Market analysts in the United States have recently been quoted as saying that the biggest threat to the luxury (奢侈品) industry in the US is the tech industry. This is according to an article by fellow journalist Ashley Lutz. Her suggestion is sound. The main idea of her article is that products from Tiffany & Co. find their biggest competition not from other luxury brands but from companies like Apple. Lutz points out that luxury products are often only for “show,” while the attraction behind tech products is functionality.
You find few people in the United States today willing to purchase luxury goods at full price. It didn’t use to be that way. Luxury goods used to be actually exclusive. That meant you needed to travel to the right store to purchase them, and you didn’t even have the option of getting a deal.
Today, no one wants to pay full price for luxury goods. People have the unfortunate belief that fakes (赝品) somehow are equal to originals, and if you can’t get a deal on eBay, Amazon, or in an outlet store, purchasing a luxury product probably isn’t worth it. Luxury brands struggle to remain high-end (高档的) images despite the reality that the American consumer is motivated much more by discounts than they are by brand names or image.
Yet people stand in line to pay full price for a new product from Apple and crowds gather to hear about a new smart phone. While electronics are updating every day, people are purchasing technology at full prices much more than they are purchasing luxury goods. What are high-tech makers doing right that luxury makers are pitifully failing at?
Carefully looking at the situation, it would appear as if the Internet didn’t hurt the luxury industry, expectation from the consumers did. What people want these days more than anything is stuff that does something. They want cars that drive, shoes that are comfortable, games that are fun to play, screens that are beautiful to look at, tools that are useful, and entertainment that is entertaining. Little of that fits into what the luxury industry has typically offered with its status, image, and fine materials. The sad reality is that luxury products aren’t that luxury any more.
【小题1】What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Nobody likes luxury goods any more. |
| B．Luxury goods are of poor quality nowadays. |
| C．Tech products become the new “luxury goods”. |
| D．Iphones have taken the place of luxury products. |
| A．unique and with no bargain | B．low in price |
| C．hard to find | D．easy to sell |
| A．people have found that some luxury goods are fakes |
| B．people can buy luxury goods at a low price on eBay |
| C．luxury brands will give up high-end images |
| D．consumers prefer brand names to discounts |
【小题1】C
【小题2】A
【小题3】B
解析试题分析：本文介绍了美国奢侈品行业所面临的威胁。其最大威胁来自美国的高科技行业。并分析了个中原因。
【小题1】主旨题：根据第一段内容可知美国奢侈品行业面临的最大威胁来自美国的高科技行业。奢侈品经常仅用于炫耀而科技产品背后的吸引力在于它的功能性，由此可以判断出现在高科技产品是奢侈品。故选C。
【小题2】推理题：第二段第一句“You find few people in the United States today willing to purchase luxury goods at full price.”在美国你会发现很少有人愿意出全价购买奢侈品了，说明“奢侈品在过去是一种独特的不打折的商品”。故选A。
【小题3】推理题：根据第三段中“if you can’t get a deal on eBay, Amazon, or in an outlet store, purchasing a luxury product probably isn’t worth it”如果你不能在eBay、亚马逊或一家打折店里买到折价商品而去购买奢侈品，这可能会被认为是非常不值的，可以推断人们可以在eBay以打折的价格即低价买到奢侈品。故选B。
考点：考查议论文类阅读
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Traditional Japanese food is surely one of the healthiest and most delicious in the world, and fortunately for most of us, foods like tofu, sushi and even green tea are now familiar and can be found easily out of Japan. As a national cuisine(烹饪), thanks to many social as well as political changes, Japanese food has greatly developed over the past few centuries. In ancient times, when much of the traditional cuisine was influenced by Korean and Chinese cultures, Japanese cuisine slowly changed with the start of the medieval(中世纪的)period, which brought along with it new tastes.
With the coming of the modern age, a great many changes took place and the Japanese cuisine was influenced greatly by Western culture. However, the traditional Japanese food of today is still very like what existed toward the end of the 19th century. This would mean that a large part of the Japanese cuisine includes those foods whose cooking methods and ingredients(原料)have been introduced from other cultures, but which have since then been experimented with and developed by the Japanese themselves.
The thing about Japanese food is that you either will love it or will completely look down upon it. With traditional Japanese food, there is no such thing as an in-between. However, chances are that if you hate Japanese food, then you probably haven’t even tasted real Japanese food or you simply haven’t given yourself the chance to like it. Unlike other cuisines, Japanese food is not something that you will appreciate after having only a bite. Like wines and cigars, Japanese food needs time to be liked.
【小题1】 After reading the whole passage, we learn that this passage mainly .
| A．advises us to eat healthy food is so healthy |
| B．explains why Japanese food is so healthy |
| C．introduces some famous traditional Japanese food |
| D．tells us something about traditional Japanese food |
| A．That most people know how to prepare tofu and sushi themselves. |
| B．That most traditional Japanese food can be enjoyed everywhere. |
| C．That we can enjoy some traditional Japanese food out of Japan. |
| D．That Japanese food like tofu, sushi and even green tea is not strange to us. |
| A．Japanese food changed most during the medieval period. |
| B．Japanese food has been greatly influenced by other cultures. |
| C．The traditional Japanese food of today tastes totally different from that in the past. |
| D．Korean food is also one of the healthiest foods in the world. |
| A．healthy food usually doesn’t taste good |
| B．not everyone likes Japanese food |
| C．some people are crazy about Japanese food |
| D．it’s very easy to tell whether the food is real Japanese food or not |
| A．is not as good as people think |
| B．sometimes tastes really terrible |
| C．is worth tasting a second time |
| D．tastes as good as Chinese food |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Art is everywhere in our lives.Every manmade object is linked with art—a house，a motor car，a bridge，a chair，a teapot，or a piece of cloth.Throughout history，humans have made articles for a wide variety of purposes；generally for everyday practical requirements.The style of practical objects reflects the outlook and the spirit of the times in which they are made and in consequence style is constantly changing.
It seems that humans possess a natural urge to improve constructed objects with decoration：sometimes for beautification，sometimes for religious reasons，sometimes to show off their wealth and power，and sometimes to tell a story.Decoration is not art in itself.Unnecessary decoration can ruin the form and perhaps the function of an object，but when decoration is used with care，it can beautify，produce variety，and add interest.
The first essential(要点) in every creation is that it should properly fulfil its purpose；for instance，a teapot should pour perfectly，an easy chair should provide comfortable relaxation，a block of flats should be a pleasant place in which to live，and a factory or commercial building should be a suitable building in which to work.
The second essential is that an object should please the eye with its form，line，proportion(比例)，colour and texture(质地)，and it should be capable of inspiring the emotions.For example，contemporary furniture designers must think of form，function and structure，and have taken their lead from the outstanding Scandinavian designs of Denmark，Finland and Sweden，whose preference was for simple functional furniture to suit the architectural environment of the day.Heavy furniture is no longer desirable，and by contrast，modern furniture is often characterised by its good proportion，pleasing lines，simple fittings and attractive structures.
Motor vehicles are a perfect example of how design has changed to suit function.Early car design was greatly influenced by the horsedrawn carriage，but today we find functional design satisfying every requirement of practical use and good appearance.Designs in the 1980s and 1990s included streamlining(流线型) to reduce wind resistance in fastmoving vehicles，and，at the same time，satisfy an important art principle—rhythm.But the cars of today，often half size of their predecessors(前身)，have taken the concept of industrial design way beyond simple strength，comfort and beauty.They now include safety and ecological characteristics，reflecting the need to be environmentally friendly through，for example，reduced fuel consumption，while at the same time satisfying the need to be stylish，and appealing to the eye.For many people，the 21stcentury car represents the greatest work of art.
【小题1】What point does the writer make about decorating objects?
| A．It is something people have always done. |
| B．It can show the object has a range of functions. |
| C．It always improves the appearance of an object. |
| D．It is usually done to make the object more noticeable. |
| A．keep | B．find |
| C．change | D．realize |
| A．Form Follows Function |
| B．Life Is Art，Art Is Life |
| C．Art in Everyday Life |
| D．The Best Work of Art |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The Beatles were the most influential band in pop history. In their 8-year, 12-album history, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr altered popular culture dramatically. It wasn't just the suits and changing lengths of hair the four Liverpool boys wore that had such an impact, but what they seemed to stand for. The world saw them as the voice of a new generation, one with a very different attitude to life.
Their influence was at its height in the 1 960s．but their music continues to stir listeners today．However, up until recently one aspect of the Beatles was struck in Yesterday：The music had never been remastered (重新灌录)．But on September 9 that situation came to an end，with the release of the entire band’s music in a digital makeover．It is probably the biggest reissue(重新发行)in pop music history, said British newspaper the Financial Times．
The albums were to be remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, the location where the band produced much of their work．The cover of their 1ast album，Abbey Road of 1969．featured the four young men striding(大步行走)across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road itself．It is one of the most famous Of a11 Beatles images．
Recently, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album, hundreds of Beatles lovers gathered there to show their appreciation．
Pop groups come and go．The boy band pursued by screaming fans one year will be forgotten the next．But the Beatles are one Of the few groups whose music seems to have endured．Why? Paul McCartney’s biographer Barry Miles has an explanation：“They were the first rock band…and they just happened to be the best．They were the first band to play stadiums，to have their own products．They were ground—breaking in every way．”he says．
【小题1】Why did the Beatles change popular culture?
| A．Because of the suits of the four Liverpool boys． |
| B．Because of changing lengths of hair the four Liverpool boys wore． |
| C．Because of their different attitude to life． |
| D．Because of their albums． |
| A．The Beatles influenced people at its height in the 1 960s． |
| B．111eir music Yesterday had never been remastered． |
| C．The entire band’s music in a digital makeover will be remastered． |
| D．On September 9，their music came to an end． |
| A．Yesterday． | B．Abbey Road of l969． | C．Come Together． | D．In My life． |
| A．They were the first rock band． |
| B．They were the best one． |
| C．They were the first band to have their own works． |
| D．They wore special suits． |
| A．They broke the ground to find away． |
| B．They broke the rules while driving on the way． |
| C．They did what other bands had never done before． |
| D．They play their hits at every concert． |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Ever since he got into the Hong Kong film industry in 1994 with He’s a Woman, She’s a Man, Hong Kong director, Peter Chan has been one of the industry’s most powerful voices. Later in 1996, another milestone Comrades: Almost a Love Story came into being. Chan’s latest film, American Dreams in China is a carefully-calculated film with an eye toward opening the mainland cinema market.
American Dreams in China is a film purely for Chinese audiences, but how it plays there remains to be seen. It sends the right messages, but whether that’s enough to make it a hit is everyone’s guess. Mainland audiences aren’t quite that easy to “speak” to.
The film began during the period of economic reforms in China in the 1980s. The bookish farm boy Cheng Dongqing (Huang Xiaoming), the ambitious and confident boy Meng Xiaojun (Deng Chao) and the poetic Wang Yang(Tong Dawei), were three friends at university in Beijing and preparing for American visa interviews. Wang was the first to be granted the visa but he gave it up for his western girlfriend, and Cheng was repeatedly denied. Only Meng actually got a study visa. As he was leaving, he told his friends that he wouldn’t come back.
Several years later, Cheng and Wang built a successful school, New Dream, from the ashes of Cheng’s misfortune(his girlfriend got a visa too, and Cheng lost his university teaching job) and Wang’s ability to connect with students often through Hollywood movies. In America, Meng suffered a lot. Disappointed, he went home and joined his friends at New Dream. Later, the three friends’ relationship became worsened, but finally was improved under the weight of their common goals.
【小题1】Which of the following films made Peter Chan a most influential director in Hong Kong?
| A．American Dreams in China |
| B．Comrades: Almost a Love Story |
| C．New Dream |
| D．He’s a Woman, She’s a Man |
| A．prepared | B．given | C．involved | D．permitted |
| A．None | B．One. | C．Three. | D．Two |
| A．The connection with Hollywood movies. |
| B．The weight of their common goals. |
| C．Cheng’s misfortune and Wang’s ability. |
| D．Meng’s disappointment and sufferings. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Like many languages spoken by people, Ayapaneco is dying. Only two people in the world still speak it, and they won't talk to each other.
Spoken in Mexico for centuries, Ayapaneco is one of 68 surviving languages in the mainly Spanish-speaking nation. The two speakers are Manuel Segovia and Isidro Velazquez. Though they live only 500 meters from each other in the village, the two men seldom talk to each other. Daniel, an American expert, who is working to make a dictionary of Ayapaneco, says the two men “don’t have a lot in common,” and that Segovia can be “active” while Velasquez tends to mind his own business and stay at home.
While Segovia still speaks to his wife and son in Ayapaneco, neither of them can manage more than a few words. Velasquez hardly speaks his native tongue any more. Daniel is working to preserve the language in dictionary form before its last surviving speakers pass away. According to Daniel, Ayapaneco and the other languages began dying out with the introduction of public Spanish education in the mid-20th century. For decades, local children weren’t allowed to speak anything else. Many people to cities, starting in the 1970s, also helped the dying out of native languages.
Ayapaneco is the name given to the language; Segovia and Velazquez call it “Nuumte Oote”, which means “true voice”. Neither man, however, speaks the same language. The dictionary will contain two versions(版本) of the language when it comes out later this year. Those behind the dictionary aren’t the only ones trying to save Ayapaneco. The National Language Institute plans to hold classes so that Segovia and Velasquez can pass on what they know to children.
It is thought that there are about 6,000 languages spoken on earth and that about half will disappear over the next 100 years. Let’s hope the “true voice” isn’t one of them.
【小题1】Which are the main reasons why the language Ayapaneco started dying out?
a. No teacher liked to teach it.
b. Local children had to speak Spanish.
c. many villagers went to live in cities.
d. The surviving speakers didn’t like to use it.
| A．a, b | B．a, c | C．b, d | D．b, c |
| A．Write a dictionary of Ayapaneco. |
| B．Let Ayapaneco be taught at school. |
| C．Introduce a public Ayapaneco education. |
| D．Ask villagers to speak Ayapaneco. |
| A．agrees that it is natural that Ayapaneco should die out |
| B．thinks Daniel’s effort to preserve Ayapaneco won’t work |
| C．thinks highly of Ayapaneco and wants people to learn it |
| D．hopes that Ayapaneco will not die out in the future |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement (graduation ceremony).
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(美国的爱国誓言).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (the most important part) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
【小题1】What’s the article mainly about?
| A．An American high school’s graduation ceremony. |
| B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting. |
| C．A presentation of college diplomas. |
| D．A US college’s farewell party. |
| A．She was one of the graduates. |
| B．She was a foreign exchange student. |
| C．She was excited to receive her diploma. |
| D．She felt it great to be at the ceremony. |
| A．b,c,a,d,e | B．c,d,b,e,a | C．d,b,e,a,c | D．e,d,c,b,a |
| A．a diploma ensures a good job |
| B．a diploma guarantees a bright future |
| C．the commencement symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life |
| D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma |
| A．Hollywood superstars went to attend the commencement. |
| B．Every single senior became a superstar on the commencement day. |
| C．All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives. |
| D．When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were loud cheers. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
People have strange ideas about food. For example, tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition(营养) and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous(有毒的). They called tomatoes “poison apples”.
President Thomas Jefferson, however, knew that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honored guests about the fact.
【小题1】Tomato is a kind of ___________.
| A．poisonous fruit | B．poisonous vegetable |
| C．tasty fruit | D．tasty vegetable |
| A．Americans never ate tomatoes after they began to plant them. |
| B．Americans didn’t eat tomatoes before 19th century. |
| C．Even now Americans don’t eat tomatoes. |
| D．In the 18th century Americans ate a lot of tomatoes. |
| A．while he was in Paris | B．when he was a little boy |
| C．because his parents told him so | D．from books |
| A．people from other countries | B．from France |
| C．people of his own country | D．men only |
| A．None of the guests knew the soup that was served at the President’s party was made of tomatoes. |
| B．All of the guests thought the soup which was prepared by the President’s cook was nice. |
| C．President Thomas Jefferson knew that tomatoes were good to eat and not poisonous at all. |
| D．All of the guests didn’t know that their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of correct answers. That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near a brook (小溪); someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter—a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter—a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John who was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
【小题1】 Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
| A．Places where people lived. | B．People’s characters. |
| C．Talents that people possessed. | D．People’s occupations. |
| A．owned or drove a cart | B．made things with metals |
| C．made kitchen tools or containers. | D．built houses and furniture. |
| A．Beatrice Smith | B．Leonard Carter |
| C．George Longstreet | D．Donald Greenwood |
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