阅读理解

Directions: There are 3 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

 

Passage One

Department Store Magic

For most of the 20th century Smithson’s was one of Britain’s most successful department stores, but by the mid-1990s, it had become dull. Still profitable, thanks largely to a series of successful advertising campaigns, but decidedly boring. The famous were careful not to be seen there, and its sales staff didn’t seem to have changed since the store opened in 1908. Worst of all, its customers were buying fewer and fewer of its own-brand products, the major part of its business, and showing a preference for more fashionable brands.

But now all this has changed, thanks to Rowena Baker, who became Smithson’s first woman Chief Executive three years ago. Since then, while most major retailers in Britain have been losing money, Smithson’s profits have been rising steadily. When Baker started, a lot of improvements had just been made to the building, without having any effect on sales, and she took the bold decision to invite one of Europe’s most exciting interior designers to develop the fashion area, the heart of the store. This very quickly led to rising sales, even before the goods on display were changed. And as sales grew, so did profits.

Baker had ambitious plans for the store from the start. ‘We’re playing a big game, to prove we’re up there with the leaders in our sector, and we have to make sure people get that message. Smithson’s had fallen behind the competition. It provided a traditional service targeted at middle-aged, middle- income customers, who’d been shopping there for years, and the customer base was gradually contracting. Our idea is to sell such an exciting variety of goods that everyone will want to come in, whether they plan to spend a little or a lot. Baker’s vision for the store is clear, but achieving it is far from simple. At first, many employees resisted her improvements because they just wouldn’t be persuaded that there was anything wrong with the way they’d always done things, even if they accepted that the store had to overtake its competitors. It took many long meetings, involving the entire workforce, to win their support. It helped when they realized that Baker was a very different kind of manager from the ones they had known.

Baker’s staff policies contained more surprises. The uniform that had hardly changed since day one has now disappeared. Moreover, teenagers now get young shop assistants, and staffs in the sports departments are themselves sports fans in trainers. As Baker explains, ‘How can you sell jeans if you’re wearing a black suit? Smithson’s has a new identity, and this needs to be made clear to the customers.’ She’s also given every sales assistant responsibility for ensuring customer satisfaction, even if it means occasionally breaking company rules in the hope that this will help company profits.

Rowena Baker is proving successful, but the City’s big investors haven’t been persuaded. According to retail analyst, John Matthews, ‘Money had already been invested in refurbishment of the store and in fact that led to the boost in sales. She took the credit, but hadn’t done anything to achieve it. And in my view the company’s shareholders are not convinced. The fact is that unless she opens several more stores pretty soon, Smithson’s profits will start to fall because turnover at the existing store will inevitably start to decline. 

单选题 According to the writer, in the mid-1990s Smithson’s departmentstore _____.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】根据文章第一段最后一句话“...its customers were buying fewer and fewer of its own-brand products, the major part of its business, and showing a preference for more fashionable brands.”这个题目的答案有相当的迷惑性。 整个句子都讲客户购买的越来越少，偏好更多的时尚品牌。所以很容易误选A，但实际上并不是这样，its own-brand products, the major part of its business。 自由品牌仍然是公司业务的主要部分。 所以应该选D： 主要销售Smithson名下的产品。 Under the Smithson’s name也就是its own brand products。
单选题 According to the writer, Smithson’s profits started rising three yearsago because of _____.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据第二段第三句话“...and she took the bold decision to invite one of Europe’s most exciting interior designers to develop the fashion area, the heart of the store.”句意： 她做出了一个大胆的决定，邀请了欧洲最刺激的室内设计师来开发时尚领域。 后面紧接着就说“This very quickly led to rising sales,”所以答案选C。
单选题 According to Rowena Baker, one problem which Smithson’s facedwhen she joined was that _____.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】根据第三段第四句话“It provided a traditional service targeted at middle-aged, middle-income customers, who’d been shopping there for years, and the customer base was gradually contracting.”句意： 它提供的传统服务目标人群是中年中等收入者，这些人已经在那购物多年，并且客户基数逐渐减少。 contract缩小，收缩。 所以答案选A。
单选题 According to the writer, many staff opposed Baker’s plans because_____.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】根据第三段倒数第二句话“At first, many employees resisted her improvements because they just wouldn’t be persuaded that there was anything wrong with the way they’d always done things, even if they accepted that the store had to overtake its competitors.”句意： 许多老板都不愿意承认他们以前做事情的方式有什么问题。 意思也就是不愿意改变他们工作的方式。 选A。
单选题 Baker has changed staff policies because she believes that _____.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据文章第四段第四句话Baker的原话“How can you sell jeans if you’re wearing a black suit? Smithson’s has a new identity, and this needs to be made clear to the customers.”句意： 你怎么能穿着黑西服卖牛仔？Smithson有一个新的身份，必须让客户知道这一新的身份。 也就是C选项说的“客户必须能辨别出服务他们的员工”。 A不对，没有提到改善公司形象，B和D在原文没有提到。