题目内容
The cold and icy land that is the Eskimo's home is a dangerous one. The Eskimo once believed that to be safe from danger he had to obey taboos(禁忌). Taboos were rules that told him what he must do and must not do.
The Eskimo had taboos connected with almost everything he did. He had to keep them in mind at all times. He believed that to break one would bring disaster. For the Eskimo, it was taboo to store reindeer(驯鹿) and seal (海豹) meat together. He could not even eat them on the same day. He believed the Goddess Sedna had separated the land animals from the sea animals. He thought bringing them together would cause the hunting to be bad.
There were other taboos concerning animals. When a dead seal was brought into the house, the women had to stop working. They had to give its spirit a drink of water. If they did not, the spirit would be angered. It would keep other animals from being caught.
When the Eskimo broken a taboo, he believed a black cloud formed around his head. He had to tell the others in the village what he had done. He thought that if he did not tell his neighbors, they would catch the black cloud. Then the whole village would have bad luck.
1.This passage mainly tells us about ________.
A. the way the Eskimos treated their neighbours
B. the things that the Eskimos could and could not do
C. how the Eskimos store their seal meat
D. how the Eskimos got along with others
2.Why did the Eskimos separate reindeer and seal meat?
A. They went bad easily if they were kept together.
B. They thought keeping them together caused bad hunting.
C. The Eskimos did not like to eat reindeer or seal meat.
D. They did not have big enough rooms to store them.
3.From the third paragraph we can see that ________.
A. the spirit of the dead seal enjoyed drinking water
B. the spirit of the dead seal would be angry if he was not given water
C. the seal was dead, but its spirit was still alive
D. the Eskimos believed that animals had spirits
4.Which of the following is true?
A. There are many black clouds where the Eskimos live.
B. The Eskimos like land animals better than sea animals.
C. Taboos are of great importance to some people.
D. The Eskimo taboos are about everything on earth.
The benefits of being an independent business are truly great. Beyond the rewarding nature of owning something truly unique, small businesses have the edge over their big business counterparts in many areas. Consider the importance of being independent and how that independence can help drive your business.
To some, having fewer customers simply means less cash flow; however, having a smaller base also allows you to focus more on customer satisfaction.
Companies are always searching for ways to improve customer service and have more of their business. Whether through paying special attention to who comes through your door or monitoring your customers through the social network, it’s less of trouble to make sure your customers’ needs are being met when there’s a smaller sample to deal with. In addition, it becomes much easier to create a personal connection with buyers when you have enough time and attention to show them some love.
Small businesses have an inherent advantage over their big box competitors in the sense that they can offer something different. People want to see the independent businesses that offer unique products and flavor to their communities. Your business can be the difference when it comes to what customers want.
Of course, big box companies will almost always beat you down when it comes to price. Consider, however, that if you can offer a truly unique product or experience, price becomes much less of an issue.
People like the idea of supporting local independent businesses versus “the big guys”. So, what businesses are booming due to the rise of independence?
Craft Beer(精酿啤酒) — The craft beer movement in the United States is supported so widely that big breweries have taken to creating their own competing “craft beer” brands in an attempt to follow the trend. While Anheuser Busch represents nearly half of America’s breweries, craft beer has seen a huge jump in sales in recent years.
Video Games — Whether through PCs, traditional consoles or mobile games, independent developers are supported by enthusiastic fans and micro-transactions in an industry that was formerly dominated by bigger developers.
Musicians — The modern web offers immense opportunities to musicians, resulting in more economic and artistic freedom. A surprising number of mainstream artists have seen great success from their independent releases, such as Macklemore’s The Heist, which has sold over one million copies in the United States alone.
Some small businesses don’t want to be small businesses forever. Regardless, consider what independence does for you and your company. If you offer something out of the ordinary, you can build an audience that respects your individuality and supports your cause.
The necessity of being an independent business | |
A focus on customer 1.______________ | A smaller sample of customers makes it easy to 2.________ to customers’ needs. |
With enough time and attention to show customers some love, an independent business person finds it easier to connect with them 3._________. | |
An offer of something completely different | Small businesses can offer something 4.________ the ordinary to their communities. |
Being different can 5._________ a large number of active consumer groups. | |
A really unique product or experience can make customers take 6.__________ less seriously. | |
An appeal to an independent business | In the USA, craft beer is very popular with people, having 7.________ well in recent years. |
Independent game developers gain the support of crazy fans in an industry that 8.__________ to be in the control of bigger developers. | |
A surprising number of mainstream artists 9.________ great success to their independent releases. | |
A chance to 10._____ for some small businesses | For some small businesses, independence can attract a group of people that respect their individuality and support their development. |