Look on almost any street comer in America and you will see a fast food shop, the McDonald’s. Did you ever wonder why the McDonald's is so successful everywhere you go?
It certainly doesn't lie in the price of the food or the customer service there. If you stop for lunch at an airport McDonald's，half the continent away, the meal will be almost the same as the lunch you could order at the McDonald's that's closest to your home. What's more, anytime you eat at a McDonald's, you may feel nostalgia (怀旧之情)because the tastes are so similar to your first Happy Meal when you were a child.
The success of the McDonald's, which truly set the stage for other franchise (特许经销权) businesses all over the world, is owed to Ray Kroc. Ray，in 1954, partnered with Dick and Maurice McDonald, the founding brothers behind the first McDonald’s restaurant，to make this small restaurant a nationwide sensation (轰动). Ray's pushing the McDonald's farther than the founders proves an important concept in leadership: the Law of the Lid (盖子法则). The higher the person's ability to lead, the higher the lid on his or her potential.
The McDonald brothers understood how to run a business. They were excellent managers, but when they tried marketing the McDonald's concept, they failed. Their thinking patterns in leadership limited the lid of their potential on the level of what they can do or become. In contrast, the lid of potential in Ray's life was sky high due to his leadership. Between 1955 and 1959, he succeeded in opening 100 McDonald's restaurants. Today the company has more than 35,000 locations in over 120 countries around the world!
If you can get a handle on this law, you will see the unbelievable effect of leadership on every aspect of your life or your company. Wherever you look, you can find smart people who are only able to go so far because of the limitations of their leadership. That's why in times of trouble, organizations naturally look for new leadership. To lift the lid on your potential, continue your study of leadership.
1.What is most probably the key to the McDonald's success?
A.Its fair price. B.Its consistency in food.
C.Its Happy Meal for children. D.Its warm and friendly service.
2.What can we know about Ray Kroc?
A.He opened the first McDonald's.
B.He made the most popular food in the McDonald's.
C.He set up various stages for guests in the McDonald's.
D.He expanded the McDonald's into a worldwide business.
3.Which of the following statements will the author agree with?
A.Ray Kroc lacked a strong sense of effectiveness and leadership.
B.A person's leadership determines the potential of his business.
C.The lid on the McDonald brothers' potential is fairly high.
D.An excellent manager is also good at marketing.
4.What's the best title of the text?
A.Leadership counts B.Ways to realize our potential
C.Popularity of the McDonald's D.Secrets of running a business
As technology in the security field advances, so does the intelligence of the burglars in prevailing over this technology. Gone are the days when a simple alarm system, connected to your phone line, was enough to protect you from potential security risks.
Cellular alarm systems (蜂窝报警系统)are a replacement of the traditional wired phone line security networks. These systems work just like your cell phone. A cellular module is placed in the main control panel and it sends signals, without the use of wires, to the monitoring station. The cellular signal is sent via the data part of a cellular signal, much like a text message.
Sensors can be placed anywhere in your house. Whenever there is an emergency, the relevant sensor picks up the unusual activity and sends a cellular signal to the main control panel. The control panel serves more than one purpose, which sends a cellular signal at the same time to the monitoring service at the back end. The monitoring service later informs the relevant authorities in the form of high-pitched sirens (高音警笛声). Typically it takes a few minutes for emergency services to arrive at the scene. Depending on the efficiency of your monitoring service and the local authorities, help should arrive soon and deal with the potential threats.
It allows you to monitor your house remotely. All you have to do is simply access the cameras from your phone and keep a check for any unusual activities while you are not around. With cellular technology securing your house, you don’t have to worry about the power failure or even burglars cutting your phone lines.
Since these systems operate on batteries, you should be careful about when the batteries die out. There might be other appliances including microwave ovens and WiFi in the house that can cause disruption (干扰). Ensure that your cellular alarm system's range is not affected by the presence of these appliances. Many homeowners tend to go for wireless systems due to the ease of installation (安装）factor. However，keep in mind that a non-professional installation might actually leave the system easy to damage.
1.What do the underlined words ''prevailing over'' mean in Paragraph 1?
A.Improving. B.Defeating.
C.Worrying about. D.Looking into.
2.How can the authorities know an emergency is happening?
A.They hear high-pitched sirens.
B.They read the cellular signal.
C.They check the control panel online.
D.They notice the unusual activity via sensors.
3.What can we know about the cellular alarm system?
A.It looks like a phone. B.It is energy-saving.
C.It needs to be improved. D.It is wireless.
4.What's the purpose of the last paragraph?
A.To give cautions about the system.
B.To introduce the benefits of the system.
C.To call on people to watch out for security risks.
D.To teach people to install the system correctly.
On the morning of July 4, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked Southern California, destroying roads and sending people fleeing to safety. But that wasn't all the Earth had in store: Less than a day and a half later, a powerful magnitude7. I earthquake shook again. While earthquakes are not unexpected, the two most recent earthquakes are the largest that have struck this area in at least two decades. And a series of large and small aftershocks are expected on the way.
The two earthquakes struck in what's known as the Eastern California shear zone, where the Pacific Plate crushed against the North American Plate. The recent events occurred when two blocks of Earth moved side by side.
They seemed to have occurred along the same set of faults (断层)lying in an area known as the Little Lake fault zone-in most circumstances, earthquakes hit in a familiar order: There's a large earthquake followed by a series of smaller events. That's because the movement that occurs during a large earthquake causes increased force in the surrounding area.
But things are quite different in some circumstances, such as the recent pair of earthquakes in California, a relatively large earthquake just being the forerunner for an even bigger event. While the difference between 7.1 and 6.4 may seem minor，magnitude is a logarithmic (对数的) scale. An increase of a unit of magnitude is about 32 times more energy, which means that the energy the second earthquake released is roughly 11 times that of the first one.
''Fortunately, no deaths or major injuries were reported, '' says Bohon, an earthquake geologist. ''It was in a fairly unpopulated area, although a lot of people felt it'' She suggests people who live in earthquake-prone (地震频发的)areas check how prepared they are for the next event. And she also hopes that the earthquake early warning system can play a good role in saving tens of thousands of lives and schools will popularize the knowledge of geological (地质的) disasters among students.
1.What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?
A.The first earthquake was predicted before its occurrence.
B.The two big earthquakes hit the same area within one day.
C.The aftershocks are even more dangerous than the first two earthquakes.
D.The second earthquake is the largest one in Southern California since 2000.
2.What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?
A.The introduction of Eastern California shear zone.
B.The forming process of the Little Lake fault zone.
C.The geological facts about the two big earthquakes.
D.The potential disasters caused by plate movement.
3.The recent two earthquakes represent an unusual circumstance in the way that.
A.a major earthquake is followed by a larger one
B.there is a minor difference in their magnitude
C.the two earthquakes release a similar amount of energy
D.a series of smaller earthquakes occur in the surrounding areas
4.What contributes to the good point of the two Southern California earthquakes?
A.The popularization of earthquake knowledge in schools.
B.Peopled good preparation made in advance.
C.Small populations in the earthquake-hit area.
D.The earthquake early warning system.
We have some practically secret national parks on our lists that you'll want to visit this spring.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The most visually striking point here is El Capitan. The massive cliff (悬崖), 2.5 times as tall as the Empire State Building, towers over the rest of the park, which offers you a perfect spot for taking impressive pictures. You can also wander the Salt Basin Dunes, 2,000 acres of shockingly white sands. If you're taking very long hikes, bring plenty of water and some protein-rich snacks.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument preserves more than 87,500 acres of wild rivers and thick forests. In addition to hiking and camping, Katahdin is a great spot for hunting and fishing. Bring some hiking boots and perhaps trekking poles (登山杖)to cross these rocky forest trails. The park has a day use fee of $5, and the first-come, first-serve campsites cost $8 per night.
North Cascades National Park
Though the snowy peaks of the North Cascades are dangerous in the winter, it turns into a thick and green park in the warmer months, filled with beautiful mountain valleys and clear lakes. You can take a guided nature hike or go fishing. Winter driving conditions in the North Cascades can be dangerous, due to water, frost, snow, or ice on the roads.
Organ Mountains.—Desert Peaks National Monument
This is not a national park，but is a national monument. It is home to several rare species of plants and animals，and lava (炫岩)flow. There are excellent chances for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and nature photography, as well as overnight hiking. You can also go primitive camping anywhere in the monument for free. It's highly recommended that you should bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and know your fitness level ahead of time.
1.What may attract a photographer most to go to the first park?
A.The steep cliff. B.The low ticket price.
C.The towers in the park. D.The particularly white sands.
2.How much should one pay for camping in the second park for 2 days and 1 night?
A.$15. B.$18.
C.$21. D.$24.
3.Camping in the fourth park, _____________.
A.you are only allowed to camp in daytime
B.you can only stay one night there for free
C.you can feed rare animals
D.you should be well-prepared
单词拼写
1.n. 赞成，承认，正式批准 a____________
2.n. 勇气 b____________
3.v. 澄清，阐明 c____________
4.v. 区别，辨认出，使杰出 d____________
5.n. 解释，说明 e____________
6.adj. 凶猛的，狂热的 f____________
7.v. 聚集，聚拢，推测 g____________
8.n. 协调，和谐；融洽 h____________
9.n. 意图，意向，目的 i____________
10.adj. 松散的，宽松的 l____________
11.adj. 仁慈的，宽大的 m___________
12.v. 反对，使对立，使对抗 o____________
13.adv. 适当地 p____________
14.adj. 无法忍受的，承受不住的 u____________
15.adv. 近似地，大约 a____________
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
The game of Go (围棋) is an important board game with origins in China from more than 4,000 years ago. In China, Go 1. (recognize) as “hand conversations” as well, through which players communicate with each other. 2. other words, they “talk” through the placing of pieces on the board. The metaphor (比喻) first 3. (use) by Zhi Daolin, a Buddhist master of the Jin Dynasty, reflects the nature of the game. While scholars of his time often lost 4.(they) in philosophical (哲学的) debates on life and universe, he preferred to play Go 5. he believed was full of hows and whys of life.
Master Go players often feel as if they were playing a real-life game: sometimes one can move forward, while at other times, one must slow down: sometimes one can 6. (direct) face the challenger, at other times one must take an indirect approach. Appropriate placement of each tiny Go piece is similar to 7. one might solve a difficult problem of life. The purpose of 8. (play) Go is not just to win but also, more importantly, to seek 9. (wise) through the process. The players unite with each other on the board. Instead of fighting as 10. (enemy), they cooperate to play a good game. One thoughtless move could ruin the enjoyment.
