CBC is a famous air company which has over twenty planes carrying passengers and goods, flying along 12 fixed lines all over the world. Its service is very good but some passengers are still not satisfied with it and that is why in 2004 and 2005 the company received letters of complaints from consumers or passengers who pointed out over a dozen kind of problems which are divided in groups in the following table. Those concerning passengers’ things carried on the plane are baggage problems. Customer service refers to service work which passengers are not satisfied with. Overselling of tickets is about the fact that more seats are sold and as a result the plane is too crowded to be safe. Refund problems appear when passengers fail to receive the money paid back to them because of what they have lost. Fares are problems concerning the price of tickets.
Consumer Complaints Received By the CBC
Category |
2004 |
2005 |
Flight problems |
20.2% |
22.1% |
Baggage |
18.3% |
21.8% |
Customer service |
3.1% |
11.3% |
Over sales of seats |
10.5% |
11.8% |
Refund problems |
10.1% |
8.1% |
Fares |
6.4% |
6.0% |
Reservation & Ticketing |
5.8% |
5.6% |
Tours |
3.3% |
2.3% |
Smoking |
3.2% |
2.9% |
Advertising |
1.2% |
1.01% |
Credit |
1.0% |
0.8% |
Special passengers |
0.9% |
0.9% |
Others |
6.0% |
5.3% |
Total Number of Complaints |
2,988 |
1,792 |
About how many complaints about Credit were received by the CBC in 2004?
A.28 | B.29 | C.30 | D.31 |
By about what percentage did the total number of complaints decrease from 2004 to 2005?
A.40% | B.60% | C.75% | D.100% |
If the circle graphs below show total consumer complaints for 2004, which graph shows a dark part that is about Flight problems and Refund problems together?
Which of the following statements can be inferred from the table?
a. In 2004 and in 2005, complaints about Flight problems, Baggage, and Customer service
together took more than 40 percent of all consumer complaints received by the CBC Company.
b .The number of special passengers complaints was unchanged from 2004 to 2005.
c .From 2004 to 2005 the number of Flight problems complaints increased by more than 2 percent.
A.only a | B.only b | C.a and b | D.a and c |
From the passage we can know that _______ .
A.customers are not satisfied with CBC |
B.sometimes CBC sells more tickets than its plane’s fixed seats |
C.CBC has more than twenty planes which fly to all the capital cities of the world |
D.customers can only buy tickets with cash |
BORDER CROSSINGS While there are no restrictions on the amount of money that you can bring across the border, you must report to both the US and Canadian border services amounts equal to or greater than $10.000. PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS(免税)ON PURCHASES AMERICANS RETURNING TO THE US Less than 48 hours: $ 200 US 48 hours or more: $ 800 US duty-free personal exemption. next $ 1.000 US at 3% Including up to 100 cigars and 100 cigarettes. CANADIANS RETURNING TO CANADA Less than 24 hours: $ 50 CAN 48 hours or more: $ 400 CAN Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes. 7 days or more: $ 750 CAN Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes. DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR BORDER CROSSING LAND OR SEA TO THE US(INCLUDING FERRIES) A valid passport or passport card, or a NEXUS card. (A NEXUS card is a Trusted Traveler Program that provides quick travel for pre-approved, low risk travelers through special lanes.) A recent Washington State, New York or BC driver’s license. Note: Children 15 years of age and younger require only a birth certificate or copy.(Certified copies are not required but are advised.) AIR TRAVEL TO THE US A valid passport, an Air NEXUS card, or a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document. |
If a Canadian who is on a 7-day trip to New York buys $ 800 CAN worth of goods, how much should he pay tax on when returning home?
A.$ 800 CAN | B.$750 CAN | C.$ 400 CAN | D.$ 50 CAN |
For an American citizen on a 2-day tour of Canada, how much tax does he have to pay on $ 1.600 US worth of purchases when returning to the US?
A.$ 24 US | B.$ 48 US | C.$52 US | D.$ 200 US |
What documentation should a couple with a 7-year-old child carry when they drive a car from Canada to America?
A.A BC driver’s license, an Air NEXUS card, and a birth certificate. |
B.An Air NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a birth certificate. |
C.Two valid passport cards and a certified copy of a birth certificate. |
D.A NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document., and a certified copy of a birth certificate. |
Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills. With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence, according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs(READ).
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.
Last November, the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children's department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “paw graphed” book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager. What is mainly discussed in the text?
A.Children’s reading difficulties. |
B.Advantages of raising dogs. |
C.Service in public library. |
D.A special reading program. |
Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think ______________.
A.dogs are young children's best friends |
B.children can play with dogs while reading |
C.dogs can provide encouragement for shy children |
D.children and dogs understand each other |
By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library ____________.
A. uses dogs to attract children.
B. accepts the idea put forward by ITA.
C. has opened a children's department.
D. has decided to train some dogs. A “paw graphed” book is most probably_____________.
A.a book used in Saturday classes |
B.a book written by the children |
C.a prize for the children |
D.a gift from parents |
Here are some advertisements taken from a newspaper.
(1)
Dear Drew Carter,
Your first year on this earth has been a pleasure ride for all of us. We love you!
Dad and Mom
and many friends
(2)
Lawlis---Clarke
The Doctor Virgil and Marjorie Lawlis are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Diane Susan to Mr. Robert Brent Clarks, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Clarks of Herford, Texas.
A spring wedding is planned in House.
(3)
Isbell---Foss
Mr. and Mrs. Davis K. Isbell announce the marriage of their daughter Dang to Mr. Stanley Foss, son of Mrs. John Sipe of Ada, Minnessota.
The wedding will be early April at Abiding Love Lutheran Church.
(4)
Story-Kurio
Miss Stephanie Story and Mr. Todd Warren Kurio were married on February 5, at half past seven o'clock in the evening in Highland Park Prebytefian Church in Dallas, Texas. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Brue Story Jr. of Dallas. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Stanley Kurio of Austin. What would be the best title for the first advertisement?
A.We Love You | B.Happy lst Birthday |
C.One Year Old | D.Our One-Year-Old Son |
Lawlis and Clarke are going to get married___________.
A.in a church | B.where Clarke’s parents live |
C.against their parents' will | D.to Lawlis’ parents' joy |
Who are now married couple?
A.Lawlis and Clarke | B.Dang Isbell and Foss |
C.Story and Kurio | D.The text doesn't say. |
Who got or will get married in spring?
A.Not only Lawlis and Clarke but also Isbell and Foss |
B.Neither Lawlis and Clarke nor Isbell and Foss |
C.Either Isbell and Foss or Story and Kurio |
D.Neither Lawlis and Clarke nor Story and Kurio |
How words came into being is unknown. All we assume(推测)is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
The power of words, then, lies in their associations - the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style(文体). Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.We learn from the text that language might have begun with
A.actions | B.expressions | C.sounds | D.signs |
What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?
A.The relation of human experience with words. |
B.The gradual change and development of words. |
C.The learning of new words. |
D.The importance of old words. |
In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?
A.Associate with listeners. | B.Make musical speeches. |
C.Learn poems by heart. | D.Use words skillfully. |
Does Being Famous Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their privacy. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. In the end, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of following celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice(正义). Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.It can be learned from the passage that stars today _________.
A.spend too much on their public appearance |
B.are often misunderstood by the public |
C.can no longer have their privacy protected |
D.care little about how they have become famous |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
B.Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
C.Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
D.Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A.There are huge population of fans. |
B.They get little support from society. |
C.They get few good opportunities. |
D.Many modern ways of getting news are being used. |
What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
A.Sincere. | B.Doubting | C.Supporting. | D.Disagreeing. |