You may have heard the expression “buying into the dip”. We usually think of this in terms of nesting (投资) --- for example, recessions (经济萧条) offer an opportunity to take advantage of buying cheap stocks that were once expensive.
But to me, “buying into the dip” is a term which covers a lot more than that. There are a few reasons that I was able to “buying into the dip” and start a business during the Great Recession: ChopDawg.com had zero upstart costs, with no need for any credit to get started. No loans, just $10 for the domain name. I picked a service that only required my own time and labor and that’s basically it, Not needing credit was a big deal for me, and I didn’t even think about this at the time.
I was also selling a service that was priced at just the right rock-bottom level to fill a need local small business badly needed more sales, since so many had cut their spending due to the recession. A website could give these businesses a new way to reach their customers, new and old.
From an economic standpoint, the Great Recession was an opportunity to start if you were selling the right thing at the right cost. During recessions, the pool gets way less crowded. Potential competitors become much more unwilling to risk, but for those who have an in-demand service, and the means to provide it, you are in business.
Back in 2009, website design had not yet become a commercial service, Offering web design as a service for small businesses was a novel idea, and many mom-and-pop shops didn’t know they needed it yet, which brings me to this: if you can solve a fresh-out-of-the-recession pain point at the right price, you have a chance of buying into the dip and helping a lot of people at the same.
1.What is “buying into the dip” to the author?
A.Selling things at low costs.
B.Buying cheap stocks in time.
C.Offering help to small businesses.
D.Starting a business with the least investment.
2.What does the underlined word “novel” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Familiar. B.Simple.
C.Clear. D.New.
3.What can be a suitable title for the passage?
A.Start small--very small.
B.Keep an eye on what you may need.
C.Serve right--quite right.
D.Adapt to changes in the Internet service.
The new wave of plant-based “meat” is going mainstream and straight into one of America’s most iconic chain fast-food burgers, the White Castle Slider. White Castle announced Thursday it is introducing a vegetarian fake-meat version of its famous mini-burgers. The burgers is one of several scientifically engineered products made to make plant ingredients (成分) taste just like beef. Called the Impossible Slider, it will be first sold at 140 White Castle eateries in the New York, New Jersey and greater Chicago areas with the potential for a nationwide promotion.
The White Castle Impossible Slider---made with smoked cheddar cheese, pickles, onions and a bun---features a 2-ounce patty and costs $1.99. That compares to the chains traditional 0.9-ounce mini-cheeseburger at about 94 cents. “Plant-based proteins are growing. We felt it was a good opportunity to test it with our customers,” CEO Lisa Ingram said. “We think it will appeal to a broad range of customers---those that are meat caters who want to try something different and non-meat eaters who want this.” She also said the new sliders might bring in new customers, too.
The Impossible Slider represents what few in the traditional beef industry thought possible---that cowless meat would be a hit in a country known for its meat-and-potatoes diet and love of burgers. Plant-based meat alternatives are growing at rate of about l1% a year, according to the research firm Acosta. The market isn’t just vegetarians: Some 71% of people who buy plant-based meat also eat the real thing.
“Interest in meat alternatives seems to be driven by consumers at large, not just those looking for vegetarian lifestyles, but looking for diversification( HF1c)of tastes and health benefits,” said Billy Roberts, senior food and drink analyst at the global market research firm Mintel. “Our business is a growth business. There’ll be increased demands for products like the Impossible Burger,” Impossible Foods Chief Operating Officer David Lee said. “People are increasingly asking about what impact food has on the environment and our health.”
1.What is the selling point of the Impossible Slider?
A.Its low price. B.Its good taste.
C.Its high technology. D.Its plant-based ingredients.
2.According to the passage, who may be attracted by the Impossible Slider?
① People living a vegetarian life
② people looking for various tastes
③ people valuing health
④ people dislike fast-food
A.① B.①② C.①②③ D.①②③④
3.What can be inferred from David Lee’s words?
A.Curiosity drives more people to buy the Impossible Slider.
B.People’s concern over the environment and health may help the new business.
C.People’s doubt about food impact may stop the Impossible Slider’s popularity.
D.Eco-friendly people play an important part in promoting the Impossible Slider.
假设你是王森，十一月二十一日是你在美国的笔友汤姆的生日。你给他寄了一盒中国的绿茶（green tea）作为生日礼物。现在，请你用英语写一封110字左右的信给他，祝贺他生日快乐，并根据下面的六幅图和提示词语详细描绘一下怎么沏茶。
提示词：壶 kettle茶匙 teaspoon茶壶 teapot
茶叶 tea-leaves 茶杯 teacup 茶壶盖 lid
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按下列要求改正：增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
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。
1.I really enjoyed your party. It was such a good fun.
2.We’re considering sell the house at the corner of the street.
3.He was absolutely exhausting after the long journey.
4.Andrew as well as Martin and Jim are fond of music.
5.Great changes taken place in the last ten years in my hometown.
单句语法填空
1.You will be __________ (amaze) at the progress you have made in such a short time.
2.First __________ (impress) seems to be very important when you are looking for jobs.
3.That lovely summer holiday in Beijing feels like a __________ (distance) memory.
4.The kind woman has adopted six sick babies __________ (abandon) by others
5.A fire broke out in the market yesterday, but___________(fortunate) no one was hurt.
6.What is your __________(反应) to what the newspaper said?
7.He was making a speech without __________(参考) to his notes.
8.He noticed a piece of wood __________(飘浮) on the water.
9.This is the second time that I __________(visit) the Palace Museum.
10.When the delayed flight will take __________ depends much on the weather.
语法填空
The other day I 1.(go) to my favorite cafe so that I could have 2. opportunity to be among people. The magic of connection sometimes happens in such places: a smile, a kind good morning, someone 3.(offer) you a newspaper, a short conversation with the staff – many possibilities of love and 4.(kind).
Well, magic did happen. I heard a man who was speaking with difficulty. I noticed he couldn’t do so clearly, 5. is often the case, people looked at him or looked down to avoid feeling 6.(embarrass). I imagined a person in these circumstances would like to feel included rather than excluded.
So I decided to look at him 7. purpose and smile. He looked at me, smiling and said “hello” at once. With a combination of spoken and body language he asked 8. he could approach me or not. I agreed. He introduced me to his friends and explained that they were both deaf and one of 9.(they) taught sign language online. I apologized for not knowing sign language and wished I had learned. We still managed 10.(have) a beautiful “conversation” which made us very happy. I’m sure we will meet again. Such is the magic of being with others.
