Passage3

Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

UnliketheirAmericanorEuropeancounterparts,carsalesmeninJapanworkhardtogetabuyer.Insteadoflyinglazilyaroundshowroomswaitingforcustomerstodropby,manyJapanesecarsalesmenstillgoouttogetthem.Theywalkwearilyalongthestreetscarsdoor-to-door.Newcustomersarehuntedwithfruitandcakesontheirbirthdays.Butlifeisgettingtough,andnotjustbecausenew-carsalesarefalling.

WithmoreJapanesewomen(whooftencontrolthehouseholdbudget)goingouttowork,thesalesmenincreasinglyfindnobodyathomewhentheycall.Thatmeansanothervisitintheeveningortheweekend.Thentheyfaceanextraproblem:morepeople,especiallytheyoung,prefertochooseanewcarfromashowroomwheretheycancomparedifferentmodels.

Evenaslateasthemid-1980ssome90%ofnewcarsweresolddoor-to-door.Insomeruralareasmostnewcarsarestillsoldthisway.Butinthebigcitiesmorethanhalfthenewcarsarenowsoldfromshowrooms.

AlthoughinvestinginshowroomsisexpensivebecauseofthehighcostofJapaneseland,dealershavelittlechoice.AlaborshortageandhigheramongJapan’sworkforcearemakingitdifficulttohiredoor-to-doorsalesmen.MostofaJapanesecarsalesman’sworkingdayisspentdoingfavorsforcustomers,likearranginginsuranceorpickingupvehiclesforservicing,ratherthanactuallyselling.

Japan’sdoorstepcarsalesmenarenotabouttovanish.Thepersonalservicetheyprovideissodeep-rootedinJapanthattheyarelikelytooperatealongsidetheglitteringnewshowrooms.Thetwosystemsevencomplementeachother.Whatincreasinglyhappensisthattheshowroomattractstheinterestofapotentialbuyer,givingthefootsoresalesmenafirmleadtofollowupwithahomevisit.

11.Japanesecarsalesusuallydonotwaitatshowroomsforcustomerstodropby;instead,.

A.theysellcarsdoor-to-door

B.theybuypresentsfortheircustomers

C.theyenjoythemselvesinrecreationcenters

D.theygoouttodomarketresearches

12.Impliedbutstated:thecompetitionincarmarketis.

A.lightB.moderateC.fierceD.unfair

13.Youngpeopleliketobuyanewcar.

A.athomeB.fromashowroom

C.madeintheU.S.A.D.madeinJapan

14.ThesquadronofJapanesecarsalesmenisreducingbecauseof.

A.alaborshortage

B.higherexpectationsamongJapan’sworkforce

C.highcostland

D.bothAandB

15.Japanesecarsalesmentotheircustomersmanyfavorssuchas.

A.showingthemaroundinanexhibition

B.arranginginsurance

C.payingthemavisitonweekends

D.sellingolecarsforthem

Urbancongestionwouldgreatlyberelievedifthe____chargedonpublictransportweremorereasonable.

Ifthedrugproveseffectiveinhumantrials,itcouldenhancetheeffectivenessofexistingAIDSdrugsin________.

Whyaretoday'soldermiddle-agedandelderlybecomingthenewwinners?

Passage3

Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

TheideaofaspecialdaytohonormotherswasfirstputforwardinAmericain1907.twoyearslaterawoman,Mrs.JohnBruceDodd,inthestateofWashingtonproposedasimilardaytohonortheheadofthefamily—thefather.Hermotherdiedwhenshewasveryyoung,andherfatherbroughtherup.Shelovedherfatherverymuch.

InresponsetoMrs.Dodd’sideathatsameyear—1909,thestategovernorofWashingtonproclaimed(宣布)thethirdSundayinJuneFather’sDay.TheideawasofficiallyapprovedbyPresidentWoodrowWilsonin1916.in1924,PresidentCalvinCoolidgerecommendednationalobservanceoftheoccasion“toestablishmoreintimate(亲密)relationsbetweenfathersandtheirchildren,andtoimpressuponfathersthefullmeasureoftheirobligations.”TheredorwhiteroseisrecognizedastheofficialFather’sDayflower.

Father’sDaytooklongertoestablishonanationalscalethanMother’sDay,butastheideagrainedpopularity,tradesmenandmanufacturersbegantoseethecommercialpossibilities.Theyencouragedsonsanddaughterstohonortheirfatherswithsmallthank-youpresents,suchasatieorpairofsocks,aswellasbysendinggreetingcards.

DuringtheSecondWorldWar,AmericanservicemenstationedinBritainbegantorequestFather’sDaygreetingcardstosendhome.ThisgeneratedaresponsewithBritishcardpublishers.ThoughatfirsttheBritishpublicwasslowtoacceptthisratherartificialday,it’snowwellcelebratedinBritainonthethirdSundayinJuneinmuchthesamewayasinAmerica.

Father’sDayseemstobemuchlessimportantasoccasionthantheMother’sDay.Notmanyofthechildrenoffertheirfatherssomepresents.ButtheAmericanfathersstillthinktheyaremuchbetterfatedthanthefathersofmanyothercountries,whohavenotevenadayfortheirsakeinnameonly.

11.WhendidFather’sDayofficiallybegintohavenationalpopularity?

A.1907B.1909C.1916D.1924

12.WhofirststartedtheideaofholdingtheFather’sDay?

A.Mrs.JohnBruceDoddB.Mrs.JohnBruce’sMother

C.ThegovernmentofWashington.D.Somebusinessmen.

13.WhatflowerwillbepopularonFather’sDay?

A.LilyB.WaterLilyC.RedroseorwhiteroseD.Sunflower.

14.Whichstatementistrue,aaccordingtothispassage?

A.IttookevenlongerforMother’sDaytogainnationalpopularity.

B.ThebusinessmenhelpedtomakeFather’sDaypopular.

C.Father’sDayisonlycelebratedinAmerica.

D.Father’sDayisonlyatrickofthebusinessmentomakemoney.

15.WhatwasthefirstreactionoftheBritishpublishingtowardsFather’sDay?

A.Theythoughthighlyofitandaccepteditatonce.

B.Theyjustaccepteditatoncewithoutanyhesitation.

C.Theyjustthoughtitajoke.

D.Theythoughtitwastooartificialandtookalongtimetoaccept.