Dear Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare．Your company, Cosmo books Ltd , offered this set （ eight books of plays and two books of poetry） at a “remarkable” price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing． I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books looked particularly attractive, so I sent for them．
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered．So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare．Two more weeks passed．Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French．Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all．However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you right away instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice．
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German．Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have．The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside．
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment．Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid．
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKERSimon Walker's main purpose of writing the letter is to .
| A．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd． |
| B．argue about sending him books he had not ordered |
| C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd． |
| D．urge Cosmo Books Ltd. to take away the books he had not ordered |
The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for .
| A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books |
| B．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare |
| C．fifteen pounds and fifty pence |
| D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare |
It can be inferred that .
| A．Mr. Walker took some action after receiving the books he did not order |
| B．several sets of books have been sent to Mr. Walker free of charge |
| C．Cosmo Books have sent bills for books that they have not sent |
| D．Mr. Walker hasn't received the books that he ordered |
The tone（语气）of the letter is that of .
| A．bitterness | B．respect |
| C．annoyance | D．humor |
High-quality customer service is preached（宣扬）by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store（零售店）, but instead will warn their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints. “Storytelling hurts retailers(零售商) and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered（塞满了的）shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude sales people.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting(业余兼职的) local police to work as parking attendants to direct customers to empty parking spaces. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store display, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, sales people should be skillful and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re enthusiastic and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren't so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filling complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?
| A．Most shoppers won’t complain even if they have had unhappy experiences. |
| B．It is difficult for customers to have easy access to store mangers. |
| C．Few customers believe the service will be improved after their complaints. |
| D．Shoppers would rather tell their unhappy experiences to people around them. |
What does Paula Courtney imply by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?
| A．The same products can be bought in other retail stores. |
| B．It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores. |
| C．New customers are sure to replace old ones. |
| D．Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too. |
What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?
| A．Hiring of efficient employees. |
| B．Manners of the salespeople. |
| C．Huge supply of goods for sale. |
| D．Design of the store display. |
To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to ______.
| A．voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly |
| B．settle their disagreements with stores in a friendly way |
| C．put pressure on stores to improve their service |
| D．shop around and make comparisons between stores |
Nobody Benefits
NEW YORK—America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history．Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings．
But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel．
Brown is homeless — one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street．
During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece．At night, he sleeps on the street．
"I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker．
Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine．But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement．He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available．
However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York．
With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand．
A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month．
One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up．
The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help．
But few housing companies have been built for the poor．Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more．
Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her．She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house．
Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often．
"All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said．What kind of life does George Brown lead?
| A．Homeless and dangerous |
| B．Homeless and childish |
| C．Homeless and miserable （痛苦的） |
| D．Homeless and sleepless |
From George Brown's life we can find that ______.
| A．old Americans lead a hard life |
| B．old Americans want to live alone |
| C．American cities are crowded with poor people |
| D．bad habits play a role in some poor people's Life |
It can be inferred from this passage that ______.
| A．America is short of housing companies |
| B．the poor can't benefit from the increasing economy |
| C．poor people in America will become rich |
| D．housing companies will build more houses for the poor |
If this passage comes from a paper, on which page would it be?
| A．Society． | B．Science． | C．Economy． | D．Business |
It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?
| A．feel shy. | B．feel upset. | C．keep up. | D．stay calm. |
In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ______.
| A．problems cause troubles |
| B．challenges can be avoided |
| C．attitude is everything |
| D．personalities are built on failures |
According to the last paragraph, when we're in trouble, we ______.
| A．can only depend on our parents | B．are not confident |
| C．should only believe ourselves | D．are not alone |
What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?
| A．To explain. | B．To compare. |
| C．To prove. | D．To encourage. |
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What can be learned from the passage?
| A．They must ask for your permission before having your work published. |
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In every British town, large and small, you will find shops that sell second-hand goods. Sometimes such shops deal mostly in furniture, sometimes in books, sometimes in ornaments and household goods, sometimes even in clothes.
The furniture may often be “antique”, and it may well have changed hands many times. It may also be very valuable, although the most valuable piece will usually go to the London salerooms, where one piece might well be sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. As you look around these shops and see the polished wood of chests and tables, you cannot help thinking of those long-dead hands which polished that wood, of those now-closed eyes which once looked at these pieces with love.
The books, too, may be antique and very precious; some may be rare first printings. Often when someone dies or has to move house, his books may all be sold, so that sometimes you may find whole libraries in one shop. On the border between England and Wales, there is a town which has become a huge bookshop as well.Even the cinema and castle have been taken over, and now books have replaced sheep as the town’s main trsde.
There are also much more humble shops, sometimes simply called “junk shops”, where you can buy small household pieces very cheaply. Sometimes the profits from these shops go to charity. Even these pieces, though, can make you feel sad; you think of those people who once treasured them, but who have moved on, to another country or to death.
Although the British do not worship their ancestors, they do treasure the past and the things of the past. This is true of houses as well. These days no one knocks them down; they are restored until they are often better than new. In Britain, people do not buy something just because it is new. Old things are treasured for their proven worth; new things have to prove themselves before they are accepted.Books found in second-hand book shops may _____.
| A．be copies of the earliest printing | B．be on sale for the first time |
| C．never be worth very much | D．never be rare |
Second-hand goods sometimes fill you with sadness because_____.
| A．they are too expensive for average buyers |
| B．they remind you of the original owner |
| C．they are now neglected |
| D．they are sold for charity |
Which of the following word can best take the place of the word “antique” in the second paragraph?
| A．invention | B．possession | C．material | D．relic |
According to the passage, the British people_____.
| A．do not respect old things because they are not fashionable |
| B．like to build new houses simply because it is fashionable to do so |
| C．like to buy new things because they are fashionable |
| D．do not like to buy things simply because they are fashionable |