C
You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.
The designer says he come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street ad saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬)built into a street lamp.” he said.
The lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors(传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.
In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360°motion sensor on the biberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone’s using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.
According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.
While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be installed on my street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.
66. For what purpose did Belyacv create the lampbrella?
A. To predict a heavy rain B. To check the weather forecast
C. To protect people from the rain D. To remind people to take an umbrella
67. What do we know from Belyacv’s worlds in Paragraph2?
A. His creation was inspired by an experience
B. it rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg
C. Street lamps are protected by canopies
D. He enjoyed taking walks in the rain
68. Which of the following show how the lampbrella works?
A. motor→canopy→sensors B. Sensors→motor→canopy
C. motor→sensors→canopy D. canopy→motor→sensors
69. What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the lampbrella?
A. Its moving speed B. Its appearance
C. Its installation D. Its safety
70. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. The designer will open a company to promote his product
B. The lampbrella could be put into immediate production
C. The designer is confident that his creation is practical
D. The lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow
D
Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers’ speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original sons performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intension was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover. (营业额)
These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated.
71. Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?
A. The number of its customers was declining
B. Its customers found the food unhealthy
C. It was in need of financial support
D. Most of its restaurants were closed
72. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Customers of Sparrow restaurants B. Sparrow restaurants
C. Customers of other fast-food chains D. other fast-food chains
73. For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?
A. To build a good relationship with the public
B. To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow
C. To lean about customers; spending power.
D. To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants.
74. The TV ads of Sparrow ________ .
A. changed people’s views on pop stars
B. amused the public with original songs
C. focused on the superiority of its products
D. influenced the eating habits of the audience
75. What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?
A. He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts.
B. He made Sparrow much more competitive
C. He helped Sparrow take over a company
D. He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees
