Like many lovers of books, Mary and her husband, Richard Goldman, seldom walked past a bookstore without stopping to look inside. They often talked of opening their own store one day.
When Mary was hospitalized with heart trouble in 1989, they decided it was time to get serious. Richard, who worked for a business company, was eager to work for himself, and Mary needed to slow down from her demanding job.
They started by talking to bookstore owners and researching the industry. “We knew it had to be a specialty store because we couldn’t match the big chains dollar for dollar,” says Mary. One figure caught her attention: She’d read somewhere that roughly 20 percent of books sold were mysteries (推理小说), and many buyers spent more $300 a year on books. She and Richard were themselves mystery readers.
On Halloween 1992, they opened the Mystery Lovers Bookshop and Café near their home. With three children in college, the couple could not spend all the family’s money to start a shop. To cover the $100,000 cost, they drew some of their savings, borrowed from relatives and from an bank.
The store merely broke even in its first year, with only $120,000 in sales. But Mary was always coming up with new ways to attract customers. The shop had a coffee bar and it offered gifts to mystery lovers and served dinners for book clubs that met in the store. She also invited dozens of writers to discuss their stories.
Today Mystery Lovers makes sales of about $420,000 a year. After paying taxes, business costs and the six part-time sales clerks, Richard and Mary together earn about $34,000.
“The job you love may not go hand in hand with a million-dollar income,” says Richard. “This has always been about an enjoyable life for ourselves, not about making a lot of money.”When Mary was in hospital, the couple realized that ____.
| A．they had to put their plan into practice |
| B．health was more important than wealth |
| C．heart trouble was a serious illness |
| D．they both needed to stop working |
After Mary got well from her illness they began _____.
| A．to study industrial management |
| B．to buy and read more mystery books |
| C．to do market research on book business |
| D．to work harder to save money for the bookstore |
How did their bookstore do in the first year?
| A．They had to borrow money to keep it going. |
| B．They made just enough to cover all the costs. |
| C．They succeeded in earning a lot of money. |
| D．They failed though they worked hard. |
According to Richard, the main purpose of running the bookstore is _____.
| A．to pay for their children’s education |
| B．to get to know more writers |
| C．to set up more bookstores |
| D．to do what they like to do |
The ad most probably comes from the “_______”part of the newspaper.
| A．Education | B．Farming | C．Travel | D．History |
Which of the following ways can offer you enough information about the celebration in Plano?
| A．Calling 214-599-7733. |
| B．Visiting5445 Independence Pkwy. |
| C．Visiting 5445 Beltline Rd. |
| D．Calling 214-599-7783. |
The purpose of the ad is to _____
| A．tell readers what Walt Disney is |
| B．encourage readers to attend a Disney celebration |
| C．look for helpers for the celebration |
| D．announce a plan of a Disney celebration |
According to the ad, AAA Travel is_____________.
| A．the name of an agent |
| B．a way of traveling |
| C．a way of celebration |
| D．a kind of activity held by Disney |
The story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" was created by Dr. Spencer. Johnson to help him deal with a difficult change in his life. It showed him how to take his changing situation seriously but not take himself so seriously.
When his friends noticed how much better life had become for him, and asked why, Dr. Johnson shared his "Cheese" story. Many later said how greatly the story had helped them to keep their sense of humor, to change, and to gain something better, too.
Twenty years after the story was created, "Who Moved My Cheese?" was finally published. It soon became a No.1 international best seller, with one million hardcover copies in print within the first sixteen months and over ten million copies within the next two years.
Some critics (批评家) do not understand why so many people find the book so valuable. They say the story is simple enough for a child to understand, and it insults (侮辱) their intelligence. Some even fear it suggests that people should mindlessly accept unnecessary changes forced upon them by others, although that is not in the story.
The author said that both the fans and the critics are "right" in their own way. It is not what is in the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" but how you understand it and apply it to your own situation that gives it value.
Hopefully the way you understand the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" and the way you put it into action in your life will help you find and enjoy the "New Cheese" you deserve (应得).
60. Why did the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" become a best seller as soon as it was published?
A. Because it is simple and easy to read.
B. Because readers can learn a lot from it.
C. Because the writer is quite famous.
D. Because it has many interesting stories~ Some people don't like the book because they think that__________.
| A．it is too simple for adults to read |
| B．the author aims to insult them |
| C．there are many wrong ideas in it |
| D．the author's intelligence is too high |
Which of the following is NOT true about the book?
| A．The author's friends were interested to know why life became better, for Spencer. |
| B．The author agreed with both the fans and the critics of his book. |
| C．Some people worry the book may have a bad effect on readers. |
| D．The "New Cheese" in the last paragraph refers to a kind of freshly-made milk food. |
The writer's purpose in writing the passage is to_______.
| A．help Dr. Johnson sell more of his book |
| B．introduce the meaning of the book |
| C．help readers understand the book and get something from it |
| D．introduce people's different opinions on the book |
On September 22, 2007, 108 Chinese cities took part in Car-Free Day, a global event held every year, for the first time.
China became the world’s second-largest auto market and third-largest car-maker in 2006. It has also become the second-largest greenhouse gas producer in the world, and is rapidly catching up with the United States. In this sense, China’s participation will greatly promote the Car-Free Day movement.
The number of cars on the road is going up rapidly in China. In Beijing, about 1,000 new cars are added to the streets on an average day.
Cars certainly offer people plenty of freedom to move around. But in many Chinese cities, appearance of too many cars has turned into a major problem. Getting stuck in traffic jams is an everyday experience for drivers.
Even worse is the environmental impact（影响）caused by cars. According to a national report, on a “smog day”, 79 percent of the air pollution is caused by cars.
The growing number of traffic accidents is another problem. Over 100,000 people die from traffic accidents every year in China, which is by far the highest number of road deaths in the world.
108 cities’ participation in Car-Free Day shows growing public concern about the traffic and environmental problems caused by cars.
On this day, all cars were banned from running in selected areas of the participating cities. People were encouraged to walk, cycle and use public transport. According to experts, the carbon monoxide in the atmosphere produced by cars was reduced by 3,000 tons on Car-Free Day.
With cleaner air and smoother traffic flow on the day, more cities will hopefully want to join the event next year. And more people might share the hope that Car-Free Day is not just on September 22, but a possibility 365 days of the year.From the passage, we can know that China ______.
| A．has the world’s highest number of road deaths |
| B．has the world’s largest auto market |
| C．is the world’s largest greenhouse gas producer |
| D．is the world’s second-largest car-maker |
Which of the following is discussed in the passage?
| A．The causes of car growth in China. |
| B．The effects of car growth in China. |
| C．The history of World Car-Free Day. |
| D．The popularity of World Car-Free Day. |
On Car-Free Day in 2007, 108 cities in China ______.
| A．didn’t allow people to drive |
| B．didn’t have air pollution |
| C．called on people to drive less |
| D．called on people to drive freely |
Car-Free Day in China will ______.
| A．be held all the year round |
| B．stop air pollution and traffic jams |
| C．attract more people to join in |
| D．reduce the production of cars |
President Barack Obama had a big pat on the back for his young daughters on Tuesday, saying they have got used to life in t
he White House.
After more than a year at the US presidential mansion, Malia Obama, 11, and Sasha Obama, 8, have made their dad proud with their ability to balance their private life with life in the public eye, he told NBC television.
"The happiest thing about the past year and a half has been the girls' adjustment (适应). They have just been great. They're doing well in school," Obama said.
"They're not as constrained. They can wander around. Their Secret Service protection is a lot more low key (低调)," he explained. "So they've got soccer, they've got basketball, they go sleep over at their friend's houses.
"Sometimes I've got 12 little girls screaming on the third floor of the White House. And they made a great adjustment."
The president also admitted he was concerned about how his daughters would deal with his public life as they get a bit older.
"Now I get a little worried about them when they're teenagers because I think that's the time when you're already feeling uncomfortable about your parents, and then imagine if your dad's in the newspaper every day and people are calling him a fool. I feel a little worried about that."
"But on the other hand, Malia and Sasha have just turned out to be unbelievably well adjusted kids," Obama said.
"The thing that's most important to me is that they are so respectful of everybody and haven't gotten on any airs (摆架子). It’s all because of Michelle as she wouldn't put up with (容忍) any of that stuff."Why is President Obama so happy according to the passage?
| A．His daughters have been great in the public eye. |
| B．His daughters can balance their life with their study. |
| C．His daughters have got used to life in the White House. |
| D．His daughters have been in the White House for over a year. |
The underlined word “constrained” in Paragraph 4 most probably means__________.
|
President Obama is a little worried about ___________.
| A．what his daughters’ life will be like in the future |
| B．how his daughters will get on with him when they’re a little older |
| C．how his daughters will make friends with people around in the future |
| D．how his daughters will deal with his public life when they’re teenagers |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Michelle is proud of being Obama’s wife.
B. Michelle allows her daughters to get on airs.
C. President Obama appreciates what Michelle has done.
D. Obama’s daughters are respected by everyone in the USA.
It’s Friday morning in the year 2030, and you’re running late. You got carried away watching the music video that was playing in the corner of your bathroom mirror while you were brushing your teeth. How will you get to your office at Mega Giga Industries on time?
A quick check of your Internet–connected refrigerator tells you your train is a bit behind schedule, too. So you decide to drive your environmentally–friendly fuel cell car in
stead—or rather, let your car drive you. It’s programmed to know the way and it will get you there without speeding, getting lost, or crashing.
Settling into your office chair, which changes color to match what you’re wearing, you pick up yesterday morning’s newspaper. Printed on reusable electronic paper, it immediately rewrites itself with today’s headlines. Now it’s time for your big meeting. Uh-oh! You’ve left your handwritten notes at home. No problem. The digital ink pen you used has stored an electronic copy of what you wrote.
Your wristwatch videophone (可视电话) suddenly rings. Your best friend’s face pops up on the screen (屏幕) asking what you’r
e doing this weekend. Will you play virtual soccer with the U.S. Olympic team? No, no. Your friend says, so you have to take the new elevator (made of microscopic fibers many times stronger than steel) 60000 miles into space.
Could this scene really take place in just twenty years? The researchers who are now developing all this stuff think so. These gadgets (小器械) may be as common in 20 years as cell phones and DVD players are today. What is the BEST TITLE for the passage?
|
Your future car has all of the following features (特点) EXCEPT ．
|
How many high-tech products are mentioned in Paragraph 3?
|
We can learn from the passage that in twenty years ．
| A．going to space may be common |
| B．DVD players will be much more popular |
| C．playing virtual soccer with Olympic teams won’t be attractive |
| D．wristwatch videophones will completely take the place of cell phones |