Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks each time we reach out for that particular brand(品牌)of product on the shelf.
Colouring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged(包装)in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colours. Ice cream packets(包装) are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain-killer (止痛药) was brought out recently, researchers found that the colours turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package — blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears Soap, who for 25 year has used pretty little girls to promote(促销)their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才) to sell it.”. Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
A.The cost of its package | B.The price of the product |
C.The colour of its package | D.The brand name of the product |
. The underlined part “the colours turned the customers off” (in Para.3) means that the colours ________ .
A.attracted the customers strongly | B.had weak effects on the customers |
C.tricked the customers into shopping | D.caused the customers to lose interest |
. Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
A.The way to promote goods. | B.The team to produce a good product |
C.The discovery of a genius. | D.The brand name used by successful producers. |
. Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
A.Choice of Good Products. | B.Disadvantages of Products. |
C.Effect of Packaging on Shopping. | D.Brand Name and Shopping Tricks. |
There was a doctor in our city who was famous for his skills. Once he received a little child who was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, his young patient got well and was soon able to get up and run about again.
The child’s mother was very much thankful to the doctor, and she visited him to thank him for what he had done for her child. “Doctor,” she said, “you have saved my little son. I don’t know how to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it.” The doctor stood up and said coldly, “Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to be paid properly for what he has done.” The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, “Perhaps you will tell me how much your fee is?”
“Fifty pounds”, he answered.
The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She handed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying good bye to the doctor, went out of the room.The lady was thankful to the doctor because ________.
A.he had saved her life |
B.he had saved her son’s life |
C.he often called on her |
D.he had given her some money |
The doctor refused the lady’s purse because he thought ______.
A.the purse should be given between friends |
B.the purse was too small |
C.the lady didn’t gave him money but the purse |
D.the lady was not kind to him |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.The lady had planned to give the doctor 200 pounds. |
B.The lady was means. |
C.The lady didn’t pay the doctor any money. |
D.The lady was angry with the doctor. |
One of the best-known women in the world is a small doll(洋娃娃). This famous doll, called Barbie, was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. Now Barbie is known everywhere. Before Barbie, all dolls were made to look like babies. People thought that this was a way to teach young girls how to become a good mother. Barbie was the first doll made to look like an adult instead of baby.
From the beginning, Barbie was a modern career(职业) girl. There was a different Barbie for each job: nurse, teacher, police officer, race car driver, professional basketball player, pilot, as well as the very first female to fly in space. Barbie made it possible for young girls to dream about a future other than being a mother and a housewife. It showed girls that they had choices and could become anything they wanted to be. At the time, these ideas were very new and positive. The movement for equal opportunity(机会) for women had just begun and women wanted to have the same chance as men to do important work.
However, Barbie’s approval(认同) as a role model has not lasted. Today, many people criticize(批评) Barbie for making young girls too concerned about their appearance(外表). These people complain that the beautiful, well-dressed Barbie seems to tell girls that while they can hope to have different career, it is more important for them to be beautiful and thin. The female figure that Barbie represents has also been criticized for being unrealistic(不现实). Young girls might think that Barbie’s figure is beautiful and desirable(可取的). However, if Barbie were a real person, she would be six feet tall and wear a size three shoe!What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.The roles of a modern woman. |
B.The image(形象) of Barbie dolls |
C.What is role models? |
D.What is beauty? |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Barbie was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. |
B.Barbie was the first doll that was made to look like an adult. |
C.Barbie served as a role model for girls when she was created. |
D.Barbie is criticized by many young girls today. |
The author suggests that Barbie’s figure is ________.
A.beautiful and desirable |
B.unrealistic and impossible |
C.real and delicate(易损的) |
D.tall and modern |
Your best friend is possibly the most important person in your life. But sometimes friendship’s road is not always smooth, or it’s a total dead end. What do you do when this happens?
Scenario(设想) 1: Drifting Apart(渐行渐远)
You’ve found that your friend no longer wants to jog (慢跑)with you. She’d rather hit the chat rooms, or she’s become crazy about hanging with her new interest.
It’s a bummer when old friends start having less in common. But it might still be worth trying to get into your friend’s new interest, trying something new on your own, or meet some new folks who like doing the things you enjoy. Another thing to try is talking to your friend about it- in a non-this-is-your-fault(过错) way. The goal is telling how you feel, not “winning”.
Scenario 2: Fights
“Yes, he is.” “No, he isn’t.” the argument could continue forever.
No matter how sure you are that you’re right, friendship is based on RESPECT. Since you and your friend aren’t clones(克隆), you will disagree sometimes! Is it worth fighting over? If it is trivial(无价值的), why not give it up? Agree to disagree(保留不同意见) and get on well with life. Even if you’ll never agree, try to see the other person’s viewpoint. At least honor his right to have his own opinions. Never get physical. Violence can make a small problem into a disaster.
Scenario 3: End of the Road
Is the friendship over? If you are not the one ending it, it feels as if a knife cut your heart into pieces. But the thing is that you can’t force someone to be your friend. Give yourself time. But don’t freeze in a looking-back, holding pattern(模式). Be open to new friendship. You never know when the “best friend forever” will come along.The underlined word “bummer” in the third paragraph can be replaced by “________ thing”.
A.normal | B.common |
C.unpleased | D.guilty(负疚的) |
You are advised not ______ when your friend reduced communication with you.
A.develop the same interest as our friend does |
B.blame(责怪) your friend for not being as friendly to you as before |
C.give in to the friend who has hurt your feeling deeply |
D.stick to the friendship that was built up in the past |
In the writer’s opinion, showing disagreement ______________.
A.will surely lead to the end of a long friendship |
B.shows that you don’t respect your friend |
C.is natural and normal behavior of human being |
D.means you have nothing in common with your friend. |
The purpose of the passage is to teach you ________________.
A.how to mend a broken friendship |
B.how to keep a long friendship |
C.what to do when a friendship changes |
D.what to do to win new friends |
“Earthquake!” The word flashed in my brain. A roaring sound filled my ears. I tried to hide beneath my desk. The desk did a wild tap dance, slipping and sliding towards the center of the room. I twisted(扭曲) my body and grabbed at the windowsill(窗沿) behind me, somehow kicking free of my dancing chair. I tried to stand. My legs skated away as if on a bucking escalator(弯曲的自动扶梯).
My fingers shook, grasped and held the windowsill tightly. Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animals. I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare. Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs and desks. One girl was screaming. A boy was trying to move across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl(肩上爬行).
I cried aloud, “I’m going to die. I’m going to die. Save me, I’m not ready to die, I’m not ready!”
I moved forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched fingers(握紧拳头). Suddenly I realized that the rocking had stopped. Perhaps I wasn’t going to die.The roaring sound was made by ____________________.
A.a wounded animal | B.people screaming |
C.children running | D.an earthquake |
When the writer clenches his fingers he is ___________________.
A.afraid | B.angry |
C.injured | D.impatient |
Paragraph 2 describes the ________________________.
A.injuries suffered by the writer |
B.effects of a bad nightmare |
C.disorder in the classroom |
D.the writer’s fear of death |
At the end of the passage there is a feeling of ___________________.
A.fear | B.hope |
C.sorrow | D.excitement |
Daniel Olin was 11 years old when his parents moved to Canada. He liked his new school and made friends there, but then things at home started to change. His mum and dad began to argue and the arguments got worse and worse until one day, Daniel's mum left. With his father working long hours, Daniel felt very lonely and very unhappy. He wanted to escape, to run away. And that’s what he did.
Very early one terribly cold morning when the snow was deep on the ground, he packed a bag with some clothes, some chocolate and a map of Canada and set off to a forest. He ran and ran until he could hardly breathe.
His feet were heavy with the snow but he still walked on through deep snow, not even watching where he was going.
Then, disaster struck. A rock hidden by the deep snow caught his feet and Daniel fell to the ground. He had broken the bone. He was very cold and was starting to feel tired, but he knew that if he fell asleep in the snow, he would certainly die from the cold.
A tree shook ahead. From within the branches(树枝), a pair of yellow eyes watched Daniel. The puma (美洲狮) had been following him. A puma is a large wild cat with claws that could tear Daniel into pieces. But instead of moving in for the kill, the puma walked up to Daniel and lay across his chest, arms and legs. Daniel was too frightened to move, but soon the warmth of the animal reached Daniel and he began to feel better. From time to time, the puma pressed his muzzle (鼻) against Daniel and rocked his head gently. Clearly, the puma knew that Daniel must not fall asleep. This animal should have been a real danger to Daniel and yet the boy began to feel safe. They remained like that for several hours until Daniel and the puma heard voices.Daniel ran away from home because ______.
A.he had a big argument with his father |
B.he wanted to learn to be independent |
C.he didn’t get enough care from his parents |
D.his parents were always arguing at home |
Why didn’t Daniel notice the rock that caused him to fall?
A.Because it was getting dark. |
B.Because the rock was hidden by snow. |
C.Because he was frightened by a puma. |
D.Because he was too sad to notice it. |
Why did the puma press its muzzle against Dan and rock his head gently from time to time?
A.To keep Daniel warm. | B.To play with Daniel. |
C.To kill Daniel. | D.To keep Daniel awake. |
What is the best title for the story?
A.Puma in Danger | B.A Caring Puma |
C.A Boy in Need | D.A Homeless Boy |