Sparrow is a fastfood chain with 200 restaurants.Some years ago，the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company.Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining，the chain was generally in an unhealthy state.With more and more fastfood concepts reaching the market，the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention.And to make matters worse，its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years，until a new CEO，Carl Pearson，decided to build up its market share.He did a survey，which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain，while customers of other fastfood chains were unwilling to turn away from them.Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand.The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants.Pearson resisted，arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun.Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time.Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success，rather than customers’ spending power.Finally，the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fastfood industry.The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original songs performed by a variety of stars.Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product，the intention was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image.For example，he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover(营业额)．
These efforts paid off，and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fastfood chains in the regions where it operated.Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?
| A．The number of its customers was declining. |
| B．Its customers found the food unhealthy. |
| C．It was in need of financial support. |
| D．Most of its restaurants were closed. |
What does the underlined word“them”in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Customers of Sparrow restaurants. |
| B．Sparrow restaurants. |
| C．Customers of other fastfood chains. |
| D．Other fastfood chains. |
For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?
| A．To build a good relationship with the public. |
| B．To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow. |
| C．To learn about customers’spending power. |
| D．To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants. |
The TV ads of Sparrow ________.
| A．changed people’s views on pop stars |
| B．amused the public with original songs |
| C．focused on the superiority of its products |
| D．influenced the eating habits of the audience |
What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?
| A．He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts. |
| B．He made Sparrow much more competitive. |
| C．He helped Sparrow take over a company. |
| D．He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees. |
If there is something that appears most frequently on Chinese dining tables, it is doufu—beancurd. Beancurd looks like soft cakes and it’s made from dried soybeans. Beancurd used to be considered a favou
rite of the poor because of its low cost. Beans have high yields (产量) every year with their short growing period and suitability for various soil both dry and wet.
Historical records show beancurd was invented by Liu An, Prince of Huainan and uncle of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty（206BC—220AD）. He had a dream of finding the pill for longevity (长寿). He traveled all over the country and found soybeans, which looked much the same as gold in terms of colour. He collected soybeans, put them in the water and crushed them into pulp (浆). It got solidified (凝固) and became known as doufu. Although it’s not able to keep longevity, it’s really good for one’s health with high protein and low fat.
With a long history, beancurd is rooted deep in Chinese culture. People eat more meat and fish than beancurd. But they are encouraged
to have beancurd every once in a while for it’s really good for health. Most Chinese people still keep beancurd as one of their favourite dishes. Why was beancurd considered to be liked by the poor?
| A．It’s cheap. | B．It’s easy to cook. |
| C．It’s easy to make. | D．It’s good for health. |
Where can beans grow well?
| A．Only in wet soil. | B．In dry soil. |
| C．In soft soil. | D．In any soil. |
Why did Liu An travel all over the country?
| A．He had a dream. |
| B．He wanted to find something that could make people live longer. |
| C．He wanted to invent beancurd. |
| D．He wanted to find gold. |
Last year I had a wonderful experience. I went on a student exchange to Japan. It was an exciting time of my life and I learned many things about the school system in Japan. I was in Grade 11, which is second year of high school in Japan, but I was younger than most of my classmates. That’s because Japanese children enter first year of elementary school (小学) in April following their sixth b
irthday. I started school when I was still five years old.
In Japan, Children attend elementary school for six years, where they study Japanese, arithmetic, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, and home economics (simple cooking and sewing skills). During their three years in middle school, English is
added to this list. Most schools have access to computers and the Internet.
After the terrible car accident, the whole world had been completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years, for he became both blind and deaf after the doctor had saved him. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such a sorrow that he tried
a few times to put an end to his life. His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on.
On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was st
ruck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn’t dare to believe that he saw a plough (梨子) lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert’s regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, 
How did Edwards get his sight and hearing once more according to the doctor?
| A．He regained them from head injury when he fell from a tree. |
B．His wife’s first visit after almost ten years made him so ha ppy that he regained them. |
| C．The lightning took the feeling from his legs and gave the senses of sight and hearing to his head. |
| D．The blow that caused him blind and deaf was very severe, so it took another severe blow to regain them. |
Thanks to the huge success of Harry Potter, many teen
agers dream about living in an ancient castle. These dreams may include beautiful silk dresses, delicious food, servants and of course, magic. However, real life in an English castle was not easy. With thick stonewalls and high towers, castles were built for defence(防御). So they were not good places to live in. In medieval times, castles must have been noisy and smelly places. Horses, cattle, chickens and sheep walked free, blacksmiths did ironwork, soldiers practised sword (剑) fights, and children of all ages played around them. Castles did not have central heating; the only heat came from the fireplace. Even in summer the castle was cool. People living 
in the castles had to use blankets to keep warm while at work.
Life during the Middle Ages began at sunrise. Servants lit the fire, swept the floor and cooked the morning meal. The mid-morning meal was the main meal of the day and often included three or four courses (一道菜). After dinner, everyone continued his or her work. The owner of the castle, the lord, sometimes took his guests hunting or shooting. His wife, the lady, spent much of the day watching the maids (女仆) work, as well as people working in the kitchen. She also kept an eye on the weavers and embroiderers who made clothes for the family. Supper was simple and eaten late, just before bedtime.
You may find some old magic books in a castle as Harry Potter once did. Read them before you go to bed, because when you fall asleep the magic of castle life may appear before your eyes. For what purpose were the castles built in England?
| A．To defend the city or country against enemies. |
| B．To provide a working place for blacksmiths. |
| C．To raise poultry (家禽) and livestock (家畜). |
| D．To provide a place for teenagers to learn magic. |
Why were the ancient castles noisy?
| A．Because soldiers practiced sword fights there. |
| B．Because blacksmiths did ironwork there. |
| C．Because children of all ages played around them. |
| D．All of the above. |
Which of the following about family life in castles is true according to the passage?
| A．The servants in castles lived an easy life. |
| B．The wife spent much of the day at home. |
| C．Supper was eaten before sunset. |
| D．Dinner was eaten in the middle of the day. |
The main idea of this passage is ______.
| A．castles were not good places to live in |
| B．castles in novels are different from those in history |
| C．Harry Potter's story in a castle affected people |
| D．what real life was like in an ancient castle |
A man in a very splendid restaurant started to take off his jacket. Seeing this, the head waiter dashed to his table and said, “I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your jacket on, sir, for it is not good manners to do it in such a smart restaurant.”
“Now listen”, said the man, “I’ll let you know that the Queen of England gave me permission to remove my jacket here.”
“The Queen of England?” said the waiter in great surprise.
“Sure,” replied the man, “When I was in England last month, a friend of mine who had a very important position in high society took me to see the Queen. It was rather hot, so I started taking my coat off. The Queen looked over and said, “You may do that in the United States, but you may not do it here.” So I got the Queen’s permission, right?”
D. the English and the Americans enjoyed different ways of life From the story, you can see the man was _______.
| A．humorous and careless |
| B．such a man as used to make trouble |
| C．always ready to do what the Queen told him to |
| D．one who didn’t have good understanding |