I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering(餐饮) service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state-owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well-developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand-talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign-trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It's hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.Which of the following scenes is NOT considered as lack of creation?
| A．Papers were often downloaded from the Internet. |
| B．Students often said that copying is a preferable business strategy. |
| C．Case study debates were written up as well as recited. |
| D．Students combine knowledge and critical thoughts to solve a problem. |
The underlined word “scheme” in the forth paragraph means .
| A．timetable | B．theme | C．project | D．policy |
We can infer from the passage that ___________.
| A．China can make and sell any product all over the world |
| B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment |
| C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand |
| D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Look for a New Way of Learning | B．Reward Creative Thinking |
| C．How to Become a Creator | D．Establish a Technical Environment |
It’s really a tough job for automakers doing marketing and sales in China, where competition is acute and customers have little loyalty． They have tried a range of tricks in recent years．
But there should be a moral bottom line． Unfortunately, a Buick dealership used the tragedy of a two-month-old infant to advertise its cars last week on Weibo – Micro blog． And Hyundai Motor followed suit．
On March 4, an SUV was stolen with the infant left inside alone in the northeastern city of Changchun． The news spread widely on Weibo after the baby’s father called the local police and radio station for help． The next day it was revealed that the infant was choked to death and buried in snow by the thief． The online community expressed its deeply felt sympathy and condolences．
The Buick dealership posted a photo of the baby and two of its cars on its official Weibo account to advertise its GPS system that can locate the stolen car. “A few thoughts on the Changchun stolen car and baby incident: when buying a car it's entirely OK to choose a brand with advanced technology,” said the post. Though the post was made before tragic fate of the infant was known, the action generated a storm of outrage on Weibo. Some online commentators said it is “marketing at the cost of lives” and “extremely despicable.”
Worse was the post on Hyundai's off icial Weibo account that advertised the anti - theft system on its new SUV Santa Fe, an entry made after the child was known to have died. The action also enraged micro bloggers.
Both posts were soon deleted. The Buick dealership made an apology on Weibo to the family of the victim and the public. But screenshots saved by users continued to be posted and the negative impact on both brands persists.
The two brands probably didn’t expect such a firestorm of fury from the Internet community, but they really made a big mistake sinking below the moral bottom line． They certainly ruined their own brand images．
The Chinese have the same proverb as the English language – a little leak will sink a great ship． It takes decades to build the great ship of a respectable brand but it can take just a moment of negligence to make it fail completely．
For those in corporate marketing, two lessons should be learned: first, be careful in the era of social media when one wrong can be easily magnified and have disastrous impacts in just a few clicks．
Second and more importantly, think with your brain and heart． Never break the moral bonds of respect for human life and sympathy for our fellow man．Who is to blame for the tragedy of Changchun infant according to the passage?
| A．The baby’s father | B．Buick and Hyundai dealership |
| C．Weibo | D．Not clear |
Which of the following statements is correct?
| A．The missing infant was found alive in the stolen car． |
| B．Micro blog marketing of tragic infant death fuels firestorm of criticism． |
| C．People can’t see the two posts any more because they were deleted． |
| D．The two car brands mentioned in the passage spoiled their own reputation by selling the stolen car． |
What does the underlined word – “despicable” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Immoral | B．Important |
| C．Distinguished | D．Considerable |
The reason why Hyundai’s post was worse than Buick’s is that _________．
| A．Hyundai dealership didn’t make an apology on Weibo |
| B．Buick dealership expressed its deeply sympathy and condolences |
| C．Hyundai’s post was made after people knew the infant had died |
| D．Buick’s car was more advanced on its GPS system |
In the last paragraph, the author encourages people _____________．
| A．not to sink below the moral bottom line |
| B．not to sympathize our fellow man |
| C．to think twice before making decision |
| D．to magnify the mistakes people make |
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache． The slightest move makes you jump with pain． Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck．
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling． We have all met such people．
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time-during a performance in the theater． He keeps you from hearing the actors．
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins．They come hurrying down to your row of seats． You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap． You must stand up to let them pass． You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again． He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass． Now, that is “a pain in the neck”．
Another, well-known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies． His mouth is full of popcorn ; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him． None of them remain still． Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink．
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking． He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth．
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him． You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you． He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it．
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors． They enjoy learning about your personal business． People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”． They hate being watched secretly．Where can you find this passage?
| A．In a medicine dictionary． |
| B．in a kids’ story book． |
| C．In a social science book． |
| D．In a science textbook． |
According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
| A．disturbed． | B．bored． | C．ignored． | D．relaxed． |
A “rubber neck” often __________________ ．
| A．says bad words behind people． |
| B．quarrels face to face with neighbors． |
| C．bargains with salespeople over the price |
| D．asks about other people’s business |
Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
| A．Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance． |
| B．Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles． |
| C．Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy． |
| D．Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies． |
What is the main purpose of the author?
| A．To tell people what might be bad manners in public． |
| B．To criticize （批评） the people who might be a “pain in the neck” |
| C．To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”． |
| D．To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck． |
Dr． Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish． It's not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low． It's not because they're bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water． It’s because they're smart．
"Fish are sensitive, they have personalities," says the marine biologist． For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat． "I would never eat anyone I know personally．"
There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human． They can remember things and learn from experience． Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether．
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket． "While it may seem conspicuous that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables," says Dr． Lynne Sneddon． "Really, it's kind of a moral question． Is the enjoyment you get from fishing （or eating fish） more important than the pain of the fish?"
Fishermen and （fried） fish lovers are skeptical． "I've never seen a smart fish," says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant． "If they were very smart, they wouldn't get caught．"
"For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us," says another diner． "Now I've got to feel guilty while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?"According to Dr． Sylvia Earle, he would stop eating fish as a result of the following reasons EXCEPT ___________ ．
| A．Fish are sensitive and have personalities |
| B．He knows fish very well |
| C．Fish are dangerous to eat because the water is polluted |
| D．Fish are clever |
Dr.Lynne Sneddon describes the behavior of eating fish in a（n） _______ tone．
| A．opposed | B．optimistic |
| C．indifferent | D．supportive |
Which word below can take the place of the underlined word “conspicuous” in Paragraph 4?
| A．obvious | B．easy |
| C．impossible | D．necessary |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _____________ ．
| A．Human beings should stop eating fish |
| B．We would feel guilty if we continued eating fish |
| C．People eat fish because fish are delicious |
| D．Cucumber is a kind of vegetable or fruit |
What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?
| A．To advise people to stop eating fish． |
| B．To introduce a topic of whether people should eat fish． |
| C．To advise people not to stop eating fish． |
| D．To tell us that fish will feel pain when caught and transported． |
We know that hugs make us feel easy inside. And this feeling, it turns out, could actually ward off stress and protect r the immune (免疫) system, according to a new research from Carnegie Mellon University.
It’s a well-known fact that stress can weaken the immune system. In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether hugs----like social support more broadly ----could protect individuals from the increased sensitivity to illness brought on by the particular stress that come with interpersonal conflict.
“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety, “the study’s lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen , said in a statement. “We tested whether awareness of social support is equally effective in protecting us from sensitivity to infection caused by stress and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feeling of support and thus protect a person against infection.”
In the experiment , over 400 healthy adults filled out a questionnaire about their perceived (感知) social support and also participated in a nightly phone interview for two weeks . They were asked the frequency they engaged in interpersonal conflicts and received bugs that day.
Then, the researchers exposed the participants to a common cold virus, and monitored them to assess signs of infection. They found that both perceived social support and more frequent hugs reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing interpersonal conflict. Regardless of whether or not they experienced social conflicts, infected participants with greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs had less severe illness symptoms.
“This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the effects of stress,” Cohen said. “The apparent protective effect of hugs may result from the physical contact itself or hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and closeness. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection.”
If you need any more reason to go wrap your arms around someone special, consider this: hugs also lower blood pressure, reduce fearsome around death and dying, improve heart health and decrease feeling of loneliness.In Paragraph 1, the underlined words “ward off “can be replaced by ____.
| A．produce | B．increase |
| C．prevent | D．support |
Dr. Sheldon Cohen’s experiment shows that ____.
| A．hugs can hide serious illness symptoms |
| B．social conflicts can monitor signs of infection |
| C．social support can reduce the risk of having a cold |
| D．depression and anxiety result from less social support |
The passage aims to convey that ____.
| A．hugs can have protective effects |
| B．social support can sure diseases |
| C．interpersonal conflicts cause infections |
| D．stress can weaken our immune system |
The passage is most likely to be found in ____.
| A．a social science magazine |
| B．a commercial brochure |
| C．a medical report |
| D．an academic essay |
While you may think that being smart and talented would logically make someone successful in running a business, unfortunately, this is often not the case.
This problem starts back in school when the stressful “group projects” are first assigned .The smartest don’t want to risk their grade in the class by dividing the work equally and hoping that an average student does his part well. They just take over and do the whole project themselves.
And thus begins the smart-people work cycle. The smartest people do just about everything better than most everyone else until it comes to running a business. They are not better. A smart person who can’t stand someone else doing a job badly does everything himself. Then, he is stuck with the one-man band “job-business” and ends up not being able to grow. However, it is quite interesting and strange that some “slackers” ( a person who is lazy and avoids work) are better suited to be a business leader than the “smart” people.
Smart and talented people often have a gift for the unusual, complicated or different. They don’t like to follow the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid), which is required to make a business succeed. Maybe you think the global presence of McDonald’s complex, but in reality, in the company, every single task is broken down into easy-to-follow steps and everything has been standardized. These successful companies have just a few smart enough people to run the majority of the tasks in a way that can’t be screwed up by their average employees. So, being smart or talented isn’t going to help you unless you can use those smarts to figure out a way to simplify those tasks that will make a business successful.
Another issue with the smart people starting businesses is that they often have the most to lose. The smarter you are, the more options you have available to you. You will be able to make a lot of money in various fields and have room in your career to become promoted. This means that when you start a business, you have a lot more to risk than those who are not equally smart. This is often referred to as the “golden handcuffs” dilemma.
So, don’t be surprised when the person “MOST Likely to Succeed” from high school ends up as an employee and it is one average student that finds success in his or her own business.In group work, smart students often take over the whole project because they believe ____.
| A．the work is not divided equally |
| B．they can perform better than others |
| C．the group projects are too stressful |
| D．average students are unwilling to participate |
McDonald’s is used as an example to prove that ____.
| A．a business calls for smart people’s talent |
| B．average employees can perform complex tasks |
| C．smart people are important for a successful business |
| D．simplified tasks are required for the success of a business |
The underlined expression in Paragraph 5 refers to the situation where smart people ____.
| A．have fewer options in a company |
| B．risk more when starting business |
| C．are unwilling to put money to a business |
| D．can have a good income in many different fields |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Potentials for Success |
| B．Bases for Business |
| C．The Ordinary Achieve Bigger Success? |
| D．Talent Means Successful Business? |