Passage 3
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:
Unlike their American or European counterparts, car salesmen in Japan work hard to get a buyer. Instead of lying lazily around showrooms waiting for customers to drop by, many Japanese car salesmen still go out to get them. They walk wearily along the streets cars door-to-door. New customers are hunted with fruit and cakes on their birthdays. But life is getting tough, and not just because new-car sales are falling.
With more Japanese women (who often control the household budget) going out to work, the salesmen increasingly find nobody at home when they call. That means another visit in the evening or the weekend. Then they face an extra problem: more people, especially the young, prefer to choose a new car from a showroom where they can compare different models.
Even as late as the mid-1980s some 90% of new cars were sold door-to-door. In some rural areas most new cars are still sold this way. But in the big cities more than half the new cars are now sold from showrooms.
Although investing in showrooms is expensive because of the high cost of Japanese land, dealers have little choice. A labor shortage and higher among Japan’s workforce are making it difficult to hire door-to-door salesmen. Most of a Japanese car salesman’s working day is spent doing favors for customers, like arranging insurance or picking up vehicles for servicing, rather than actually selling.
Japan’s doorstep car salesmen are not about to vanish. The personal service they provide is so deep-rooted in Japan that they are likely to operate alongside the glittering new showrooms. The two systems even complement each other. What increasingly happens is that the showroom attracts the interest of a potential buyer, giving the footsore salesmen a firm lead to follow up with a home visit.
11. Japanese car sales usually do not wait at showrooms for customers to drop by; instead, .
A. they sell cars door-to-door
B. they buy presents for their customers
C. they enjoy themselves in recreation centers
D. they go out to do market researches
12. Implied but stated: the competition in car market is .
A. light B. moderate C. fierce D. unfair
13. Young people like to buy a new car .
A. at home B. from a showroom
C. made in the U.S.A. D. made in Japan
14. The squadron of Japanese car salesmen is reducing because of .
A. a labor shortage
B. higher expectations among Japan’s workforce
C. high cost land
D. both A and B
15. Japanese car salesmen to their customers many favors such as .
A. showing them around in an exhibition
B. arranging insurance
C. paying them a visit on weekends
D. selling ole cars for them
DDBDD
暂无解析
翻译:
几千年的中国文化充实着中国梦,同时,过去三十几年的改革开放也激励着中国梦。中国梦最显著的特征是包容性和双赢合作。这些也是使中国梦扩大它的全球影响范围和被其他国家的人民认可的基本特征。中国梦是民族复兴的梦。它是建设一个强大繁荣的国家,给中国人民带来幸福生活的梦。中国梦需要维持稳定健康的经济发展,科学管理社会,以及有效应对外部发展的风险和挑战。
IliveinthelandofDisney,Hollywoodandyear-roundsun.Youmaythinkpeopleinsuchaglamorous,fun-filledplacearehappierthanothers.Ifso,youhavesomemistakenideasaboutthenatureofhappiness.
Manyintelligentpeoplestillequatehappinesswithfun.Thetruthisthatfunandhappinesshavelittleornothingincommon.Funiswhatweexperienceduringanact.Happinessiswhatweexperienceafteranact.Itisadeeper,moreabidingemotion.
Goingtoanamusementparkorballgame,watchingamovieortelevision,arefunactivitiesthathelpusrelax,temporarilyforgetourproblemsandmaybeevenlaugh.Buttheydonotbringhappiness,becausetheirpositiveeffectsendwhenthefunends.
IhaveoftenthoughtthatifHollywoodstarshavearoletoplay,itistoteachusthathappinesshasnothingtodowithfun.Theserich,beautifulindividualshaveconstantaccesstoglamorousparties,fancycars,expensivehomes,everythingthatspells“happiness”.Butinmemoiraftermemoir,celebritiesrevealtheunhappinesshiddenbeneathalltheirfun:depression,alcoholism,drugaddiction,brokenmarriages,troubledchildrenandprofoundloneliness.
Askabachelorwhyheresistsmarriageeventhoughhefindsdatingtobelessandlesssatisfying.Ifhe’shonest,hewilltellyouthatheisafraidofmakingacommitment.Forcommitmentisinfactquitepainful.Thesinglelifeisfilledwithfun,adventureandexcitement.Marriagehassuchmoments,buttheyarenotitsmostdistinguishingfeatures.
Similarly,couplesthatchoosenottohavechildrenaredecidinginfavorofpainlessfunoverpainfulhappiness.Theycandineoutevertheywantandsleepaslateastheywant.Coupleswithinfantchildrenareluckytogetawholenight’ssleeporathree-dayvacation.Idon’tknowanyparentwhowouldchoosethewordfuntodescriberaisingchildren.
Understandingandacceptingthattruehappinesshasnothingtodowithfunisoneofthemostliberatingrealizationswecanevercometo.Itliberatestime:nowwecandevotemorehourstoactivitiesthatcangenuinelyincreaseourhappiness.Itliberatesmoney:buyingthatnewcarorthosefancyclothesthatwilldonothingtoincreaseourhappinessnowseemspointless.Anditliberatesusfromenvy:wenowunderstandthatallthoserichandglamorouspeopleweweresosurearehappybecausetheyarealwayshavingsomuchfunactuallymaynotbehappyatall.
1.Whichofthefollowingistrue?
A.Funcreateslong-lastingsatisfaction.
B.Funprovidesenjoymentwhilepainleadstohappiness.
C.Happinessisenduringwhereasfunisshort-lived.
D.Funthatislong-standingmayleadtohappiness.
2.Totheauthor,Hollywoodstarsallhaveanimportantroletoplaythatisto__.
A.ritememoiraftermemoirabouttheirhappiness.
B.tellthepublicthathappinesshasnothingtodowithfun.
C.teachpeoplehowtoenjoytheirlives.
D.bringhappinesstothepublicinsteadofgoingtoglamorousparties.
3.Intheauthor’sopinion,marriage___.
A.affordsgreaterfun.
B.leadstoraisingchildren.
C.indicatescommitment.
D.endsinpain.
4.Coupleshavinginfantchildren___.
A.areluckysincetheycanhaveawholenight’ssleep.
B.findfunintuckingthemintobedatnight.
C.findmoretimetoplayandjokewiththem.
D.derivehappinessfromtheirendeavor.
5.Ifonegetthemeaningofthetruesenseofhappiness,hewill__.
A.stopplayinggamesandjokingwithothers.
B.makethebestuseofhistimeincreasinghappiness.
C.giveafreehandtomoney.
D.keephimselfwithhisfamily.
Everything____intoconsideration,IproposethatthefirstprizeshouldbegiventoLiuQiang.
ThediscoveryoftheAntarcticnotonlyprovedoneofthemostinterestingofallgeographicaladventures,butcreatedwhatmightbecalled“theheroicageofAntarcticexploration”.Bytheirtremendousheroism,mensuchasShakleton,Scott,andAmundsencausedanewcontinenttoemergefromtheshadows,andyetthatheroicage,littlemorethanacenturyold,isalreadypassing.Modernscienceandinventionsarerevolutionizingtheendurance,futurejourneysintotheseicywasteswillprobablydependonmotorvehiclesequippedwithcaterpillartractionratherthanonthedogsthatearlierdiscoverersfoundsoinvaluableandhardlycomparable.
FewrealizethatthisAntarcticcontinentisalmostequalinsizetoSouthAmerica,andenormousfieldofworkawaitsgeographersandprospectors.Thecoastsofthiscontinentremaintobeaccuratelycharted,andthemapingofthewholeoftheinteriorpresentsaformidabletasktothecartographerswhoundertakethework.Oncetheirlaborsarecompleted,itwillbepossibletoprospectthevastnaturalresourceswhichscientistsbelievewillfurnishoneofthelargesttreasurehoardsofmetalsandmineralstheworldhasyetknown,andalmostinexhaustiblesourcesofcopper,coal,uranium,andmanyotheroreswillbecomeavailabletoman.SuchdiscoverieswillusherinaneraofpracticalexploitationoftheAntarcticwastes.
Thepolardarknesswhichhidesthiscontinentforthesixwintermonthswillbedefeatedbyhugebatteriesoflight,andmakepossibletheestablishingofair-fieldsforthefutureinter-continentalairservicesbymakingtheseareasaslightasday.Presentflyingrouteswillbecompletelychanged,fortheAntarcticrefuelingbaseswillmakeflightsfromAustraliatoSouthAmericacomparativelyeasyoverthe5,000milesjourney.
Theclimateisnotlikelytoofferaninsuperableproblem,fortheexplorerAdmiralByrdhasshownthattheclimateispossibleevenformencompletelyuntrainedforexpeditionsintothosefrozenwastes.Someofhispartiesweremenwhohadneverseensnowbefore,andyetherecordsthattheysurvivedtherigorsoftheAntarcticclimatecomfortably,sothat,providedthattheappropriateinstallationsaremade,wemayassumethathumanbeingsfromallcountriescouldlivetheresafely.Byrdevenaffirmsthatitisprobablythemosthealthyclimateintheworld,fortheintensecoldofthousandsofyearshassterilizethiscontinent,andrendereditabsolutelygermfree,withtheconsequencesthatordinaryandextraordinarysicknessanddiseasesfromwhichmansuffersinotherzoneswithdifferentclimatesarehereutterlyunknown.Thereexistnoproblemsofconservationandpreservationoffoodsupplies,forthelatterkeepindefinitelywithoutanysignsofdeterioration;itmayevenbethatlatergenerationswillcometoregardtheAntarcticasthenaturalstorehouseforthewholeworld.
Plansarealreadyonfoottosetuppermanentbasesontheshoresofthiscontinent,andwhatsofewyearsagowasregardedasa“deadcontinent”nowpromisestobeamostactivecenterofhumanlifeandendeavor.
1.WhendidmanbegintoexploretheAntarctic?
A.About100yearsago.
B.Inthiscentury.
C.Atthebeginningofthe19thcentury.
D.In1798.
2.Whatmusttheexplorersbe,eventhoughtheyhavemodernequipmentandtechniques?
A.Braveandtough
B.Stubbornandarrogant.
C.Well-likedandhumorous.
D.Stoutandsmart.
3.Themosthealthyclimateintheworldis___.
A.inSouthAmerica.
B.intheArcticRegion.
C.intheAntarcticContinent.
D.intheAtlanticOcean.
4.WhatkindofmetalsandmineralscanwefindintheAntarctic?
A.Magnetite,coalandores.
B.Copper,coalanduranium.
C.Silver,naturalgasanduranium.
D.Aluminum,copperandnaturalgas.
5.Whatisplannedforthecontinent?
A.Buildingdamsalongthecoasts.
B.Settingupseveralsummerresortsalongthecoasts.
C.Mappingthecoastandwholeterritory.
D.Settinguppermanentbasesonthecoasts.
Wecanconcludefromthepassagethat________.