Do you love Beats headphones, True Religion jeans, and UGG shoes? These are some of the most popular brands (牌子) around. They are also expensive. But some experts say they are not much better than cheaper brands.
For example, Jim Wilcox works for Consumer Reports. He tested all kinds of headphones. He says that $80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats. So why do people pay twice or even 10 times as much for the hottest brands?
Experts say it's because fashionable, expensive brands send a message. Brands say “I belong” or “I can afford it.”
Some people think that expensive brand names are worth the price. They say that some designer clothes really are top quality and that they last longer than cheaper brands. Some teenagers choose to wear popular brands because these brands make them feel good about themselves.
Alexandra Allam, 17, likes to buy brand-name products. “I'd rather spend the extra money to get something I know I'll be satisfied with,” she says. Her friend Emmy Swan agrees, saying “As long as you can afford it, it seems reasonable to buy what you want.” But not all teenagers agree. “Spending hundreds of dollars for designer sunglasses is stupid and unreasonable,” says Daniel Steinbrecher, 16. “It's fake (假的) happiness.”
People who are against wearing expensive brand names say that many designer brands aren't any better. “It's wasteful to buy things just because they are popular,” says Edmund Williams, 15. “You'll feel better if you buy things because you like them. If you have extra money to spend, it would be better to give it to people in need.”
The example of Jim's report wants to tell us _____.
| A．popular brands make people comfortable |
| B．Koss Pro headphones are better than Beats |
| C．the hottest brands are of the highest quality |
| D．lesser-known brands may offer the same quality as name brands |
According to experts, people choose the hottest brands probably _____.
| A．to show off |
| B．for their better quality |
| C．for their better designs |
| D．to belong to a special group |
What does Edmund think of expensive brands?
| A．They are not worth the price. |
| B．They make him feel confident. |
| C．They need to improve their quality. |
| D．They pay too much attention to personal likes. |
The text is mainly about _____.
| A．how to buy things reasonably |
| B．the competition between brands |
| C．the different values of teenagers |
| D．whether expensive brands are worth high prices |
Texting long messages can be a pain in the neck. The repetitive action of working your fingers across the keyboard of your cell phone can cause some of the same chronic (慢性的) pain problems previously limited to those who’d spent a lifetime typing.
The possible connection is particularly worrying considering how much teens and young adults — and increasingly those in professional settings — are texting nowadays, said Judith Gold, who carried out one of the first studies on the potential connection.
Text messaging is a fairly new technology, Gold says, so this is a new area of research for those who study ergonomics (人类工程学). But “considering the similarities in body position, findings from research on overuse injuries from computers could be applicable” to texting.
“The way the body is positioned for texting – fixed shoulders and back with rapidly moving fingers – is similar to the position for typing on a computer,” Gold explained. Previous research has found pain in the elbow connected with too much thumb texting.
To look for a broader link between texting and chronic pain, Gold and her colleagues sent a questionnaire to 138 college students, asking them to report the number of text messages they sent per day (in four categories: 0, 1-10, 11-20, 21+ messages) and to point out any discomfort they felt on a body map.
The research showed an association between the number of text messages sent per day and shoulder discomfort. The effect seemed to be particularly pronounced in males, though Gold says she doesn’t know why that would be.
“What we’ve seen so far is very similar to what we see with office workers who’ve spent most of their time at a computer,” Gold said. However, Gold’s study did not take account of the amount of time the people surveyed also spent typing on computers, which could be affecting the results.In the past, who usually suffered from a pain in the neck according to the passage?
| A．A writer | B．A typist | C．A teacher | D．A doctor |
The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 6 refers to the fact that _______.
| A．office workers easily suffer from the body discomfort |
| B．men like to text messages more |
| C．text messaging causes body discomfort |
| D．males have more shoulder discomfort |
The passage mainly tells us _______.
| A．what ergonomics is |
| B．texting too much causes a pain in the neck |
| C．whether texting is beneficial or not |
| D．the connection between texting and typing |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．the study was the first one carried out by Gold |
| B．one positions oneself differently from computer-users when texting |
| C．the amount of computer-use time was calculated in the survey |
| D．the result of the survey was not 100% convincing |
B
Haagen-Dazs from Europe started in 1989 and is 5-10 times more expensive than regular ice cream．There is no real advantage．However, it adopted a unique marketing strategy(策略), and quickly occupied the market as a top ice cream brand．
Haagen-Dazs did not set up shops in ordinary supermarkets or grocery stores. Haggen-Dazs leisure fashion shops are located in busy sections of malls．The layout(布局) is carefully planned to create an elegant atmosphere, and sometimes, a flagship（旗舰） store will cost several million dollars．
Compared to other ice cream brands, Haagen-Dazs consumers are tightly grouped．It is understood that Haagen-Dazs seldom does television advertising．The majority of ads are highly visual impact of the print ads．In particular many advertisements target the wealthy consumers. Moreover, if the consumer spends 500 Yuan, they can become a member. These members will be regularly sent advertisements by direct mail．Praise of customers is a powerful weapon for Haagen Dazs．
There is always much creative ingenuity(独创性) in Haagen-Dazs advertising, so it is remembered by the people:
☆ Initial advertisements such as: "Delicious Haagen-Dazs, like 24K gold, Kobe beef from Japan, original palm oil, mushroom truffles（松露） and Chinese ceramics（制陶术）…what 'ice cream' was waiting for．"
☆"love her, let her eat Haagen-Dazs" This classic advertisement attracted numerous Haagen-Dazs lovers who became regulars．
Today, Haggen Dazs has about 700 stores in 55 countries with annual sales of more than 1 billion US dollars．Haagen-Dazs has become the world's most popular ice cream brand．In the United States, its market share is 6．1%, 1%in France, 4．6% in Japan, 4% in Singapore, and 5% in Hong Kong．
Determined to win the majority of wealthy customers they combined positioning in the marketplace with dedicated brand goals．This is the real secret of success．
How is the text organized?
| A．Main idea-Comparison-Supporting examples- Conclusion |
| B．Topic- Supporting examples- Conclusion |
| C．Opinion-Discussion- Description- Conclusion |
| D．Topic-Argument-Explanation-Conclusion |
According to the initial advertisements of Haagen-Dazs , it stresses that it is _____
| A．expensive | B．excellent |
| C．special | D．popular |
Why does Haagen-Dazs seldom do television advertisements? _____
| A．Because it can't afford to do television advertisements. |
| B．Because it doesn't think television advertising attracts consumers. |
| C．Because it focuses on its target consumers by using other media. |
| D．Because its design isn't suitable to be broadcast on the television. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．The origin of Haagen-Dazs, |
| B．The creative advertisements of Haagen-Dazs. |
| C．The Influence of Haagen-Dazs. |
| D．The marketing strategy of Haagen-Dazs. |
I had worked long and hard on this project．Knowing it was finally completed gave me great Satisfaction．“Perfect！”I said “Now, all I have to do is to keep the dogs off it．”I went about setting up barriers using old fence, deck chairs, planters, and anything I could find so as to avoid footprints both on the oil paint and our carpet. It worked perfectly ．
Just before returning to the house and to a much needed shower, I took one last look at this fine work of art．“What is that?” I said．“Where did that come from ?”
Clearly marked and evenly spaced across the entire area, the tiny marks ran in straight lines．I carefully stepped to our flower garden．It was there I found several of the small markings. Now, almost frozen in place by this shocking discovery, I remained in position so as to prevent further damage to my work．Just then, off to my left, it appeared．A chipmunk （花栗鼠）. He was as surprised as I was. We stood there face to face looking at each other, wondering who would make the first move ．
The warm, humid air was now getting the best of me. Sweat now ran freely over my head, and in poor timing into my eyes. I reached up to rub them and when I opened my eyes he was gone ．
My only satisfaction was in thinking that when he returned home he tracked oily footprints into his own home. And , hoping he was married , his wife would not let him live it down for the rest of his life. I stood up, shook my head, laughing about it and walking into my house．
Yes, I tracked oil on the carpet. I am married. My wife will not let me live it down for the rest of my life. We can know from the passage that the chipmunk_________________．
| A．made fun of the author |
| B．stole something important in the house |
| C．spoiled the author’s work |
| D．came for some food |
What did the author do to the chipmunk ?
| A．He made fun of it |
| B．He frightened it away |
| C．He tried to catch it but failed |
| D．He didn’t do any harm to it |
We can conclude from the passage that____________．
| A．the author was not satisfied with his family life |
| B．the author was quite satisfied with his project |
| C．the barriers the author set up were quite successful |
| D．the chipmunk had a happy family just like the author |
From the beginning rivers have played an important part in life of man. Man of the earliest times used the rivers as a means of travel. Today rivers still serve as a great waterway for the transport and people.
In ancient times, man settled near rivers or on river banks and built up large empires.
Water is nature’s most valuable gift to man. Man needs water to irrigate his crops, to cook and to wash. In nations all over the world, rivers mean life and wealth. They feed and clothe nations around them.
Water is also a source of energy and power. Man builds huge dams across the rivers to control the water for irrigation and get the energy needed to drive generators. The electrical power is then directed to homes, cities, factories and television stations.
Man uses water each day. In a small way rivers help to keep man in good health and provide for his amusements. Various forms of water sports keep man strong and healthy.Rivers have been important to man______.
| A．since the last century | B．since they came into being |
| C．since a few hundred years ago | D．since the beginning of BC |
Man in old times traveled from one continent to another_______.
A. by sea B. by air C. by train D. by bus
【小题3Generators are machines that are used_________.
A. to direct electrical B. to control
C. to build dams D. to produce electricity
Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races, despite the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa’s white, racist regime(政权)
Mandela, who won the nation’s first all-race elections after the fall of apartheid(种族隔离) in 1944,retired in 1999. But he remains as popular as ever.
“He’s loved by all people, whether you’re white or black, whether you’re young or old,” said Ali Bacher, South Africa’s former cricket(板球) chief.
His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin, a metropolitan(大都会的)area was named in his honor and some business leaders hope to build a massive, rotating statue in his likeness---- the Statue of Freedom. It would stand taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty.
His popular appeal is similar to that of John F. Kennedy with US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians in his times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the Witwatersrand.” Sometimes it isn’t completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He is a very, very clever man,” However, he is far from perfect.
Most articles for his birthday, which appeared in every major South African newspaper on the day, briefly mentioned that Mandela did have his shortcomings. Then they returned to their flowing praises. “Through the ages, the human race has had its icons（偶像）---- men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generation,” The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. “In our generation, the gods presented us Nelson Mandela.”Nelson Mandela is loved by all the people of South Africa because_____________.
| A．he’s as popular as Kennedy and Churchill |
| B．he spent 27 years in prison |
| C．he’s a great fighter against the racialism |
| D．he won the first all-race elections |
Which of the following statements about Mandela’s portrait is true ?
| A．It helps develop business |
| B．It appears on the Statue of Freedom |
| C．It is used to raise money for the Statue of Freedom |
| D．It is similar to that of John F. Kennedy or Winston Churchill |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means “_____________”
| A．Mandela is as great as a god |
| B．We are proud to live in Mandela’s time |
| C．Mandela lives together with us all |
| D．We are proud to know Mandela |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Mandela is a very skilled politician |
| B．Most articles specially stressed Mandela’s shortcomings. |
| C．The Statue of Freedom is a present for Mandela’s birthday. |
| D．The article may have appeared in a newspaper on Mandela’s birthday. |