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Amtrak (美国铁路客运公司)was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运量)along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly. ]At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America‘s standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west. Two portions of the total market were targeted:1)anxious fliers—those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2)travel-lovers—those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures. Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc. ). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.
1.What‘s the author‘s purpose in writing this passage? 【外语教育&网】 A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience. B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America‘s standard of convenience. C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion. D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes. 2.It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . A) trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportation B) trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation C) trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to be
D) trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience3.To encourage consumers to travel by train, DDB Needham emphasized _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) the freedom and convenience provided on trainsB) the practical aspects of train travelC) the adventurous aspects of train tripsD) the safety and cleanliness of train trips 4.The train ads were placed among family-oriented TV programs involving nature and America because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) they could focus on meaningful travel experiencesB) they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programsC) their profits could be increased by some 15 percentD) most travel-lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences5.According to the passage, the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertisedB) it provided an exciting travel experienceC) its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoorsD) it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle
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The biggest safety threat facing airlines today may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with the portable computer in business class. In the last 15 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference. The source of this interference remains unconfirmed, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic device such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones.
RTCA, an organization which advises the aviation (航空)industry, has recommended that all airlines ban (禁止)such devices from being used during “critical”stages of flight, particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently, rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some airlines prohibit passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are reluctant to enforce a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flights. The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft‘s computers. Experts know that portable device emit radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not. The fact that aircraft may be vulnerable (易受损的)to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio systems in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying, though, is the passenger who can‘t hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music‘s too loud. 1.The passage is mainly about _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) a new regulation for al airlinesB) the defects of electronic devicesC) a possible cause of aircraft crashes D) effective safety measures for air flight2.What is said about the over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years?A) They may have been caused by the damage to the radio systems.B) They may have taken place during take-off and landing.C) They were proved to have been caused by the passengers portable computers.D) They were suspected to have resulted from electromagnetic interference.3.Few airlines want to impose a total ban on their passengers using electronic devices because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) they don‘t believe there is such a danger as radio interferenceB) the harmful effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be provedC) most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio and cassette playersD) they have other effective safety measures to fall back on4.Why is it difficult to predict the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on an airplane‘s computers?A) Because it is extremely dangerous to conduct such research on an airplane.B) Because it remains a mystery what wavelengths are liable to be interfered with.C) Because research scientists have not been able to produce the same effects in labs.D) Because experts lack adequate equipment to do such research.5.It can be inferred from the passage that the author _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) is in favor of prohibiting passengers‘use of electronic devices completelyB) has overestimated the danger of electromagnetic interferenceC) hasn‘t formed his own opinion on this problemD) regards it as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight
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3、Brazil has become one of the developing world‘s great successes at reducing population growth-but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard. Brazil‘s population growth rate has dropped from 2. 99%a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1. 93%a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2. 7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries. Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧)and installment (分期付款)plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world‘s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil‘s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities. “Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working, ”says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package. ”Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. “This led to an enormous change in consumption patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的)with unlimited reproduction, ”says Martine.
1.According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) by educating its citizens 【外语教育&网
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Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉)can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevrons (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down. Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D. C. is planning to repeat Japan‘s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest—curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges. Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway sped and the number of traffic accidents.
1.The passage mainly discusses _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . A) a new way of highway speed control B) a new pattern for painting highways C) a new approach to training drivers D) a new type of optical illusion 【外语教育&网】
2.On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . A) they should avoid speed-related hazardsB) they are driving in the wrong laneC) they should slow down their speedD) they are approaching the speed limit3.The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) can keep drivers awakeB) can cut road accidents in halfC) will have a longer effect on driversD) will look more attractive4.The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) try out the Japanese method in certain areasB) change the road signs across the countryC) replace straight, horizontal bars with chevronsD) repeat the Japanese road patterns5.What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?A) They are falling out of use in the United States.B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.C) They are applicable only on broad roads.D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.
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There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do. In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers. This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained are same. The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic (北极的)peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitate their surroundings. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent (进步). The progress from a rattle (拨浪鼓)used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of available materials.
1.The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) their social roles are rigidly determinedB) most boys would like to follow their fathers‘professionsC) boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothersD) they like challenging activities 2.One aspect of “the universality of toys”lies in the fact that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toysB) the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universitiesC) the exploration of the universe had led to the creation of new kinds of toysD) the basic characteristics of toys are the same the world over3.Which of the following is the author‘s view on the historical development of toys?A) The craftsmanship in toy-making has remained essentially unchanged.B) Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries.C) The toy industry has witnessed great leaps in technology in recent years.D) Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child‘s character. 4.Regarded as a kind of art form, toys _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) follow a direct line of ascentB) also appeal greatly to adultsC) are not characterized by technological progress D) reflect the pace of social progress5.The author uses the example of rattle to show that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
A) in toy-making there is a continuity in the sue of materialsB) even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technologyC) even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technologyD) even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time
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Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing (裁判)decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees. The researcher organized an experimental tournament (锦标赛)involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge. Observers noted down the referees‘errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number. The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum (最佳的)distance is about 20 meters. There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second. If FIFA, football‘s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues. He also says that FIFA‘s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.
1.The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World CupB) analyse the causes of errors made by football refereesC) set a standard for football refereeing D) reexamine the rules for football refereeing2.The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) slightly above averageB) higher than in the 1998 World CupC) quite unexpectedD) as high as in a standard match 3.The findings of the experiment show that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ballB) the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errorsC) the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely will errors occurD) errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot4.The word “officials”(Line 2, Para. 4)most probably refers to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) the researchers involved in the experimentB) the inspectors of the football tournamentC) the referees of the football tournamentD) the observers at the site of the experiment5.What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?A) The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.B) Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.C) A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.D) An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.
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Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星)now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists. Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星)that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don‘t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth. Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, we‘ll have a way to change its course. Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn‘t be cheap. Is it worth it?Two things experts consider when judging any risk re:1)How likely the event is;and 2)How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500, 000 years. Sounds pretty rare—but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “If we don‘t take care of these big asteroids, they‘ll take care of us, ”says one scientist. “It‘s that simple. ” The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth?“The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭性的)rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them, ”said a New York Times article.
1. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature. 【外语教育&网
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