4. This passage is mainly about ________.

　 A. traveling in space

　 B. the ways of living in space hotels

　 C. zero gravity and space hotels

　 D. the description of space hotels

第85天　　　　　　　　　　　　　 A

More than 10 years ago, it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple (菠萝). The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and, more often than not, hard with an unpleasant taste within. Then in 1966, the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.

　 The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy-gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside. But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit-and-miss pineapples we had known. In no time, the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm, rapidly becoming the world’s best-selling pineapple variety, and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth, up until then only found in tinned pineapple.

　 In nutrition (营养) it was all good news too. This nice tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C(维生素C) than the old green variety. Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins, but also good against some diseases. People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit. The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eater.

　 Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple, Del Monte tried to keep market to itself. But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples. Del Monte turned to law for help, but failed. Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out the market. (08全国卷一)

3. Which of the following is not discussed in the passage?

　 A. When was the space traveling made possible?

　 B. What are the unique experiences that space hotels will offer?

　 C. Why were there not many published designs for space hotels?

　 D. How can the travelers enjoy themselves in space hotels?

2. Which of the following is a unique experience that space hotels will offer?

　 A. The gravitational pull　 B. The special views.

　 C. The relaxation in a bar.　 D. The space walk.

1. When traveling in space, most people would like to stay in orbit for a few days because　　　　　 _______.

　 A. It is expensive to travel in space

　 B. they would find the possible life in other star systems

　 C. they could enjoy the luxury of space hotels

　 D. they want to realise the full potential of tourism

4. The passage mainly discusses ________.

A. how people persuade

B. why people persuade

C. that persuasion is both good and bad

D. that persuasion is important and it is all around us

B

Most people, when they travel to space, would like to stay in orbit for a few days of more. And this stands to reason, if you’re paying $20,000 for your trip to orbit! Strain order for tourism to reach its full potential there’s going to be a need for orbital accommodation--or space hotels. What would a space hotel actually be like tovisit? Hotels in orbit will offer the services you expect from a hotel--private rooms, meals, bars. But they’ll also offer two unique experiences: impressive views--of Earth and space--and the endless entertainment ofliving in zero gravity--including sports and other activities that make use of this.

　 The hotels themselves will vary greatly---from being quite simple in the early days to huge luxury structure at a later date. It’s actually surprising that as later as 1997, very few designs for space hotels were published. This is mainly because those who might be expected to design them haven’t expected launch costs to come down far enough to make them possible.

　　 Lots of people who’ve been to space have described vividly what it’s like to live in zero gravity. There are obviously all sort of possibilities for dancing, gymnastics, and zero-G sports. Luckily, you don’t need to sleep much living in zero gravity, so you’ll have plenty of time for relaxing by hanging out in a bar with a window looking down at the turning Earth below.

　　 Of course all good things have come to an end. Unfortunately, And so after a few days you’ll find yourself heading back enough you’ll be much more expert at exercising in zero gravity than you were when you arrived. You’ll be thinking how soon you can save up enough to get back up again---or maybe you should change jobs to get to work in an orbiting hotel.

3. The passage states that some people object to persuasion because they think it is ________.

A. a danger to society　　 　　　　　 　B. difficult to do well

C. unwelcome behavior　 　　　　　　 D. never successful

2. The underlined word in the second paragraph “prevail” means________.

A. win 　　　　　 B. fail　　 　　　　　　 C. speak　 　　　　　 D. listen

1. According to the passage, persuasion means ________.

A. changing others’ points of view

B. exercising power over other people

C. getting other people to consider your point of view

D. getting people to agree with you and do what you want

5. Why is a person always unpunctual?

A. He is too busy.　　　　　　　　 B. He has too much work to do.

C. He does care much about time.　 D. He doesn’t manage his time properly.

　第84天　　　　　　　　　　　　　 A

What does it mean to say that we live in a world of persuasion? It means that we live among competing interests. Your roommate’s need to study for an exam may take priority (优先) over pizza. Your instructor may have good reasons not to change your grade. And the object of your romantic/inter¬est may have other choices.

In such a world, persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our points of view. When we persuade, we want to influence how others believe and behave. We may not always prevail - other points of view may be more persuasive, depending on the listener, the situ¬ation, and the merit of the case. But when we practice the art of persuasion, we try to ensure that our position receives the attention it deserves.

Some people, however, object to the very idea of persuasion. They may regard it as an unwelcome interruption into their lives. Just the opposite, we believe that persuasion is unavoidable - to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be ethical (合乎道义的) or unethical, selfless or selfish, inspiring or degrad¬ing. Persuaders may enlighten our mind or prey on our vulnerability(弱点). Ethical persuasion, however, calls on sound reasoning and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of listeners. Such persuasion can help us apply the wisdom of the past to the decisions we now must make. Therefore, the most basic part of edu¬cation is learning to resist the one kind of persuasion and to encourage and practice the other.

Beyond its personal importance to us, persuasion is necessary to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the bedrock of the American political system, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution (美国宪法).

4. According to the passage, what are good manners when you are invited to a party?

A. Arriving at the appointed time.　　 B. Arriving before all other guests.

C. Arriving after all other guests.　　 D. Keeping all other guests waiting.