Zong Qinghou, the founder of China’s soft drinks giant Hangzhou Wahaha Group, died on Feb. 25, 2024. The self-made billionaire, who was once China’s richest man, died of an illness on Sunday at the age of 79, his company said in a brief statement.
In China, Zong was known as a legendary businessman who grew his soft drinks empire from a tricycle cart (三轮车) selling ice pops to school kids into a large company selling everything from milk drinks to bottled water and canned porridge. Zong was also praised as a national hero for wrestling full control of Wahaha, which means “laughing child”, from its French partner Danone (法国达能集团) more than a decade ago. Victory in that bitter battle boosted Zong’s wealth to $8 billion, making him China’s richest man in 2010 and again in 2012, according to Forbes.
His death was mourned across China. Condolences (吊唁) poured in from prominent Chinese entrepreneurs including Alibaba (BABA) co-founder Jack Ma and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. Wahaha employees and residents in the eastern city of Hangzhou laid flowers outside the company.
Despite his wealth, Zong was known for his frugal lifestyle. He was nicknamed “the richest man in cloth shoes” for always wearing plain black shoes, complete with a dark jacket and casual pants. In an interview with the state-run People’s Daily in 2010, Zong said the title had brought little change to his life. “Every day, I still smoke two packs of cigarettes that cost 12 yuan (then $1.80) each, have two cups of tea, and eat my three meals at the company canteen,” he said. He was known for starting work around 7 am and not leaving the office until 11 pm, working for more than 12 hours a day long before the exhausting “996” work schedule became commonplace. 996 refers to working 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week.
Zong is survived by his wife and his daughter, Zong Fuli, who has long been trained as his successor.
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2.What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
A Zong’s daily routines.
B Zong’s business talent.
C Zong’s academic achievements.
D Zong’s educational background.
解析：选B。B 段落大意题。本段主要介绍了宗庆后从最朴实的街头三轮冰棍小贩起步到造就中国民营经济的璀璨明珠——娃哈哈集团以及他与国际巨头法国达能集团抗衡取得胜利，并多次蝉联中国内地富豪榜首富，这些都是他的商业才能。故选B。
3.What can be inferred about Zong Qinghou from Paragraph 3?
A He used to receive a lot of help.
B He helped many small businesses.
C He was much loved by people.
D He made friends with famous entrepreneurs.
解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据第三段内容：全中国都在哀悼宗庆后的去世，包括阿里巴巴联合创始人马云和小米首席执行官雷军在内的中国著名企业家纷纷表示哀悼，娃哈哈的员工和杭州的居民在娃哈哈公司外面献花，由此可知，宗庆后深受人们的爱戴。故选C。
4.What does the underlined word "frugal" probably mean?
A Impractical.
B Hardworking.
C Avoiding waste.
D Relying on others.
解析：选C。C 词义猜测题。结合该段后文中的“He was nicknamed ‘the richest man in cloth shoes’ for always wearing plain black shoes, complete with a dark jacket and casual pants.”他曾被人亲切地称作“布鞋首富”，因为他总是穿着普通的黑色鞋子，搭配深色夹克和休闲裤；他很有钱，但是他每天只抽两包12块钱的烟，喝两杯茶，一日三餐在公司食堂解决。由此可知，他的生活方式很节俭。故选C。
