1. Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born, n...

李老师

1.  Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born, not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.
Before World War I, we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have nothing but the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal-clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local bird and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm had led me into varied investigation. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my curious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research. But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist requires not only self-discipline but also hard-training, determination and a goal. A scientist, up to a point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, there can be little doubt that you get the best of both worlds.
1). Which of the following is characteristic of the author’s childhood?
A. he suffered from serious loss of hearing.
B. he didn’t get on well with his brothers and sisters.
C. he showed strong interest in flowers and insects.
D. he was good at reading at an early age.
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2). The author fails to remember his relatives clearly in that _______.
A. he was too young then
B. he had a poor memory
C. he spent little time living with them
D. he was absorbed in observing nature
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3). It can be concluded that one essential quality required by a scientist is _______.
A. self-discipline
B. a powerful memory
C. being enthusiastic
D. having a sharp eye
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4). The author believes that he is ________.
A. a scientist as well as a naturalist   
B. not a naturalist but a scientist
C. not a scientist but a naturalist   
D. neither a scientist nor a naturalist
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5). It can be inferred that it is almost impossible to _______.
A. make someone become a naturalist
B. make someone become a scientist
C. tell the difference between science and nature
D. take an interest in both science and nature
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2.  Like most people, I was brought up to look upon life as a process of getting. It was not until in my late thirties that I made this important discovery: giving-away makes life so much more exciting. You need not worry if you lack money. This is how I experimented with giving-away. If an idea for improving the window display of a neighborhood store flashes to me, I step in and make the suggestion to the storekeeper. One discovery I made about giving-away is that it is almost impossible to give away anything in this world without getting something back, though the return often comes in an unexpected form. One Sunday morning the local post office delivered an important special delivery letter to my home, though it was addressed to me at my office. I wrote the postmaster a note of appreciation. More than a year later I needed a post-office box for a new business I was starting. I was told at the window that there were no boxes left, and that my name would have to go on a long waiting list. As I was about to leave, the postmaster appeared in the doorway. He had overheard (无意中听到) our conversation. “Wasn’t it you that wrote us that letter a year ago about delivering a special delivery to your home?” I said yes. “Well, you certainly are going to have a box in this post office if we have to make one for you. You don’t know what a letter like that means to us. We usually get nothing but complaints.”
1). From the passage, we understand that _________ .
A. the author did not understand the importance of giving until he was in late thirties
B. the author was like most people who were mostly receivers rather than givers
C. the author received the same education as most people during his childhood
D. the author liked most people as they looked upon life as a process of getting
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2). According to the author ___________ .
A. giving means you will lack money
B. the excitement of giving can bring you money
C. you don't have to be rich in order to give
D.  when you give away money, you will be rich
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3). The author would make the suggestion to the storekeeper___________ .
A.  in writing   
B. in person
C. in the window display   
D. about the neighborhood
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4). When the author needed a post-office box, _________ .
A. he had to put his name on a waiting list
B. he wrote the postmaster a note of appreciation
C. many people had applied for post-office boxes before him
D. he asked the postmaster to make one for him
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5). In reply to the postmaster's question, the author said _________ .
A. it was the special delivery
   B.    C.    D.
B. it was the post-office box
C. it was the note of appreciation he wrote
D. it was he who wrote him a letter a year ago  
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3.  We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as “regular” coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline（衰退）when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline).
    The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?
    Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
    Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.
1). According to the passage, when people grow fond of one particular brand of a product, its sales will __________.
A.  decrease gradually   
B. become unstable
C. improve enormously      
D.  remain at the same level
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