McDonald's is the world single biggest food provider with annual sales of around $12.4bn. And the company's symbol Ronald McDonald is now （or so the company claims） the world's most recognized person after Santa Claus.
The first McDonald's restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1948 by brothers Mac and Richard “Dick” McDonald. Mac ran the restaurant side; Dick was the marketing genius. He had already invented the drive-in laundry and had been the first person to use neon lights in advertising. Now he spotted the gap in the post-war, baby-boom market for cheap, family-orientated restaurants with simple menus, standardized food and efficient service.
After a slow start, business began to boom. By 1954, the brothers were joined by another entrepreneur, a kitchen equipment salesman called Ray A Kroc who owned the franchise to the Multimixer, milk shake maker used throughout the McDonald's chain. A year later, Kroc had bought the McDonald brothers' chain of 25 franchises for the equivalent of around $70m（￡44m）. Dick remained with the company until the Seventies, when he and Kroc fell out over Kroc's claim that the chain was his creation.
Today, an almost Stalinist cult of personality surrounds Kroc （who died in 1984） at McDonald's, while the brothers who gave the company its name have all but been written out of its history. But though Kroc did not found McDonald's, he was certainly responsible for the empire-building philosophy which led to its world domination. He ushered in such essential contributions to international cuisine as the Big Mac （1968） and the Egg McMuffin （1973）; and helped launch Ronald McDonald —— “in any language he means fun” —— on to television in 1963.
Every three hours, a new McDonald's franchise opens somewhere in the world; it can be found in more than 100 countries including India （vegetarian-only to avoid offending the non-beef-eating populace） and Israel （non kosher, despite fierce local objection）. McDonald's chain embodied the thrusting, can-do spirit of Fifties America with staff mottoes such as “If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean.”
1.McDonald's was founded _____.
A. by a kitchen equipment salesman
B. in California
C. by a marketing genius called Dick McDonald
D. after the first World War
2.What do we know about McDonald's brothers?
A. They were not McDonald's founders although they named the restaurant.
B. Their business was still in depression after several years.
C. They had clear job separation on business.
D. They sold their restaurant to a salesman in 1954.
3.Which is not Kroc's contribution to McDonald's ?
A. He launched the restaurant image Ronald McDonald on to television.
B. Under his lead, international cuisine as the Big Mac and the Egg McMuffin earned worldwide fame
C. He spotted the gap in postwar market for cheap, family-orientated restaurants.
D. He built McDonald's empire with a philosophy which led to its world domination.
4.Which statement is true according to the passage?
A. The single biggest food provider was however, not named after its founder
B. The international cuisine as the Big Mac, a beef hamburger, is provided every chain restaurant in the world.
C. Employees in McDonald's have no time to lean.
D. The symbol Ronald McDonald, means fun in any language, is said to the world most recognized person after Santa Claus.
The economic growth that many nations in Asia and increasingly Africa have experienced over the past couple of decades has transformed hundreds of millions of lives – almost entirely for the better. But there’s a byproduct to that growth, one that’s evident – or sometimes less than evident – in the smoggy, smelly skies above cities like Beijing, New Delhi and Jakarta. Thanks to new cars and power plants, air pollution is bad and getting worse in much of the world, and it’s taking a major toll (伤亡人数，代价) on global health.
How big? According to a new analysis published in the Lancet, more than 3.2 million people suffered deaths from air pollution in 2010, the largest number on record. That’s up from 800,000 in 2000. And it’s a regional problem: 65% of those deaths occurred in Asia, where the air is choked by diesel soot (内燃发动机烟雾) from cars and trucks, as well as the song from power plants and the dust from endless urban construction. In East Asia and China, 1.2 million people died, as well as another 712,000 in South Asia, including India. For the first time ever, air pollution is on the world’s top – 10 list of killers, and it’s moving up the ranks faster than any other factor.
So how can air pollution be so damaging? It is the very finest soot – so small that it roots deep within the lungs and then enters the bloodstream – that contributes to most of the public – health toll of air pollution including death. Diesel soot, which can also cause cancer, is a major problem because it is concentrated in cities along transportation zones affecting overpopulated areas. It is thought to contribute to half the deaths from air pollution in urban centers. Fro example, 1 in 6 people in the U.S. live near a diesel – pollution hot spot like a rail yard, port terminal or freeway.
We also know that air pollution may be linked to other non – deadly diseases. Fortunately in the U.S. and other developed nations, urban air is for the most part cleaner than it was 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to regulations and new technologies like the catalytic converters (催化式排气净化器) that reduce automobile emissions. Govemments are also pushing to make air cleaner – see the White House’s move last week to further tighten soot standards. It’s not perfect, but we’ve had much more success dealing with air pollution than climate change.
Will developing nations like India eventually catch up? Hopefully – though the problem may get worse before it gets better. The good news is that it doesn’t take a major technological advance to improve urban air. Switching from diesel fuel to unleaded (无铅燃油) helps, as do newer and cleaner cars which are less likely to send out pollutants. Power plants – even ones that burn mineral fuels like coal – can be fitted with pollution – control equipment that, at a price, will greatly reduce smog and other pollutants.
But the best solutions may involve urban design. In the Guardian, John Vidal notes that Delhi now has 200 cars per 1,000 people, far more than much richer Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Developing cities will almost certainly see an increase in car ownership as residents become wealthier – and that doesn’t have to mean deadly air pollution. Higher incomes should also lead to tougher environmental regulations, which is exactly what happened in the West. We can only hope it happens before the death toll from bad air gets even higher.
1.What tends to give rise to the highest death toll according to the passage?
A．The lack of tight environmental protection standards.
B．The increasing numbers of the diesel cars and trucks.
C．The frighteningly high death rate from deadly cancer.
D．The world’s serious air pollution such as soot and dust.
2.The “byproduct” (Paragraph 1) most probably refers to .
A．consequence B．solution C．reform D．design
3.The basic reason why so many people die from air pollution is that .
A．the diesel soot is too small to be seen
B．the diesel soot is much too poisonous to breathe
C．the diesel soot roots in lungs and gets into blood
D．the diesel soot can also contribute to deadly cancer
4.According to the passage, the writer actually wants to convince the readers that .
A．the global economic growth is mainly to blame for air pollution and climate change
B．the developing countries are repeating the same mistakes as the developed ones made
C．the ecological situation and air pollution in India are becoming worse and worse
D．the unbeatable air is increasingly becoming a major killer throughout the world
5.By describing urban design as “the best solution” in the last paragraph, the writer means that .
A．the making of tougher environmental regulations alone is of little use
B．more sever regulations should be made to handle air pollution
C．the urban construction in western developed countries is the best choice
D．the pace of development has to be slowed down to reduce air pollution
Bum rate is the speed at which a startup business consumes money. My rate would be $ 50,000 a month when my new media company started. So, I began looking around for individuals who would be my first investors. “Angel money” it was called. But when I reviewed my list of acquaintances to find those who might be able to help, I found the number got small.
With no other choices, I began meeting with the venture-capital companies. But I was warned they took a huge share of your company for the money they put in. And if you struggled, they could drop you cold.
As I was searching for “angel money”, I started to build a team who trusted me even though I didn't have money for paychecks yet.
Bill Becker was an expert in computer programming and image processing at a very famous Media Lab at M. I.T. With his arrival, my company suddenly had a major technology “guy” in-house.
Katherine Henderson, a filmmaker and a former real-estate dealer, joined us as our director of market research. Steve White came on as operating officer. He had worked for the developer of a home-finance software, Quicken. We grabbed him.
We had some really good people, but we still didn't have enough money. One night, my neighbor, Louise Johnson, came for a visit. She and I were only nodding acquaintances, but her boys and ours were constant companions. She ran a very good business at the time.
Louise was brilliant and missed nothing. She had been watching my progress closely. She knew I was dying for money and I had prospects but could offer no guarantees of success.
She told me that her attorney had talked to mine and the terms had been agreed upon. She handed me an envelope. Inside was a check for $ 500,000.
I almost fell down. I heard her voice as if from heaven.
“I have confidence in your plan,” she said. “You' 11 do well. You're going to work hard for it, but it' s satisfying when you build your own company.”
Who would have thought I'd find an angel so close to home? There were no words sufficient for the moment. We just said good night. She left and I just stood there, completely humbled and completely committed.
1.For a newly-established business, bum rate refers to___________.
A. the salary it pays to its staff B. the interest it pays to the bank
C. the way in which it raises capital D. the speed at which it spends money
2.By "Angel money", the author refers to__________.
A. the money borrowed from banks B. the money spent to promote sales
C. the money raised from close friends D. the money needed to start a business
3.To get help from a venture-capital company, you may have to__________.
put up with unfair terms B. change your business line
C. enlarge your business scope D. let them operate your business
4.The author easily built a team for his company because__________.
A. they were underpaid at their previous jobs
B. they were turned down by other companies
C. they were confident of the author and his business
D. they were satisfied with the salaries in his company
5. Louise decided to lend money to the author because__________.
A. she wanted to join his company
B. she knew he would build a team
C. she knew his plan would succeed
D. she wanted to help promote his sales
In 1982, Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank．He got into a life boat, but his supplies were 21 ．His chances of surviving were small． 22 when three fishermen found him 76 days later, he was alive —much 23 than he was when he started, but alive．
His 24 of how he survived is fascinating．His cleverness —how he 25 to catch fish, how he evaporated（蒸发） sea water to 26 fresh water—is very interesting．
But the thing that 27 my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, and there seemed no 28 in continuing the struggle．He was starved and 29 worn-out．Giving up would have seemed the only possible choice．
When people 30 these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going．Many people in 31 desperate circumstances 32 in or go mad．Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the courage to carry on 33 difficulties．
"I tell myself I can 34 it," wrote Callahan in his book．-Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate．I tell myself these things over and over, 35 up courage．．．"
I wrote that down after 1 read it．It 36 me as something important．And I've told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed 37 off or when my problems seemed too terrible．And every time I've said it, I have always come back to my 38 ．
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad 39 to something better．But others have been through the much worse, that is, in comparison with what others have been through, you're fortunate．Tell this to yourself over and over again, and it will help you 40 through the rough situations with a little more courage．
1.A．full B．rich C．few D．enough
2.A．And B．Yet C．Still D．Thus
3.A．thinner B．stronger C．worse D．healthier
4.A．attitude B．assumption C．instruction D．account
5.A．assisted B．tended C．managed D．intended
6.A．make B．absorb C．select D．replace
7.A．attacked B．caught C．froze D．cheated
8.A．operation B．taste C．message D．point
9.A．firmly B．completely C．hardly D．generally
10.A．deal B．defend C．survive D．observe
11.A．similarly B．differently C．gradually D．commonly
12.A．pull B．take C．break D．give
13.A．for the lack of B．in the face of C．in exchange for D．as a result of
14.A．handle B．carry C．follow D．inspect
15.A．rolling B．using C．building D．making
16.A．defeated B．recommended C．introduced D．struck
17.A．far B．long C．ever D．even
18.A．feelings B．senses C．ideas D．influences
19.A．related B．measured C．contributed D．compared
20.A．see B．cut C．get D．think
—The hall___ for international conferences is of great importance．
—I see, and we are sure to complete it on time．
A．built B．to be built
C．having been built D．building
Since Tom ___downloaded a virus into his computer, he can not open the file now．
A．readily B．horribly C．accidentally D．irregularly
