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Diamonds, sparkling under an African sun, have an attraction commensurate(相称的)with their high price and beauty. For American the opportunity to get their hands on some more has proved too much to resist. On November 4th the global mining giant announced that it would acquire the 40% of De Beers, a company that mines two-fifths of the world's diamonds, from the Oppenheimer family for $5.1 billion. This takes Anglo-American's stake in Beers to 85%; the rest is owned by the government of Botswana, when the firm digs up its gems.
The price looks right. Demand for diamonds has bounced back after the credit crisis in 2008 and the following recession in the rich world. More and more wealthy Indians and Brazilians seem keen to sport a "rock" to show just how well they are doing. And the shrewd Oppenheimers do not seem to be getting out of the business because its future looks bleak. There is apparently no family member who wants to take on diamond mining. Nicky Oppenheimer, De Beers's chairman, foresaw the sale in February when he stood down from the board of Anglo-American.
For Anglo-American it resolves the issue of its non-controlling stake in De Beers. Analysts have long reckoned it should either sell or try to increase its take. In fact the firm might yet spin off De Beers with an IPO. The terms of the deal allow the Oppenheimers to pocket some more cash from a flotation (债券发行）or sale in the next couple of years, suggesting that such an outcome is not unlikely.
It would also make sense. Anglo-American is a different beast to the global diversified mining giants that would count as its competitors. It stood apart from the wave of mining mega-mergers over the past decade or so except as a potential target. The consolidation and the emergence of huge markets for the world's resources have propelled BHP Billiton, for instance, to become one of the world's biggest listed companies.
Many would claim that Anglo-American has suffered as a result. Once one of the world's biggest miners, it now ranks alongside Xstrata, a company just ten years old, which in 2009 even attempted a nil-premium takeover of Anglo. It also has a significant portion of its assets in South Africa. And unlike its peers it has a large platinum business, as well as all the diamonds.
Anglo-American recent strategy has been to diversify out of South Africa, where the threat of nationalization, scarcely credible but a fear for investors none the less, hangs over it. Black-empowerment laws，a scarcity of water and electricity as well as an obstinate workforce make it a difficult place to operate. Botswana is far more accommodating, but it might also make sense to get out of diamonds ： it is a business that is more about branding the rocks and less about the savvy (懂行的）capital deployment and logistical (物流的)know-how that are the hallmarks of the mining business. If that is Anglo's eventual aim，then the deal looks like a smart move.
1
According to Paragraph 1, we can know Anglo-American _____.
A.
would acquire a 40% holding of De Beers
B.
mines two-third of world's diamonds
C.
will earn $5.1 billion from Oppenheimer family
D.
digs up most of its gems in South America
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
细节题。根据第一段第三句可知，11月4日，这家全球矿业巨头宣布将以51亿美元的价格从奥本海默家族手里收购戴比尔斯公司40%的股份，该公司开采的钻石占全球钻石开采量的五分之二，A.陈述正确，故为正确答案，同时排除[B]和[C]。根据本段最后一句可知，这使得英美资源集团在戴比尔斯的股份上升至85%，其余股份则归博茨瓦纳政府拥有，戴比尔斯公司正是在该国开采钻石，[D]陈述错误，故排除。
2
The Anglo-American's acquisition results in that_____
A.
Nicky Oppenheimer wants to take on the diamond mining business
B.
Anglo-American sold part of its stake in De Beers with an IPO
C.
Anglo-American has suffered a shortage of funds after the purchase
D.
the Oppenheimers might get monetary benefits with future sales
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。根据第三段第四句可知，交易条件允许奥本海默家族从今后几年的债券发行或出售中将更多的现金收入囊中，这表明这样的结果不是不可能的,D.“奥本海默家族可能从未来的出 售中获取金钱利益”陈述正确，故为正确答案。根据第二段第五句可知，很显然，没有家族成员愿意从事钻石开采业，A.“尼克?奥本海默想从事钻石开采业务”陈述错误，故排除；根据第三段第三句可知，事实上，英美资源集团可能会通过首次公开募股分拆戴比尔斯公司，[B]“英美资源集团通 过首次公开募股出售了它在戴比尔斯的部分股票”过于绝对，故排除；而[C]“英美资源集团在此次收购后遭遇资金短缺”未被提及，故排除。
3
According to the passage, which of the following statements about global mining business is INCORRECT?
A.
Anglo-American has become a mining mega-merger.
B.
BHP Billiton has become one of the biggest listed companies.
C.
Anglo-American was once almost taken over by a company of ten years old.
D.
Xstrata has a business in South Africa both in platinum and diamonds.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
细节腰。根据第四段第三句可知，在过去的大约十年里，英美资源集团一直远离矿业的巨资并购浪潮，A.“英美资源集团已经成为一个大规模的矿业合并企业”陈述错误，故为正确答案。根据第四段第四句可知，这样的合并以及对全球资源巨大需求市场的出现已经促使必和必拓（BHP Billiton)成为全球最大的上市公司之一，[B]“必和必拓已经成为全球最大的上市公司之一”表述正确，故排除；根据第五段第二至四句“曾经是世界最大采矿企业之一的英美资源集团现排名在斯特拉塔左右，而后者只是一个拥有十年历史的公司，在2009年甚至试图以零溢价收购英美资源集团。斯特拉塔在南非也有重要份额的产业。与业内其他公司不同，除了钻石以外，它还有大型的祐金业务”C.“英美资源集团有一次几乎被一个成立十年的公司收购”和[D]“斯特拉塔公司在南非有铂金和钻石业务”表述正确，故排除。
4
Which of the following is NOT the reason for Anglo-American to diversify out of South Africa?
A.
The threat of nationalization.
B.
Local regulations of laws.
C.
Lack of diamonds.
D.
Uncontrolled workers.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
细节题。根据最后一段前两句可知，英美资源集团最近的战略是在南非之外实现多元化；在南非，国有化的威胁笼罩着该公司。赋予黑人权利的法律、水电的短缺以及难以管束的员工使得南非成为企业运转的问题地区，A.“民族主义的威胁”、[B]“当地的法律规定”和[D]“难以控制的工人”为英美资源集团欲退出南非的原因，而[C]“缺少钻石”则不是，故为正确答案。
5
What does the word “that” in the last paragraph indicate?
A.
Branding the rocks.
B.
Deploying capital wisely.
C.
Hallmarking the mining business.
D.
Getting out of the diamond business.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
语义题。根据文章最后一段最后两句可知，博茨瓦纳的投资环境则要宽松得多，但是其脱离钻石业可能也是明智的：钻石业更多依靠的是“石头的”品牌化，而不是精明的资本配置和物流技术，这些都是采矿业的标志。如果“that”是英美资源集团的最终目标，那么此次交易看上去是个明智之举，文中冒号后面的内容是在解释说明退出钻石业是合理的，而英美资源集团购入在博茨瓦纳的钻石公司，如果说是明智的话，应与上文解释相反，可见，其中的“that”指代的是A.。
Younger Americans will have to take our word for it: there was a time, way back when Ronald Reagan was president, when your countrymen ordered coffee by simply asking for "coffee". Ordering a "venti skinny chai latte" or a "grande chocolate cookie crumble frappuccino" would have earned, at best, a blank stare.
But that was before Howard Schultz took Starbucks from a single coffeehouse in downtown Seattle to a chain with more than 17，000 shops in 55 countries. The chain grew so quickly, and in some areas seemed so ubiquitous, that as early as 1998 a headline in The Onion, a satirical American newspaper, joked, "New Starbucks Opens in Rest Room of Existing Starbucks". After suffering through lean years in 2008 and 2009, the company is again going strong. In the 2011 financial year the company served 60m customers per week—more than ever. It also had its highest-ever earnings-per-share ( $1. 62) and global net revenue ( $11. 7 billion).
Yet in 2011 Starbucks decided to do away with something important: it dropped the word "Coffee" from its logo. While coffee remains as central to Starbucks's business and identity as hamburgers are to McDonald's, the company's recent American acquisitions have moved it beyond java. In November 2011 it acquired Evolution Fresh, a small California-based juice company, for $30m, giving the company a foothold in America's $1.6 billion high-end juice market. And in June 2012 Starbucks bought a bakery, Bay Bread, and its La Boulange-branded cafes, for $100m. Starbucks’s customers "have never been as satisfied with our food as our coffee，" explained Troy Alstead, Starbucks's chief financial officer.
On November 14th Starbucks made it largest acquisition yet, buying Teavana，an Atlanta-based tea retailer, for $620m. This is not the firm's first attempt into the tea market—its stores sell tea, of course, and it bought Tazo, a tea manufacturer and distributor, back in 1999—but it is by far its boldest. When Starbucks bought Tazo it was simply a brand, but Teavana has some 300 shops, largely mall-based, throughout North America. Mr. Alstead hopes that scale will allow Starbucks " to do for tea what we did for coffee. "
This may seem, as they day at Starbucks, a tall order. Americans drink far more coffee than tea. In 2011 the average coffee consumption was 9. 39 pounds per person, while tea was a paltry 0. 9 pounds. Coffee has long been an essential part of American mornings. Tea has no comparably firm position, except for the tooth-shiveringly sweet iced tea served during meals in the South (85% of all tea consumed in America is iced).
That said, since 1980 America's coffee consumption has fallen, and is forecast to fall further. Consumption of tea，on the other hand, has grown，and is forecast to keep growing—perhaps benefiting from the idea that it has health benefits that coffee lacks，perhaps driven partly by immigration from tea-drinking countries. The Tea Association of the USA put the value of the tea market in America at $8. 2 billion in 2011, up from $1. 8 billion just 20 years earlier, and forecasts that it will nearly double in value again by 2014. The sharpest growth will come from tea that green——which also happens to be the color of money and the logo of Starbucks.
6
What does the news about Starbucks in The Onion mean?
A.
A new Starbucks opens in the toilet of an old Starbucks.
B.
Starbucks has no funds to open its new shops.
C.
New Starbucks shops are shrinking in size.
D.
There are too many Starbucks in onemplace.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。文章第二段第二句提到《洋葱报》在其头条上开玩笑称新星巴克在旧星巴克的洗手间里开张，该句的前半句表明刊登这一新闻的原因是星巴克连锁店发展得非常迅速，在某些地方似乎随处可见，所以该新闻暗指星巴克在同一个地方开了太多的分店，因此选[D]。[A]“新星巴克在旧星巴克的洗手间里开张”是字面意思，排除；B.“星巴克没有资金开新店”和C.“星巴克新店规模缩水”均不符合此处语义，所以排除。
7
According to Troy Aktead9 the aim of Starbucks' acquisition of Bay Bread is to_____.
A.
occupy the bread market
B.
expand the company
C.
raise customers' satifaction towards food
D.
diversify its commodity
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
推理题。文章第三段最后一句提到星巴克的首席财务官特洛伊?阿尔斯特德解释公司收购 Bay Bread的原因是星巴克的顾客对其食物从未像对其咖啡那样满意过，由此推知，星巴克的此次收购是为了提高顾客对食物的满意度，所以选[C]。[A]“占领面包市场”、[B]“扩张公司”和D.“使商品多样化”在文中均未提及，故排除。
8
The earliest company that Starbucks purchased is_____.
A.
Evollution
B.
Bay Bread
C.
Teavana
D.
Tazo
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
细节题。第三段第三句提到星巴克在2011年11月收购Evolution Fresh,该段的第四句表明星 巴克在2012年6月收购了 Bay Bread，第四段第一句提到Teavana是在2012年11月14日被收购的，而Tazo是在1999年被收购的，所以Tazo在四家公司中是最早被星巴克收购的，故[D]为正确答案，其余选项均可排除。
9
Which of the following is INCORRECT about the consumption of tea in America?
A.
Americans lend to drink iced tea instead of hot tea.
B.
The consumption of tea has become more than that of coffee since 1980.
C.
The growing consumption of tea might be caused by immigrants.
D.
The biggest increase of tea consumption is from green tea.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
细节题。由第六段第一、二句可知，自从1980年以来，美国咖啡消耗量有所下降，而茶的消耗量却在增长，但该句并未表明茶的消耗量高于咖啡的消耗量，且在第五段第三句提到2011年咖啡的人均消耗量远远高于茶的，所以[B]和文中的意思不符，故为正确答案。第五段最后一句提美国人所喝的茶有85%是冰茶，所以A.“美国人倾向于喝冰茶而不是热茶”表述正确；第六段第二句表明茶的消耗量在增长，还有可能是因为来自饮茶国家的移民增多的缘故，因此[C]“持续增长的茶消耗量可能是移民造成的”是正确的表述；[D]“最大的茶消耗增长是绿茶”在第六段的最后一句中提及，故排除。
Late last year, Airbnb announced that it's going after the major hotel chains一which at first sounded kind of cute, like a precocious Little League pitcher (投手）saying he’s going to strike out Miguel Cabrera.
But when CEO Brian Chesky laid out his thinking for me in Airbnb's new, funky headquarters in San Francisco, I thought the investors who have pumped $326 million into the company might not be too dim. Airbnb is becoming much more than a way to spend $26 a night to sleep in London with five other people at The Imperial Fleapit.
In fact, Airbnb is looking like a proof point of a trend that has been getting a lot of attention lately. Some refer to it as the DIY for do it yourself movement. Chesky uses the term "decentralized production (分散式生产）. " Marc Andreessen hit on the concept in a manifesto entitled “Why Software Is Eating the World?"
It all points to the same idea: Information technology is eroding the power of large-scale mass production. We，re instead moving toward a world of massive numbers of small producers offering unique stuff——and of consumers who reject mass-produced stuff. The Internet, software, 3D printing, social networks, cloud computing and other technologies are making this economically feasible——in fact, desirable.
The hotel industry——and the way Airbnb thinks about it—is an example of how that is playing out.
There is a fundamental truth about big hotel chains that is only now being exposed in the Internet age： Hotel chains grew out of a lack of information.
In the middle of last century, cars and highways made the world far more mobile. Many more people traveled to towns they didn't know, and they needed places to sleep. They had no way to know which hotel or boarding house might be nice or offer amenities they wanted. Travel guides, like Mobil's, popped up in the 1950s, but for the most part information remained scarce.
Chains took advantage of that data deficit. If you knew a Holiday Inn in one town, you knew the Holiday Inn in the next town would be roughly the same. The brand's motto played off this : " The best surprise is no surprise. "The uniformity and comfort of a chain trumped the risk of an unknown, independent place.
As chains got bigger, they could afford to widely advertise—a way to spread more information about the consistency of their hotels. Independents couldn't keep up. They had limited ways to get information travelers. As long as this big information gap existed, chains grew and independents struggled. The gap chains to offer uniform accommodations at scale——and we got today's hospitality industry, dominated by the likes of Hilton, Marriott and Starwood.
Chesky got to thinking about this when his late grandfather told him Airbnb reminded him of his childhood, when his family would arrive in towns and stay at boarding houses. Chesky thought: If the Internet was around back then, would hotel chains as we know them have been created? "And the answer is absolutely not," Chesky says. "I'm not saying there wouldn't be hotels, but they wouldn't look like they do today. "
10
What is the relationship between the example of Airbnb and that of Little League pitcher?
A.
Analogy.
B.
Comparison.
C.
Supplement.
D.
Contradiction.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
推理题。第一段提到Airbnb宣布追赶大型连锁酒店，就像一位早熟的少年棒球联合会投手称要将米格尔?卡布瑞拉三振出局一样，由此可知，这两个例子之间的关系是“类比”故选[A]。[B]“比较”、[C]“补充”和[D]“矛盾”均排除。
11
According to the passage, it is implied that Airbnb_____.
A.
is a large-scale hotel chain in America
B.
has just moved to San Francisco
C.
is not worth investing
D.
is expanding its business
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
细节题。根据第二段最后一句可知，Airbnb现在的定位远不止是让一个人与其他5个人在 The Imperial Fleapit旅馆以每晚26美金的价格住在伦敦，故选[D]。第一段第一句提到，Airbnb宣布开始追赶大型连锁酒店的脚步，故可知Airbnb现在还不是一家大型酒店，因此[A ]错误，故排除；根据第二段第一句可知，公司的总部设在旧金山，但是没有说刚刚搬到旧金山，故排除[B]；根据第二段第一句可知，作者认为为该公司投资3.26亿美元的投资者并非是犯迷糊，故排除[C]。
12
According to Paragraph 4, which of the following statements is CORRECT?
A.
Information technology makes mass production more powerful and economical.
B.
Various kinds of unique production will be the trend in the near future.
C.
Consumers prefer to choose mass-produced stuff consistently.
D.
New information technologies are making mass production more desirable.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
细节题。第四段第二句提到，我们正在迎来这样一个世界：大量的小型制造商提供独特的产品，可推知，多种独特产品的模式将在未来成为趋势，故选[B]。根据第四段第一句可知，信息技术正在侵蚀大规模批量生产的势力，故排除[A]；根据第四段第二句可知，在未来的世界中，消费者拒绝批量生产的产品，故排除[C]；根据第四段第三句可知，新信息技术让新趋势更加可行，因此这里的新趋势指的是“大量的小型制造商提供独特的产品”，故排除[D]。
13
Which of the following paragraphs briefly give out the reason why hotel chains developed?
A.
Paragraphs two and three.
B.
Paragraphs four and five.
C.
Paragraphs six and seven.
D.
Paragraphs eight and nine.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。根据第八段第一、四句可知，连锁店利用了信息不足的状况，与冒险人住一家未知的独立酒店相比，连锁酒店品质的稳定性和舒适性有着绝对的优势，另外还列举了假日酒店的例子来证明连锁酒店品质的稳定性。根据第九段第四句可知，只要信息传递的鸿沟存在，连锁酒店就会成长，独立酒店就会苦苦挣扎，因此这两段讲述的是连锁酒店发展的原因，故选[D]。
14
According to the passage, Chesky believes that_____.
A.
hotel chains will no longer exist in the near future
B.
there would be no hotels if Internet was around then
C.
hotel chains would be different if Internet existed then
D.
the development of hotel industry is not certain
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
推理题。最后一段讲到，切斯基认为，如果那时就有网络，我们所熟知的连锁酒店就不会出现，酒店行业的面貌就不会是如今这样的，故选[C]。
It may be one of the world's great shopping destinations，but London's Regent Street is failing the fashion test, according to the Crown Estate, which holds the lease on shops in the famous thoroughfare. And for some of its most venerable tenants that means one thing: eviction.
A retail renaissance is needed in the capital, the owners believe, and are looking to top US brands and the hip labels of European fashion to stem a tide of shoppers flooding towards the super-malls dotted around the M25. That means the end of the road for Regent Street legends such as Dickens & Jones and Laura Ashley, while the arrival of Apple computers and US surfwear giant Quiksilver signals the area's new image. With rents rocketing as ￡ 500m is spent upgrading buildings; it is expected that more stalwarts of "old Regent Street" will be forced out.
Yet, despite the price hikes, emerging giants of global retailing are being lined up to replace stores your grandparents might have frequented. The sought-after swanky new image is represented by the likes of Nike, the US sportswear manufacturer, which set the tone with its Niketown store.
House of Fraser recently announced that it would close the 170-year-old Dickens & Jones department store with the loss of 500 jobs. The rent had been fixed in 1957 at ￡250，000 a year. But following a review it soared to ￡4. 5m. Planning permission is about to be submitted to turn the space into a modem location for three flagship stores. On top will perch luxury residential apartments.
Last week Laura Ashley，famed for its floral skirts and wall coverings, announced it would also leave the street. Its site is said to have been snapped up by the upmarket nursery brand Mamas & Papas，a favourite with thirty something professional parents.
The wind of change is being blown by the Crown Estate, the Queen's ￡4.5bn property portfolio which owns swathes of prime freehold across the country, including Regent Street.
It has realised that to remain a leading shopping destination, Regent Street has to work with the brands being talked about in cappuccino bars and Internet chatrooms. A spokesman for the Crown Estate said, "It wasn't quite a world-class environment. That's what we，re trying to work towards." The spokesman said the Crown Estate's catchwords for the area are "quality, heritage, success and style. Our guys use that when assessing retailers." He added that prospective leaseholders had been turned away for not meeting the new criteria.
The next phase in the redevelopment of Regent Street will focus on the lower part, known as the Quadrant. Retailers currently in situ include McDonald’s and various cut-price luggage companies.
The Crown Estate hopes to pedestrianise some of the streets leading off the Quadrant and to completely rebuild the block that houses the Atlantic Bar & Grill.④ The spokesman said the restaurant and its Art Deco fittings would not be affected. Income from the Crown Estate goes to the Treasury, under the terms of a deal struck in the 18th century. In return, the government agreed to pay the sovereign an annual fee——now known as the Civil List.
15
Who is the leaser of the Regent Street?
A.
Crown Estate.
B.
British Queen.
C.
Quadrant.
D.
Dickens & Jones and Laura Ashley.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
细节题。从第一段第一句“…according to the Crown Estate, which holds the lease on shops in the famous thoroughfare.”可知，王室地产是摄政街的出租方，故[A]正确。[B]在文中未提及；[C]是倒数第二段提到的需要重新发展的地区；[D]是第二段提到的品牌商店名。
16
Which of the following signals the area's new image?
A.
Cappuccino
B.
Quadrant.
C.
Dickens & Jones department store.
D.
US surfwear giant Quiksilver.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
细节题。从第二段中“the arrival of Apple computers and US surfwear giant Quiksilver signals the area’s new image.”可以得出正确答案为[D]。
17
We can infer from the passage that_____.
A.
London's Regent Street is seeking its renaissance
B.
some old famous stores will be rebuilt
C.
the rent will be decreased
D.
all the streets here will be pedestrianised
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
推理题。文章主要论述了摄政街为了改变自己在时代发展中日渐落伍的状况，采取一系列措施以求恢复昔日的辉煌，如引进美国一些著名品牌等，所以[A]为正确答案。
18
Income from the Crown Estate goes to_____.
A.
the royal family
B.
the Queen
C.
the Treasury
D.
the Regent Street
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
细节题。从最后一段中“Income from the Crown Estate goes to the Treasury, under the terms of a deal struck in the 18th century. ”一句可知，答案为[C]。
19
Which of the following is INCORRECT according to the passage?
A.
McDonald's and various cut-price luggage companies are located in the lower parts.
B.
Nursery brand Mamas & Papas has taken the place of Laura Ashley.
C.
The "old Regent Street" will be forced out.
D.
All the changes are the result of the government policy regulation.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。摄政街的所有变化都是王室地产公司为了恢复该地区的繁荣而做出决策所引起的，与政府的政策调整无关，所以[D]与原文不符，为正确答案。
Sprint Corp. launched a pay e-mail service with Yahoo Inc. for its mobile phone customers, as the companies look to tap into the rapidly growing wireless data-service market.
Starting Wednesday, Sprint users with select handsets will be able to download a program that greatly speeds up the delivery of Yahoo e-mails through a more user-friendly interface. It will also allow the storage of e-mails onto the phone, so users won't have to constantly go online to review old messages. Both Sprint and Yahoo are banking that consumers will pay the additional $2.99 a month for the new features.②
The move by Sprint，which is based in Overland Park, Kan. to offer a premium version of an already-free service is consistent with industry comments regarding the explosive growth of the wireless data business. During an investor conference Tuesday, Verizon Communications Chief Financial Officer Doreen Toben touted the market opportunities for Verizon's high-speed wireless data network.
"Once again, this adds another brick to the building that people keep discussing that’s rising around the world of voice," John Styers, director of communication services at Sprint, said about data services. While all the attention is focused on streaming video and music and unique ringtones, there is also interest in the enhancement of basic services such as messaging. "It's less sexy，but highly useful," Styers said，adding he believes it will be broadly adopted.
For Yahoo，of Sunnyvale, Calif. , this allows the Web portal to expand its presence beyond the computer and into the cellphone.③ While its email service is available to all US carriers for free, the company is able to better cement its brand with a downloadable interface that resembles the version seen on the computer. "It fits into the broader strategy of expanding (Yahoo's) relationship on the desktop to the mobile phone," said Thad White, director of mobile products at Yahoo.
Yahoo will continue to offer the free service to Sprint customers. Yahoo and Sprint will share part of the revenue from the fee, but both companies declined to break down the numbers.
While the e-mail feature is Yahoo's most popular, it isn't the first premium service offered. The company to continue exploring other possibilities to offer a pay service.
"We're constantly looking at ways to deepen our relationship", he said. The companies' research indicated there was demand for a pay e-mail service. Styers said they are targeting customers who find email to be extremely important，but don't want to be wed to one of Research In Motion Ltd.'s Blackberrys.
20
What new service is offered by Sprint and Yahoo jointly?
A.
A new photo service.
B.
A new insurance service.
C.
A new email service.
D.
A new premium service.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
细节题。从文章第一段中“Sprint Corp. launched a pay email service with Yahoo Inc. for its mobile phone customers…”可知答案为[C]。
21
How much will the customers pay for the new service a month?
A.
$0.99.
B.
$29.9.
C.
$2.99.
D.
$299.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
细节题。从第二段末句“Both Sprint and Yahoo are banking that consumers will pay the additional $2.99 a month for the new features.”中可知答案为[C]。
22
Both companies are determined to_____ according to the passage.
A.
offer another pay service continuously
B.
design new program to deepen their relationship
C.
develop new software to quicken the speed of information delivery
D.
come into the growing wireless data-service market
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。文章一开始就指出“Sprint Corp. launched a pay email service with Yahoo Inc. for its mobile phone customers, as the companies look to tap into the rapidly growing wireless data-service market.”可知，两个公司期待拓展无线数据传输市场。后文讲述了雅虎和斯普林特美国电信公司之间寻求合作，共同推出手机与网络相连接的邮件査收系统，方便斯普林特手机用户查收电子邮件的事实，恰恰表明两个公司正在努力拓展无线数据传输市场，所以[D]为正确答案。[A]和[C]在文中未提及，[B]与最后一段中“我们一直在寻求加深双方关系的途径……”不符。
23
Which of the following descriptions about the new e-mail service is INCORRECT?
A.
It is an enhancement of basic services.
B.
It is expensive to use.
C.
It's less sexy, but highly useful.
D.
It is targeting customers who find e-mail extremely important.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
推理题。文中只提到用户使用该服务每月要缴纳2.99美元，没有提到客户反映费用是否太高或太低，所以认为该费用过髙没有依据，故[B]为答案。[A]和[C]出现在第四段末尾，[D]出现在文章末尾。
24
It can be inferred from the passage that_____.
A.
the new e-mail service is only free for the Sprint customers
B.
the new e-mail service is free for all the US customers
C.
all cellphone customers must pay for the new e-mail service
D.
the new e-mail service is only for the Sprint customers
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
推理题。从文中倒数第三段“Yahoo will continue to offer the free service to Sprint customers. ”可以看出，该项收费的新服务对斯普林特的客户是免费提供的，所以[A]正确。[B]与前文中收取2.99 美元的事实不符，[C]和[D]过于绝对化，不符合常识和逻辑。
DVD rental kiosks (售货亭）from Redbox and Blockbuster seem to be popping up on every comer these days, but home-video market analysts are predicting that demand for the ultra-convenient kiosks could soon start cooling off as video streaming and video-on-demand gain in popularity.
Mind you, analysts at J. P. Morgan aren't sounding the death knell for DVD kiosks just yet, according to KioskMarketplace. com (via Home Media Magazine). Indeed, another analyst quoted in the KioskMarketplace story thinks it will take "several years" for J. P. Morgan's "gloomy" scenario to play out.
But the authors of the Morgan report do believe that the DVD kiosk business will peak in 2011 as competitors like Netflix，Apple，Amazon，and your friendly neighborhood cable carrier begin offering more and more streaming and video-on-demand options.
As video-on-demand begins to rise, so must DVD kiosks begin to fall，say the analysts, who warn that home-video kiosk companies like Redbox better have a plan B up their sleeves before the market for DVDs-from-a-kiosk starts its slow, perhaps inevitable fade.②
While the struggling Blockbuster already has a plan B—Blockbuster OnDemand, although it's not entirely clear whether there will still be a Blockbuster come 2012—the wildly popular Redbox still doesn't have a streaming-video service...or not yet, anyway.
Redbox execs have been mulling (思索）their on-demand options for months now, and it could have something to launch before the year is out, according to the latest chatter——indeed, one possibility is that it may partner up with Sonic Solutions, which already powers Blockbuster
OnDemand.
Keep in mind，though, that the J. P. Morgan report is aimed at investors looking at the long-term strategies of Redbox and Blockbuster. For the average couch potato——and no offense, by the way, given that I’m one of them—physical DVDs and Blu-rays, as well as DVD rental kiosks, will be around for years to come.
After all，DVD and even Blu-ray rentals are still more affordable and convenient—there is no need for a broadband connection or a pricey cable subscription and DVD decks are dirt cheap, while kiosks abound in neighborhood grocery and drug stores. The selection of titles is unbeatable—the disc library at Netflix HQ, for ample，still dwarfs that of its streaming database. And for my money, DVD and Blu-ray video quality beats on-demand, especially Netflix's "Watch Instantly" titles, and particularly the bad, sometimes poorly framed SD practically every time. On the flip side, have you seen "Avatar" on Blu-ray yet? If not, I urge you to it out—even in 2D , it's truly something to see.
That said，as broadband gets faster and more dependable，streaming rental prices fall, and movie studios get more enthusiastic about on-demand in the face of dwindling DVD revenue, physical DVDs and Blu-rays (along with the kiosks that rent them) seem bound or doomed to go the way of the CD—still around 9 but fading hi the shadow of their online counterparts.
So，what do you think：Will streaming video eventually overtake the growth of DVD rental kiosks like Redbox? Or are the Wall Street analysts being a little too quick to sound the alarm?
25
What do the analysts at J. P. Morgan think of the DVD kiosk business?
A.
It will begin to rise.
B.
It is falling these days.
C.
It will be the most popular service.
D.
It will begin to fall eventually.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。从本文第一段后半部分“…the ultra-convenient kiosks could soon start cooling off...”和第四段中“so must DVD kiosks begin to fall，...”可知，J. P. Morgan的分析员认为随着视频点播越来越受欢迎，DVD租售亭会冷却下来并将最终走向衰败。因此[D]“DVD租售业将最终走向衰败”为确答案，同时排除[A]“DVD租售业开始兴起”和[C]“DVD租售业会是最受欢迎的”。第一段前 半句提到Redbox和Blockbuster的DVD自动租售亭似乎遍布各地，说明DVD租售业目前发展很好，所以[B]“DVD租售业正在下滑”陈述错误，故排除。
26
According to the passage, Redbox_____.
A.
has a streaming-video service now
B.
has been researching its on-demand options
C.
has already launched its plan B
D.
has cooperated with Sonic Solutions
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
细节题。第六段第一句提到Redbox近几个月来一直在研究他们的视频点播，所以[B]“正在研究他们的视频点播”符合文意，为正确答案。从第五段最后一句可知，Redbox还没有视频流服务，所以[A]“现在拥有视频流服务”为错误的陈述，故排除；第四段中提到“...who warn that home-video kiosk companies like Redbox better have a plan B...”，可知，Redbox 还没有plan B，因此[C]“已经推出备用方案”也是错误的陈述，故排除；第六段最后一句提到Redbox可能和Sonic Solutions合作，并不是已经与其合作，所以也排除[D]。
27
According to the author，DVD has the following advantages EXCEPT_____.
A.
low price
B.
convenience
C.
good quality
D.
2D frame
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
细节题。本文第八段提到DVD有四个优点:廉价、方便、种类繁多以及画质清晰，[D]“2维画面”虽然在段尾有所提及，但作者意在强调画质清晰这个优点，所以[D]并非优点，故为正确答案。[A]“低廉的价格”、[B]“便利”和[C]“优质”均为DVD的优点，故均排除。
28
Which of the following reasons does NOT make DVD rental kiosks have the same fate as CD?
A.
The broadband develops faster.
B.
The streaming rental prices get reduced.
C.
The movie studios are more interested in on-demand.
D.
The DVD rental kiosks are physical.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
细节题。根据第九段的内容可知，随着宽带业务发展变快，视频流租售价格降低，电影制片厂 对在线点播更感兴趣，而DVD的销售额在缩水，DVD和Blu-rays(以及租售亭）似乎注定会走上CD 的道路——虽然现在还存在，但是在其网络对手的阴影下将逐渐衰败，所以[A]、[B]和[C]在原文中均有提及，均是DVD会有和CD同样命运的原因，故应排除，而[D]“DVD租售亭是实体的”是根 据字面意思歪曲了作者的意图，不是原因，故选[D]。
29
What is the passage mainly talking about?
A.
The popularity of video-on-demand.
B.
The competition between DVD kiosks and video-on-demand.
C.
The fate of DVD kiosks.
D.
The video-on-demand of Redbox and Blockbuster.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
主旨题。本文第一段主要讲述DVD租售亭目前非常流行，但其前景可能是被视频流和视频点播所取代；第二段到第六段主要谈论在DVD租售业衰败之前，Redbox和Blockbuster这些租售公司出台备用方案的必要性；第七、八段主要是关于DVD租售业的优点，这些优点使其不会那么快地走向衰败；第九段阐述DVD租售业目前的一些劣势，使其也许会走上与CD同样的衰败道路；最后一段再次提出了DVD租售业的前景问题。所以本文的主题应该是DVD租售业的前景，也就是[C]“DVD租售亭纳命运”。A.“视频点播的流行”、[B]“DVD租售业和视频点播之间的竞争”和[D]“Redbox和Blockbuster的视频点播”都只是本文所谈及的一个方面，不完整，故均可排除。
The cold and rainy weather in Paris has not stopped Joe Schaeffer, an American tourist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from visiting the City of Lights with his family of four. Nor have the city's expensive prices——all the higher because of the huge drop in value of the American dollar compared to the European euro.①"We were coming anyway, not matter the price. We might not stay as long. We might eat cheese sandwiches," he said.
At Notre Dame Cathedral a few blocks away, Linda Surma from Detroit, Michigan says she is also shocked by high prices in Paris these days. But Surma does not regret deciding to come to Paris, and has no plans to trim tourist attractions from her itinerary because of the expense——even if she might not buy souvenirs.
Paul Roll is managing director of the Paris Convention and Visitors Office. He says American tourists in Paris——who numbered about 1.5 million last year tend to cut expenses when the dollar is weak，rather than cancel their trip.
"We have no statistics on the subject, but we have seen over the years that when it gets more expensive to go to Europe,they downgrade the type of services they buy. Instead of going to a luxury hotel, they will go to a four-star hotel. Instead of going to a magnificent restaurant, they will go to something that has less stars on the Michelin (restaurant guide)."
But recently a number of Americans have been staying away from Paris altogether and from Europe as a whole—as the dollar reaches record lows against the euro.③ Right now, it is nearly a $1.60 against the European currency——a few years ago, the two currencies were about equal. Paris, has weathered a decline in k tourism before—notably in 2003, when trans-Atlantic differences over the Iraq War were at a high. At the time, the French tourist office launched a campaign to woo back Americans, hiring American actor and director Woody r Allen for a promotional clip titled: "Let's Fall in love Again." Roll says the Paris tourism bureau has no immediate plans for a new charm offensive, although some Paris hotels are offering fixed euro-to-dollar rates.
In Paris, Americans who are paid in dollars are also hurting. That includes Eleanor Beardsley, the Correspondent for National Public Radio, the American public radio channel. "It is getting so bad I do not even look at the exchange rate every day. I do not go shopping anymore for clothes," she said. "It is just depressing. Every time you look at your bank statement online—I might withdraw 300 (euros)，that is $500. It is just completely depressing and I do not see any end in sight."
But American companies operating in Paris have been less affected by the dollar's decline, according to Oliver Griffith 9 managing director of the American Chamber of Commerce. Many of them hire Europeans, not Americans, who are paid in euros-not dollars. " American companies that invest in France have not declined that drastically, he explained. "Because a lot of the companies are multinational. They have assets in dollars, euros, all over the place. They get some inputs in euro-denominated countries, others in dollar-denominated countries."
Others are profiting from the slump. Griffith says French investment in the United States has climbed sharply during the past two years—and America exporters are eyeing new opportunities furnished by a cheaper dollar.
30
Which of the following could NOT get benefit from the devaluation of US dollar?
A.
Foreign visitors in the US.
B.
Foreign investors.
C.
Exporters of America.
D.
American visitors to other countries.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
推理题。文章大部分篇幅都阐述了美元贬值造成的负面影响，在第七、八段谈到了正面影响。 根据文中内容，由于美元贬值，美国国内的French investment迅速攀升，America exporters也得到了新的发展机遇。因此[B]、[C]两项都是美元贬值的受益者。文中提到，到欧洲旅游的美国游客是受损失的，由此可推断，[A]“到美国旅游的欧洲游客”则是受益的，可排除，故选[D]。
31
Which of the following is the measure taken by French to arouse American's enthusiasm?
A.
Hotel provides stable exchange rate.
B.
Government relaxes the requirement of tourist visa.
C.
Tour agencies offer discount to American visitors.
D.
Airline companies give preferential price to Americans.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
细节题。本题问法国人为了应付因美元贬值所导致的美国游客减少采取了哪些措施，对应原文第五段。第五段提到，虽然法国旅游局没有出台紧急措施，但一些酒店推出了固定兑换率。[B]、[C]和[D]甚项的内容都未在原文中出现，可排除，故选[A]。
32
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A.
The value of dollar will increase in the near future.
B.
Some American companies close down because of the slump.
C.
Americans are interested in European travels.
D.
Other countries benefit from the devaluation of dollar.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
推理题。[A]“美元很快就会升值”与文中第六段Eleanor Beardsley说的“It is just completely depressing and I do not see any end in sight. ”（情况很糟，看不到贬值的尽头）意思不符，故排除；[B]在文章中并未涉及；[D]关于美元贬值对其他国家的影响不能一概而论，说其他国家都受益是错误的。美国人宁可降低标准，也不愿意取消到欧洲的行程，可以推断[C]“美国人对于欧洲游很感兴趣”正确。
33
Why are American companies in France less affected by the dollar's decline?
A.
They reduce the salaries of staff.
B.
Their property is in different currencies.
C.
They adjust their operation to adapt the new situation.
D.
They pay staff with euro instead of dollar.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
细节题。根据关键词less affected定位到原文第七段。根据本段意思，在法国运行的美国公司的资产并不只有美元，而是多种货币的，因此受到美元贬值的冲击较小。可判断[B]“他们的资产是多种货币形式的”正确。[A]和[C]在原文中未提及；[D]说法不准确，原文说大部分是用欧元支付，并没有完全替代美元，故选[B]。
34
What can we learn from the passage?
A.
Because of the devaluation of US dollar, American visitors shorten their trip to Europe.
B.
Europe does not forecast the huge drop of American visitors.
C.
Not only Paris but the whole Europe witnesses the reduction of American tourists.
D.
The value of US dollar has become historical low.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
推理题。本题要根据各选项的关键词分别对应原文进行判断。文中第五段提到，近来由于美元与欧元兑换率达到历史新低，因此不仅巴黎的美国游客减少了，甚至整个欧洲的美国客人数量都下降了，由此可以判断[C]正确。根据文章前四段可以判断，美国人应付美元下跌不是缩短在欧洲旅游的时间，而是降低旅游期间的开销，[A]可排除；文中第五段提到：Paris, has weathered a decline in tourism before，可排除[B]；文中说美元与欧元兑换率达到历史最低点，而美元的价值是否是最低还要参照欧元价值是否有变化而定，故[D]“美元达到历史新低”不符合文意。
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