Would you like to be a king or queen? To have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. Need proof? Just listen to the commercials. Most of them sound like the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you.” Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers. But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special.

People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. Most places don’t have a “furniture street” or a “computer road” which allow you to compare prices easily. Instead, people often “let their fingers do the walking” through the store hot lines. From the first “hello”, customers receive a satisfying response to their questions. This initial contact can help them decide where to shop.

When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. Customers don’t usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards. Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don’t have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they’re at a flea market or a yard sale, they don’t bother trying to bargain.

When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy’s Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm “thank you” from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don’t have to carry heavy bags out to the car.

1. By quoting (引用) the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you”, the author intends to_______.

A. suggest that customers believe what commercials say deeply

B. show readers the American idea on good customer service

C. express all the stores pay much attention to the customers

D. persuade readers to choose the stores with ads correctly

2.In the USA, what may you do at first if you want to do some shopping?

A. To visit a professional street with lots of similar stores.

B. To compare prices in many shops in the same street.

C. To make phone calls and get better shopping choices.

D. To receive other customers’ answers to the questions.

3.The underlined words “a breeze” in Para.3 most probably means _________.

A. an easy job　　 B. a trouble　　           C. a funny thing　　     D. a boring task

4.Which of the followings shows American stores offer convenience to customers in this passage?

A. The store clerks don’t usually sit around watching TV or playing cards.

B. Some stores offer price bargain to the customers like a yard sale.

C. The clerks give customers a smile and a warm “thank you” after paying.

D. Some stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes are crowded.

5.Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A. Customer Service in America                     B. Excellent Stores in America

C. Shopping Rules in America                           D. Being King or Queen in America

 

One of the most difficult questions to answer is how much a job is worth. We naturally expect that a doctor’s salary will be higher than a bus conductor’s wages. But the question becomes much more difficult to answer when we compare a miner with an engineer, or an unskilled man working on an oil-rig（钻探平台）with a teacher in a secondary school. What the doctor, the engineer and the teacher have in common is that they have devoted several years to studying in order to obtain the necessary qualifications for their professions. We feel instinctively that these skills and these years should be rewarded. At the same time we recognize that the work of the miner and the oil-rig laborer is both hard and dangerous, and that they must be highly paid for the risks they take.
　　Another aspect we must take into consideration is how socially useful a man’s work is. Most people would agree that looking after the sick or teaching children is more important than, say, selling second-hand cars. Yet it is almost certain that the used-car salesman earns more than the nurse and the schoolteacher.
　　Indeed, this whole question of just rewards can be turned on its head. You can argue that a man who does a job which brings him personal satisfaction is already receiving part of his reward in the form of a so-called “psychic（精神的）wage”, and that it is the man with the boring, repetitive job who needs more money to make up for the soul-destroying repetitiveness of his work. It is significant that the jobs like nursing and teaching continue to be poorly paid, while others, such as those in the world of sport or entertainment, carry financial rewards out of all proportion to their social worth.
Although the amount of money that people earn is largely determined by market forces, this should not prevent us from seeking some way to decide what is the right pay for the job. A starting point would be to try to decide the ratio（比率）which ought to exist between the highest and the lowest paid. The picture is made more complicated by two factors: firstly by the welfare benefits which every citizen receives, and secondly by the taxation system which is often used as an instrument of social justice by taxing high incomes at a very high rate indeed. Most countries now regard a ratio of 7:1 as socially acceptable. If it is less, the highly-qualified people carrying heavy responsibilities will become disappointed, and might even end up by leaving for another country. If it is more, the difference between rich and poor will be so great that it will lead to social unrest.
【小题1】Why do people naturally expect that doctors should be well-paid?

A．Their work requires greater intelligence.

B．They are under constant pressure at work.

C．They work harder than most other people.

D．They have studied for years to get qualified.

【小题2】In Paragraph 2 and 3, the author indicates that __________.

A．the talented should do more important work

B．unskilled jobs have less social responsibility

C．those with more socially useful jobs earn less

D．people want to pay more to important services

【小题3】Which of the following statements would the author agree?

A．It’s difficult to define the social value of a job.

B．The market will decide what the right pay is for a job.

C．People should find a proper ratio between high and low pay.

D．Those receiving high salary should carry heavy responsibilities.

Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you're a thin 14-year-old.That was me in 1940-the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City's Pennsyl-vania Railway Station.

     After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging passengers. I'd like to join them, thinking, "Everyone else is doing it."

     When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do." You give an honest day's work," he said, looking at me straight in the eye."  They're paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that."

     I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.

     Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possessions. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.

    Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can't trust one another, there's going to be trouble. 

1.What can be inferred about the baggage boys? 

A. They could earn much, but they had to work hard.

B. Many of them earned money in a dishonest way.

C. They were all from poor families.

D. They were all thin, young boys.

2.What does the father's advice imply?

A. It is wrong to give more pay to the passengers.

B. Don't believe them if they are paying you more.

C. Don't follow others to overcharge the passengers.

D. It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy. 

3.The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that ______. 

A. it is a totally shared experience

B. it is considered as the most dangerous

C. it does great harm to human relationship

D. it may lead to the loss of his sports team 

4.It can be concluded from the text that ______. 

A. his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up

B. working in the sports team was his most important experience

C. he learnt much from his shared experience with his team members

D. his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his later life

 

Some of the best-known names in the entertainment industry have taken part in an unprecedented telethon to help victims of the terrorist attacks in the United States.

    The benefit(义演), called “America: a Tribute to Heroes,” was sponsored by all four major U.S television networks, ABC,CBS, FOIX and NBC. It was broadcast by three-dozen television, cable and radio networks across the country and aired live to more than a hundred countries around the world.

    Hollywood stars joined music entertainers in asking listeners and viewers to pledge cash donations to charities helping the victims of the September 11^th attacks.

    Actors, including Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, tom Cruise and Clint Eastwood, told stories of heroic acts by people who tried to save others from the burning World trade Center and the Pentagon. Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali made a rare public appearance in show of support. The appeals alternated with performances by such popular entertainers a Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Steve Wonder, Paul Simon and the rock band U—2. They appeared on stages in New York, Los Angeles and London, decorated with hundreds of burning candles.

    Singer Billy Joel sang “ New York State of Mind” with a New York City firefighter’s hat on his piano. Sting dedicated his song “ Gragile” to a friend who died in the World Trade Center. Stevie Wonder condemned hatred in the name of religion before singing his song “ Love’s in Need of Love today”. Pledge phones were manned by dozens of other celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, Meg Ryan, Whoopic Goldberg, Cindy Crawford, Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone.

    Organizers say the two-hour telethon raised millions of dollars. All participants, from stars to stagehands, worked without pay.

1.Those who appeared on stages were ______.

　 A. some best-known names in the USA

　 B. some famous singer, film stars and other music entertainers

　 C. People who tried to save others from the burning World trade Center and the Pentagon.

　 D. Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Hollywood stars

2.The underlined word “ telethon” most probably means ______.

A. a performance to raise money　     

B. a concert held by some television networks

C. a television program which lasts a long time

D. a television program for entertainment

3.Which of the following statements is true?

A. Four major U.S. television networks broadcast the benefit

B. The former heavy weight champion Muhammad Ali sang a song to show his support

C. Billy Joel, wearing a firefighter’s hat, played the piano for the listeners and viewers

D. The organizers, stars and people who worked for the benefit didn’t get any money for themselves.

4.The best title for the news report is ______.

A.U.S Telethon Raises Money for Attack Victims

B. Best-known names Pledge Donations

C. Seeking More Support         

D. More People Join

 

请阅读下列应用文及相关信息，按照要求匹配信息，并把答案填涂在答题卡的相应位置上。填涂选项中有一项为多余项。
下面文章中有5处（第71~75题）需要添加小标题，请从以下选项中选出符合各段意思的小标题，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑,选项中一项为多余选项．

A．Slow Down Your Life

B．Escape Now and Then

C．Separate Your Actions

D．Allow Yourself to Be Weak

E． Relieve Pressure by Firmly Saying “ No”
F． Stop Expecting Everything to Be Perfect
How to Simplify Your Life
Less is more．This is why we say: reduce things by half instead of doubling them, get rid of junk instead of piling it up, relax instead of stressing, slow down instead of speeding up．Apply these principles in your everyday life in a conscious way．You will then find yourself well along on your journey to simplification．
1．___ _______．
When you concentrate on one task, you find you have energy that you didn't even know you had．Just imagine: you are at a fair and you have to carry two heavy pigs over 100 yards．If you keep grabbing one and then the other, it will take forever, because one of them will keep slipping out from under your arm and running off．But if you tie one pig in a place, pick up the other, gather all your strength and make a dash for the finish line, pause for a moment, run back and get the other one, and with great determination, carry the second pig to the finish line, then you can be sure of success．
2．__________．
The pressure at work is on the increase in all occupations．In the modern nuclear family, the expectations that formerly would have been shared among all the relatives are now concentrated on the individual partner．
If you have the feeling that 24 hours per day are not enough for all the things you need to do, then it’s not because the day has too few hours, but because you have too many activities．A simple fact that overloaded people often tend to forget．The solution is equally simple: refuse to accept so many work assignments in your private life or your working life．
3． ______．
“I can handle stress” is regarded as a positive statement in the world of work．People who can handle stress are given more and more to cope with — until one day they break．
Pay careful attention to the signs that tell you that you are under more stress than you can cope with．These signals came from various areas of life．You become ill, or your work efficiency decreases．
If you have any of these symptoms, change your life goals and decrease your tolerance of stress．Say quite openly, "I can't manage that．"
4． _____．
"If only I were slimmer, more beautiful, richer, cleverer, then I would be happier．" This is a dream that makes a lot of people ill, depressed, and unhappy．Life has its flaws, defects, comets, and edges．Only those who accept this reality can lead a really full life．
Of course there are activities in which errors are dangerous; driving a car, crossing the road．But life doesn't consist entirely of these things．In among them there is a lot of room for small and large mistakes．
5．___________．
Successful people all have their own places where they can withdraw in order to work．Find out which places improve your creativity．For me it's the train．When I know that I'm going to be traveling for four hours without phone calls and people knocking on my door, I find my mind is free and I can read or write complex articles．There can be problems working on the train, of course_: if the person sitting opposite you keeps talking away, or if train trips make you tired (some people fall asleep after a few miles)．