1 . Club Activities in Japanese Schools

In the after-class activities of Japanese high schools, there are various clubs. Participation depends on students; however, most students choose a certain club.     1     And there are various kinds within each type.

A recent survey showed activity participation rate (比率). In junior high schools, participation rate was around 70% in sports clubs and around 20% in culture clubs. In senior high schools, participation rate in sports clubs dropped to about 50%, and in culture clubs, rose to around 25%. One reason is that there are more kinds of culture clubs in senior high schools than in junior high schools, so there is a wider range of choices.     2    

The rate of junior high school students not choosing any club was less than 10%. However, that number more than doubled in senior high school. In recent years, the number of students not joining in any clubs is increasing. Stronger individualism, which causes unwillingness to participate in group activities, is one factor behind this change.

    3     Japanese clubs are considered “a part of education” and are different from club activities overseas. Learning teamwork is a common factor; in particular, sports clubs have a strict hierarchy (等级制度) and are useful in leaning to be polite. This is said to have influenced the way Japanese companies work, for example, with respect for seniors. Compared to sports clubs, the hierarchy in culture clubs is not as strict.     4     Besides, clubs which practice traditional Japanese martial arts and culture offer a valuable chance to learn the traditional arts firsthand. By experiencing such arts in teenage years, the chance of passing traditional culture to the next generation is large.

A．Clubs are generally divided into two types — sports clubs and culture clubs.

B．Each sports club has a teacher, but the key is placed on student independence.

C．They are places where like-minded students can improve their creativity together.

D．Culture clubs in senior high schools tend to include traditional culture activities, such as tea ceremony.

E．It is also pointed out that culture clubs offer a more casual environment than sports clubs that require long and hard practice.

F．Actually, there are many advantages of participating in club activities in Japan.

2 . Happy Village Project

What is Happy Village?

Our company develops and focuses on the regional “Happy Village Project” strategy to focus on villages rather than individual farmers. The philosophy of the Happy Village Project is to “heal and develop” by organizing the farmers and training them on growing and harvesting techniques which increase raw-material quality and meet the requirements of consumers being conscious of healthy diet. Today, there are more than 3,000 registered farmers, cultivating more than 11,000 hectares of land in more than 150 villages in our Happy Village Project.

In the agricultural project, small farmers get the tools, training and support they need to grow some of the finest produce on earth. Our team of experts trains, guides and monitors the registered farmers, using the latest techniques to ensure the highest level of quality and consistency of our eco-friendly and safe products.

What do we do at Happy Villages?

Our company experts do researches to choose the right district by recording the details of the fields and products and train farmers who are willing to learn about organic farming.

We draw maps of the fields in order to designate the field and also to prevent possible crosscontamination (交叉污染) risks which may come from the neighbor fields. In order to make sure farmers are practicing the organic regulations, our experts frequently and randomly visit registered farmers to follow up, guide and inspect. Our agriculture team is also involved in using “Early Warning Systems” in the fields, in order to minimize the risk of potential problems as well as taking samples from leaves, soil and fruit, in order to monitor the field throughout the year.

We also help entire villages flourish through our commitment to social responsibility by means of performing necessary activities to improve the socio-economic structure of the villages, like the needs and requirements of the children at school, improvement in workers’ buildings, providing water tanks during water crisis in the regions, and etc.

From our Happy Villages directly to your table!

Our happy Village products are grown, harvested and sun-dried in the fertile mountains. With the best soil and growing conditions, these all natural products are sweet and flavorful, with no artificial additives. They are a great choice for snacking or adding to your favorite recipes.

1. In Happy Village Project, the experts are expected to______.

A．engage in researches conducted in the field

B．train the registered farmers into agriculturists

C．advise on cultivating and harvesting products

D．improve the workers’ buildings and water tanks

2. We do the following at Happy Village EXCEPT ______.

A．take examples from leaves and soil to oversee the field

B．assign all the registered farmers to learn about organic farming

C．help improve the socio-economic structure of the community

D．help farmers prevent possible risks by mapping out the field

3. Who are the target readers of the passage?

A．Individual farmers.

B．Agricultural experts.

C．Ambitious policy-makers.

D．Health-conscious consumers.

3 . Sam’s CLUB

A division of Walmart Inc., Sam’s club is the membership warehouse club solution for everyday living. Sam’s Club serves millions of members at SamsClub.com and almost 600 locations across the U. S. and Puerto Rico. Sam’s Club also has locations in Brazil, China and Mexico.

FOUNDER	Our founder Sam Walton was the most notable business leader of his time - but no matter how much success he achieved, he never forgot where it all started. Once a humble entrepreneur(创业者)with a successful five-and-time, Mr. Sam knew firsthand the challenges of running a small business.
EMPLOYEE	Sam’s club employs thousands of associates in the U. S. and Puerto Rico. Approximately 75 percent of club management was promoted from hourly positions.
	Sam’s Club is a membership warehouse club, a limited-item business model that offers our members quality products at an exceptional value unmatched
BRAND	by traditional retail. Instead of stocking every item in every available brand, Sam’s Club merchants do their “homework” for our members, stocking the right products and purchasing them in large quantities, passing on the savings to our members. In addition to the leading national brands, Sam’s Club also carries Member’s Mark, an exclusive, premium-quality private brand. Member’s Mark products are exclusive designs that use top-of-the-line materials and the highest quality ingredients to make sure you get the best quality and value at members-only prices.
ENVIRONMENT	We reduce costs by maintaining a simple shopping environment, often displaying our merchandise on shipping deck so we can move new items in just as quickly as they move out. Besides, Many clubs include sustainable features such as day-lighting with skylights, night dimming, central energy management, water-conserving fixtures, natural concrete floors and recycling.
BENEFIT	Sam’s Club also provides a variety of member benefits such as free shipping on most items for our Plus Members along with Cash Rewards, early shopping, savings on medications as well as the benefits of our Club membership. Club members can take advantage of Sam’s Club Credit, Instant Savings, free health screenings, daily “Tastes & Tips” sampling demonstrations and members-only savings on fuel.

1. Who is more likely to be promoted to an executive position?

A．A member of the club.	B．A worker paid by the hour.
C．A small business entrepreneur.	D．An associate from Puerto Rico.

2. If you are a member of Sam’s club, you can ________ in Sam’s.

A．have all the available brands to choose from

B．have your homework done by Sam’s merchants

C．buy Member’s Mark products at members-only prices

D．enjoy free shipping for the goods you have purchased

3. The purpose of the passage is to ________.

A．find suitable employees for Sam’s club

B．attract investment from overseas companies

C．inform readers of the features of Sam’s club

D．persuade customers to be a member of Sam’s club