was introduced, most people did not like it as well as “regular” coffee, and it took several years to gain
general acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one
brand and sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline when freeze-dried coffees
were introduced (stage of decline).
The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle
call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One
strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market
sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?
Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers
once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.
1. According to the passage, when people grow fond of one particular brand of a product, its sales will _____.
A. decrease gradually
B. remain at the same level
C. become unstable
D. improve enormously
2. Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to _____.
A. work out marketing policies
B. promote its production
C. increase its popularity
D. speed up its life cycle
3. The author mentions the example of “backpacks” in paragraph two to show the importance of _____.
A. pleasing the young as well as the old
B. increasing usage among students
C. exploring new market sections
D. serving both military and civil needs
4. In order to recover their share of the world market, U.S. auto makers are _____.
A. improving product quality
B. increasing product features
C. modernizing product style
D. re-positioning their product in the market
many perfect-looking pop stars keep denying they have changed their facial appearance. Some even get
angry at any claims that they"ve been under the knife.
So it was a bit shocking when Chinese singer Heng Yue boldly announced last month she would have
plastic surgery, becoming the first celebrity to do so in the mainland.
Heng, with a broad range and penetrating(有穿透力的)voice, had been invited to sing the theme
song for Chen Kaige"s film The Promise and TV drama such as Ma Dashuai and Liu Laogen. But the
popularity of the songs shaded her. Her look just wasn"t very charming.
On March 24, Heng, who declined to reveal her age, endured2 18 operations on her face. It was a
comprehensive 8-hour plastic surgery job including nose reshaping and eye operations, said to cost around 650,000 yuan.
"I am so fond of singing," said Heng, "I"m hoping to go further in my career as a singer. However, I"ve
found my plain looks are making me less competitive."
Heng said that many TV shows were interested in her singing, but rejected her, saying that she looked
just so so. So the chance went to someone who looked more attractive or charming on camera.
Certainly, Heng"s not the only star to go seeking perfection. Tian Yungcheng, a doctor specializing in
plastic surgery, said that Heng was just one of about 200 stars he had operated on.
"Whenever we turn on the TV, mose of the celebrity faces on stage, I believe, have had operation."
Tian said.
"Pop stars are reluctant to tell anyone about their surgery since they"re under the pressure from the
public who find it hard to accept fake beauty. But I don"t see it as wrong if a person just wants to be
perfect or have a more pleasant look for others to appreciate." Tian said.
B.They have had operations on their faces.
C.They have been threatened by people.
D.They have been the victims of the operations.
B.She keeps her age as a secret.
C.She used to have an unattractive face.
D.She was the first pop star to have plastic surgery.
B.most people support the beauty industry
C.Tian Yungcheng is an attractive doctor
D.people have little trouble in accepting fake beauty
B.She wanted to marry an attractive man.
C.She wanted to be an actress.
D.She wanted to be more competitive.
B.Because they can"t accept their fake beauty and status in their career.
C.Because it"s hard to explain to their fans.
D.Because they may suffer the pressure from people if they tell the truth.
childhood behind. They become "kidults" (kid+adult). Being a kidult has become a lifestyle-choice
among young people across Asia.
Some kidults collect toys they once played with. Hello Kitty, Garfield, and Snoopy have many
adult fans around the world. It is not unusual to see a 20-something woman with a big, Garfield-shaped
cushion on her sofa or a Hello Kitty mobile phone accessory(附属品).
Other kidults still enjoy children"s stories and fairy tales. For example, Bloomsbury even published
the Harry Potter novels with an adult cover. That way, no one else on the subway will know that an
adult is actually reading a children"s book!
"Kidults can be like vitamins to society. Adults who value their childhood and hold on to pure,
child-like emotion may be needed in such a rough and dry society," said Lee Sojung, professor of
Foreign Studies at Hankuk University(韩国外国语大学). He added that kidult culture may fill the
generation gap between adults and kids. It could give children and their parents books, movies, and
cartoon shows to enjoy together. He may be right.
Tim Greenhalgh, a professor, explained that some kidults just refuse to grow up. They value
childhood because life in a busy and stressful city frightens them. Kidults would like to forget their
age and openly show their fear of society and adulthood.
B. Bloomsbury knows some kidults don"t want people to know that they are kidults
C. Kidults like to have vitamins very much
D. Some toys are so interesting that even adults like them very much
B. it can help kidults feel relaxed
C. it is helpful to solve some social problems
D. it can make people loyal to one"s parents
B. kidults have mental problems
C. our society is very dull
D. some people can never grow up
Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended(颠覆) by the tons of information
available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in
constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had
exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would
cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost
of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in
producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than
men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global
trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books,
health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics,
antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after
you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A
company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to
Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable(能预测的) future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard
Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those
connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week),
and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they
have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”
1. What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?
A. Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced.
B. Information technology is developing at an amazing speed.
C. Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult.
D. There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry.
2. The author gives the example of FinalThoughts.com to make the point that____.
A. there are some genius ideas on the Internet
B. almost anything is available on the Internet
C. people can find good bargains on the Internet
D. some websites provide novel services to increase hits
3. What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
A. There is a link between income and computer ownership.
B. Many American children don’t put computers to good use.
C. Studies show that boys are more computer literate than girls.
D. The U.S. will stay ahead in the information technology in years.
4. Which sentence has the phrase that possesses the same meaning as the one underlined in the fifth
paragraph?
A. Some can tell you that he has changed their lives, while others think nothing of him.
B. Think nothing of it. It was my pleasure.
C. He thinks nothing of staying up all night in the Caf? bar.
D. He thinks nothing of the pain in his back for the moment.
5. What is the message the author intends to convey?
A. The Internet is going to get firm hold of our lives some day.
B. The Internet is going to influence our lives even more greatly.
C. We should have a positive attitude towards the changes the Internet brings.
D. Children should be well prepared for the challenges in the information age.
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big,
noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the
countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural(乡下的) areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two
large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area
begins to grow. There is usually a_residential_area nearby, too. The families of these workers need
schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main
offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see
many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼)and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way
to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the
city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will
see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
1. The underlined phrase "a residential area" means an area________.
A. where people can buy things
B. which is suitable for living in
C. where people can do business
D. which is near a city center
2. Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
A. Because they can live more comfortably there.
B. Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life.
C. Because they mainly want to find work there.
D. Because they are sure of having a better life there.
3. Which of the following statement is NOT true about the business district?
A. Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district.
B. People usually work and live in the business district.
C. A business district usually lies in the city center downtown.
D. Nearly every major city has its own business district.
4. In the United States, many people work in the center of a big city________.
A. and live there
B. but live in the suburbs of the city
C. and live in another city
D. but live in rural areas
5. We can infer that this movement from rural to urban areas ________.
A. has been going on for more than 2,000 years
B. will surely continue in the future
C. may not continue in the future
D. has now stopped already
[1]Do you want to work with people or animals or machines or tools? Do you want to work indoors or outdoors,directly serve people in need or serve people behind the scenes? These are the typical questions
that a volunteer service agency would ask.
[2]Every year,thousands of people in the west offer volunteer services.Volunteering greatly strengthens the community partly because it helps the old, the young, the weak, the sick, the disabled and the injured
overcome difficulties.
[3] Volunteers usually help in many different ways.They may give people advice, offer friendship to the young, drive the elderly to church, warn kids against drugs, work as an assistant in a school or a nursing
home, raise funds, plant trees, help out in local libraries and do many other things.
[4]Volunteering can be a few hours a week or a few hours a month, time during the day, evenings or
weekends, either part time or full time. Anybody who likes to serve people in need ________.
[5]The art of volunteering can be a process of both giving and receiving. Volunteering allows volunteers to meet new people and make new friends and mix with people from all walks of life. Volunteering is an
excellent way to experiment, practice and try out new techniques and skills. It is much more effective to
practice a skill than to read about or study it in a classroom. Volunteering is a great way to develop good
teamwork skills, discover your individual talents and explore career choices. Being a volunteer takes
individuals on a wonderful journey and helps them learn many important things beyond their school
learning.
1. What are the advantages of volunteer services for volunteers? (no more than 10 words)
________________________________________________________________________
2. What does the word "it" (Line 7, Paragraph 5) refer to?(no more than 3 words)
________________________________________________________________________
3. Why does the writer consider volunteering a process of both giving and receiving?(no more than 30
words)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words.(no more than 6 words)
________________________________________________________________________
5. What"s the title of this passage?(no more than 8 words)
________________________________________________________________________
- 1我们常说“多行善事”、“与人为善"、“真善美",但如何才能达到“善”呢!古希腊有位大哲学家认为:必须具有知识,才能达到善
- 2如何解决粮食短缺是一个世界性难题。三十多年前我国就有一位科学家的研究成果“东方魔稻”比普通水稻增产20%,为解决粮食短缺
- 3出芽生殖是一种常见的营养生殖方式。
- 4求不等式的最小整数解。
- 5下列句了中,加粗的成语使用正确的一项是[ ]A、他喜欢妄自菲薄别人,在班里很孤立,大家都认为他是一个自负的人。B
- 6下列各句中,没有语病的一句是( )A.我国目前的测控通信网,是我国航天史上规模最庞大、技术最先进、可靠性更高的系统
- 7已知函数f(x)=m-|x-2|,m∈R,且f(x+2)≥0的解集为[-1,1].(1)求m的值;(2)若a,b,c∈R
- 8最近,国外一位学者提出了“21世纪始于中国的1978年”的观点,某中学历史小组借用这句话设计了右侧这张主题演讲的图片。问
- 9读“泥沙干流沿途变化”回答下列问题:(1)填出图中数码号所代表的地理事物名称:黄河发源地:______山;注入海洋:__
- 10根据不同的标准,纤维有多种分类方法,4:①植物纤维 ②动物纤维 ③天然纤维 ④合成纤维 分析指出0列几种物质应属
- 1某天然矿泉水的主要成份如下,请认真阅读后填空。主要成分(mg/L):碳酸氢根(HCO3-):173—205 氯离子(Cl
- 2我们虽然把地球称为“水球”,但可利用淡水资源匮乏.我国淡水总量仅约为899000亿米3,用科学记数法表示这个数为[
- 3下图为我国某地区等高线地形图,读图,完成下列要求。(1)该地旅游资源丰富,请你从著名的自然景观和人文景观中各举一例。__
- 4(7分)某化学兴趣活动小组用采集的石灰岩样品进行相关实验。将采集到的样品用水冲洗后晾干,称取20.00g样品平均分成两份
- 5某药物分子结构简式如下图所示,下列关于该物质的说法正确的是 [ ]A.分子式为C21H22O3Cl2B.醚键
- 6下列关于细菌营养方式的描述不正确的是[ ]A.自养细菌能够将无机物合成为有机物B.根瘤菌能够利用阳光将无机物合成
- 7下面这段文字有三处错误,请加以修改。 ①挫折并不可怕。②如果你现在的路是坑坑洼洼的,③只有你能走过去,④以后
- 8若(a﹣2)a+1=1,则( ).
- 9I"d like to give them something _____ everything they"ve don
- 10人的一生只有三天:昨天、今天和明天。 [ ]