Market analysts in the United States have recently been quoted as saying that the biggest threat to the luxury (奢侈品) industry in the US is the tech industry. This is according to an article by fellow journalist Ashley Lutz. Her suggestion is sound. The main idea of her article is that products from Tiffany & Co. find their biggest competition not from other luxury brands but from companies like Apple. Lutz points out that luxury products are often only for “show,” while the attraction behind tech products is functionality.
You find few people in the United States today willing to purchase luxury goods at full price. It didn’t use to be that way. Luxury goods used to be actually exclusive. That meant you needed to travel to the right store to purchase them, and you didn’t even have the option of getting a deal.
Today, no one wants to pay full price for luxury goods. People have the unfortunate belief that fakes (赝品) somehow are equal to originals, and if you can’t get a deal on eBay, Amazon, or in an outlet store, purchasing a luxury product probably isn’t worth it. Luxury brands struggle to remain high-end (高档的) images despite the reality that the American consumer is motivated much more by discounts than they are by brand names or image.
Yet people stand in line to pay full price for a new product from Apple and crowds gather to hear about a new smart phone. While electronics are updating every day, people are purchasing technology at full prices much more than they are purchasing luxury goods. What are high-tech makers doing right that luxury makers are pitifully failing at?
Carefully looking at the situation, it would appear as if the Internet didn’t hurt the luxury industry, expectation from the consumers did. What people want these days more than anything is stuff that does something. They want cars that drive, shoes that are comfortable, games that are fun to play, screens that are beautiful to look at, tools that are useful, and entertainment that is entertaining. Little of that fits into what the luxury industry has typically offered with its status, image, and fine materials. The sad reality is that luxury products aren’t that luxury any more.What does this passage mainly talk about?
A.Nobody likes luxury goods any more. |
B.Luxury goods are of poor quality nowadays. |
C.Tech products become the new “luxury goods”. |
D.Iphones have taken the place of luxury products. |
The underlined word “exclusive” in paragraph 2 means _______.
A.unique and with no bargain | B.low in price |
C.hard to find | D.easy to sell |
From paragraph 3 we can know that _______.
A.people have found that some luxury goods are fakes |
B.people can buy luxury goods at a low price on eBay |
C.luxury brands will give up high-end images |
D.consumers prefer brand names to discounts |
What do people pay most attention to nowadays?
A.The Internet service. | B.The images of luxuries. |
C.The function of products. | D.The expectation from the consumers. |
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每题2分,满分40分)
第一节:(共15小题,满分30分)
A.
Police in the Russian city of St. Petersburg were today searching for a rare missing leopard which was stolen yesterday when thieves attacked a TV producer and drove off in his luxury Mercedes 4×4.
The amur leopard, which was in the boot, is one of the world’s most highly endangered species, with fewer than 45 left in the wild in Russia’s remote far east. About 300 others are captive in zoos around the world.
According to its owner, Mikhail Barakin, the thieves were wearing masks. They attacked him and his driver, throwing both of them out of the vehicle, shortly after they drove to St. Petersburg with leopard from Moscow.
“She’s a female leopard cub and she’s incredibly tame,” Barakin told the Guardian this morning. “She’s just over a month old. The leopard was brought up in captivity.”
He went on, “We had been driving all night with the leopard in a travel cage. The plan was to take her to the vet. My driver and I were in the process of setting the leopard in the trunk of my Mercedes…when three masked assailants attacked us. They managed to get away with the car. My suspicion is the theft was done to order.”
Barakin said the leopard, a present from a Moscow businessman, was far more valuable than the stolen Mercedes. He has offered a £85,400 reward for its safe return, and says he is prepared to drop all charges if the thieves bring the animal back.
The leopard was to have been housed in a purpose-built enclosure on a country estate outside St. Petersburg, he added. Barakin said he had hired a specialist to look after it, and was planning to use the cub in TV commercials.
36. We can infer from the passage that the three assailants ______.
A. probably came for the leopard B. would return the leopard safely
C. didn’t know there was a leopard in the car D. were known to Mikhail Barakin
37. The leopard was believed to be more valuable because ______.
A. it was already tamed B. it could be kept as a pet
C. it would be used in TV commercials D. it was an endangered species
38. Mikhail Barakin drove the leopard to ______.
A. put her in a bigger place B. use it in TV commercials
C. put her in better care D. keep her in the zoo
39. If the thieves brought the leopard back, Mikhail Barakin would ______.
A. send them to prison B. give them a reward
C. give them the car as a reward D. not charge them
40. The underlined word “boot” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to ______.
A. a special cage B. a type of shoe
C. the trunk of a car D. a kind of camera
B
Daniel Defoe (about 1660~1731) was an important novelist in the English literature(文学). When he was young, he served as a soldier and had been to Spain, Italy, France and Germany. At the same time, he went in for politics. He cared much about the development of capitalism(资本主义). He had written a lot of articles against it and he was put into prison twice for that. It was not until that he was nearly sixty that he began to write the famous novel “Robinson Crusoe”, which was published in May, 1709. It spread so rapidly that the story was known to every hosehold very soon.
“Robinson Crusoe” can be divided into three parts. The first part is about Crusoe’s three voyages, the second part about his hunting, hiding in caves farming and his hard struggles against nature on a small island, the third about the things which happened after his return from the island. The second part is the body of the novel, in which Robinson’s characters are clearly shown.
Defoe wrote his novel in a simple style and his language is easy to understand. His novel writing set a milestone of the modern English novel. In his later part of life, He was in poor health and lived very poorly. He died on April 24, 1731.
6. Deniel Defoe was ______ and the writer of ______.
A.an Englishman, “A Tale of Two Cities” B.an American, “A Million Pound Note”
C.a French, “The Lost Necklace” D.an English, “Robinson Crusoe”
7. How old was he when he began to write his famous novel Robinson Crusoe?
A.He was in his sixties. B.He was in his fifties.
C.He was over 60. D.He was sixty.
8. Robinson Crusoe can be divided into ______ parts and the first is about _______.
A.two, his lonely life B.three, his characters
C.three, his journeys by sea D.four, his fame
9. “Every household” in this passage means ______.
A.all members of a family B.all people
C.every building D.persons living in the same house
10. What was Defoe’s contribution to the English literature?
A.He wrote a very interesting story.
B.He made people happy while reading his story.
C.He set a milestone of the modern English novel.
D.He was active in politics and was against capitalism.
六、阅读理解 (20分)
A
Mark Twain tells a boy’s story in The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. Huck is a poor child, without a mother or home. His father drinks too much alcohol and always beats him.
Huck’s situation has freed him from the restriction of society. He explores in the woods and goes fishing. He stays out all night and does not go to school. He smokes.
Huck runs away from home. He meets Jim, a black man who has escaped from slavery(奴隶制). They travel together on a raft(木筏) made of wood down the Mississippi River.
Mark twain started writing “Huckleberry Finn” as a children’s story. But it soon became serious. The story tells about the social evil of slavery, seen through the eyes of an innocent child. Huck’s ideas about people were formed by the white society in which he lived. So, at first, he does not question slavery.Huck knows that important people believe slavery is natural, the law of God. So, he thinks it is his duty to tell Jim’s owners where to find him.
Later, Huck comes to understand that Jim is a good man. He finds he cannot carry out his plan to inform Jim’s owners of his whereabouts(下落). Instead, he decides to help Jim escape. He decides to do this, even if God punished him.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The outline (概要) of The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn.
B. The childhood of Huckleberry.
C. The reason why Mark Twain wrote the story.
D. The effect of slavery.
The underlined word “restriction” probably means _________.
A. something that you are expected to do.
B. something that you are not allowed to do.
C. something that you are able to do.
D. something that you look forward to.
3. The underlined expression “he does not question slavery” means that ________.
A. he is sure about everything of slavery.
B. he has no question to ask the owner of the slaves.
C. he thinks that slavery is reasonable.
D. he believes that slavery is wrong.
4. What can he inferred from the text?
A. Huck is a white boy.
B. Huck’s childhood is a reflection(反映) of that of Mark Twain’s.
C. It ’s Huck’s situation that makes him decide to travel with Jim.
D. Huck will be punished by God for what he does.
5. Why does Huck change his mind at last?
A. He has made friends with Jim.
B. He finds out the weakness of slavery.
C. God tells him to do so.
D. He finds that Jim is a good man
UNICEF is appealing for more than one billion dollars in aid for women and children around the world. The United Nations Children's Fund has released its “Humanitarian Action Report” for two thousand ten. The report lists twenty – eight countries and territories with some of the world’s most pester affecting women and children.
Haiti was considered to be in crisis long before the earthquake in January. The deputy executive director of UNICEF, Hilde Johnson, says the quake has only made the need for aid more immediate. But she says children all over the world have the right to the same assistance as children everywhere else.
The "Humanitarian Action Report" discusses several issues that UNICEF says increasingly threaten the basic rights of women and children. It says climate change has caused droughts and food insecurity in many areas. High food prices and the global financial crisis of two thousand eight-two thousand nine have only added to poverty and malnutrition (营养不良). And armed conflict continues to threaten the lives of millions.
Hilde Johnson says children are always the most affected by conflicts and disasters. They face an increased risk of abuse, including sexual violence and other serious rights violations(侵犯).
UNICEF deals with about two hundred emergencies around the world every year. The greatest need last year was in sub-Saharan Africa. The report says drought, food insecurity and civil unrest affected about twenty-four million people.
Violence and displacements of people were especially bad in Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.
In Asia, UNICEF expects its financial assistance needs to more than double this year. This is partly the result of adding Pakistan and the Philippines to the latest report. In Pakistan, it says, more than two million people have been forced from their homes by the conflict in the Swat Valley and other areas of the northwest. And in the Philippines, more than two hundred thousand people are still living in shelters after severe storms last year.
This year's UNICEF report talks about the value of public and private partnerships in helping children and families in emergencies.
And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. For a link to the UNICEF report listing the twenty-eight countries and territories in crisis, go to www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.According to Hilde Johnson, the most easily affected peens suffering from conflicts and disasters are .
A.women | B.children | C.the old | D.the disabled |
From this passage we know that the most serious problems in Asia are .
A.earthquakes and malnutrition |
B.displacemerds, and storms |
C.seminal violence and other rights violations |
D.droughts and food insecurity |
By saying “… the quake has only made the need for aid more immediate.” Hilda Johnson probably intends to energy the idea that “”.
A.everything must have a beginning |
B.grass never grows where the wide blows |
C.cloudy herrings turn to clear evenings |
D.it never rains but pours |
Which of the following might serve as a suitable tickle for this passage?
A.Haiti was in crisis due to the earthquake in January. |
B.Violence in the twenty – eight countries and territories |
C.UNICEF Appeals for And for Women and Children |
D.the vatic of public and private partnerships in helping |
I told my friend Graham that I often cycle the two miles from my house to the town center but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route. He replied, ‘You mean fortunately.’ He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided.
My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to lose weight and get fit. It will mean that I live longer. This hill is my friend. Finally as I wend my way up the incline I console myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free. I have a smug smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.
Problems are there to be faced and overcome. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a University degree. Her activism and writing proved inspirational. She wrote, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity. From time to time we all face hardships, problems, accidents, afflictions and difficulties. Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own. Whilst we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it.
Douglas Bader was 21 when in 1931 he had both legs amputated following a flying accident. He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans. He was an inspiration to others during the war. He said, “Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Make up your mind, you’ll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”
The biographies of great people are littered with examples of how they took these kinds of steps to overcome the difficulties they faced. The common thread is that they did not become defeatist or depressed. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They took on the challenge. They won. The writer has a smug smile of satisfaction as he reaches the top of the hill because .
A.he was actually killing two birds with a stone |
B.compared with those silly people, he was smarter |
C.he lost weight by cycing to the town center every day |
D.he was informed of a short route from his house to the town |
The writer quoted Helen Keller and her saying as an example to demonstrate .
A.one cannot achieve anything with an easy life |
B.only disabled persons can experience hardship deeply |
C.one’s success is determined by nothing but his / her attitude |
D.it’s rare for a deaf and blind person to gain a University degree. |
From this passage we know that Douglas Bader was a person of .
A.individual and creative character | B.stubborn yet charming personality |
C.great bravery and strong will | D.excellent speaker with great influence |
In writing style, the last paragraph serves as .
A.an explanation | B.a demonstration |
C.an introduction | D.a summarization |