When he was just 19, Michael Dell started the company that would dominate the industry.
At the time, IBM personal computers sold in stores for about ＄3,000. After taking them apart and rebuilding them, Dell realized the components (零部件) could be bought for one-fourth the price. Soon he was buying components to reduce the cost. A good business decision, but it meant his room was starting to look like a mechanic’s shop.
“I was quite excited about the possibilities for personal computers and how they could change society. I had this idea to sell the products directly to the users over the phone”, he said. College plans and his parents’ expectations bothered him a lot. But Michael Dell was determined. He drove off to the University of Texas at Austin in August 1983 in a car he’d bought with earnings from selling newspapers. He was surprised that his mother wasn’t suspicious about the three computers in the backseat. By November, news reached his parents that he wasn’t attending classes. On a surprise visit to Austin, they caught their son on spot. Michael Dell told his dad that he wanted to compete with IBM.
Although Michael agreed to focus on his studies, the business chances and the timing couldn’t have been better. The public was becoming more interested in computers, but no one was producing them. In early May, a week before his final exams, Michael started Dell computer Corporation with ＄1,000. He took his exams, and then dropped out of college at the end of his freshman year. It was time to try out his direct-to-customer business model.
“Three years later”, Dell says, “we had already achieved annual sales of about ＄150 million, I was 22 years old then.”What does the underlined word in paragraph 1 mean?
| A．affect | B．develop | C．support | D．lead |
Which of the following is true according to paragraph 2?
| A．Dell discovered a good chance to make money |
| B．Dell could buy a computer at one-fourth the price |
| C．IBM made little money from personal computers |
| D．Dell rebuilt computers in a mechanic’s shop |
When Dell’s parents learned about his absence from class, they .
| A．tried to help with his business |
| B．were too suspicious to accept it |
| C．wanted him to go hack to class |
| D．encouraged him to compete with IBM |
It can be inferred from the article that .
| A．Dell was tired of his college life |
| B．Dell was not devoted to his study at college |
| C．Dell’s college life helped him greatly |
| D．Dell didn’t finish his final exams |
Dell’s experiences show that .
| A．determination and opportunity lead to success |
| B．family support plays an import in one’s success |
| C．there’s no need for all of us to go to college |
| D．we should insist on whatever we are doing |
When introducing American universities, some of the first institutions to mention are the Ivy League schools. Originally, the Ivy League was an athletic conference made up of 8 private institutes of higher learning in northeastern United States. However, as time went on, these schools also became known for their excellence in academics besides athletics. Until now, these 8 schools have been recognized as some of the best colleges and universities in the United States.
Harvard University is a private institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The university includes a number of graduate and professional schools, as well as a college for undergraduates. In 2012, Harvard ranked number one in US News’ ranking of national universities again. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institute of higher education in the United States. It can be said that first there was Harvard, then the United States of America. Also, Harvard’s library contains the oldest collection of books in the United States as well as the largest private collection in the world. Harvard has also been described by Forbes Magazine as one of the “billionaire universities” as of their recent list of 469 billionaires, 50 received a degree from Harvard.
Harvard College (the institute for undergraduate students) is one of the most famous schools in the United States. It offers over 40 undergraduate fields of study, including astrophysics, mathematics, neurobiology(神经生物学), etc. And the financial aid program there is amazing. Even though the tuition is about 37,576, and there are other expenses throughout the year, about 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid. Out of those students, over 90% of them had their full need met. And the policies for international students are the same for U.S. citizens.
Harvard College is very selective, as it only admits about 6% of their applicants. For admission into Harvard College, it is required that students take the SAT or the ACT, as well as 2 SAT Subject Tests. Harvard will also look at other factors during admission such as your application essay, high school transcript, recommendations, and most importantly, your character and personal qualities.
What are the Ivy League schools famous for?
| A．Athletics and location. | B．Academics and history. |
| C．Financial aid and training. | D．Athletics and academics. |
Harvard University includes .
| A．only one college |
| B．a number of colleges for undergraduates |
| C．a kindergarten, a middle school and a college |
| D．many graduate and professional schools and a college for undergraduates |
Why is Harvard called one of the “billionaire universities”?
| A．Because people can get a lot of money from Harvard. |
| B．Because there are 50 billionaires in Harvard. |
| C．Because nearly one ninth of the billionaires once studied in Harvard. |
| D．Because 469 billionaires sponsor Harvard. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．90% students in Harvard have their full need met. |
| B．About 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid. |
| C．Harvard College is the institute for graduate students. |
| D．The policies for international students are different for U.S. Citizens. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
奥朗德
President Normal
(2012年洛阳二模)BEFORE Nicolas Sarkozy became French president，he was asked if he thought about presidency when he looked in the mirror while shaving(刮胡子)．“Not just when I'm shaving，”he answered.
When Francois Hollande，now presidentelect(总统当选人)of France，was asked the same question，he replied：“Do I see myself as president？No，I am a presidential candidate.A candidate must not think himself president；he must give hope that he becomes president.”
Hollande has promised to be a“normal(普通的) president”－something Sarkozy certainly was not.Sarkozy celebrated his election in 2007 at a worldclass Parisian restaurant.He took holidays on the yachts(游艇)of wealthy businesspeople.Hollande，by contrast，was still going around Paris on his threewheeled motorbike at the start of this year.One member of his party said he looked“more like a pizza delivery man”than the next president.
“That is the key to Hollande's success because the election is turning into a sort of referendum(公民投票)for or against Nicolas Sarkozy，”Eric Dupin，a journalist and political observer(观察员)told Global Post.“Francois Hollande is the one who appears not only as his main opponent(对手)politically，but also as his complete opposite psychologically(心理上)．”
When he was the Socialist party leader，Hollande was nicknamed“the marshmallow(软糖)”because he hated fights.Sarkozy，by contrast，is known to be loud and aggressive(好斗的)．
When faced with Sarkozy's verbal attacks during the election，Hollande stayed calm.This sometimes annoyed even his own supporters.“I wish he would just let go and savage(用暴力对付)Sarko，”one Hollande voter said to the Guardian.
But Hollande still knows how to fight.Stéphane Le Foll，a Sicialist MEP who has been one of Hollande's closest advisors for 17 years and is codirecting his campaign，said Hollande had quietly planned his presidential bid(投标) for 10 years.“I think we all underestimated(低估)this guy，”Alain Minc，one of Sarkozy's closest friends and advisers，told Reuters.
Hollande was born in 1954 into a middleclass family.He lived through the 1968 protests(抗议)that nearly overthrew(推翻)the French government.“They shocked him，but also politicized him，he said in a recent interview，making him understand that change was possible，”reported the New York Times.When Hollande was 15，he told friends he expected to become president.
“I didn't come to the first rank either by chance or by obsession(执迷)，”Hollande said in an interview with Reuters.“I got there because I put myself in this situation，and because I deserved (值得的；应受的)it.”By citing Hollande and Sarkozy's replies to the same question，the author intends to show ________.
| A．Sarkozy is more confident than Hollande |
| B．Hollande is more modest than Sarkozy |
| C．Hollande is less ambitious than Sarkozy |
| D．Sarkozy is more humorous than Hollande |
What is the key to Hollande's success in the presidential election according to Eric Dupin?
| A．His dislike of fights. |
| B．His careful plan for the presidential bid. |
| C．How different he is form Sarkozy. |
| D．The gentle way in which he ran his campaign. |
How did Hollande react to Sarkozy's verbal attacks according to the article?
| A．He fought back violently. |
| B．He got annoyed on the spot. |
| C．He didn't say anything. |
| D．He dealt with them calmly. |
What did Hollande think he owed his success to，according to the article?
| A．His good luck. |
| B．His devotion and efforts. |
| C．His obsession with politics. |
| D．His personality and experience. |
What is the purpose of the article?
| A．To show what kind of person Hollande is. |
| B．To compare the differences between Hollande and Sarkozy |
| C．To show what French people think of Hollande. |
| D．To explain why Sarkozy lost the election. |
Tang Zhou and his wife are planning to have their second child, a test-tube baby. His wife had a natural delivery when she was 34 and their first child, a boy, is now 7. The couple are now hoping to have a daughter through a surrogate mother in the US. “My wife couldn’t bear another delivery because of her heart condition and her age. Surrogacy helps avoid the risks to older mothers,” Tang said, “Moreover, our second child will be born in the US and become a citizen there. That is not a bad choice.”
The couple spent weeks researching their move, looking for a reliable agency that provides surrogacy services overseas. Surrogacy is still illegal in many countries, including China. “We will be taking much higher risks by relying on a surrogate mother in China because we are not protected by any regulation or law. You pay a lot of money but may meet with many problems,” Tang said. “You might not even get your baby back.”
Tang and his wife are part of an increasing number of Chinese couples who are turning to surrogacy services. Tang also considered surrogacy in Thailand but dropped the idea after recent reports about a baby with Down Syndrome(唐氏综合症) who was delivered through surrogacy and said to have been deserted in Thailand by the biological parents from Australia. Instead, Tang chose the California Surrogacy Center agency as his first option after reading the detailed introduction on its website. Compared with many other agencies that he could contact only via e-mail, the center has a consulting office in Beijing, Tang said.
The center is in San Diego, California, and has satellite offices in Los Angeles and Beijing. According to Liu, the center has been operating for more than eight years, and about 100 surrogate mothers live in California.“A surrogate mother” refers to a mother who _______.
| A．acts as a baby-sitter |
| B．nurses another woman’s baby |
| C．offers service to a new mother |
| D．gives birth to a baby for another woman |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Chinese couples prefer to have a test-tube baby. |
| B．Couples face no risks in surrogacy services. |
| C．A sick test-tube baby was deserted in Thailand. |
| D．Unhealthy test-tube babies can be legally abandoned. |
Tang and his wife turned to overseas surrogacy services because _______.
| A．surrogacy remains illegal in China |
| B．they call for less money |
| C．it is more convenient to contact them |
| D．most of them are experienced |
The passage mainly tells us that ________.
| A．an old woman can take a risk of delivering a baby |
| B．more Chinese couples are turning to surrogacy |
| C．it’s not a bad choice to have a baby born overseas |
| D．biological couples may fail to get their babies back |
ACS Middle School is delighted to announce the 10-day Morocco Challenge 2015. We are planning another exciting adventure to Morocco with the support of World Challenge, a global leader in service and adventure based trips. What sets this programme apart from other middle school trips is that the students will have the opportunity to help plan and lead their own expedition(考察探险).
This experience gives ACS Middle School students an opportunity to do something really unique that will make them stand out from the crowd. The experience will provide students with a wealth of new skills which they will find invaluable in school, college, university and the world beyond.
We invite you to join us for an informative parents’ presentation, given by World Challenge, where you will have the opportunity to hear all about the amazing challenges that your son or your daughter will have the chance to experience.
Initial Information Evening for interested students and parents:
Date: MONDAY, September 22nd, 2014
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: ACS Middle School
The presentation will be an informative and interactive presentation with plenty of opportunities for questions, along with videos and images of the expeditions and what it will be like to take part. There will be lots of information on how the students will fundraise to take part in this expedition, what they will do while overseas, the safety and back-up on the expedition and thebenefits they will obtain from taking part.
We hope you and your son(daughter) are able to attend the Parents’ Presentation. We are sure you will find it interesting and see why ACS values the outcomes of this programme so highly. If you are unable to attend then your son or your daughter can attend on your behalf and collect the information needed.
Email enquiries to: cobmsclubz@acs-schools.com Subject: Morocco Challenge 2015
According to the passage, the Morocco Challenge 2015 _______.
| A．is the first adventure by World Challenge | B．was announced about 10 days ago |
| C．will start on 22nd September 2014 | D．differs from other middle school trips |
The passage is most probably written by _______.
| A．World Challenge | B．ACS Middle School students |
| C．students’ parents | D．ACS Middle School |
According to the passage, which of the following is True?
| A．The informative Presentation will be given by World Challenge. |
| B．For more information, you can send email to World Challenge. |
| C．Students cannot be allowed to attend the Parents’ Presentation. |
| D．Parents are not allowed to go on the expedition along with their children. |
The passage is written to _______.
| A．advertise World Challenge and appeal to more volunteers. |
| B．inform students how to fundraise to join in this expedition. |
| C．invite parents to attend an interactive Parents’ Presentation. |
| D．guide students to organize their own expedition. |
The Occupy protests(抗议) in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok’s Argyle Street resumed in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points.
Some 3,000 police officers were deployed(部署) in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18.
The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement.
Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law.
“The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough,” Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times.
“Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest,” said Lee.
It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end.
“The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end,” Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times.The underlined word “resumed” in the first paragraph most probably means “_______”.
| A．came to a stop | B．moved faster |
| C．returned to normal | D．piled up |
It can be learned from the passage that the occupy protests _______.
| A．have made the public suffer a lot |
| B．have lasted for two months |
| C．are supported by common people |
| D．have caused no loss for the citizens |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Police officers didn’t meet with any resistance in the late afternoon clearance. |
| B．Many more than 3000 police officers took part in the clearance in Admiralty District. |
| C．The authorities are not capable of dealing with the resistance from the protesters. |
| D．The occupy protests are announced illegal and harmful for the business. |
How do the Hong Kong public feel about the occupy protests?
| A．Approval. | B．Annoyed. | C．Scared. | D．Desirable. |