Tokyo - Drivers in China are no longer in a hurry to own Toyota Motor Corp's cars.
Neil Hu, a sales manager at a Toyota dealership in Beijing, said he has stopped charging a 5,000 yuan ($732) premium to customers who want to skip the waiting list for RAV4 sport- utility vehicles. He took the initiative after the Japanese carmaker recalled 75,552 of the SUVs in China last month to fix gas pedals that may stick.
"I heard the situation in the US is pretty bad for Toyota," Hu said. "The recall has impacted us as well."
Toyota, which grew more slowly than competitors in China in 2009, will likely lose more market share and see a decline in local profit margin this year, analysts say. The carmaker has relied on a reputation for quality and safety to sell high margin, mid- to large-size models even as the world's biggest auto market shifts to cheaper, smaller cars, encouraged by government incentives.
With Toyota's brand damaged by global recalls of millions of vehicles, profit margins for its SUVs and Camry and Crown sedans may shrink, said Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia Ltd, an industry consultant.
"With this recall saga, Toyota's premium pricing power in China is gone," Chotai said. "Toyota's cars don't have enough good value for money."
Toyota has lost $24.5 billion in market capitalization this year as it recalled over 8 million cars globally to fix defects linked to unintended acceleration. The company faces at least 118 class actions in the US and at least 36 individual lawsuits claiming deaths and injuries caused by sudden acceleration of Toyota or Lexus vehicles.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda flew directly to Beijing on March 2 to apologize for the vehicle defects, after attending US Congressional hearings about the recalls in Washington. He skipped Europe's Geneva auto show, underscoring the growing importance of the Chinese market.
Toyota rose for a fifth straight day in Tokyo, advancing 0.9 percent to 3,580 yen as of 9:44 am local time. The carmaker's shares have fallen 7.7 percent this year.
The company's February China sales rose 30 percent to 45,400 vehicles, underperforming the overall passenger-car. According to the passage, why did Toyota carmaker recall their cars in China last month? _____________
| A．Because it faced law suits in the US |
| B．Because there were problems with the cars. |
| C．Because of the importance of the Chinese market |
| D．Because the customers are not satisfied with the charging of a 5,000 Yuan premium. |
What does the underlined phrase“take the initiative” mean?
| A．took the advice | B．changed his mind | C．took the action | D．made the decision |
Why did Toyota president Akio Toyota skip Europe’s Geneva auto show?
| A．Because he did not think it important |
| B．Because he was not satisfied with the hearing in the US |
| C．Because he attached importance to the Chinese Market |
| D．Because he needed to make an apology to Chinese |
After the global recalls of millions vehicles, Toyota will be impacted in the following aspects, EXCEPT_________.
| A．Its brand will be damaged |
| B．Its profit margins will shrink |
| C．It will have to face law suits |
| D．The president will be fired |
Where can read the passage? __________
| A．newspaper |
| B．magazine |
| C．encyclopedia |
| D．a school book |
To get an extra 14 years of life, don't smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in a proper amount．That is according to a study published this Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal．
After tracking more than 20,000 people aged 45 to 79 years in the United Kingdom from about 1993 to 2007, Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues found that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived all average of 14 years longer than those who didn't．
“We've known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we've not seen this benefit before, ”said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain's Medical Research Council．“The benefit was also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from．”
Study participants（参与者）scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake．
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to introduce policies helping people to adopt these changes．But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would surely gain 14 years．
“We can't say that any person could gain 14 years by doing these things, ”said Dr．Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization．“The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically（理论上地）possible．”
“Most people 
know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking isn't good for them, ”Susan Jebb said．“We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change．”Which of the following DOESN'T belong to the four healthy habits?
| A．Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day． |
| B．Do proper exercise in the morning every day． |
| C．Drinking alcohol in the proper amount every day． |
| D．Having a cigarette before going to bed every day． |
We can learn from the passage that．
| A．Susan Jebb did not take part in the study． |
| B．the study observed people as well as tested specific changes． |
| C．there's no need for people under 45 to adopt these good habits． |
| D．only those from first class can benefit from these healthy behaviors． |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．All the people are well aware of the harm of their bad habits． |
| B．People aged 45 to 70 have bad habits in the United Kingdom． |
| C．Governments should take measures to help people change their bad habits． |
| D．People have adopted the four healthy habits after knowing they're good． |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Smoking and Drinking Cuts You 14 Years |
| B．How to Live a Much Healthier Life |
| C．Healthy Habits May Give Extra 14 Years |
| D．How to Make Your Life Longer Than Others |
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods．We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cell phone and a credit card sitting on the road．We took them home．We always find amazing things on the street and she looks upon them as a movable feast-a chicken wing here or a barbecue rib （肋骨）there．
I found another cell phone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book．I explained the situation to the guy who answered．He said it was his sister's and that he'd come to pick it up, which he did．
And that was that．No verbal thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here's a box of chocolates” thank-you．
I didn't have time to call anyone on my latest found cell phone．I was pouring myself coffee when it started to shake and dance across the kitchen counter．
“Who's this?” someone asked when I picked up．
“Who's this?” I countered（反问）．“Sarah?”
She was surprised at my knowing her name until she realized her name was on the credit card．“Could you send them to me?” she asked．
She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house．
“Hmm, no, ”I replied, adding that I thought she could come to get them, and that if I wasn't at home, they would be in my mailbox．
A day later, when I was out for a run, someone got them back．There wasn't even a piece of paper put in the mailbox with “Thanks” on it．In this age of e-mail and cell phone, there's really no excuse．Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street：a driver's license．I saw that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up．He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door．
“I guess I could, ”I replied．
And that was that．What is the relationship between Maggie and the writer?
| A．Wife and husband | B．Daughter and father |
| C．Teacher and student | D．Master and pet dog |
How many experiences are mentioned by the writer to return things to the losers?
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
How did the writer know Sarah's name?
| A．From her telephone's phone book | B．From her credit card |
| C．From her e-mail | D．From her driver's license |
The writer wants to tell us through the unusual stories,
| A．we should return the things we picked to the losers |
| B．people don't know how to appreciate others in the age of e-mail and cell phone |
| C．people should learn to appreciate persons who provide help for you |
| D．the advance of society makes people lose some virtues |
Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and 
safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency ability．VeterinaryPartner．com has provided this complete reference book online for you to skim through, expanding your knowledge of dog and cat first aid；however, we encourage you to buy the book to keep in your home or car as a quick reference during an emergency．
This book is an emergency preparedness ready-reference for dogs and cats．Wise preventive measures, intelligent use of first aid principles, coupled with recognition of abnormal symptoms and treatment of disorders, diseases, and problems, lead to effective health care．
A working knowledge of this information will help you get rid of some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations．
It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations．The authors encourage careful reading and occasional rereading．We have tried to make this book easy to understand, avoiding technical terms as often as possible, but defining（下定义）them in context when they are necessary．What does the underlined word “veterinary” in paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Immediate | B．For animals | C．Urgent | D．For humans |
Why are we advised to buy the book?
| A．Because it's very cheap and may be useful to all the people． |
| B．Because it contains a working knowledge of information about dogs and cats． |
| C．Because it contains information on specific emergency situations． |
| D．Because it is convenient to know things dealing with dog or cat in an emergency． |
Which is NOT true about the book?
| A．It can enlarge the readers' knowledge of dog and cat first aid． |
| B．It contains the knowledge of recognition of abnormal symptoms of dogs and cats． |
| C．Although it contains many technical terms, it is easy to understand． |
| D．You can read it on VetrinaryParmer．com free of charge． |
What's the purpose of the passage?
| A．To introduce a book． | B．To introduce a website． |
| C．To introduce a working knowledge． | D．To encourage careful reading． |
Broken rubber bands and flat tires requiring replacement could soon be a thing of the past．French researchers have developed a new kind of rubber that can repair itself when broken．The new rubber is made from widely available materials including vegetable oil and a common industrial chemical．All the materials are considered safe to the environment and can be easily reused．The best part is that the new rubber can be repaired and used again and again without losing its strength or ability or stretch．When cut, the rubber can be made new again, simply by pressing the two broken ends back together．The product can be repaired at room temperature, around twenty degrees Centigrade；other self-healing materials require higher temperatures for repair．Traditionally, rubber substances are made from huge molecules（分子）connected by strong chemical links, or bonds．The new rubber is made of smaller molecules．The molecules are linked together using hydrogen bonds．When connected in this way, the molecules act like one long molecule, forming what is called supramolecular networks（超分子网）．When the rubber is cut, the molecules attempt to connect with whatever molecule is near them．When pressed together, the molecules are able to repair themselves at the molecular level, making the repaired rubber like new．However, time is an important element in the process．If the broken ends are not brought together quickly, a repair is not possible．This is because molecules will form bonds with molecules on their own side．The inventors say the surfaces of the rubber can be repaired within a week of being separated．The rubber is the creation of scientists at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Education Institution in Paris．The organization is part of France's National Center for Scientific Research．The new material is described in greater detail in the research publication Nature．According to the introduction, which of the following is NOT the advantage of the new rubber?
| A．It can be made as easily as common rubber． |
| B．It is environmentally-friendly． |
| C．It can repair itself at room temperature． |
| D．It is made of smaller molecules． |
What does the 5th paragraph mainly tell us?
A．Why t he new rubber is unique． |
| B．Why the new rubber can repair itself． |
| C．The new rubber is made from huge molecules． |
| D．The new rubber is different from the common rubber． |
If we want to know more about the technology of this kind of new rubber, where can we get the information?
| A．In the researchers' diary． | B．In a guide book． |
| C．In a research magazine． | D．In a newspaper． |
Dear sir,
I read your story (of the 4th February) about the cost of living in the country rather than in the town, and I agree with most of the points that you made. My husband and I lived in the middle of Horlton until two years ago — a seaside town of nearly five hundred thousand people. When my husband stopped working, we moved to our present house in a small village at the foot of Roland Hill, and there is no doubt that our costs are higher now.
I have to do my shopping in small shops, where the food is more expensive than in city supermarkets; it costs more to travel by bus; and because the men who come to mend the television or the washing
machine, have to come farther, we have to pay them more.
But it does not cost us much to enjoy what is beautiful in the country; and peace and quiet are cheap. Many people spend a great deal of time and money driving into the country to enjoy the simple things of life; yet we can enjoy them just by going out of the front door. It costs more to live here than it did in Horlton but now life really is worth living.
Yours faithfully.
Edith Randall What do you know about Horlton?
| A．A quiet town not far from the sea. |
| B．A middle-sized town until two years ago. |
| C．A town with a population of nearly half a million. |
| D．A small village at the foot of Roland Hill |
What Mrs Randall really wants to express in the letter is that _____.
| A．it cost less to live in the country |
| B．it costs more to live in the country |
| C．living in the country is no better than in the town |
| D．she is quite satisfied with the life in the country |
One can probably find this letter in _____.
| A．a guidebook | B．a newspaper | C．a speech | D．a story book |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The letter is written by an unknown person. |
| B．This letter is a reply to the questions of 4th February. |
| C．Living in the country is better than living in the city. |
D．The cost of li ving in the city is lower than that of the country. |