Every day, putting food on the table is a challenge for many Americans. They worry that they won't be
able to feed their families. The slowing economy, increasing unemployment and rising food prices are
contributing to the growing number of people who need help. The nation's food banks are rising to the
challenge. It is estimated that they are currently serving 38% more people than they were a year ago.
     "In Minnesota, the jobless rate is the highest it's been in many years," says Tricia Theurer of Second
Harvest Heartland, a hunger-relief organization in Minnesota."More and more people are needing to ask for
help for emergency food, many for the first time, due to economic situations."
     Second Harvest Heartland provides about 41.5 million pounds of food annually to 170,000 people in 59
counties in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. The group is part of Feeding America, the nation's food-bank
network. Its members include 205 food banks serving every county in the United States.
     Hunger affects children, adults and seniors. It affects those who live in the city, in the suburbs and in
rural areas. It affects those who do not have jobs and the working poor. The working poor are the fastest
growing group of food-bank clients. They are employed, but simply do not have enough income to buy
enough food to feed their families.
     Kids and adults can participate together in the fight to end hunger. The money you donate to the food bank
may seem like too small an amount to make a difference, but a simple $1 donation can be used to distribute
more than $9 worth of food. "Kids can be very creative in coming up with ideas of how to help others," says
Theurer."Some kids run lemonade stands, others have asked guests to contribute food or money to Second
Harvest instead of presents."

1. Why more and more people need to be helped in the USA?

A. Because putting food on the table is a challenge for many Americans.
B. Because of more people out of work and food prices rising with economy slowing.
C. Because more and more farmers give up planting in the economy crisis.
D. Because the clerks in nation's food banks were out of work at present.

2. What caused many people demand urgent food help for the first time?

A. The challenge of the nation's food banks.
B. The development of the internet.
C. The development of Second Harvest Heartland.
D. The worsening economic states.

3. What population are more in need in food-bank lists?

A. Seniors in cities.
B. People in rural areas.
C. The poor employees.
D. Children in schools.

     The farm economy of the United States has changed a lot in the last seventy years. In the 1930s,
twenty-five percent of the nation's population lived on farms. Today less than one percent of Americans do.
     Farm incomes have changed over the years too. For example, in 1933, people living and working on
farms had much less money to spend than other Americans. At that time, farm families had about one-third
the income of non-farmers after all necessary expenses had been paid. By the late 1970s, however, that
difference had almost disappeared. In 2004,farmers had their best year ever. The average farm family earned
about eighty-one thousand dollars. That is more than the average American family, which earned about sixty
thousand dollars.
     The Department of Labor measures the pay of industrial workers differently. It measures the average
hourly and weekly pay for industrial workers. This is because factory workers are generally paid by the hour
unlike farmers who earn income from their farm businesses. Generally, the average hourly pay for all industrial
workers is about sixteen dollars. And the average weekly pay, about five hundred fifty dollars. Industrial and
other services employ about eighty-six percent of the labor force.

     Three months after the government stopped issuing (发放) or renewing permits for Internet cafes because
of security (安全) concerns, some cafe owners are having financial (经济的) concerns of their own.
     The permits were stopped suddenly three months ago by the government until new safeguards could be put
in place to prevent misuse of the information superhighway, but for cafe owners it's a business breakdown with no fix in sight.
     "I handed in a request to open up an Internet café and received the conditions," said the businessman
Obeidallah."I rented a place in the Sharafiah district at SR45,000 and prepared the place with equipment that
cost me more than SR100,000. When I went to the local government after finishing everything, I was surprised
to find that they'd stopped issuing permits for Internet cafes."
     Having an Internet cafe without Internet is much like having a coffee shop without coffee. "I'm avoiding
closing the place, but it's been more than three months with the situation ongoing as it is." Obeidallah said. "Who will bear the losses caused by the permit issue?"
     The decision took many cafe owners by surprise."I asked to open an Internet café, and I was handed a list
of all the things that were needed to follow through, such as a sign for the place, filling out forms," said
Hassan Al-Harbi.
     "I did all that was asked and rented a place. And after the Haj vacation I went to the local government and
they surprised me, saying that there are new rules that forbid the issuing of any more Internet cafe permits and
that one can't even renew his permit. I've lost more than SR80,000," Al-harbi added.
     As for the government, officials say a method to deal with it is on the way. But security concerns come
before profit (盈利).

1. The government stopped issuing or renewing permits for Internet cafes _____.

A. to prevent misuse of new safeguards in Internet cafes
B. to make cafe owners earn less profit from their business
C. to stop the use of the information superhighway on Internet
D. to make sure of the proper use of the information superhighway

2. The government's decision led to the fact that many cafe owners _____.

A. suffered heavy financial losses
B. asked to open up Internet cafes
C. continued to operate Internet cafes
D. asked the government for payment

3. The underlined phrase in the last paragraph "on the way" means _____.

A. to be studied
B. to be put into practice
C. to be changed
D. to be improved

4. The cafe owners found the government's decision _____.

A. suprising and unacceptable
B. understandable and acceptable
C. reasonable but surprising
D. surprising but acceptable

     Is it time to kick Russia out of the BRICs (金砖四国)? If so, it may end up sounding like a famous
ball-point pen maker-BIC. An argument is being made that Goldman Sach's famous marketing device
(策略), the BRICs, should really be the BICs.
     "Is Russia really worth the name BRICs?" asks Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute
for International Economics, in an article for Foreign Policy. Aslund, who is also co-author with Andrew
Kuchins of  "The Russian Balance Sheet", thinks the Russia of Putin and Medvedev is just not worthy of
inclusion alongside Brazil, India and China in the list of future economic powerhouses. He writes:
     "The country's economic performance has fallen to such a weak level that one must ask whether it has
any say at all on the global economy, compared with the other members of its group. I have just returned
from Moscow, which is always dull around this season. For the last seven years, Russia has taken very
few measures to improve its economy. Instead, the state has been living on oil and gas."
     Economically, Aslund has the numbers on his side. The International Monetary Fund figures that the
Russian economy will fall by 6.7 percent in 2009, while China will grow 8.5 percent and India 5.4 percent.
There is less of a case for Brazil, with a fall of 0.7 percent, but it is still doing far better than Russia.
     But the BRICs are not just about economy. As is mentioned above, it is a marketing device to encourage
investors (投资者)to focus on the big promising players. From an investment standpoint, it could be argued
that Russia is leading the BRICs. Its stock (股票) market is up 128 percent this year while around 80 percent
is for the other three.
     At very least, however, Russia's economic underperformance and stock market outperformance does suggest it is indeed one of the group.

1. According to the passage, which country will enjoy the biggest increase in 2009?

A. China.
B. Russia.
C. Brazil.
D. India.

2. According to Aslund, Russia shouldn't be a BRIC partly because _____.

A. Russia's economic performance is far worse than the other three
B. Russia's leaders are not good at managing economy
C. Russia has taken effective measures to improve its economy
D. Russia will no longer attract investors from other countries

3. From the passage we know that _____.

A. Anders Aslund is working for the Russian government
B. Russia outperformed the other three countries in stock market
C. most people disagree Russia is included in BRICs
D. the BRICs would end up being the BICs sooner or later

4. The author seems to _____.

A. suggest it's time to kick Russia out of the BRICs?
B. feel worried about the economy of the BRICs
C. think Russia is worth being one of the group
D. show disappointment to Russia's economy

     Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband's income. So this year she did something more
than a hobby: She planted vegetables in her yard. For her fist garden, Ms. Feeley has put in 15 tomato plants,
and five rows of a variety of vegetables. The family's old farm house has become a chicken bourse, its
residents arriving next month. Last year, Ms. Rita Gartin kept a small garden. This year she has made it much
larger because, she said, "The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds too; so
it's a win-win situation all around."
     They are among the growing number of Americans who, driven by higher living costs and a falling economy
(经济), have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time. Others have increased the size of their existing
gardens. Seed companies and garden shops say no since the 1970s have there been such an increase in interest
in growing food at home. Now many gardens across the country hacek been sold out for several months. In
Austin, Tex., some of the gardens have a three-year waiting list.
     George C. Ball Jr, owner of a company, said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by 40%, over last
year, double the average growth of last five years. Mr. Ball argues that some of the reasons have been building
for the last few years. The big one is striking use in me cost on food like bread and milk, together with the
increases in the price of fruit and vegetables. Food prices have increase of higher oil price. People are driving
less, taking fewer vacations, so there more time to garden.

1. What does the word"residents" in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?

A. chicken
B. tomatoes
C. gardens
D. people

2. Why is vegetable gardening becoming increasingly popular?

A. More Americans are doing it for fun.
B. The price of oil is lower than before.
C. There's a growing need for fruits.
D. The cost of living is on the rise.

3. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A. Family Food Planning
B. Banking on Gardening
C. A Belt-tightening Move
D. Gardening as a Hobby

     "I sat-in at a restaurant for six months, and when they finally agreed to serve me, they didn't have what
I wanted"-so went a famous line. In reality, the sit-in movement was not a joke. It began in Greensboro,
North Carolina, at 4:30 P. M., on the afternoon of February 1, 1960. On that day, Ezell Blair Jr., Joseph
McNeil, David Richmond, and Franklin McClain entered an F. W. Woolworth store. They sat down at a
segregated (隔离的) lunch counter, ordered coffee, and then refused to leave when told, "We don't serve
Negroes."
     The four young men had expected not to be served. What no one had expected, however, was that they
would sit there and politely, but firmly, refuse to leave. This was 1960, and throughout the South black
people were not allowed to sit at the same lunch counters with whites, swim at the same beaches, use the
same water fountains, or worship at the same churches. Segregation was the law, and it meant separation
of the races in every way.
     The next day, the four returned to Woolworth's-this time accompanied by sixteen other students. Again
they sat at the lunch counter and requested service. Again they were refused. And again, they declined to
leave. On Wednesday, February 3, seventy students filled the Woolworth's store. This time, the group
included white students as well as black. Many brought school books and studied while they waited. By this
time, their protest had become known nationwide as a "sit-in".
     On Thursday, there was trouble. An angry group of white teenagers began shoving (推搡) and cursing
them but were quickly removed by the police. By February 10, the sit-in movement had spread to five other
states.
     By September 1961, more than 70,000 people, both black and white, had participated in sit-ins at segregated
restaurants and lunch counters, kneel-ins at segregated churches, read-ins at segregated libraries, and swim-ins
at segregated pools and beaches. Over 3,600 people had been arrested, and more than 100 students had been
driven away. But they were getting results. On June 10, 1964, the U. S Senate passed a major civil rights bill
outlawing (宣布为非法) racial discrimination in all public places. President Lyndon Johnson signed it on July
2, and it became law. But the highest credit still goes to the four brave students from North Carolina who first
sat-in and waited it out.

1. In this passage, "sit-in" refers to _____.

A. an activity where people sit together and drink coffee freely
B. a bill which outlaws racial discrimination in all public places
C. a form in which people peacefully sit and decline to leave
D. a polite behavior that everyone enjoys

2. Which statement can be concluded from the fifth paragraph in the passage?

A. The sit-in movement was not successful.
B. The sit-in movement had a positive result.
C. Only black people participated in sit-ins.
D. A lot of protesters were arrested, with some students driven away from school.

3. What was the purpose of the civil rights bill passed in 1964?

A. The highest credit went to the four brave students.
B. It declared that segregation was a law.
C. The students were allowed to participate in sit-ins.
D. It made racial segregation against the law in all public places.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Segregation was the law in the South.
B. The first sit-in was in 1960.
C. The sit-ins helped to end segregation.
D. The civil rights bill was passed in 1964 by the U. S. Senate.

     By 2010, spending on Internet advertising will account for 10% of total US ad dollars, according to
"The Changing Face of Advertising in the Digital Age" from Parks Associates.
     Roughly 21% of Internet users consider Internet advertising to be the most effective ad format. It has
gone beyond traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines, and radio.
     Behavioral targeting with a variety of sounds makes the channel attractive. "Because the Internet is an
interactive platform and offers rich consumer usage data, advertisers can improve their ad target ability
and achieve better results," said Parks Associates research analyst Harry Wang.
     Due to audience and media fragmentation (分裂), large companies and established brands will move
dollars from TV and other formats to the Web. Anheuser-Busch, Procter & Gamble, Verizon, and Wachovia
have already moved portions of their budgets to online advertising.
     "The Internet has changed the standard for the entire world, and traditional media have to respond by
making their media platforms more interactive and results-oriented," said Wang.
     The report was compiled (编写) from the findings of an Internet-based survey of 2,084 US consumers
in households with Internet access. The group includes 270 teenagers ages 13 to 17. The report contains
data from Parks Associates' consumer study "Digital Entertainment: Changing Consumer Habits".

1. According to the context, Anheuser-Busch, Procter & Gamble, Verizon, and Wachovia are all the names
    of _____.

A. international companies
B. foreign companies
C. large companies or established brands
D. famous established brands

2. Compared with traditional media, what are the biggest advantages of the Internet?

A. The Internet is an interactive platform with a variety of sounds and offers rich consumer usage data.
B. The Internet is available to anybody who are interested in information.
C. Traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines and radios can't reach the latest news to people as
     soon as possible.
D. The Internet is changing people's habits.

3. What does the underlined words "account for" in the first paragraph mean?

A. cover up
B. make up
C. count out
D. take up

4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Traditional media is not popular any more.
B. Internet advertising is increasing now.
C. The Internet is more attractive than traditional media.
D. Internet adverting is the most effective ad format.

     In the more and more competitive service industry, it is no longer enough to promise customer
satisfaction. Today, customer "delight" is what companies are trying to achieve in order to keep and
increase market share.
     It is accepted in the marketing industry, and confirmed by a number of researchers, that customers
receiving good service will promote business by telling up to 12 other people; those treated badly tell
tales of woe to up to 20 people. Interestingly, 80 percent of people who feel their complaints are handled
fairly will stay loyal.
     New challenges for customer care have come when people can obtain goods and services through
telephone call centers and the Internet. For example, many companies now have to invest (投资) a lot
of money in information technology and staff training in order to cope with the "phone rage"-caused by
delays in answering calls, being cut off in mid-conversation or left waiting for long periods.
     "Many people do not like talking to machines," says Dr, Storey, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at City
University Business School. "Banks, for example, encourage staff at call centers to use customer data to
establish instant and good relationship with then. The aim is to make the customer feel they know you and
that you can trust them-the sort of comfortable feelings people have during face-to-face chats with their
local branch manager."
     Recommended ways of creating customer delight include: under-promising and over-delivering (saying
that a repair will be carried out within five hours, but getting it done within two) replacing a faulty product
immediately; throwing in a gift voucher (购物礼券) as an unexpected "thank you" to regular customers;
and always returning calls, even when they are complaints.
     Aiming for customer delight is all very well, but if services do not reach the high level promised,
disappointment or worse will be the result. This can be eased by offering an apology and an explanation of
why the service did not meet usual standards with empathy (for example, "I know how you must feel"),
and possible solutions (replacement, compensation or whatever fairness suggests best meets the case).
     Airlines face some of the toughest challenges over customer care. Fierce competition has convinced
them at that delighting passengers is an important marketing tool, while there is great potential for customer
anger over delays caused by weather, unclaimed luggage and technical problems.
     For British Airways staff, a winning telephone style is considered vital in handling the large volume of
calls about bookings and flight times. They are trained to answer quickly, with their names, job title and a
"we are here to help" attitude. The company has invested heavily in information technology to make sure
that information is available instantly on screen.
     British Airways also says its customer care policies are applied within the company and staff are taught
to regard each other as customers requiring the highest standards of service.
     Customer care is obviously here to stay and it would be a foolish company that used slogans such as
"we do as we please". On the other hand, the more customers are promised, the greater the risk of
disappointment.

1. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that _____.

A. complaining customers are hard to satisfy
B. unsatisfied customers receive better service
C. satisfied customers catch more attention
D. well-treated customers promote business

2. The writer mentions "phone rage"(Paragraph 3)to show that _____.

A. customers often use phones to express their anger
B. people still prefer to buy goods online
C. customer care becomes more demanding
D. customers rely on their phones to obtain services

3. What does the writer recommend to create customer delight?

A. Calling customers regular.
B. Gibing a "thank you"note.
C. Delivering a quicker service.
D. Promising more gifts.

4. If a manager should show his empathy (Paragraph 6), what would be probably say?

A. "I know how upset you must be."
B. "I appreciate your understanding."
C. "I'm sorry for the delay."
D. "I know it's our fault."

5. Customer delight is important for airlines because _____.

A. their telephone style remains unchanged
B. they are more likely to meet with complaints
C. the services cost them a lot of money
D. the policies can be applied to their staff

6. Which of the following is conveyed in this article?

A. Face-to -face service creates comfortable feelings among customers.
B. Companies that promise more will naturally attract more customers.
C. A company should promise less but do more in a competitive market.
D. Customer delight is more important for air lines then for banks.