1 . The Australian Outback town of Quilpie is home to 800 people. The town hoped its offer of free land might draw five new families to the community. In less than two weeks, the town has received more than 250 requests for information about the offer from around Australia and other countries around the world. The town leaders came up with the idea to deal with a housing shortage. The lack of housing made it difficult to fill jobs in the remote area of western Queensland state. People who buy land, build a house on it for less than 560,000 dollars, and live in it for six months can receive a 9,400 dollars payment, known as a grant. A block of land in Quilpie, about 1,000-square meters, sells for around the same amount as the grant. It means the town is effectively giving the land away.
The idea for the grant offer came from Justin Hancock, head of the town council. The 30-year-old spent six months in a retirement (退休) home when he first arrived in Quilpie this year because of the area’s housing shortage. Quilpie has recently needed workers in healthcare and education. It also needs people who can fix cars and prepare meat and many other kinds of workers. Questions about the free land program came from as far away as Britain, India, and New Zealand. But home buyers need to be Australian citizens or permanent (永久) residents to be a candidate for the grant.
Hancock said recently that getting five new families to the area would be a big success. “To see the interest,” he added, “it was a little overwhelming (难以处理的事情).” Real estate prices have increased greatly across much of Australia throughout the coronavirus crisis. Lockdowns in the largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and low interest rates have sent people to search for larger homes in smaller towns. Most of the interest in coronavirus-free Quilpie has come from the state capital, Brisbane, a city of 2.4 million on the Pacific Ocean 1,000 kilometers to the east. But there is also interest from Melbourne, Newcastle, and Western Australia state. Both young families and retired people are considering the Quilpie move. They have different reasons. “People who are coming out of lockdown (锁定) are saying I want wide open spaces, and we have plenty of that,” Hancock said.
The area that Quilpie is in, known as a shire, covers 68,000 square kilometers. Two grants will be received by Quilpie locals, one by council employee Tom Hennessy, 23, and his 24-year-old school teacher fiancee (未婚妻), Tessa McDougall. The couple bought a block of land in August. “I love Quilpie. It’s a great place. Everyone’s friendly,” Hennessy said. Hennessy was born in Quilpie and his fiancee came a year ago from Brisbane.
1. Why does Quilpie attract so many people to live here?| A．Quilpie has a lot of abandoned houses. |
| B．Good jobs can be found in Quilpie. |
| C．Quilpie is close to the capital of Australia. |
| D．Quilpie offered the land free of charge. |
| A．To have a villa of your own in Australia. |
| B．The real estate has to be $20 million. |
| C．Applicants need to recommend five families to move to town. |
| D．Must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. |
| A．房产 | B．性质 | C．情况 | D．遗产 |
| A．boring | B．disappointing | C．full of happiness | D．dissatisfying |
2 . In certain countries of the world, the king or queen is still the head of these countries. The UK is one of these countries. So what does the British royal family(皇室) represent for the British people today? Well, a large number of things. The royal family are of course a part of British history and tradition. They still have an important function and meaning for many people today. It just wouldn't feel the same if there were no royal family. In addition to that, the queen has important formal duties:
·As head of the state, the Queen represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK.
·As head of the armed force, only the Queen can declare when the UK is at war or when the war is over.
·As head of the Church of England.
·The queen has to read and sign the government documents(文件) every day.
Not just the Queen, the royal family spend a great deal of their time travelling up and down the country in support of different charities (慈善).
Despite the work the royal family does for the UK, there are people who don't believe there should be a royal family. Sometimes the press and media criticize (批评) the royal family as well, One criticism is that the British people should not have to pay for the royal family through their taxes. Another is that the Buckingham Palace should be open to the posies more often, in order 0 pay for the building repairs that are necessary.
1. Today, the British royal family still represents_______________ of the UK.| A．the honor and pride | B．the history and tradition |
| C．the function and law | D．the politics and culture |
| A．Visiting foreign countries. | B．Fighting in war. |
| C．Writing government documents. | D．Repairing the church. |
| A．Because they do nothing for the country. |
| B．Because some people don't want to pay for them. |
| C．Because the Queen is too busy to meet with her people. |
| D．Because more people want to visit the Buckingham Palace freely. |
3 . There are now many products and services on the market which are similar in content though produced by different companies. It is vital, therefore, for a company to distinguish itself from its competitors by having a strong company image which is immediately recognizable.
Logos are part of this image. They are symbols which often include a name or initials to identify a company. The logo establishes a visual identity for the company, just as different groups of young people express their identity through hairstyles and clothes. All groups from all cultures and throughout the ages have used colors and symbols to show their identity.
In different cultures, different colors carry different meanings. Some colors may be connected with coldness in one culture and with warmth in another; some colors represent life in one culture but death in another. International companies have, therefore, to make sure that their logos will not be misunderstood in different countries.
The logos of large international companies are instantly recognizable throughout the world.One of the most famous logos is that of Coca-Cola. The design of the words “Coca-Cola” has not changed since 1886,although the surrounding design has been changed from time to time. Many companies have, over the years, renewed their logos to fit in with contemporary design and to present more powerful images. Company logos can be emotive and can inspire loyalty by influencing the subconscious(潜意识).Some logos include an idea of the product: the steering wheel in the Mercedes logo, for example, and the aeroplane tail of Alitalia.
Logos are used on packaging and brochures as well as on the product itself. They may also appear in newspapers or on television as part of an advertising campaign. Companies need to have a strong corporate identity. The logo helps to promote this image and to fix it in the minds of the consumers. Logos, therefore, need to be original and to have impact and style.
1. The most basic function of a company’s logo is to _______.| A．describe the business the company is engaged for the consumers |
| B．distinguish the company from its realistic and potential competitors |
| C．project a positive image of the company and its products or services |
| D．make the products and services of the company more recognizable |
| A．Colors may be misinterpreted in different cultures. |
| B．Colors are not the best tools to identify a company. |
| C．Colors may represent death in some cultures. |
| D．International companies are careful about the use of colors. |
| A．explain the name of a company should remain unchanged |
| B．ensure that the logo should not be misinterpreted in different cultures |
| C．state the surrounding design of the logo can always be changed |
| D．illustrate the importance of having a recognizable image |
| A．fitting in with the contemporary design |
| B．inspiring loyalty from the consumers |
| C．displaying originality and impact |
| D．promoting a strong corporate identity |
