Sparrow is a fast-food 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 fast-food 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 fast-food 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 speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food 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 intension 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 fast-food 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 fast-food chains |
| D．other fast-food 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. |
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. |
Questionnaire(调查表，问卷)
Read the questions and answer YES or NO, then you will find out how good you are.
1. When you don 't understand something, you ask questions.□
2. You like listening to older people talk about the past.□
3. You think that you can learn something interesting from everyone around you. □
4. You are brave enough when you have to talk to people you don't know.□
5. You enjoy reading books about famous people.□
6. You always see and talk to different people.□
7. You are interested in learning new ways of doing things.□
8. You enjoy sharing experiences with friends and learning from people of all ages. □
9.You talk a lot about yourself.□
10. Even if you are often wrong, you make your own decisions.□
11.You hate teaching what you are good at: sports, technology, whatever.□
12.Your parents don't understand you, so you don't talk to them much.□
SCORE(打分数) NOW!
Score 2 points if you answer YES to each of the first 8 questions, and 0 if you choose NO.
Score 2 points if you answer NO to each of the last 4 questions, and 0 if you choose YES.
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18—24 You are friendly and open-minded. You make people feel important by listening to what they have to say. You'll probably succeed in learning al1 kinds of interesting things. Good for you!
10--16 Remember that every single person you know can teach you something. You will greatly make your life rich and colorful.
0- 8 About 400 years ago, a famous writer wrote, "No man is an island. "This is still useful today. Try to be more open and interested in people around you.If you say "YES" to all these questions , you'll get ____ points.
| A．12 | B．16 | C．20 | D．24 |
When you score 22 points, you are _____.
| A．shy and nervous | B．silent and serious |
| C．open and friendly | D．brave and strong |
"No man is an island." in the text probably means that _____.
| A．the famous writer was very clever |
| B．everything is the same as 400 years ago |
| C．you will feel happy if on an island |
| D．you can not live alone in the world |
Thanksgiving(感恩节) Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun task——to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class would celebrate the holiday with turkey(火鸡) and other traditional goodies(好吃的东西) of season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of her students’ art. And they were. But Douglas made a different kind of picture. He drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand. Douglas was a different kind of boy. Most of the time, as other children played together, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. Everyone could guess the pain he felt from his eyes.
His picture interested other students. Whose hands could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for Gold feeds us.
The teacher stopped at Douglas desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and said, “ It’s yours, teacher.”
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here and there. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we’ ll go outside.” or, “ Let me show you how to hold your pencil.” Douglas was thankful for his teacher’s hand. It means much to Douglas. He might not always say thanks, but he’ll remember the hand that reaches out. She wiped her tears away and went on with her work.What did most students think of when given the task?
| A．Hand | B．Turkey | C．God | D．Farmer |
Douglas drew an empty hand in order to_____.
| A．show thanks to his teacher | B．ask for a turkey |
| C．attract other students’ attention | D．make the teacher cry |
How did the teacher feel when Douglas told her the answer?
| A．Sad | B．Happy | C．Moved | D．Interested. |
The underlined word “recall” in paragraph 5 means_____.
| A．pass | B．spend | C．waste | D．remember |
Macao(澳门) is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it had a long history. Macao is part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal(葡萄牙). More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts(堡垒,炮台) to guard the city and the harbor. They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to gamble(赌博) with their money. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins. The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. when you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby there are some islands, which are also nice and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to do in Macao. Macao is easy to get to because_________.
| A．most people there are Chinese |
| B．it is not far away from Hong Kong |
| C．it is very fast and cheap by sea |
| D．it is an interesting place |
You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because_________.
| A．most of the buildings are now in ruins |
| B．you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing |
| C．you can go about to see the old buildings and forts |
| D．it is a peaceful place |
Where will you have a break when you feel tired?
| A．In good restaurants. | B．In small cool gardens. |
| C．On some islands. | D．In beautiful parks. |
The writer’s idea seems to be that_________.
| A．people from many countries came to live and work in Macao |
| B．Portuguese were willing to do business in China |
| C．people in Macao serve good food |
| D．Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do |
Because earthquakes happen without warning, it’s important to take measures now to prepare. Because you don’t know where you will be when an earthquake happens, prepare some supplies for your home, workplace, and car.
1. Water
A person needs at least 1/2 gallon(加仑) of water daily just for drinking. Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day and be prepared for a 72-hour period. It is suggested that you buy bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Also, do check the “use by” date.
2. Food
It’s always a practical idea to keep a supply of non-perishable(不易腐烂的) food on hand. Have an enough supply of canned food, powdered milk, dried fruits, non-salted nuts and canned juices for at least 72 hours.
3. Torch(手电筒) and spare batteries (电池)
Keep a torch beside your bed, at your place of work, and in your car. Do not use matches or candles after an earthquake until you are sure that no gas leaks(泄露).Prepare a battery-powered radio and spare batteries. Most telephones will be out of order, so radios will be your best source of information.
4. Clothes
If you live in a cold place, you must think about warmth. You might not have heat after an earthquake. Think about your clothing and bedding supplies.Why should people prepare themselves for an earthquake?
| A．Because earthquakes can be known before they happen. |
| B．Because earthquakes take place without warning. |
| C．Because earthquakes usually take place in the neighborhood. |
| D．Because it’s people’s daily work to prepare the earthquakes. |
You should prepare all of the following except ______.
| A．powdered milk | B．fresh vegetables | C．dried fruits | D．canned juices |
According to the article we know that ______.
| A．we need to prepare some supplies only at home |
| B．a telephone is the most important prepared thing |
| C．after earthquakes you’d better use torch first but not matches |
| D．clothes are used to protect your head |
If you live in a cold place, you should prepare _______.
| A．some warm clothes and bedding supplies | B．some hot water |
| C．some batteries | D．some torches |
How to eat healthfully can be especially complex for working women who often have neither the desire nor the time to cook for themselves (or for anyone else )．Registered dietitian Barbara Morrissey suggests that a few simple rules can help.
“Go for nutrient－dense foods，”she suggests，“foods that contain a multiple of nutrients. For example，select whole wheat bread as a breakfast food，rather than coffee cake. Or drink orange juice rather than orange drink，which contains only a small percentage of real juice—the rest is largely colored sugar water. You just can't compare the value of these foods, the nutrient－dense ones are so superior，”she emphasizes.
Morrissey believes that variety is not only the spice of life，it's the foundation of a healthful diet. Diets which are based on one or two foods are not only almost impossible to keep up the strength，they can be very harmful, she says, because nutrients aren't supplied in enough amounts or balance.
According to Morrissey，trying to find a diet that can cure your illnesses，or make you superwoman is a fruitless search.“ As women，many of us are too concerned with staying thin，”she says，and “we believe that vitamins are some kind of magic cure to replace food.”
“We need carbohydrates，protein and fat－they are like the wood in the fireplace. The vitamins and minerals are like the match，the spark，for the fuel，”she explains.“ We need them all，but in a very different proportions（部分）. And if the fuel isn't there，the spark is useless.”From the first paragraph we know that working women________.
| A．think cooking is especially complicated |
| B．do not share the same views with registered dietitians |
| C．are busy and not interested in cooking |
| D．are likely to eat healthfully |
Orange juice is different from orange drink because________.
| A．it contains only a small percentage of real juice |
| B．it is natural，nutritious and prepared from real oranges |
| C．it is largely orange－colored sugar water |
| D．it produces nothing but calories |
In Paragraph 4，“a fruitless search” means “____”．
| A．an effort with no results |
| B．a search for a diet without fruits |
| C．a research on fruitless diet |
| D．a diet serving as medicine |
Many women take it for granted，according to the passage that________.
| A．a balanced diet can result in being fat |
| B．staying thin and healthy are both possible |
| C．lack of variety in diets leads to staying thin |
| D．vitamins are some kind of substitutions（代替物）for food |
By saying “if the fuel isn't there，the spark is useless”，the author means “________”．
| A．carbohydrates，protein and fat are enough to support a human life |
| B．vitamins and minerals are almost of no value |
| C．carbohydrates，protein and fat are as important as vitamins and minerals |
| D．without carbohydrates，protein and fat，vitamins and minerals are of no use |