As Apple tries to maintain its growth and success in China, the world's largest smart-phone market is becoming even more critical. Apple's shares fell sharply as the company's earnings for the holiday quarter through December disappointed investors. The sales of the iPhone, which include both the iPhone 5 and older models, came in at the low end of analysts' expectations, while the company's income plan for the second quarter was below analysts' forecasts, though Apple is known to give conservative forecasts. Som'6 analysts have said that for Apple to regain its growth, the company.needs a more aggressive strategy for markets, or more specifically for China, where the market for smart phones has been expanding more rapidly than anywhere else. In China, demand is particularly great for inexpensive phones that run on Android operating system, sold by many Chinese phone makers as well as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. But Apple says it's already enjoying strong growth in China. "We saw big growth in iPhones,"Chief Executive Tim Cook said. He said that the company has been quickly expanding its sales channels in China, including the number of Apple stores. "This isn't nearly what we need, we're not even close to that, but we're making great progress. " he said. In China, a big missing piece for Apple is China Mobile Ltd. , the biggest local telecom carrier that doesn't yet sell the iPhone. Earlier this month, Mr. Cook met China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua in Beijing and discussed cooperation, stirring hopes that the world's largest mobile carrier may soon start offering the iPhone. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is working on a lower-end iPhone that could launch as early as this year. But one possible challenge for Apple in China is that low-pricod Android-based phones are getting better in terms of quality. A report from CLSA in late November showed that many smart-phones sold at about 1,000 yuan ( $160) came with higher-reso-lution screens, better cameras and more... What can we learn from the passage? A) Apple tends to offer a lower sales forecast. B) China Mobile Ltd began to team up with Apple. C) Cook is pessimistic about what Apple did in China. D) Apple didn't take measures to develop Chinese market.
A
Singles Day falls on every November 11th, and as the name indicates, this relatively new holiday is one exclusively for people who are still living the single life. I was a bit surprised when I googled "Singles Day" on the Internet, to find that China is the only country in the world that has set aside a special day for singles to celebrate their lives. To find out more about this celebration, please read on. An old story goes that once there were four single men, leading very boring lives. None of them were married, or had lovers, or did anything exciting. They just sat around all day and played Mahjong. One day they played Mahjong from 11 in the morning until 11 at night. During the game, no matter who won, the winning card was always the "four columns" card (the card shows four independent, parallel columns in two lines). Even more of a coincidence, it was Nov 11, or 11/11. In order to commemorate the day, they nicknamed it Singles Day. Singles Day was first celebrated at various universities in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province during the 1990s. It got the name Singles Day because the date consists of four "ones". These college students have since graduated, and carried their university tradition into society. Singles Day is now a special day for all fashionable youths. The main way to celebrate Singles Day is to have dinner with your single friends, but it's important that each person pay their own fee to show their independence. People also hold "blind date" parties in an attempt to say goodbye to their single lives. Many singles also choose to say goodbye to their single lives on this day. Many attend "blind date" parties and many people choose to marry on this day. In addition to meaning "single" the four "ones" of the date can also mean "only one" as in "the only one for me." Some people will use this date and this meaning to tell their special someone that they are the only "one" in their heart. What is the best title for the passage? A) The Origin of Singles Day. B) How to Celebrate Singles Day. C) Singles Day. D) Say Goodbye to Singles Day.
C
Q: In this century the traditional American family is constantly faced with the threat of breakdown. Some people suggest that one little - noticed cause may be the introduction of the TV dinner. Before the appearance of television seats, the American dinner was a big event for the family. In many homes dinner time may be the only time when everyone got together. A typical dinner was usually in three periods In the preparation period, the children and Father frequently helped with setting while Mother put the last touches on the roast. In the eating period, family members shared the day's experiences and more than food was eaten. In this period,families got to know one another and made joint decisions around the dinner table, and thus the family solidarity was strengthened. In the cleaning - up period,children or Father again gave their hands, so that their meaning to the home community was clear. Unfortunately, all of these have been abandoned by a product--the television set. By the beginning of the 1980s, the typical American family dinner was just twenty minutes long. The speed - up of this once - leisurely experiences is clearly connected to the overall pace of modern life and maybe a model of the modern life is the TV dinners--meals designed to be used between the opening and closing credits of a half - hour program. The once family affair has now become nothing more than the use of a fork and knife. According to the passage, the American family is now threatened by_. A) Being poor B) having few children C) poor living conditions D) separation
A: D
(Q).
Lego,the inventor of those color1ful bricks that have inspired kids' imagination worldwide,has celebrated its 53rd anniversary. In 1958,a man named Godtfred created the plastic building bricks that can now be found in almost every child's toy box. The simple building block has become one of the most well-known and popular toys around the world. "The Lego brick continues to be very attractive,because it allows children,and others,to develop their creativity and imagination," said Charlotte Simonsen,a spokeswoman of Lego. The company's building brick allows an endless number of links. With just two bricks there are 24 different links,and with six,there are 915 million possibilities,according to Lego. A half century after its creation,more than 400 million children and adults spend five billion hours a year putting the bricks together and pulling them apart. Also,the bricks made today can still link with those made in 1958. Lego bricks aren't just child's play: they also attract the interest of adults. South Korean adventurer,Heo Young Ho,who climbed Mount Everest in 1987,left a Lego toy behind in the snow during his climb. After its great success Lego experienced a serious crisis at the end of the 1990s,hit hard by competition from electronic games. Lego then suffered a dark period that lasted several years. With great efforts,the company began to be popular again,and in 2006 it earned about 1.5 billion dollars in 130 countries. Seven boxes of Lego are now sold every second around the world,and 19 billion bricks are produced each year: enough to encircle the Earth five times! The success of the Lego bricks proves that _ . A) every invention will be successful B) a good invention can do a lot of good to mankind C) children like building bricks more than any other toys D) any good invention will be sure to earn a lot of money
(A).
B