Can people in developing countries benefit from free trade? I quite think so. The most common advantage of free trade is fewer or no barriers between countries. This allows a freer flow of labor and goods between member countries. As free trade agreements become more common around the world, the positive influence on developing countries has been considered as one of the greatest successes of them. There are several advantages for developing countries that take part in free trade.
As developed countries are able to move their operations into developing countries, new job opportunities open up for local workers. Increased levels of employment lead to a higher standard of living and more consumer purchasing. This finally does good to the country's economy and may help to develop locally-owned businesses. As locally-owned businesses develop, more local people can find jobs there.
Child labor exists in developing countries for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is lack of technology. Free trade allows companies to spend more money on equipment and pay higher wages to adult workers. With higher family incomes, children are able to attend school rather than work.
Not only does free trade allow foreign-owned companies to establish themselves in developing countries, it also allows native companies to sell products to foreign markets. This is particularly true for small businesses in developing countries. These companies no longer have to worry about barriers to market entry and can sell their products freely.
An increase in employment levels and incomes in developing countries can lead to better medical care there. The final result is an increase in the average life span and a drop in infant deaths.
As is shown above, we can say that free trade really benefits developing countries.
1. What does the underlined word "them" in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Positive advantages. | B．Developing countries. |
| C．Free trade agreements. | D．Barriers between countries. |
| A．more higher-skilled jobs | B．higher employment rates |
| C．higher market competitiveness | D．more foreign-owned companies |
| A．don't have to work | B．can receive higher wages |
| C．don't have to attend school | D．can learn more about new technologies |
| A．Small businesses can get more skilled employees. |
| B．Free trade provides small businesses with new markets. |
| C．Foreign-owned companies can sell their products to developing countries. |
| D．Free trade can lead to greater competition between foreign and local companies. |
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【推荐1】A survey by the Kennel Club has found almost one in five would rather have a dog than be in a relationship.
The research, which asked 2,612 dog owners for their thoughts on romance, found just under a quarter agreed that having a dog would make them feel less concerned about not being in love.
Perhaps the findings are unsurprising, as celebrities have long used dogs as their plus-ones. Hollywood legend Glenn Close took her Havanese dog Pip to the Oscars last year, describing her pet as “the best date a girl can have”. Jennifer Aniston has credited her dogs and female friends with making her happy, stating: “I’ve had more fun post-40 than I can remember.”
Bill Lambert, a spokesman for the Kennel Club, said: “There certainly seems to be a growing number of dog-lovers who would rather share their lives with a four-legged friend instead of a human partner. This could be due to the many benefits that come with dog ownership — from the psychological to the physical. Dogs help their owners relax, whether that’s with a daily walk in fresh air, or with a cuddle (依偎) on a sofa. They can also be great listeners, help their owners fight stress, and can play a part in improving the health and fitness of their two-legged owners.”
Nevertheless, for those dog owners who are still looking for love, the research suggests their pet might help.
More than a fifth of those questioned said they had been asked out on a date or found love while out with their dog, with beagles, springer spaniels and German Shepherds appearing best for attracting a potential partner. People who owned golden retrievers and corgis were also very likely to say their pet may have helped them out romantically.
Mr Lambert said: “This is quite unsurprising when you consider that dogs are a great ice-breaker, when strangers may otherwise not look twice at each other, and that we tend to have very positive associations about people who love dogs.”
Among those responding to the survey, 21 percent said they were more likely to date someone who also had a dog.
1. How would a single with a dog react when asked for their opinion of love?| A．Behave like a cat on hot bricks. | B．Stay calm or even a little carefree. |
| C．Feel quite worried about being single. | D．Still be hopeful about love and marriage. |
| A．To tell us some romantic stories about them. |
| B．To show that the result of the research is true. |
| C．To persuade us to follow these people’s example. |
| D．To give us some tips on how to be in a relationship. |
| A．Because of the advice given by their doctors. |
| B．Because the dogs can remind them of somebody. |
| C．Because they can’t find their true love in reality. |
| D．Because of the good their dogs bring to their life. |
| A．Learn some basic knowledge about dogs. |
| B．Set up a homeless dog shelter on your own. |
| C．Bring some dog food with you in the street. |
| D．Walk your beagle in the park after supper. |
【推荐2】Elena Yi dreamed of pursuing piano performance in college, never minding that her fingers could barely reach the length of an octave (八度音阶). Unable to fully play many works by Romantic-era composers including Beethoven and Brahms, she tried anyway— and in her determination to spend hours practicing a Chopin concerto, wound up injuring herself.
The efforts of Professor Carol Leone from the Southern Methodist University (SMU) are changing all that: twenty years ago, the school became the first major university in the U.S. to introduce smaller keyboards into its music program, leveling the playing field for Yi and other piano majors.
Yi, 21, tried one of the smaller keyboards, “I remember being really excited, because my hands could actually reach and play all the right notes,” she said.
For decades, few questioned the size of the traditional piano. For those with small hand spans (掌距), it’s difficult to properly play many works of Beethoven and Brahms. Those who attempt to play them either get used to skipping notes or risk injury with repeated play. Leone is familiar with such challenges. Born into a family of musicians, she favored classical music and pursued piano despite her small hand span, and earned a degree as a doctor in musical arts.
The idea of smaller keyboards first met resistance from some traditionalists. Leone also said that when she raised the issue with one Viennese professor, he told her there were already too many pianists anyway.
Though such resistance is fading, there are some very traditional people who think of piano as a competitive thing. Leone said, “This is art, not sport. It’s about making as much beautiful art as possible, and we should give everybody the opportunity to do that.”
1. Why did Elena Yi find it hard to play a Chopin concerto so well?| A．Her fingers got injured. |
| B．It was time-consuming. |
| C．Her hand spans were small. |
| D．The traditional piano was out of tune. |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| B．Add some background information. |
| C．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| D．Provide some advice for pianists. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Objective. | C．Unclear. | D．Positive. |
【推荐3】To study the behavior of wild animals, scientists routinely tag them with solar-powered GPS location trackers. But such devices’ battery capacity limits how long they operate, often bringing an early end to vital conservation work. Solar-powered trackers break easily, making them a poor choice for devices strapped to larger mammals—and they don’t work for night creatures.
So biologist Rasmus Worsoe Havmoller of the University of Copenhagen and his colleagues turned to another abundant power source: kinetic energy generated by an animal’s movements. It is also lighter and cheaper to make than its battery-powered counterparts. The design “is creative and exciting,” says Mark Hebblewhite, a habitat ecologist at the University of Montana. The proof-of-concept kinetic tracker works by means of a magnetic pendulum (摆钟) that swings around a copper coil, generating electricity as it moves.
Their kinetic tracker, which Havmoller’s team recently tested on domestic dogs, a wild pony and a European bison, could theoretically survive for the entire life span of an active animal. The dogs and bison in the study were active enough to create the energy to transmit one location signal per day for 14 days and 17 days, respectively. One of the wild pony’s trackers lasted at least 146 days but didn’t produce enough power for daily transmissions, the researchers reported in PLOS ONE. The limited power generated by the animals’ movements means the technology isn’t ready for prime time just yet, says ecologist Emily Studd of British Columbia’s Thompson Rivers University, who wasn’t involved in the study.
When researchers want to keep close tabs on animals, they often need GPS fixes more than once a day. But Studd says that “with a bit more development, this could be a game changer for wildlife animal research and monitoring.”
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The capacity of solar-powered GPS location trackers. |
| B．The limitations of solar-powered GPS location trackers. |
| C．The importance of conservation efforts for wild animals. |
| D．The challenges faced by scientists in tagging wild animals. |
| A．The copper coil. |
| B．The kinetic tracker. |
| C．The tagged animal. |
| D．The solar-powered tracker. |
| A．The dogs had a low level of activity. |
| B．The kinetic tracker often functions improperly. |
| C．The research needs more scientists to get involved. |
| D．High levels of activity may lead to consistent transmissions. |
| A．Trackers and Animals Can Coexist |
| B．New Wildlife Trackers Run on Animal Power |
| C．Kinetic Trackers Outperform Solar-powered Trackers |
| D．Technology Progress Contributes to Wildlife Conservation |
【推荐1】An increasing number of middle-class Chinese are buying luxury goods outside the Chinese mainland, with more overseas travel driving the trend, a KPMG report said on Tuesday.
Of the seventy-one percent of then said they bought luxury items during such trips, with cosmetics, watches and handbags being the most popular items.
The report--- The Global Teach of China Luxury---is based on a survey of 1,200 middle class Chinese consumers in 24 cities. Market research firm TNS conducted the study.
Respondents were 20 to 44 years old, with a minimum household income of 7,500 yuan($ 1,205) a month in tier-one cities and 5,500 yuan elsewhere.
Chinese consumers associate certain countries with particular products. For example, Switzerland is recognized for its luxury watchers, while France scores highest for cosmetics and perfumes.
Nick Debnam, KPMG’s Asia Pacific chairman in consumer markets and the author of the report, said the growing number of Chinese people traveling overseas is a result of the emerging middle class and easier travel arrangements.
“What we are now seeing is that the brands which are well positioned in China are receiving a boost(增长) in overseas markets from the emergence of a surging new class of traveling and well-off Chinese consumers,” he said.
China has become a focus of the luxury industry in recent years, and the travel and spending habits of Chinese consumers are also reshaping the luxury goods market, Debnam said.
Pascal Aemoudom, an exper with A. T. Kearney Management Consulting Co Ltd in Shanghai, said Chinese consumers are playing an increasingly important role in the global luxury market.
“Brands like Louis Vuitton or Gucci do have about 30 percent of their sales made by Chinese consumers. Regarding China’s native consumers, overseas should be around 55 to 60 percent of the total,” he said.
“With high taxes on luxury products sold in the domestic market, consumers can save 30 to 50 percent when buying in Europe or the United States,” said Armoudom.
Lower prices aren’t the only incentive to buy overseas--- the shopping experience is also unique. “In luxury watches, a few rich Chinese brand’s headquarters or factory after having visited the site and talked to the staff there.
Debnam said in such situations, international and local brands need a global strategy for Chinese consumers in both locations.
“Brands need a strong market position in China and overseas so that Chinese customers can find their products easily,” he said. “For example, in clothing, the Asian cut is quite different from the European cut, and you need to carry the right cut to make the sale.”
Meanwhile, Armoudom said, pricing policies will become a major issue that needs to be handled carefully. “Chinese shoppers may become frustrated if they notice lower prices in location A for an item which they already bought at a higher price in location B.”
1. Why is luxury goods market overseas receiving a boost?| A．China has become the target of the luxury industry. |
| B．Easier travel arrangements and spending habits of Chinese customers. |
| C．Lower prices and unique shopping experience for Chinese. |
| D．All of the above |
| A．30% | B．55~60% |
| C．16~18% | D．12~13% |
| A．brands need a strong market position in China and overseas |
| B．the difference between Asian cut and European cut |
| C．the number of Chinese traveling abroad continues to rise |
| D．local brands need a global strategy for customers |
| A．luxury watches | B．Louis Vuitton bags |
| C．perfumes | D．Gucci products |
Haagen-Dazs from Europe started in 1989 and is 5-10 times more expensive than regular ice cream．There is no real advantage．However, it adopted a unique marketing strategy(策略), and quickly occupied the market as a top ice cream brand．
Haagen-Dazs did not set up shops in ordinary supermarkets or grocery stores. Haggen-Dazs leisure fashion shops are located in busy sections of malls．The layout(布局) is carefully planned to create an elegant atmosphere, and sometimes, a flagship（旗舰） store will cost several million dollars．
Compared to other ice cream brands, Haagen-Dazs consumers are tightly grouped．It is understood that Haagen-Dazs seldom does television advertising．The majority of ads are highly visual impact of the print ads．In particular many advertisements target the wealthy consumers. Moreover, if the consumer spends 500 Yuan, they can become a member. These members will be regularly sent advertisements by direct mail．Praise of customers is a powerful weapon for Haagen Dazs．
There is always much creative ingenuity(独创性) in Haagen-Dazs advertising, so it is remembered by the people:
☆ Initial advertisements such as: "Delicious Haagen-Dazs, like 24K gold, Kobe beef from Japan, original palm oil, mushroom truffles（松露） and Chinese ceramics（制陶术）…what 'ice cream' was waiting for．"
☆"love her, let her eat Haagen-Dazs" This classic advertisement attracted numerous Haagen-Dazs lovers who became regulars．
Today, Haggen Dazs has about 700 stores in 55 countries with annual sales of more than 1 billion US dollars．Haagen-Dazs has become the world's most popular ice cream brand．In the United States, its market share is 6．1%, 1%in France, 4．6% in Japan, 4% in Singapore, and 5% in Hong Kong．
Determined to win the majority of wealthy customers they combined positioning in the marketplace with dedicated brand goals．This is the real secret of success．
1. How is the text organized?
| A．Main idea-Comparison-Supporting examples- Conclusion |
| B．Topic- Supporting examples- Conclusion |
| C．Opinion-Discussion- Description- Conclusion |
| D．Topic-Argument-Explanation-Conclusion |
| A．expensive | B．excellent |
| C．special | D．popular |
| A．Because it can't afford to do television advertisements. |
| B．Because it doesn't think television advertising attracts consumers. |
| C．Because it focuses on its target consumers by using other media. |
| D．Because its design isn't suitable to be broadcast on the television. |
| A．The origin of Haagen-Dazs, |
| B．The creative advertisements of Haagen-Dazs. |
| C．The Influence of Haagen-Dazs. |
| D．The marketing strategy of Haagen-Dazs. |
【推荐3】The social responsibility of corporations is an ethical framework in which corporations are responsible for fulfilling their duty and taking actions that will benefit society as a whole. Managers always make decisions that maximize profits.
It makes business attractive to investors. Investors generally believe that a commitment to social change is a great way to position a company for long-term success. There must be a balancing act between focusing on the profits of an organization and social initiatives (主动性).
It improves company reputation. If an organization is continually participating in social initiatives, it gives an impression to customers, investors and the world as a whole that the organization has good economic strength.
It increases customer loyalty and support. Consumers are drawn to companies that have a good reputation.
In a word, keeping social responsibility is very important to corporations. It’s also important to consider what social responsibility initiatives they’re going to take and the impact that they will have on society.
| A．It improves profits and value. |
| B．Doing so improves business culture. |
| C．That in turn can improve the company’s reputation. |
| D．It should improve labor policies and have fair trade. |
| E．Customers’ backing is key to attracting new customers. |
| F．However, they also should protect the interests of the society. |
| G．Keeping the balancing act can also create endless opportunities for companies. |
