B
IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer, and the man behind it is Ingvar Kamprad, one of the world’s most successful businessmen. Born in Sweden in 1926, Kamprad was a natural businessman. As a child, he enjoyed selling things and made small profits from selling matches, seeds, and pencils in his community. When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for his good grades. He used it to start up a business—IKEA. IKEA's name comes from Kamprad's initials (I.K.) and the place where he grew up ('E' and 'A').
IKEA first began to sell furniture through a mail-order book in 1947. The furniture was all designed and made by manufacturers near Kamprad’s home. Initial sales were very encouraging, so Kamprad expanded the product line．Furniture was such a successful aspect of the business that IKEA became a pure furniture company in 1951.
In 1956 Kamprad saw a man disassembling a table to make it easier to transport. Kamprad was inspired. The man had given him a great idea: flat packaging. Flat packaging would mean lower shipping costs for IKEA and lower prices for customers. IKEA tried it and sales boosted. The problem was that people had to assemble furniture themselves, but over time, even this grew into an advantage for IKEA. Nowadays, IKEA is often seen as having meanings of self-sufficiency. This image has done wonders for the company, leading to better sales and continued expansion．
Today there are over 200 stores in 32 countries. Amazingly, Ingvar Kamprad has managed to keep IKEA a privately-held company. In 2004 he was named the world’s richest man. He currently lives in Switzerland and is retired from the day-to-day operations of IKEA. IKEA itself, though, just keeps on growing.
1.The author states in Paragraph 4 that flat packaging___________.
A. needs large space to store furniture
B. is a business concept inspired by Kamprad
C. helps reduce transportation costs
D. makes the company self-sufficient
2.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Ingvar Kamprad established IKEA and succeeded.
B. IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer.
C. The advantages of IKEA’s furniture.
D. Ingvar Kamprad was a natural businessman.
3.What can you learn about IKEA form the passage?
A. The starter kept IKEA a company operated by a few people
B. The furniture was made by manufacturers in Kamprad’s home
C. The starter made a big fortune when he was a child
D. The goods sold in IKEA are limited and not welcomed
4.The passage is written mainly in terms of ___________.
A. examples that illustrate a problem
B. order of events
C. analysis of a process
D. comparison and contrast
A
Once upon a time, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave with all kinds of treasure inside it. So he gave up his job, his home, and his friends, and spent all his time guarding the cave.
He was so dedicated to it that he hardly ate or drank, and before long he fell ill. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he decided to share the treasure.
He crawled into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that it was empty except for a small diamond. The man took it and gave it to the first person to come by, a woman.
Then an old man came by. “What bad luck!” the man said. “Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding.”
“Are you sure there is nothing left?” the old man asked.
The man took him into the cave, where they found a box with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, “At last! At last! At last someone has broken the curse of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you’re the first to have passed its great test. Many have devoted their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here …”
“And why does this happen?” the man asked.
“This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave fills with the treasure they bring with them, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts become empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel.”
From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous.
1.Why did the man give up his job, home and friends?
A. Because he possessed a variety of treasure.
B. Because he had to guard the treasure cave.
C. Because he wanted to find the treasure cave.
D. Because he devoted himself to a great test.
2.What did the man find when he showed his cave to the old man?
A. All kinds of treasure.
B. A handful of jewels.
C. A small emerald.
D. A box with jewels and gold.
3.What do we learn about the people who dedicated their lives to the cave before?
A. They all filled the cave with the treasure they had.
B. They thought it was better to share than to enjoy the treasure alone.
C. They all found the cave empty at last.
D. The old man freed them from its spell.
4.What can we learn from the text?
A. Giving makes people healthier and happier than owing.
B. Some people never learn what is really valuable.
C. Treasure only belongs to those who possess it.
D. Different people have different views.
Gandi wanted so badly to help the world that he devoted himself to removing self-interest out of his heart and mind, leaving them pure, healthy, and free to love. It took him nearly twenty years to gain such control of his process.
When in South Africa, Gandi would sometimes walk fifty miles a day and only a few hours a night. into his seventies Gandi wrote hundreds of letters every week; when his right hand became , he learns to write with his left. Once, while he was writing a letter, the lantern giving light , in which case most of us would have and gone to bed, Gandi, knowing his timely reply would be particularly to those who had written to him, went and finished writing by moonlight. If asked to live like this, we would say,“Impossible！”Gandi would , “Oh, no. It’s possible, when your mind is flooded with 46 for all.”
Late in Gandi’s a Western journalist asked, “Mr. Gandi, you’ve been fifteen hours a day for fifty years. Don’t you ever taking a few weeks off and going for a vacation?” Gandi laughed and said, “Why? I’m on vacation.” This world-famous figure, who could have been prime minister of India and one of the richest men in Asia, announced he wasn’t on becoming rich or famous. He wanted something far – to place all his talents, resources, time, and energy in a trust for the world.
“You needn’t be if you’ve made mistakes. Just continue to try your . If you fall, pick yourself up and march on. If you cannot run, walk. If you cannot walk, crawl. The alone brings a continuing wave of joy in which every personal problem and every suffering is forgotten.” said Gandi.
1.A. thinking B. drawing C. growing D. learning
2.A. read B. run C. exercise D. sleep
3.A. Also B. Even C. Indeed D. Only
4.A. tired B. lazy C. relaxed D. hopeless
5.A. sank B. failed C. flashed D. shook
6.A. screamed B. waited C. escaped D. stopped
7.A. for B. or C. and D. but
8.A. important B. difficult C. friendly D. exciting
9.A. around B. instead C. outside D. alone
10.A. object B. attack C. fight D. lie
11.A. love B. freedom C. courage D. doubt
12.A. class B. life C. past D. mind
13.A. working B. writing C. caring D. imagining
14.A. turn to B. insist on C. feel like D. put off
15.A. finally B. always C. straight D. still
16.A. interested B. keen C. successful D. experienced
17.A. wiser B. tougher C. truer D. greater
18.A. troubled B. dismissed C. defended D. bored
19.A. change B. strength C. best D. advice
20.A. choice B. voice C. effort D. comfort
---What bad luck! I had a cut in salary yesterday.
--- _____. I warned you not to be late repeatedly but you ignored it.
A. By all means B. Never mind
C. Luck you D. You deserve it
It was in the small house ___ was built with stones by his father ____ he spent his childhood.
A. which; that B. which; which
C. that; which D. where; that
After pains-taking efforts, he eventually concluded that the principle he stuck _______ true.
A. to proved B. to proving
C. to be proved D. to being proved
