1 . For centuries, in the countries of south and Southeast Asia the elephant has been an intimate part of the culture, economy and religion, and nowhere more so than in Thailand. Unlike its African cousin, the Asian elephant is easily domesticated (驯化). The rare so-called white elephants have actually lent the authority of kingship to its rulers and until the 1920s the national flag was a white elephant on a red background. To the early Western visitors the country’s romantic name was “Land of the White Elephant”.
Today, however, the story is very different. Out of work and out of land, the Thai elephant struggles for survival in a nation that no longer needs it. The elephant has found itself more or less abandoned by previous owners who have moved on to a different economic world and a westernized society. And while the elephant’s problems began many years ago, now it rates a very low national priority.
How this reversal from national icon (圣像) to neglected animal came about is a tale of worsening environmental and the changing lives of the Thais themselves. According to Richard Lair, Thailand’s experts on the Asian elephant and author of the report Gone Astray, at the turn of the last century there may well have been as many as 100,000 domestic elephants in the country. In the north of Thailand alone it was estimated that more than 20,000 elephants were employed in transport, 1,000 of them alone on the road between the cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Saen. This was at a time when 90 percent of Thailand was still forest — a habitat that not only supported the animals but also made them necessary to carry goods and people. Nothing ploughs through dense forest better than a massive but sure-footed elephant.
By 1950 the elephant population had dropped to a still substantial 13,397, but today there are probably no more than 3,800, with another 1,350 roaming free in the national parks. But now, Thailand’s forest covers only 20 percent of the land. This deforestation is the central point of the elephant’s difficult situation, for it has effectively put the animals out of work. This century, as the road network grew, so the elephant’s role as a beast of burden declined.
1. Thailand was once called “Land of the White Elephant” because ______.| A．white elephant is rarely seen and thus very special |
| B．white elephant was a national symbol until the 1920s |
| C．white elephant has helped kings to gain the ruling authority |
| D．this name was so romantic that it was popular among visitors |
| A．Because the elephants are no longer useful to their owners. |
| B．Because their owners are westernized and neglect them. |
| C．Because the government pay s little attention to the problem. |
| D．Because there are too many elephants and too few jobs. |
| A．There were 100,000 domesticated elephants at the turn of the last century. |
| B．20,000 elephants were employed in transport in Thailand at the turn of the last century. |
| C．By 1950 the elephant population in Thailand has been quite small. |
| D．Today the elephant population is estimated at 5,150. |
| A．a travel magazine | B．a history book |
| C．a research report | D．an official announcement |
2 . High-quality customer service is preached (宣扬) by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen.
Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school.
“Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, president of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four others, and will no longer visit the specific store. For every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.
According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting (业余兼职的) local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.
Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions.
Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly,” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.
1. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?| A．Because most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences. |
| B．Because customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them. |
| C．Because few customers believe the service will be improved. |
| D．Because customers have no easy access to store managers. |
| A．New customers are bound to replace old ones. |
| B．It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores. |
| C．Most stores provide the same kinds of goods. |
| D．Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too. |
| A．can stay longer browsing in the store | B．won’t have trouble parking their cars |
| C．won’t have any worries about security | D．can find their cars easily after shopping |
| A．The manners of salespeople. | B．Hiring of efficient employees. |
| C．Huge supply of goods for sale. | D．The design of store layouts. |
| A．exert pressure on stores to improve their service |
| B．settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way |
| C．voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly |
| D．shop around and make comparisons between stores |
In the family,
1. What happened to boats and ships in the Bermuda Triangle?
| A．They caught fire without reason. |
| B．They crashed into each other. |
| C．They disappeared. |
| A．A famous explorer. | B．A popular writer. | C．A well-known reporter. |
| A．In the 15th century. | B．In the 20th century. | C．In the 17th century. |
| A．All of the reports on it are untrue. |
| B．It is a dangerous area in the ocean. |
| C．It is completely safe at the moment. |
5 . 阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Among all the fast growing science and technology,the research of human genes,or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Discussions about it are increasingly heated around the world.
The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. up to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied,not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients,but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved. Therefore, it benefits the economy as well.In addition,human life span(寿命) can be prolonged.
Some families have genetic diseases.This means their children will for sure have the family disease,which is a great trouble for these families.Gene technology can help people give birth to more healthy and clever children.In the past,doctors could do nothing about genetic diseases.But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly.Scientists just need to find the wrong gene and correct it,and a healthy child will be born.
Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to create human beings in large quantities. In the past few years,scientists have succeeded in cloning animals such as mice,sheep,and dogs.Therefore,these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned and that it would be beyond control,leading to some disastrous consequences.But many believe that cloned babies will not come out in large quantities,for most couples in the world can have babies in a very normal way and they also believe the governments will control gene technology and make laws to make sure the gene technology will help better our lives instead of harming us.
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6 . People in most countries have stopped wearing masks (口罩). In Japan, many people are still covering up. Some of those who have gone maskless, or who want to, are taking lessons in how to smile. A lot of adults say they have “forgotten” how to smile naturally after three years of wearing a face covering. They are taking lessons from “smile coaches” to relearn how to smile with confidence. One coach, Keiko Kawano from a “smile education” company, spoke to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper about her work. She said: “Mask wearing became normal, so people had fewer opportunities to smile. Many people developed a complex (情结) about smiling. I want people to smile for their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Smile coaches in Japan may be busy for some time to come. A recent survey(调查) by Laibo Research found that 27.8% of company employees in their 20s to 50s would continue to wear masks. Just over two-thirds of people said they would wear a mask depending on the situation. Only 5.5% said they would go mask-free. Ms. Kawano is well known in Japan. She has coached more than 4,000 people in the art of smiling. She has also trained hundreds of “smile specialists”. She said: “Smiling makes a good impression on others and helps communication. It also has the effect of making yourself feel more positive.” She added: “Moving and relaxing the facial muscles is the key to a good smile.”
1. Who needs to take lessons in how to smile in Japan?| A．People who are still covering up | B．People who have gone maskless, or who want to |
| C．People who knows how to smile | D．People in most countries |
| A．A basketball coach | B．A football coach |
| C．A tennis coach | D．A smiling coach |
| A．1/3 | B．2/3 | C．27.8% | D．5.5% |
| A．Learn again | B．no more study | C．teach | D．rewrite |
| A．A good impression on others and helping communication. |
| B．The effect of making yourself feel more positive. |
| C．Moving and relaxing the facial muscles. |
| D．A complex about smiling. |
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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8 . A hospitality college in Bali, Indonesia, has begun accepting coconuts (椰子) as tuition payment as students face economic hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
When students at the Venus One Tourism Academy pay their fees with coconuts, the college will use them to harvest virgin coconut oil, UPI reported.
Alternatively, students can pay using leaves from moringa (辣木) and gotu kola plants (积雪草), which can be converted into herbal soap and sold to raise money for the academy, Food & Wine added.
The program has been running since March, after the college received a permit to allow it to operate on this basis, according to The Bali Sun.
Venus One Tourism Academy’s director, Wayan Pasek Adi Putra, told local news outlet Balipuspa News: “Initially, the tuition payment scheme was paid in installments three times, with the first installment at 50%, the second 20%, and the third 30%. Because of this Covid pandemic, we have adapted a flexible policy. We produce virgin coconut oil, so students can pay their tuition by bringing coconuts.”
He added: “We have to educate them to optimize the natural resources in their surroundings. When the pandemic is over, they will enter the world of hospitality with different skills.”
Bali is a major international tourist destination but in August, the Balinese government closed the island to non-Indonesian visitors until 2021, BBC News reported.
1. Why did the hospitality college accept coconuts as tuition payment?| A．Because people there like eating coconuts. |
| B．Because some students face financial trouble as a result of corona virus pandemic. |
| C．Because the college want to harvest virgin coconut oil. |
| D．Because coconuts are expensive. |
| A．They can be processed into herbal soap to raise money. |
| B．They can attract more visitors to Bali. |
| C．They can be used to treat coronavirus. |
| D．They can help to educate students. |
| A．The students must pay off their tuition fee at a time initially. |
| B．The college began accepting coconuts as tuition payment in August. |
| C．No foreign tourists can visit Bali in September 2020. |
| D．Many people in Indonesia died in coronavirus pandemic. |
| A．New tourist destination. | B．A new strain of coronavirus. |
| C．A new way of tuition payment. | D．A new discovery of coconuts |
1. Why is the woman anxious?
| A．Her phone went wrong. | B．She broke the man’s phone. | C．She had the man’s phone stolen. |
| A．Go home. | B．Call the police. | C．Get on another bus. |
ChatGPT
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