“Image is everything.” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough. If there is no substance(事实)behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually.
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services. Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection. Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies.But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back. For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness. But the recent scandal (丑闻) showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices. Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit. Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm.
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars. Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons. But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune. With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close.
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person. But image is only half of the equation. What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success.The downfall of the Arthour Andersen accounting firm is due to ___________.
A.its dishonesty in business | B.its previous images |
C.its bad management | D.its poor service |
Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A.Their images were not well built up. |
B.They failed to live up to their images. |
C.They felt much pressure from the public. |
D.They paid little attention to fame and fortune. |
The structure of the passage is ___________.
A: Argument P: Point C: ConclusionThe author tries to argue that ___________.
A.image creates everything |
B.image is the key to success. |
C.truth is unlikely ever to be equaled |
D.truth and image are equally important |
D
When I walked into the house after school, I found my dad at home.
"What are you doing home already?" I asked casually.
"Andrew, I was laid off today," he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. "No, you weren't. Why are you really home?"
Then I noticed his expression and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. My father's unemployment created many changes in our lives. He was home all day, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem (自尊心), though he tried to be optimistic. He asked my brother and me to spend less money. I gave up my allowance(零用钱), which even though it wasn't much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he devoted to it.
One evening I asked if he needed help. "Only if it doesn't interfere(打扰,妨碍) with school," he said, which sounded like a yes.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really influenced me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plans, ask for help, and take risks.
54.When the father was laid off, he ________.
A.was angry with his boss B.didn't care about it at all
C.couldn't accept the fact easily D.was as happy as usual
55.We can know from the passage that ________.
A.it was not easy for the father to find a new job
B.the father asked his sons to give up their allowance
C.the father found a good job when he changed his direction
D.Andrew and his brother helped his father set up his business
56.The underlined word "adversity" in the last paragraph probably means .
A.poor feelings B.bad situations C.low spirits D.old ideas
57.What has Andrew learned from his father?
A.The spirit of creative problem-solving. B.The skills of surfing the Internet.
C.The experience of saving money. D.The rich business skills.
C
Of all the websites,one that has attracted attention recently is myspace.com.Most of this attention has come from the media and tells every reason why the website should be shut down.The threat of internet predators(窃掠者)is indeed a tough reality,but shutting down the site is not the answer.If myspace.com were shut down,another site would quickly take its place.Therefore,the right way is to teach teens how to use the site safely and educate them about who may be predators and how to avoid them.
The key to staying safe on the Internet is to make sure that your profile(个人资料)is secure.The simplest way is to change the privacy setting on your profile to “private”, which protects your information so that only the people on your friend list can view it.Although this is effective,it is not perfect.Predators can find ways to view your profile if they really want to,whether through hacking in or figuring out their way onto your friend list.Thus,you should never post too much personal information.Some people actually post their home and school addresses,date of birth,and other personal information, often letting predators know exactly where they will be and when.The most information that is safe is your first name and province.Anything more is basically inviting a predator into your life.
Another big issue is photos. I suggest completely skipping photos and never posting a photo of a friend online without asking permission.
Most importantly, never,under any circumstances,agree to a real-life meeting with anyone you meet online.No matter how well you think you know this person, there are no guarantees that they have told the truth.But you could feel free to chat with people you meet on the site, but just remember that not everyone is who they say they are.Hopefully,the next time you edit your profile,you’ll be more informed about the dangers of internet predators and take the steps to defend yourself.
50.Kids can avoid web predators successfully by_________.
A.attracting more public attention
B.shutting down the website “myspace . com”
C.showing the kids ways to try other sites
D.recognizing and getting away from them
51.The safest basic personal information that you can share online is_________.
A.your home address and birthday B.school address and your first name
C.your first name and province D.your province and cell phone number
52.We can learn from the passage that_____.
A.not everybody you meet on line is honest and reliable
B.it is not acceptable to post a photo of a friend on line
C.it is not safe by chatting with grown-ups on the website
D.only you and your friends can view your personal profile
53.What could be the best title of this passage?
A.Personal Safety B.Web Safety for teens
C.Web Hackers in the pastD.Predators’ Tricks
B
Science isn’t something mysterious, only for the few. Every one of us—whether a poet, worker, or physicist has to be able to think scientifically, and to understand some science, such as whether to smoke, what to eat, and what protection to use. Even for decisions that don’t depend on some scientific facts, science remains the proven set of best methods for getting exact information about the world.
Some people will end up as policy-makers in government or business. People such as these make decisions that affect the life of everyone, and most of them know no more about science than does the rest of the general public. Yet they are called upon to decide what to do about nuclear reactors(核反应堆), global warming, environmental toxins(环境霉素), expensive space programs, and biomedical research. It’s nonscientists, not scientists, who have the last word on whether the milk we drink can safely come from cows treated with medicine. To make such decisions wisely, the decision makers have to be drawn from a scientifically educated public.
Even if science is irrelevant(不相干的) to the lives of ordinary Americans, a strong scientific spirit is basic to our economy, educational system, and society. This requires lots of young people to become excited enough by science that they decide to become professional scientists. This also requires, to some degree, the support and understanding of the general public.
Scientists are not always able to communicate their findings in an easy-to-understand manner. Although the scientists should do a better job of explaining what they have discovered, members of the general public have to make efforts to understand what is being said.
46.What does the author mean by saying that “a strong scientific spirit is basic to the economy, educational system and society”?
A.School and society should encourage young people to become professional scientists.
B.The school should only teach lessons of economy and education·
C.A scientifically educated public is basic to the economy,educational system and society.
D.More scientists work in our economy, educational system and society.
47.The general public is required to _______.
A.support and understand the need of scientific education
B.check what the scientists are saying
C.give help to the policy-makers
D.become professional scientists
48.The main idea of this passage is _________.
A.policy—makers must be science professionals
B.science is not far from everyone’s life
C.science has nothing to do with ordinary Americans
D.science professionals make decisions that affect the life of everyone
49.According to the passage, who can decide whether the milk we drink can safely come from
cows treated with medicine?
A.Scientists B.Young people C.The public D.Policy-makers
三、阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
A
What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say, "I wish I could help you but I'm short of money myself." In fact you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Gerald Gullion of the University of Southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a "white lie", such as a woman at a party telling another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liars hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has also been done into the changes of people’s behavior in a number of small, clearly unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying “I wish I were somewhere else now”. They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often, in particular the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch (痒).
Another gesture which gives away is what the writer Desmond Morris in his book Man Watching calls “the mouth cover”. He says there are several typical forms of this, such as covering part of the mouth with fingers, touching the upper-lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side of the mouth. Such a gesture can be understood, as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation. It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and in particular the context in which the lie is told.
41.According to the passage, a “white lie” seems to be a lie _______.
A.that other people have interest in
B.that other people cannot believe
C.told in order to avoid offending(冒犯) someone
D.told in order to take advantage of someone
42.Research suggests that women _______.
A.are better at telling lies than men do B.generally lie far more than men
C.often make promises they later break D.lie at parties more often than men do
43.Researchers find that when a person tells lies.
A.his or her blood pressure increases greatly
B.he or she looks very serious and moves about more
C.he or she tends to make small changes in his behavior
D.he or she uses his unconscious mind
44.One reason people sometimes rub their noses when they lie is that_______
A.1ying causes a slight increase in blood pressure
B.the nose is sensitive to physical changes caused by lying
C.they want to cover their mouths
D.they are trying to stop themselves from telling lies
45.Which of the following may best betray (出卖) a liar?
A.The touching of the tip of one’s nose. B.The change of one’s behavior.
C.“The mouth cover” gesture. D.The situations in which his lies are told.
C
Very few people were coming to eat at the White Rose Restaurant and its owner did not know what to do . The food in its restaurant was cheap and good , but nobody seem to want to eat there .Then he did something that changed all that , and in a few weeks his restaurant was always full of men with their lady friends .Whenever a gentleman came in with a lady , a smiling waiter gave each of them a beautiful menu . The menu looked exactly the same on the outside , but there was an important difference inside . The menu that the waiter gave to the men gave the correct price for each dish and each bottle of wine , while the menu that he gave to the lady gave a much higher price . So when the man calmly ordered dish after dish and wine after wine , the lady thought he was much more generous than he really was .
54. How was the food in the White Rose Restaurant?___________ .
A. Its quality had always been good and its price low
B. It was poor and expensive at first and became much better and less expensive later
C. It was cheap and good at the beginning but became more expensive later
D. It looked beautiful on the outside but it was became more different inside
55. How did the restaurant attract so many people?______________ .
A. By lowering the price of its food
B. By improving the quality of its food
C. With waiters smiling at the guests when they came into the restaurant and giving them better service while they are
D. By showing men and women menus with different price on them
56. According to this passage , when a man and a woman ate at the restaurant the food was paid by whom ?_____________ .
A. Usually by the man and sometimes by the woman
B. Always by the man only
C. Sometimes by the man only and sometimes by both of the man and the woman
D. Normally by the woman
57. The White Rose succeeded because__________ .
A. women liked their men friends to be generous
B. men liked their women friends to be generous
C. men were more generous than women
D. women were more generous than men