Thedisease,knownas“MarchMadness”,referstotheyearly65-teamUSmen’scollegebasketballtournament.ItbeginsonMarch15andlaststhroughthebeginningofApril.Teamscompeteagainsteachotherinasingleeliminationtournamentthateventuallycrownsanationalchampion.
Nearly20millionAmericanswillfindthemselvesprisonersofbasketballfestivalmadness.
Thefuncomespartlyfromguessingthewinnersforeverygame.Friendscompeteagainstfriends,husbandsagainstwives,andcolleaguesagainstbosses.
Big-nameschoolsareusuallyfavoredtoadvanceintothetournament.Buteachyeartherearedarkhorsesfromlittle-knownuniversities.
Thisaddstothemadness.Watchingateamfromaschoolwith3,000studentsbeatateamfromaschoolwith30,000,formanyAmericans,isanexcitingexperience.Lastyear,thelittle-knownGeorgeMasonUniversitywasoneofthefinalfourteams.Manypeoplehadneverevenheardoftheuniversitybeforethetournament.
Collegebasketballplayersarenotpaid,sothegameismoreaboutmakinganamefortheiruniversityandthemselves.Butthatdoesn’tmeanmoneyisn’tinvolved.
About$4billionwillbespentgamblingontheevent.AccordingtoMediaLifemagazine,theeventwilldrawover$500millioninadvertisingrevenuethisyear,toppingthepost-seasonrevenue,includingthatoftheNBA(全国篮球协会).
举一反三
- Practice3<br/>Fortherestofthemonth,anepidemic(流行病)willsweepacrosstheUS.Itwillkeepkidshomefromschool.Collegestudentswillignorepilesofhomework.Employeeswillsuddenlylosetheirabilitiestoconcentrate.<br/>Thedisease,knownas“MarchMadness”,referstotheyearly65-teamUSmen’scollegebasketballtournament.ItbeginsonMarch15andlaststhroughthebeginningofApril.Teamscompeteagainsteachotherinasingleeliminationtournamentthateventuallycrownsanationalchampion.<br/>Nearly20millionAmericanswillfindthemselvesprisonersofbasketballfestivalmadness.<br/>Thefuncomespartlyfromguessingthewinnersforeverygame.Friendscompeteagainstfriends,husbandsagainstwives,andcolleaguesagainstbosses.<br/>Big-nameschoolsareusuallyfavoredtoadvanceintothetournament.Buteachyeartherearedarkhorsesfromlittle-knownuniversities.<br/>Thisaddstothemadness.Watchingateamfromaschoolwith3,000studentsbeatateamfromaschoolwith30,000,formanyAmericans,isanexcitingexperience.Lastyear,thelittle-knownGeorgeMasonUniversitywasoneofthefinalfourteams.Manypeoplehadneverevenheardoftheuniversitybeforethetournament.<br/>Collegebasketballplayersarenotpaid,sothegameismoreaboutmakinganamefortheiruniversityandthemselves.Butthatdoesn’tmeanmoneyisn’tinvolved.<br/>About$4billionwillbespentgamblingontheevent.Accordingto<em>MediaLife</em>magazine,theeventwilldrawover$500millioninadvertisingrevenuethisyear,toppingthepost-seasonrevenue,includingthatoftheNBA(全国篮球协会).
- <spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">Passage4</span>●Readthememoandtherequestbelow.<br/>●Completetheformonthefollowingpage.<br/>●Writeaword,phraseornumberinspaces41-45onyourbook.<br/>Memo<br/>To:CharlesMurphy@yahoo.com<br/>From:RobertJames@sohu.com<br/>Subject:BooksNotDelivered<br/>Message:<br/>April8,2005<br/>Charles,<br/>YouweregoingtosendthebooksonInternationalTradeandMulti-culturalCommunicationtomebyyesterday.Theyhavenotarrived.PleasegetintouchwithmeASAP.Weneedthesebooksfortomorrowafternoon’smeeting.<br/><spanstyle="display:block;text-align:right;">Thanks,</span><br/><spanstyle="display:block;text-align:right;">Rnbert</span><br/>ARequestfortheBooksOrdered<br/>Thepersonwhoreceivedthemessage:(41)______<br/>Whathappened:(42)______<br/>Whenwerethebooksduetoarrive:(43)______<br/>Thenameofthebook:(44)______<br/>Whenwillthebookbeused:(45)______
- <spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">Passage8</span>●Readthemagazinearticlebelowaboutacompanywhichchecksontheserviceprovidedbyshops.<br/>●Choosethecorrectwordtofilleachgap,fromA,BorContheoppositepage.<br/>●Foreachquestion29-40,markoneletter(A,BorC)onyourAnswerSheet.<br/><spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">SECRETSHOPPERS</span>TimWrightknowsallaboutmakingcompaniesmoreefficient.Hisfirm,Check-up,sends‘secretshoppers’intoretailandleisurecompanies(29)______ordertomakesurethatcustomersarereceivinggoodservice.After(30)______visit,thesecretshoppersprepareareportforthecompanytoletthemknow(31)______goodorbadtheservicewas.‘Companiesliketoknow,’saysMr.Wright,‘that(32)______customersgointoastorejustafewminutesbeforeclosingtime,theywill(33)______getgoodservice.’Check-up(34)______setupinthewestofEnglandin1992and(35)______twoyearsmovedtoLondonsoitcouldofferanationwideservice.(36)______thelastthreeyears,Check-up’sprofitshave(37)______dramaticallyascompanieshavecometorealize(38)______greatimportanceofgoodcustomerservice.Havingstartedwithjust;threeemployees,Check-upnowhasastaff(39)______sixty-fiveandlastweek(40)______animportantnewcontractwithamajorsupermarketchain.<br/>29.AinBbyCon<br/>30.AourBhisCtheir<br/>31.AwhetherBhowCif<br/>32.AwhileBwhenC.As<br/>33.AstillByetC.Already<br/>34.AhasBisCwas<br/>35.AuntilB.AfterClater<br/>36.AFromBDuringCSince<br/>37.AincreaseBincreasingCincreased<br/>38.AthisBthatCthe<br/>39.AofB.AtCtoo<br/>40.AsignBsignedCsigning
- <spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">Passage7</span>●Readthearticlebelowabouttheimportanceofhiringrightpeople.<br/>●ChoosethecorrectwordtofilleachgapfromA,BorContheoppositepage.<br/>●Foreachquestion29-40,markoneletter(A,B,orC)onyourAnswerSheet.<br/><spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">Hiring:DoYouKnowHowImportanttoPickThem?</span>Yoursmallbusinessisgrowing,themarkethasaneed(29)______yourproduct,andyou’rerecruitingemployeestoexpandyourbusiness.Whatcouldpossibly(30)______wrong?Theansweris,alot,(31)______youdon’thiretherightpeople.<br/>Oneofthedifferencesbetweenbusinessesthatboomand(32)______thatlimpalongisgoodemployees.Obviously,yourtalentasanentrepreneurhasalottodo(33)______thesuccessofyourbusiness,butyou(34)______onlygosofarbyyourself.Youmustfindgoodemployees,figureout(35)______motivatesthem,andthenplacethemintotherightposition.<br/>Hiringemployeesis(36)______andrequiresalotofpatienceandenergy.Youhavetoresistthetemptationtofillthejobquicklywithoneofthefirstfew(37)______whocomealongor(38)______someonewhoisonlysufficient(39)______youwanttostop(40)______andgetbacktoyourbusiness.<br/>29.AforBtoCin<br/>30.AleaveBcomeCgo<br/>31.AAlthoughBifCbut<br/>32.AtheseBthoseCthey<br/>33.AonBinCwith<br/>34.AcanBoughtCshall<br/>35.AwhatBthatCwhich<br/>36.Atime-consumeBtime-consumedCtime-consuming<br/>37.ApersonBpeopleCpeoples<br/>38.AhireBhiresChiring<br/>39.AsoBbecauseCwhile<br/>40.AinterviewsBinterviewCinterviewing
- <spanstyle='text-align:center;display:block'>OnNotWinningtheNobelPrize(Excerpt)</span><spanstyle='text-align:center;display:block'>ByDorisLessing</span>Wehaveatreasure-houseofliterature,goingbacktotheEgyptians,theGreeks,theRomans.Itisallthere.Thiswealthofliterature,tobediscoveredagainandagainbywhoeverisluckyenoughtocomeuponit.Atreasure.Supposeitdidnotexist.Howimpoverished,howemptywewouldbe.<br/>Weownalegacyoflanguages,poems,histories,anditisnotonethatwilleverbeexhausted.Itisthere,always.<br/>Wehaveabequestofstories.talesfromtheoldstorytellers,someofwhosenamesweknow,butsomenotThestorytellersgobackandback,toaclearingintheforestwhereagreatfireburns,andtheoldshamansdanceandsing,forourheritageofstoriesbeganinfire,magic,thespiritworld.Andthatiswhereitisheld,today.<br/>Thestorytellerisdeepinsideeveryoneofus.Thestory-makeralwayswithus.Letussupposeourworldisravagedbywar,bythehorrorsthatweallofuseasilyimagine.Letussupposefloodswashthroughourcities,theseasrise.Butthestorytellerwillbethere,foritisourimaginationswhichshapesus,keepus,createus-forgoodandforill.Itisourstoriesthatwillrecreateus,whenwearetorn,hurtevendestroyed.Itisthestoryteller,thedream-maker,themyth-maker,thatisourphoenix,whichrepresentsusatourbest,andatourmostcreative.