Holiday Inns and McDonald's both saw unmatched growth in the 1960s．Their growth opened another direct business operation franchising (特许经营)．

　　These operations have the same general pattern．The franchisor, the parent company, first establishes a successful retail (零售) business．As it expands, it sees a profit potential in offering others the right to open similar business under its name．The parent company's methods and means of identification with consumers are included in this right．The parent company supplies skill, and may build and rent stores to franchisees．For these advantages the franchisee pays the franchisor a considerable fee．However, some of the advantages and disadvantages are different．

　　By extending a proven marketing method, a parent can profit in several ways．First, the franchisee's purchase price gives the parent an immediate return on the plan．Then the sale of supplies to the franchisee provides a continuing source of profits．As new businesses are added and the company's reputation spreads, the value of the franchise increases and sales of franchises become easier．The snowballing effect can be dramatic．Such growth, too, brings into play the economies of scale (规模经济)．Regional or national advertising that might be financially impossible for a franchisor with 20 franchises could be profitable for one with 40．

　　The parent, then, finds immediate gains from the opportunity to expand markets on the basis of reputation alone, without having to put up capital or take the risk of owning retail stores．Added to this advantage is a less obvious but material one．Skilled, responsible retail managers are rare．People who invest their capital in franchises, though, probably come closer to the ideal than do paid managers．In fact, the franchisee is an independent store operator working for the franchisor, but without an independent's freedom to drop supplies at will．Of course the factory's costs of selling supplies are less．But also certainly the franchisee buying goods that have had broad consumer acceptance will not casually change supplies, even when the contract permits．If the hamburger is not what the customer expected, they may not return．Having paid for the goodwill, the franchisee won't thoughtlessly destroy it．

　　Franchising may give you the idea that as a franchisor, you need only relax in the rocking chair．Franchising, however, has problems to be solved．

1．Franchising refers to a business operation in which a successful parent company________．

[　　]

A．sells name-brand goods to a private investor

B．rents proven ideas and techniques for investment (投资)

C．sells the right, the guidance to a business under its name

D．takes no advertising responsibility for individual investors

2．The advantages of franchising to the parent company are all the following EXCEPT________．

[　　]

A．an immediate investment return

B．the ownership of additional retail stores

C．the profit from the sale of supplies

D．the possibility of profitable advertising

3．The passage mainly tells the reader________．

[　　]

A．the advantages and disadvantages of franchising

B．the benefits of franchising to the franchisor

C．the unmatched economic growth in the 1960's

D．some regional and national business operation

4．What will the author probably discuss after the last paragraph?

[　　]

A．More advantages of franchising．

B．Risks of investment besides franchising．

C．The standard of consumer acceptance．

D．Negative aspects (方面) related to franchising

　　We used to go into different chat rooms on different websites．If you wanted to meet someone on the Internet, you had to go into some chat room．But now more and more regular Internet surfers chat on OICQ．

　　OICQ is an online chat software which was invented by Tencent Computer System Company of Shenzhen in February, 2002．Since then it has swept the country．Its symbol is a penguin wearing a red scarf．

　　Net friends can be divided into a buddy list (for good friends), a stranger list (for people you don't want to talk with at once), or an ignorance list (for people you want to avoid on the Internet)．You can also build up family list, co-worker list, etc．

You can know whether listed friends are online as long as you use it．The cartoon portrait (画像) of the person turns bright if he is online．And the portrait turns dim if he is not there．

　　Traditional public chat rooms are often chaotic．It is difficult to focus on a conversation．OICQ can conduct a talk without interruptions by other people．

OICQ is now a regular daily communication tool．“What is your OICQ number?” has become a modern topic．

1．OICQ is________．

[　　]

A．a special chat room for all net citizens

B．a cartoon portrait used to recognize friends on the Internet

C．an online chat software that helps you talk on the Internet more freely

D．a modern chat phone number used by more and more people

2．If you don't want to chat with someone on OICQ, you can put him in ________．

[　　]

3．In the fifth paragraph, the underlined word chaotic means ________．

[　　]

4．The passage mainly tells us________．

[　　]

A．how to chat with the people on the Internet

B．how to use OICQ

C．how to choose a regular daily communication tool

D．some advantages about OICQ

　　When an invention is made, the inventor has three possible courses of action open to him: he can give the invention to the world by publishing it, keep the idea secret, or patent (申请专利) it．

　　A granted patent is the result of a bargain struck between an inventor and the state, by which the inventor gets a limited period of monopoly (垄断) and publishes full details of his invention to the public after that period terminates．Only in the most exceptional circumstances is the lifespan of a patent extended to alter this normal process of events．

　　The longest extension ever granted was to Georges Valensi; his 1939 patent for color TV receiver circuitry was extended until 1971 because for most of the patent's normal life there was no color TV to receive and thus no hope of reward for the invention．

　　Because a patent remains permanently public after it has terminated, the shelves of the library attached to the patent office contain details of literally millions of ideas that are free for anyone to use and, if older than half a century, sometimes even repatent．Indeed, patent experts often advise anyone wishing to avoid the high cost of conducting a search through live patents that the one sure way of avoiding violation of any other inventor's right is to plagiarize a dead patent．

Likewise, because publication of an idea in any other form permanently invalidates further patents on that idea, it is traditionally safe to take ideas from other areas of print．Much modern technological advance is based on these presumptions of legal security．

Anyone closely involved in patents and inventions soon learns that most “new” ideas are, in fact, as old as the hills．It is their reduction to commercial practice, either through necessity or dedication, or through the availability of new technology, that makes news and money．The basic patent for the theory of magnetic recording dates back to 1886．Many of the original ideas behind television originate from the late 19th and early 20th century．Even the Volkswagen rear engine car was anticipated by a 1904 patent for a cart with the horse at the rear．

1．The passage is mainly about ________．

[　　]

A．an approach to patents

B．the application for patents

C．the use of patents

D．the access to patents

2．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

[　　]

A．When a patent becomes out of effect, it can be repatented or extended if necessary．

B．It is necessary for an inventor to apply for a patent before he makes his invention public．

C．A patent holder must publicize the details of his invention when its legal period is over．

D．One can get all the details of a patented invention from a library attached to the patent office．

3．George Valensi's patent lasted until 1971 because________．

[　　]

A．nobody would offer any reward for his patent prior (在前的) to that time

B．his patent could not be put to use for an unusually long time

C．there were not enough TV stations to provide colour programmes

D．the colour TV receiver was not available until that time

4．The underlined word plagiarize most probably means ________．

[　　]

5．From the passage we learn that________．

[　　]

A．an invention will not benefit the inventor unless it is reduced to commercial practice

B．products are actually inventions which were made a long time ago

C．it is much cheaper to buy an old patent than a new one

D．patent experts often recommend patents to others by conducting a search through dead patents

　　The next great land area that man hopes to colonize is the moon．In size it is nearly equal to the area of North and South America．However, it presents hostile environment．Temperatures range from ＋ 120 to －150 degrees centigrade．There is no air, no water．

　　Today there is considerable scientific speculation about living on the moon．When man will begin life on the lunar surface is still not determined．But experts believe that colonization

　　will take place in three steps．First, there will be increasing periods of exploration with temporary shelters．These periods will be followed by longer stays with housing under the surface of the moon and daily necessities brought by the colonizers themselves．Finally, colonies that are self-supporting will be established．

The main job of the early settlers will be able to stay alive．They will have to plant crops to produce food and oxygen and find water sources．After this is done, the settlers will have time to explore the possibilities of commercial development and to make discoveries important to science．

　　The characteristics of the moon that make it bad for human may make it ideal for certain kinds of manufacturing．For example, operations requiring a vacuum, extremely cold or sterility．Industrial diamond may be produced on the moon．

1．The area of the moon is________．

[　　]

A．about the same as that of the North and South America

B．larger than that of North and South America

C．equal to that of North and South America

D．far smaller than that of North and South America

2．According to the passage, the colonization of the moon________．

[　　]

A．will be realized soon

B．can be done under lunar surface

C．is being considered by many scientists

D．sounds entirely impossible

3．To stay alive on the moon, the early settlers must first of all be able to________．

[　　]

A．explore the possibilities of commerce

B．get enough food, oxygen and water

C．make discoveries important to science ?

D．set up industries

4．Though the environment on the moon is bad for human survival, it is very good for________．

[　　]

A．making such things as industrial diamond

B．making important discoveries

C．producing food and oxygen

D．planting crops

阅读理解

　　For more than 200 years Madame Tussaud’s has entertained (接待) and surprised people of all ages, nationalities and from all walks of life. After all, where else can you see movie stars, counted among world leaders, or line up along your sporting heroes. Getting close to the stars has never been easier or more fun. The following are figures(人物) of great 20th century leaders, most of whom are seen only on TV.

　　Nelson Mandela (1918－): First black President of the Republic of South Africa from April 1994. He joined the African National Congress(大会)in 1994 and for the next 20 years he was active in politics. In 1964 he was sentenced to life imprisonment (囚禁). Finally set free aged 71, he became President of the ANC and later of South Africa. He shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with De Klerk.

　　Deng Xiaoping( 1904－97): Chinese political leader and member of the Chinese Communist Party since the 1920s. He was ousted(罢免) by the Cultural Revolution in 1966 and reinstated (恢复) in the 1970s when he introduced a radical(基本的)economic programme. In 1989 he resigned from his last official post, but kept the highest authority(权力)in Chinese politics until his death in 1997.

　　Tony Blair (1953－): British Prime Minister since May 1997, he reformed the Labour Party into “New Labour”. In 1994, he was elected leader of the Labour Party. He also donated(捐) a pair of his shoes for the figure.

1．Which of the following is wrong?

[　　]

A．Many famous people work at Madame Tussaud’s.

B．The film stars, leaders and players at Madame Tussaud’s are not real persons.

C．The former president Clinton’s statue(塑像) is not at Madame Tussaud’s.

D．The statues of some famous poets and musicians are at Madame Tussaud’s, too.

2．Nelson Mandela was in prison for ________ years.

[　　]

3．Who won Nobel Peace Prize?

[　　]

4．What do you know about Tony Blair?

[　　]

A．He is the Prime Minister of Britain.

B．He is a sportsman.

C．He is famous film star.

D．He is president of South Africa.

阅读理解

　　The country of Panama is on the narrow strip of land that joins North America to South America. Its two major cities are both on the sea. The center of Panama has hills and mountains that are covered with thick forests.

　　The people who live in Panama’s forests raise vegetable crops. They often have no close neighbours. Because of the many mountains and thick jungles, there are few roads or railroads. People travel on horseback or on foot.

　　Most farmers work their land much as the Indians did before Columbus’ time. They work by hand, and their most important tool is a long, heavy knife called a machete.

　　A farm family may need help clearing the land, harvesting the crops, or building a barn or house. Then they invite their friends and neighbours to a working bee called a junta. Junta is from a Spanish word that means“to join”.

　　At the junta, the men do the work and the women cook. The children do their part by taking food to the men.

　　When the work is finished, there is a feast for everyone. Some men play the guitars, violins, or drums that they have made by hand. The other people sing folk songs or dance to the pleasant music.

1．On the whole, this story is about ________.

[　　]

A．the hard work Indians do on farms

B．the life in the country of Panama

C．a visit from Columbus to Panama

D．why people in Panama like singing and dancing

2．The story does not say so, but it makes you think that ________.

[　　]

A．Panama is not a very large country

B．there are no major cities in Panama

C．all of Panama is wide ,open country

D．all the people living in Panama are farmers

3．People who live in Panama’s forests have no close neighbours because ________.

[　　]

A．they are not friendly

B．they live on farms

C．they have their own cars

D．there are many mountains and thick jungles, and there are few roads and railroads

4．Which statement does the story lead you to think?

[　　]

A．Everybody works at a junta.

B．Panama is filled with large cities.

C．There is too much singing at juntas.

D．Many people like Panama.

阅读理解

　　One day while Bradley and his mother were shopping, they talked about how much they liked oranges. Mother told Bradley to get some oranges, they looked good, so he went to the fruit counter to look at them. Some of them looked good, and some of them did not. Bradley knew that he would need to select carefully.

　　He found a nice orange on the top of the display. The next good one he saw was down a few rows, but as he lifted it out, the whole display rolled to the floor. Bradley stood there with one orange in his hand and oranges rolling around his feet. He wished the floor would open up and swallow him.

　　A big man in uniform came over to Bradley.“Well, young man,”he said,“it looks as if we have quite a mess here.”

　　“Yes, sir,”Bradley replied, not daring to say anything else.

　　The man smiled and said,“This isn’t the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last. Take the oranges you want, and I’ll have someone fix the display.”

　　Bradley took the one orange in his hand to his mother’s cart and said,“I think this is all we’ll be needing this time.”

1．What is the meaning of the sentence“He wished the floor would open up and swallow him.”?

[　　]

A．He wanted to hide in the store so that the police wouldn’t find him.

B．He wished that be could disappear so no one would see what he had done.

C．He thought that if he got down on the floor he could pick up the oranges.

D．He really meant that he wanted to swallow some orange juice.

2．The story’s purpose is to ________.

[　　]

A．teach people how to choose good oranges

B．get people to buy more oranges

C．tell about a young boy’s bad experience

D．make people afraid of people in uniform

3．Which sentence from the story tells us that Bradley was right to be careful in choosing the oranges he bought?

[　　]

A．Some of them looked good, and some of them didn’t.

B．As he lifted it out, the whole display rolled to the floor.

C．Bradley took one orange to his mother’s cart.

D．Bradley knew that he would need to select carefully.

阅读理解

　　I have been surprised each time my child has come home from school with a message saying his teacher wanted to see me.

　　I know my son seems very naughty: he cannot concentrate(聚精会神)on reading, he makes silly mistakes in his homework or often fails his exams.

　　Whenever such things happen, his teacher shouts,“Ask your parents to come here.”And then I have to go with my tail between my legs to find out what’s going on with my son and to listen to the teacher scold(责备)him.

　　I really feel sorry for my son’s mistakes and usually feel personally responsible(负责任).

　　But I cannot help feeling angry with him after a meeting with the teacher.

　　Gradually, I have realized that anger will do him no good, and that actually he needs my help.

　　On the one hand, I am greatly thankful to his teachers for their hard work and sense of responsibility.

　　On the other hand, I think that to educate our little emperors(皇帝), there needs to be more understanding and co-operation(配合) between teachers and parents.

1．The writer’s child ________.

[　　]

A．is rude to others

B．is often late for school

C．is dishonest

D．does not do well in his lessons

2．While the teacher is scolding the child, the writer ________.

[　　]

A．cuts in sometimes

B．shouts at the student

C．feels ashamed

D．listens impatiently

3．The writer was thankful to the teacher because ________.

[　　]

A．the writer was not scolded by the teacher

B．the teacher was strict with his students

C．the writer’s son did well this time

D．the teacher has a good sense

4．The writer realized ________.

[　　]

A．parents had the responsibility just as teachers

B．teachers should work harder

C．students should work harder

D．it was useless to ask parents to go to the school

阅读理解

　　Suppose you are a manager of a bike factory. You are trying to decide whether or not to build a larger factory or to buy more machines. You could just say to yourself,“Business has been good. We’ve sold a lot of bikes recently, so I think we ought to enlarge our plant.”

　　Or you could consider the following questions: How much would the changes cost? Can the bike-riding population be expected to increase or decrease? Many such questions would have to be answered, but there is a limit to the number of questions the human mind can think about.

　　In a situation like this, you would need a computer. Because of its“memory”and speed, a computer can consider more factors than a person can. Computers have only been in use since 1946, but they have already changed the lives of millions of people. They can multiply(乘)two 10-digit numbers (十位)in 1/1,000 second, a problem that a man needs five minutes to do with a pencil and paper. Some computers can work 500,000 times faster than a man. It can also keep bank accounts up to date and make out electric bills.

　　Computers can also store facts and pour them out whenever they are needed. For example, they can tell you what brand(商标)is the most popular in a particular supermarket, or what kind of weather we will have tomorrow.

　　If you are planning a trip by plane, the computer will find out what route to take and what seat is available.

1．Why does a manager of a factory decide to enlarge his plant?

[　　]

A．Because business has been good.

B．Because of the new type of bike.

C．Because many people like to ride bikes.

D．Because he wants to be a good manager.

2．What questions could a manager consider when he decided to enlarge his plant?

[　　]

A．The cost of the changes.

B．The bike-riding population.

C．Both A and B.

D．The limit to the number of questions the human mind can think about.

3．Why do you need a computer in the situation?

[　　]

A．Because it s a new type.

B．Because it has a good memory and a high speed.

C．Because it has a high speed.

D．Because it has been in use since 1946.

4．Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．They have changed the lives of millions of people.

B．They can multiply two 10-digit numbers in 1/1,000 second.

C．They have only been in use since 1946.

D．Some computers can work 50,000 times faster than a man.

5．Which is the title of the passage?

[　　]

A．Please Use a Computer.

B．Managers of Bike Factories Like Computers.

C．Computers are Cleverer than People.

D．Computers Can Store Facts and Pour them Out.

阅读理解

　　Although Chinese sportsmen and sportswomen are taking more and more medals at international matches, not many parents would like their children to become athletes.

A group of workers interviewed more than 1000 parents in Tianjin and found a big difference between parents who are sports coaches(教练)and those who are not.

　　Twenty-six percent of parents hoped that their children would become athletes. Only 2.2 percent of them, who are coaches, had the same hope.

　　The reason is that coaches know what an athlete’s life is like－hard training, possible accidents and job problems that athletes might later face. The other parents see only the bright side of sports－successes, medals and public attention.

　　Parents with better education are fewer than those with less education to let their children become athletes.

1．Those who were interviewed were ________.

[　　]

A．mostly sports coaches

B．no more than 1000

C．people in a big city

D．parents whose children are athletes

2．Parents who are not coaches know ________.

[　　]

A．what an athlete’s life is like

B．the difference between a coach and an athlete

C．more about international matches

D．less about what an athlete does

3．Among the parents who were interviewed ________ would like their children to become athletes.

[　　]

4．Parents with better education ________ to support their children to become athletes.

[　　]

5．The words“public attention”in the passage mean becoming ________.

[　　]