Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation(創(chuàng)新) that threatens the survival of companies everywhere. It’s based on the assumption that old ideas will always work, so they shouldn’t be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don’t change, it’s unlikely to hold true in a changing situation. In today’s rapid changing global environment, old methods often don't work, and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.

Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security. If everyone else believes it, then it must be true. Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right, and being right is good. They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work. In 1977, Ken Olsen, co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), stated “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry, DEC no longer exists.

People seem to forget that since innovation is a change, there can be no innovation without change. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom prevents leaders, followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating. If companies don’t innovate, but their competitors do, the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries, so it has a powerful effect on business success.

Ted Turner (founder of CNN) knew little, if anything, about the news business, but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour, as was common before CNN. Turner’s solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day. The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time, and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day. However, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don’t have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work. Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information. Due to conventional thinking, the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.

Conventional wisdom prevents creativity, flexibility and risk-taking, so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it. To survive, thrive and maintain competitive advantage, companies must be flexible when reacting to change.

1.DEC has disappeared probably because ___________.

A. the CEO stuck to the conventional ideas

B. the leaders lacked the sense of security

C. the consumers didn’t like its products

D. the employees took many risks with changes

2. The founding of CNN is used as an example to prove _________.

A. missing opportunities could lead to failure

B. conventional wisdom influences business success

C. watching news at the dinner hour is convenient

D. changing could contribute to business success

3. What does the underlined part probably mean?

A. Rocket scientists can ensure the CNN works properly.

B. It’s easy to know people needn’t watch the news all the time

C. It’s necessary to understand when people watch the news.

D. Most of the viewers don’t like to watch the news at work.

4.The passage is mainly written to tell us that ______.

A. conventional wisdom limits innovation

B. opportunities lead to business success

C. old methods are changing with time

D. successful companies need wise leaders

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書面表達(dá)

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部分同學(xué)的飲食習(xí)慣

良好的飲食習(xí)慣

個(gè)人看法

不吃早餐

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飲食過度

飲食多樣化

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1. 發(fā)言稿必須包括所有內(nèi)容要點(diǎn)，可適當(dāng)發(fā)揮;

2. 發(fā)言稿開頭和結(jié)尾已為你寫好，不計(jì)入總詞數(shù)；

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Dear friends,

As we all know, we are what we eat. Therefore, it’s very important for us to form healthy eating habits.

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The Lost Rules of Etiquette

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4.

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A. Arriving on Time.

B. Leaving at the Right Time.

C. People leave with various excuses.

D. It enabled people to get on well with each other.

E. This rule was true even if the giver was a relative.

F. It could be the lady they were driving, or a stranger.

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完形填空

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A Father's Love

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Daddy just didn’t know how to show love, unless…

Is it possible he showed it and didn’t ________ it ?

1.A. put B. supported C. held D. gathered

2.A. helped B. punished C. awarded D. made

3.A. understood B. knew C. responded D. admitted

4.A. home B. school C. hospital D. car

5.A. right B. along C. simply D. afterwards

6.A. preserved B. reserved C. replaced D. attached

7.A. out of date B. out of breath C. out of place D. out of mind

8.A. devoted B. admired C. performed D. drowned

9.A. will B. can C. may D. must

10.A. break it up B. set it off C. let it go D. take it apart

11.A. At the end B. As a result C. As a matter of fact D. As you know

12.A. wiped B. reminded C. waved D. prevented

13.A. familiar B. sensitive C. fierce D. mad

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15.A. attractive B. secure C. original D. valuable

16.A. as though B. now that C. even though D. so that

17.A. missed B. belonged C. removed D. called

18.A. then B. but C. afterwards D. and

19.A. secretly B. loudly C. quietly D. hopelessly

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短文改錯(cuò)

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文,請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯(cuò)誤,每句中最多有兩處。每處錯(cuò)誤僅涉及一個(gè)單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

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刪除:把多余的詞用斜線(\)劃掉。

修改:在錯(cuò)的詞下畫一橫線,并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意:1.每處錯(cuò)誤及其修改均僅限一詞;

2.只允許修改10處,多者(從第11處起)不計(jì)分。

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What Is Emotional Eating?

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We’re all emotional eaters to a degree. But for some people emotional eating can be a real problem, causing serious weight gain or other problems. The trouble with emotional eating is that once the pleasure of eating is gone, the feelings that cause it remain. __5.__ That’s why it helps to know the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger.

Next time you reach for a snack, wait and think about which type of hunger

is driving it.

A. Believe it or not, we’ve all been there.

B. If a crying boy gets some cookies, he may link cookies with comfort.

C. One study found that people who eat food like pizza become happy afterwards.

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E. Understanding what drives emotional eating can help people take steps to change it.

F. Boys seem to prefer hot, homemade comfort meals, while girls go for chocolate and ice cream.

G. More often, though, it’s the countless little daily stresses that cause someone to seek comfort in food.

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We live in a fast-paced and anxiety-filled world that often times seems to shift beneath our feet. Thus we are sometimes affected by fears or anxiety impacting our life. For as long as I could remember I had struggled with anxiety. After I left university, I made friends with a Moroccan woman at work. One day she invited me to ___________ her and her family back home. I wanted to, but I would have to travel there ___________ and I knew we would be in a very rural area. How would I cope with my___________ ?

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2.A. alone B. soon C. free D. safe

3.A. work B. curiosity C. homesickness D. worries

4.A. appeared B. hit C. struck D. occurred

5.A. impress B. control C. reach D. persuade

6.A. enjoy B. experience C. take D. experiment

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8.A. achievement B. fear C. disappointment D. embarrassment

9.A. good B. ashamed C. afraid D. proud

10.A. sorry B. confused C. confident D. thankful

11.A. doubt B. luck C. love D. surprise

12.A. improve B. hold C. protect D. reduce

13.A. inspired B. moved C. pleased D. shocked

14.A. lands B. difficulties C. resources D. friends

15.A. discovered B. explored C. examined D. recognized

16.A. opportunity B. rush C. stay D. life

17.A. rules B. exists C. matters D. hurts

18.A. disappeared B. expanded C. remained D. removed

19.A. expressing B. challenging C. forgetting D. remembering

20.A. drop B. notice C. pass D. overcome

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—Can I have a day off tomorrow? I need to visit my grandma in the hospital.

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