In fine department stores everywhere, you'll see the light-blue boxes of Estee Lauder. These popular cosmetics are sold in more than 130 countries. Who's the woman behind this worldwide cosmetics empire ? Estee Lauder herself, of course. This businesswoman became, for a time, the world's richest self-made woman. Her secret? "I didn't get there by dreaming about it," she would say. "I got there by doing it." Estee was born in the early 1900s in Queens, New York. Her father ran a hardware store, and from him Estee learned how to be a successful salesperson. Estee learned from her uncle John Schotz, too. He made creams in a small laboratory behind the family's house. Estee watched him. Soon, she was experimenting with her own cosmetics. She put lipstick and creams on any female relative who'd let her, until her annoyed father told her to stop. She married Joseph H. Lauder in 1930, and continued her experiments. She would cook dinner for the family, and at the same time, make her face creams. Then she began to sell her products in a Manhattan beauty shop. In 1960, Estee began to sell her products in Europe. After many tries she succeeded and began selling her products in some stores in London. But France proved even more difficult. The store Galleries Lafayette refused to sell her products. So Estee "by accident" dropped a bottle of youth dew on the floor in the cosmetics department. As the _ spread around the store, customers came over and asked to buy it. The store soon began selling Estee's products. Estee led her company until 1982, when her son Leonard took over the business. Until her health worsened in the mid-1990s, she continued to attend the opening of a new store wherever in the world. She died on April 24, 2004. Estee Lauder's talent as a saleswoman was extraordinary. Her son Leonard said, "There was never anyone who could sell like she could." All who worked for Estee appreciated her special talent. Which of the following can best describe Estee Lauder? A) A successful cosmetics saleswoman. B) A beautiful shop owner in London. C) A popular cosmetics producer in France. D) A founder of a cosmetics company in America.
D
(Question)
Language-learners who say they never or hardly ever use dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes. The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. So they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English. The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables , they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check these in a dictionary. Which is not mentioned in this passage? A) How to make good use of a dictionary. B) When to use a dictionary. C) How to improve spoken English. D) How to practice reading fast.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Salesman Ramesh lived in the southern part of India. He got his first assignment in the month of June, the start of the rainy season in the area. He was given a list of local laundry owners whom he had to approach and sell products to. He was scared and thought he wouldn't be able to fulfill the task, but he accepted the challenge as he had no other choice. The next day he started approaching the laundry owners, and within 15 days he got a really nice response. Most of them purchased his products, but they borrowed money from Ramesh to buy the products. Everyone promised to pay him back within the next 15 days. During the last week of June amidst heavy showers, he started visiting the laundry owners to collect money. Upon visiting half of them, he realized he hadn't collected a penny. After almost 14 days, on a bright sunny Monday morning, he started visiting the laundry owners once again. Suddenly, by noon Ramesh realized that he had collected the payments from almost 50% of the owners. He worked hard throughout the day, and by the end of the day he had completed 90% of his target for June and July. At last, he became the "star performer" for the months of June and July. Why did the laundry owners look at the sky and tell him to come the next day when Ramesh visited them? He went to a laundry owner and asked him the question. The owner said, "This is the month of the rainy season and we have to wash the clothes, dry them off and iron them before handing them over to customers. If the sun doesn't shine, how can we dry our clothes and earn money to pay you back?" Ramesh then realized that it was his patience and endurance that kept him going and ultimately helped him achieve success. Like Ramesh, each one of us should realize that apart from being honest and hard-working, if we can keep our patience, we are inching up the ladder of success. The laundry owners asked Ramesh to come later, because _ . A) they felt embarrassed about refusing Ramesh directly B) they didn't want to pay Ramesh back at all C) they had to wait for the sun to come out to dry clothes D) they had to save up money to pay for the products they bought
Ans: C
The train was already half an hour late. I had to arrive in Vienna at 7:15 in time to catch the 7:20 train to Paris, but there was no hope of that now. I told my problem to the conductor . He advised me to get off two stops before Vienna Station and take a taxi. When the time came, he even helped with my bag. He wished me good luck as I jumped off. A few minutes later I was racing towards the center of the city in a taxi. It was almost 7:25 when we stopped outside the station. I paid the driver quickly, picked up my bag and hurried inside. "Paris train?" was all I had time to say to the official I saw. You can see how I felt when he pointed to a train that was just moving out of the station. The conductor advised the writer to get off before Vienna and take a taxi _ . A) as soon as the train stopped B) after he heard the writer's explanation C) after he was passing the writer D) when the train arrived in Vienna at 7:15
B