1 . The fragrance of pressed grapes perfumes the mountain air in the small village of Tharma in Sangri county of the Tibetan autonomous region this time of year.
Grape cultivation in the county, which is the highest location on the planet where grapes are grown, sits at an average altitude of 3600 meters above sea level. It has increased the wealth of the residents and created a whole new local industry that is prospering. Organic grape growing was introduced to the county, which is blessed by a mild climate and moderate sunshine, via an Aid-Tibet project funded by Hunan province, and since 2011,the cultivation area has increased from less than 1 hectare(公顷) to nearly 666 hectares. The vineyards in Sangri county were recognized in 2021 for their production of green, pollution-free products.
“The harvest season for grapes and the best time for making wine are right now. We’ve finished with picking the grapes and we’ve been busy making wine lately,” Luo Minglu, a manager at Sangri County Pakdrub Rongshun Zhuangyuan Co-which operates the business-was quoted as saying by China News Service.
The company has played a key role in bringing suppliers and local households together to produce wine and other products that have improved the standard of living in the area.
Between 2016 and 2022, the company’s cumulative (累积的) grape yield reached 590 metric tons. More than 500 villagers were employed last year, with more than 2.9 million yuan($406,000) spent on salaries. The grape yield and the wine production of the company had reached 350 tons and 150 tons by 2022, respectively.
Yangjen Lhamo, an employee at Sangri County Pakdrub Rorgshun Zhuangyuan, said she and her sister have worked at the company for years, and not only do they enjoy their toils and spoils (辛勤劳作) but the vineyards are located very close to home. “I earn nearly 6,000, yuan a month, and I am very pleased with my job,” she said. “Thanks to the good policies from the government, it is easy to have a better life if we work hard.
1. What makes Sangri suitable for grape cultivation?| A．An altitude of 3600 meters from the horizon. | B．The fertile soil in Sangri county of this region. |
| C．The climate neither too hot nor too cold. | D．The ample sunshine and the rainfalls. |
| A．To present their satisfying working conditions. |
| B．To describe their busy but meaningful daily lives. |
| C．To explain the good policies from the government. |
| D．To show the improving standards of living in this area. |
| A．A scientific paper. | B．A meeting minute. | C．A newsreel. | D．A travel brochure. |
| A．World’s highest grapes cultivate better life in Tibet. |
| B．Grape yield and ecological balance go hand in hand. |
| C．The wine production is booming in China. |
| D．Grape industry soared up in Sangri. |
2 . As the World Cup approaches in Qatar, “made in China” are having increasing presence in this biggest football bonanza across the globe, with Chinese brands betting on amounting sponsorship to enhance their international influence.
Wanda Group, Hisense Group, Vivo and dairy company Mengniu are four official Chinese sponsors of FIFA, while Wanda has become one of FIFA’s seven corporate partners, along with Coca-Cola, Adidas, Hyundai-Kia, Qatar Airways, Qatar Energy and VISA.
Apart from big companies, manufacturers from Yiwu in Zhejiang Province, China’s small commodity hub, are also witnessing their growing influence during the world-renowned sports event. From footballs, national flags and trophy (奖杯) ornaments to horns and whistles, over 60 percent of souvenirs are produced in Yiwu for this year’s World Cup. “In terms of the global industrial supply chain, ‘made in Yiwu’ has already become a worldwide commercial symbol originating from China, which indicates ‘reliance’ and ‘trust’ ”, said Song Xiangqing, an economist and the vice-president of the Commerce Economy Association of China.
Lusail, Qatar’s biggest stadium to hold the World Cup final, was built by China Railway Construction Corp International, costing a total of 770 million.
CCTV news reported that Chinese companies mainly from Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces have also provided more than 10,000 container houses for the World Cup, used as accommodation for tourists and football fans.
“The World Cup sponsorship by a large number of Chinese companies is a demonstration of China’s economic power, and makes the globe feel the power of Chinese brands,” Song said.
According to Deloitte’s report, football generates an annual output of more than 500 billion across the world. For example, in 2016, Hisense spent 100 million to become an official sponsor of the World Cup in Russia. Sales volume of Hisense TV surged nearly three times after the game kicked off, reaching a record high.
“However, sponsoring sports events should not be dismissed simply as marketing stunts (噱头),” Song said, “as overseas markets have complex social systems and ethnic cultures, Chinese brands need to consolidate the foundation first, and build up themselves in product, service and platform.”
1. Which of the following is FIFA’s corporate partner?| A．Hisense Group. | B．Vivo. |
| C．Wanda Group. | D．Dairy Mengniu. |
| A．Spending $100 million to become an official sponsor. |
| B．Joining in the construction of Qatar’s biggest stadium. |
| C．Producing over 60% footballs and national flags for the event. |
| D．Providing container houses as ambulance for visitors and fans. |
| A．Chinese brands broaden their international influence by providing sponsorship. |
| B．Participating in the World Cup brings infinite chances for Chinese companies. |
| C．Chinese commerce has earned the best reputation for being reliable. |
| D．Chinese brands have laid solid foundation in the overseas markets. |
| A．By doing some studies. | B．By listing some facts. |
| C．By stating some opinions. | D．By making comparisons. |
3 . China’ s booming coffee business has made it the second most important market for global giant Starbucks, behind only its home U.S. market. But it’s also providing fertile ground for new and innovative (勇于创新的) players catering to local preferences. One of the latest in that group is Shanghai-based chain Manner Coffee, which, together with other similar homegrown names, are reshaping the country’s coffee drinking landscape.
This year alone has seen 16 financing events in China’s coffee sector, with more than 5 billion yuan ($784 million ) pouring into the space. Even the infamous Luckin Coffee, which was removed from the Nasdaq last year after being exposed for massive fraud (欺诈), is once again attracting investors’ attention.
Dubbed (被称作) as a seller of “street coffee” priced between 10 yuan and 20 yuan per cup, equal to $ 3 or less, Manner quickly became popular among young office workers for its less expensive price and high quality.
Manner and the other up-and-comers are thriving on a China coffee market that is growing at a healthy 15% per year. After expanding slowly in its first three years, Manner’s store count rose from just eight at the end of 2018 to 194 this year, with 165 in Shanghai and the rest in Beijng, Shenzhen, Chengdu and other cities. It plans to keep expanding outside of Shanghai by opening up to 100 new stores a year.
Meanwhile, Starbucks reported its same-store sales in the Chinese market grew by just 19% in its financial third quarter, down sharply from 91% growth in the previous quarter, due in part to weak year-ago figures from stores affected during early stages of the pandemic in 2020. The company forecast that growth would slow further still in the following years.
1. What does the underlined phrase “fertile ground” in paragraph 1 probably mean here?| A．Limited space. | B．Fat chance. |
| C．Rich soil. | D．Necessary conditions. |
| A．Starbucks is creating the country’s coffee-drinking landscape. |
| B．Starbucks was removed from the Nasdaq last year due to fraud. |
| C．Manner Coffee has a cheaper price and superior quality. |
| D．Manner Coffee plans to expand is overseas market. |
| A．To show that new players are starting to bite into Starbucks’ lunch. |
| B．To prove that Luckin Coffee is an unusually successful hit. |
| C．To explain the fast increase of Starbucks in the Chinese market. |
| D．To present the promising future of the U.S. coffee market. |
| A．Manner Coffee becomes fashionable worldwide “street coffee”. |
| B．Manner Coffee joins hand with Starbucks to develop business. |
| C．Manner Coffee replaces Starbucks both at home and abroad. |
| D．Manner Coffee takes on Starbucks in China with “street coffee”. |
