题目内容：

    Light and bright, cheap and cheerful: IKEA’s 400-plus outlets (专营店) in 49 countries all run on the same central principle. Customers do as much of the work as possible, in the belief they are having fun and saving money. You drive to a distant warehouse built on cheap out-of-town land. Inside, you enter a maze (迷宫) — no shortcuts allowed — where every twist reveals new furniture.

Compared with the prices of other outlets, IKEA’s are much lower. You load up your trolley (手推车) with impulse buys-a clock, storage boxes, tools and more chairs than you will ever use. You drag cardboard boxes, cupboards and tables into your car and reward yourself for your economy and good taste. Then you drive home and put your prizes together. You are satisfied with the bargains. IKEA is satisfied with your money.

The company’s name was a do-it-yourself job, too. IKEA stands for Ingvar Kamprad, from Elmtaryd ― his family’s farm — in Agunnaryd. That village is in the Smaland region of southern Sweden. Mr Kamprad founded IKEA aged 17. Well before that, he spotted a principle which would make him one of the richest men in the world that customers like buying goods at wholesale prices (批发价). First he bought matches in large quantities and sold them by the box. Aged ten, he sold pens in the similar way.

Setbacks inspired him. Facing a price war against his low-cost mail-order furniture business, he defeated competitors by opening a showroom. Dealers tried to crush Mr Kamprad and banned him from their trade fairs. He slipped in, hiding in a friend’s car. When they tried to threaten his suppliers, he relied on his own workers, and secretly sold his production to communist Poland. Decades later, east Europeans freed from the planned economy drove hundreds of miles to newly opened outlets in Moscow and Warsaw.

His self-discipline was world-famous. As a child, he removed the “off” button from his alarm clock to stop himself oversleeping. He rarely took a first-class seat. The wine didn’t get you there any earlier, he sniffed; having lots of money was no reason to waste it. He bought his clothes in second-hand markets, and for years drove an elderly Volvo until he had to sell it on safety grounds. He had his hair cut in poor countries to save money. Visitors admired the views, but were surprised that his house was so shabby. He worked well into his eighties.

His diligence and simple way of life set a good example to his 194,000 “co-workers”. But he was not mean. The point of cutting costs was to make goods affordable, not to compromise quality. He urged his staff to reflect constantly on ways of saving money, time and space. An improved design that allows easier piling means shipping less air and more profit.

Culture was more important than strategy. He disliked “exaggerated (夸张的) planning”, along with financial markets and banks. Better to make mistakes and learn from them. And use time wisely: “You can do so much in ten minutes. But ten minutes once gone are gone for good.” This did not apply to customers. The longer they stayed, the better.

Mr Kamprad’s impact on modern life can be compared with that of Henry Ford and the mass-produced motor car. Furniture used to be expensive, dark and heavy. For many people, decorating a home could cost many months’ salary. IKEA made furniture not just affordable and functional, but fun. The mission was civilizational, he felt, changing how people lived and thought.

His approach drew some fire. The company values struck some as unpleasant. At IKEA’s Corporate Culture Centre, lots of pictures of Mr Kamprad with his mottos can be seen everywhere. What’s worse, some parts of the supply chain seemed to have serious problems to overcome.

1.What can we learn about IKEA in Paragraph 1?

A.IKEA prefers rural areas for its location.

B.IKEA has 400 outlets throughout the world.

C.IKEA likes to store new furniture in a maze.

D.IKEA provides a lot of work for its customers.

2.The underlined two sentences in Paragraph 2 imply that ________.

A.IKEA tricks you into spending more money

B.you may buy bargains with impulse in IKEA

C.both you and IKEA are pleased with the deal

D.both you and IKEA are happy with the bargain

3.By mentioning Mr. Kamprad’s experiences before he founded IKEA, the author intends to tell us that Mr Kamprad ________.

A.was likely to become a successful businessman

B.preferred selling matches and pens by low prices

C.had been a well-off merchant due to his principle

D.enjoyed doing something promising with discipline

4.What can be inferred from paragraph 5 and 6 about Mr. Kamprad?

A.He never overslept due to his alarm clock being set.

B.He was against drinking but for sniffing at the wine.

C.He sold the old Volvo with the purpose of saving money. -

D.He didn’t give up the quality of furniture for more profit.

5.Which of the following has nothing to do with Mr. Kamprad’s success in business?

A.The pictures and mottos of Mr. Kamprad.

B.The setbacks Mr. Kamprad experienced.

C.Mr. Kamprad’s principles of management.

D.Mr. Kamprad’s self-discipline and diligence.