Chances are you’ve enjoyed a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Since the opening of the first Starbucks in 1971 as a vendor of high-quality coffee beans and brewing equipment, the company has expanded to become the most popular coffeehouse chain in the world. Its 14,000 stores in 43 countries sell coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries, and more. How did this happen?
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz took over the company in 1987. He recognized an untapped market in busy individuals in urban areas who could afford fine coffees. In 1995, Schultz hired Anna Niess and Will Chassaing to redesign his booming chain. In addition to laying the groundwork for Starbucks’ well-known symbols and distinctive style, they created a program that led to opening one store per day throughout the 1990s.
One thing that makes Starbucks so popular is the company’s vision of their stores as a “third place” to spend time in addition to work and home. It’s a cozy environment that serves as a meeting place. This attracts a loyal following of customers that come not only to drink coffee, but to relax, work, socialize, and attend cultural events.
Schultz still sees a great deal of potential for his company. Starbucks plans to have 40,000 stores worldwide with 20,000 in the US and Canada. The company is now a household name around the world.
Howard Schultz is the perfect example of a person living the American dream. After growing up in public housing, he received a football scholarship to Northern Michigan University. This allowed him to become the first in his family to graduate from college in 1975.
Schultz first experienced Starbucks as a salesman for Swedish drip coffeemakers on a trip to visit the Seattle company that had been buying his products. A year later, he joined the company. Conflict arose when Schultz recommended Starbucks sell brewed coffee in addition to beans and equipment. The owners disagreed, and in 1985, Schultz went on to start his own coffee shop, II Giornale. In 1987, the original Starbucks owners sold their company to Schultz, and refocused their attention on selling coffee beans and teas.
Schultz promoted an aggressive expansion of Starbucks throughout the US and Canada. When Starbucks began selling stock shares in 1992, he had already grown the chain to 165 stores. Throughout the expansion of Starbucks, Schultz has held strong principles of social responsibility. Starbucks takes good care of its employees with health insurance, stock options (认股权), and stable hours. In fact, under Schultz, Starbucks has been consistently ranked one of the best places to work in the US and UK.
Commitments to environmentalism, fair pay for coffee bean growers, and a positive contribution to society contribute to Schultz’s reputation as a truly ethical (道德的) businessman. That means with Schultz in charge of Starbucks, you can enjoy your coffee with a clear conscience.
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
Starbucks sells coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries and more.
The original Starbucks owners focused their attention on selling coffee beans and brewing equipment until 1987.
Starbucks has been the best place to work in the US and UK.
It was Anna Niess and Will Chassaing who redesigned Starbucks’s well- known symbols and style.
1.What makes Starbucks so popular?
A.Starbucks’ care for its employees.
B.Starbucks’ Chairman Howard Schultz.
C.Starbucks’ expansion around the world
D.Starbucks’ cozy environment
2.Which of the following is the correct order of the events?
a．Schultz started his own coffee shop.
b. Schultz recommended Starbucks sell brewed coffee.
c. Schultz bought Starbucks.
d. Schultz grew the chain to 165 stores.
A. b, c, a, d B. b, a, c, d C. b, c, d, a D. b, a, d, c
3.What helps Schultz to earn a reputation as a truly ethical businessman?
A.His being the first to graduate in his family.
B.The fast expansion of Starbucks.
C.His strong principles of social responsibility.
D.His being the perfect example of a person living the American dream.
Bertie knew there was something in the wind. His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie's feet when Father cleared his throat and began," You'll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We've found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England."
His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. "But the lion," he cried, "What about the lion?"
"I'm afraid there's something else I have to tell you," his father said. Looking across at Bertie's mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus(马戏团) owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.
"No! You can't send him to a circus!" said Bertie. "People will come to see him. He'll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He'd rather die. Any animal would! " But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.
Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father's deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he crept downstairs in his pyjamas, took down his father's rifle from the rack and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion's neck. The time had come.
"Be wild now," he whispered. "You've got to be wild. Don't ever come home. All my life I'll think of you. I promise I will." He buried his head in the lion's neck. Then, Bertie clambered down the hill and walked away.
When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.
There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion's head.Bertie's mother was sad probably because she ______.
| A．had been seriously ill recently |
| B．had decided to send Bertie to school |
| C．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie |
| D．knew Bertie would hate to go to England |
The underlined word "they" in Para.4 probably refers to ______.
| A．some audience | B．other animals | C．Bertie's parents | D．circus owners |
In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle to ______．
| A．kill the lion out of fear |
| B．threaten the lion back to the wild |
| C．protect himself from the lion |
| D．show his anger towards his father |
The passage intends to show that ______.
| A．animal-hunting is popular in Africa |
| B．parents are sometimes cruel to their children |
| C．animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses |
| D．people and animals can be faithful to each other |
As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly depending on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes（笔画）of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school.And computer dependence is more wide-spread among university students. Almost all their homework and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It's faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that's why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
"When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can't remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it."
"I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper."
Many students don't feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and quick to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said "Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic(审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only have their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer's emotion(情绪). Through one's handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的)and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing. |
| B．To Type or To Hand Write |
| C．Writing By Computer Will Replace Writing By Hand |
| D．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters. |
The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because______.
| A．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and Essays |
| B．they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
| C．they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become popular in China. |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE of the advantages of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| B．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting, |
| C．Handwriting can impress people well and build up one’s self-confidence |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined expression “taking stock in”(Paragraph 4) probably means_____.
| A．getting bored with | B．getting dependent on |
| C．becoming crazy about | D．getting curious about |
We can draw the conclusion from the passage that_______.
| A．more and more students will give up writing on a computer |
| B．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day |
| C．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting |
| D．the typing article better expresses one’s emotion and quality |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims (声称) as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your house is your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually frightened the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting (筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually ________.
| A．an expression of happiness | B． a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger | D． a way of greeting |
What is a bird’s “territory”?
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other. |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own. |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears. |
How does the writer explain birds’ singing?
| A．By comparing birds with human beings. |
| B．By reporting experiment results. |
| C．By describing birds’ daily life. |
| D．By telling a bird’s story. |
What does the underline word “screaming” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．哭喊声 | B．令人惊愕的 | C．尖叫声 | D．尖叫的 |
How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments---mostly for entertainment purposes --- is fair and respectful?
Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely and far from their natural homes.
Zoo claims to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leaves zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behaviour, intelligence, or beauty. Zoo keeps animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range. The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.
The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.
Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding (圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and another species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?
Actually, we still save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.How would the author describe the animals’ life in Zoos?
| A．Dangerous | B．Unhappy | C．Natural | D．Easy |
In the state of zoochosis, animals _______________.
| A．remain in cages | B．behave strangely |
| C．attack other animals | D．enjoy moving around |
According to the passage what point of view does the author hold?
| A．Zoos are not worth the public support. |
| B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals. |
| C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings. |
| D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment. |
The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by________.
| A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do |
| B．using evidence he has collected at zoos |
| C．exploring the way animals are protected |
| D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats |
Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that___________.
| A．zoos have to keep animals in small spaces |
| B．most animals in zoos are endangered species |
| C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos |
| D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats |
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
[1] Twenty-seven outstanding individuals and organizations have been selected from more than-200 nominations (提名) as finalists for the 2012 National Disability Awards for their valuable contribution to improving the lives of people with disability in Australia. The National Disability Awards, now in their sixth year, celebrate the remarkable achievements of people with disability and those who support them to create a more inclusive (包容的) and diverse society.
[2] The Minister for Disability Reform, Jenny Macklin, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas, announced the finalists across the nine award categories.
[3] The finalists are made up of individuals, support organizations and national companies. Their achievements include improving Community accessibility and employment opportunities for people with disability, promoting the rights of people with disability and advocating (提倡) a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
[4] This year's awards come at an exciting time for People with disability, their families and carers, as the Gillard Government invests $1 billion in the first stage of an NDIS, which will be launched from the middle of 2013. More man 20,000 people with significant and permanent disability in five locations __________, receiving a care and support package that is individually adapted to their needs and having decision-making power about their care and support. Important to the success of an NDIS will be the continued commitment of all Australian governments to the National Disability Strategy, which is a framework (机制) to include disability in policies, programs, services and infrastructure (基础设施) across all areas of the community.
[5] The National Disability Awards form part of the Australian Government's celebration of International Day of People with Disability, which occurs annually on 3rd December and which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.Why have twenty-seven individuals and organizations been selected as finalists for the 2012 National Disability Awards? (no more than 15 words)
_______________________________What are the finalists made up of? (no more than 8 words)
_______________________________Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
_______________________________What does the word“them”(Line 5, Paragraph 1) refer to? ( no more than 3 words)
_______________________________What is the passage mainly about? (no more than 8 words)
_______________________________