WRITING

Students’ Pursuit for Famous Brands

1)现在很多大学生都喜欢追求名牌

2)产生这种现象的原因是什么

3)你如何看待这一现象

Students’ Pursuit for Famous Brands

Nowadays many college students like to pursue famous brands. From clothes to mobile phones, even study articles like electronic dictionaries and pens, they [1]are inclined to buy famous brands. [2]Moreover, many students from poor families begin to [3]follow this consumption trend as well. This phenomenon has aroused wide attention.

[4]The following reasons can account for college students’ preference for famous brands. [2]Above all, in many college students’ eyes, a famous brand is a symbol of sophistication and taste. They expect others to admire their high class and good taste. [2]What’s more, in modern society, famous brands to some extent are equal to fashion, [5]which has a great attraction to young college students. [2]Besides, parents’ spoiling their children helps form their bad consumption habit.

[2]As far as I am concerned, [6]it is irrational for college students to pursue famous brands. [3]After all, most of famous brands are [7]far beyond their consumption ability. [3]Besides, [8]it is not famous brands but a person’s noble character that really makes him high class. [3]Therefore, college students should attach more importance to cultivating a good character [9]rather than pursuing famous brand

阅读一

Collections were the inspiration(灵感) for a project at Thomas Tallis School, which formed part of the Imagine Children’s Literature Festival last autumn. Each child (aged 12-13) beautified a box and wrote a story on the subject of collections to throw inside it. The boxes were spread within the Royal Festival Hall’s Ballroom. Some were left empty to encourage visitors to write their own stories.

The subject chosen by Lauren was an imaginative one. "It’s a sort of Cinderella (灰姑娘) story," she told me, inspired by a collection of letters from her cousin, In the story these become love letters, burned by a cruel stepmother. Lauren’s best friend Charlotte is the stepmother. "I’m in Charlotte’s story too," says Lauren, "and I get run over." Charlotte’s tale was inspired by the girls’ coin collection. "We’ve collected foreign coins for years – since our families went on holiday to Tenerife." she explains. "That was before the Euro, so we put pesetas in." Lauren continues: "I find a coin in the road, go to get it and get run over. I’m in hospital and then I die." Charlotte adds: "Or she might not die. I haven’t decided yet."

Millie Murray, who is a teen-novel author, thinks that setting the subject of collections was a useful inspiration to their creativity rather than a restriction(限制). "In the beginning I thought, ’Will the children be able to do it?"she says. "But it’s been fruitful. Some have their own collection, some have parents who do, and some have written complete stories. It’s made them think about something they wouldn’t have otherwise, which can only be a good thing."

1. What were the children asked to do in the project?

A. To meet friends at Thomas Tallis School. B. To write stories on the subject of collections.

C. To encourage visitors to write their own stories.

D. To have their friends for characters in the stories.

2. The underlined word "pesetas" in Paragraph 2 is a kind of _____.

A. story B. collection C. inspiration D. foreign coin

3. From the stories by Lauren and Charlotte, we know that _____ .

A. Charlotte hurt herself when getting a coin

B. both of them developed their imagination

C. both of them will die in each other’s stories

D. Lauren’s cousin posted her some love letters

4. Millie Murray thinks ________.

A. collections could inspire writing creativity B. it was good for parents to have collections

C. inspirations were very useful in writing stories

D. setting collection subjects restricted inspirations

　　答案 1.B 2.D 3.B 4.A

1.解析：这是一道细节题。第一段“Each child (aged 12～13) beautified a box and wrote a story on the subject of collections to throw inside it.”说明孩子们被要求为这项活动写故事。

2.解析：这是一道猜义题。根据上文中“We’ve collection foreign coins for years—since our families went on holiday to Tenerife，” she explains.可猜测出pesetas的意思是一种外币。

3.解析：这是一道细节推断题。根据第二段“The subject chosen by Lauren was an imaginative one.”可推断出Lauren和Charlotte两人充分发挥了自己的想像力。

4.解析：这是一道细节推断题。根据最后一段“Millie Murray，who is a teen-novel author，thinks that setting the subject of collections was a useful inspiration to their creativity rather than a restriction.”可推断出Millie Murray认为收藏可促进写作的创造性。

　　阅读二

From Mr. Ward Hoffman.

Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud’s article “What’s the tipping point"(Financial Times Weekend, April 9-l0) when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic(讽刺的). If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets in London.

Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement (补贴) the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service.

Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 per cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an upmarket (高档的) restaurant. Here, in San Francisco Bay area restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restaurant workers live in this very expensive area.

After eating at an Italian restaurant in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill. It was expected. There is nothing more complicated (复杂的) than that about Americans tipping in restaurants.

Ward Hoffman,

Palo Alto, CA 94306, US

* * *

From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.

Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud’s opinions about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception(例外). Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner.

It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt.

Philip McBride Johnson,

Great Falls, VA 22066, US

1. What can we learn from Hoffman’s letter?

A. Quality of service determines tipping in the US.

B. Americans don’t tip in non-fast-food restaurants.

C. Tipping in US upmarket restaurants is unnecessary.

D. How to tip in the United States is not complicated.

2. Johnson’s letter shows ________.

A. a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more

B. diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant

C. repeat diners may get good service if they tip a bit more

D. the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers

3. From the two letters, we can learn Professor Raj Persaud ______ .

A. feels doubtful about the value of tipping

B. believes tipping improves quality of service

C. wants to ask Hoffman about tipping in the US

D. thinks tipping a bit more one can get good service

4. The two letters most probably appears in a ______.

A. notice B. handbook C. book review D. newspaper

答案 1.D 2.C 3.A 4.D

1.解析：这是一道主旨题。Hoffman的信说明在美国如何给小费并不复杂。

2.解析：这是一道细节推断题。根据Johnson信中的最后一句话“But frequent a hotel or a restaurant，always tip a bit more，and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt.”可推断出如果多次去一家餐馆聚餐并且付的小费多的话就会得到好的服务。

3.解析：这是一道细节推断题。这两封信中“Sir，I agree with most of Raj Persaud’s opinion about the doubtful value of tipping，but with one exception.”说明Raj Persaud对付小费的价值表示怀疑。

4.解析：这是一道判断文章出处题。根据这两封信讨论的内容可判断出它可能出现在报纸上。

阅读三

Being considered a leader in our society is indeed of high praise. Leadership means power, commands respect and, most important, encourages achievement. Unlike vitamin C, leadership skills can’t be easily swallowed down. They must be carefully cultivated.

Different from popular belief, most good leaders are made, not born. They learn their skills in their everyday lives. But which do they develop? How do they (and how can you) get others to follow?

Always give credit. Many leaders note that the most efficient way to get a good performance from others is to treat them like heroes. Giving public credit to someone who has earned it is the best leadership technique in the world. It is also an act of generosity (慷慨) that’s never forgotten.

Giving credit is more effective than even the most constructive criticism (批评) , which often hurts rather than helps. Kenneth Blanchard, the author of The One-Minute Manager, agrees. "Catch people doing something right!" he says. Then tell everyone about it.

Take informed risks. " The best leaders know that taking a risk is not a thoughtless exercise," says management adviser Marilyn Machlowitz. "Sky divers don’t go up in an airplane without checking the parachutes (降落伞) beforehand. "

Because the idea of risk also carries with it the possibility of failure, many of us usually wait for others to take charge. But if you want to be a leader, you must learn to fail - and not die a thousand deaths. Pick yourself up and start all over again.

Encourage enthusiasm (热情). "When people understand the importance of work, they lend their mental strengths," says Lee Ducat. But when they get excited about the work, all their energy gets poured into the job. That’s a great force! Is this the best way to create excitement? Be enthusiastic yourself - You will be followed by everyone.

1. The underlined word "cultivated" (paragraph 1) roughly means _______.

A. encouraged B. compared C. examined D. developed

2. The part Always give credit tells us that a leader should _______.

A. give helpful criticism B. regard others as real heroes

C. praise people for their good performances D. praise everyone

3. To be a good leader, you should _______.

A. not be afraid of any risks B. think twice before taking risks

C. try to avoid any possible failures D. know what a thoughtless exercise is

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. Leadership Is of Skills and Techniques B. Leadership Is Very Important

C. Not Many Can Be Leaders D. How to Be a Leader

答案 1.D　 2.C　3.B　4.D

1.解析：这是一道猜义题。根据第一段“Unlike vitamin C， leadership skills can’t be easily swallowed down.可猜测出cultivated的意思是“发展”。领导技巧不像维生素C那样可以一下子吞下去，而是逐步发展起来的。

2.解析：这是一道猜义题。根据下文“Many leaders note that the most efficient way to get a good performance from others is to treat them like heroes.”可猜测出这句话的意思是“对人们好的表现给予表扬”。

3.解析：这是一道细节推断题。根据Take informed risks.中的“The best leaders know that taking a risk is not a thoughtless exercise.”可判断出作为领导者必须“三思而后行”。

4.解析：这是一道主旨题。这篇短文讲述了领导艺术，即如何成为一个好的领导。

阅读四

"Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?" asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. "There is certainly a lot of energy in waves," he said.

Scientists are working to use that energy to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. "The wind starts out by making little ripples (涟漪) , but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves," Taylor said. " Waves are one of nature ’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.

When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮机) . The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity.

"The resource is huge," said Janet Swain of the Worldwatch Institute. "We will never run out of wave power. " Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface - that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.

Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic.

Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. " Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world," Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

1. The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to _______.

A. test the readers’ knowledge about waves B. draw the readers’ attention to the topic

C. show Jamie Taylor’s importance D. invite the readers to answer them

2. The underlined phrase "picking up" (paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to _______.

A. starting again B. speeding up C. gathering D. improving

3. We can make better use of wave energy if we _______.

A. shorten its journey to thousands of homes B. build more small power stations on the oceans

C. reduce the cost of turning it into electric power

D. quicken the steps of producing electricity

4. It can be inferred that some day we might not worry about ________.

A. air pollution B. our boat traffic C. our power supply D. our supply of sea fish

答案 1.B　 2.C　3.C　4.C

1.解析：这是一道猜测作者意图题。根据短文的内容可判断出作者提出这两个问题的目的是把读者的注意力吸引到主题上来。

2.解析：这是一道猜义题。根据下文中的“sending it off on a journey”可猜测出picking up的意思是“聚集”。

3.解析：这是一道细节推断题。根据第四段“Swain said that wave power still costs too much money.”可判断出如果我们减少把它转变成电能的价格，我们就能够很好地利用波浪能。

4.解析：这是一道细节推断题。根据第三段 “The resource is huge，” said Janet Swain of the Worldwatch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.”我们可以推断出将来我们可能不必担心我们电能的供应。

翻译

如今，越来越多的大学生抱怨很难找到好工作。造成这一现象的原因如下：首先，大学生把在校的大多数 时间都用在了专业学科学习上，只有当他们开始找工作的时候，才意识到自己缺乏必要的职业培训。其次，大 学生之间的竞争也越来越激烈，这导致任何一名大学生找到工作的机会都变小了。因此，强烈建议大学生在 课余时间做一些兼职工作，以积累相关的工作经验。

参考答案

Nowadays, more and more university students complain about having great difficulties in finding a good job. The reasons for this phenomenon are as follows: First, college students spend most of their time at school studying academic subjects and it is only when they start looking for a job that they realize they lack necessary job training. Second, competition among graduates has become more and more fierce. And this results in a decreased chance for any individual graduate to find a job. Therefore, it is highly suggested that college students should do some part-time jobs in their spare time to accumulate relevant working experience.

难点精析

1.抱怨很难找到好工作：翻译为complain about having great difficulties in finding a good job。其中“抱怨做某事”用句型complain about doing sth.表示，having great difficulties in finding a good job表示“找工作有困难”，用到了句型have difficulties in doing sth.。

2.只有当他们开始找工作的时候，才意识到自己缺乏必要的职业培训：翻译为it is only when they start looking for a job that they realize they lack necessary job training。‘‘只有当 才 ’’用强调句型it is only when…that…表示。 ，

3.导致：翻译为results in,同义短语有lead to和bring about，但是表示不好的结果时一般用短语result in。

4.强烈建议：翻译为it is highly suggested that...，其中highly suggested也可以用 strongly recommended 替换，都表示“强烈建议做某事”。

5.积累相关的工作经验：翻译为accumulate relevant working experience.