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| The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings-these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside. Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles(英伦诸岛). Although thatch has always been used for  cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles andchurches too. Thatching is a solitary (独立的) craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced today has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its b  eauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter. In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half t  he world lives under thatch, but they all do it indifferent ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat. 1. Which of the following remains a unique feature against the heat_______. A. Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. B. Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. C. Cottages with thatched roofs. D. Churches with cottages around them. 2. What do we know about thatching as a craft? A. It is a collective activity. B. It is practised on farms all over England. C. It is quite diffe  rent from what it used to be. D. It is in most cases handed down among family members. 3. Thatched houses are still preferred became of . A. their style and comfort B. their durability C. their easy maintenance D. their cheap and ready-made materials 4. People in developing countries also live under thatch because . A. thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction B. thatched roof houses are the cheapest C. thatch is an effective defense against the heat D. they like thatched houses better than other buildings 5. We can learn from the passage that . A. thatched cottages in England have been passed down from ancient times. B. thatching is a building craft first created by the English people. C. the English people have a special liking for thatched houses. D. most thatched cottage in England are located on hillsides. |
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| President Coolidge's statement, "The business of America is business," still points to an important truth today-that business institutions have more prestige  (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige? One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in  itself,it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected. Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly(垄断. of power. In contrast to one, all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers'  dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom. Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of  equality of opportunity. Competitionis seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as and expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic(贵族的) idea of inherited privilege. 1. The statement "The business of America is business" probably means"________". A. The business institutions in America are concerned with commerce B. Business problems are of great importance to the American government C. Business is of primary concern to Americans D. America is a great power in world business 2. Americans believe that they can realize their personal  values only_____ .A. when given equality of opportunity B. through doing business C. by protecting their individual freedom D. by way of competition 3. Who can benefit from business competition? A. Honest businessmen. B. Both businessmen and their customers. C. People with ideals of equality and freedom D. Both business institutions and government. 4. Government is believed to differ strikingly from business in that government is characterized by ____. A. its absolu  te control of power B. its function in preserving personal freedom C. its role in protecting basic American values D. its democratic way of exercising leadership 5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes _____ . A. Americans are more ambitious than people in other countries B. in many countries success often depends on one's social status C. American businesses are more democratic than those in other countries D. businesses in other c  ountries are not as competitive as those in America |
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| The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers appealed to people's desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work.. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers' money. Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of bread was offered to dieters (节食者. with the message that there were fewer calories (热量单位,大卡. in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic (适合于节食的. , but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf. On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer's real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising. Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision. 1. Advertising can persuade the consumer to buy worthless products by ________. A. stressing their high quality B. convincing him of their low price C. maintaining a balance between quality and price D. appealing to his buying motives 2. The reason why the bread advertisement is misleading is that ________. A. thin slices of bread could contain more calories B. the loaf was cut into regular slices C. the bread was not genuine bread D. the total number of calories in the loaf remained the same 3. The passage tells us that _________. A. sometimes advertisements really sell what the consumer needs B. advertisements occasionally force con  sumers into buying things they don't needC. the buying motives of consumers are controlled by advertisements D. fire insurance is seldom a worthwhile investment 4. It can be inferred from the passage that a smart consumer should ________. A. think carefully about the benefits described in the advertisements B. guard against the deceiving nature of advertisements C. be familiar with various advertising strategies D. avoid buying products that have strong emotional appeal 5. The passage is mainly about _________. A. how to make a wise buying decision B. ways to protect the interests of the consumer C. the positive and negative aspects of advertising D. the function of advertisements in promoting sales |