Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: President Coolidge's statement, "The business of America is business," still points to a very important truth today -- that business organizations have more prestige in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions still possess this great prestige? One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the idea of competition than other organizations in society. Since competition is seen as the main source of progress and development by most Americans, competitive business organizations are respected. Competition is not only good in itself; it is the means by which other basic American values, such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected. Competition protects the individual freedom by making sure that there is no monopoly of power. Compared with one and all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for benefit. If one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to the competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Since there are many businesses competing for the customers' dollars, they cannot afford to treat them unfairly and the customers would lose nothing.A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it gives more support for freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people while business leaders are not. Many Americans believe that competition is as important, or even more important, as democracy in protecting freedom. Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the idea of equal opportunities. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to any person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American choice of the higher social position which is not based on one's family background. Business is... Question: Who can benefit from business competition? - Businessmen who compete. - Customers of those businesses. - People with the idea of equality and freedom. - Both business organizations and government.
A: Customers of those businesses.

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Let's say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and a hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, and the nail is a mean rumor about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you're obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there's still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done. There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying . When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it's usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It's the same thing as teasing, only it's done behind someone's back instead of to his or her face. When you spread a rumor about someone, you're sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You're making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it's okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider. We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again. Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let's say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard is coming. Expecting a day off, you don't do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle , and school isn't off after all. You get zeroes on your work. Question: If a rumor is spread about someone, others may _ . - point out his or her advantages - keep away from him or her - not feel he or she is an outsider - be hurt if getting close to him or her again.
A: keep away from him or her

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Throughout my 41 years at General Electric, I've experienced a lot.In the media, I've gone from prince to pig and back again.And I've been called many things. In the early days, some called me a crazy, wild man.When I became CEO two decades ago, Wall Street asked, "Jack who?" When I tried to make GE more competitive by cutting back our workforce in the early 1980s, the media called me "Neutron Jack." When they learned we were focused on values and culture at GE, people asked if "Jack has gone soft." I've been No.1 or No.2 Jack, Services Jack, Global Jack, and, in more recent years.Six Sigma Jack and e-Business Jack. When we made an effort to acquire Honeywell in October 2000, and I agreed to stay on through the transition ( ) , some thought of me as the Long-in-the-Tooth Jack hanging on by his fingertips to his CEO job. Those characterizations said less about me and a lot more about the stage our company went through.Truth is, down deep, I've never really changed much from the boy my mother raised in Salem, Massachusetts. When I started on this journey in 1981 , standing before Wall Street analysts for the first time at New York's Pierre Hotel, I said I wanted GE to become " the most competitive enterprise on earth." My objective was to put a small-company spirit in a big-company body, to build an organization out of an old-line industrial company that would be more high-spirited, more adaptable, and more flexible than companies that are one-fiftieth our size.I said then that I wanted to create a company " where people dare to try new things ?where people know that only the limits of their creativity and drive, their own standards of personal excellence, will be the ceiling on how far and how fast they move." I've put my mind, my heart, and my courage into that journey every day of the 40-plus years I've been lucky enough to be a part of GE. Question: As the author sees it, the many nicknames of him indicate _ . - the change of his character with the time - the various opinions of different journalists - his company's different stages of development - his popularity among his friends and s
A: his company's different stages of development

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged.Kissi Health-Beauty Center gives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file .All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit. 1)BODY-BUILDING Imported gym equipment that will help you build up your body's muscle, making you look full of energy and strength. 2)GYMNASTIC EXERCISE A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm. 3)SPECIAL "LAZY-BONE" FITNESS CENTER 'Lazy-bone' fitness equipment is the first body shaping set of seven beds in Beijing, which helps you to exercise your waist, abdomen, hips or legs.In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight. *Tuition: 'Lazy-bone' fitness card, 1,200 yuan/ month (gymnastic classes included) *Class Time: Gymnastic Class, 18:30-19:30 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. *Tel: 5918570 *Address: 16 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing Question: Those who keep 'Lazy-bone' fitness cards are probably _ people. - lazy - rich - unhealthy - young
A: lazy