Beer and fried chicken — Thanks to a South Korean drama currently on air, Man From the Stars, this new mix-and-match junk food trend has become popular among young audiences, despite its unhealthy nature. Indeed, South Korean TV dramas, or K-drama for short, have been a major force in the South Korean pop-culture wave that has captured the hearts of young Chinese audiences. According to iQiyi, a video website that features Man From the Stars, by Feb 15, the number of views for the TV drama hit 370 million in China.
“It is interesting to explore what elements of those dramas appeal to audiences. It’s obviously more than just pretty faces,” says Yan Feng, a professor of Chinese literature at Fudan University. Reflected by audiences, culture critics and insiders of the industry, youth fantasy, creative storylines, cultural proximity in East Asia, and well-organized production all add up to K-drama’s success, along with, of course, those handsome and cute faces dressed in the latest fashion trends.
“Everyone fancies a perfect partner, handsome or beautiful,” says Zhou Ying, a professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University. “The South Korean TV industry is feeding this need.” After Lee Min-ho appeared on CCTV’s annual Spring Festival gala, he became the most famous South Korean in China. Only weeks later, Kim Soo-hyun, lead actor in Man From the Stars, swept the country. Apart from pretty faces, fashion is another highlight of the series. Each time actors from the series wear a new set of outfits, similar clothes experience a sales boom online, according to Xiao Yi, a Taobao store owner.
As is known, with love triangles, incurable diseases, and Cinderella tales, storylines in South Korean dramas may seem a bit commonplace. While The Man From the Stars challenges this by putting aliens and time travel into these existing stories, Peng Sanyuan, a screenwriter, says a focus on detail is a key factor in the success of these dramas. “In order to accurately target audiences and find emotional reflections with them, more and more female writers are working in the industry,” says Peng about her experience of exchanging ideas with South Korean colleagues. According to the experts, South Korean writers somehow make sense of these plots, no matter how unlikely it seems. Why has beer and fried chicken become so popular among Chinese young people at present?
| A．Because the food tastes very great. |
| B．Because they want to change the trend. |
| C．Because the food is good for their health. |
| D．Because they are deeply affected by the Korean TV drama. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “proximity” in paragraph 2?
| A．similarity | B．difference |
| C．conflict | D．curiosity |
According to the whole passage, how many elements can lead to the appeal of Korean dramas?
| A．Two | B．Four | C．Six | D．Seven |
What makes Man From the Stars different from other K-dramas according to the last paragraph?
| A．Female writers | B．Creative stories |
| C．Pretty faces | D．Fashionable clothes |
This passage is______
| A．a brief introduction of a book |
| B．a customer review of a book |
| C．an example of self-motivation |
| D．an advertisement for self-motivation |
The underlined expression "a-ha moment" means a moment when___．
| A．new ideas suddenly appear |
| B．you relax yourself by reading |
| C．you feel tired and sleepy |
| D．you share your knowledge |
The passage most probably appears___．
| A．in a newspaper | B．in a magazine |
| C．on the Internet | D．in a report |
George Zinunerman's first court appearance before a Florida judge came on Tuesday inconnection with the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The case has caused a national debate in the United States about race, self-defense laws and gun control. It was the first time the public had gotten to see and hear from George Zimmerman. The judge said he had found probable cause to move ahead with the case and told Zimmerman he would be formally charged on May 29th.
Zimmerman turned himself into authorities on Wednesday night，just before special prosecutor（公诉人）Angela Corey announced the charge against him. Corey told reporters she would fight for Trayvon Martin”
"It's the victims and justice that we work tirelessly for,”Corey said
Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense after spotting the teenager in a gated com-munity where Martin's father lives. He told police Martin attacked him during a conflict. The
shooting caused a national cry led by Martin's parents who insisted their son was murdered
They also accused Zimmerman of targeting their son because he was black.
"We just wanted an arrest and we got it.”Trayvon Martin's mother Fulton said.
Many in SanforD.Florida-the city where the shooting took place-welcomed the charge.
"All of us were wanting this to move on and get to this process where it is now into the justice system.”one man said
"It～long overdue（迟到的）and I am glad they decided to do something,”another said.Police did not initially charge Zimmerman with a crime because of a Florida law that says a person has a right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force. Prosecutor Coreysays，"I'm prepared to argue the issue if Zimmerman uses the self-defense law in count.”
Mark O'MarA. Zimmerman's lawyer, would not make his plan publiC. but he said hisclient（委托人）was worried about the trial. "If found guilty of the second-degree murdercharge, Zimmerman could face up to life in prison,”O'Mara saidWhy did the case draw so much attention around the US?
| A．Because George Zimmerman was very cruel when he killed Trayvon Martin. |
| B．Because Trayvon Martin's father was a famous lawyer. |
| C．Because the case was related with race, self-defense laws and gun control. |
| D．Because George Zimmerman would be sentenced to life in prison. |
What's Angela Corey's attitude towards this case?
| A．She showed sympathy for the black people. |
| B．She wanted to defend justice for the victims. |
| C．She hated George Zimmerman very much |
| D．She was against self-defense. |
Which of the relationships is NOT true?
| A．Zimmerman shot Martin during a conflict. |
| B．Mark O'Mara was Zimmerman's lawyer. |
| C．Sybrina Fulton was Martin's mother. |
| D．Angela Corey was the judge of the case. |
According to the passage, Zimmerman＿
| A．turned himself into authorities before he。，charged |
| B．was put into prison |
| C．shot Martin in self-defense when spotting him |
| D．targeted Trayvon Martin because he was black |
The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the WinD.first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in AtlantA. GeorgiA.can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer's life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she～a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young～tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains; "Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’And today it'd be‘Would you marry one who doesn't?”
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms Mitchell lived with her husbanD. John Marsh.They trade fun of the small apartment by calling it "The Dump"．
Around 1926，Margaret Mitchell had stopped working”a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it～time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.The book Gone with the Wind was＿＿＿．
| A．first published in a newspaper | B．awarded ten Academy Awards |
| C．written in "The Dump" | D．adapted from a movie |
The underlined phrase "tower over" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to“＿＿＿”．
| A．be very pleased with | B．show great respect for |
| C．be much taller than | D．show little interest in |
Why did Ms Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?
| A．Because she was rich enough. |
| B．Because she was injured then. |
| C．Because her husband didn't like it |
| D．Because she wanted to write books. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell |
| B．Gone with the Wind：A Huge Success |
| C．An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House |
| D．Margaret Mitchell：A Great Female Writer |
BEIJING (AP) — Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded(遮蔽) cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl(无计划地扩展) and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring.
Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated.
The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit(砂砾) that can cause chest discomfort and respiratory problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes.
In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported.
The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked(掠过) across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory.
Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States.
China's Central Meteorological Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site.
State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered scurried along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution.
A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital.We can learn from the text that .
| A．the sandstorms were purposely made by China. |
| B．the writer thinks that China government should be responsible for the pollution. |
| C．the sandstorms badly affected the air in US. |
| D．China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed. |
The passage tells us that the sandstorms mainly came from .
| A．Xinjiang | B．Hangzhou | C．Beijing | D．Inner Mongolia |
The underlined word, “respiratory” (in Para.4) means .
| A．breathing | B．digesting | C．hearing | D．walking |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．South Korea seldom issues nationwide dust advisories. |
| B．Taiwan is 1,600 miles from Beijing. |
| C．Sandstorms have hit Beijing more than once. |
| D．In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms. |
High-quality customer service is preached（宣扬）by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store（零售店）, but instead will warn their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints. “Storytelling hurts retailers(零售商) and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered（塞满了的）shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude sales people.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting(业余兼职的) local police to work as parking attendants to direct customers to empty parking spaces. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store display, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, sales people should be skillful and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re enthusiastic and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren't so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filling complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?
| A．Most shoppers won’t complain even if they have had unhappy experiences. |
| B．It is difficult for customers to have easy access to store mangers. |
| C．Few customers believe the service will be improved after their complaints. |
| D．Shoppers would rather tell their unhappy experiences to people around them. |
What does Paula Courtney imply by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?
| A．The same products can be bought in other retail stores. |
| B．It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores. |
| C．New customers are sure to replace old ones. |
| D．Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too. |
What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?
| A．Hiring of efficient employees. |
| B．Manners of the salespeople. |
| C．Huge supply of goods for sale. |
| D．Design of the store display. |
To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to ______.
| A．voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly |
| B．settle their disagreements with stores in a friendly way |
| C．put pressure on stores to improve their service |
| D．shop around and make comparisons between stores |
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