In ancient times, the most important examination was spoken, not written. In the schools of ancient Greece and Rome, testing usually consisted   1.       saying poetry aloud or giving speeches.

Generally, however, modern examinations are written. The written examination, where all students are tested on the same questions, was probably not known 2._________    the nineteenth century. Perhaps it came into   3.     (exist) with the great increase in population and the development of modern industry.

Two types of tests are 4.         (common) used in modern schools. The first type is sometimes called an “objective” test. It5.   ___________  (intend) to deal with facts, not personal opinions. On objective tests, the student has just one task: he must recognize the correct answer and then he must copy its letter or number onto his examination paper. Sometimes there is6.        answer sheet on which the four letters or numbers are printed. Then the student only has to circle the one     7.        go with the correct answer.

For testing some kinds of learning, however , such a test is not very satisfactory. A lively student   8.       guess the correct answer without really knowing the material.

For a clearer picture of   9.        the student knows, most teachers use another kind of examination in addition to objective tests. They use “essay” tests, and the tests require students to write long answers to broad, general questions. When some essay questions are used along with some objective questions,  10.       , a fairly clear picture of the students’ knowledge and ability can usually be obtained.

 

High-quality customer service is preached(宣扬) by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.

Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen.

Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school.

“Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers.” Said Paula Courtney, president of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”

On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.

According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.

The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered(塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.

During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty peaking spaces. This guidance got rid of the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.

Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.

“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly.” Said professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”

Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.

1.Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?

A. Few customers believe the service will be improved.

B. Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.

C. Customers have no easy access to store managers.

D. Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.

2.Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers         .

    A. can find their cars easily after shopping                      B. won’t have trouble parking their cars

    C. can stay longer browsing in the store D. won’t have any worries about security

3.What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?

    A. Design of the store layout.              B. Hiring of efficient employees.

C. Manners of the salespeople.                  D. Huge supply of goods for sale.

4.To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to        .

A. voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly            

B. shop around and make comparisons between stores

C. settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way

D. put pressure on stores to improve their service

 

Saturday 28 April, 2001: Dennis Tito was setting off on his holiday. Mr. Tito’s journey was  certainly unusual! So was the transport he chose, and the price of his trip.

       The 60-year-old multi-millionaire from New York was sitting on board a Russian spaceship.  He was on a journey to the International Space Station. It might have been a routine trip for the  two astronauts who were traveling with him, but for him it was certainly no ordinary journey.  Dennis Tito was the first tourist ever in space, and he had paid the sum of $20 million to go there.  As the spacecraft left the earth’s atmosphere, Tito drank a glass of fruit juice to celebrate and  looked down at the earth’s blue-green surface. Two minutes later, he was sick. Luckily it was  only a minor problem. He soon recovered, and from then on enjoyed a smooth journey. When he  arrived at the space station, there was a big smile on his face. “A great trip!” he commented． “I  love space.”

       For a long time space travel was something for heroes. But all this is going to change.  Companies like ProSpace are investing large amounts of money in space travel. They want space  and space travel to belong to the public, not just governments. There are other plans, like voyages  through space from one side of the world to the other. Maybe we will be able to depart from New  York at nine o’clock in the morning, and arrive an hour later-- in Tokyo! Such a schedule would  allow the business traveler to return to New York on the same day, and still have eight hours for a  meeting!

Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

       A．Business Travelers B．Space Tourists C．A Space Exploration D．A Frightening Adventure

According to the passage, Dennis Tito    .

       A．enjoyed his trip very much    B．was too sick to eat anything in space

       C．suffered a lot during the trip   D．didn’t think the trip was worthwhile

Which of the following statements is tree according to the passage?

       A．Tito was the first American tourist in space.

       B．Tito contributed all of his wealth to his space trip.

       C．Tito visited the Russian Space Station during his trip.

       D．Space travel has become a routine for Tito since then.

It can be expected from the passage that    .

       A．space travel will belong to the public instead of governments

       B．airplanes will some day reach the speed of space vehicles

       C．can will be able to circle the earth within less than an hour

       D．travel between two places on earth will be made through space

Chinese politeness have always been formal to follow strict rules, although sometimes Chinese people seem to be impolite according to Western standards in public places. To well understand Chinese, some concepts should not be ignored.
Mianzi
The idea of shame, usually expressed as 'face' could be loosely defined as the 'status' or 'self-respect' in Chinese and by no means alien to foreigners. It is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face. Never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at or otherwise demean a person. Since all these actions would risk putting a Chinese in a situation that he might lose face, neither try to prove someone wrong nor shout at him in public. In order to get a successful effect without letting a Chinese lose face, any criticism should be delivered privately, carefully, or else, just opposite to what you wish.
Guanxi
Throughout much of Chinese history, the fundamental glue that has held society together is the concept of guanxi, relationships between people. It is very important for the Chinese to have good relationships. They often regard good social relations as a symbol of personal ability and influence. Someone who has no connections would be disrespected and is only half-Chinese.
Keqi
Keqi not only means considerate, polite, and well mannered, but also represents respect and modesty. It is impolite to talk too proudly about oneself or one's inner circle. The expression is most often used in the negative, as in buyao keqi, meaning "you shouldn't be so kind and polite to me," or "you're welcome."
Besides, Chinese seldom express what they think directly and they prefer a roundabout way. Neither show their emotions and feelings in public. They rarely greet people with a handshake, though it is very popular among foreigners, and say nothing of embracing or kissing when greeting or saying good-bye. Consequently, it is better not to behave too carefree in public, even though you are well-intentioned. Also, it is advisable to be fairly cautious in political discussions. Do not particularly push yourself forward, or else you are unwelcome.
To sum up, do in Rome as Rome does, but you need not worry about these cultural barriers since most Chinese are hospitable and friendly and will not mind your no accomplishment.
【小题1】In most Chinese’s eyes, the fundamental glue holding society together is the idea of ____.

A．relationships between people	B．influences upon others
C．dependence on others	D．kindness to others

【小题2】The underlined word “demean” in the first paragraph means make people _____.

A．respectful

B．happy

C．shameful

D．weak

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．It is impolite to insult, embarrass, shame or shout at a person.

B．It is polite that you should bring gifts to others when invited to dinner.

C．It is necessary to show your character of being considerate, polite, and well mannered.

D．It is important for the Chinese to have good relationships between people.

【小题4】 Which of the following proverbs has the same meaning as the underlined sentence “Do in Rome as Rome does.”?

A．Caution is the parent of safety.	B．Many hands make light work.
C．There’s no smoke without fire.	D．If you are elsewhere, live as they do there.

Not only the USA and Russia but also China ________ manned satellites to circle the earth.

A．has sent up                            B．has been sent up

C．have sent up                           D．have been sent up