Selena Gomez and I are scheduled to meet at a low-key coffee shop in Encino. Not wanting to keep the superstar waiting, I arrived at nine, 20 minutes early. As I was catching up on e-mails, Selena quietly scooted into the seat next to me. No bodyguard. Not even a drop of makeup. She was ten minutes early and so inconspicuous that no one else in the restaurant looked up so much. Selena was wearing Bebe shorts. She had a baby face and ordered a hot chocolate.
After making small talk about what she wore for the shoot, she dived into the subject of her career. Selena declared 2012 the year of movies. She filmed three: Spring Breakers, a drama; The Getaway, an action flick; and Hotel Transylvania, a comedy. Each is a marked move away from the teen style that made her a household name.
Now that her Disney days are behind her, Selena is at that unstable point in a child star’s career where she is trying to grow up---both as a person(she turned 20 in July)and as an artist. “Being part of the Disney Channel was such a blessing, and I’m super happy with what my show accomplished, but acting is something I would like to take on more seriously.” She continued, “I don’t necessarily feel accomplished. I want to creat a whole different persona when it comes to acting.”
Selena has been working fulltime since she was seven years old and scored a role on Barney&Friends. In 2007, when she was offered the lead in Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena, her mother, and her stepfather uprooted from Grand Prairie, Texas, to LA, where they are settling now.When was it that Selena arrived at the low-key coffee shop?
| A．At ten. |
| B．At ten to nine. |
| C．At ten past nine. |
| D．At thirty past nine. |
Which of the following statements is ture according to the second paragraph?
| A．Selena went into her film career as soon as we met in the coffee shop. |
| B．Three famous films filmed in 2012 have shown her teen style. |
| C．The film Hotel Transylvania is an action flick filmed in 2012 |
| D．Each of the three films marks Selena’s move away from her teen style. |
How did Selena think of Disney days which were behind her?
| A．She thought of playing in Disney a blessing. |
| B．She didn’t feel very satisfied with her show in Disney. |
| C．She found her not accomplished in her performance in Disney. |
| D．She believed her being part in Disney Channel a blessing. |
The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means “ _______”.
| A．moved | B．picked | C．changed | D．informed |
People have been painting pictures for at least 30,000 years. The earliest pictures were painted by people who hunted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows why they were painted there. Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals. Or perhaps human beings have always wanted to tell stories in pictures.
About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.
The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture-writing and pictures together. When an important person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.
By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.
These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting. Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because ______.
| A．the hunters wanted to see the pictures |
| B．the painters were animal lovers |
| C．the painters wanted to show imagination |
| D．the pictures were thought to be helpful |
The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that _______.
| A．the former was easy to write |
| B．there were fewer signs in the former |
| C．the former was easy to pronounce |
| D．each sign stood for only one sound |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet. |
| B．The Egyptians liked to write comic-strip stories. |
| C．The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one. |
| D．The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians. |
In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ___________.
| A．should be made comprehensible |
| B．should be made interesting |
| C．are of much use in our life |
| D．have disappeared from our life |
To understand the marketing concept, it is only necessary to understand the difference between marketing and selling. Not too many years ago, most industries concentrated primarily on the efficient production of goods, and then relied on "persuasive salesmanship" to move as much of these goods as possible. Such production and selling focuses on the needs of the seller to produce goods and then convert them into money.
Marketing, on the other hand, focuses on the wants of consumers. It begins with first analyzing the preferences and demands of consumers and then producing goods that will satisfy them. This eye - on - the - consumer approach is known as the marketing concept, which simply means that instead of trying to sell whatever is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first endeavor to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go about making it available for purchase.
This concept does not imply that business is benevolent(慈善的) or that consumer satisfaction is given priority over profit in a company. There are always two sides to every business transaction -- the firm and the customer -- and each must be satisfied before trade occurs. Successful merchants and producers, however, recognize that the surest route to profit is through understanding and meeting to customers. A striking example of the importance of meeting to the consumer presented itself in mid - 1985, when Coca Cola changed the flavor of its drink. The non - acceptance of the new flavor by a significant part of the public brought about a prompt(果断的) restoration(恢复) of the Classic Coke, which was then marketed alongside new. King Customer ruled! The marketing concept discussed in the passage is, in fact, __________.
| A．the practice of turning goods into money |
| B．making goods available for purchase |
| C．the customer- centered approach |
| D．a form of persuasive salesmanship |
What was the main concern of industrialists before the marketing concept was widely accepted?
| A．The needs of the market. |
| B．The efficiency of production. |
| C．The satisfaction of the user. |
| D．The preferences of the dealer. |
According to the passage, the underlined part "to move as much of these goods as possible" ( Para. 1 ) means _________.
| A．to sell the largest possible amount of goods |
| B．to transport goods as efficiently as possible |
| C．to dispose of these goods in large quantities |
| D．to redesign these goods for large - scale production |
What does the restoration of the Classic Coke best illustrate?
| A．Traditional goods have a stronger appeal to the majority of people. |
| B．It takes time for a new product to be accepted by the public. |
| C．Consumers with conservative tastes are often difficult to please. |
| D．Products must be designed to suit the taste of the consumer. |
A survey by an international temporary service agency found that U. S. managers believe that people with a sense of humour do better at their jobs, compared with those who have little or no sense of humour. In fact, about 96 percent of those surveyed said people with a sense of humour do better.
The survey went on to point out that the results suggest that a sense of humour may help light-hearted employees keep their jobs during tough times. And, what's more, it may push them up the corporate ladder past their humourless colleagues. Why? It seems that those with a sense of humour are better communicators and better team players.
Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive. In fact, a researcher at California State University found that humour could help the employees to release tension.
Research done by psychologist Dr. Ashton Trice at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia showed that humour helps us think. When people feel stuck on important projects, they tend to feel angry or depressed. According to Dr. Trice's research, taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to return to a task or move on to another project unaffected by past defeat.
If humour is really this important, then why don't we use it more often on the job? Most likely, the main reason is that many people are unaware of the positive effects of humour in the workplace. However, it is important to realize that some humour is not suitable for the workplace, and that it is often used at wrong times. Most people think a sense of humour can ________.
| A．help you to do your work better |
| B．make you have a rich life |
| C．make you pleased with your work |
| D．help you to make more friends |
Many people don't use humour more in the workplace because __________.
| A．they like keeping silent when working |
| B．they don't know the positive effects of humour |
| C．they think they should obey the rules |
| D．they don't like joking or laughing |
A person without a sense of humour is easier __________.
| A．to feel surprised |
| B．to get along with |
| C．to be worried |
| D．to be successful |
What is probably the best title for the article?
| A．People with a Sense of Humour. |
| B．Humour Is Important in the Workplace. |
| C．Humour and Humourless. |
| D．Everyone Likes Humour. |
A couple had two little boys aged 8 and 10 who were very naughty. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any trouble occurred in their town their sons were probably involved.
The boys' mother heard that a clergyman(牧师) in the town had been successful in educating children so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old boy first in the morning with the elder boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.
The clergyman, a huge man with a booming (嗡嗡) voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him strictly, "Where is God?"
The boy's mouth dropped open but he made no answer, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed. So the clergyman repeated the question in an even stricter tone "Where is God?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and shouted" Where is God?"
The boy screamed and escaped from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his elder brother found him in the closet, he asked "What happened?"
The younger brother replied out of breath, "We are in big trouble this time. God is missing, and they think we did it. " What were the two boys like?
| A．They always made trouble. |
| B．They were brave. |
| C．They were easygoing. |
| D．They were honest. |
What did their parents plan to do?
| A．They gave up their children. |
| B．They liked their children very much. |
| C．They wanted the clergyman to persuade their children. |
| D．They helped their children to make trouble. |
What do you suppose the boy felt when he was asked by the clergyman?
| A．Happy. | B．Sad. |
| C．Afraid. | D．Surprised. |
What do you think the underlined word "slamming" in Paragraph 5 means?
| A．Open. | B．Shut. |
| C．Knock. | D．Pull. |
Mylonoa Island in autumn and winter is peaceful and beautiful. It is perfect for a relaxing stay or a brief visit. One can see and enjoy the blue skies, the wide beaches, and also have wonderful walks in the hills, perhaps not every day, but usually until the beginning of January. Visitors and winter tourists often come to Mykonos to discover the traditional Greek island. They can escape busy Athens after business, or calm down after a long European tour before traveling on further to Egypt, Israel, or Asia.
Apart from the more usual tourists, you will find various hikers, walkers, readers, writers, bikers, and so on in this island. You can also visit the beautiful Delos, hike through mountains walk on beaches, explore another side of the island life with some monasteries(修道院), horse ride, or take part in local gatherings and meet some friendly Mykonians,
Mykonos’ climate is Mediterranean and mild. Autumn is always blue skied and sunny, where the temperature only drops very gradually. The nice days for beach going and swimming last until early January. The real winter months are also mild. Even in January, the temperature never drops very to be on. The island has a great percentage of humidity because of the south-easterly winds and rainfall between mid-January and each- March; there is also a possibility of storms and colder northerly winds at this period. Snow is rare, perhaps one every ten years. The clear blue sky still exists for most of the winter.Mykonos island lies in _______.
| A．Egypt | B．Israel | C．Greek | D．India |
What’s the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To sum up some situations of many islands. |
| B．To introduce a beautiful island to people. |
| C．To compare their climate. |
| D．To describe the people visiting the island. |
Which of the following is NOT wrong?
| A．Every year, a great number of people go to Mykonos island to tour, hike, walk, read, write and bike. |
| B．It often snows in Mykonos island. |
| C．Mykonos’ climate is very awful. |
| D．From time to time, you can see the blue sky in Mykonos island. |
What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “humidity”?
| A．温度 | B．湿度 | C．紫外线 | D．大气压 |
We can infer from the passage ______.
| A．Mykonos island is a well-known tour resort |
| B．Mykonos island is a very big island in Europe |
| C．there are many rare animals in Mykonos island |
| D．winter is the best season to travel to Mykonos island. |