As societies develop, their members start to see things not so much according to what they need, but according to what they want. When people have enough money, these wants become demands.
Now, it' s important for the managers in a company to understand what their customers want if they are going to develop effective marketing strategies (策略). There are various ways of doing this. One way at supermarkets ( 超市), for example, is to interview(采访) customers while they're doing their shopping. They can be asked what they prefer to buy and then the results of the research can be studied. This provides information on which to base future marketing strategies. It' s also quite normal for top managers from department stores to spend a day or two each month visiting stores and mixing freely with the public, as if they were ordinary customers, to get an idea of how customers act.
Another way to get information from customers is to give them something. For example, some fast food restaurants give away tickets in magazines or on the street that permit customers to get part of their meal for nothing. As well as being a good way of attracting customers into the restaurants to spend their money, it also allows the managers to get a feel for where to attract customers and which age-groups to attract.
Another strategy used at some well-known parks such as Disneyland is for top managers to spend at least one day in their work, touring the park dressed as Mickey Mouse or something like that. This provides them with a perfect chance to examine the scene and watch the customers without being noticed.The text is designed for _______
| A．managers | B．salesmen | C．researchers | D．customers |
Which of the following can help managers get useful information?
| A．Visiting customers themselves. | B．Giving customers free food on the street. |
| C．Visiting parks as ordinary customers. | D．Asking customers questions at supermarkets. |
What does the word "this" underlined in the last sentence refer to?
| A．Visiting Disneyland. | B．Wearing attractive clothes. |
| C．Acting Mickey Mouse. | D．Dressing up and walking around. |
The main idea of the text is _________.
| A．how to do market research | B．how to develop marketing strategies |
| C．how to find out customers' social needs | D．how to encourage customers to spend more money |
Joke l：
A man was sitting reading his papers when his wife hit him round the head with a frying pan． “What was that for?” the man asked．
The wife replied, “That was for the piece of paper with the name Jenny on it I found in your pocket．” The man then said, “When l was at the races last week Jenny was the name of the horse I bet on．” The wife apologized and went on with the housework． Three days later the man was watching TV when his wife hit him on the head with an even bigger frying pan, knocking him unconscious． Upon regaining consciousness the man asked why she had hit again． Wife replied, “Your horse phoned．”
Joke 2：
“Do you believe in life after death?” the boss asked one of his employees．
“Yes, sir, ” the new employee replied．
“Well, then, that makes everything just fine, ” the boss went on． “After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother’s funeral． she stopped in to see you!”
Joke 3：
“Oh, I am happy to see you, ” the little boy said to his grandmother on his mother's side． “Now maybe daddy will do the trick he has been promising us． ” The grandmother was curious． “What trick is that?” she asked．
“I heard him tell mommy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit, ” the little boy answered．
Joke 4：
A woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day． One day, he signaled for her to come nearer． As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, “You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times．
When I got fired, you were there to support me．
When my business failed, you were there．
When I got shot, you were by my side．
When we lost the house, you stayed right here．
When my health started failing, you were still by my side… You know what Martha?”
“What dear?” she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth．
“I’m beginning to think you’re bad luck…”The wife became angry suddenly in Joke 1 because __________．
| A．she had her frying pan burned while away |
| B．her husband made a bet on a horse but lost |
| C．her husband was carrying with himself a woman’s name |
| D．her husband’s pocket money was lost without any reason |
Who called the husband in Joke 1?
| A．The organization of the horse races of a club． |
| B．Jenny the man chose to bet on in the races． |
| C．Jenny who won the race successfully． |
| D．Jenny whom the man made friends with． |
What dose the boss mean in Joke 2?
| A．He was lucky to see the employee’s former grandmother． |
| B．The employee’s grandmother has come into heaven after death． |
| C．He has figured out that the employee told a lie to him． |
| D．The employee’s grandmother was an honest woman． |
What can we learn about the little boy from Joke 3?
| A．His father likes to make fun of his mother-in-law． |
| B．He likes to play tricks on others． |
| C．His mother is strict with him． |
| D．His father doesn’t like his mother-in-law to come． |
The husband in Joke 4 means that __________．
| A．he is thankful for his selfless and lovely wife |
| B．he realizes he is unlucky to have married his wife |
| C．it is fortunate to experience so many unforgettable things |
| D．his wife deserves all his love because of her devotion |
Today, children start to use computers, smart phones and tablets from a very young age． Many parents and child experts believe that this is very wrong． They claim that early exposure to technology can make individuals lazy and distracted． That may be true, but there it is practically impossible to change the world we live in now． What we can do is embrace smart mobile technologies the best way we can． That is Microsoft’s Windows 8 App Store． One of its applications is entirely educational, Windows 8． There, students of all ages can find apps that can greatly help them in their studies． We have prepared the 4 best of them．
Wikipedia—Wikipedia is the first place where students search for information． The articles on the popular website are updated regularly and they include many details, figures and resources． With this app, you can access Wikipedia faster than ever．
SAS Flash Cards—One of the most effective ways to learn your school or university material is by using the so-called “flash cards”． This app, however, allows users to create an entire set of cards in a matter of minutes． Also, the cards can be divided into different subject categories, which makes studying easier and more fun than ever before．
Kindle Reader—If you don't have a Kindle e-Book reader, you can use your Windows 8 device． Just install this app and the Kindle word will land in your smart phone, tablet or laptop． With the Kin-die Reader W8 app, you can also organize and store all of your favorite books．
My Study Life—This application is the mobile version of the website My Study Life． The app can be very useful for students in terms of school and university organization． There you can store all the information you want like homework, assignments and papers． In addition, you can create your own school calendar that will remind you of your upcoming exams, for instance．
There is one main reason why these Windows 8 apps are appropriate for students． Apart from useful, they are completely free! All you need to do is go to Microsoft’s Windows 8 App Store, download the applications you want and install them onto your device．The underlined part means we should __________．
| A．update the technologies as often as we can |
| B．accept the smart mobile applications willingly |
| C．purchase a smart mobile with much money |
| D．develop some new smart mobile functions |
If you want to know of Rafael Nadal you can use __________．
| A．Wikipedia | B．SAS Flash Cards | C．Kindle Reader | D．My Study Life |
The function of “flash cards” is __________．
| A．to make your smart phone closely attached |
| B．to update your information every day |
| C．to help you get your favorite reading materials |
| D．to help students learn their subjects easily |
We can learn from the passage that __________．
| A．students can buy the apps at a certain discount |
| B．the applications above are all for nothing |
| C．you should pay much to download the apps |
| D．It’s easy for parents to keep a watch on their children |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Top Windows 8 Apps for Students |
| B．Windows 8 to Be Updated for Students |
| C．Games Apps in Windows 8 Store |
| D．Microsoft Company and Its Apps |
Recently I came in contact with the true meaning of love． That would have been, Kane, a boy． Kane was the two-year-old son of Jolene, my new neighbor．
At a glance Kane was a sight． He’d been born with hard sticks for legs． And on that morning I witnessed the effect that Kane’s physical shortcomings had on his family． But I also witnessed much more than that．
I saw an extraordinary family that embraced this special child． A family that wouldn’t allow Kane to know he was different． Jolene had constructed a small cart just a few inches off the floor for his son to get around． Using his hands to move about, Kane moved the cart to “go to” any place just as everyone else was able to do． Kane worked that little cart like a master． Kane was a vital focus of the entire family． He was more than just a member of the family; he was the soul． This child was the driver, the motivator, and the founder of much of the interaction．
Much later in my life, I came to realize that God had sent this child to help some of us who just weren’t getting what love was all about． Even with my limited capacity for understanding at the time that Kane was a highly developed spirit with great wisdom．
Kane demanded attention, but not because of his mobility challenges or other apparent shortcomings． In his mind, he had no challenges or shortcomings． The truth is that he received attention because he was alive and real and had so much to offer．
Kane was and still is a lot of warm and powerful energy sent to us all, so we might learn that love surpasses all things． Kane, a fragile yet lovely baby, was here to teach us all an important lesson． And at the age of two he did just that． How did the author think of Kane’s family members?
| A．They were strange because they locked Kane at home． |
| B．It was respectable for them to start their own business． |
| C．It was ridiculous for them to make a cart for Kane． |
| D．They were greatly brave to face all the difficulties． |
How did Kane “get to” everywhere he wanted to go?
| A．By moving his cart with his own hands． |
| B．By asking his father to lead him ahead with a stick． |
| C．By asking his grandparents to push hin everywhere． |
| D．His parents specially employed a babysitter for him． |
According to the author, God made Kane with disability to help _______．
| A．his parents get to know their responsibility |
| B．his family members know the importance of union |
| C．people especially the healthy realize what love really means |
| D．people especially the disabled realize their inner power |
Kane needed attention because he wanted to show ________．
| A．he can challenge his difficulty in moving |
| B．he had challenges or shortcomings in his life |
| C．he himself needed to be looked after by others |
| D．he had the power to prove he was capable too |
What can we learn from Kane’s story?
| A．Love me, love my dog． |
| B．Love is above all things． |
| C．Many hands make light work． |
| D．Pure gold fears no fire． |
The fourth round of heavy smog to hit Beijing in four weeks has sent more people to the hospital with respiratory（呼吸的） illnesses and led to calls for laws to control the pollution.
Pan Shiyi, a celebrity real estate developer said he is planning to propose (提案) a Clean Air Act to the local government. As a representative to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, he started an online survey at 9:20 a.m. Within three hours, more than 25,000 web users, or 99 percent of total respondents（应答者）, welcomed his proposal on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter.
They have good reasons to stand alongside Pan. The latest round of haze（雾霾）reduced visibility to under 500 meters in many parts of the city. The smog has also led to a great increase in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children and the elderly. Anxious parents and doctors almost all blame the smoggy air for the illnesses. Though most schoolchildren are home for the winter holidays, the bad air can easily move indoors. Besides, ordinary medical masks fail to provide adequate protection, so some people have turned to gas masks and respirators（呼吸器）.
The causes of the scary smog are rather mysterious, though experts blame excessive emissions and the mountains around Beijing that trap pollution in winter, unless there is adequate wind to clear it away. Some critics have pointed fingers at China’s top two oil firms, China National Petroleum Corp and China Petrochemical Corporation, saying the companies’ outdated production technologies produce large quantities of substandard, high-polluting gas fuel.
Meanwhile, concerned Beijingers have moved their brainstorming sessions to cyberspace. If Pan’s proposal for a Clean Air Act is adopted, netizens say the new law should include items providing for “car-free days” in times of smog, higher standards for vehicle fuel, stricter restrictions on industrial and exhaust gas emissions, and more effective protection for the public.
Beijing is not the only city that has ever lost the blue sky. Five days of thick fog caused thousands of deaths in Britain in December 1952, urging the government to pass the first Clean Air Act in 1956, which introduced smokeless zones and cleaner fuels to reduce pollution. That may provide some experience for Beijing to refer to.What can we learn from the passage?
| A．People are clear about the causes of the smoggy weather. |
| B．Children staying indoors will not get respiratory illnesses. |
| C．Smog is worse for people with lower resistance to diseases. |
| D．Masks can give people protection against the smoggy weather. |
Britain is mentioned in the last paragraph to ______.
| A．suggest Beijing should learn from other countries |
| B．let people know many places have this problem |
| C．tell people the situation in Britain is worse |
| D．call on the government to pass Britain’s Clean Air Act |
What’s the best title for this passage？
| A．The Use of Gas masks and Respirators |
| B．Beijingers Call for Clean Air Act |
| C．Effective Protection for Blue Sky |
| D．The Mysterious Causes of the Scary Smog |
The booking notes of the play "the Age of Innocence":
Price: $10
BOOKING
There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:
------ in person
The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a. m. -8 p. m.
-----by telephone
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card(Visa, MasterCard and Amex
accepted)
------ by post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.
------on line
Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satanfiedtheatre. com
DISCOUNTS:
Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday.
Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(suitable)for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.
Group Bookings: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more.
School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.
Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT ________.
| A．use the Internet. |
| B．ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card. |
| C．go to the Box Office on Sundays. |
| D．complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office. |
According to the notes, who can get $2 off?
| A．A 20-year-old full-time college student. |
| B．A 55-year-old woman. |
| C．An 18-year-old teenager. |
| D．The people who book the tickets on Fridays. |
If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?
| A．$120 | B．$126 |
| C．$140 | D．$150 |
From the passage we can know all the following information except that ________.
| A．There are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre. |
| B．The audience can't refund money if the performance is on show. |
| C．A group of 12 persons can get 10 percent discount. |
| D．A school party of 15 students should pay $90 for the standby tickets. |