In business, there's a speed difference: It's the difference between how important a firm's leaders say speed is to their competitive(竞争的) strategy(策略) and how fast the company actually moves. The difference is important regardless of industry and company size. Companies fearful of losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed.
In our study of 343 businesses, the companies that chose to go, go, go to try to gain an edge ended up with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track. What's more, the firms that “slowed down to speed up” improved their top and bottom lines, averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating incomes over a three-year period.
How did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than Competitors yet performing better? They thought differently about what “slower” and “faster” mean. Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operational speed (moving quickly) and strategic speed (reducing the time it takes to deliver value)．Simply increasing the speed of production, for example, may be one way to try to reduce the speed difference. But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services.
In our study, higher performing companies with strategic speed always made changes when necessary. They became more open to ideas and discussion. They encouraged new ways of thinking. And they allowed time to look back and learn. By contrast (相比而言), performance suffered at firms that moved fast all the time, paid too much attention to improving efficiency, stuck to tested methods, didn't develop team spirit among their employees, and had little time thinking about changes.
Strategic speed serves as a kind of leadership. Teams that regularly take time to get things right, rather than plough ahead full bore, are more successful in meeting their business goals. That kind of strategy must come from the top.
1.What does the underlined part “gain an edge” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Increase the speed. B. Get an advantage.
C. Reach the limit. D. Set a goal.
2.The underlined part “the laws of business physics” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A. spending more time and performing worse
B. spending more time and performing better
C. spending less time and performing worse
D. spending less time and performing better
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. How fast a firm moves depends on how big it is.
B. How competitive a firm is depends on what it produces.
C. Firms guided by strategic speed take time to make necessary changes.
D. Firms guided by operational speed take time to develop necessary team spirit.
4.Which could be the best title for the text?
A. Improve quality? Serve better.
B. Deliver value? Plough ahead.
C. Reduce time? Move faster.
D. Need speed? Slow down.
Imagine that 7 out of 10 working Americans got fired tomorrow. What would they all do? It’s hard to believe it would happen. But that is what the industrial revolution did to the labor force of the early 19th century.
Two hundred years ago, 70 percent of American workers lived on the farm. Today automation(自动化) has eliminated all but one percent of their jobs, replacing them with machines. But these workers did not sit, doing nothing. Instead, automation created hundreds of millions of jobs in completely new fields. Those who once farmed were then working in factories that produced farm equipment, cars, and other industrial products.
It may be hard to believe, but before the end of this century, 70 percent of today’s jobs will likely be replaced by automation. Yes, dear reader, even you will have your job taken away by machines. In other words, robot replacement is just a matter of time, First, speedy robots being able to lift 150 pounds all day long will carry boxes, sort them, and load them onto trucks. Fruit and vegetable picking will continue to be robotized until no humans pick outside of specialty farms. Next, The work of cleaning in offices and schools will be taken over by late-night robots. The trucks will be driven by robots.
We need to let robots take over. They will do jobs we have been doing, and do them much better than we can. They will do jobs we can’t do at all. They will do jobs we never imagined even needed to be done, and they will help us discover new jobs for ourselves and new tasks that expand who we are. They will let us focus on becoming more human than we were.
1.What happened in the early 19th century?
A. Some working Americans in factories got fired.
B. Jobless workers had no choice but to sit there doing nothing at all.
C. Many American workers had to leave factories to work on the farm.
D. The industrial revolution caused many Americans to lose their jobs.
2.How does the author support the underlined statement in Paragraph 3?
A. By giving advice.
B. By giving examples.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By explaining cause and effect.
3.How does the author feel about robots taking over our jobs?
A. Afraid. B. Happy. C. Puzzled. D. Angry.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the text ?
A. Why robots should take over our jobs.
B. 70% of working Americans will be jobless.
C. The industrial revolution led to the automation.
D. Robots will do more things for us to live better.
It was a bad time for me . I was low emotionally and tired physically. Probably because of this I hadn’t shaved for a few days. Also, because I had been doing some repairs at my daughter’s house, I was dressed quite scruffily. Boarding the bus to go home I saw it was almost full so I found a rail to lean against.
That was when a young woman, sitting with her child, stood up and offered me her seat. “Wow !” I thought. Out loud I said, “Do I look that old and tired?” She replied,” You look like you’ve had a tough day.” I thanked her sincerely and stayed standing.
A moment later a man rose from his seat at the back of the bus and made his way towards me, squeezing past several people on the way. Then he told me about his addiction problems, asked for my advice, and just chatted about life for a few minutes. Then he went back to his seat. Very random!
Watching him go, I also looked at the bus－load of people between me and his seat. He hadn’t chosen to talk to those strangers. He chose to talk to this stranger, for whatever it meant to him and whatever comfort it brought him. Why?
That’s when it occurred to me. I must have looked like I had been where he was. I probably looked like a man who would understand a difficult life. I was humbled and uplifted at the same time by the realization that even when we are at our lowest we can still help others—if we look like we might be able to meet them where they live or walk a while in their world.
1.Why did the young woman offer her seat to the writer?
A. Because she thought the writer looked very old.
B. Because the writer looked very friendly.
C. Because the writer looked humorous.
D. Because the writer looked exhausted.
2.What can we learn about the man from Paragraph 3 ?
A. He was an acquaintance of the writer.
B. He felt familiar with the writer.
C. He might took drugs heavily.
D. He lacked confidence in life.
3.The underlined words “this stranger” in Paragraph 4 probably refer to“ .”
A. the young woman B. one passenger
C. the writer D. the driver
4.Which of the following may be the best title for the text?
A. Unusual Appearance Interests Strangers.
B. Meet Them Where They Live.
C. Small Talks Make a Difference.
D. Accept What They Are.
Apple Seeds
Circulation: 1 Year,9 Issues
Cover Price: MYM44.55
Price For You: MYM 33.95
Product Description: Apple Seeds is an award winning magazine filled with stories for kids aged from 7 to 9. The cover is very soft, providing durability(耐用性) that allows each issue to be enjoyed for many years to come. Besides, there is a big surprise for you—it’s being sold at a more favorable discount than usual.
Better Life
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: MYM44.55
Price For You: MYM 15.00
Product Description: Designed for those who have a strong interest in personal lifestyle, Better Life is America’s complete home and family service magazine. It offers help with food, recipes, decorating, building, gardening, family health, money management, and education.
Humor Times
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: MYM36.00
Price For You: MYM 11.95
Product Description: Humor Times Magazine is for those who love to laugh! Full of cartoons and humor columns, it shows up in your mailbox once a month and keeps you smiling all year round! In today’s world, you need a reason to laugh. So let’s find it in Humor Times.
News China
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: MYM 47.88
Price For You: MYM 19.99
Product Description: News China Magazine is the English edition of China Newsweek. The magazine covers the latest Chinese domestic news in politics, business, society, environment, culture, sports and travels, etc. It is the first comprehensive news magazine for readers interested in China.
1.What is the purpose of the text ?
A. To tell us why these magazines are popular.
B. To help us make right decisions.
C. To advise us to subscribe to the magazines.
D. To encourage us to contribute articles to the magazines.
2.Better Life can probably help you in .
A. making your house beautiful
B. ordering food from restaurants.
C. finding interesting stories for your kids
D. learning about sports and travels
3.Which magazine may best help relieve your work stress?
A. Apple Seeds. B. Better Life.
C. Humor Times. D. News China.
书面表达
阅读下面微博上的短文, 然后按要求写一篇150个词左右的英语短文。
Hi, everyone. I am Jane. I have a problem and don’t know what to do. So I need your help!
This morning I was ready to review my lessons with my computer in my dormitory, and then Mary, my roommate and best friend, came back with a laptop. She wanted to use my connector, and I did as she asked.
After a while, she took away my headset and opened her laptop. Afterwards she connected to the Internet with my connector. Then something unexpected happened. She used the audio player with the loudspeaker. She entered her QQ Zone and started using the video system to chat with my microphone. Sounds of music, QQ and their talking became louder and louder. She completely ignored that I was there reviewing my lessons.
I could not bear that, so I asked her to be quiet a little, but I failed. At last I had to go away to the classroom. On the way I became angrier and angrier because she was using my things, but never thought about my feeling. She drove me out. I am very sad. Am I her friend? Should I stop our friendship?
[写作内容]
1. 以约30个词概括上文的主要内容。
2. 以约120个词发表你的看法, 内容包括:
(1)你对Mary的行为的看法, 并说明理由;
(2)假如你是Jane, 你会如何处理这件事;
(3)以你的经历谈谈你和朋友相处的体会。
[写作要求]
1. 作文中可使用自己的亲身经历或虚构的故事, 也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得直接引用原文中的句子;
2. 文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
[评分标准]
句子结构准确, 信息内容完整, 篇章结构连贯。
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完成句子
1.It ______ _______ ________ ________ ________( 有待观察是否) he will give up taking drugs.
2.The Chinese language differs from Western languages ________ ________(原因是), instead of an alphabet, it uses characters which stand for ideas, objects or deeds.
3.I certainly think there should be _____ _______ _______ (禁止) tobacco advertising.
4.While the students found the soldier’s idea interesting, the system was too difficult to _____ _____ _________ ________(实用).
5.Many people were buried alive, and_____ ______ ________ ______(整个城市也被埋没).
6.It’s ______ ________ _________ _______ (被人们认为已经) gradually covered over by sandstorms from AD 200 to AD 400.
7.An explosion happened in the mine, ________ twenty miners ________.(任由……受困)。
8.The desert was once a green land with huge trees, but they were cut down and that ______ ______ ______ _______ ________ ________(导致了这座城市被掩埋) by sand—what a pity!
9.Then, on 24 August, the mountain exploded,______ _____ _____ _____ _____ ______(喷出一团火山灰).
10._______ _______ _____ _______ _______ _______(你方便) to start work tomorrow?
