powder form. This, as you can imagine, will not be so easy. But, while the printer may not be ready for space, it certainly looks ready enough for people on earth. Hopefully, NASA and Contractor will consider selling it to those not fortunate enough to go to Mars!Why does the author mention the things that astronauts in space cannot do?
A.To ask us not to take common things for granted. |
B.To show they live a difficult life there. |
C.To show their life is boring in space. |
D.To introduce the topic of the text. |
NASA offered $ 125, 000 to Anjan Contractor mainly to _______.
A.create some new type of 3-D printer |
B.attract more companies to work for NASA |
C.help astronauts in space enjoy fresh pizza one day |
D.produce pizza in large quantities to earn great profits |
The biggest challenge that Anjan Contractor is faced with now is probably that _______.
A.he has no money left to go on with his research |
B.the pizza doesn’t seem appetizing to pizza lovers |
C.he has no way to make pizza that can last for thirty years |
D.he cannot make the food container last for decades |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.NASA is trying its best to help astronauts eat better |
B.Astronauts may soon be able to enjoy steaming hot pizza |
C.NASA is working on making pizza for common people |
D.A 3-D pizza printer has been used to make pizza |
Military training has long been considered a ritual(仪式) that freshmen must go through in order to officially start their college lives. While some question the necessity of such training. Many students see military training as a campus tradition that should be maintained.
Early in February, the Ministry of Education issued a new regulation that colleges and universities should carry out a minimum of 14 days compulsory military training for freshmen.
In a report by Beijing Evening News, Hou Zhengfang, a Beijing-based education PhD, questioned the benefits of military training. “The training routine does little to improve students’ physical fitness over only two weeks’ time. Maybe some disaster prevention training, such as earthquake survival or escaping from fires would be of greater benefit.”
Meng Yang, a 19-year-old freshman at Guangxi University, fainted during training. She said that many students, especially girls, are willing to train under direct sunshine. “For me, military training is physically challenging and even damages my health.”
According to Li Jian from the student affairs office of Guangzhou University, feeling dizzy happens frequently during military training and the school has received a lot of complaints from both students and parents: “But I still think military training is a good thing. Students are easier to manage after the military training. They became more positive about their new environment after the training.”
Although autumn is fast approaching Beijing, the noon heat burns 3300 freshmen on Tsinghua University’s campus. Chu Jinjing, a freshman majoring in medicine, did feel some discomfort while training in sweaty clothes in the glaring heat, the 18-year-old still enjoyed being part of group going through strict exercises. “By going through this tough training, students bond faster and a sense of belonging to the school can be formed. I’ve made a lot of friends already.”
According to the Ministry of Education, the purpose of military training is to teach students discipline, the spirit of teamwork and endurance. But in reality, according to Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, the effect is not satisfying. “Such goals require long-term development. It is unrealistic to expect military training to make a difference in only 14 days.” He thus suggests that it should be up to schools to conduct military training in a way that best suits their students.
However, Wang Wenhui, an 18-year-old freshman from Xi’an Jiaotong University, sees military training as a tradition that reaches beyond character building. “From junior and senior high school to college, we join military training to start a new journey. I would feel a bit incomplete without it.”How many people expressing their opinions are mentioned in this passage?
A.4 | B.5 | C.6 | D.7 |
According to Hou Zhengfang, it seems much more beneficial to give freshmen_____________.
A.survival skills |
B.military training |
C.the spirit of teamwork and endurance |
D.strict exercises |
What is the author’s attitude towards military training?
A.Supportive | B.Subjective |
C.Objective | D.Rejective |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.A Policy Made by the Ministry of Education |
B.Military Training under Fire |
C.A New Journey |
D.A Best Way to Teach Students Discipline |
The dodo is among the most famous extinct creatures, and a poster child for human-caused extinction events. Despite its bad name, and the fact that the species was alive during recorded human history, little is actually known about how this animal lived, looked, and behaved. A new study of the only known complete skeleton(骨架) from a single bird takes advantage of modern 3-D laser scanning(扫描) technology to open a new window into the life of this famous extinct bird.
The study was presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Estrel, Berlin. Leon Claessens, Associate Professor at the College of the Holy Cross, and lead researcher on the study said that, "the 3-D laser surface scans we made of the fragile dodo skeletons enable us to reconstruct how the dodo walked, moved and lived to a level of detail that has never been possible before. There are so many outstanding questions about the dodo bird that we can answer with this new knowledge."
A complete dodo skeleton, found by an amateur collector and barber, Etienne Thirioux, on the island of Mauritius between 1899 and 1917, has remained unstudied, even though it is the only complete dodo skeleton from a single individual bird known to exist. All other skeletons are incomplete combinations, meaning that they are gathered from more than one individual. In addition, Thirioux constructed a second, partially combined skeleton, which contains many bones that also belong to a single bird. "Being able to examine the skeleton of a single, individual dodo, which is not made up from as many individual birds as there are bones, as is the case in all those other combined skeletons, truly allows us to appreciate the way the dodo looked and see how tall or fat it really was," said Juilan Hume, of the Natural History Museum UK, a co-author on the study.
The scans were performed on site in Durban, South Africa, and allow examination of the biology of this mysterious extinct bird in detail for the first time. Using the newest digital tools and techniques, the scans provide an insight into how the flightless dodo may have developed its giant size, and how it walked and lived in its forest home. According to Kenneth Rijsdijk, a biologist from University of Amsterdam, “the skull of the dodo is so large and its mouth so strong that it is easy to understand that the earliest naturalists thought it was related to sharks and other birds of prey(猛禽), rather than the pigeon family.”The underlined phrase “a poster child” in Para. 1 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A.a typical example |
B.an endangered animal |
C.a child who puts up posters on the board |
D.a child posted in a newspaper as an advertisement |
The researchers study the dodo skeleton to find out .
A.ways to save the dodo |
B.the dodo’s living habits |
C.the bird’s natural habitat |
D.the cause of the dodo’s extinction |
What is special about the dodo skeleton found by an amateur collector?
A.It is gathered from more than one individual. |
B.It reminded unstudied between 1899 and 1917. |
C.It is the only complete dodo skeleton from a single individual bird. |
D.It can be examined with 3-D laser scanning technology. |
What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A.To call people’s attention to wildlife protection. |
B.To criticize humans for the extinction events. |
C.To introduce a new way of studying the dodo. |
D.To give tips on how to study extinct creatures. |
If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.
Some doctors now think that the internal(内部的) fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.
“Being thin doesn’t surely mean you are not fat,” said Dr Jimmy Bell at Imperial College. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.
According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.
Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.
According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes(糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body’s communication systems.
The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle.” Bell said.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Thin people may be fat inside. |
B.Internal fat is of no importance. |
C.Internal fat leads to many diseases. |
D.Thin people don’t have diabetes. |
According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
A.Exercise can help to reduce the internal fat. |
B.People can get rid of internal fat by improving diet. |
C.Men are more likely to have too much internal fat. |
D.People with heart disease all have internal fat. |
From the last paragraph, we can find that ______.
A.internal fat leading to disease has been proved |
B.exercise plays an important role in people’s life for keeping healthy |
C.thin people usually have internal fat even if they are slim |
D.it is easier to burn off internal fat than external fat |
The underlined part in the last paragraph means ______.
A.a long road |
B.a clear difference |
C.an easy way |
D.a short distance |