Passage One xn x1`|1u
In Japan, some people play golf on weekends and some form long lines in the Ginza district to watch first-run foreign films. A knowing few go to the barbershop. 2t`9_zqLw
A trip to a Japanese barbershop is an odyssey into the country's economic miracle, a glimpse at the same attention to detail that has made "Japan Inc." the envy of the capitalist world. +v[$lh+
It is more than simply getting a haircut. Customers go to escape the hustle and bustle of Tokyo's frenetic pace. They go to complain about local politics and catch up on the latest neighborhood scuttlebutt. lA
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But most of all, they go to be cranked up high in the barber's chair, to assume for at lest one precious moment – regardless of their walk of life---that honorific stature uniquely revered in Japan: that of okyakusama, or customer. FOUs=
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So going to the barbershop here is an outing . The object is not to get it over with as quickly as possible, American-style, but to prolong the treatment and bask in its sensual pleasures. $v bAcWj
No one understands this better than Tanaka-san, who runs a state-of-the-art barbershop just up the street from where I live, in the Minami Azabu district. Like much else in Japan, Mr. Tankaka's shop has only recently gone upscale. :'=~/GR
Last year, he sold his small, old shop, located a few blocks from the new one, for a cool $15.3 million. With typical Japanese foresight for investing for the long pull, Mr. Tanaka plowed the proceeds into his spanking new premises. l]kl V+9t
Mr. Tanaka, 54, has been in the barbering business for 38 years. Back in 1950, he charged only 35 yen --- not much compared with the 3,200 yen he receives today for a cut and shampoo. At today's exchange rates, $22 for a haircut might seem expensive, but I think it's one of the best deals in town.
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You always have to wait in line at Mr. Tanaka's shop : He doesn't take reservations because he doesn't need to. But when your time comes, Mr. Tanaka directs you to the seat of honor. Q3'B$,3O^
Soon his wife is feverishly shampooing your hair, massaging your scalp with a special brush. While she scrubs, Mr. Tanaka is busy at the next chair, applying the finishing snips and snaps to another client. This tag-team approach keeps the shop running at full capacity. divZJc
Mr. Tanaka typically spends about 45 minutes cutting your hair, scrutinizing the symmetry of the sideburns with the utmost care. His cutting skills are superb, but it is in conversation that he truly excels. He knows when to talk, when to listen and when to utter the drawn-out guttural grunt of approval so common in Japanese. These insightful yet subtle dialogues with his clients create the cornerstone of Mr.Tanaka's thriving business: the repeat customer, every retailer's dream.
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For the rare client not "hooked" by pleasant conversation , Mrs. Tanaka's shaving technique, with a straight-edged razor, is the showstopper. First, she places a hot towel over your face, then wipes your face with moisturizing oil. U0bE B
She applies another hot towel to remove the oil and lathers you up with warm shaving cream. Finally, she methodically spends fifteen minutes shaving off every last whisker---including any stray hairs that might have found their way to your forehead or earlobes. The oil and hot-towel procedure is repeated and the reclining customer is gently coaxed into returning to earth. 8h dAXWPn
Foreign businessmen trying to figure our what makes Japan's economy so successful might do well to visit a Japanese barbershop. Impeccable service isn't extra here, it's included the price of admission. b=QGbFf
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61. An attention to detail has made "Japan Inc." W!4V: (T
A. a good place for tourists >~
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B. a land of many barbershops F6GZZ Kj
C. a prosperous economic power ~
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D. a famous resort y[5P<:&s
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62. In Japanese barbershops, barbers d_7Xlp@
A. rush customers out 'hi\ 98y
B. never talk about politics IweK!,:>dN
C. talk with customers and work leisurely \gz
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D. are rather impatient with customers jnKM6%z
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63. Relaxation and sensual pleasure are .5CELt R
A. admitted goals of customers W*DIW;8p
B. not possible in the busy atmosphere 1 l*(8!_
C. not appreciated by hurried customers Z
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D. not available to customers e%c5 OZ3~
64. Because Mr. Tanaka's shop is s popular, /uz5V/i0
A. reservations are required t-x"(
B. people wait in line @] "9EW
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C. he is opening another new store
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D. he becomes famous for that Tl 7:}X<?
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65. Not only is Mr. Tanaka a good barber, but he is also K2M NaB
A. skilled at conversation
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B. an expert in shaving techniques "Xs Y~
C. a local politician qe"6#@b *|
D. a psychologist 2:/MN2
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Passage Two K}/ ` YDu
Mincerva was the goddess of wisdom, but on one occasion she did a very foolish thing; she entered into competition with Juno and Venus for the prize of beauty. It happened thus: At the nuptials of Peleus and Theetis all the gods were invited with the exception of Eris, or Discord. Enraged at her exclusion, the goddess threw a golden apple among the guests, with the inscription (题词), "For the fairest." Thereupon Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed the apple. Jupiter, not willing to decide in so delicate a matter, sent the goddesses to Mount Ida, where the beautiful shepherd Paris was tending his flocks, and to him was committed the decision. The goddesses accordingly appeared before him. Juno promised him power and riches, Minerva glory and renown in war, and Venus the fairest of women his wife, each attempting to bias his decision in her own favor. Paris decided in favour of Venus and gave her the golden apple, thus making the two other goddesses his enemies. Under the protection of Venus, Paris sailed to Greece, and was hospitably received by Menelaus. king of Sparta. Now Helen, the wife of Menelaus, was the very woman whom Venus had destined for Paris, the fairest of her sex. She had been sought as a bride by numerous suitors, and before her decision was made known, they all, at the suggestion of Ulysses, one of their number, took an oath that they would defend her from all injury and avenge her cause if necessary. She chose Menelaus, and was living with him happily when Paris became their guest . Paris aided by Venus, persuaded her to elope （私奔）with him, and carried her to Troy, whence arose the famous Trojan war, the theme of the greatest poems of antiquity, those of Homer and Virgil. o4'4H y
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Menelaus called upon his brother chieftains（首领） of Greece to fulfill their pledge, and join him in his efforts to recover his wife. They generally came forward, but Ulysses, who had married Penelope, and was very happy in his wife and child, had no disposition to embark in such a troublesome affair. He therefore hung back and Palamedes was sent to urge him. When Palamedes arrived at Ithaca Ulysses pretended to be mad. He yoked （用牛轭套住）an ass and an ox together to the plough and began to sow salt. Palamedes, to try him, placed the infant Telemachus before the plough, whereupon the father turned the plough aside, showing plainly that he was no madman, and after that could no longer refuse to fulfill his promise. Being now himself gained for the undertaking, he lent his aid to bring in other reluctant chiefs, especially Achilles. This hero was the son of that Thetis at whose marriage the apple of Discord had been thrown among the goddesses. Thetis was herself one of the immortals, a sea-nymph (海仙女), and knowing that her son was fated to perish before Troy if he went on the expedition, she endeavoured to prevent his going . She sent him away to the court of King Lycomedes, and induced him to conceal himself in the disguise of a maiden among the daughters of the king. Ulysses, hearing he was there, went disguised as a merchant to the palace and offered for sale female ornaments, among which he had placed some arms. While the king's daughters were engrossed with the other contents of the merchant' s pack, Achilles handled the weapons and thereby betrayed himself to the keen eye of Ulysses, who found no great difficulty in persuading him to disregard his mother's prudent counsels and join his countrymen in the war. )hJjVitG
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66. Bulfinch describes Jupiter as unwilling to “decide in so delicate a matter” (lines 6), implying !3 Z|!JY
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A. Jupiter is usually heavy-handed "_@+/ Iy.
B. any decision is bound to offend someone IeI% X\G
C. Jupiter to overly sensitive. UMW^0>Z!v
D. the problems are so obscure that no one can judge them. EjE`S_i=
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67. The word disposition (line 22) is used to mean A ?k,}~
A. inclination
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B. nature Ns8NaD
C. integrity 7{F9b0zwk
D. value uOqDJM'RM
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68. The sowing of salt is used by Bulfinch to show pd qa) >$
A. Ulysses's attempt to be found insane IMrOPwjc
B. the difficulty of cultivating in rocky soil Ki;5 =)
C. how the tears of the gods created the sea rB|:r\Z(jG
D. the god's punishment of those who disobey them 1V$B^/ _
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69. Bulfinch reveals that Thetis is a sea-nymphy in order to explain .T w F]
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A. why she married Peleus BW=6gZ_
B. why she dislikes the idea of war 1K lu]J%
C. the effect of the apple of Discord L>GYj6D9
D. her ability to predict the future yZaDNc9 '
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70.. Among the chieftains of Greece apparently are !O_^Rn+<2
A. Juno, Venus, and Minerva R:x04 !}
B. Paris and Lycomedes irj}:f;!eF
C. Ulysses, Achilles, and Menelaus 5 g7}A`
D. Eris and Thetis m|FONQ,@D
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Passage Three ` &7? +s
On the whole, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has always treated Mars with respect. American spacecraft have flown by, orbited and even landed on the Red Planet. What they've never done is wound it. If scientists ever hope to understand Mars fully, however, they are going to have to puncture the dry Martian crust to sample the planetary pulp below. Next week NASA will launch a ship that will begin that process. dh`A(B{hfc
The first ship of the two-spacecraft mission --- set to fly Dec. 10---is the Mars Climate Orbiter. Arriving in September 1999, the spacecraft will enter an orbit of the planet that traces a path over the Martian poles, allowing it to study the local atmosphere. Its orbit will position it perfectly to act as a relay satellite for any later ship that may land on the surface. That’s a good thing, since three weeks or so after the orbiter leaves Earth, NAS will launch another spacecraft, the more ambitious Mars Polar Lander. W\Y
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A spindly machine standing 107 cm tall, the lander is set to arrive in December 1999, aiming to touch down near Mars’ south pole, one of the few sports on the freeze-dried planet that is likely to contain some water. Just before reaching the Martian atmosphere, the lander will release a pairs of tapered pods(锥形分离舱) , each about the size of a basketball, made of brittle silica. Plunging ahead of the ship , the projectiles will free-fall to the surface and strike the ground at 650 km/h. N Z9,9
The pods are designed to shatter on impact, releasing a pair of 18-cm probes. Slamming into the surface, the probes are supposed to drive themselves 120 cm into the Martian crust. Once buried, they will deploy tiny drills and begin sampling the chemical makeup of the soil around them. Scientists believe that chemistry could be remarkably rich. "The surface of Mars has been pretty well sterilized(消毒) by ultraviolet radiation," says Sam Thurman, the missions flight-operations manager.
