54．How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?

　　 　A．By setting up more chain stores across the country.

B．By selling roses in supermarkets.

C．By selling high quality roses at a low price.

D．By selling roses by the dozen.

54C考查细节理解。根据Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.和Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain可知选C。

53. What is the central theme of this text?

　　 A．The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.

B．The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.

C．The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.

D．The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.

53C考查主旨要义。根据文意2、3、4改变销售方法促销，5、6说明与国外生产商既竞争又合作，

这些都表明玫瑰商想方设法迎接挑战取得成功。

24．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage? (The numbers stand for the paragraphs)

A．　　　　　　　　 B．　　　　　　　　 C．　　　　　　　　 D．

24C考查文章结构。根据文章总体可知，第一段提出问题；第二、三、四段分述三个特点；第五段总结叙述圆滑的意义。

B

[2010·浙江鲁迅中学高三适应性考试]

词数：451　 体裁：议论文　　 难度：4

Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.

Yes, a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.

Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.

Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals. 　　

While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.

Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”

As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.

23．The fourth paragraph mainly talks about __________________.

A．how to comfort the patients　　

B．how to use trickery carefully

C．differences between trickery and promises　　

D．another feature of tact

23D考查判断推理。根据文章的结构可知，2、3、4段分别讲述了tact“圆滑”的三个特点。第四段是其中的一个。故选D。

22．According to the author, his mother’s praise for the brother is _______________.

A．both sensitive and tactful　　　 　 B．sensitive but not tactful enough

C．truthful but not tactful　　　　 　 D．sensitive but trickish

22B考查判断推理。根据If a person isn’t sensitive to another’s feelings, there is no way he or she can be tactful.和sensitivity alone does not make tact.可知选B。

21．When told he should “go Ajax” his teeth, Bill probably felt ________________.

A．surprised　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．cheated　　 　　

C．regretful　 　　　　　　　　　　　 D．painful

21D考查判断推理。根据Bill was crushed“Bill的精神被摧毁”和He could have showed this hurtful truth in a more careful, sensitive way“他本能用更小心、体贴的方法提出这一痛苦的事实。”可知选D。

54．C　 考查判断推理。根据文章中的“I was no longer a stranger.”推知作者被接纳了。S

53．A　 考查猜测词义。根据第三段可知：班上男孩众多，我并不引人注目。

52．B　 考查细节理解。根据第二内容中的“I stood in the center of the playground, expecting someone to say “hello”, but no one spoke to me.”可推知选B。

51．C　 考查细节理解。根据第一段我设想的问题可知选C。