No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions 
which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
Du
ring a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, for they bought th
e biscuit from the student for $24,000..
. Why have advertisers made a close study of human weakness?
| A．They thought it was very interesting to do so. |
| B．They wanted to persuade the customers to buy their products. |
| C．They thought it was their duty. |
| D．They wanted to research how much people spend buying their products. |
.
. Why do advertisers offer free samples and other things to people?
| A．They use them to attract people’s attention. |
| B．Their advertisements have little effect on customers. |
| C．Different means are being used to cheat people. |
| D．They produce too many products that can’t be sold out. |
.
From the last paragraph, we know that the factory failed to expect _______.
| A．how many people would take an interest in the competition |
| B．how many ingredients are needed to bake a large biscuit |
| C．it was possible to bake a biscuit as large as the student’s |
| D．the payment wouldn’t be as high as $ 24,000 |
In 1992, I had just launched a new business called Video News International.
It was the world's first video journalist network. The idea was to cover news and sell the service to news organizations.
One day, a young intern (实习生) who was working for us named Anthony Lappe pulled me aside.
"There is something you have to see," he told me. "Comcast is doing this really cool thing."
"What?"
"The Internet," he said. "It's going to be really big."
Anthony later introduced me to the head of the Internet project.
"We are looking for content to put on our network here," the guy said to me.
Well, I said I had lots of content to offer.
The guy's eyes lit up. "Cool," he said. "We would like to put it on our network."
Well, I was always looking for new clients.
"What are you going to pay?" I asked.
He said that they could not pay anything for the content, but they would set up a URL for me.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's kind of like your address on the web."
"What would I do with this URL thing?"
"Well, it could be your business."
"I don't see how it is a business, and there's not even any advertising," I cleverly replied.
"Not yet," he said. "But one day there might be."
I thought about it for two seconds.
"Naah..." I said. "I've got bigger fish to fry. I've got to be going now. Maybe we can cooperate next time."
And I walked out.
Idiot!
Well, that Internet thing turned out to be so much bigger than I had thought. I wish I had never made such a mistake. Sorry Anthony. You were right.The head of the Internet project expected the author to _______.
| A．become a user of their product |
| B．put advertisements on their web |
| C．provide video news for their network |
| D．get an email address from the Internet |
The guy's offer was rejected because the author ______
| A．didn't think it a good deal |
| B．was unwilling to trust a stranger |
| C．was too occupied to start a new business |
| D．was worried about the safety of e-business |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．I don't believe your words. |
| B．I ought to cook dinner now. |
| C．I need to get more payment. |
| D．I have something more important to do. |
Which of the following can be the best title for this text?
| A．Power of New Technology |
| B．Never Too Old to Learn |
| C．My Biggest Mistake Ever |
| D．Building a Business Partnership |
My friend had mentioned the other day that her father had a lot of children's toys he was looking to give away. She knew I have a three-year-old daughter so she thought of me first. I told her I would love it if I could get some nice things for my daughter, which I wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford.
When I met her father, he began to explain he was too poor once and that he would hate to throw away things that can be very useful.
Before he showed me what he was giving away, I thought the toys would be mostly lego's(乐高积木) or things like that. When he was showing me around I saw a bed, a slide, a kitchen set and many other things that just blew my mind. He told me to write a list of everything my daughter could use and as my eyes were wide, he told me not to feel guilty. He said I was helping him by getting rid of the stuff.
As I was looking around I did feel guilty, but I tried to remain more grateful than guilty. Every time I tried to thank him for giving me and my daughter all this wonderful stuff he would thank me right back. I wanted to believe that he was just thanking me so that I wouldn't feel so guilty but in reality I believe that he was as grateful as I was that these toys would be put to good use.
In the eyes of charity, it makes sense to feel grateful, but guilt is just as normal. I know that we could have lived without a slide, which is why I do feel guilty, but I am grateful all the same because my daughter really does enjoy all these nice things!Why did the old man want to give away his toys?
| A．He wanted to help those poor children. |
| B．He was wealthy enough to buy new toys. |
| C．He wanted to make full use of those toys. |
| D．He needed some space for more useful things. |
In the writer's opinion, the old man felt grateful because________.
| A．he wanted to make her more guilty |
| B．he wanted her to take the toys quickly |
| C．the toys would be put to good use |
| D．he finally got rid of the stuff |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．The writer took all the toys home. |
| B．The old man was a kind and thoughtful person |
| C．The writer wanted to refuse the stuff when she first saw them. |
| D．The writer's daughter enjoyed the slide most among all the stuff. |
How did the writer feel when given the stuff?
| A．Guilty and honored. | B．Grateful and respected. |
| C．Honored and respected. | D．Guilty and grateful. |
In a computer age，a broadband Internet connection is very popular now．Whether cable or mobile broadband，today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly，and files download much faster than ten years ago．And the files are much bigger too．
There’s a hidden problem：You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t，it's slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out，there may be no Internet access at all．
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem，which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations．In cities and suburbs(郊区)，it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone．It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities，especially in developing countries．Internet service providers, for their part，have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely(稀疏地)populated areas．The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere．
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper more efficient fiber optics cables(光纤电缆)promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users．Still, the“last mile”problem remains hard to deal with．There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection．But someday that might not matter．If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication，it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Internet connections have been popular everywhere． |
| B．Internet service providers are willing to care about rural(农村的)customers． |
| C．The problem of Internet access hasn’t been completely dealt with. |
| D．Computer can’t become popular in developing countries． |
Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements_______.
| A．make TV and telephone available everywhere |
| B．bring great change to people’s everyday life |
| C．bring faster Internet connections to users |
| D．make it possible for more people to use the Internet |
What may eventually settle the“last mile”problem?
| A．The broadband connection’s getting faster． |
| B．The rapid progress in cell phone technology． |
| C．More and more Internet connections． |
| D．More and more Internet users. |
The best title for this passage may be________．
| A．Internet Connection Problems |
| B．Internet Connections Need Improving |
| C．Progress in Internet Connections |
| D．Internet Connections Today |
Come out and let us teach you how to skydive today! We are located in Xenia, Ohio and are within a reasonable driving distance of major cities in Ohio. Situated on a private airport, Skydive Greene County offers world-class training. We didn’t start skydiving but we are Ohio’s oldest skydiving school which opened in 1961!
Tandem Skydiving
Tandem skydiving is required if this is your first time skydiving. After filling out paperwork and watching a short video, you will be ready to make your skydive. Somewhere around 11,500 feet you will be secured to your tandem instructor. The door will open and you exit the plane.
Your freefall with your instructor will last for approximately 40-50 seconds. We can almost guarantee this will be the most exciting minute of your life as you reach the speed of around 120 mph, falling for about two miles back to the earth!
Don’t forget to have a video taken of your skydive to show all those that didn’t think you would jump from an airplane!
Static Line Courses.
Once you have made your tandem skydiving, you can move on to our Static Line Program. The Static Line Jump is the traditional way to learn to skydive. We have classes throughout the year. Every student will be led through the entire day by a licensed instructor. Never does the student feel unattended.
Once training is over, students will make their first jump on that very same day! If the weather does not cooperate, you can come back the next day, or we will re-schedule a time to make your skydive.
Price
$165.00 Tandem skydiving only
$175.00 Static Line Course only
Invite one of our professional videographers on your skydive:
$125.00 DVD with photos
Booking
To book your tandem skydive or skydiving course, call us at (937) 372-0700. We just ask for a call if you cannot keep your scheduled appointment. And you must be at least 18 years old to make a skydive at SGC
Come to learn with the best and make a skydive today! For further information, please call us at (937) 372-0700 or visit our website www. greenecounty.com!Skydive Greene County ________.
| A．offers training in major cities in Ohio |
| B．is the oldest skydiving school in the USA |
| C．guarantees every skydiver a freefall experience |
| D．requires all the students to receive one-day training |
Skydivers doing tandem skydiving will have to________.
| A．practise before skydiving |
| B．jump with a professional coach |
| C．have a video taken while skydiving |
| D．show others how to skydive from a plane |
What will a student probably do after training in Static Line Course?
| A．Make a tandem skydiving. |
| B．Receive a skydive license. |
| C．Pay 165 dollars to SGC |
| D．Try the freefall at once. |
To book a skydive in SGC, one must________.
| A．telephone SGC | B．fill in some forms |
| C．visit SGC’s website | D．keep the appointment |
The name might sound like that of a superhero, but Pooperman’s task is much more basic.
He, or she, is trying to shame the irresponsible dog owners of Lincoln into cleaning up behind their pets.
Pooperman sticks notes into dog waste that owners have failed to clean up, warning them not to do it again. The typed notes read, "Don’t leave it. You might be the one who steps in it the next time you walk this way."
While welcoming the purpose of the message, local government officers have rounded on Pooperman for producing even more rubbish.
They say they would prefer it if people told them when there was a problem rather than adding to the rubbish problem. The city of Lincoln government’s environmental officer, Tony Garner, said, "The public can help instead by observing dog owners to make sure they clean up after their pets, perhaps asking them to remove the waste if they try to leave it."
"If this doesn’t work we can take action — people can tell us who the owner is, give us a description of the owner and the dog, or simply tell us when and where they allow their dog to produce the waste."
"We can then focus our patrols(巡逻) and take action against irresponsible owners."
Sue Grace, a dog owner from Birchwood, Lincs, said, "I always clean up after my dog. It’s very irresponsible if you don’t."
"There’s nothing worse than stepping in dog waste or dragging your long lead through it, but I don’t know that putting notes on it is the answer."
"It’s good that the local government is fighting against dog waste, though it might take one or two prosecutions(起诉) to make any difference."What does Pooperman try to do?
| A．To have irresponsible dog owners remove dog waste. |
| B．To advise the local government to protect the environment. |
| C．To praise responsible dog owners for protecting the environment. |
| D．To remind the local government to deal with the dog waste problem. |
What does the underlined part "rounded on" in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Punished. | B．Blamed. |
| C．Laughed at. | D．Worried about. |
According to the environmental officer, the public can .
| A．punish irresponsible dog owners when necessary |
| B．report irresponsible dog owners to the police if possible |
| C．force irresponsible dog owners to clean up dog waste in some way |
| D．request irresponsible dog owners to clean up dog waste then and there |
The dog owner Sue Grace believes that .
| A．the local dog owners are irresponsible |
| B．Pooperman is responsible and doing an effective job |
| C．the law may play a role in fighting against dog waste |
| D．the local government’s fighting against dog waste is successful |
Skydive Greene County