Confucius (551BC~479BC), a Chinese philosopher,one of the most influential men in the history of China. Confucius was born in a noble family in the state of Lu. However,his parents were poor. His father died when Confucius was only three years old. In 527 BC he began his life as a teacher,usually traveling about and teaching the followers that were around him. Confucius worked as an official of the state of Lu. However,he soon left office to travel and teach. In 484 BC he returned to Lu,where he lived until his death. Living in the turbulent period,Confucius believed that people must go back to the principles of the ancient wise men. He therefore lectured to his pupils on the classics and taught them how to behave properly in society. Confucius did not write down the principles of his philosophy. The Analects (<<>> ),a work written by some of his followers,is considered the most faithful source of information about his life and teachings. The teachings of Confucius were practical and moral,rather than religious. He said that man's behavior should be based on five virtues:kindness, uprightness ,decorum ,wisdom and faithfulness .He asked everyone to fulfill their duties carefully toward the state. In the centuries after his death,his teachings,known as Confucianism,had a more powerful influence on the Chinese nation. It can be inferred that _ . A) Confucius was born in a very rich family B) Confucius served as an official in his lifetime C) the teachings of Confucius are religious D) Confucianism was more popular after Confucius died
D
If sustainable competitive advantage depends on workforce skills, American firms have a problem. Human-resource management is not traditionally seen as central to the competitive survival of the firm in the United States. Skill acquisition is considered an individual responsibility. Labour is simply another factor of production to be hired--rented at the lowest possible cost--much as one buys materials or equipment. The lack of importance attached to human-resource management can be seen in the corporate management. In an American firm the chief financial officer is almost always second in command. The post of head of human-resource management is usually a specialized job, off at the edge of the corporate hierarchy. The executive who holds it is never consulted on major strategic decisions and has no chance to move up to Chief Executive Officer(CEO). By way of contrast, in Japan the head of human-resource management is central--usually the second most important executive, after the CEO, in the firm's hierarchy. While American firms often talk about the vast amounts spent on training their work force, in fact they invest less in the skills of their employees than do either Japanese or German firms. The money they do invest is also more highly concentrated on professional and managerial employees. And the limited investments that are made in training workers are also much more narrowly focused on the specific skills necessary to do the next job rather than on the basic background skills that make it possible to absorb new technologies. As a result, problems arise when new breakthrough technologies arrive. If American workers, for example, take much longer to learn how to operate new flexible manufacturing stations than workers on Germany (as they do), the effective cost of those stations is lower in Germany than it is in the United States. More time is required before equipment is up and running in production, and the need for extensive retraining generates costs and creates bottlenecks that limit the speed... According to the passage, the decisive factor in maintaining a firm's competitive advantage is _ . A) the introduction of new technologies B) the improvement of workers' basic skills C) the rational composition of professional and managerial employees D) the attachment of importance to the bottom half of the employees
B
Q: If you ask most Americans, they would say their favorite season of the year is summer. The weather is warm. They do not have to wear heavy clothes to keep warm. Young people do not have to go to school. They can do many activities outside, like playing sports and swimming at the beach or the pool. They like the sunshine during the day and the warm summer nights. People have written and recorded hundreds of songs about summer. These are some of our favorites. One of the most famous songs about summer is from George Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess". He wrote the music in nineteen thirty-five. The opera takes place in the southern United States. It opens with these words: "Summertime and the living' is easy. Fish are jumping' and the cotton is high." Leontyne Price sings the song. The nineteen fifties and sixties produced many songs about teenagers enjoying their summer vacation from school. The songs are about having fun, swimming in the ocean, driving in cars. However, for some teenagers, summer vacation was not all fun and games. Some of them had to work to earn money. Please choose an appropriate title for the passage. A) Summer. B) Children in Summer. C) Summer and Children. D) Songs about Summer.
A: A
(Question)
The Gloria Barron Prize honors American young people from 8 to l8 who have shown leadership and courage in public service.Each year ten winners each receive$2,000 to support their higher education or their service work. Ellie Wen,18,was volunteering at a community center in Los Angeles.The center was set up to help immigrant families.She happened to meet adults in an EFL(English as a foreign language)class."When I saw them struggling hard,I wondered how people in poor countries could learn English,"Ellie said. So she started a Website,"Repeat After Us",where people can listen to English and practice their accents.Volunteers have helped Ellie record more than 6,600 texts,including Abraham Lincoln's"Gettysburg Address". Hard work pays off.There were so many times that Ellie was discouraged,but she stuck to it.The Website crashed early on,and all the recordings were lost.But volunteers worked together vigorously to start over,and the visitors returned to the site. "Just follow your idea and know that the world is so kind.Even if you do have trouble,people will help you,"Ellie said. "I was really excited the first month,when we had 49 visitors,"she said.Now,more than 480,000 people from a11 over the world have visited the site."I get e-mails from China,Egypt,India,and Brazil."They say,"Thank you so much for this resource,we've been waiting for it for so long!"Ellie loves knowing she is helping so many people. Gloria Barron Prize winners like Ellie are enthusiastic about the work they do.And they encourage others to join in if they see a need.Anybody can be negative,but it needs somebody brave to be positive.Are you the brave one? The writer mainly talks about _ . A) how to open up a website with the help of others B) how to teach immigrant families English via the Internet C) the Gloria Barron Prize and the story of one of its winners D) young people who help others in various ways
(Answer)
C