Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference, is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola--- are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic (传统型) or Pepsi, Diet (低糖的) Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
Both groups did better than chance would predict,but nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people go all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
67. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.
A.show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guesswork
B.compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks(A)
C. find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking
D.reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers
68. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show that________.
A. there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
B. few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi
C. people’s tastes differ from one another
D. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks
69. It is implied in the first paragraph that ________.
A. the competition between the two colas is very strong
B. blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans
C. the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colas
D. the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies
70. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________.
A. emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
B. recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas
C. show that taste preference is highly subjective
D. argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries may speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check this in a dictionary.
61. The writer thinks that .
A. choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English
B. dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English
C. it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly
D. using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing
62. According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
A. Dictionaries have little effect on learning to speak English.
B. Whatever new words you meet while reading, never use dictionaries.
C. Small two-language dictionaries have serious shortcomings.
D. Reading something for the first time, you’d better not use dictionaries.
63. When in the reading does the writer advise students to use a good dictionary?
A. At the beginning of the reading B. At the end of the reading
C. During the first reading D. After the first reading
64. This passage mainly tells us .
A. that students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries
B. what were the shortcomings of small two-language dictionaries
C. why students should use large college edition dictionaries
D. what dictionary students should choose and how to use it
65. Which is NOT mentioned in this passage?
A. How to make good use of a dictionary. B. When to use a dictionary.
C. How to improve spoken English. D. How to practice reading fast.
John Smith was a writer, who wrote detective stories for magazines, though he never dealt with criminals(罪犯). One evening he could not finish an end for a story. He sat in his study(书房), but he had no ideas. So he decided to go to the cinema.
When he came back, he found that he had had a visitor. Someone had broken into his house. The visitor had had a drink, smoked several of his cigarettes and had read his story. The visitor left him a note.
“I have read your story and I don’t think it is very good. Please read my suggestions and you can finish it. By the way, I am a thief. I’m not going to steal anything tonight. But if you become a successful writer, I will return.”
John read the thief’s suggestions. Then he sat down and wrote the rest of the story. He is still not a successful writer, and he is waiting for his “visitor” to return. Before he goes out in the evening, he always leaves a half-finished story in his study.
56. Detective stories are stories about .
A. science B. children C. the future D. the police
57. John went to the cinema because .
A. he was too tired
B. he wanted to look for a thief
C. he could not finish his story and hoped to get some ideas
D. he wanted to enjoy himself in the cinema
58. The visitor came to John’s house in order to .
A. steal something B. read the story C. have a drink D. visit the writer
59 The visitor .
A. stayed in John’s house for a night B. took some of John’s things away
C. left John some adviceD. was a good friend of John’s
60. John would like to .
A. have a talk with his visitor
B. get more ideas from the visitor
C. make friends with the visitor
D. catch the visitor and take him to the police
DCAC
The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single—engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn't know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.
Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope.
In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.
What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty—six minutes.
In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion (时刻) she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.
71. Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?
A. She was caught in a storm. B. The altimeter went out of order.
C. Her engine went wrong. D. She lost her direction.
72. When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?
A. She did nothing but pray for herself.
B. She changed her direction and landed in Ireland.
C. She continued flying.
D. She lost hope of reaching land.
73. According to the passage, what was Amelia Earhart’s reason for making her flights?
A. To set a new record for flying time.
B. To be the first woman to fly around the world.
C. To show that aviation was not just for men.
D. To become famous in the world.
74. Which of the following statements was NOT mentioned?
A. She was the first woman who succeeded in flying across the Atlantic Ocean alone.
B. She showed great courage in overcoming the difficulties during the flight.
C She was warmly welcomed in England, Europe and the United States.
D. She made plans to fly around the world.
75. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Amelia Earhart—First Across the Atlantic.
B. Amelia Earhart—Pioneer in Women’s Aviation.
C. A New Record for Flying Time.
D. A Dangerous Flight from North America to England.
Matt grow the best vegetables in the village . He grows fruit too--big , sweet apples and oranges . And what else ? Well , the biggest and the prettiest flowers . Things grow in Matt' s garden all through the year . He cuts some flowers for his sitting room table ; and of course , he eats some fruit and vegetables . But he sells everything else in the market . Matt is not a poor man .
He knows a few other gardens ; but he does not have any friends . You might ask , " What is that ? Why doesn ' t he have friends ? "
I will tell you . People do not understand him . And they do not understand his garden , " Why not ? " you will ask . " It' s a very good garden , isn' t it ? "
It is a wonderful garden . Matt plants things in spring , summer and autumn and winter . After that he does very little work . He sits in the garden with his small radio . And everything grows .
People ask , " How does Matt grow these wonderful things ? He waters the plants sometimes , but he doesn' t do anything else . He just sits under an orange tree with his radio . He listens to music nearly all day ! " And that is all quite true , people cannot understand it , and so they don' t like it very much .
Matt likes music . But what about the garden ? Who does the work ? I will tell you another true thing : the music does the work . All plants love music ; and Matt knows that .
Do you want big vegetables and the loveliest flowers ? Well , just give your plants a lot of music ,
66.There are not only vegetables and flowers , but also ______ in Matt' s garden .
A. plants B. fruit trees C. ants D. crops
67.Matt makes a living by _______.
A. selling his vegetables , fruit and flowers
B. growing trees in his garden
C. working in the market
D. helping other people growing plants
68.. Everything in Matt' s garden grows well because _____
A. he has a good garden
B. he is good at growing things and likes listening to the radio
C. music helps his plants a lot
D. he is very hardworking
69. People think that ______ .
A. Matt' s garden is better than theirs
B. Matt works harder than they
C. Matt knows how to grow vegetables well
D. the radio helps Matt to grow veveything well in his garden
70. People don' t like Matt because ____.
A. he doesn' t give thim any vegetables or fruit
B. he listens to the radio too much
C. they are jealous(嫉妒的) of him
D. Matt doesn' t let them listen to his radio
When Dean Arnold got his first job, he was miserable (痛苦的), Each time he went to work, he coughed and he couldn’t breathe. Working in a bakery(面包房) when you are allergic to (对…过敏) flour can be painful.
But Arnold stayed with the National Biscuit Company for ten years. He was a businessman and he helped them improve production. At last his health problems became too serious. He left and formed his own company.
With his wife and mother, he founded Arnold Bakery. They tried new recipes (配方). changing the kind and amount of flour used. This enabled Arnold to work there without too much pain. The bread, made with unbleached flour (标准粉), was baked in a brick oven (烘炉).
They began by baking two dozen loaves. The bread was sold door to door for fifteen cents a loaf. Winning customers to his unusual, old-fashioned bread took time. But Arnold, struggling against his allergy, built his bakery into one of the largest in the United States.
61. A good title for this passage would be .
A. A Sick Baker B. A Brick-oven Bread Baker
C. An Old-fashioned Baker D. How to Overcome Allergy
62. Dean left the National Biscuit Company because he _______.
A. suffered from allergy to flour B. didn’t like the job
C. wanted to make more money D. wanted to form his own company
63. During his stay in the National Biscuit Company, _______.
A. he founded Arnold Bakery
B. he tried a new method of baking
C. he helped the company improve their production
D. he became successful in his business
64. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Arnold’s bread was baked in a brick oven.
B. Arnold’s bread was made with unbleached flour.
C. Arnold’s bread was sold at a low price.
D. Arnold’s bread was of poor quality.
65. From the passage we can conclude that Arnold was ________.
A. determined B. brave C. usual D. unhealthy