Background music may seem harmless, but it can have a powerful effect on those who hear it. Recorded background music first found its way into factories, shops and restaurants in the USA. Very soon it spread to other parts of the world. Now it is becoming difficult to go shopping or eat a meal without listening to background music.
To begin with, background music was intended simply to create a soothing (舒适的) atmosphere. Recently, however, it's becoming a big business. An American marketing expert has shown that music can boost(提升) sales or increase factory production by as much as a third.
But it has to be the light music. Lively music has no effect at all on sales. Slow music can increase receipts(收入) by 34%. This is probably because shoppers slow down and have more opportunity to spot items they would like to buy. Yet, slow music isn't always the answer. The expert found that in restaurants slow music meant customers took longer to eat their meals, which reduced overall sales. So restaurant owners might be well advised to play faster music to keep the customers moving-unless, of course, the resulting indigestion(消化不良) leads to complaints.Background music was first used ________.
| A．in the cinemas and theatres in the USA |
| B．in the offices and hospitals in the USA |
| C．in the schools and churches in the USA |
| D．in the factories, shops and restaurants in the USA |
An American marketing expert has found background music can __________.
| A．increase sales or factory production |
| B．create a soothing atmosphere |
| C．make people slow down |
| D．make people forget their worries |
Restaurant owners are advised to play ____ to increase overall sales.
| A．lively music | B．loud music |
| C．faster music | D．slower music |
When I was quite young, I discovered that somewhere inside the telephone lived an amazing
person - "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know.
One day while my mother was out, I hit my finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but
there was no one home to give me any sympathy. I walked around the house, finally arriving at the telephone! Quickly, I called “Information Please" and told her what happened. She told me to open the icebox and hold a little piece of ice to my finger.
After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. When my pet bird died, I told
"Information Please" the sad story. She tried to comfort me, she said quietly, "Paul, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone, “How do you spell ‘grateful’? ". All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was 9, we moved to Boston.
A few years later, on my way to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about half an
hour or so between planes. Without thinking, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information, please."
Surprisingly, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well, "Information." I hadn't planned on
this but I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell me how to spell ‘grateful’?"
There was a long pause. Then came the soft-spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have
healed by now." I laughed. "So it's really still you," I said, "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time." I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and asked if I could call her again. "Please do," she said, "Just ask for Sally."
Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered me. I was told that Sally
passed away five weeks before.
Before I could hang up she told me that Sally left a message for me—“Tell him I still say
there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean.” I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
Never underestimate the impression you may make on others. Whose life have you touched
today?
59. What does “Information, Please” refer to in the passage?
A. An amazing girl.
B. A special kind of telephone.
C. A communication system.
D. A service that helps telephone users.
60. What happened to the little boy one day when he was at home alone?
A. He was amused by the telephone.
B. He hurt his finger with a hammer.
C. He found an amazing telephone.
D. He got a piece of ice from an icebox.
61. What did “Information, Please” give the little boy whenever he was in trouble?
A. Information and conversation.
B. Good memories and happiness.
C. Sympathy and information.
D. Friendship and cheers.
62. When did the author get in touch with “Information, Please” again after he moved to
Boston?
A. When he was in trouble on his way to college.
B. When his plane stopped in Seattle for half an hour.
C. When he went back to Seattle to visit his sister.
D. Three months later after he moved to Boston.
Welcome to Cöteborg University
Cöteborg University is one of Sweden’s largest and most popular universities.
We are very proud of this and believe that there are several reasons for our popularity. The principal reasons we believe to be the high quality of our education and research and the broad range of courses that we offer. In addition to this, Cöteborg University provides an attractive and exceptionally（格外的）high-standard study environment. Most parts of the university are situated in the city centre and this enriches city life as well as student life.
Cöteborg has a lot to offer its students: it has a rich and varied cultural life with many theatres, concerts and festivals. For those looking for outdoor life, forests and vast recreation（娱乐）areas are not far away from the city centre; the sea and the archipelago（群岛）are also within easy reach. Industry and commerce are expanding, and have a joint interest with the University in meeting the ever-changing and growing demands of society.
Cöteborg University strives（努力）to be an attractive choice for students from all over the world.
We look forward to welcoming you to Cöteborg University.
56. The main reasons for Cöteborg University’s popularity according to the passage is ______ .
A. the high quality education and research and the wide range of courses
B. the convenient traffic
C. its excellent location and fast developing economical environment
D. famous professors and friendly students
57. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The university is in the city centre.
B. The students can live outdoor.
C. The cultural life of the university is very rich.
D. The University has no interest in growing demands of society.
58. What’s the main purpose of this passage?
A. To bring fame to Cöteborg University.
B. To introduce the wonderful cultural life in Cöteborg University.
C. To declare Cöteborg University’s goal and interest.
D. To attract students all over the world to apply for Cöteborg University.
In search of Mr．or Mrs．Right，dozens of Japanese are attending a new school in Tokyo aiming to turn them into marriage material．
The school offers various classes for brides and grooms at a time when many people in
Japan are either avoiding marriage or are finding it very difficult to hook up with a partner．The school which is open to men and women，teaches students how to talk，walk and present themselves elegantly(优雅)in order to capture the hearts and minds of partners and their parents．who are often a major obstacle(障碍)to successful unions．The school，opened last month.now has about 30 female students．An almost equal number of males have signed up，but those actually coming to class are much fewer than females．
“I had never thought that my boyfriend’s mother could play such a big role in my relationship．but now I’ve realized I need to start thinking seriously about how to impress my future in-1aws，”said Kozue Sugawara，29，who joined the school after her previous marriage plans failed．
Government statistics show nearly two-thirds of women under the age of 34 are unmarried．
despite some 3,800 firms in Japan offering match—making services．The average age of the school’s female students is 30．
“Before，people would find it easy to get married because families and society would connect them in some way，sometimes pushing them to get married．But now，people have too many choices to make up their minds，”said Etsuko Satake，principal of the school．
Instructors provide suggestions on students’dress，posture and even details such as how they CROSS their legs or get out of a car．Men and women are taught different skills，which range from how to set a table well to how to be more emotionally expressive．Students also simulate (模拟)dates，during which their instructors grade their performance and point out what they did wrong．
57．The new school is opened to teach students how to ．
A．get along with their parents-in—law B．prepare themselves for their marriage
C．behave and present themselves well D．get back to marriage after divorce
58．Nowadays many Japanese find it more difficult to get married because ．
A．they are being forced to marry by parents
B．the society and family refuse to help them
C．they have fewer and fewer partners to make
D．they have too many choices to make a decision
59．Which of the following is true?
A．Successful marriage has little to do with future in-1aws．
B．Most women under 34 find it difficult to get married．
C．The school helps men and women while they are in love．
D．The number of men and women attending class is equal．
20．The undedincd part“Mr．or Mrs．Right”probably means ．
A．a person with the family name“Right” B．a person who is always right
C．the righi person one wants to marry D．the couple who never tell lies
Let’s do some sleep math．You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday．On Saturday and Sunday，you slept in，getting four extra hours．On Monday morning，you were feeling so bright—eyed that you only had one cup of coffee，instead of your usual two．But don’t be cheated by your energy．You’re still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness，or what experts call “sleep debt”一in this case something like six hours，almost a full night’s sleep．
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get．It’s a shortage that grows every time we skim some extra minutes off our nightly sleep．“People get more sleep debt gradually without being noticed，”says William C．Dement，founder of the Stanford University Sleep Clinic．Studies show that such short term sleep lack leads to a foggy brain，worsened vision，and trouble remembering．Long-term effects include obesity(肥胖)，insulin(胰岛素)resistance，and heart disease．A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reports that we’re losing one hour of sleep each night——more than two full weeks of sleep every year．
The good news is that，like all debt，with some work，sleep debt can be repaid．Adding all extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up．For the long-term lack of sleep，take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern．
Go to bed when you are tired，and allow your body to wake you in the morning(no alarm clock allowed)．You may find yourself catatonic(有紧张症的)in the beginning of the recovery cycle：expect to have ten hours shut—eye per night；As the days pass，however，the amount of sleeping time will gradually decrease．
So earn back that lost sleep and follow the rules of your innate(固有的)sleep needs. You’ll feel better．“When you put away sleep debt,you become a superman,”says Stanford's Dement，talking about the improved mental and physical capabilities that come with being well rested．
53．If rou have short-term sleep lack，you may ．
A．put on weight B．get heart disease
C．hate eating food D．have a poor sight
54．The example of sleep math is used to show ．
A．in what case you build up a sleep debt
B．in what way you can make up for lack of sleep
C．why you are energetic even without enough sleep
D．why you need six hours’sleep every night
55．By saying the underlined sentence，Dement means that ．
A．you need a lot of sleep to be a superman
B．you will be in a good state with enough sleep
C．you need to be a superman to repay sleep debt
D．you will become a superman with more sleep debt
56．What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A．How can you keep energetic? B．What is sleep debt?
C．Can you catch up on lost sleep?D．Can coffee refresh you?
BERLIN-A German woman，fearful that a burglar(夜贼)was trying to break into her second storey apartment，called police after she heard someone climbing up to her balcony shortly after midnight，police said Thursday.
Police discovered the “burglar” was a man carrying flowers and a bottle of wine who turned out to be the woman’s boyfriend．But then arrested him on an outstanding reason．
“He was trying to surprise her with the flowers and a bottle of wine but it all went wrong，”said Korbach police spokesman Volker Koenig．He said the man jumped down from the balcony and tried to escape but was quickly caught by police．
“He nevertheless gave the police who were taking him to jail the bottle of wine as a gesture of thanks for the friendly treatment after the arrest．”Koenig said．
LONDON-A smoker who died after battling emphysema(肺气肿)has had his dying wish granted with the placement of a “SMOKING KILLED ME” sign on his hearse and his grave.
Albert Whittamore blamed his youthful smoking habit for the lung disease. He said before he died in February that he wanted the sign to serve as a warning to young people about the dangers of tobacco smoking.
The sign was designed to look like the health warning on a packet of cigarettes. The printed notice at his grave will be left in place for a week. The hearse carrying his body through the town of Dover 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of London and several of the printed signs displayed in the windows.
49. The man climbing up .
A. was actually a wanted thief
B. was put into prison in the end
C. thanked the police for setting him free
D. was treated badly by the police
50. The best title for the first news item might be “ .”
A. A burglar’s love B. A devoted boyfriend
C. Flowers and wine D. Price for being romantic
51. The public paid more attention to the smoker because .
A．he died after smoking for many years
B．he had the sign put on his hearse and his grave
C．he(tied of a lung disease without any treatment
D．he wanted the sign left on his grave for one day
52．Which of the following is NOT true?
A．The sign will be printed on the packet of cigarettes．
B．The signs were also shown in the windows of the hearse．
C．London is to the northwest of the town of Dover．
D．The smoker regretted forming the habit of smoking．
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