When Jack Ma founded the Alibaba Group in 1999, he had 500,000 yuan in his hand and the support of 17 friends. Now eight years later, Alibaba has become China’s largest online commerce company, earning a profit of 1.36 billion yuan in 2006.
But when asked what makes him proud, Ma surprised many people by putting his employees way ahead of his legendary e-commerce websites.
“I feel most proud of my team, and the least of the websites,” Ma said. “The secret of my success is relying on team work and having a sense of mission（使命）”
Ma made the remarks on the eve of Alibaba Group’s shares becoming available for trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last Tuesday. On the first day of trading, the shares more than doubled in value.
Eight years ago, when Ma created Alibaba, he envisioned（预想）that the Internet would change people’s lives. But the former English teacher knew little about computer science. “So I decided to hire someone who knows technology and respected his decisions,” he said.
Ma said he trusts his employees fully as long as they are diligent and have a sense of purpose.
“When people apply to work for Alibaba, I talk with them for two hours to lower their expectations. I tell the applicants not to expect a pay raise or promotion, but to prepare to work long hours and to be criticized by the boss, “ Ma said.
But Ma is not a rigid（严厉的）boss. He is like a friend in the eyes of most his employees. Unlike traditional companies where most of the people do just what their boss asks, he treats them as partners and encourages them to present their own ideas.
“I have confidence in the online commercial service in China and encourage my more than 4,000 staff to remain united to make Alibaba the biggest ecommerce supplier for China, Asia and even the world,” said Ma.
He promotes company values of honesty, passion and teamwork. Those who don’t accept these principals will find it hard to work there, no matter how talented they are.
“I have seen many who are more clever and hardworking than my team and me,” Ma said. But 
“we have a loyal team which has stayed on the same course, no wavering（摇摆）.” And Ma pursuing his dream is the magnet（磁铁）that draws talents in.
57. What did Jack Ma do before he founded Alibaba?
A. He was a waiter. B. He was a technician.
C. He was a teacher. D. He was a manager of a small company.
58. What is Jack Ma’s characteristic in terms of his management?
A. Trusting his employees fully.
B. Putting his employees ahead of himself before performing and trade.
C. Promoting company values of honesty, passion and team work.
D. Pursuing his dream is the magnet that draws talents in.
59. What does Ma take the most pride in?
A. His employees. B. His website.
C. Alibaba Group’s Shares. D. His efficient management.
60. According to the text, which remarks following is NOT reasonable?
A. Jack Ma believes an employee’s talent is less important than the acceptance of the company’ principals.
B. Alibaba is an online commerce company started eight years ago.
C. Alibaba has become the biggest e-commerce company in China.
D. Alibaba’s shares rocketed after they made their first public appearance on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last week.
The breaking news of Mo Yan's Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday evening soon aroused public curiosity of the 57yearold Chinese writer: Why was it him that was favored by the Swedish Academy?
Born in 1955 into a rural family，Mo dropped out of school and became a farmer when he was a teenager．He joined the military and devoted himself to writing after the Cultural Revolution （1966－1976）．
Less than half an hour after the announcement，Mo's works turned to soldout status at China's major online book sellers．One lucky buyer wrote in an online comment: “Rushed to purchase，but to my shame，I have not read any of his novels．”
Although Mo was entitled one of the top domestic literature awards before the Nobel Prize，he is not the most popular novelist in China，in either the book market or in reputation．
Mo's novel “Big Breasts & Wide Hips，” translated by Howard Goldblatt，tells a story of a mother who struggled and suffered hardship and intertwined fates with Chinese people in the 20th century．His more recent work “Frog” more directly criticized China's onechild family policy，which helped control the country's population explosion but also brought tragedies to rural residents in the past 60 years．
“I think the reason why I could win the prize is because my works present lives with unique Chinese characteristics，and they also tell stories from a viewpoint of common human beings，which is above differences of nations and races，” Mo said on Thursday evening to Chinese journalists．Mo also said many folk arts originated from his hometown，such as clay sculpture，paper cuts，traditional new yearpaintings，have inspired and influenced his novels．
With more Chinese writers like Mo，the world could learn a more real China．Perhaps，this is another reason for the Swedish Academy's choice．What can we conclude from the second paragraph?
| A．Mo's life experiences． | B．Mo's family life． |
| C．Mo devoted himself to writing． | D．Mo had a gift for writing． |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Mo didn't got any national awards before he won the Nobel Prize． |
| B．Mo was the top novelist in China before he won the Nobel Prize． |
| C．Mo's novels have attracted many people to read． |
| D．Mo's novels are all based on his daily life． |
Which of the following have no effect on Mo's novels according to the passage?
| A．Clay sculpture． | B．Paper cuts． |
| C．Folk arts． | D．Beijing opera． |
According to the passage，we know that________．
| A．Big Breasts & Wide Hips' leading role is one happy mother |
| B．Big Breasts & Wide Hips criticized China's onechild family policy |
| C．Frog came out earlier than Big Breasts & Wide Hips |
| D．Frog shows benefit as well as shortcoming of one China's policy |
The kindly “Chinese Fortune Grandpa” wearing Han Chinese clothing and holding a fortune bag debuted （亮相） at the Imperial Ancestral Shrine in Beijing on the day after Christmas．The final image of the Chinese gift-giver was selected through a global design competition against“Santa Claus”，according to a report by Guangming Daily．
Many Chinese cities have been filled with Christmas neon lights，Christmas songs，Christmas trees，and the images of “Santa Claus”in recent days．As a matter of fact，foreign festivals are becoming more popular than certain traditional Chinese festivals among the Chinese people，particularly the youth．“Certain traditional festivals have died out because people have forgotten their spiritual meanings，”said noted writer Feng Jicai．More and more Chinese people are beginning to exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and Christmas．However，many of them know nothing about Chinese New Year pictures or sugarcoated figurines（小糖人），and have never heard suona music．Certain folk customs on the Dragon Boat Festival，Tomb Sweeping Day，and other traditional festivals have gradually disappeared．Under such circumstances，even the “Chinese Fortune Grandpa” is unlikely to defeat “Santa Claus”．
However，it is not a bad thing to some extent．It constantly reminds people to restore the “true face” of traditional festivals．China has listed traditional Tomb Sweeping Day，Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival as legal holidays，which brings more paid leaves to the public，and helps to awake the public awareness of traditional festivals．
In modern society，festival is a carrier of culture and its meaning largelydepends on their understandings and usages by people．Compared with foreign festivals，traditional Chinese festivals are not inferior （次于） in cultural meanings，but lack of fashion sought by modern people．If people do not appreciate the historical culture contained by traditional festivals，and only take pleasure-seeking as the most important，the significance of traditional festivals will fade away and the inheritance （继承） of fine traditional culture will be cut off．
The second paragraph implies that______________________．
| A．traditional festivals should co-exist with foreign festivals |
| B．all the Chinese festivals are disappearing in the near future |
| C．western festivals are constantly impacting on our festivals |
| D．the Chinese people have the public awareness of traditional festivals |
We can learn from the passage that______________．
| A．an image designed by the Chinese people will be displayed |
| B．the Chinese gift-giver was intended to symbolize traditional culture |
| C．many foreigners know nothing about Chinese festivals |
| D．the Chinese are beginning to exchange gifts on the Mid-Autumn Festival |
Many Chinese youth dislike traditional festivals because they think______________．
| A．traditional festivals are out of fashion now |
| B．the historical culture is more difficult to understand |
| C．western festivals contain more cultural meanings |
| D．the inheritance will cut off their contact with western festivals |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Gone are Chinese Traditional Festivals |
| B．True Face of Chinese Traditional Culture |
| C．Foreign Festivals Popular with Chinese |
| D．Chinese Fortune Grandpa VS．Santa Claus |
On June 15th，2012，millions of people watched as 33yearold Nik Wallenda walked across one of the world's greatest waterfalls on a tightrope（钢丝）．What made the 25－minute walk that was televised live and watched by over 13 million people worldwide even more amazing，is that it was done over the Niagara Falls－An action that had never been attempted before．
Even though Nik was wearing a harness（保护带），a safety measure provided by ABC，the television network that broadcast the event，his action to keep his balance against the strong winds made for some heart－stopping（令人担忧的） moments for the audience．
Nik，however，never slowed down for even one moment．Wearing special shoes made by his mother，he remained totally focused on the job at hand．It was only when he got to the last stretch near Canada's Table Rock that he knelt down on one knee and finally broke into a smile．Waving and blowing kisses to the cheering audience，he knew he had accomplished a great task，which most people had thought impossible．
While he described the whole experience as peaceful and relaxing，Nik said his biggest challenges came from a totally unexpected source－his 40 pound balancing pole．The balancing pole was so heavy that he could hardly carry it on the tightrope．
One would think that now that Nik has realized his lifelong dream he would be ready to hang up his “balancing pole”．However，the adventurer who already has seven Guinness World Records under his belt，is just getting started－Next up? A 5，000－foot tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon．While the one across the Niagara Falls took years of planning because he had to convince the US and Canadian officials，this one should happen in the very near future．That's because，the Florida resident has already been granted（授予） a permit by the Canyon officials．Why did so many people fix their attention on the event?
A．Because it was done by Nik Wallenda．
B．Because nobody had done it there before．
C．Because it was broadcast live by ABC．
D．Because it was impossible to do the event．What made the audience hold their breath during Nik's performance?
| A．How Nik managed to cross the Niagara Falls with safety measure． |
| B．What Nik would do when he lost his balance on the tightrope． |
| C．How Nik kept his balance against the strong winds． |
| D．How long Nik will take to finish the event． |
What was the greatest difficulty for him to face in Nik view?
| A．The supplied tightrope． | B．The safety belt． |
| C．The balancing pole． | D．The audience's noise． |
What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Nik will go on with his dream． |
| B．Nik's life dream is changing． |
| C．Permission of governments is important． |
| D．The Grand Canyon is a dream for Nik． |
Its often interesting to take a look at some of the lists that arrive toward the end of the year such as top devices, best gadgets, most desirable high-tech gift and more. Apart from cell phones and tablets, and Apple and Samsung products, this year many other gadgets made it on the most wanted list from Yahoo Tech and the most searched list from Bing. com. Read on to find out what they are.
Wireless headphone
Portable Bluetooth headphones represent the next evolution in headphone technology. If you have a compatible smartphone with Bluetooth, the obvious benefit is that you can get rid of the wires snaking from your backpack or pocket. Many of the wireless headphones in the market also have a built-in microphone for taking calls hands-free.
Product to buy: Beats Studio Wireless
Features: Signature look, and powerful audio performance with intense bass and high-mid boosting, plus plenty of accessories.
Price: 1898 yuan
Smartwatch
The primary advantage of a smartwatch over traditional watches is that they reduce how often you have to pull your phone out of your pocket. With it, the information on your smartphone goes straight to your wrist, and you can decide first if they are worth dealing with.
Product to buy: Pebble smartwatch
Features: Understated design, with easy setup and instant information, and customizable watch faces, plus synes（同步）with Android or IOS.
Price: $99 (about 612 yuan)
Portable Bluetooth speaker
Bluetooth speakers are steadily growing in popularity because they let you take the party anywhere. They can be paired with your music device, and they are able to withstand incidental bumps. Though small in size, Bluetooth speakers provide a steady soundtrack for even the lengthiest bacchanalia (狂欢)。
Product to buy: Logitech UE Boom
Features: Water and stain resistant, 360-degree sound, 15 hour battery life, with a variety of color patterns.
Price: 1499 yuan
Fitness band
Basically, fitness bands are smartwatches without the watch. They keep track of your exercise progress and, at the same time, allow you to monitor vitals such as your heart rate, calories burned and amount of time spent exercising. Some even monitor your sleep patterns.
Product to buy: Fitbit Flex
Features: Long battery life (five days), with silent vibrating alarm, and wireless syncing to smartphones.
Price: 898 yuanAccording to the first paragraph, a smartphone that __________ is a compatible one.
| A．goes with other devices |
| B．has a large capacity |
| C．represents technological evolution |
| D．has signature look |
How much money is he likely to spend on some of the products if a man is an enthusiastic musical fan?
| A．3397 yuan | B．1510 yuan |
| C．2397 yuan | D．2510 yuan |
Which of the following words can best summarize the common feature of the above products?
| A．Wearable | B．Cheap |
| C．Android | D．Wireless |
Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
| A．Smartwatch and Fitness band are similar products to some extent. |
| B．Beats Studio Wireless features plenty of accessories. |
| C．All the products can sync with Android or iOS |
| D．Tablets are on the most wanted list of high-tech products of this year |
The world has a fast growing population and people need more land for houses, factories, highways, and so on. The farmland is decreasing with each passing day. How to meet the need of feeding the growing population? One way is to introduce some high-output gene into a crop to enable it to produce more. Biologists over the years have discovered genes which can raise output of the crops, resist pests, improve taste, etc.
However, in many western countries there is widespread concern over the safety of “Genetically Modified”(GM) (转基因) foods, because they think there may be serious problems of environment, health, safety, morality and so on.
As a scientist I must admit GM foods involve great risks to humans. In fact in Europe they’re called “Frankenstein foods” by many. Frankenstein is a character in a novel. He was a very clever scientist. He created a monster（怪物）, which eventually killed him.
Soybeans﹙大豆﹚ can be made into many foods. However, it’s hard to trace them. Therefore, it’s very important we have to make sure the soybean, if genetically modified, is free from any poisonous matter harmful to human beings. For this we need very good testing. We do have some testing on some animals, but no completely satisfactory testing has ever been made so far. Theyre entirely new, and their problems are entirely unknown. It takes time to develop persuasive tests to know whether theyre harmful to us or not.
We may not be able to tell what may happen if we take GM foods. Some of them may be resistant to antibiotics (抗生素). Then many of the medicines we have today will have no effect on people eating GM foods.
A more likely case is the GM foods may contain genes some people are allergic﹙过敏的﹚to.
GM products have already come into our lives, but most people even know nothing about it.
At least we have to be clear about what we are eating. The China Consumers Association is calling for labeling (标注) on GM foods so that consumers will know before they buy them. The chief purpose of developing GM foods is to_______.
| A．make the foods much tastier |
| B．make the foods much cheaper |
| C．feed the fast growing population |
| D．kill pests on the crops |
From the passage we can infer that .
| A．Frankenstein was a scientist creating GM foods |
| B．GM foods are very popular in Europe |
| C．Frankenstein foods can make people clever |
| D．many Europeans reject GM foods |
The underlined phrase trace them in Paragraph 4 probably means.
| A．find their market | B．find their origins |
| C．raise their quality | D．enjoy their taste |
Which of the following is TRUE about GM foods?
| A．The testing shows GM soybean foods are free from poisonous matter. |
| B．GM foods problems have been known after testing on animals. |
| C．GM foods prove to be safe to humans after some testing on animals. |
| D．Sometimes consumers can hardly tell GM soybeans from natural ones. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．People should be informed of which foods are GM foods. |
| B．People eating GM foods will suffer from food allergies. |
| C．As GM foods are safe at present, theyre certainly safe later on. |
| D．GM foods make antibiotics fail to function properly. |