The benefits of being an independent business are truly great. Beyond the rewarding nature of owning something truly unique, small businesses have the edge over their big business counterparts in many areas. Consider the importance of being independent and how that independence can help drive your business.
To some, having fewer customers simply means less cash flow; however, having a smaller base also allows you to focus more on customer satisfaction.
Companies are always searching for ways to improve customer service and have more of their business. Whether through paying special attention to who comes through your door or monitoring your customers through the social network, it’s less of trouble to make sure your customers’ needs are being met when there’s a smaller sample to deal with. In addition, it becomes much easier to create a personal connection with buyers when you have enough time and attention to show them some love.
Small businesses have an inherent advantage over their big box competitors in the sense that they can offer something different. People want to see the independent businesses that offer unique products and flavor to their communities. Your business can be the difference when it comes to what customers want.
Of course, big box companies will almost always beat you down when it comes to price. Consider, however, that if you can offer a truly unique product or experience, price becomes much less of an issue.
People like the idea of supporting local independent businesses versus “the big guys”. So, what businesses are booming due to the rise of independence?
Craft Beer(精酿啤酒) — The craft beer movement in the United States is supported so widely that big breweries have taken to creating their own competing “craft beer” brands in an attempt to follow the trend. While Anheuser Busch represents nearly half of America’s breweries, craft beer has seen a huge jump in sales in recent years.
Video Games — Whether through PCs, traditional consoles or mobile games, independent developers are supported by enthusiastic fans and micro-transactions in an industry that was formerly dominated by bigger developers.
Musicians — The modern web offers immense opportunities to musicians, resulting in more economic and artistic freedom. A surprising number of mainstream artists have seen great success from their independent releases, such as Macklemore’s The Heist, which has sold over one million copies in the United States alone.
Some small businesses don’t want to be small businesses forever. Regardless, consider what independence does for you and your company. If you offer something out of the ordinary, you can build an audience that respects your individuality and supports your cause.
The necessity of being an independent business | |
A focus on customer 1.______________ | A smaller sample of customers makes it easy to 2.________ to customers’ needs. |
With enough time and attention to show customers some love, an independent business person finds it easier to connect with them 3._________. | |
An offer of something completely different | Small businesses can offer something 4.________ the ordinary to their communities. |
Being different can 5._________ a large number of active consumer groups. | |
A really unique product or experience can make customers take 6.__________ less seriously. | |
An appeal to an independent business | In the USA, craft beer is very popular with people, having 7.________ well in recent years. |
Independent game developers gain the support of crazy fans in an industry that 8.__________ to be in the control of bigger developers. | |
A surprising number of mainstream artists 9.________ great success to their independent releases. | |
A chance to 10._____ for some small businesses | For some small businesses, independence can attract a group of people that respect their individuality and support their development. |
科目：高中英语 来源：2015-2016学年贵州思南中学高二下第二次月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：单项填空
I have some trouble ________ physics. I would be grateful ________ you if you could give me some advice on it.
A．with；withB．in；toC．in；withD．with；to
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科目：高中英语 来源：2016-2017学年黑龙江哈尔滨师大附中高二10月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：短文改错
下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写上该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改l0处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Hi, Janice,
It’s been a month since I came to this school and I really want share with you some of the problems I have
been experiencing.
As I tell you last time, I made three new friend here. We hang out together during lunch and after school.
We’ve been spending a lot of time sing in karaoke bars. It’s been three Saturdays now and it really costs me
many. And I started to see this as a time-wasting activity! In fact, I don’t like to go anymore, so I’m afraid I’ll
lose their friendship. How do you think I should do? If you are me, would you talk to him?
Please help with me and give me some advice.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2016-2017学年黑龙江哈尔滨师大附中高二10月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone?faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had read carefully, hoping to hide myself. “What could be causing everyone to act this way？”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails，my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly class, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear，“My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re?dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not fair, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my opinion to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!
1.What did the author's classmates think about his report?
A．Positive. B．Ridiculous
C．Boring. D．Puzzling.
2.Why was the author confused about the task?
A．He was unfamiliar with American history.
B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin.
C．He forgot his teacher's instructions.
D．He was not familiar with the new school.
3.The underlined word “burning” in Para. 3 probably means ________.
A．annoyed B．ashamed C．ready D．eager
4.In the end, the author turned things around ________.
A．by redoing his task
B．through his own efforts
C．with the help of his grandfather
D．under the guidance of his headmaster
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科目：高中英语 来源：2016-2017学年四川雅安中学高二上第一次月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
The earliest newspapers started in ancient Rome. They were handwritten news sheets. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, which were printed from carved wooden blocks. Modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy in the middle of the 14th century. The newspapers of today, with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and comments, were started in Britain in the mid-18th century.
The main function of newspapers is to report news. Many newspapers also provide special information to readers, such as weather reports and television timetables. They also provide comments on politics, economics, arts and culture. Almost all newspapers depend on advertising to make money.
Nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day. Seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. Readers search newspapers for detailed background information and analysis. This is what television and radio news reports seldom offer. Newspapers tell readers what happened, and they also help readers understand what caused an event and how it will affect the world around them.
The workers at large newspaper companies work under a lot of pressure to bring news to readers as soon as possible. Reporters, photographers, artists, and editors collect articles in just a few hours. Page designers select articles, photos, advertisements, and eye-catching headlines to make the pages, and then rush their work to the printer. Printing workers may work overnight around printing presses to churn out more than 60,000 copies per hour.
1.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Production of Newspapers
B. Functions of Newspapers
C. Publication of Newspapers
D. An Introduction to Newspapers
2.We can infer everything from the passage EXCEPT that ________.
A. newspapers will become less popular because of the development of TV
B. few newspapers have no advertising
C. many adults in America read newspapers every day
D. people can read about many different issues in newspapers
3.The phrase "churn out" in the last paragraph probably means ________.
A. pressB. produceC. publishD. sell
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科目：高中英语 来源：2017届江苏启东中学高三上期第一次月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
“Never talk to strangers.” Many children are taught this simple rule as a precaution against abduction(诱拐). In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but deliberately hid from them, afraid someone might “steal” him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill(灌输) a fear of strangers in children. The “stranger danger” message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety.
To have a child go missing is a parent’s worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common — but a lost children may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The “never talk to strangers” rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behavior; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not.
For young children, nothing replaces close supervision(监管). Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and attitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world.
1.Which of the following statements is NOT true about the 11-year-old boy?
A. He practiced the “never talk to strangers” rule.
B. He hid from the rescuers to avoid possible abduction.
C. He eventually showed up when his hide-and-seek game ended.
D. He stayed where he was, expecting the coming of familiar people.
2.Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent?
A. Being abducted by a parent.B. Wandering off.
C. Being abducted by strangers.D. Running away.
3.The “never talk to strangers” rule is confusing to children because __________.
A. a friendly and attractive person may be dangerous
B. adults do not act upon the rule and strangers are hard to tell
C. the rule does not protect children in the situation of abducting
D. a lost child may have difficulty in communicating with a stranger
4.Which would the author agree with about the “never talk to strangers” rule?
A. It is not well recognized by parents.
B. It is not effective in keeping kids safe.
C. It is easy enough for children to follow.
D. It is practical as a safety tip in daily life.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2017届江苏启东中学高三上期第一次月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：单项填空
One needs much experience and knowledge ________ one’s correct decisions.
A. which to be based on
B. on which to base
C. which to base up on
D. on which to be based
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科目：高中英语 来源：2015-2016学年云南石林县一中高二下期末考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
The cold and icy land that is the Eskimo's home is a dangerous one. The Eskimo once believed that to be safe from danger he had to obey taboos(禁忌). Taboos were rules that told him what he must do and must not do.
The Eskimo had taboos connected with almost everything he did. He had to keep them in mind at all times. He believed that to break one would bring disaster. For the Eskimo, it was taboo to store reindeer（驯鹿） and seal (海豹) meat together. He could not even eat them on the same day. He believed the Goddess Sedna had separated the land animals from the sea animals. He thought bringing them together would cause the hunting to be bad.
There were other taboos concerning animals. When a dead seal was brought into the house, the women had to stop working. They had to give its spirit a drink of water. If they did not, the spirit would be angered. It would keep other animals from being caught.
When the Eskimo broken a taboo, he believed a black cloud formed around his head. He had to tell the others in the village what he had done. He thought that if he did not tell his neighbors, they would catch the black cloud. Then the whole village would have bad luck.
1.This passage mainly tells us about ________.
A. the way the Eskimos treated their neighbours
B. the things that the Eskimos could and could not do
C. how the Eskimos store their seal meat
D. how the Eskimos got along with others
2.Why did the Eskimos separate reindeer and seal meat?
A. They went bad easily if they were kept together.
B. They thought keeping them together caused bad hunting.
C. The Eskimos did not like to eat reindeer or seal meat.
D. They did not have big enough rooms to store them.
3.From the third paragraph we can see that ________.
A. the spirit of the dead seal enjoyed drinking water
B. the spirit of the dead seal would be angry if he was not given water
C. the seal was dead, but its spirit was still alive
D. the Eskimos believed that animals had spirits
4.Which of the following is true?
A. There are many black clouds where the Eskimos live.
B. The Eskimos like land animals better than sea animals.
C. Taboos are of great importance to some people.
D. The Eskimo taboos are about everything on earth.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2016-2017学年黑龙江哈尔滨师大附中高一10月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：书面表达
学校的各个学生社团 (associations) 正在纳新。面对众多的选择，你的朋友王林没了主意，写信向你求助。假如你是李越，你认为可以考虑参加篮球协会(the Basketball Association)或者英语俱乐部(the English Club)。请你用英语给王林写一封100词左右的信，推荐这两个社团，并分别说明推荐理由。
注意：信的开头和结尾已给出（不计入词数）。
Dear Wang Lin,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Yue
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