Despite bankruptcies，lay off and tighter comsumers spending，a few femaleled  businesses in Japan are developing well.

Shizue Hamada，52，set up a business in 1991 with eight other housewives-to care for the elderly and the physically disabled.

It wasn’t long before the Tasukeai Yui(mutual -aid group) earned a reputation for    its excellent  service. It now employs 200  staff  and  has  300 million  yuan(US $2.4million)in annual sales.

The woman said their business has been successful because they provide what  customrs really want.

These entrepreneurs are making use of a revalized  and  healthy demand  for everyday basic items.

Bread，for instance，is  in  high demand．Business  woman  Meiko Tanaka，26，started selling high-quality bread over the Internet in 2000．“Bread is cheap，”she said.“We migh  as well eat the bread baked using the the highest-quality ingredients.”

Five women—former office workers in their late 20s—have started the“OL Food Bureau of Investigation”to review restaurants on the  Internet.OL means young    office lady. It’s  a common nickname in Japan．

Business is increasing rapidly．Membership for their online magazine has reached 26，000． Their non-professional comments  seem to carry a lot of weight with consumers．This month the five women will be appearing on Japanese TV．

   What all these female entrepreneurs have in common is a strong belief in their  likes and dislikes，and confidence is their own sensibilities．

   They find gaps in the market and fill them with products and services that they like or want.

   Japanese women headed nearly 6 percent of all  businesses in Japan at the end of  June—up from 4.5 per cent in 1999．

   These female—led micro—businesses are playing an increasingly large role in the economy by plugging the gap between supply and demand.

1.When talking about the businesswomen in Japan，the writer       

A.thinks little of them

B.thinks that they will take the place of men in future

C.sings the praises of  their abilities

D.is not sure of  their future development

2.The passage mainly discusses .      

A.Japanese women                        B.female-led businesses in Japan

C.how to earn a reputation                 D.Japanese economic development

3.The five women will be appearing on Japanese TV because         .

A.thier comments have great influences on consumers

B.they have set up the first online magazine

C.they have arranged handreds of jobs for laid?off workers

D.they used to work in offices and are fairly beautiful

4.If an old man in Japan can't live by himsilf，he should turn to        for hehp.

A.Tasukeai Yui  B.Meiko Tanaka   C.OL Food Bureau of lnvestigation   D.entrepreneurs

As a solo artist, Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her musical styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here(Britain) – the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber (he much older, she his muse) seems for ever frozen.

The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”

Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5 I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.

Brightman led the saucy dance troupe（辣妹三人舞） Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.

Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”

The first paragraph tells us that _____.

  A. Brightman is very popular around the world except in America

  B. Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz

  C. the British people don’t like her for her style of music

  D. Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber

Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.

  A. she could adopt one    B. her life and career were unbelievably rich without children

  C. she felt it normal not to have children   D. she was too busy

The following statements are true except ______.

  A. Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5

  B. Brightman disliked life on the campus

  C. Brightman was very gifted when she was young

  D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous

The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.

  A. located     B. admired     C. followed     D. found

What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?

  A. Brightman has to accept the fact that she is liked in Britain

  B. Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country

  C. The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland

  D. Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain

Don’t be surprised when strangers talk to you in Canada! You will find that many Canadians will smile at you as they pass in the street, or say something to you like “Hi!” or “How’s it going?” Just reply with something similar. In the UK the reply would be “I’m fine”, but in Canada they say “I’m good”.

In company, when someone is offering you a second helping of food or more wine, if you don’t want any more, use the same expression— “I’m good”. In this case, it means “No, thank you. I’ve had enough”. Most Canadians don't press you to eat more than you want.

In restaurant, your plate will be cleared away almost immediately you have finished eating. When you go into a shop or store, the shop assistant asks you how you are or if they can help you, it is their way of being friendly and making conversation with the customers.

Canadians eat early and go home early. When you are invited to a Canadian’s home, you may be asked to arrive at 5:30 pm or 6 pm. But guests in Europe don’t expect to arrive until 7:30 pm or 8 pm. Remember to take off your shoes and leave them inside the door without being asked. It’s not a religious custom, but it’s practical. In winter, there can be a lot of snow and dirt on your shoes, once you are in the warm house it melts and falls off, making a mess. Canadians tend to have light colored carpets or hardwood floors.

If you’re invited for dinner, it will be a full sit- down meal. Meat is usually barbecued in the freezing cold of winter. Do take something with you, like a bottle of wine. Arrive on time and don’t stay over 10 pm.

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A.    “I’m good” can mean you do not need more food in Canada.

B.    In Canada, you will meet strangers in the street saying “Hi” to you.

C.    In a Canadian restaurant, the plates will stay at the table until you leave.

D.    Canadians usually say “I’m good” to answer the greeting of “How’s it going?”

If you are invited for dinner in your Canadian friend’s home, ________.

A.    you will have a full sit-down meal

B.    you don’t have to bring any gift for the host

C.    you are expected to arrive at 7:30 or 8 pm

D.    you don’t have to take off your shoes when you enter the room

When a Canadian shop assistant says “How are you?” to you, it suggests that _______.

A.    they hope to make friends with you

B.    they want to ask you for help

C.    they are very friendly to customers

D.    they are your good friends

What can we learn from the passage?

A.    Canadians like dark colored carpets.

B.    In Canada, meat will not be barbecued even in the cold winter.

C.    You will always be asked to eat more food than you want in Canada.

D.    It is usually rude to stay over 10 pm in your Canadian friend’s home.

What would be the best title for this passage?

A.    Some customs in Canada

B.    Dinner party rules in Canada

C.    Studying in Canada

D.    Doing business in Canada