The U. S. Postal Service is losing billions of dollars a year. The government company that delivers ——青夏教育精英家教网—

The U. S. Postal Service (USPS) is losing billions of dollars a year. The government company that delivers "small mail" is losing out to email and other types of electronic communication. First-class mail amount fell from a high point of 104 million pieces in 2000 to just 64 million pieces by 2014.

Congress permits the 600.000-empIoyee USPS to hold a monopoly (垄断) over first-class and standard mail. The company pays no federal, state or local taxes; pays no vehicle fees; and is free from many regulations on other businesses. Despite these advantages, the USPS has lost $52 billion since 2007, and will continue losing money without major reforms.

The problem is that Congress is preventing the USPS from reducing costs as its sales decline, and is blocking efforts to end Saturday service and close unneeded post office locations. USPS also has a costly union-dominated workforce that slows the introduction of new ideas or methods down. USPS workers earn significantly higher payment than comparable private-sector workers. The answer is to privatize the USPS and open postal markets to competition. With the rise of the Internet, the argument that mail is a natural monopoly that needs government protection is weaker than ever.

Other countries facing declining letter amounts have made reforms Germany and the Netherlands privatized their national postal companies over a decade ago, and other European countries have followed suit. Britain floated shares of the Royal Mail on its stock exchange in 2013. Some countries, such us Sweden and New Zealand, have not privatized their national postal companies, but they have opened them up to competition.

These reforms have driven efficiency improvements in all of these countries. Additional number of workers have been reduced, productivity has risen and consumers have benefited. Also, note that cost-cutting measures—such as closing tone post offices—are good for both the economy and the environment.

Privatization and competition also encourage new changes. When the USPS monopoly over "extremely urgent" mail was stopped in 1979, we saw an explosion in efficient overnight private delivery by firms such as FedEx.

The government needs to wake up to changing technology, study postal reforms abroad and let businessmen reinvent our out-of-date postal system.

1.What do we know about the USPS?

A. Its great competitor is the delivery firm FedEx.

B. It is an old public service open to competitions.

C. Its employees don't pay federal, state or local taxes.

D. It has complete control of first-class and standard mail.

2.The author mentions some other countries in Paragraph 4 to __________.

A. explain the procedures of reform to the USPS

B. show the advantages of private postal services

C. set some examples for the government to learn from

D. prove the situation is very common around the world

3.The author probably that the USPS __________.

A. needs government’s protection as ever

B. can work together with other businesses

C. must be replaced by international companies

D. should be sold out and become a private service

4.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?

A. B.

C. D.

I: Introduction CP: Central point P: Point

Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

What Is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is when people use food as a way to deal with feelings instead of satisfying hunger. __1.__ Have you ever finished a whole bag of chips out of boredom or downed cookie after cookie while preparing for a big test? But when done a lot — especially without realizing it — emotional eating can affect weight, health, and overall well-being.

Not many of us make the connection between eating and our feelings.

__2. One of the biggest myths about emotional eating is that it’s caused by negative feelings. Yes, people often turn to food when they’re stressed out, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. But emotional eating can be linked to positive feelings too, like the romance of sharing dessert on Valentine’s Day or the celebration of a holiday feast. Sometimes emotional eating is tied to major life events, like a death or a divorce. _3._

Emotional eating patterns can be learned: A child who is given candy after a big achievement may grow up using candy as a reward for a job well done. _4.__ It’s not easy to “unlearn” patterns of emotional eating. But it is possible. And it starts with an awareness of what’s going on.

We’re all emotional eaters to a degree. But for some people emotional eating can be a real problem, causing serious weight gain or other problems. The trouble with emotional eating is that once the pleasure of eating is gone, the feelings that cause it remain. __5.__ That’s why it helps to know the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger.

Next time you reach for a snack, wait and think about which type of hunger

is driving it.

A. Believe it or not, we’ve all been there.

B. If a crying boy gets some cookies, he may link cookies with comfort.

C. One study found that people who eat food like pizza become happy afterwards.

D. And you often may feel worse about eating the amount or type of food you like.

E. Understanding what drives emotional eating can help people take steps to change it.

F. Boys seem to prefer hot, homemade comfort meals, while girls go for chocolate and ice cream.

G. More often, though, it’s the countless little daily stresses that cause someone to seek comfort in food.

书面表达

美国友好校学生来你校参加为期一周的艺术交流活动，你负责接待并致辞。

发言内容包括：

1.表示欢迎；

2.简要介绍学校的某艺术社团的基本情况（例如：合唱团、戏剧社、舞蹈队、书画社等）；

3.表示美好祝愿。

注意：1.词数不少于50；

2.开头已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear friends,

_______________________________________________________________________________

假如你是红星中学高三1 班的李华。请按以下四幅图的顺序，给你校“英语园地”投稿，介绍上学期你们班参加学校组织的“2015，中国”的主题板报的比赛过程。

注意： 1.词数不少于60；

2.开头已给出，不计入总词数。

3.提示词：阅兵式military parade

Last term, our school held a blackboard newspaper contest on

“Unforgettable 2015 in China”._____________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

City College Union Inc

Secretary/Typist

The Union is a student-run organization with a permanent staff of 20.Typing speed:at least 60 wpm.

The ability to take shorthand dictation and a working knowledge of filling procedures are essential requirements.

The basic salary for the position is $ 18,500 per year.

Enquires to R.Barbar 387-5075.

Emu Airline

Secretary

Emu Airline is now offering a part-time position for a secretary.

The position offers at least 20 hours’ work a week, with a view to full-time work in the future. Monthly salary is about $ 1,400.

Phone 899-3264 for an appointment.

Word Processor

Operator (full-time)

We need an operator to work in an office associated with the building industry.Only experienced operators are expected to apply.

Starting salary:$ 17,950 yearly.

Apply in writing to:

The Personnel Officer Hill Morgan Pty Ltd 38 Green Hill Rd.Kensington 2033.

Sewing Machinist Wanted

Jeans Industry

We are an expanding clothing company located south of the city.Our products include jeans,skirts,shorts and so on.We are looking for sewing machine operators.

The factory works a 38-hour week over 4-5 days.Wages for this are $ 18,050 per year.Wages and conditions are in line with the current industrial award.

If you are interested, come over and pick up an application form from Ripper Jeans,23 North Ave,Beaudesert.

1.What do these four advertisements have in common?

A. Each of them is commented by their manager.

B. They are located in the south of the same city.

C. Their companies are introduced in detail.

D. They all want people in the proper position.

2.The applicants for the post of a secretary in City College Union Inc should have the following qualities except .

A. ability of organization

B. knowledge about filling the form

C. typing skill

D. writing rapidly

3.The attractiveness of the post in Emu Airline is .

A. its promising future

B. its free flying

C. its good salary

D. its nice working conditions

4.If you want to be a sewing machine operator, you may contact this company by .

A. visit B. fax C. phone D. Email

Does happiness have a scent?

When someone is happy, can you smell it?

You can usually tell when someone is happy based on seeing them smile, hearing them laugh or perhaps from receiving a big hug. But can you also smell their happiness? Surprising new research suggests that happiness does indeed have a scent, and that the experience of happiness can be transmitted through smell, reports Phys.org.

For the study, 12 young men were shown videos meant to bring about a variety of emotions while researchers gathered sweat samples from them. All of the men were healthy and none of them were drug users or smokers, and all were asked to abstain from drinking or eating smelly foods during the study period.

Those sweat samples were then given to 36 equally healthy young women to smell, while researchers monitored their reactions. Only women were selected to smell the samples, apparently because previous research has shown that women have a better sense of smell than men and are also more sensitive to emotional signaling—though it's unclear why only men were chosen to produce the scents.

Researchers found that the behavior of the women after smelling the scents—particularly their facial expressions—indicated a relationship between the emotional states of the men who produced the sweat and the women who sniffed them.

“Human sweat produced when a person is happy brings about a state similar to happiness in somebody who breathes this smell,” said study co-author Gun Semin, a professor at Koc University in Turkey.

This is a fascinating finding because it not only means that happiness does have a scent, but that the scent is capable of transmitting the emotion to others. The study also found that other emotions, such as fear, seem to carry a scent too. This ensures previous research suggesting that some negative emotions have a smell, but it is the first time this has proved to be true of positive feelings.

Researchers have yet to isolate(分离) exactly what the chemical compound for the happiness smell is, but you might imagine what the potential applications for such a finding could be. Happiness perfumes, for instance, could be invented. Scent therapies（香味疗法）could also be developed to help people through depression or anxiety.

Perhaps the most surprising result of the study, however, is our broadened understanding of how emotions get communicated, and also how our own emotions are potentially managed through our social context and the emotional states of those around us.

1.What is the main finding of the new research?

A. Pleasant feelings can be smelt out.

B. Negative emotions have a smell.

C. Men produce more sweats.

D. Women have a better sense of smell.

2.The underlined part “abstain from” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.

A. continue B. practice C. avoid D. try

3.What is the application value of the new research?

A. Perfumes could help people understand each other.

B. Some smells could be created to improve our appearance.

C. Perfumes could be produced to cure physical diseases.

D. Some smells could be developed to better our mood.

4.We can learn from the last paragraph that .

A. happiness comes from a scent of sweat

B. social surroundings can influence our emotions

C. people need more emotional communication

D. positive energy can deepen understanding

Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation(创新) that threatens the survival of companies everywhere. It’s based on the assumption that old ideas will always work, so they shouldn’t be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don’t change, it’s unlikely to hold true in a changing situation. In today’s rapid changing global environment, old methods often don't work, and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.

Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security. If everyone else believes it, then it must be true. Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right, and being right is good. They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work. In 1977, Ken Olsen, co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), stated “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry, DEC no longer exists.

People seem to forget that since innovation is a change, there can be no innovation without change. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom prevents leaders, followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating. If companies don’t innovate, but their competitors do, the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries, so it has a powerful effect on business success.

Ted Turner (founder of CNN) knew little, if anything, about the news business, but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour, as was common before CNN. Turner’s solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day. The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time, and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day. However, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don’t have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work. Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information. Due to conventional thinking, the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.

Conventional wisdom prevents creativity, flexibility and risk-taking, so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it. To survive, thrive and maintain competitive advantage, companies must be flexible when reacting to change.

1.DEC has disappeared probably because ___________.

A. the CEO stuck to the conventional ideas

B. the leaders lacked the sense of security

C. the consumers didn’t like its products

D. the employees took many risks with changes

2. The founding of CNN is used as an example to prove _________.

A. missing opportunities could lead to failure

B. conventional wisdom influences business success

C. watching news at the dinner hour is convenient

D. changing could contribute to business success

3. What does the underlined part probably mean?

A. Rocket scientists can ensure the CNN works properly.

B. It’s easy to know people needn’t watch the news all the time

C. It’s necessary to understand when people watch the news.

D. Most of the viewers don’t like to watch the news at work.

4.The passage is mainly written to tell us that ______.

A. conventional wisdom limits innovation

B. opportunities lead to business success

C. old methods are changing with time

D. successful companies need wise leaders

How Super Are Supermarkets?

Buying e week’s groceries is tiring. You want to get it over and done with quickly, so you head for the nearest supermarket, you find everything you need under one roof, and you feel glad that those days of going in and out of different shops in the high street are over. Supermarkets seem to be a big plus. There is a downside, though.

In the UK 90% of all the food people consume is bought at 5 different supermarket chains. This makes these companies extremely powerful, which lets them use their huge buying power to squeeze small suppliers to get the best deal. Milk is a good example. Supermarkets like to use things like milk, which is the top of almost everyone’s shopping list to attract customers. To offer the lowest price possible to the consumer, the supermarkets force dairy farmers to sell milk at less than the cost of production. Supermarkets guarantee their good profits while farmers are left struggling to make ends meet, and the taxpayer pays to support the system without even knowing it.

It would be nice if local grocers supported local agriculture. But for the big supermarkets this just doesn’t make sense. Supermarkets don’t want little farmers thinking they can decide prices. So supermarkets have started a global search for the cheapest possible agricultural produce. In many supermarkets it is difficult to find anything which is produced locally.

UK farmers used to grow a lot of apples. Not anymore. In 1999 36% of apples were imported. By 2015 the figure had risen to 80% and the domestic production of apples had fallen by two thirds. The consumer might just be happy to get a reasonably priced meal made up of foods from Thailand, Spain, Italy and Zambia, but we should also bear in mind the Influence on local producers.

Then there’s packaging. Supermarkets like everything to be packed and wrapped so it can be piled neatly on shelves. Supermarkets produce nearly 10 million tons of waste packaging in the UK every year, of which less 5%is recycled. Some supermarkets make sure that large recycling bins are obvious in their car parks, showing that they are environment-friendly. But that is just an image.

When a new supermarket is planned there are claims about the number of new jobs that will be created. Unfortunately, the number of jobs lost in the area is larger than the number of new positions in the supermarket. On average each new supermarket leads to the loss of 276 jobs.

However, the modern world is all about shopping, and the freedom to buy whatever you what, so it would be impossible to stop people shopping at some particular kind of shop. But some measures do need to be taken when small suppliers lose profits, local producers suffer, sea levels rise and jobs are lost, anyway, we can’t just care about a free car park and special offers.

1.The author mentions “milk” in paragraph 2 to explain how supermarkets ____________.

A. harm small suppliers ‘benefits

B. support local dairy farmer

C.cheat the taxpayers

D.provide customers with the cheapest product

2.According to the passage, supermarkets keep price advantage by_______________.

A. competing against each other

B. reducing product tax

C. purchasing local products

D. importing foreign products

3.What is the author’s attitude towards supermarkets?

A. Doubtful B. Sympathetic

C. Critical D. Cautious

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中的两项为多余选项。

I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier（收银台）in her general store. 1._ I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you.”

At first I was paid in candy. 2. I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. My father helped me set up a bank account. 3.

By the time I was 12, my grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics（化妆品）I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “What color do you think I should wear?” I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup（化妆）ideas. 4.

The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn’t need to be a rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. 5. Expect they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.

B. Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

C.Later I received 50 cents an hour.

D.I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics.

E. My grandma’s trust taught me how to handle responsibility。

F. Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

G. Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

完形填空

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并将答案写在题后的答题表中。

My Real Parents

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.

-----Oprah Winfrey

I don’t look like the rest of my family. As a matter of fact, I _______out quite a bit with my yellow skin and black eyes. When people see us together it is clear that I am _________. I am happy to have such a loving and caring family, but sometimes I wish I knew who my birth parents are.

My friends often ask, “Are you _________that you don’t know your real parents?” I know that they are just curious and concerned about me---I’m fine. For the most part---- _______ I felt like there’s something missing my life, like a giant _______ in my heart. My mother listens when I tell her about my _______, and she feels that it is important for me to be in touch with my _______ Because of this, she and I go to Chinese Heritage Camp each year.

CHC is a two-day camp ________ hundreds of adopted kids like me spend time with each other. We _______about how it feels to the adopted, and we participate in fun outdoor activities. It’s ________ because we can talk about our feelings. It makes me feel like I am not ________ and that there is someone out there going through the same feelings.

Whether we’re talking, laughing, crying, or dancing. CHC is always an experience to _________.I adore all of the new people I meet, and I will keep them in my heart _______ ,because it always feels good to know there are people out just like me.

_______A. sometimes B. forever C. soon D. later

Camp has _______ the way I look at things. Each year seems to open up new surprises, adventures, and friendships. CHC _______ me to learn that being adopted doesn’t mean that I’m strange, it just means that I wasn’t born into the _______ I live with. Being adopted won’t make my parents love me any less.

_______ to Chinese Heritage Camp, now when people ask me, “Are you sad you don’t know your real parents? ”I can safely answer, “Maybe I don’t know who my birth parents are, and _______ makes me a little sad. But I do know that I_______with my real parents in a real house, with a real family, and I_______. My life just the way it is.”

1.A. work B. give C. watch D. stand

2.A. followed B. honored C. believed D. adopted

3.A.sad B. ashamed C. surprised D. curious

4.A. and B. but C. so D. or

5.A. disease B. wish C. hole D. plan

6.A. dreams B. suggestionsC. feelings D. complaints

7.A. school B hometown C culture D. relatives

8.A. where B. when C why D. which

9.A. think B. talk C. write D. look

10.A. terrible B. funny C. hard D. great

11.A. happy B. alone C. silent D. alive

12.A remember B. describe C. provide D. learn

13.A. sometimes B. forever C. soon D. later

14.A. made B. found C. changed D. Cleared

15.A. forced B. hoped C. taught D. asked

16.A. family B. world C. friends D. kids

17.A. thanks B. Congratulations C. wishesD. Greetings

18.A. who B. which C. that D. what

19.A. compare B. deal C. agree D. live

20.A. enrich B. love C. regard D. improve

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