The Gold Coast teenager Sam Richards founded his drinkware (杯子) business Bellaforte at 13, producing high-quality reusable and recyclable drinkware.
Sam said one day while delivering drinks to his parents at their backyard pool, he dropped them and broke them all. That was a big disaster. He searched the Internet for crystal-like plastic replacements but couldn’t find anything. That got him thinking he should create some unbreakable plastic cups that look great and can be used by the pool.
After sourcing products and producers, Sam began selling his “beautiful plastic cups” in November, 2019 through Amazon Marketplace. Struggling to balance the demands of school and his company, Sam recently sold the business to Una Brands for $1 million after tough negotiations (谈判), according to Yenti Kushor, a manager of Una Brands. “Sam drove a hard bargain. He knew what he wanted,” Kushor said. “It was clear that he did his research and had the numbers to back it up. He didn’t give up until we met his number. He’s a real inspiration to us and we see huge growth potential (潜力) in Bellaforte.”
“It all started when I went to an Amazon conference at 10 years old to learn how to start up an Amazon business,” Sam wrote on his website. “Do simple things well. Do your research and stick to it,” he advised. “90% of people are too scared to take the first step. Don’t let other people who don’t believe in you drag you down.”
His parents, also businessmen, had offered advice and guidance throughout Sam’s building of his business. “We don’t have high expectations,” his father Phil Richards said. “We’re just happy if he goes to school and has brushed his hair.” Sam aims to go to university and major in business and marketing while thinking up new business ideas.
1. How did the incident by the pool influence Sam?| A．It gave him an inventive idea. |
| B．It changed his attitude to the Internet. |
| C．It made him care more about the environment. |
| D．It encouraged him to learn more about Amazon. |
| A．To introduce new technology. |
| B．To acquire more market shares. |
| C．To solve his company’s financial problems. |
| D．To focus his attention on his studies. |
| A．Generous and creative. | B．Courageous and gentle. |
| C．Thoughtful and determined. | D．Humorous and knowledgeable. |
| A．Never be afraid to start. |
| B．Turn to successful people for help. |
| C．Always start a business early. |
| D．Seek truth from facts. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Meat cultivated (培植) from cells—with no need to raise and kill animals—is now a reality. The process of cultivating meat uses the basic elements needed to build muscle and fat and enables the same biological process that happens inside an animal. Cultivated meat is identical to conventional meat at the cellular level. But can it be made cheaply enough to replace animal agriculture?
More than 150 startups are pursuing an ambitious goal: meat that doesn’t require raising and killing animals and that is affordable and tastes and feels like the meat we eat now. They are part of a young industry aiming to use cell biology to reduce the environmental impact of the world’s ever-increasing demand for meat and change global protein production the way electric cars are shaking up the auto industry.
“We are addicted to meat as a species. It’s part of our culture,” said Believer founder Yaakov Nahmias. But “we thought about quantity rather than the environment, rather than sustainability.”
Although there are dozens of companies making this meat, none have yet reached commercial-level production in terms of scale or cost. From cell line development to bio-processor design, there are a number of scientific challenges to meet before cultivated meat is widely available at the market. Government policy is another challenge. Only Singapore and the U. S. allow sales of cultivated meat.
And while many people who have tried it say they like it, others find the idea distasteful. A recent survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that half of U. S. adults would be unlikely to try it. When they were asked why, about half said they didn’t think it would be safe. Even Nahmias’10-year-old son Oren said he would only eat traditional meat. “I feel bad” for the animals, he said, “but they are yummy!”
“Until this meat costs and tastes the same as traditional meat, it will remain a specialized product,” said Bruce Friedrich, president of the Good Food Institute.
1. Why does the writer ask a question in the first paragraph?| A．To indicate an opinion. | B．To present a worry. |
| C．To make an assumption. | D．To start a discussion. |
| A．Study cell biology. | B．Provide sustainable protein. |
| C．End world hunger. | D．Help the traditional food industry. |
| A．It is unripe for mass production. | B．It is as popular as traditional meat. |
| C．It is safer than traditional meat. | D．It is competitive in price and quantity. |
| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Dismissive. | C．Unclear. | D．Reserved. |
【推荐2】Fast fashion has changed the way we dress. We buy more clothes, more often, but wear them less. The average lifespan of a piece of clothing is just two years, and 87 percent of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill or incinerators (焚化炉).
Alina Bassi, founder, of Kleiderly, wants to give our clothing waste another chance of a useful life. The 30-year-old chemical engineer has always cared about the threat of climate change — in her teens she made a film highlighting the environmental impact of Heathrow Airport — but she actually started her career in the oil industry. “I learned so much there, but knew it wasn’t quite right for me,” Bassi says. As a junior engineer, it was difficult to affect change in large corporations and she wanted to make an impact. “I really wanted to work in sustainability. (可持续性).”
After a few more years in the energy industry, she landed a job with bio-bean, a company that turned waste coffee grounds from major UK cafe chains into products that could be burned for heat and fuel. After a year in Berlin as chief operating officer of Kaffeeform, another coffee recycling company, Bassi was eager to step into a different field — used coffee grounds are not the biggest threat faced by the planet. Instead, Bassi poured her efforts into tackling a much bigger polluter.
Kleiderly hopes to change the landscape of clothing waste. Using the principles of a circular (循环的) economy, Bassi has developed a low-energy, multi-stage process to turn clothing fibers into an alternative to oil-based plastic. She is reluctant to reveal any further details as the process is still being patented. This plastic can then be fed to manufacturers that can use it in their existing machines, so that your old T-shirts and jeans are reused as brand new products. “I wanted to take the fibers and turn them into something that would be used for many years to come.” Bassi says.
1. What do we learn about Bassi’s work in the oil industry?| A．It gave her much joy. |
| B．It inspired her to make a film. |
| C．It went against her personal goals. |
| D．It made her worry about the oil industry. |
| A．She should enter the energy industry. |
| B．She should do more to help prevent pollution. |
| C．She should take advantage of coffee grounds |
| D．She should accept the principles of a circular economy. |
| A．Determined. | B．Unwilling. |
| C．Unlucky. | D．Proud. |
| A．Engineers find a new way to produce oil-based plastic |
| B．A lady makes great efforts to promote the fashion industry |
| C．Engineers appeal to various industries to fight climate change |
| D．A lady devotes herself to giving clothing waste a second life |
【推荐3】Foods high in sugar are unhealthy, but these additives are too delicious for many of us to give up or reduce in a way. What if we could somehow enjoy their taste without actually eating them? A student team has now designed a spoon with a structure that stimulates taste buds (味蕾) to produce a sense of sweetness without adding calories or chemicals. The project follows previous work involving flavor-enhancing cutlery (餐具) like chopsticks that increase sweetness with a mild electric current.
The five undergraduate and graduate research students wanted to create a new spoon called Sugarware for people with such disorders as diabetes, with which sugar is largely off their menu.
The-new spoon would have several bumps (凸起) on its underside to press against the tongue. The bumps can be covered with a permanent layer of molecules (分子) called ligands. These ligands bond with taste-cell receptor proteins that typically react to sugar molecules or artificial sweeteners. The bond can activate nerve signals, causing the brain to register a sense of sweetness. A diner could thus stimulate sweetness receptors without actual intake of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
This idea is similar to the previous work in that they all use cutlery to enhance taste without a user having to actually consume any sugar. “But the mechanism for stimulating the taste buds is completely different,” Shiyu Xu, one of the student researchers, says, “It uses bumps and taste-bud-stimulating molecules rather than electricity.”
The idea is “very creative”, says Paola Almeida, who is the global director of corporate innovation at candy maker Mars. But the product’s commercial success would require a significant behavioral shift among consumers: instead of adding the usual sugar or artificial sweeteners, now we’re saying, “Use this cutlery,” Almeida says, “It remains to be seen whether flavor-enhancing cutlery will catch on”.
1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．How the new invention works. | B．How a diner feel sweetness. |
| C．How ligands and proteins link. | D．How sugar molecules function. |
| A．It makes food more delicious. | B．It sends out signals to the brain. |
| C．It uses electricity to enhance taste. | D．It reduces users’ food consumption. |
| A．Positive. | B．Uncertain. | C．Critical. | D．Concerned. |
| A．Struggling for Low Sugar? — Try This Spoon |
| B．Looking for Delicious Food? — This is How |
| C．Working for Commercial Success? — Be Creative |
| D．Dieting for Better Health? — Mind Sweeteners |
【推荐1】I grew up in New Hampshire, a small town in South Canada, where in my father’s words the seasons were “Spring, Summer, Fairtime and Winter!” At that time, a week-long fair was held in the town every autumn. Thousands of people from other towns came to sell and buy things. It was the busiest time of the year.
When “Fairtime” came, my grandma became the most “useful” and busiest person of the family. Grandma was a kind, well-educated old lady. She was good at cooking. All her relatives liked the food she cooked. During “fairtime”, they would come to live in her house and have meals there. Grandma was always happy to look after them.
Year after year, many people moved to big cities. There was no longer “Fairtime”. Grandma became very old and was gradually going blind. My parents and I moved to live with Grandma in her house. We did our best to make her day-to-day life as comfortable as possible. I was at high school then. What I often did at home was to help Grandma with the daily newspaper’s crossword puzzle. However, she didn’t look happy. She often sat in her room for hours, without saying a word.
To attract people to move back, the Town Hall decided to reopen the Fair. One day, when I came back from school, I saw Grandma wearing her glasses, washing the dishes in the kitchen. With a big smile on her face, she looked a lot much younger. She told me that her two nieces would come. “They said the food I cooked was very delicious and they want to stay in my house again.” Grandma said happily. “They will stay here for one week and we can have a big party. That must be the busiest week I’ve had in years!”
I suddenly realized that Grandma didn’t want to be looked after. She wanted to be “useful”, appreciated and helpful.
1. Thousands of people came to the town to __________ at the Fair.| A．learn to cook | B．have a big party |
| C．enjoy Grandma’s food | D．sell and buy things |
| A．She was too busy. | B．No one lived with her. |
| C．She was not “useful”. | D．She couldn’t see anything |
| A．Grandma didn’t like “Fairtime”. | B．Grandma was a kind old lady. |
| C．Grandma was good at cooking. | D．Many people moved to big cities. |
| A．Fairtime | B．My “Old” Grandma |
| C．A Small Town | D．Grandma’s Family |
【推荐2】A bald(秃头的) man lay in bed. He had a major operation.
I went in his room quietly. “Hello, Mr. Jensen. I’m Hanne, your nurse.” He nodded and closed his eyes. “Would you like some soup?” I asked. He shook his head. I came back later with medicine. He took it and lay down again, I offered him the paper, but he wasn't interested. Feeling defeated(失败的), I left. In the kitchen, I placed the teapot, bread and two cups on a tray(托盘), and set off towards his room.
“Would I be disturbing you if I have my tea in your room?” I asked. “I would like to watch the news.” “Not at all.” But he was clearly surprised I tuned on the TV, and noticed him watching the news. I said, “I brought an extra cup, if you’d like some tea.” “Maybe I’ll have half a cup.” We watched in silence, until I noticed he was nodding off(打盹). As I left, he asked, “Are you in tomorrow?” I smiled. “I am, and I’ll have tea with you again if you’d like.” “I’d like that,” he said.
The next night be had two cups of tea and a piece of bread-- his first solid food in a month.
The third night he told me about his wife, children, and his job. He lived far from the hospital, and his family hadn't been able to visit, His town was near where I grew up.
A few days later, he recovered well enough to go home.
Four months later I went to visit my parents. I was out shopping when I heard a booming(浑厚的)voice.
“Hanne, it’s so good to see you!” I almost didn’t recognize Mr. Jensen.
“This is Hanne,” he said, introducing me to his wife. “She saved my life with a cup of tea.”
1. What made Hanne feel defeated?| A．She couldn’t help Mr. Jensen cheer up. | B．Mr. Jensen refused to take medicine. |
| C．Mr. Jensen was unsatisfied with her service. | D．Mr. Jensen wouldn't like to have tea. |
| A．She gave him some medicine. | B．She offered him the paper. |
| C．She shared tea and bread with him. | D．She asked whether she could stay in his room. |
| A．was watching TV | B．was nodding off |
| C．expected her to come again | D．invited her to have tea again |
| A．He had his first solid food. | B．He told Hanne a lot of things. |
| C．He missed his family very much. | D．He no longer stayed in bed. |
| A．Because he was bald. | B．Because he was older. |
| C．Because he became very healthy. | D．Because his wife was with him. |
When he was a 19-year-old musical theater student at New Jersey’s Montclair State University, Ruggiero had a rare bone cancer in his right leg. Finally his leg would have to be amputated (截) below the knee.
Such a setback could have easily ended the career of a less tough person, but Ruggiero, who has been dancing since he was five, now puts the experience into his performance. His show, “The One-Legged Song and Dance Man: Volume 3”, explains how he returned to dance just 18 months after the amputation. His dance now relies on the use of a peg leg (假肢), he explains.
The secret to his surprising success, he says, was being a “stubborn” patient who refused to give up on his dance and performing studies, despite the advice of his doctor.
“It was a real setback, but after it was all over, I said, ‘You know what? I need to pick up right where I left off and continue my career,’” Ruggiero said.
Ruggiero has come to view his peg leg as an instrument. “Tap dancers-they’re always calling themselves musicians, and their feet are their instrument,” he said.
Noting that many audience members will never have seen a one-legged dancer before coming to his show, Ruggiero says he won’t shy away from the physical “weakness” his performance shows because of his condition.
“A lot of people have come up to me, and they always say, ‘You’re such a role model and an inspiration’,” he said. “I’m honored when people say that, of course, but I’m just trying to get on with my life.”
1. What makes Ruggiero’s new show unusual?
| A．One-legged dance. | B．His own artworks. |
| C．The use of instrument. | D．Songs of pop standard. |
| A．Ruggiero is a tough person with a strong will |
| B．the setback has ended Ruggiero’s dance career |
| C．Ruggiero is dancing relying on others’ support |
| D．his doctor agreed he kept on dancing and studying |
| A．Ruggiero plays piano, sings and dances |
| B．Ruggiero is a dancer with the help of a peg leg |
| C．there are many tap dancers in the performance |
| D．Ruggiero pretends to be a physically normal person |
| A．Worry | B．Sympathy | C．Encouragement | D．Pity |
【推荐1】When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you，” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.” Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.
1. What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint?| A．He agreed with her “enemy”. |
| B．He let her continue to put up with her “enemy”. |
| C．He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said about her. |
| D．He told her not to pay attention to what her “enemy” had said. |
| A．The “enemy” thought the writer was pretty. |
| B．The “enemy” thought the writer studied hard. |
| C．The writer and her “enemy” became best friends at last. |
| D．The writer is grateful to her father. |
| A．奇迹 | B．想知道 | C．对···感到惊讶 | D．能人、奇才 |
| A．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend | B．The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| C．My Father | D．My Childhood |
【推荐2】Nothing was going right for Dr. Turner at the hospital. He made a mistake while operating on a patient. He felt sure he was no longer trusted and decided to change his job. One day he learned from the paper that a doctor was looking for a partner(合作伙伴). The doctor, whose name was Johnson, lived in Thorby, a small town in the north of England.
A few days later Dr. Turner went to Thorby, and arrived at Dr. Johnson’s home early in the afternoon. Though old and a little deaf, Dr. Johnson still had a good brain. He kept talking to the visitor about the town and its people. When they turned to the question of partnership, it was already seven in the evening. Dr. Johnson invited Dr. Turner to have dinner with him in a restaurant before catching the train back to London. Dr. Turner noticed that Dr. Johnson was fond of good food and expensive wines. They had an excellent meal. When the bill was brought, Dr. Johnson felt in his pocket. “Oh, dear,” he said. “I’ve forgotten my money.” “That’s all right,” Dr. Turner said. “I’ll pay the bill.” As he did so, he began to wonder whether Dr. Johnson was worthy of trust.
1. Dr. Turner decided to leave his present job because_______.| A．he had never been trusted |
| B．it needed too great skills |
| C．he believed it offered little hope for his future |
| D．he thought the hospital would like him to leave |
| A．things of no interest to Dr. Johnson | B．things of no importance to Dr. Turner |
| C．health matters | D．food and drink |
| A．Dr. Johnson did not like Dr. Turner |
| B．The two doctors would become friends |
| C．The two doctors would not work together |
| D．Dr. Turner decided to stay at his present job |
| A．caught the train back to London | B．felt in his pocket |
| C．paid the bill | D．said those words |
| A．Dr. Turner will never be Dr. Johnson’s partner. |
| B．Dr. Turner will ask Dr. Johnson to give back the bill he paid. |
| C．Dr. Turner will still be Dr. Johnson’s partner. |
| D．Dr. Turner and Dr. Johnson will be good friends for ever. |
【推荐3】Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla, live on Green Gables farm, in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. They want to adopt an orphan boy, but Matthew doesn’t find the boy at the train station. Instead, he is attracted by a sweet, talkative 11-year-old girl called Anne. Having heard about Anne’s poor childhood, they think Anne might not be the “useful boy” they’ve wanted to work on the farm, but she needs their sympathy. Anne is overjoyed to be allowed to stay.
On Anne’s second morning at home, however, Matthew abruptly suffers from a heart attack. Soon, Marilla sees a specialist and learns that unless she takes measures to prevent her eyesight, she will be blind within six months. Anne finds herself involved in a dilemma.
Anne, anyway, gradually gets familiar with the beauties of Green Gables, the household duties she will have to fulfill. Even though Marilla often scolds Anne for daydreaming and ignoring her chores, both she and Matthew find Anne’s imaginative talk amusing, and soon they can’t picture the farm without her.
In the fall, Anne starts off well at Avonlea School, but then she’s teased by Gilbert Blythe, a handsome boy in her grade, for her red hair. Anne hits Gilbert on the head, and she is punished by her teacher and refuses to attend school for a while. After Anne returns to school, she takes a renewed enthusiasm in her studies and a growing academic competition with Gilbert. Besides, Anne forms a story club to help her friends improve their imaginations.
When she is 16, Anne studies for the entrance exam to Queen’s Academy. With intense effort, Anne and Gilbert both get the highest exam scores in Prince Edward Island, broadening Anne’s ambitions for the future. The following September, Matthew and Marilla, both tearful over Anne’s growing up, say goodbye when Anne settles into Queen’s for the year. Anne earns teacher certificate, and though she’s defeated by Gilbert for the highest academic honor, she wins a scholarship.
1. What makes Matthew and Marilla decide to adopt Anne?| A．Anne’s pitiful childhood. | B．Anne’s attractive appearance. |
| C．Anne’s easy-going personality. | D．Anne’s familiarity with farm work. |
| A．She teases her classmate. | B．She hurts a handsome boy. |
| C．She fails to get good scores. | D．She refuses to attend school. |
| A．She defeats Gilbert academically. |
| B．She is full of hope for the future study. |
| C．She earns the highest academic honor. |
| D．She is discouraged not to be admitted into the college. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Amused. | C．Indifferent. | D．Content. |
