Alibaba started taking the lead in China, simply enough, by connecting big Chinese, manufacturers(制造商)with big buyers across the world. Its business-to-business site, Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything. Alibaba’s advantage wasn’t hard to identify: size.
Alibaba is just big, even by Chinese standards. Its marketplaces attract 231 million active buyers, 8 million sellers, 11.3 billion orders a year—and Alibaba is just the middleman. It encourages people to use its markets—not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale.
If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life, take my experience. I moved to Beijing almost a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded, polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics, bathroom furnishings. “You’re looking for what exactly? Why not try it? ” my Chinese teacher asked me one day. With that, my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began.
Alibaba’s original business-to-business model now is secondary to consumer buying. Chinese retail（零售）buying makes up 80% of Alibaba’s profit, and leading that group is Taobao, with 800 million items for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you’ll ever find. TMall.com is Alibaba’s other big site, where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices.
What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U. S. is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping---big-box retailers(零售商)especially---in favor of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites. In smaller towns than Beijing, where big retailers have not yet traveled, shopping online is shopping, and shopping is Taobao.
I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how extensive(广泛的) the marketplace is. Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping. I’m not even a big buyer, because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site. When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher’s iPad, which helps me buy goods, I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine.
1.Alibaba’s advantage mainly lies in _________.
A. its big size B. its business-to-business service
C. its not charging small sellers D. its low price
2.We know from the passage that Alibaba___________.
A. Alibaba is of middle size among all the online sites
B. Alibaba will continue to develop
C. Alibaba stands out as the best online site
D. Alibaba acts as a bridge between the buyers and sellers
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The author’s Chinese teacher is also an online purchase lover.
B. Taobao has no obvious advantage over other similar online sites.
C. Alibaba’s business-to-business service earns more money than retail now.
D. TMall.com provides more profit than Taobao.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Shopping online is TaoBao.
B. The influence of shopping online goes beyond traditional shopping.
C. Alibaba greatly influences people’s daily purchase in China.
D. How the author purchases online in China.
MONTREAL(Reuters)—Crossing the US-Canada border to go to church on a Sunday cost an American $10,000 for breaking Washington’s strict new security rules.
The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives right on the Canadian border. Albert often crosses the border like the other half-dozen people of Township 15. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church.
There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5,530-mile border between Canada and the US, which in some cases actually runs down the middle of streets or through buildings.
As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada, as usual. The US customs station in this area is closed on Sundays, so he just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later. Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him he had been caught on camera crossing the border illegally.
Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 Americans in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs(海关) stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-mile detour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint.
Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. “I feel like I’m living in a prison,” he said.
1.We learn from the text that Richard Albert is .
A. an American working in a Canadian church
B. a Canadian living in a Quebec village
C. a Canadian working in a customs station
D. an American living in Township 15
2.Albert was fined because he .
A. broke the American security rules
B. failed to obey traffic rules
C. worked in St. Pamphile without a pass
D. damaged the gate of the customs office
3.What would be the best title for the text?
A. A Cross-country Trip B. An Expensive Church Visit
C. An Unguarded Border D. A Special Border Pass
READY or not, the college application season has begun. There are two main kinds of early admissions programs: Early Action and Early Decision.
Early Action is a great choice for the well-prepared student. Students apply early, and are allowed to apply under an Early Action program to as many colleges as they choose. The biggest advantage for students is that colleges let them know early – in most cases, before Jan 1. Roughly 15 percent of colleges and universities offer an Early Action option(选择). Oct 15 is now the first deadline for many colleges and universities. This movement toward earlier deadlines is especially popular in the Southeast, with many of the large public universities leading the way. North Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia all have an Oct 15 Early Action deadline.
Early Decision is a promise that cannot be reversed. Students who are accepted must take back their other applications and should attend that school. Students are allowed to apply to just one school under an Early Decision program. Early Decision deadlines are in early November, with colleges letting students know by mid-December. Many students believe that they are more likely to be accepted if they apply for Early Decision, but it actually depends.
In some cases there is big increase in students being accepted, and at other colleges it is not that big at all. Generally, the strongest students are applying early. Athletes and students with focused interests are encouraged to apply for Early Decision
Choose the best answer:
1.What is the author’s purpose in writing the article?
A. To explain the process of applying to study in the US.
B. To describe two types of US college early admissions programs.
C. To encourage students who want to study in the US to apply early.
D. To list the advantages of early admissions programs.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE of Early Action according to the article?
A. A student who is accepted as an Early Action applicant must attend the college they apply to.
B. The deadline for Early Action is usually two months earlier than the one for Early Decision.
C. Students can apply to several colleges at the same time under an Early Action program.
D. Students can apply for Early Action at the majority of universities and colleges in the US.
3.The underlined word “reversed” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.
A. arranged B. balanced
C. accepted D. changed
4.What can be concluded from the article?
A. Students are not allowed to apply for both Early Decision and Early Action at the same time.
B. Students applying for Early Decision impress colleges because they tend to be more active than others.
C. Early Decision is most fit for students who are skilled in some field.
D. Those applying for Early Decision have a better chance of being accepted than those applying for Early Action.
If feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War? She’ll talk about my lack of a bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major (主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.
“Why can’t you be like my coworker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her coworker’s son received a four year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed coworker’s son. I can’t be like him. I’m the type of person who loves to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of fame (名声) or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6 pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.
1.Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about?
A. The writer’s studies. B. The writer’s future job.
C. Dinner plans. D. Wars around the world.
2.We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother________.
A. doesn’t want the writer to major in English
B. doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor
C. gets along very well with the writer
D. doesn’t think working in the science field is a good idea
3.The underlined word “bemoans” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “________”．
A. agrees B. shouts
C. complains D. smiles
4.Which of the following statements is probably TRUE about the writer?
A. He wants to be like his mother’s coworker’s son.
B. He wants to find a job in his community in the future.
C. He doesn’t think his mother’s coworker’s son is perfect.
D. He wants to do something he really likes in the future.
假如你是中学生李华，你市正在创建文明城市，请以“Changes I have Seen”为题发表演讲，呼吁大家为“创建文明城市”做贡献。
要点：
1.分享你看到的变化（如交通志愿者）；
2.你的呼吁。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增减细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾己给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：文明城市civilized city 行人pedestrian 闯红灯jump the red light
Good morning,everyone!
It's a great honor for me______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Thank you for listening.
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last summer,I got a part-time job like a waiter.I worked hardly and was very helpful.Everyone in the restaurant including some regular customer liked me.One day,a foreign couple,which were in their fifties,entered the restaurant. I was happy to have a chance to practice my speaking English.I went up to greet them warmly.After I took their order,I told them their food will be served quickly because us Chinese respect the elderly.Hearing my words,a look of displeasure was appeared on the wife's face.Seeing my confused look,her husband explained to me the westerners disliked the description "old".I made a apology to them,keeping in mind the lesson cultural differences should never be ignored.
