McDonald's is the world single biggest food provider with annual sales of around $12.4bn. And the company's symbol Ronald McDonald is now （or so the company claims） the word's most recognized person after Santa Claus.
The first McDonald's restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1948 by brothers Mac and Richard “Dick” McDonald. Mac ran the restaurant side; Dick was the marketing genius. He had already invented the drive-in laundry and had been the first person to use neon lights in advertising. Now he spotted the gap in the post-war, baby-boom market for cheap, family-orientated restaurants with simple menus, standardized food and efficient service.
After a slow start, business began to boom. By 1954, the brothers were joined by another entrepreneur, a kitchen equipment salesman called Ray A Kroc who owned the franchise to the Multimixer, milk shake maker used throughout the McDonald's chain. A year later, Kroc had bought the McDonald brothers' chain of 25 franchises for the equivalent of around $70m（￡44m）. Dick remained with the company until the Seventies, when he and Kroc fell out over Kroc's claim that the chain was his creation.
Today, an almost Stalinist cult of personality surrounds Kroc （who died in 1984） at McDonald's, while the brothers who gave the company its name have all but been written out of its history. But though Kroc did not found McDonald's, he was certainly responsible for the empire-building philosophy which led to its world domination. He ushered in such essential contributions to international cuisine as the Big Mac （1968） and the Egg McMuffin （1973）; and helped launch Ronald McDonald —— “in any language he means fun” —— on to television in 1963.
Every three hours, a new McDonald's franchise opens somewhere in the world; it can be found in more than 100 countries including India （vegetarian-only to avoid offending the non-beef-eating populace） and Israel （non kosher, despite fierce local objection）. McDonald's chain embodied the thrusting, can-do spirit of Fifties America with staff mottoes such as “If you've got time to lean, you've go time to clean.” McDonald's was founded _____.
| A．by a kitchen equipment salesman |
| B．in California. |
| C．by a marketing genius called Dick McDonald. |
| D．after the first World War. |
What do we know about McDonald's brothers?
| A．They were not McDonald's founders although they named the restaurant. |
| B．Their business was still in depression after several years. |
| C．They had clear job separation on business. |
| D．They sold their restaurant to a salesman in 1954. |
Which is not Kroc's contribution to McDonald's ?
| A．He launched the restaurant image Ronald McDonald on to television. |
| B．Under his lead, international cuisine as the Big Mac and the Egg McMuffin earned worldwide fame |
| C．He spotted the gap in postwar market for cheap, family-orientated restaurants. |
| D．He built McDonald's empire with a philosophy which led to its world domination. |
Which statement is true according to the passage?
| A．The single biggest food provider was however, not named after its founder |
| B．The international cuisine as the Big Mac, a beef hamburger, is provided every chain restaurant in the world. |
| C．Employees in McDonald's have no time to lean. |
| D．The symbol Ronald McDonald, means fun in any language, is said to the word most recognized person after Santa Claus. |
Everybody hates it, but everybody does it. A recent report said that 40％of Americans hate tipping. In America alone, tipping is a $16 billion-a-year industry. Consumers acting politely ought not to pay more than they have to for a given service. Tips should not exist. So why do they? The common opinion in the past was that tips both rewarded the efforts of good service and reduced uncomfortable feelings of inequality. And also, tipping makes for closer relations. It went without saying that the better the service, the bigger the tip.
But according to a new research from Cornell University, tips no longer serve any useful function. The paper analyzes numbers they got from 2,547 groups dining at 20 different restaurants. The connection between larger tips and better service was very weak. Only a tiny part of the size of the tip had anything to do with the quality of service.
Tipping is better explained, by culture than by the money people spend. In America, the custom came into being a long time ago. It is regarded as part of the accepted cost of a service. In New York restaurants, failing to tip at least l5% could well mean dissatisfaction from the customers. Hairdressers can expect to get l5%-20%, and the man who delivers your fast food $2. In Europe, tipping is less common. In many restaurants the amount of tip is decided by a standard service charge. In many Asian countries, tipping has never really caught on at all. Only a few have really taken to tipping.
According to Michael Lynn, the Cornell papers' author, countries in which people are more social or outgoing tend to tip more. Tipping may reduce anxiety about being served by strangers. And Mr. Lynn says, “In America, where people are expressive and eager to mix up with others, tipping is about social approval. If you tip badly, people think less of you. Tipping well is a chance to show off." This passage is mainly about ________.
| A．different kinds of tipping in different countries |
| B．the relationship between tipping and custom |
| C．the origin and present meaning of tipping |
| D．most American people hate tipping |
Which of the following best explains the underlined phrase "caught on"?
| A．become popular. | B．been hated. |
| C．been stopped. | D．been permitted |
Among the following situations, in your opinion, who is likely to tip most?
| A．A Frenchman just quarreled with the barber who did his hair badly in New York. |
| B．An American just had a wonderful dinner in a well known restaurant in New York. |
| C．A Japanese businessman asked for a pizza delivery from a Pizza Hut in New York. |
| D．A Chinese student enjoyed his meal in a famous fast food restaurant in New York. |
We can infer from this passage that ________.
| A．tipping is no longer a good way to satisfy some customers themselves |
| B．tipping is especially popular in New York |
| C．tipping in America can make service better now |
| D．tipping has something to do with people's character |
Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK?
-Mariana
A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy (策略). But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption.（假设）
Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK.
You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you.
Regardless of whether you consult（咨询） with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your assignments.
-Professor ByronWhat problem does Mariana meet?
| A．She has trouble learning English grammar. |
| B．She wonders if her method on writing is suitable. |
| C．She doesn't get on well with her classmates. |
| D．She isn't able to express herself in English. |
According to Pro. Byron, what's the most important in writing a paper?
| A．Professional advice. |
| B．Polishing carefully. |
| C．Organizing thoughts. |
| D．Familiar materials. |
When asking someone for help on your paper, you should ask him ______.
| A．to hand in the paper after reading it |
| B．to write the difficult part for you |
| C．to make a writing. plan for you |
| D．to tell you the part to be improved |
What does the underlined word refer to in the text?
| A．Essays. | B．Courses |
| C．Ideas. | D．Resources. |
Selfies (自拍) have become an increasingly common way to capture memorable moments. When it comes to taking selfies , knowing the following tips can directly affect the quality of your final product. .
The use of light is vital to improving image quality. Lights can help avoid shadows and create soft features on your face, so turn your face toward the main light. source. If you want to be creative, play with light angles by turning your body, but make sure the photo is properly exposed and your face is lit from the front or the side. Besides, avoid taking selfies against the main light source or with overhead lighting. Additionally, natural light possesses a warmth that makes you look like you're glowing.（发光）
When taking selfies, angles also matter a lot. Hold the camera away from your face, and try to take photos both horizontally（水平地） and vertically. If not, your face might look bigger than usual. Ideally, the universal selfie angle is 45 degrees above your head. But you should study your face at different angles because finding your best angle requires you having seen all of them.
One problem with selfies is that most have distracting backgrounds. You can always do more to show others your best side. Try to simplify the background by taking selfies outdoors or in spacious areas. Document yourself engaging in interesting activities-hiking with family members, visiting landmarks, or working out with friends. At least, you can make the photo appealing by getting rid of your outstretched arm or a background that's too busy.
You can also download some photo apps that allow you to adjust the lighting and contrast. Some apps offer useful filters（滤光器）, which can change your skin tone and eliminate pimples (粉刺) on your face.To get an image of high quality, you need to _______.
| A．be under the light source |
| B．be against the main light |
| C．face the main light source |
| D．have the photo fully exposed |
How can you find the angle that suits you most?
| A．Study your face at different angles. |
| B．Hold the camera far enough from you. |
| C．Keep the camera lower than your face. |
| D．Place the camera 45 degrees above your head. |
Which of the following should be avoided when taking selfies?
| A．The use of natural light. |
| B．A landmark as a background. |
| C．Changes of the skin tone. |
| D．A busy background. |
The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment' sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2009, a new form of sharing economy has been emerging in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world-Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can withdraw（取出） and deposit（存入） books. Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults, or tour guides.
In 2009. Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. "I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other," Bol said. .
Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary.org, there are now 18,000 0f the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. But an Atlantic article says the little, structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads . The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries' main appeal. "A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life," says the Atlantic article. "Every book is a potential source of inspiration "How do Little Free Libraries get their books?
| A．Citizens shared them. |
| B．Tod Bol donated them. |
| C．US government provided them. |
| D．The communities bought them. |
Why did Tod Bol want to build more Little Free Libraries?
| A．He wanted to promote his idea worldwide. |
| B．He was inspired by the sharing economy. |
| C．They can offer neighbors more chances to talk. |
| D．They are a gift to please his mother. |
What does the author of the Atlantic article believe?
| A．The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. |
| B．Little Free Libraries are physical and human. |
| C．E-reader downloads are undoubtedly beneficial. |
| D．Little Free Libraries are more popular than e-reader downloads. |
Little Free Libraries attract readers most in that ______.
| A．they connect strangers together |
| B．they are located all over the world |
| C．they are in various shapes and sizes |
| D．they may give readers a sense of discovery |
Upon entering college, Yang Yi was uncertain about a lot of things. However, the 19-year-old international economics and trade student was certain about one thing: She wanted to participate in animal welfare efforts.
“I'm .always a nature and animal lover," she said. She joined the environmental protection association at her school. Now being president of a group of 25, she leads its efforts to help stray（流浪）cats and dogs by raising money to buy them food and collecting old clothes to make them homes.
However, sometimes the association raises doubts. Some students have questioned whether helping stray animals breaks the laws of nature. "We tried to resolve the controversy," Yang said. “For wild animals, the best way to protect them is to preserve their environment and their natural habitat, and to let them live their own way. However, for animals that depend heavily on humans, such as dogs and cats, the proper way to treat them is to respect them and take care of them." Besides, if not accommodated properly, stray animals can bring threats to public health, as they are the main cause of rabies（狂犬病）in cities. "Now, many young people in China have agreed upon the need to strike a balance between humans and nature. The only problem is how," said Yang. Yang and her fellow volunteers are cautious about what they do to help. For instance, sometimes people feed stray cats human food such as chocolate. But Yang and her friends point that such food can be dangerous to stray cats.
Yang also cooperates with Non-Governmental Organizations to spread animal protection knowledge. One of their recent exhibits was about animals in the entertainment industry. "We are still figuring out the best way to protect animals, but simple deeds such as saying no to animal performances can prevent wildlife from being captured and tamed. Step by step, we'll eventually reach our goal," she said. Why did Yang Yi join the environmental protection association?
| A．She majored in a relevant field. |
| B．She wanted to protect nature and animals. |
| C．She was uncertain about her life. |
| D．She intended to know about animal welfare. |
What do the group members do for stray animals?
| A．They shelter them with old clothes. |
| B．They feed human food to them. |
| C．They train them for entertainment. |
| D．They donate money to the association. |
In paragraph 3,Yang believes that
| A．all animals should live naturally |
| B．young people have known how to balance human and nature |
| C．stray animals are bound to spread rabies |
| D．chocolate is not a proper food for stray cats |
What does Yang Yi think of her work?
| A．Enjoyable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Hopeful. | D．Awful. |