Toyota is the world's largest automaker, but its road to success has been long and filled with speed bumps（颠簸）.
1958：The company's first foray into the American market was the Toyopet in 1958. It was a flop.
1964：Toyota introduced their Corona line of automobiles and sales hit 6, 400 in 1965,
marking an increase in popularity.
1969：Toyota began importing the Corolla and in 1985 it would become the first Toyota built in the U.S.
1975：Toyota surpassed the popular German brand Volkswagen to become the top import sold in the U.S.
1986：The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered its first recall of Toyota cars due to "speed control" problems.
1988：The First North American Toyota plant opened in Georgetown, Ky.
1989：Toyota introduced the Lexus LS 400, the company's first U.S. luxury car. It was a major hit.
1997：Toyota debuted their Prius gas-electric hybrid car.
2002：The first consumer complaints emerged of the Camry's engine surging under braking.
2004：The NHTSA opened a defect investigation into 2002-2003 Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES models.
2006：Toyota "Americanizes" and opened a new plant in Texas to b
uild full-size pickups
2007：Toyota surpassed General Motors to become the world's largest automaker.
2007：The NHTSA investigated pedal entrapment in some Toyota vehicles, which led recalls of floor mats on Camry and Lexus models.
2007：The NHTSA investigated pedal entrapment in some Toyota vehicles, which led recalls of floor mats on Camry and Lexus models.
Aug. 2009：An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer and three family members were killed when their rental 2009 Lexus ES speeds out of control.
Nov. 2009：Toyota recalled 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota models to remove floor mats that can trap pedals.
Jan
. 2010：Toyota recalled approximately 2.3 million more vehicles with potential sticking pedal problems. On Jan. 26, Toyota stopped selling eight models involved in the recall.
Feb. 2010：Prius and Lexus hybrids are now being recalled for brake problems in 2010 models.Which of the following brands belong to Toyota family？
| A．Toyopet, Volkswagen, Lexus, Prius |
| B．Camry, Prius, Lexus, Georgetown |
| C．Corona, Prius, Lexus, Corolla |
| D．General Motors, Lexus, Camry, Corolla |
The underlined the word in Para.6 probably means:
| A．appreciation | B．sorrow | C．withdrawal | D．resolve |
We can infer from the passage that____________
| A．Lexus LS 400 is a cheaper car |
| B．Prius may be a kind of environmentally friendly car |
| C．Corona became popular as soon as introduced to the US |
| D．Toyota’s plant opened in Georgetown symbolized its “Americanize” tactics |
The purpose of this passage is to
| A．advertise for Toyota |
| B．introduce Toyota’ s struggle in the US |
| C．uncover Toyota’s braking problems |
| D．display Toyota’s glory |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The world’s largest automaker | B．The rise of Toyota |
| C．Toyota meeting problems in the US | D．Toyota’s failure in the US |
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is that there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.It can be learned from the passage that stars today________________.
| A．are often misunderstood by the public |
| B．can no longer have their privacy protected |
| C．spend too much on their public appearance |
| D．care little about how they have come into fame |
What is the main idea of Paragraph3?
| A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
| B．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
| C．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
| D．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
| A．Availability of modern media. |
| B．Inadequate social recognition. |
| C．Lack of favorable chances. |
| D．Huge population of fans. |
What is author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
| A．Sincere. | B．Skeptical. | C．Disapproving | D．Sympathetic. |
Below is a housing guide for students going to London.
University accommodation (住所)offices
Many university accommodation offices have their own list of registered landlords (房东). Others also provide information on accommodation agencies and other housing organization. The advantage of using your university accommodation office is that you can get some support if you have a problem. The disadvantage is that they are unluckily to have enough registered landlords to houses all their students.
Property papers: Loot and Renting
Loot is an important source (来源) of information about private housing for co-renters. The offers are from private landlords, agencies and individuals looking for other co-renters. They also have a website: www.loot.com. The advantage of using Loot is that there are some excellent bargains. The disadvantage is that there is no quality control over the offers.
Renting is another useful paper. The offers in this paper are mainly from accommodation agencies. Their website is at www. renting.co.uk.
Accommodation agencies
The majority of rented accommodation in London is probably advertised through accommodation agencies. The advantage of using accommodation agencies is that you will have access to a large number of accommodations. A good agent will listen to your requirements and can save you time in looking for the right accommodation. The disadvantage is that they will make a range of charges to potential renters.
Noticeboards
Around the universities you will find a number of noticeboards where offers of accommodation will be posted. These will either be from landlords or from students. Some universities will also have online noticeboards where students can advertise to other students. Advertisements from students can be an excellent way to find accommodation. However, advertisements from landlords can be problematic.
Word of mouth
Some of the best housing in London is never advertised but is passed on from one group of students to another by word of mouth. It might be that you can find out about good offers from final year students. However, don’t suppose that just because you have found out about housing from a friend it is necessarily going to be better than that found through any other source.
Family
Faced with the very high rents charged in London, some students and their parents will consider buying as an alternative. In some cases this might be a good choice. What is the advantage of using Loot?
| A．It has more offers from accommodation agencies than Renting. |
| B．It gives you personal information about other co-renters. |
| C．Their website is designed mainly for students. |
| D．There are some good bargains. |
The information passed on by word of mouth is important because .
| A．it is better than that found through any other source |
| B．it helps you find some of the best housing never advertised |
| C．the landlords have little valuable information |
| D．the final year students always offer better information |
For students going to London for the first time, which of the following provides the most reliable information?
| A．University accommodation offices. | B．Loot and Renting. |
| C．Notice boards. | D．Family. |
The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people．We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well．I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes．He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine．I was amazed．The sad truth is that great talent is not enough．
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth．”
There is an old saying that goes, "Job means 'just over broke（破产）"．And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people．Because schools do not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers "live within their means"．They work and they pay the bills．Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn．
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald's?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald's makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald's is excellent at business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that ．
| A．he is just one of the talented people |
| B．he is ready to help others |
| C．he has a sharp sense of hearing |
| D．he knows little about car repairing |
The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by____ ．
| A．spend more than they can afford |
| B．1ive within what they earn |
| C．1ive in their own circle |
| D．do in their own way |
Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?
| A．They don’t work hard enough． |
| B．They have no specialized skills． |
| C．They don't make full use of their talents． |
| D．They lack financial intelligence． |
The main purpose of the author is to tell us____ ．
| A．how young people can find a satisfactory job |
| B．What schools should teach about finance |
| C．why so many talented people are poor |
| D．how McDonald's makes much money |
Businesses put lots of time and money into new plans, programs and excellent employees with the hope things will change. Yet, at the end of the effort, not much changes. What happens?
In most cases, those new plans, programs and employees enter a company with an existing culture (文化). And plans, programs and new employees have a way of conforming to(顺应)the existing culture. The culture of your business is the result of a particular mindset, or a particular way of thinking and the general feelings about certain things. Most often, it is the mindset of the founder or people managing the business.
The founder has gotten to where he is because of his skill sets, knowledge base and personal beliefs, which unfortunately all come with inherent (固有的)limits. Why Skills, knowledge and beliefs come from what he or she already knows or has experienced. In other words, it comes from the past. We (people) try to make the past fit the future. Just because something worked in the past, doesn't mean it is suitable for the future. As the saying goes, if you do and think what you have always done and thought, you will have what you have always had.
Therefore, lasting changes have to start with the way people think. To make changes in the way you think, you will be required to set goals beyond your basic abilities and continuously think them through. It is a way to train yourself and people to get out of the comfort zone where you feel happy with your knowledge and skills.Which question does the author try to answer?
| A．What past experience is useful for businesses |
| B．How much time is needed for making plans |
| C．How can changes be made in businesses |
| D．What kinds of employees are the best |
Where does the business culture mainly come from?
| A．The founder | B．The progress | C．The new employees | D．The collective effort |
What does the author think about the mindset of the company leader?
| A．It can prevent the enrichment of experience |
| B．It is useful far skill and knowledge learning |
| C．It is important for personal beliefs build-up |
| D．It may limit the company's development |
It's not much, but it's home. Francis Chan, an engineer, lives in Hampstead, north London, in a flat that's just 4ft wide by 21ft long. He loves it.
Tiny though it is, it has got all the comforts. Peter Baynes, Chan’s architect (建筑师),has achieved a clever piece of design, according to architectural experts.
The Chan mini-house was built on what was once a path down the side of a big Victarian house. Not an inch of space is wasted.
When you step in through the front door, you're standing in the shower, on Britain' s only self-cleansing doormat (自动清洁门垫). A door opens on to an equally tiny toilet with washbasin. Two steps further in comes the kitchen, complete with full-sized cooker and fridge, and washer/ drier. A worktop folds down from the wall.
Another step and you're into the dining/ office area. Four people can sit here for dinner, says Chan as he sets the table-top into place. He even has a fold-down drawing-board for when he's working at home. The bed is hidden under a cover board right at the back. "I don't even have to make the bed," Chan says." I just put the cover down. "
Chan's business suits hang neatly on the wall over the bed. Daylight comes in through the skylight. The house feels like a very small boat and Chan admits he toyed with the idea of naming it the "boat-house".
"It cost around ￡4,700 to build last year. Now it's been valued at ￡30,000. It proves that good design doesn't need to cost more. It just needs a lot of care." says Chan.By saying "It's not much" (line 1, para. 1), the author means that Chan's flat______.
| A．is cheap | B．has cheap furniture | C．has a simple design | D．is fairly small |
Where is Chan's flat?
| A．Next to a big house | B．Under an old building |
| C．In a busy London street | D．By the side of a country road |
Which of the following is the right order of things described in the text?
| A．Shower, kitchen, toilet, dining table and bed |
| B．Shower, toilet, dining table, kitchen and bed |
| C．Shower, toilet, kitchen, dining table and bed |
| D．Shower, kitchen, toilet, bed and dining table |
What is the purpose of this writing?
| A．To sell Chan's flat for more money |
| B．To tell people how to take care of small flat |
| C．To introduce to readers a cleverly-designed flat |
| D．To call on engineers to design their own home |
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