Charles Dickens described __________ life in the middle of the 19th century, __________ period that is now called Victorian.
A. /; a B. the; a C. /; the D. a; /
请结合材料，按要求用英文写作。
No pains, no gains. With every effort made, a person always harvests what he has planted.
要求：
（1）就此材料发表你的感想；
（2）应紧扣材料，结合实际，有明确的观点；
（3）词数不少于60。
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Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy (破产) protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.
Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency (自满) ,” that explanation doesn’t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak predicted that digital photography would overtake film (胶片) — and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 — but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.
“It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future”, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.
Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching into new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets (资产) into the new businesses.
Although Kodak predicted the unavoidable rise of digital photography, its corporate (企业的) culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.
Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.
1.What do we learn about Kodak?
A. It went bankrupt all of a sudden.
B. It is approaching its downfall.
C. It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.
D. It is playing a dominant role in the film market.
2.Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?
A. To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.
B. To show its effort to overcome complacency.
C. To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.
D. To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji photo.
3.Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?
A. They find it costly to give up their existing assets.
B. They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.
C. They are unwilling to invest in new technology.
D. They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.
4.What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?
A. A burden. B. A mirror. C. A joke. D. A challenge.
People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted and can’t focus on one activity. And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things,” said David Sanbonmatsu, a psychologist at the University of Utah.
Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking (寻求刺激) or imperative (冲动) they were. They then evaluated the participants’ multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.
Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.
“People multitask not because it’s going to lead to greater productivity, but because they’re distractible, and they get sucked into things that are not as important.” Sanbonmatsu said.
Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the research group, said one limitation of the study was that it couldn’t find out whether people who start out less focused tend toward multitasking or whether people’s recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.
The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving. “People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.” said Paul Atchley, another researcher not in the group. “This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they’re dangerous.”
1.The research led by Sanbonmatsu indicates that people who multitask __________.
A. seek high productivity constantly
B. prefer handling different things when getting bored
C. are more focused when doing many things at a time
D. have the poorest results in doing various things at the same time
2.When Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues conducted their research, they __________.
A. assessed the multitasking ability of the students
B. evaluated the academic achievements of the students
C. analyzed the effects of the participants’ tricky mental tasks
D. measured the changes of the students’ understanding ability
3.According to Sanbonmatsu, people multitask because of their __________.
A. limited power in calculation
B. interests in doing things differently
C. inability to concentrate on one task
D. impulsive desire to try new things
4.From the last paragraph, we can learn that multitaskers usually __________.
A. drive very skillfully
B. go in for different tasks
C. fail to react quickly to potential dangers
D. refuse to explain the reasons for their behavior
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1.Which hotel gives a promise?
A. Baymont Inn Ft. Lauderdale. B. Beach Plaza Hotel.
C. Baymont Inn Hotel. D. Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel.
2.In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
A. Baymont Inn Ft. Lauderdale. B. Beach Plaza Hotel.
C. Baymont Inn Hotel. D. Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel.
3.If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel.
A. enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room
B. are fond of swimming in heated water
C. want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel
D. are a cigarette smoker
4.Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
A. All of the three hotels provide television with cable.
B. You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel.
C. In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available.
D. While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet
In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an interactional festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1.What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?
A. To bring Europe together again.
B. To honor heroes of World War 11.
C. To introduce young theatre groups.
D. To attract great artists from Europe.
2.Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?
A. They owned a public house there.
B. They came to take up a challenge.
C. They thought they were also famous.
D. They wanted to take part in the festival.
3.Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?
A. they owned a public house there
B. University students.
C. Artists from around the world.
D. Performers of music and dance.
4.We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival __________.
A. has become a non-official event
B. has gone beyond an art festival
C. gives shows all year round
D. keeps growing rapidly
