It was the first snow of winter—an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers． Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help．Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through first snow days many times, but I think she must still remember this one．
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers． But I struggled on my jacket because it didn't fit well．It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes． At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty． Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots(靴子）．
In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots．” I didn't realize at time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence（信心）．
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot． Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work． After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh（叹气）worked the second one on too．
I said, "They're on the wrong feet．”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again．
"They're my brother's boots, you know," I said． "I hate them"．
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn't an annoying（烦人的）little girl． She pushed and pushed, gently this time． With a greater sigh, seeing the end of her struggle with me，she asked, "Now, where are your mittens（连指手套）？’’
I looked into her eyes and said, "I didn't want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots．”The little girl was more satisfied with her＿．
| A．trousers | B．jacket | C．boots | D．hat |
Miss Fmlayson had difficulty with the girl's boots mainly because＿．
| A．the girl got them from her brother |
| B．the girl put something in them |
| C．they were on the wrong feet |
| D．they did not fit the girl well |
Why does the author Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
| A．Because the little girl was in her brother's clothes． |
| B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter． |
| C．Because the little girl played a trick on her． |
| D．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf． |
We can learn from the text that Miss Finlayson
| A．was losing confidence in the little girl． |
| B．gradually lost patience with the little girl． |
| C．became disappointed with the little girl． |
| D．was getting bored with the little girl． |
Why Doesn’t Anybody Copy Apple?
Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete. This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable. When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple’s products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?
I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it’s not successful; secondly, Apple’s success cannot be copied because it is a magical process.
There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price. Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P（标准普尔）500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it’s not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future. Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized（商品化）very quickly, why should one bother?
When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful,the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical.The climax of this hypothesis is the “chief-sorcerer”theory of success which places one magician,like Steve Jobs,in charge of casting all the right spells（符咒）
What about Apple’s own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It’s a better explanation. Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort. A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted. There is no “move the Earth” panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.
My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it’s not a formula. It’s complex, it’s subtle, but it’s not magic. It’s a process that requires a degree of faith and courage. When a new product of Apple comes out, often it ______.
| A．starts a revolution of an industry |
| B．ruins an industry dramatically |
| C．puts itself in an unbeatable position |
| D．is soon overtaken by imitated products |
According to the passage, other companies don’t “copy being Apple” because ______.
| A．Apple is not a successful company |
| B．they have no access to relevant resources |
| C．it’s hard to find a magician like Steve Jobs |
| D．being Apple takes more than time and efforts |
We can infer from Para.5 that ______.
| A．other companies are dedicated to integration |
| B．Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages |
| C．Apple will hold the leading position in this industry |
| D．other companies don’t have a great team as Apple does |
What does the author think of Tim Cook’s statement?
| A．Doubtful | B．Acceptable |
| C．Unbelievable | D．Disappointing |
Chinese writer Mo Yan’s Nobel Prize for Literature might ignite an explosion of global interest in Chinese literature and lead to more titles translated into English, European experts say.
“Hopefully, the award means more people will read Chinese literature and more works will get translated,” says Michel Hocks, professor of the Languages and Cultures of China and Inner Asia from University of London. “Many very good Chinese writers have been accepted globally for a long time already. Mo Yan is probably the most translated Chinese writer alive, with at least five of his novels made available in English over the past 20 years.”
Jonathan Ruppin,web editor of bookseller Foyles,says Mo’s win coincides with growing interest in Chinese literature and recognizes the talents of a distinctive and visionary（富于幻想的）writer.We are very excited by the fact that English translations of more of his books should now become available,”Ruppin says.He made the comment after Mo became the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in it’s century-long history.
As East-West cultural exchange has been booming, Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention in recent years. Hocks explains, “It’s mainly because there are many more opportunities for Chinese writers to visit other countries, to publish their works outside China and to interact with readers abroad. At the same time, more and more people globally are learning Chinese and taking an interest in the Chinese language and culture.”
University of Oxford lecturer in modern Chinese literature Margaret Hillenbrand says, “The obvious reason for the growing global presence of Chinese literature is the growing global presence of China itself. People have come to realize that there is a serious knowledge deficit between China and its international counterparts — in particular, China knows incomparably more about Europe and America than the other way round — and reading Chinese literature is an effective, simple means of solving that gap.”The underlined word “ignite” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.
| A．start out | B．set off | C．burn up | D．appeal to |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．In the past, no Chinese writers were accepted outside China. |
| B．Chinese literature has spread with the development of China. |
| C．The Nobel Prize for Literature has a history of hundreds of years. |
| D．Foreigners know about China mainly by reading Mo Yan’s works. |
Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention mainly because __________.
| A．the Chinese government attaches great importance to literature |
| B．Chinese writers have been writing more and more books in English |
| C．the Chinese language has become the most widely used language in the world |
| D．the cultural communication between China and western countries has developed |
How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
| A．China knows more about Europe and America than before. |
| B．Compared with America, China knows more about Europe. |
| C．China, Europe and America know one another more than before. |
| D．China knows more about Europe and America than they know about China. |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A． He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B． He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C． He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D． He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate |
| B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves |
| D．rock stars to share resources |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers （生产商）follow certain uniform standards for various features（特征）of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men’s clothes tend to button from the right, and women’s from the left. Considering most of the world’s population-men and women-are right-handed, the men’s standard would appear to make more sense for women. So why do women’s clothes button from the left?
History really seems to matter here. Button first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women’s shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men’s shirts button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt.
Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change. At a time when all women’s shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacture to offer women’s shirts that buttoned the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men’s shirts.What is surprising about the standard of the clothing industry?
| A．It has been followed by the industry for over 400 years. |
| B．It is different for men’s clothing and women’s. |
| C．It woks better with men than with women. |
| D．It fails to consider right-handed people. |
What do we know about the rich men in the 17th century?
| A．They tended to wear clothes without buttons. |
| B．They were interested in the historical matters. |
| C．They were mostly dressed by servants. |
| D．They drew their swords from the left. |
Women’s clothes still button from the left today because.
| A．adopting men’s style is improper for women |
| B．manufacturers should follow standards |
| C．modern women dress themselves |
| D．customs are hard to change |
The passage is mainly developed by .
| A．analyzing cause |
| B．making comparisons |
| C．examining differences |
| D．following the time order |
The way we do things round here
Some years ago, I was hired by an American bank. I received a letter from the head of the Personnel Department that started, "Dear John, I am quite pleased that you have decided to join us." That "quite" saddened me. I thought he was saying "we're kind of pleased you decided to join us although I wish we had hired someone else." Then I discovered that in American English "quite" sometimes means "very", while in British English it means "fairly".
So the first lesson about working in other countries is to learn the language and by that I don't just mean the words people speak. It is body language, dress, manners, ideas and so on. The way people do things highlights many of the differences we see between cultures（文化）．
Some of these differences may be only on the surface-dress, food and hours of work-while others may be deeper and take longer to deal with. Mostly, it is just a question of getting used to the differences and accepting them, like the climate（气候），while getting on with business.
Some of the differences may be an improvement. People are more polite; the service is better; you ask for something to be done and it happens without having to ask again. However, other differences can be troubling, like punctuality（准时）．If you invite people to a party at 7 o'clock your guests will consider it polite to turn up exactly on time in Germany, five minutes early in the American Midwest, an hour early in Japan, 15 minutes afterwards in the UK, up to an hour afterwards in Italy and some time in the evening in Greece. I prefer not to use the word "late" because there is nothing wrong with the times people arrive. It is simply the accepted thing to do in their own country.The author was unhappy as mentioned in Paragraph 1 because he thought______．
| A．the American bank didn't think much of him |
| B．the American bank might hire another person |
| C．it's difficult to get used to American culture |
| D．it's easy to misunderstand Americans |
The word "highlights" in Paragraph 2 probably means_____.
| A．encourages | B．helps to narrow |
| C．increases | D．draws attention to |
According to the author, what should we do with most cultural differences?
| A．Ask the native people for help. |
| B．Understand and accept them. |
| C．Do things in our own way. |
| D．Do in-depth research. |
When invited to a party the people who are usually punctual are______.
| A．Italians | B．Germans | C．Greeks | D．the British |