阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Filmmaker Jennifer Nelson had to pay $1,500 to have “Happy Birthday to You” sung in the movie she’s making. The money went to Warner Music Group, a company that claims to own the copyright on the song. A copyright is the legal right to use or sell a creative product such as a song, a TV show, a book, or a work of art. Warner has claimed the copyright for “Happy Birthday to You” since 1988.
“I never thought the song was owned by anyone,” Nelson said in an e-mail to The New York Times. “I thought it belonged to everyone.”
Nelson’s movie is a documentary(纪录片)— a film that uses pictures and/or interviews with people to create a factual report of real-life events — and is actually about the history of the “Happy Birthday” song itself.
Two sisters named Mildred and Patty Hill wrote a song called “Good Morning to All” in 1893. Over a short period of time, people began to sing the words “happy birthday to you” in place of the original lyrics to the tune of the Hill sisters’ song.
A number of history experts say that there is no record of who actually wrote the “Happy Birthday to You” lyrics(歌词). Historians also say there is no way to know when the general public began singing the “Happy Birthday” song, but they believe it was being sung by the public long before it was printed and owned by a company.
Nelson’s lawyers say this piece of music’s history proves that “Happy Birthday to You” belongs to everyone in the general public. That would mean Warner Music Group has no right to charge anyone a fee to sing the song in any setting.
Experts estimate that Warner/ Chappell, the publishing division of the Warner Music Group, has made about $2 million a year from licensing fees for “Happy Birthday to You.”
Nelson’s lawyers are asking a court in New York City to order Warner/Chappell to return fees they have collected over the past four years for use of the “Happy Birthday” song. Jennifer Nelson had to pay Warner Music Group to ___________ .
A.own the copyright on a song |
B.have it write a song for her movie |
C.have it play a song in her movie |
D.have a song sung in her movie |
The history experts’ statement can prove that the “Happy Birthday” song ____________.
A.does not belong to Warner Music Group |
B.has more than 200 years’ history |
C.was initially owned by another company |
D.has always been very popular |
According to Nelson’s lawyers, to sing the “Happy Birthday” song, people ____________.
A.should pay the Hill sisters |
B.should pay Warner Music Group |
C.need not pay for any purpose |
D.need not pay except for commercial use |
If the court supports Nelson’s lawyers’ claim, ___________.
A.she can obtain the copyright on the song |
B.Warner will return about $8 million |
C.Warner will have to pay her for her damages |
D.she only needs to pay a little money to use the song |
How many times do you have to fail at something in order to succeed? Did you know that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times while trying to invent the light bulb? He certainly had a “learn and do” attitude! He was able to turn each failed experiment into a successful way to invent the light bulb. So what can we learn from this? You can adopt the “fail forward” strategy too.
In reality, none of us are failures. It’s true that we will experience times of defeat, problems, and disasters, but remember, each one of us is meant to succeed in life. However, we must choose our fate. Henry David Thoreau said, “Men are born to succeed, not to fail.”
We can never be forced into having a happy and successful life. Whether or not you experience success or failure is completely controlled by what you think and do. You are the only one who can choose the thoughts that will keep you from achieving the abundant life and joy that you are meant to have. No matter how difficult things may seem, say to yourself, “I choose to be a happy and successful person.”
Why do some people get what they want and others fail? I believe that getting what you desire in life takes planning, and it doesn’t just happen by luck. So how do we plan for success?
It has been proven that successful people do things more differently than unsuccessful people. They recognize the patterns of success and follow them; one of those patterns is planning. They plan what they think and do, which sets them apart. They know exactly what they desire, have an intelligent plan for getting it, and then work their plan. They know what success will cost them in terms of time, energy, and results, and they devote the right resources toward making their plans happen.The writer refers to Thomas Edison to ________.
A.introduce his invention |
B.put forward the topic of the text |
C.praise the inventor |
D.show the way to success |
What Henry David Thoreau said implies that ________.
A.everyone is able to be a success |
B.most people lack the confidence to succeed |
C.everyone can do nothing but succeed in his life |
D.no one can succeed without difficulty and suffering |
The main idea of the last two paragraphs is that ________.
A.planning plays an important role in success |
B.successful people differ from unsuccessful ones |
C.successful people have many patterns of success |
D.devoting the right resources can help reach one’s goal |
Which of the following would match the text?
A.All roads lead to Rome. | B.Think twice before you act. |
C.No pains, no gains. | D.Failure is the mother of success. |
Don’t talk to me; I’m busy with my iPhone
Riding a London subway, a person from China will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other. In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness—people are just too busy to bother looking.
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet reflection, nor are they reading a book. New technology has replaced quiet habits. Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters(乘车上下班的人). Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000—yes, that’s 40,000—“apps” (programs downloaded for the iPhone) have been designed.
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks. Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. ISteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “ steam” on your phone screen.
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be another choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music—iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.
And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film. The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV show or film on the way to work. With all this entertainments, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because they are busy ________.
A.playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films. |
B.going to work |
C.reading books |
D.thinking private things |
Those who like war games can download ________ to their iPhones.
A.Tube Exits | B.iShoot | C.ISteam | D.iPod |
The underlined word “occupied” in the last paragraph probably means ________.
A.delighted | B.busy | C.controlled | D.amused |
The article tells us that ________.
A.London commuters are unfriendly to strangers |
B.Apple has earned a lo of money from selling 40,000 iPhones |
C.with all the new time-fillers, London commuters often forget to get off the train. |
D.technology is changing the way London commuters spend their traveling time. |
Electrical devices(仪器)could soon use power made by human energy. Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking. British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee. As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down. To do this, the device helps with the slowing down movement of the leg. The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine
that produces electricity. Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute. Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device. Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers. The device could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers(起搏器). It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy. But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version. An improved version shou1d be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries. Near1y twenty five
percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania. He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from wa1king.The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag. But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms. The second paragraph mainly talks about.
A.who developed the device |
B.how the device works |
C.several possible uses for the devices |
D.how much electricity the device can produce |
Compared with the device designed by Larry Rome, this new device.
A.produces power without adding more loads to the walker |
B.can produce more power in a much shorter time |
C.needs to be equipped with a battery |
D.can help the walker wa1k faster |
From the passage, we can learn that the electrical device can.
A.help housewives operate the washing machine |
B.make it much easier for us to go online |
C.produce more electricity than that invented by Larry Rome |
D.be applied in medicine to operate heart pacemakers |
In business, there’s a speed difference: It’s the difference between how important a firm’s leaders say speed is to their competitive(竞争的) strategy(策略) and how fast the company actually moves.The difference is important regardless of industry and company size. Companies fearful of losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed.
In our study of 343 businesses, the companies that chose to go, go, go to try to gain an edge ended up with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track.What's more, the firms that “slowed down to speed up” improved their top and bottom lines, averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating incomes over a three-year period.
How did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than competitors yet performing better? They thought differently about what “slower” and “faster” mean.Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operational speed (moving quickly) and strategic speed (reducing the time it takes to deliver value).Simply increasing the speed of production, for example, may be one way to try to reduce the speed difference.But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services.
In our study, higher-performing companies with strategic speed always made changes when necessary. They became more open to ideas and discussion.They encouraged new ways of thinking.And they allowed time to look back and learn.By contrast (相比而言), performance suffered at firms that moved fast all the time, paid too much attention to improving efficiency, stuck to tested methods, didn't develop team spirit among their employees, and had little time thinking
about changes.
Strategic speed serves as a kind of leadership.Teams that regularly take time to get things right, rather than plough ahead full bore, are more successful in meeting their business goals.That kind of strategy must come from the top.What does the underlined part “gain an edge” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Increase the speed. | B.Reach the limit. |
C.Get an advantage. | D.Set a goal. |
The underlined part “the laws of business physics” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A.spending more time and performing worse |
B.spending more time and performing better |
C.spending less time and performing worse |
D.spending less time and performing better |
What can we learn from the text?
A.How fast a firm moves depends on how big it is. |
B.How competitive a firm is depends on what it produces. |
C.Firms guided by strategic speed take time to make necessary changes. |
D.Firms guided by operational speed take time to develop necessary team spirit. |
Which could be the best title for the text?
A.Improve quality? Serve better. | B.Deliver value? Plough ahead. |
C.Reduce time? Move faster. | D.Need speed? Slow down. |
Although there is no possibility of living completely free of stress , it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can’t be avoided. The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for the ways to deal with stress.
Try physical activity
When you are nervous, angry or upset, try reducing the pressure through exercise of physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve your anxiety and worry and help you to relax. Your body and your mind will work together to ease the stress in your life.
Share your stress
It helps to talk to someone about your anxiety and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher or even your leader can help you a better view of what is troubling you. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from psychologist or a doctor. Knowing when to ask for help is an important step in avoiding serious problem later
Take care of yourself
You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest. If you easily get angry and cannot sleep well enough, or if you are not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should consult a doctor
Make time for yourself
Schedule time for both work and entertainment. Don’t forget, play can be just as important to your over-all well-being as work. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun. Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy.
Make a list of things you need to do
Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that “there is so much to do, and not enough time.” Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, then do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the more important tasks first.
Go ahead and cry
A good cry can a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety. It might even help you avoid a headache or other physical effect of anxiety and stressWhat is most probably the writer’s purpose in writing the article?
A.To release his or her working pressure |
B.To help solve the universal problem of stress |
C.To reduce her or his own anxiety |
D.To help more people cry out |
Physical activity can help people release stress in that ______
A.only your body movement can help you relax |
B.your mind can work better to free you of anxiety |
C.your body and mind can cooperate(合作) in releasing your stress |
D.physics can always play in important part in reducing nervousness |
What is the similarity between “Share your stress” and “ Go ahead and cry”?_____
A.They both help you let out your feelings |
B.They both need physical movement |
C.They both require mental relaxation |
D.They can help you live an orderly life |
The sentence “ Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything” is close to the meaning of ______
A.Strike the iron while it is hot | B.Practice makes perfect |
C.More hurry, less speed | D.Quietness wins time |