The Internet has revolutionized our lives to such an extent that for most people, the global network has become more than just a tool but rather an indispensable aid in everyday life. More and more people go online as wireless networks have brought the Internet closer and closer: it's on our mobile phones, in our cars and TV sets, in hospital surgery rooms and in fishing boats that battle the waves of the Atlantic.
And this revolution has brought along with it a new way of shopping. Both big and small, e-commerce websites have literally flooded the Internet by the hundreds of thousands. Anything you can buy from a brick and mortar store(实体店) you can also buy online: from food and clothes to guns and bombs, no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find the right online store with just a few clicks of the mouse.
This revolution has sent cold trembles down the backbones of brick and mortar business owners. And what was their reaction? They've opened online stores to go hand in hand with their conventional businesses. Nowadays, every "Mom and Pop's" cheesecake store also has a website. In a recent survey, 68% of small business owners have stated that they are scared of being put out of business by the powerful flood that e-commerce has become. So it's no wonder many of them have decided to join the revolution and establish some kind of an online presence even though most of them have stated that they dislike the Internet.
But do the big players have reasons to be afraid? Are we going to start seeing ghostly, deserted Wal-Marts across the country? Probably not in the near future but the day will come when most people will just stop shopping offline anymore. A trip to Wal-Marts wastes time, burns gas and sometimes adds a few extra dots on the stress counter.
The recent advancements in mobile technology and the introduction of mobile phones with improved web capabilities has even made some people order their groceries when they get out from work and have them delivered at their doorstep by the time they get home. And as "Time is money", this practice is lifesaving for people who work two jobs.
Technology will continue to advance and e-commerce will follow closely in its footsteps. Everything will become easier and less time consuming, leaving us more time to enjoy the things that really matter in life: the ones we love, our friends and hobbies.What is Para. 1 mainly about?
| A．The popularity of mobile phones. |
| B．The great impact of the Internet. |
| C．The importance of the Internet. |
| D．The function of the global network. |
In response to the threat of online business, the brick-and-mortar store owners .
| A．have stopped their traditional businesses |
| B．have stated their dislike of the Internet |
| C．have established their own website |
| D．have opened their online stores |
According to Para 5, the greatest benefit of online shopping is .
| A．to save time | B．to follow the fashion |
| C．to release pressure | D．to protect environment |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A New Way of Shopping. |
| B．The Internet Revolution. |
| C．What is the Reaction to Online Shopping? |
| D．Is Online Shopping the Future of E-commerce? |
“You don’t say!”
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized(强调) the importance(重要性) again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience(经历).
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished (or greatly surprised). Gently (轻轻) shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders(耸肩), he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic(适当的话题). “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent (or great and beautiful).” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it” Soon I was interrupted (or stopped suddenly) again by his words：“You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t request (or ask in a polite way) you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really?’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.
Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because _______ .
| A．English idioms were not important |
| B．I was not careful with English idioms |
| C．My teacher didn’t emphasize the importance of them |
| D．I had no interest in them |
At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant ___ .
| A．he was not interested in the topic |
| B．he was only interested in the Great Wall |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking |
The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means ____ .
| A．interesting | B．important | C．terrible | D．unlucky |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall. |
| B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
| C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
| D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting. |
After the Englishman explained the idiom, __________ .
| A．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool |
| B．the Englishman became a real fool |
| C．I felt very silly |
| D．I became more careful in everything |
My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six
falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. "Please God, I can't do any thing more for nay son. I'm at the end of nay rope. I'm giving the whole thing up to you."
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences." Before he could say another word,I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. "I love my son but I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It's out of nay hands. "For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, "Thank you for your time", and hung up.
Karl's next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he
said, "Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?" I nodded. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That's when I knew I had to make you proud. 'There was silence on the other end of the line because
| A．the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
| B．the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
| C．the speaker didn't want the mother to recognize his voice |
| D．the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
The sentence "... he even made the honor roll" means that “ _______”.
| A．he was even on the list to be praised at the parent- teacher meeting |
| B．he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades |
| C．he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around |
| D．he was even on the list of the best students at school |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Children in single-parent families often have mental problems. |
| B．School education doesn't work without full support from parents. |
| C．Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers. |
| D．Mother's love plays an important role in teenagers' life. |
Say you are a 17th century construction worker who's worked long and hard to build a splendid tower for the dead wife of your emperor.
Now say that the emperor orders your fingertips cut off so you can never build another one. Yes, that is the Taj Mahal,one of the most famous buildings in the world. And the tale behind the construction is just as impressive as the building itself.
First, there's the emperor of northern India, Shah Jehan,also called the King of the World. In 1612,Shah Jehan married Mumtaz Mahal. Madly in love, they had 14 children over the next 20 years. But then sadness came. As Mumtaz was about to give birth to child'number 14, she said she had heard her unborn baby cry out. It was a sign of death. And as Mumtaz lay dying, she asked Jehan to build a lasting memorial to celebrate their love.
When the heartbroken Jehan appeared eight days after his wife's death, his people were shocked to see that his coal-black hair had turned snow-white.
Putting away his sadness, Jehan ordered his wife's dying wish carried out. More than 20,000 workers labored nearly 22 years to complete the construction. In 1653,Jehan placed Mumtaz's remains in the center under the building.
And then, son number five, Aurangzeb, murdered his brothers and took over the power from his aging father. Hehan lived the rest of his days-eight years, to be exact-imprisoned not far from the Taj Mahal. Jehan was only allowed to climb onto the top of his prison to see the timeless
treasure from a distance. But never again would he be allowed to visit it--until he was buried next to his wife.
Today 25,000 people visit the Taj Mahal each day. Though the reason for building the tower was a strange, sad story, those who see its breath-taking beauty are reminded of the happiness that inspired its construction.The first two paragraphs were written to show that
| A．the Taj Mahal is all unusual historic building |
| B．ancient Indian emperors were cruel |
| C．construction workers led a hard life in ancient India |
| D．India has some of the most famous buildings in the world |
The Taj Mahal was first built as ____________ .
| A．a prison | B．a gift to Mumtaz |
| C．a memorial building | D．a tourist attraction |
We learn from the text that Mumtaz probably died in ________ .
| A．1626 | B．1632 | C．1634 | D．1653 |
It was an early September day, cool and bright and just right for running, and I was in the first few miles of a lO-knownmile race over a course with a few high hills. Still, I felt energetic; despite the hills it was going to be a fine run.
Just ahead of me was Peggy Mimno, a teacher from Mount Kiseo, New York. She too was running easily, moving along at my speed. The pace felt comfortable, so I decided to stay where I was; why pay attention to pace when she was setting such a nice one? I'd overtake(追上) her later on when she tired.
So I ran behind her. The course headed north for miles, wandered west for a hilly mile, then turned south again along a winding road. The race was getting harder. We had four miles left and already it was beginning to be real work.
Peggy overtook a young runner. She seemed to know him, for they exchanged a few cheerful words as she passed him. Their exchange worried me. You don't chat during a race unless you feeling good, and Peggy plainly was.
Still, I was close enough to overtake her if she tired, so I didn't give up hope completely. We were getting nearer to a long, punishing hill now and it would be the test. We were a mile from the finish line, so whatever happened on the hill would almost determine who crossed it first.
As I moved up the hill, my attention wandered for a few minutes. When I looked up, Peggy was moving away--first five yards, then ten, then more. Finally it was clear that there was no help of catching her. She beat me soundly.
There is an important lesson in that race. Women are thought to be weaker, slower and not nearly as skilled in sport. Yet as Peggy Mimno so clearly showed, the similarities between men and women runners are more important than differences. I have run with a number of women, and I can say it is often hard work.What did the writer think of the race in the beginning?
| A．It would be hard work. |
| B．It would be an easy race. |
| C．It would be a test of his strength. |
| D．It would be a good learning experience. |
What worried the writer when Peggy greeted the young runner?
| A．Peggy overtook the young runner. |
| B．Peggy was running energetically. |
| C．Peggy was laughing as the writer. |
| D．Peggy paid no attention to the writer. |
By saying "a long, punishing hill" (paragraph 5 ), the writer implies that _____________ .
| A．Peggy would fail to reach the hilltop |
| B．men are more skilled at climbing hills |
| C．overtaking Peggy would be easy |
| D．climbing the hill would be a demanding task |
What lesson does the writer learn from the race?
| A．Women are as good as men in sport. |
| B．Women are better at climbing hills. |
| C．He should have more training in a cross-country race. |
| D．He should set a quicker pace at the beginning of a race. |
We might like to think we're not influenced by other people, but a new study into the group-buying mechanisms（机制） - like those used on coupon（优惠券） sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial - reveals that telling buyers who come later to the offer how many have already signed up increases the number of purchasers.
Researchers at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management wanted to understand why group buying sites that have entered the market recently have enjoyed greater success than those operating a decade ago, such as Mercata and MobShop.
Earlier attempts typically left potential buyers waiting for days before confirming whether or not they had got the offer they had signed up for.
“We think one of the reasons group-buying has been successful recently is because of the short time horizon,” says Rotman Professor Ming Hu, who co-wrote the study with Professor Mengze Shi and PhD student Jiahua Wu. “It allows for a herding effect.”
Another reason is the use of an information structure that discloses to later arrivals how many have already signed onto the deal.
Researchers looked at two ways of designing the purchasing mechanism for a group buy:a simultaneous mechanism, where no one knows how many buyers have come before them, and asequential（连续的） mechanism, where a second group of buyers has the advantage of knowing the size of the first group.
The researchers' analytical（分析的） model shows the most successful mechanism is the sequential one because it eliminates uncertainty for those coming later to the deal, and improves the confidence of those who sign on early, as they're able to track the numbers of those who come after them.
“That boosts confidence,” says Professor Hu, who teaches operations management. Deals for "luxury" services, versus everyday items, work better in a group buy scenario（方案） because they offer consumers a greater benefit.It can be learned from the text that ______.
| A．the short time horizon is the reason why group-buying has been successful. |
| B．a simultaneous mechanism is where a group of buyers has the advantage of knowing how many people have signed up. |
| C．a sequential mechanism allows a herding effect which boosts the confidence of the buyers. |
| D．researchers at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management carried out an experiment about why group buying sites entered the market successfully, such as Mercata and MobShop. |
The underlined word “eliminates” in paragraph 7 probably means“______”.
| A．to become or to make something greater in amount, number, value |
| B．to remove or get rid of something |
| C．to deliberately not include something in what you are doing or considering |
| D．to make something known to somebody |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Secret for marketing success – boosting confidence. |
| B．Secret for group-buying mechanism—herding effect. |
| C．Comparison between a simultaneous mechanism and a sequential mechanism. |
| D．What others do influences our decisions. |