1 . While markets suffered recession, a number of groups enjoyed record growth.Here we list some of the top 100 company winners in a bad year.
1.Xiaomi Corporation
Sector: Technology HQ: Beijing, China
Huawei’s horrible year has been a windfall (意外之财) for China’s other big smartphone makers.With Washington’s Huawei sanctions (制裁) forcing Android users to turn to Xiaomi’s devices, it has risen above Apple to take third place in global smartphone market share.Its stock was added to Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index and it crossed the $100bn market cap mark last month.
2.Pinduoduo
Sector: E-commerce HQ: Shanghai, China
The e-commerce group’s rise was accelerated by the pandemic as hundreds of millions of Chinese shoppers turned to their smartphones rather than malls.The economic downturn raised demand for Pinduoduo’s extremely cheap goods with sales up 70 percent in the first nine months of the year.It also came closer to profitability as it set strict rules in discounts, and an antitrust investigation into its chief competitor Alibaba also helped.
3.Meituan
Sector: E-commerce HQ: Beijing, China
China’s “everything app” was hit hard by lockdown, as authorities closed restaurants and consumers shied away from food delivery.But Meituan bounced back in the second half of 2020 with growth at its food delivery business making up for declining travel sales.Investors are betting better days lie ahead — it now boasts 477m annual users.
4.Tesla
Sector: Automotive HQ: Palo Alto, US
Some thought Tesla’s $75bn valuation (估价) at the start of 2020 was looking impossible.By the time it entered the S&P 500 in December, it was almost nine times higher — more than the next seven car-makers combined.Tesla is expected to have produced about 500,000 cars over the year.But the industry shift to electric vehicles is unquestioned and investors believe its technology is years ahead of the competition.
1. What was Xiaomi’s original rank in global smartphone market share?| A．2nd | B．3rd | C．4th | D．5th |
| A．The economic downturn | B．Alibaba’s being investigated |
| C．Its strict rules in discounts | D．People’s avoidance of food delivery |
| A．core technology | B．economical products |
| C．the creativity | D．cooperation with others |
2 . Four days of fun, sun and celebrities, as well as networking, career workshops and mentoring (指导), were in store for two Long Island teens chosen to take part in the 12th annual Disney Dreamers Academy (DDA) at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Chosen from thousands of applicants, Tianna Gonzales of Lake Grove and Kaiya Simmons of Miller Place were part of a group of 100 young people who marched in the Magic Kingdom parade and made conversation with Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter and actor Miles Brown.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Kaiya Simmons, 14, moved to Miller Place at the age of 3. A ninth grader at Miss Porter School in Farmington, Connecticut, Kaiya says she enjoys acting, art and science and is currently studying environmental science. “It is fun learning about the environment and different ways to help protect it,” Kaiya says, adding, “I am also learning different techniques to improve my acting on stage and in film.” After high school, Kaiya hopes to attend Yale University and undertake a career as a doctor.
Tianna Gonzales, a 10th grader at Sachem North High School, is interested in psychology and music and plays saxophone (an instrument) for the school’s marching band, orchestra and band. Other school activities include track, Model United Nations, foreign language and art club honor societies. “Once I graduate, I plan to undertake a career in the film world, hopefully attending New York University or New York Film Academy,” she says. “Through storytelling, we can shape this century to be an even stronger attraction for societal change.”
The Disney Dreamers Academy is aimed at helping to inspire young people during a critical time of their development, “Our goal is to help them see the unlimited possibilities and to inspire them to achieve their full purpose—to become the heroes of their own stories,” says Tracey D. Powell, vice president of Walt Disney World Resort.
1. What can we know about the two Long Island teens?| A．They experienced four days of fun in a store. |
| B．They communicated closely with two celebrities. |
| C．They took part in a costume design competition. |
| D．They’re recognized as celebrities by the 12th annual DDA. |
| A．To become a movie actress. | B．To study environmental science further. |
| C．To take up a profession as a doctor. | D．To return to her hometown Miller Place. |
| A．Creative and serious. | B．Ambitious and responsible. |
| C．Straightforward but friendly. | D．Determined but conservative. |
| A．To introduce the aim of the DDA. |
| B．To summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| C．To encourage more teens to take part in the DDA. |
| D．To provide information about the participants of the DDA. |
