At 21，Ricardo Semler became boss of his father"s business in Brazil，Semco，which sold parts for ships. Semler Junior worked like a mad man，from 7：30 am，until midnight every day. One afternoon，while touring a factory in New York，he broke down. The doctor who treated him said，"There"s nothing wrong with you. But if you continue like this, you"ll find a new home in our hospital. "Semler got the message. He changed the way he worked. In fact，he changed the ways his employees worked too.
He let his workers take more responsibility so that they would be the ones worrying when things went wrong. He allowed them to set their own salaries，and he cut all the jobs he thought were unnecessary，like receptionists and secretaries. This saved money and brought more equality(平等）to the company. "Everyone at Semco，even top managers，meets guests in reception，does the photocopying，sends faxes，types letters and dials the phone."
He completely reorganized the office：instead of walls，they have plants at Semco，so bosses can"t shut themselves away from everyone else. And the workers are free to decorate their workspace as they want. As for uniforms，some people wear suits and others wear T-shirts.
Semco has flexible （灵活的）working hours：the employees decide when they need to arrive at work. Also，Semco lets its workers use the company"s machines for their own projects，and makes them take holidays for at least thirty days a year.
It sounds perfect，but does it work? The answer is in the numbers：in the last six years，Semco"s revenues （收入）have gone from $35 million to $212 million. The company has grown from eight hundred employees to 3，000. Why?
Semler says it"s because of "peer pressure". Peer pressure makes employees work hard for everyone else. If someone isn"t doing his job well，the other workers will not allow the situation to continue. In other words，Ricardo Semler treats his workers like adults rather than children, and expects them to act like responsible adults. And they do.
小题1:Why did Semler change the way he and his employees worked?| A．Because he went crazy because of overwork. | | B．Because he had to receive treatment in hospital. | | C．Because his father asked him to. | | D．Because the doctor warned him of the danger of overwork. |
小题2:Semler made a variety of changes in his company Except that__________.| A．the number of the employees is reduced to save money | | B．the employees can take only 30 days off for holiday every year. | | C．flexible working hours were introduced | | D．the employees enjoyed a lot of freedom |
小题3:What’s the main idea of Paragraph five?| A．Ricardo Semler’s new management method succeeded. | | B．Ricardo Semler’s idea sounded perfect but not practical. | | C．The company earned a lot of money. | | D．The reason for his success. |
小题4:In his company, what does Ricardo Semler value most?| A．freedom | B．rules | C．responsibility | D．hard work |
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小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:C |
试题分析：本篇文章讲述了Ricardo Semler的故事。他在接手父亲的公司后，拼命工作，结果身体一度垮掉。于是他改变了自己的管理方式，给了员工更多的自由，也使他们有了更多的责任意识，培养了他们负责的态度，由此公司无论从规模上，还是效益上都有了显著的增长。
小题1:D细节理解题。根据文章首段内容可知Semler 因工作过度而身体一度垮掉，于是他接受了医生的警告“got the message. He changed the way he worked. In fact，he changed the ways his employees worked too.”，从而改变了自己以及员工的工作方式。所以答案选D。
小题2:B细节理解题。从文章第二段可知Semler裁掉了秘书、接待员等缩减了人员开支，还允许雇员自主安排办公环境、自己制定工资标准，给了他们更多的自由，根据第四段Semco has flexible （灵活的）working hours可知他们的工作时间更为灵活，由此可知A、C、D选项内容正确，而B选项内容文中没有涉及，故答案选B。
小题3:A主旨大意题。本段开头提出中心问题but does it work? ，然后用公司收入和员工人数增长的数字进行说明，由此可知本段内容是讲述他管理模式的成功，答案选A。
小题4:C推理判断题。根据文章末段and expects them to act like responsible adults. And they do.可知Semler的管理措施为的是培养员工的责任感，故答案选C。 |
核心考点
试题【 At 21，Ricardo Semler became boss of his father"s business in Brazil，Semco，which】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
He is talent and charm(魅力) have made him the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.
Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras, making his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.
Lang Lang’s charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent（代表）China’s new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, “The Lang Lang effect” is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.
Now in China children are learning Chopin(肖邦) and Western orchestras are touring Chinese cities, but can China ever export（出口）its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.
Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father’s own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. “That was the best month,” he says, without hesitation. “I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert.”
小题1:Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lang Lang is the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world?| A．He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer. | | B．He has as many as 5 billions fans in China. | | C．He is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras. | | D．He plays the piano so well and has a good international image. |
小题2:The underlined word “debut” in the second paragraph probably means____.| A．first class | B．first performance | C．first plan | D．first choice |
小题3:Which of the following statements about Lang is true?| A．He has 36 million Chinese students in China. | | B．He is touring China giving concerts. | | C．He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries. | | D．He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra. |
小题4:From the last paragraph we can infer _____.| A．Lang didn’t like his father when he was little | | B．he was happy to practice the piano everyday | | C．his father’s desire and expectations played an important role in his childhood | | D．he injured his right hand on purpose six years ago |
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When I was a law professor, a student reported that I made an error in grading his exam by giving him too many points. He was ______ and after thanking him for his honesty, I changed the ______ in my records. His beaming (欢笑的) face turned to _____. “You’re lowering my grade?” he said angrily. “I would never have come in ______ ……”
He didn’t finish the ______, but it was obvious that his display of honesty was false. He thought he’d have it all—praise and the ______ grade.
Several colleagues thought I should have let the higher grade ______ because all I’d accomplished was to discourage him from being ______ in the future. And every time I tell this ______, some people agree with this remark.
But I can’t see how I could give good ______ for worsening my mistake in grading by undermining (损害) the honesty of all my grades by failing to ______ an error. The grade itself would be a dishonest ______ of his knowledge and it would have been ______to other students. How could I possibly give a student a gift of an_____ grade?
I know ______ reporting an error in one’s favor is unusual, but, like ______ extra change, it’s clearly the right thing to do. People of character, those with real honesty, hate to give up benefits as ______ as anyone else. The difference is that for them a good conscience and reputation is ______enough to give reason for the cost of doing the right thing.
Perhaps lowering the student’s grade did ______ him from being honest in the future, but bribing (贿赂) him to be honest so that he does the right thing when it’s cost-free would have ______him even more. The duty to be honest is about right and wrong, not risks and rewards.
| 小题1: | | A．wise | B．right | C．rigid | D．angry |
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| 小题2: | | A．file | B．note | C．name | D．grade |
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| 小题3: | | A．grief | B．shock | C．happiness | D．silence |
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| 小题4: | | A．whether | B．which | C．if | D．what |
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| 小题5: | | A．sentence | B．word | C．exam | D．lesson |
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| 小题6: | | A．higher | B．lower | C．more | D．less |
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| 小题7: | | A．move | B．stand | C．change | D．drop |
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| 小题8: | | A．brave | B．adventurous | C．honest | D．successful |
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| 小题10: | | A．reason | B．cause | C．excuse | D．result |
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| 小题11: | | A．make | B．find | C．avoid | D．correct |
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| 小题12: | | A．reaction | B．sense | C．sign | D．reflection |
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| 小题13: | | A．unfair | B．cruel | C．tough | D．funny |
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| 小题14: | | A．unfinished | B．undone | C．unearned | D．unquestioned |
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| 小题15: | | A．actively | B．secretly | C．voluntarily | D．curiously |
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| 小题16: | | A．receiving | B．returning | C．earning | D．paying |
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| 小题18: | | A．pleasure | B．reward | C．content | D．honor |
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| 小题19: | | A．discourage | B．influence | C．protect | D．separate |
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| 小题20: | | A．improved | B．encouraged | C．ruined | D．blamed |
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As we all know, getting benched in sports is usually a bad thing. But at one school in Florida, a girl has taken a bench and turned it into something entirely different – a place to find friends. It’s called the Friendship Bench. And it’s the brainchild of a sixth grader at Palm Bay Elementary – a girl named Acacia Woodley.
Acacia’s attitude toward life might be summed up best by a question she recently asked members of the Brevard County School Board – “what if we spend as much time putting the spotlight on kindness as we do on cruelty?” It’s a philosophy Acacias has learned to live her own life -despite having a lot of people would consider a handicap. She was born without a right hand. And her left hand did not form properly. But Acacia says that she has not stopped her from achieving her goals. “You need to believe in your dreams. If you don’t believe in you dreams, I can definitely tell you that they are not going to come true.” She said.
Acacia came up with the idea for the Friendship Bench after seeing kids getting bullied at school. She says she has also experienced bullying herself – kids whispering about her or picking on her because she is different. “Some people say they feel sorry for me. I tell them not to,” she said. “I don’t care that I’m different. I like being different.”
The Friendship Bench looks like a lot of other benches. It has arm sets and a place to lean on. But there are also words painted on it – words such as “hope”, “respect”, “listen” and “dream”. Acacia put the benches together with the help from her mother and brother.
Any time a kid feels he or she needs a friend, all that kid needs to do is sit on the bench. It is then up to the other kids – or grown-ups – to fill that need. “It’s a perfect idea,” Palm Bay Elementary Principal Lori said. “It’s something we’ve needed so badly.”
The Friendship Bench has been such a success at Palm Bay Elementary that other schools are now interested in installing one too. “There’s a saying in my teacher’s classroom,” Acacia said. “It says, ‘it you can dream it, you can achieve it.’”
小题1:What is the function of the first sentence in Paragraph One?| A．To explain the meaning of getting benched is sports. | | B．To introduce the important role “bench” plays in sports. | | C．To introduce what the author wants to say in the text to us. | | D．To tell us that the passage is connected with the word “bench”. |
小题2:What can be learned about Acacia from the passage?| A．She is disabled but leads an active life. | | B．She has a deep understanding of life. | | C．She finds it difficult to achieve her goals. | | D．She finds herself always in need of help. |
小题3:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?| A．Acacia has also suffered from other kids’ bullying. | | B．The kids who sit on the bench feel they need friends. | | C．Grown-ups are allowed to offer their help to the one in need. | | D．The Friendship Bench is different from others in the arm sets. |
小题4:What can we infer from the passage?| A．More Friendship Benches will be installed in other schools soon. | | B．Students stop bullying other schoolmates at Palm Bay Elementary. | | C．The students at Palm Bay Elementary have become more friendly. | | D．Acacia has become a very important figure at Palm Bay Elementary. |
小题5:What is the best title of this passage?| A．Acacia’s New Invention | | B．The Friendship Bench | | C．Help from a Special Bench | | D．Getting Benched in School |
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At the beginning of my 8：00 a．m．class one Monday at University of Nevada,Las Vegas(UNLV)，I cheerfully asked my students their weekend had been．“Not been very good”，one young man said．He"d had his wisdom teeth ．The young man then went on to ask me why I seemed to be so cheerful．His question reminded me of I′d read somewhere before：”Every morning when you get up，you have a about how you want to approach life that day”，I said．“I choose to be cheerful”．
“Let me give you an ”，I continued．The other 60 students in the class their chatter and began to listen．one day,my car died on the way．I called AAA and asked them to send a ．The secretary in the Provost’S office asked me what had happened．”This is my day”， I replied,smiling．”Your Car and today is your lucky day?”She Was ．”What do you mean?”“I live 17 miles from here”，I replied．”My car have gone wrong anywhere along the freeway．It didn’t．Instead，it went wrong in the place：off the freeway,within walking distance of here．I’m able to teach my class，and I’ve been able to arrange for the tow truck to me after class．”The secretary’s eyes opened wide，and then she smiled．
I scanned the 60 faces in the lecture hall． the early hour,no one seemed to be asleep．Somehow,my story had them．Or maybe it Wasn’t the story ．It had all started with a student"s that I Was cheerful．A wise mail once said：”Who you are louder to me than anything you can say”．I suppose it must be so．
| 小题1: | | A．how | B．what | C．whether | D．where |
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| 小题2: | | A．pulled | B．brought | C．taken | D．removed |
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| 小题3: | | A．seldom | B．always | C．occasionally | D．ever |
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| 小题4: | | A．something | B．nothing | C．anything | D．everything |
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| 小题5: | | A．decision | B．chance | C．choice | D．destination |
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| 小题6: | | A．excuse | B．explanation | C．instruction | D．example |
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| 小题7: | | A．stopped | B．interrupted | C．disturbed | D．prevented |
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| 小题8: | | A．truck | B．tractor | C．secretary | D．policeman |
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| 小题9: | | A．strange | B．terrible | C．lucky | D．pleasant |
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| 小题10: | | A．cuts up | B．breaks up | C．breaks down | D．tears down |
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| 小题11: | | A．cheerful | B．doubtful | C．puzzled | D．worried |
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| 小题12: | | A．could | B．must | C．should | D．would |
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| 小题13: | | A．wrong | B．proper | C．perfect | D．smooth |
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| 小题14: | | A．thus | B．still | C．hardly | D．even |
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| 小题15: | | A．pick | B．send | C．meet | D．visit |
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| 小题16: | | A．Despite | B．Although | C．Since | D．Though |
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| 小题17: | | A．taught | B．touched | C．educated | D．excited |
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| 小题18: | | A．after all | B．in all | C．above all | D．at all |
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| 小题19: | | A．motivation | B．inspiration | C．observation | D．appreciation |
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| 小题20: | | A．says | B．speaks | C．talks | D．tells |
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Last Friday, I was coming home late after spending time with friends and thought I’d go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I’d seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to.
There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him uncomfortable. He’d rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It’s funny, in that moment, he became more real to me.
This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when “he was younger and didn’t know any better” and how he tried to make amends (补偿) but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people.
He talked about his one wish being in his 60’s before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, “I met an amazing homeless person”.
小题1:The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to ____.| A．share his experience | B．show his generosity | | C．express his thoughts | D．exchange his opinions |
小题2:The homeless man refused pizza because he ____.| A．did not feel very hungry at that moment | | B．had something wrong with his stomach | | C．preferred some chicken and rice to pizza | | D．might feel ashamed to be given something |
小题3:What’s the homeless man’s last wish?| A．To become a lot younger again. | | B．To make amends for his early life. | | C．To have enough chicken and rice to eat. | | D．To teach the young not to follow his example. |
小题4:It can be inferred from the text that ____.| A．The homeless man is different from others | | B．The writer showed his pity to the homeless man | | C．What the homeless man thought shocked the writer | | D．What the homeless man did was not very meaningful |
小题5:How do you like the homeless man after reading the passage?| A．Learned. | B．Honorable. | C．Determined. | D．Promising. |
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