As Apple tries to maintain its growth and success in China, the world's largest smart-phone market is becoming even more critical. Apple's shares(股份) fell sharply as the company's earnings for the holiday quarter through December disappointed investors.
The sales of the iPhone, which include both the iPhone 5 and older models, came in at the low end of analysts' expectations, while the company's income plan for the second quarter was below analysts' forecasts, though Apple is known to give conservative (保守的) forecasts.
Some analysts have said that for Apple to regain its growth, the company needs a more aggressive strategy(进攻型策略) for markets, or more specifically for China, where the market for smart phones has been expanding more rapidly than anywhere else. In China, demand is particularly great for inexpensive phones that run on Android(安卓) operating system, sold by many Chinese phone makers as well as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co.
But Apple says it's already enjoying strong growth in China. "We saw big growth in iPhones," Chief Executive Tim Cook said. He said that the company has been quickly expanding its sales channels in China, including the number of Apple stores. "This isn't nearly what we need, we're not even close to that, but we're making great progress.” he said.
In China, a big missing piece for Apple is China Mobile Ltd. , the biggest local telecom carrier that doesn't yet sell the iPhone. Earlier this month, Mr. Cook met China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua in Beijing and discussed cooperation, stirring hopes that the world's largest mobile carrier may soon start offering the iPhone.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is working on a lower-end iPhone that could launch as early as this year. But one possible challenge for Apple in China is that low-priced Android-based phones are getting better in terms of quality. A report from CLSA in late November showed that many smart-phones sold at about1,000 yuan ($160) came with higher- resolution screens, better cameras and more powerful processors than phones at that price did a year earlier.
【小题1】Apple's shares dropped sharply because in December______________.

Chuck was thirteen when he came home from the hospital. He came home not because he was getting better but because he wanted to be with people he knew and loved when he died. I came by the house to visit him and his family several times a week during his treatment. On most of my visits, Chuck was very weak. But the last time I saw him alive, he was awake. “I have got something for you.” He pulled out a piece of crumpled (弄皱的) paper from under his pillow. “I want you to give this to my mom and dad after I die. You’ll know when it’s right, I guess, won’t you?”

 “What is it?” I asked. “It’s a list of all the fun we had, and all the happy time when we laughed.” I almost gasped in great surprise.

 “Like what?” I asked quietly, trying to regain my calmness.

 “Like the time when Mom, Dad, Chrissie, Linda and me were dressed up as fruits and Dad was driving us to a costume party. Dad was a bunch of grapes and I was an apple, and the others were different things like bananas and pears.”

 And a policewoman pulled Dad over for speeding. When the policewoman came up to the car, she looked and started laughing so hard that she could hardly stand up. And we all started laughing and she said, “Where are you all heading — a salad bar?” Dad said he was sorry to be speeding, but his kids were getting so ripe（成熟的） that they were starting to draw flies. And she laughed till she had to take off her dark glasses and wiped tears from her eyes.”

 Chuck laughed and so did I. The list was full of laughing and fun. What a wonderful gift, I thought.

1.Why did Chuck go home from the hospital?

A. He had been cured by the doctors.

B. He got better and better.

C. He missed his friends and teachers.

D. He wanted to be with people who he knew and loved when he died.

2. What did Chuck write on the list?

A. What to do after his death.     B. His thoughts about fear, anger and disappointment.

C. What to do before his death.     D. All the happy time he had with his family.

3. Why did the policewoman laugh when she looked into the car?

A. Because she mistook the children for fruits.

B. Because she saw some flies around the children.

C. Because she was frightened.

D. Because the children were dressed in a funny way.

4. The underlined expression “pulled Dad over” probably here means “________”.

A. stopped Dad              B. punished Dad

C. put Dad into prison      D. knocked Dad down

As Apple tries to maintain its growth and success in China, the world's largest smart-phone market is becoming even more critical. Apple's shares(股份) fell sharply as the company's earnings for the holiday quarter through December disappointed investors.

The sales of the iPhone, which include both the iPhone 5 and older models, came in at the low end of analysts' expectations, while the company's income plan for the second quarter was below analysts' forecasts, though Apple is known to give conservative (保守的) forecasts.

Some analysts have said that for Apple to regain its growth, the company needs a more aggressive strategy(进攻型策略) for markets, or more specifically for China, where the market for smart phones has been expanding more rapidly than anywhere else. In China, demand is particularly great for inexpensive phones that run on Android(安卓) operating system, sold by many Chinese phone makers as well as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co.

But Apple says it's already enjoying strong growth in China. "We saw big growth in iPhones," Chief Executive Tim Cook said. He said that the company has been quickly expanding its sales channels in China, including the number of Apple stores. "This isn't nearly what we need, we're not even close to that, but we're making great progress.” he said.

In China, a big missing piece for Apple is China Mobile Ltd. , the biggest local telecom carrier that doesn't yet sell the iPhone. Earlier this month, Mr. Cook met China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua in Beijing and discussed cooperation, stirring hopes that the world's largest mobile carrier may soon start offering the iPhone.

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is working on a lower-end iPhone that could launch as early as this year. But one possible challenge for Apple in China is that low-priced Android-based phones are getting better in terms of quality. A report from CLSA in late November showed that many smart-phones sold at about1,000 yuan ($160) came with higher- resolution screens, better cameras and more powerful processors than phones at that price did a year earlier.

1.Apple's shares dropped sharply because in December______________.

A．the iPhone wasn't popular in China

B．its product quality was widely criticized

C．the earnings for the holiday quarter was disappointing

D．the investors were not satisfied with Apple's management

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Apple tends to offer a lower sales forecast.

B．China Mobile Ltd began to team up with Apple.

C．Cook is pessimistic about what Apple did in China.

D．Apple didn't take measures to develop Chinese market.

3.The author uses the report from CLSA to prove         _____.

A．their prices are actually lower than a year earlier

B．Apple in China has ability to deal with any problem

C．low-ended Android-based phones are progressing fast

D．the promotion of lower-end iPhone will face a challenge

4.The main purpose of the passage is to show the readers ______________.

A．Apple's high popularity in China

B．the challenge Apple faces in China

C．the approaching failure Apple will suffer in China

D．Apple's aggressive strategy in its market expansion

The First of May is a Bank Holiday—the first public holiday of the year in England. Most people consider it a special day, the beginning of summer, a day when the light lasts long into the evening, and when we can look for warm weather. We don't always get it. We feel disappointed, but not surprised if there are cold winds and frosts at night in May. Winter should be over. Most people know that in the past, when farming occupied almost everyone, the changing seasons were of great importance. In that older time there was every reason to celebrate May Day. Customs of those celebrations remain.?
Of these customs, the best known is the choosing of a May Queen and the dancing round Maypole. Even these customs are little more than memories now—but in the last century it was quite common in villages and small towns, and even in schools and colleges, for a pretty and popular girl to be chosen Queen of the May. It was a great honour to be chosen. For a day she wore a light and flowery dress, carried garlands（花环）, and was ceremonially crowned with flowers. She presided over a procession, as a rule with a number of attendants, and over the Maypole dancing and all kinds of entertainment. The Maypole was slender（苗条的w.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#o） tree trunk, cut off its branches, with beautiful ribbons fastened to the top. The dancing was designed in such a way that the dancer's movements move the ribbons into a pattern. This, as you can imagine, required skill from the dancer, and was not achieved without practice.
It's the Celtic people who celebrated the First of May as a spring festival. Their celebration seems to have had little to do with taking pleasure in early, beautiful flowers and in warmer weather! They called it Beltane—the fire of the god Bel. They lit fires, in the expectation that their blaze would help the sun in its struggle to regain its strength. They drove their cattle between banks of flame in the expectation that the terrified beasts would be purified and protected from disease. A tree, which must have been blackened with smoke, stood in the middle of the fires, and is thought to have been the origin of the Maypole. Their priests（牧师） made sacrifices to the goods in the hope of good harvests and sufficient store of food for the winter. There was dancing certainly, but it was noisy and cheerful, since its purpose was not to weave a pattern of colored ribbons, but to drive out evil spirits from the earth and to arouse those kind spirits.?
57. The main purpose of the passage is to show ________.?
A. the reason why they celebrate May Day
B. the start and customs of May Day
C. the way they celebrate May Day
D. the choosing of a May Queen during May Day
58. According to the passage, which sentence is NOT true??
A. In the old days they celebrated May Day for the changing of the seasons.?
B. In England summer begins at the first of May.?
C. The custom of the choosing of a May Queen still exists in the present May Day celebration.?D. The Celtic people celebrated the first of May as a spring festival.??
59. From the surrounding words and sentences we know that the word “presided” means ____.
A. 管理    B. 越过   C. 指挥   D. 主持?
60. The best title for this passage is ________.
A. The First of May     B. The Beginning of Summer
C. May Queen        D. The Holiday of the Year?

完形填空：（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Mitchell once had a very serious car accident. More than 65 percent of his  36   was burnt. He was unable to   37   a knife at dinner, or go to the bathroom without  38  . But Mitchell never believed he was    39  . “I am in charge of my own spaceship,” he said. “It’s my up or my down. I could   40    to see this situation as a defeat   41   a starting point.” Six months later Mitchell bought himself a plane and he was piloting it   42  .

Later he  43   with two friends and founded a food company that   44  to be Vermont’s second largest food company. Then four years   45   the car accident, the plane Mitchell was piloting crashed. The accident made Mitchell unable to walk anymore. “I   46   what was happening to me. What did I do to get this?”

Mitchell worked   47   day and night to regain as much independence as possible. He was elected Mayor of Crested Butte, Colorado. He   48   the town from mineral mining that would   49   its beauty and environment.

Although he had   50  looks and physical difficulties, Mitchell   51   flying and speaking in public. “Before I   52   walk, there were 10,000 things I could do,” Mitchell says, “Now there are 9,000. I can   53   cry for the 1,000 I lost or focus on the 9,000 I have. I tell people that I have had two big bad lucks in my life.   54   you think you also have bad lucks, you can step back, take a   55   view and have a chance to say, ‘Maybe that isn’t such a big deal after all.’ It’s not what happens to you; it’s what you do about it,”