In 1939 two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald, started a drive-in restaurant in San Bernadino, California. They carefully chose a busy corner for their location. They had run their own businesses for years, first a theater, then a barbecue(烤肉) restaurant, then another drive-in. But in their new operation, they offered a new, shortened menu: French fries, hamburgers, and sodas. To this small selection they added one new idea: quick service, no waiters or waitresses, and no tips.
Their hamburgers sold for fifteen cents. Cheese was another four cents. Their French fries and hamburgers had a remarkable uniformity(一致性), for the brothers had developed a strict routine(程序) for the preparation of their food, and they insisted on their cooks sticking to their routine. Their new drive-in became surprisingly popular, particularly for lunch. People drove up by the hundreds during the busy noontime. The self-service restaurant was so popular that the brothers had allowed ten copies of their restaurant to be opened. They were content with this modest success until they met Ray Kroc.
Kroc was a salesman who met the McDonald brothers in 1954, when he was selling milkshake-mixing machines. He quickly saw the special attraction of the brothers’ fast-food restaurants and bought the right to franchise(特许经营) other copies of their restaurants. The agreement included the right to duplicate(复制) the menu, the equipment, even their red and white buildings with the golden arches(拱门).
Today McDonald’s is really a household name. In 1976, McDonald’s had over $ l billion in total sales. Its first twenty-two years is one of the most surprising success stories in modern American business history.
【小题1】.56. This passage mainly talks about _______.
A. the development of fast food services
B. how McDonald’s became a billion-dollar business
C. the business careers of Mac and Dick McDonald
D. Ray Kroc’s business talent
【小题2】.57. Mac and Dick managed all of the following businesses except _______.
A. a drive-in B. a theater C. a cinema D. a barbecue restaurant
【小题3】.58. We may infer from this passage that _______.
A. Mac and Dick McDonald never became wealthy for they sold their idea to Kroc.
B. the place the McDonalds chose was the only source of the great popularity of their drive-in
C. forty years ago there were lots of fast-food restaurants
D. Ray Kroc was a good businessman
【小题4】.59. The passage suggests that _______.
A. creativity is an important element of business success
B. Ray Kroc was the close partner of the McDonald brothers
C. Mac and Dick McDonald became broken after they sold their ideas to Ray Kroc
D. California is the best place to go into business
【答案】
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】D
【小题4】A
【解析】
考点：考查类阅读B【河北省邯郸市2015届高三上学期1月份教学质量检测】
A British shopper, Emma Mumford, who was named “the Coupon(优惠券) Queen” has spent just £350 on a luxury(奢侈) Christmas for her and her familybut got £2,500 worth of food, drink and presents thanks to coupons and offers.
Ms Mumford is a so-called “extreme couponer” and spends hours hunting out the best deals and bargains. She has been preparing for this Christmas since the end of the last one. Ms Mumford made the huge savings by checking price comparison websites and as a result collected more presents than she needed for Christmas. After sorting out gifts for all of her family, she has even been able to donate £1,000 worth of presents to her local hospital.
“It has been so nice to have Christmas sorted and not having to worry about breaking the bank. I wanted to get high quality presents for my family and show that you can do it without spending a fortune. There is a misconception that everyone who does couponing only gets value products but through my careful shopping I have managed to purchase designer perfumes(香水), a high-end coffee machine.” she explained.
She said “What started as a hobby to help me save money has turned into my life and I am able to run a business helping people save money. I know what it feels like to struggle as my ex-partner had a lot of debt which I took on for him. We were in a poor situation where every penny counted. That’s what really inspired me.”
She has now turned her bargain-hunting addiction into a business where she searches for the best deals and offer tips to the general public through video blogging and her Facebook Page.
“I try and show people that it is just a little bit of work in the beginning but it will eventually pay off. One of the best things to do is just to be a bit forward thinking and save throughout the year.”
【小题1】How did Emma make the huge savings?
She compared prices through websites.
She hunted out bargains in real shops.
She used coupons and offers worth £2,500.
She collected more Christmas presents than needed.
【小题2】What does “breaking the bank” in the third paragraph mean?
A. Buying presents of low quality. B. Spending more money than you have.
C. Breaking into the bank. D. Taking out money from the bank.
【小题3】What really inspired Emma to help people save money?
A. Her addiction to bargain-hunting.
B. The financial difficulties she shared with her ex-partner.
C. The poor situation people around her were going through.
D. Her experience of running an unsuccessful business.
【小题4】Which of the following can best describe Emma?
A. Ambitious and creative. B. Sensitive and determined.
C. Brave and lucky. D. Careful and caring.
【答案】
【小题3】B
【小题4】D
【解析】
I know what it feels like to struggle as my ex-partner had a lot of debt which I took on for him. We were in a poor situation where every penny counted. That’s what really inspired me.”可知，Ms Mumford的前夫欠下了巨额债务，Ms Mumford和前夫遇到的经济困难促使她帮助人们省钱，故选B。
【小题4】推理判断题。根据第三段“but through my careful shopping”可知，Ms Mumford是一个细心的人;根据第四段“I am able to run a business helping people save money”和第五段“she searches for the best deals and offer tips to the general public”可知，Ms Mumford是一个关心他人的人，故选D。
考点：
