Why Doesn't Anybody Copy Apple?
Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been amazingly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple launches a product, everyone knows how to compete．This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable. When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple's products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?
I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple's success cannot be copied because it is a magical process.
There is a great deal of evidence for the first assumption. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price. Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P（標準普爾）500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, and it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future. Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation（革新）and then that innovation becomes commoditized（商品化）very quickly, why should one bother?
When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful, the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical. The fabulous part of this assumption is the " chief-sorcerer" theory of success which places one magician, like Steve Jobs, in charge of casting all the right spells．
What about Apple's own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration（一體）of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It's a better explanation. Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort. A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted. There is no "move the Earth" feeling to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.
My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it's not a formula. It's complex, it's subtle, but it's not magic. It's a process that requires a degree of faith and courage.
小題1:When a new product of Apple comes out, often it _________.
A．ruins an industry dramatically
B．puts itself in an unbeatable position
C．starts a revolution of an industry
D．is soon overtaken by imitated products
小題2:According to the passage, other companies don't "copy being Apple" because_________.
A．Apple is not a successful company
B．they have no access to relevant resources
C．it's hard to find a magician like Steve Jobs
D．being Apple takes more than time and efforts
小題3:We can infer from Para. 5 that _________.
A．other companies are dedicated to integration
B．Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages
C．Apple will hold the leading position in this industry
D．other companies don't have an extraordinary team as Apple does
小題4:What does the author think of Tim Cook's statement?
A．Neutral.B．Disappointing. C．Indifferent.D．Acceptable.

小題1:C
小題2:D
小題3:C
小題4:D

試題分析：文章介紹現(xiàn)在蘋果的新產(chǎn)品一出現(xiàn)，就會開始一場行業(yè)的革命。很多公司模仿蘋果，但是沒有人想做蘋果，因為這需要時間精力，Tim Cook認為蘋果在這個行業(yè)中會處于領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的地位。
小題1:細節(jié)題：從第一段的句子：When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built.可知一款蘋果的新產(chǎn)品一出現(xiàn)，就會開始一場行業(yè)的革命。選C
小題2:細節(jié)題：從第五段的句子：Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort.可知沒有人愿意做蘋果是因為做蘋果手機要花費太多時間精力。選D
小題3:推理題：從第五段的句子：There is no “move the Earth” panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.可知蘋果在這個行業(yè)中處于領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的地位。選C
小題4:推理題：從最后一段的句子：However, as Tim points out, it’s not a formula. It’s complex, it’s subtle, but it’s not magic. It’s a process that requires a degree of faith and courage. 可知作者是贊同Tim Cook的說法的。選D
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
　　We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
　　Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
　　After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
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　　Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
　　Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
小題1:In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.
A．tear many troubled families apart
B．bring about a drop in the divorce rate
C．contribute to enduring family ties
D．cause a lot of conflicts in the family
小題2:In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because_______.
A．starting a new family would be hard
B．they expected things would turn better
C．they wanted to better protect their kids
D．living separately would be too costly
小題3:In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?
A．Mounting family debts
B．A sense of insecurity
C．Falling housing prices
D．Difficulty in getting a loan
小題4:What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?
A．It will irreparably damage their relationship
B．It will undermine their mutual understanding
C．It will help strengthen their emotional bonds
D．It will force them to pull their efforts together
小題5:What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate
B．Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships
C．A stable family is the best protection against poverty.
D．Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

At age 11, Ghulam was married off to 40-year-old Jaiz in a rural Afghan village, making her only one of more than 10 million young girls who are being forced to wed men old enough to be their fathers of grandfather every year.
In an effort to start a global conversation about the devastating effects of early marriages, which are currently practiced in more than 50 developing countries, the United Nations designed October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child this year.
Although child marriage is against the law in many countries, and international treaties forbid the practice, it is estimated that about 51 million girls below age 18 are currently married, often under the cover of darkness and in secret. In Afghanistan alone, it is believed that approximately 57 percent of girls wed before the legal age of 16.
Various factors drive parents of child bridges to marry off their daughters, from the community’s pressure to confirm to age-old cultural customs to economic considerations. In poor, developing nations, it is not uncommon for families to settle debts by offering their daughters as payment.
Experts agree that early marriage denies the girl education and robs them of their childhood because most young wives, burdened by grownup responsibilities, do not get a chance to interact with their peers or carry on friendships outside the household. In many cases, the girls are lorded over by their husbands and in-laws, leaving them vulnerable(易受傷害的) to domestic violence as well as physical, sexual and verbal abuse. Underage wives who are lucky enough to escape from their husbands end up living in poverty, or worse. Most girls who enter early marriages are expected to get pregnant right away, which often leads to tragedy for both the mothers, who are still children themselves, and their babies.
Unless international organizations take steps to reverse the troubling trend, it is estimated that over the next decade, 100 million more girls—or about 25,000 girls a day ---will marry before they turn 18.
To learn more about campaign to end the practice of early marriages, please click: Too Young To Wed.
小題1:The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.
A．a(chǎn)ttract readers’ attention
B．introduce the following topic
C．list the countries practicing early marriages
D．give readers an example of early marriages
小題2:The fifth paragraph mainly talks about __________.
A．the number of girls involved in early marriages
B．the causes of early marriages in developing counties
C．the tragic effects of early marriages
D．the countries that allow early marriages
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A．urge parents to treat girls equally as boy
B．call on people to pay more attention to girls’ education
C．call on people to pay more attention to girls in poor countries or areas
D．start a global campaign against early marriages
小題4:Which of the following is a cause of early marriages?
A．The present girls develop much earlier than before
B．Some poor parents marry off their young girls for economic problems.
C．Many young girls receive little or no education for different reasons.
D．Most girls suffer from domestic violence and have babies too early.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

The new science of spending comes to a surprising conclusion .How we use our money may   as much or more than how much we’ve got it.
Money spent on experiences , rather than material goods,   more happiness.
Imagine that you wake up tomorrow morning to   $1 million under your bed .What would you do   that cash?
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But studies show that goods often fail to deliver      happiness. Fortunately ,our ongoing research     many ways to get more happiness from every dollar you spend .Changing how you spend money can increase your happiness.
But making these      needs to challenge some of our ideas of spending. It’s hard not to     buying a house as a wise investment. But research shows it brings very little happiness. A study in the United States found that homeowners , on average ,were no happier than  .
So, working hard to save money for a house might not be such a good idea      it means spending less time with your families and friends.
And dozens of studies show that people get more happiness from buying      than material things. Experimental purchases—such as trips ,concerts and special meals –are more   connected to our sense of self.
And experiences come with one more   . They tend to bring us     to other people , but more often, material things are enjoyed     .So social contacts are important to      mental and physical health.                
小題1:
A．presentB．matterC．a(chǎn)ppearD．equal
小題2:
A．leads toB．breaks outC．holds onD．brings along
小題3:
A．keepB．ownC．discoverD．count
小題4:
A．toB．withC．a(chǎn)boutD．for
小題5:
A．a(chǎn)boveB．belowC．beforeD．a(chǎn)fter
小題6:
A．shows B．explainsC．proves D．designs
小題7:
A．dependB．concentrateC．takeD．look
小題8:
A．mentalB．materialC．beautifulD．clever
小題9:
A．outgoingB．lastingC．willing D．exciting
小題10:
A．invitesB．offersC．prefersD．follows
小題11:
A．changesB．plansC．decisionsD．mistakes
小題12:
A．knowB．view C．dreamD．judge
小題13:
A．buyersB．sellersC．buildersD．renters
小題14:
A．ifB．howC．unlessD．though
小題15:
A．housesB．carsC．experiencesD．health
小題16:
A．clearlyB．hardlyC．generallyD．deeply
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)dvantageB．conclusionC．purposeD．identity
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A．familiarB．closeC．properD．native
小題19:
A．completely B．worldwideC．secretlyD．a(chǎn)lone
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If your mother wants to tell you something, she uses words. Birds cannot talk as we do. But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger.
The jackdaw is a kind of blackbirds that lives in Europe. Jackdaws live together. Young jackdaws do not know their enemies. When an older jackdaw sees a dog, it makes a loud rattling sound. The younger birds know this sound means danger is nearby. The sound warns them to know their enemies.
If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind. The parent bird flies low over the young bird’s back. The parent’s tail feathers move quickly from side to side, trying to express, “Follow me.” At the same time, the parent calls out, “Key-aw, key-aw. ”The parent mean, “Fly home with me.” The young bird then follows the older one home. Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean. They know the meaning of these sounds from the time they hatch（孵出）.
小題1:The jackdaw lives in    .
A．EuropeB．AustraliaC．AmericaD．Africa
小題2:Which of the following does this story lead you to believe?
A．All animal parents can talk to their young.
B．Dogs are the most dangerous enemies for jackdaws.
C．Young jackdaws know the meaning of their parents’ sound when they grow older.
D．Some birds can give information to one another.
小題3:Parent jackdaw can use their tail feathers to    .
A．a(chǎn)sk their young to follow them
B．play a game with the young
C．tell the meal time
D．give a warning of a fire

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Understanding the process of making career choices and managing your career is a basic life skill that everyone should understand.
Your career decisions have such a profound effect on all aspects of your life. It’s important to have the knowledge and resources needed to make smart, informed decisions. Whether you are looking for a new job, aiming to take the next step at your current job or planning your retirement options, you are making career decisions. Using good resources and the guidance of a career counselor can help you to make those decisions well.
Many people mistakenly believe that choosing a career is a one-time event that happens some time in early adulthood. However, career management is actually a life-long process, and we continue to make consequential (重大的) career choices over the years. When people want to take action in their career, career management and job search are about so much more than writing a good resume. If you learn about and act on the following areas of career management, you’ll be rewarded throughout your career.
Your interests, abilities, values, personal needs and realities should all be taken into account in any career decision making process. You spend countless hours at work, and it impacts your life in so many ways; it makes sense that you should be fully informed before making such profound decisions.
Do you know how many different career choices are available to you? Both The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (American) and The National Occupational Classification (Canadian) list well over 20,000 different job titles. So unless you’ve actively explored a variety of career options, there’s a very good chance that there are great possibilities available to you, and you don’t even realize they exist.
Match your understanding of yourself with your understanding of possible career options. Once you have developed a good understanding of yourself, you will be able to combine that self-knowledge with your career and labor market research to determine potential careers that are a great fit for you.
When you’ve made a well informed decision, then you’re ready to make it happen. Making use of good career guidance and resources will help you to acquire the education, skills, and experience needed to get the job and learn and implement (實施) effective job search strategies.
Time spent understanding your needs, researching your career options and developing outstanding job search skills, guided by great career resources, is a powerful investment in your future.
小題1:What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．In the process of making career decisions, people should consider interests, abilities, values, personal needs and realities.
B．All the people should have a good knowledge of how to make career choices and manage their career.
C．Career decisions have a great impact on people’s life.
D．There are various possibilities available to you of making career decisions.
小題2:How many tips does the author give on career management?
A．1.B．2. C．3.D．4.
小題3:It can be inferred that _______.
A．career decision is misunderstood by many people because they don’t take it as a life-long process
B．your career will be definitely successful if you make a well informed decision
C．making yourself understood can help you make a final choice
D．writing a good resume can find a good job
小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A．Your interests in the occupation you choose are vital.
B．Good career guidance and resources can help you gain the skills and experience.
C．You are to make significant decisions without good resources and the guidance of a career adviser.
D．Planning your retirement options is related to career management.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Last year more than 13 Korean (韓國) TV series were introduced in China. Turn on the TV, and Korean beauties are appearing during peak viewing times(黃金時段). Some of the dramas are being repeated, but audiences continue to watch them. Why are the South Korean TV series loved by so many Chinese people? Cheng Yiting, a student from East China Normal University, gives us her reasons. She thinks that the good-looking actors with cool clothes and the beautiful sight in the dramas are the selling points for South Korean TV dramas. But what attracted the young audiences most is the pure and moving love stories.
And it seems that South Korean TV series has also won the hearts of middle-aged people. They are touched by the morals(道德)in the shows. These include the importance of respecting elders and social order. Though some people think South Korean TV series are too slow and too long, most of the Chinese audiences like them. Maybe we are really tired of Western TV series. Compared with that, South Korean TV series are not bad.
小題1:Which of the following is NOT mentioned（提及）about South Korean TV series in the passage?
A．LoveB．Morals
C．Social orderD．The youth self-respect
小題2:What is the main reason why South Korean TV series are popular?
A．The series are slow and long.
B．The actors wear cool clothes.
C．The stories with morals in them are pure and moving.
D．The actors are cool.
小題3:What does the writer want to tell us?
A．We are fed up with South Korean TV series.
B．South Korean TV series is a great success and popular in China.
C．South Korean TV series are better than Chinese TV series.
D．We can learn a lot from Korean TV series so we need to watch them again and again.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It is 4 o’clock in the early morning. Everything but the computing room on the campus of the university appears as quiet and misty as the mysterious hell. In the computing room, 30 students with sleepy eyes, sit still at their desk, beating the dirty and worn keys. Staring at the colorful screen, they tap continuously for hours. For the other parts in the world, it might be in the middle of the night, nevertheless here time represents nothing. It is an entirely enclosed field. These young computer “hackers” are tracing a sort of stimulus (刺激), a drive so exciting and absorbing that it ignores nearly anything else in their lives and becomes the focus of their being. They are addicted (上癮的) computer programmers. Some of these students have been glued to the console (電子設(shè)備的操縱臺) for no less than twenty hours even with no break for meals or rest. Some have been sleeping on sofas and chairs in the computing room, trying to struggle for a few moments’ rest but hating to get too far away from their addicted machines.
It is not necessary for most of these students to be at the computing room in the middle of the night. What they are working belong to no assignments. They remain there because they desire to be — they can not resist the attraction of the computers.
Furthermore, they are in groups instead of being alone. There are hackers at computing rooms all over the country. In the unimaginable way, they focus on nothing but computer. They escape from schooling and live beyond friendship; they might have difficulty being employed, choosing to travel from one computing room to another. They may even give up personal health.
“There is one hacker in my memory. We actually had to lift him away from his chair to feed him and arrange him to rest and sleep. We truly worried about his health,” says a computing science professor at California University.
Professors of computer science are nowadays paying more attention to this hacker phenomenon and are on the watch for future hackers and more and more severe computer addicts. They believe firmly that hackers are not simply resulted from the close relationship with a machine. It is the result of social relationship with the attractive thinking machines, which are becoming nearly universal.
小題1:We can learn from the passage that those at the computing room in the middle of the night are     .
A．students working on a program
B．students using computers to amuse themselves
C．hard-working computer science majors
D．students deeply fascinated by the computer
小題2:Which of the following is NOT true of those young computer “hackers”?
A．Most of them are top students majoring in computer programming.
B．For them, computer programming is the only purpose for their life.
C．They can stay with the computer at the computing room for nearly two days.
D．Their love for the computer is so deep that they want to be near their machines even when they sleep.
小題3:It can be reasonably inferred from the passage that ______.
A．the hacker phenomenon exists only at university computing rooms
B．it is not very easy for the “hackers” to find friends or jobs
C．university computing rooms are expecting outstanding programmers out of the “hackers”
D．the hacker phenomenon is partly due to the lack of the computing rooms
小題4:According to professors of computer science, the hacker phenomenon can be described as     .
A．positiveB．disgusting
C．worryingD．a(chǎn)dmiring
小題5:Which of the following may be the most appropriate title for the passage?
A．The Charm of Computer ScienceB．A New Type of Electronic Toys
C．Future Computer ProgrammersD．Computer Addicts

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔隊) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小報) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed
Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
小題1:It can be learned from the passage that stars today___.
A．a(chǎn)re often misunderstood by the public
B．can no longer have their privacy protected
C．spend too much on their public appearance
D．care little about how they have come into fame
小題2:What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
C．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.
D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
小題3: What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A．Availability of modern media. B．Inadequate social recognition.
C．Lack of favorable chances.D．Huge population of fans.
小題4:What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
A．Sincere.B．Sceptical.C．Disapproving.D．Sympathetic.

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