If you hear the sound of running water the next time you call a co-worker on his or her mobile phone, don’t be surprised. Three-fourths of Americans with mobile phones say they use them in the bathroom, a new study shows.
Approximately the same number of men and women have used the phone in the bathroom, according to a survey of 1,000 Americans by 11mark, an integrated marketing agency, although men seem more attached to IT in the toilet: 30 percent of men versus 20 percent of women agreed with the statement, "I don't go to the bathroom without my mobile phone."
More than half the surveyed users (63 percent) said they have answered a phone call in the bathroom, and almost half (41 percent) reported initiating a phone call. That's not all, however. What goes on behind the walls of the stalls is anything a mobile phone is capable of. Sixty-seven percent said they have read a text, and 39 percent have surfed the Web. Men work more from the bathroom — 20 percent said they have participated in work-related calls, versus 13 percent of their female colleagues.
As expected, Gen Y respondents are the pacesetters in the "mobile everywhere" movement, with 91 percent using their phone in the bathroom. Still, older generations are not far behind. Eighty percent of Gen X(1961-1981) reported using the phone in the bathroom, as did 65 percent of Baby Boomers and 47 percent of the Silent Generation.
While online, they are doing more than just surfing; 16 percent of Gen Y report they have made an online purchase while in the bathroom. Users of iPhones are particularly likely to browse and buy in the bathroom – 22 percent have made a purchase, versus 10 percent of Americans with mobile phones overall.
"The writing is on the stall," said 11mark principal Nicole Burdette. "This study confirms what we all know: that the last private place is no longer private."
In the process, high-tech hygiene(卫生) is taking a hit, the survey found. While 92 percent of mobile phone users said they wash their hands after using the bathroom, only 14 percent said they wash their phones.59.Which is the best word to replace the underlined word "initiating"?
| A．receiving | B．experiencing | C．ending | D．beginning |
60.According to his words, Nicole Buedette mainly wants to tell us that .
| A．no wonder mobile phones are used in the bathroom |
| B．the bathroom is a private place for people |
| C．it makes people have no privacy at all |
| D．more men have used the phone in the bathroom |
61.What does the last paragraph of the passage imply?
| A．Using phones in the bathroom has a bad effect on hygiene |
| B．Mobile phones should not be allowed to use in the bathroom |
| C．Most people care about the hygiene after using the bathroom |
| D．Few people wash their phones after using the bathroom |
62.The attitude of the author to the use of phones in the bathroom is ______
| A．supportive | B．disapproval |
| C．subjective(主观的) | D．objective(客观的) |
Most of us use the telephone several times a day to talk with friends or make social arrangements(安排). These calls are usually quite easy and require little planning.
Using the telephone for business purpose is different. In any organization the person on the telephone represents the company and gives an impression of the firm to the outside world.
If you want to ensure good public relations, you need to master effective telephone techniques.
You should try to give an impression of an efficient, friendly, progressive company eager to give good service.
Before calling
Choose the right time. Consider the cost, urgency and convenience. When calling overseas, you need to consider the time difference.
Check the number. A great deal of money is wasted each year on dialing wrong numbers.
Plan your call. Make a list of points and questions to be raised.
Be prepared. Gather any files, papers or information that may be needed during the call. It is unprofessional to have to say “Hold on while I look for that.”
If you have to ask a caller to hold on, keep going back and assuring him/her that you will be as quick as possible.
Avoid interruptions. Call at a time when you are unlikely to be distracted(分心).
During the call
Be courteous, polite. Make time for suitable greetings like “How are you today, Jim?” and “Did you enjoy your holiday”?
Put a smile in your voice. Remember, your caller can not see you, so use intonation to good effect and try to sound confident, decisive, helpful, and interested.
Check your notes. Look back at your notes to ensure that you have covered everything and quote figures and other data correctly.
Get feedback. Make sure the caller understands the message correctly, especially deadlines and actions that are involved.
Be courteous. Finish by thanking the caller for his or her time and trouble.
After the call
Make notes. Let it become a habit to make notes of the call and place them in an appropriate file.
Take actions. If you need to send a letter of confirmation or inform someone in your organization about any details of the call, do it immediately so that you do not forget important points.This passage is mainly about _____.
| A．how to become a dependable company |
| B．how to ensure public relations |
| C．some service a company should have |
| D．some telephone techniques for business purpose |
Before calling, you have to _____.
| A．stay at your company only |
| B．learn important data and figures by heart |
| C．get things ready for the communication |
| D．choose the right time and place |
During the call, it is unsuitable to _____.
| A．be heard in low spirits | B．be decisive |
| C．check your notes | D．get feedback |
What does the underlined word “courteous” in the passage mean?
| A．Polite. | B．Active. | C．Effective. | D．Correct. |
In the UK, a group of campaigners(活动家)have declared the last Saturday in November as National Buy Nothing Day. “Our message is clear: shop less, live more!” says organizer Michael Smith. “The challenge is to try simple living for a day. Spend time with family and friends, rather than spending money on them. Anyone can take part, provided they spend a day without spending.”
On Buy Nothing Day, they take to the streets to tackle consumers(消费者). They dress as pigs to symbolize greed(贪婪). They offer to cut up credit cards and hand out shopping bags with the words “another useless thing I don’t need” written on the side. Some hold street parties to show shoppers that it is possible to have fun without spending money. Others go into shops and put notes saying “don’t buy me” inside clothes and shoes.
Some protestors(抗议者) are working against powerful forces. Many retailers(零售商) and manufacturers depend on Christmas sales for most of their profits. Around two thirds of GDP in the West is made up of consumer spending. If this drops, many people will lose their jobs. At least that will make it easier for them to buy nothing.
And there is also the risk that the campaigners will be seen as killjoys, who want to stop people enjoying themselves. “There’s a fun side to this,” says Michael Smith. “To some it’s a protest, but it’s also a street party. We’re not saying that people are bad because they go shopping, but we need get the message across for people to consume wisely. And after we’re finished, we’ll probably go for a drink.”Why do a group of people in the UK choose Saturday as National Buy Nothing Day?
| A．Because they have enough food at their homes. |
| B．Because it is the season for shopping. |
| C．Because they have run out of money at that time. |
| D．Because it’s popular to live a simple life. |
In order to persuade people to stop shopping, the campaigners _____.
| A．stop people going out |
| B．have different ways to make it |
| C．offer goods to people freely |
| D．play tricks on consumers |
The underlined word “killjoys” in the last paragraph refers to people who _____.
| A．ruin the happiness and fun of others |
| B．get money from shopkeepers |
| C．bring happiness to others |
| D．take no interest in shopping |
The campaigners started National Buy Nothing Day for the purpose of _____.
| A．persuading people to kill time in a different way |
| B．persuading people to save money |
| C．persuading people to have more parties |
| D．persuading people to spend money wisely |
INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF PANLAND
EXPORTS
Considering all imports and exports, what statement can be made about Panland’s trade?
| A．Panland imports food and exports raw materials. |
| B．Panland imports manufactured goods and exports food. |
| C．Panland imports manufactured goods and exports raw materials. |
| D．Panland imports raw materials and exports manufactured goods. |
With which of the following does Panland carry on the most trade?
| A．Asia. | B．Africa. | C．Middle East. | D．United States. |
Judging from its economy, it could be concluded that most of Panland’s working people are _____
| A．farmers | B．fishing people | C．unskilled laborers | D．skilled factory workers |
It was only 5 o’clock in the morning. The house was quiet and Tim' s mother was still asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He’d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.
Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He' d eat after he' d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.
He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches-but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:
Gone to Michael’s. Back tonight, Tim.
The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn't up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.
The sand hills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.
The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched (延伸) across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.
Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.
He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious (神秘的) now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn't go in all the way...What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?
| A．He put a sweater in his schoolbag. | B．He left the house quietly. |
| C．He had breakfast at home. | D．He left a note on the freezer. |
"He settled for some biscuits” (in Paragraph 3 ) means that Tim_______.
| A．had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches |
| B．liked biscuits better than sandwiches |
| C．had to leave the biscuits on the table |
| D．could only find some biscuits in the kitchen |
What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?
| A．The height of the first rocks. | B．The ups and downs of the waves. |
| C．The vast stretch of the sunlit beach. | D．The change in the position of the sun. |
In the story, Tim’s mood changed from_________.
| A．loneliness to craziness | B．anxiousness to excitement |
| C．eagerness to nervousness | D．helplessness to happiness |
“To be or not to be.” Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famous in all the literature of the world. They were spoken by Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are the most famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet was speaking not only for himself but also for every thinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live or not to live, to live richly and abundantly, or to live dully and meanly. A philosopher once wanted to know whether he was alive or not, which is a good question for everyone to put to himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: “I think, therefore I am.”
But the best definition of existence I ever saw was one written by another philosopher who said: “To be is to be in relations.” If this is true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. To live abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity(强烈) of our relations. Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But other than our regular occupation, how much are we alive? If you are interested only in your regular occupation, you are alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned --- poetry and prose(散文), music, pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs ---you are dead.
On the contrary, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest --- even more, a new accomplishment(成就) --- you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in different kinds of subjects can remain unhappy. The real pessimist is the person who has lost interest.
Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts with new friends, and new ideas and thoughts, too. Where your thoughts are, there will be your life too. If your thoughts are limited only to your business, only to your physical welfare, only to your narrow circle of the town in which you live, then you live a narrow restricted(有限的, 受约束的) life. But if you are interested in what is going on in China, then you are living in China. If you’re interested in the characters of a good novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people. If you listen intently to fine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion and imagination.
To be or not to be --- to live intensely and richly, or merely to exist, which depends on ourselves. Let us widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let us live!What does the author mainly want to do by this passage?
| A．Argue against an idea. |
| B．Explain some famous sayings. |
| C．Introduce some famous sayings. |
| D．Put forward an idea. |
What does the underlined word most probably mean?
| A．Somebody who always lives in a world of passion and imagination. |
| B．Somebody who is always interested in making new friends. |
| C．Somebody who always expects the worst to happen. |
| D．Somebody who likes to live a rich and abundant life. |
Which of the following behavior is probably NOT encouraged by the author?
| A．Thinking more than your own business. |
| B．Caring only about your physical welfare. |
| C．Reading good novels. |
| D．Listening to fine music. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．To be is to be in relations. |
| B．I think, therefore I am. |
| C．To be or not to be, that is a question. |
| D．A man dies as often as he loses a friend. |