Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers’ speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original sons performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intension was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover. (营业额)
These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated.
1.Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?
A. The number of its customers was declining
B. It was in need of financial support
C. Its customers found the food unhealthy
D. Most of its restaurants were closed
2.What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Customers of Sparrow restaurants
B. Sparrow restaurants
C. other fast-food chains
D. Customers of other fast-food chains
3.For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?
A. To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow
B. To lean about customers; spending power.
C. To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants.
D. To build a good relationship with the public
4.What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?
A. He made Sparrow much more competitive
B. He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts.
C. He helped Sparrow take over a company
D. He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees
In early autumn I applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University, but my mother fought strongly against it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up.
“You can’t say it’s not a great university, just because Papa went there.”
“That’s not it at all. And it is a top university.” She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money. Do you want me to get a job to help support you and Papa? Things aren’t that bad, are they?”
“No,” she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”
Father borrowed money from his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop, His chief customers were his old college friends. To get new customers, my mother had to help. She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she could get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns. What’s more , they had not wanted enough to be rich and successful；otherwise they could not possibly have managed their lives so badly.
I was torn between the desire to help them and change their lives, and the determination not to repeat their mistakes. I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted. After months of hard study, I won a full college scholarship .My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success.
1.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because___________
A.his father graduated from the university
B.his mother did not think it a great university
C.his parents needed him to help support the family
D.his parents did not have enough money for him
2.The father started his small shop with the money from___________
A. local league B. his university
C. his relatives D. his college friends
3.Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?
A. To help with her husband’s business
B. To raise money for her son
C. To meet her long-forgotten friends
D. To better manage her life
4.According to the text, what was the author determined to do in that autumn?
A. To get a well-paid job for himself
B. To improve relations with his mother
C. To go to his dream university
D. To carry on with his father’s business
It was a bright spring afternoon when Freda told me she wouldn’t need me any more. I had just finished my four-hour work － 36 up and down the stairs of her three-storey home, cleaning the floor and washing the dished. She was 37 jeans and a sweater. Sitting at the table I had just 38 a pile of papers spread around her. Her husband’s 39 was going to be reduced by thirty percent. And they were trying to live as if it had 40 happened. I felt sorry for her, but I also felt a sense of 41 .
I had been cleaning Freda’s house for five years and had 42 an unexpected relationship with the family. It was not just 43 I had become an expert at scraping（刮掉）dirt stuck to their wooden floor. 44 that I had learned exactly how to place toys on the girls’ beds. It was 45 than that, for I felt I had become a part of their 46 .
Freda stayed at home with the kids, 47 I would often see her in the morning 48
them to school. And I’d be there when they 49 home at lunch for sandwiches and piano practice. I had 50 them grow up. Now I was fired, but the 51 thing was that I still wanted to keep scraping away the dirt and dust for the family.
I left Freda’s 52 relationship with my clients（主顾）. Who am I 53 them? As a matter of fact. I’m 54 an employee － the lowest kind of employee. But I’m also a trusted 55 of the family. I can’t help worrying about what happens around me.
1.A. moving B. coming C. jumping D. stepping
2.A. hanging B. making C. changing D. wearing
3.A. washed B. cleaned C. swept D. brushed
4.A. duty B. pay C. work D. money
5.A. never B. seldom C. already D. yet
6.A. loss B. surprise C. fear D. regret
7.A. started B. improved C. developed D. broken
8.A. why B. what C. that D. which
9.A. but B. and C. or D. for
10.A. less B. more C. least D. most
11.A. story B. life C. activity D. experience
12.A. so B. as C. since D. however
13.A. taking B. bringing C. meeting D. calling
14.A. left B. marched C. went D. returned
15.A. found B. noticed C. watched D. realized
16.A. possible B. great C. proper D. strange
17.A. meaning B. result C. nature D. importance
18.A. for B. to C. with D. at
19.A. merely B. certainly C. probably D. hardly
20.A. member B. person C. relative D. companion
--- I want to make a kite for my son..
---____ You can easily buy one in the market.
A. Why not? B. Good idea! C. Why bother? D. No way!
---Did you reach the top of the mountain?
--- Yes. Even I myself didn’t believe I could make _____.
A. that B. it C. myself D. them
____ the temperature down day by day, the leaves are turning yellow.
A. For B. With C. Because D. As
