Alibaba started taking the lead in China by connecting big Chinese manufacturers(制造商) with big buyers across the world. Its business-to-business site, Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything. Alibaba’s advantage wasn’t hard to judge: size. Alibaba is just big, even by Chinese standards. Its market attracts 231 million active buyers, 8 million sellers, 11.3 billion orders a year — and Alibaba is just the middleman. It encourages people to use its markets — not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale.
If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life, take my experience. I moved to Beijing a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded, polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics, bathroom furnishings, and anything else my wife wanted. “You’re looking for what exactly? Why not try it? ” my Chinese teacher asked me one day. With that, my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began.
Alibaba’s original business-to-business model now is second to consumer buying. Chinese retail(零售) buying makes up 80% of Alibaba’s profit, and leading that group is Taobao, with 800 million items for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you’ll ever find. TMall.com is Alibaba’s other big site, where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices.
What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U.S. is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping — big-box retailers especially —in favor of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites. In smaller towns than Beijing, where big retailers have not yet traveled, shopping online is shopping, and shopping is Taobao.
I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how wide the marketplace is. Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping. I’m not even a big buyer, because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site. When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher’s iPad, which helps me buy goods, I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine.
Alibaba’s advantage mainly lies in .
| A．its low price |
| B．its big size |
| C．its not charging small sellers |
| D．its business-to-business service |
We know from the passage that Alibaba .
| A．will continue to develop. |
| B．charges all the sellers on its site a percentage of the sale. |
| C．acts as a bridge between the buyers and sellers. |
| D．is of middle size among all the online sites. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Alibaba’s business-to-business service earns more money than retail. |
| B．TMall.com provides more profit than Taobao. |
| C．Taobao has no obvious advantage over other similar online sites. |
| D．The author’s Chinese teacher is also an online purchase lover. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Shopping online in China is TaoBao. |
| B．How the author purchases online in China. |
| C．Shopping online goes beyond traditional shopping. |
| D．Alibaba influences people’s daily purchase in China. |
Homeownership has let us down. For generations, Americans believed that owning a home was undoubtedly good. Our political leaders hammered home the point. Franklin Roosevelt held that a country of homeowners was “unconquerable.” Homeownership could even save babies, save children, save families and save America. A house with a lawn and a fence wasn’t just a nice place to live in or a risk-free investment; it was a way to transform a nation. No wonder leaders of all political types wanted to spend more than $100 billion a year on subsidies and tax breaks to encourage people to buy.
But the dark side of homeownership is now all too apparent: Indeed, easy lending stimulated by the cult（热潮）of homeownership may have caused the financial crisis. Housing remains a drag on the economy. Existing-home sales in April dropped 27% from the prior month, worsening fears of a double-drop. And all that is just the obvious tale of a housing bubble and what happened when it popped. The real story is deeper and darker still.
For the better part of a century, politics, industry and culture lined up to create a fetish of the idea of buying a house. Homeownership has done plenty of good over the decades; it has provided stability to tens of millions of families. Yet by idealizing the act of buying a home, we have ignored the downsides. In the bubble years, lending standards slipped dramatically, allowing many Americans to put far too much of their income into paying for their housing. And we ignored longer-term phenomena too. Homeownership contributed to the hollowing out of cities and kept renters out of the best neighborhoods. It fed America’s overuse of energy and oil. It made it more difficult for those who had lost a job to find another. Perhaps worst of all, it helped us become casually self-deceiving: By telling ourselves that homeownership was a pathway to wealth and stable communities and better test scores, we avoided dealing with these frightening issues head-on.
Now, as the U.S. recovers from the biggest housing bust(破产) since the Great Depression, it is time to rethink how realistic our expectations of homeownership are—and how much money we want to spend chasing them. Many argue that homeownership should not be a goal pursued at all costs.Political leaders wanted to spend money encouraging people to buy houses because _______.
| A．owning a home was undoubtedly good | B．homeownership was unconquerable |
| C．houses could save families and America | D．homeownership could shape a country |
The underlined sentence in Para. 2 means _______.
| A．homeownership has quite a lot of bad effects |
| B．the result of homeownership is much worse than it appears |
| C．the existing-home sales will keep decreasing in the U.S |
| D．there might be another housing breakdown in the U.S |
It can be inferred from Para. 3 that _______.
| A．it is hard for Americans to get a home loan |
| B．it is the way to wealth to have one’s own house |
| C．homeownership has made many people out of work |
| D．many Americans choose to live out of urban areas |
What is the author’s attitude towards homeownership?
| A．Cautious. | B．Puzzled. | C．Favorable. | D．Optimistic. |
They like using the Internet．They have lots of pocket money to spend．And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us．Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in, and the things they want to buy－games, CDs and clothing－are easily sold on the Web.
But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own credit cards．Most have to use a parent’s card．They want a facility that allows them to spend money.
That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyber (网络的) space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic．If successful, these products can stimulate online sales.
In general, teenagers spend huge amounts: $153bn (billion) in the US last year and ￡20bn annually in the UK．Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school－88 percent in the US, 69 percent in the UK．According to the Jupiter Research, one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online－mainly CDs and books.
In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children．Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street．They are more likely to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online.
One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cybercash is through prepaid cards such as Internetcash in the US and Smart cards in the UK．Similar to those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as￡20 or $50 with a concealed 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.What does the word “They” in paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．Sellers. | B．Parents. | C．Buyers. | D．Teenagers. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards. |
| B．More than half of the teenagers in the US and the UK have Internet access． |
| C．Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online. |
| D．Teenagers found it easier to persuade parents to buy online than in a shop. |
A new way to help teenagers shop online is to use ______.
| A．a new machine | B．special coins and notes |
| C．prepaid cards | D．pay-as-you-go mobile phones |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Online shopping traps. | B．The arrival of cyber pocket money. |
| C．New credit cards for parents. | D．Internet users in the US and the UK. |
Volunteers Wanted!
We conduct studies to evaluate new medications for sleep disorder．Both healthy adults and patients suffering from sleep disorder are sought to participate in these studies．
You may be qualified to take part as a healthy adult volunteer if you are aged 18 or over and are willing to have your sleep patterns recorded．Further, if you meet these standards and also suffer from a little sleep disorder you may be able to sign our register of patients．
Sports Tickets
| Mon., Nov. 1st, 2011 1:00 P.M. |
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles |
$20~$850 |
| Mon., Nov. 1st, 2011 1:00 P.M. |
Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets |
$35~$1000 |
| Mon., Nov. 8th, 2011 4:15 P.M. |
Sam Diego Chargers vs. New York Giants |
$40~$1500 |
| Mon., Nov. 15th, 2011 1:00 P.M. |
Jacksonville Kaguars vs. New York Jets |
$21~$6100 |
| Mon., Nov. 22nd, 2011 1:00 P.M. |
Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants |
$40~$19500 |
| Mon., Nov. 29th, 2011 1:00 P.M. |
Carolina Panthers vs. New York Jets |
$10~$12000 |
| Mon., Dec. 3rd, 2011 8:20 P.M. |
New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills |
$97~$800 |
Warnings:
☆ Always control your child when he is first learning to skateboard．To best assist a beginner, hold one of the child’s hands and guide him along a smooth and level surface．
☆ A safety helmet and elbow, wrist and knee pads must always be worn while your child is skateboarding．
☆ Sneakers must always be worn while your child is skateboarding．Don’t let your child skate in bare feet, sandals or any other open-toed shoes．
☆ Never let your child skateboard in the street．
☆ Never tow skateboarders with a bicycle or a car．
☆ Skateboard only in daylight．
Parents, there is a Tropical Paradise for kids too!
The Pacific Islands Club knows something others don’t．Kids are on holiday and they want to be pampered（纵容）, too．Our kids’ Club of PIC Guam is free of charge and has both indoor and outdoor activities ensuring a really great time to children aged 4 to 12．Open daily from 09: 00 a．m．Club mates will accompany children to all of the exciting play areas．They will also love to join the other children for the special meals we have prepared just for them．If you want to watch a play by New York Jets but pay the least money, you should go ______．
| A．Mon., Nov.15th, 2011 1:00 P.M. | B．Mon., Nov.1st, 2011 1:00 P.M. |
| C．Mon., Nov.29th, 2011 1:00 P.M. | D．Fri., Dec.3rd, 2011 8:20 P.M. |
While your child is skateboarding, you should_______．
| A．lead him by the hand all the time | B．forbid him to skateboard at night |
| C．require him to skateboard at night | D．let him put on open-toed shoes |
We know from the text that PIC Guam_______．
| A．charges children the least money | B．gets children alone to go to all the play areas |
| C．only has indoor activities | D．offers meals especially to children |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．New York Giants participates in four matches in November, 2011． |
| B．Skateboarding without helmet and knee pads is unwise． |
| C．You can be a volunteer if you suffer diet disorder． |
| D．There are no meals provided in Pacific Islands Club． |
Having a hobby helps to make you a more interesting person and gives you something fascinating to talk about with others. It can also help you to avoid feeling bored and often provides the opportunity to meet new people with similar interests. Learning something new is always good for keeping the mind alert and active, as is maintaining a long-term interest in something that attracts you. This will also make your more of an interesting person than a person who is addicted to Facebook, watching TV, or doing other time wasting and unhealthy tasks.
Think of a hobby that might interest you. It might be an interest that you always wished you had time to explore, but never had the time or money required to pursue your interest.
Collect things for a fashion magazine. Look at the walls in your post office, and think about collecting stamps and what you might need to do to start and maintain a stamp collection. Think of other items you might like to collect, for example, coins, dolls or chocolate wrappers.
_______________________. Have you ever gone to a museum, looked at the paintings on the walls, and wondered if you could do the same thing? How about trying painting for yourself — in oils or watercolors? Or maybe try drawing with charcoal or colored pencils.
Enjoy sport as a hobby. Watch soccer, basketball, golf, athletics or tennis tournaments on television or at your local sports ground. Do you feel that a sport is something that you would love to learn? Think about what it would cost, and the time it would take to learn and play. Do you have the funds available for this type of hobby? Would you have the patience it would take to really learn to play or train for any of these sports? Would you rather play a team sport or an individual sport? Maybe there are friends or family members who already have equipment and uniforms you can have, as well as tips for how to begin your chosen sport. Ask them about their experiences and listen to their suggestions. It is implied in the first paragraph that _______.
| A．havingahobbywillwastealotoftime |
| B．ahobbyisnomorethanatime-killingactivity |
| C．havingahobbywilldoyougoodalot |
| D．ahobbywillmeanalotofunexpectedchances |
Which of the following is most suitable for the blank in paragraph 4?
| A．Discoverartforahobby. | B．Learnartinamuseum. |
| C．Makeartinyourowncommunity. | D．Copyartfromotherpainters. |
The questions in the 5th paragraph are used to _______.
| A．showthecuriosityofthewriteraboutsports | B．presentsomeadviceforyoutoconsider |
| C．expressthedoubtofthewriteraboutsports | D．providesomechoicesonsportsactivity |
The purpose of writing this passage is to _______.
| A．teachushowtofindahobby | B．explainhowahobbyisdeveloped |
| C．introducetheimportanceofahobby | D．provetheeffectofahobbyonaperson |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
The Worst Part
Mom is usually home on Sunday but this week she was going to a big golf game and I was all alone in the house．I was mad at Mom for divorcing Dad．
I kept looking at the telephone until I couldn’t stand it any longer．I picked up the receiver and dialed Dad’s number over in Bakersfield．I even remembered to dial 1 first because it was long distance．“You promised to phone me this week but you didn’t,” I said, feeling I had to talk to him．
“Take it easy, kid,” he said．“I just didn’t get around to it．I was going to call this evening．The week isn’t over yet．”
I thought about that．
“Something on your mind?” he asked．
“I hoped you would call, so I waited and waited．” Then I was sorry I said it．
“There was heavy snow in the morning,” he said, “I had to chain up on highway 80 and lost time．”
I know putting chains on eight big wheels in the snow is no fun．I felt a little better, as long as we were talking．“How is Bandit?” I asked．
There was a funny silence．For a minute I thought the line was dead．Then I knew something must have happened to my dog．
“Well, kid—”, he began．“My name is Leigh!” I almost yelled．“I’m not just some kid you met on the street!”
“Keep your shirt on, Leigh,” he said．“When I had to stop along with some other truckers to put on chains, I left Bandit out of the cab, I thought he would get back … I have sent out a call to CB radio, but I didn’t get an answer yet．” I was about to say I understood when there came the bad part, the really bad part．I heard a boy’s voice say, “Hey, Bill, Mom wants to know when we’re going out to get the pizza?”From the story we know that _______．
| A．Leigh’s dad never had a rest on Sundays |
| B．Leigh’s dad lived in another city |
| C．Leigh was a deserted boy |
| D．Leigh’s mother often went to golf games |
What happened to Bandit?
| A．It was frozen to death． |
| B．It ran off Highway 80 and into the mountain． |
| C．It was killed by a truck． |
| D．It was let out of the cab and got lost. |
The underlined sentence “Keep your shirt on” probably means “_______ ”．
| A．Calm down | B．Stop talking |
| C．Put on your shirt | D．Keep warm |
The worst part in Leigh’s eyes may be that ________．
| A．his dad didn’t love him | B．his parents got divorced |
| C．his dad got remarried | D．his mom didn’t take him to pizza |
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