2001年全国考研英语阅读真题

2001年全国考研英语阅读真题 2001年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题 Text 1 Specialization can be seen as a response to the problem of an increasing accumulation of scientific knowledge. By splitting up the subject matter into smaller units, one man could continue to handle the information and use it as the basis for further research. But specialization was only one of a series of related developments in science affecting the process of communication. Another was the growing professionalisation of scientific activity. No clear-cut distinction can be drawn between professionals and amateurs in science: exceptions can be found to any rule. Nevertheless, the word ―amateur‖ does carry a connotation that the person concerned is not fully integrated into the scientific community and, in particular, may not fully share its values. The growth of specialization in the nineteenth century, with its consequent requirement of a longer, more complex training, implied greater problems for amateur participation in science. The trend was naturally most obvious in those areas of science based especially on a mathematical or laboratory training, and can be illustrated in terms of the development of geology in the United Kingdom. A comparison of British geological publications over the last century and a half reveals not simply an increasing emphasis on the primacy of research, but also a changing definition of what constitutes an acceptable research paper. Thus, in the nineteenth century, local geological studies represented worthwhile research in their own right; but, in the twentieth century, local studies have increasingly become acceptable to professionals only if they incorporate, and reflect on, the wider geological picture. Amateurs, on the other hand, have continued to pursue local studies in the old way. The overall result has been to make entrance to professional geological journals harder for amateurs, a result that has been reinforced by the widespread introduction of refereeing, first by national journals in the nineteenth century and then by several local geological journals in the twentieth century. As a logical consequence of this development, separate journals have now appeared aimed mainly towards either professional or amateur readership. A rather similar process of differentiation has led to professional geologists coming together nationally within one or two specific societies, whereas the amateurs have tended either to remain in local societies or to come together nationally in a different way. Although the process of professionalisation and specialization was already well under way in British geology during the nineteenth century, its full consequences were thus delayed until the twentieth century. In science generally, however, the nineteenth century must be reckoned as the crucial period for this change in the structure of science. 51. The growth of specialization in the 19th century might be more clearly seen in sciences such as ________. [A] sociology and chemistry [B] physics and psychology [C] sociology and psychology [D] physics and chemistry 52. We can infer from the passage that ________. [A] there is little distinction between specialization and professionalisation [B] amateurs can compete with professionals in some areas of science [C] professionals tend to welcome amateurs into the scientific community [D] amateurs have national academic societies but no local ones 53. The author writes of the development of geology to demonstrate ________. [A] the process of specialization and professionalisation [B] the hardship of amateurs in scientific study [C] the change of policies in scientific publications [D] the discrimination of professionals against amateurs 54. The direct reason for specialization is ________. [A] the development in communication [B] the growth of professionalisation [C] the expansion of scientific knowledge [D] the splitting up of academic societies Text 2 A great deal of attention is being paid today to the so-called digital divide -- the division of the world into the info (information) rich and the info poor. And that divide does exist today. My wife and I lectured about this looming danger twenty years ago. What was less visible then, however, were the new, positive forces that work against the digital divide. There are reasons to be optimistic. There are technological reasons to hope the digital divide will narrow. As the Internet becomes more and more commercialized, it is in the interest of business to universalize access -- after all, the more people online, the more potential customers there are. More and more governments, afraid their countries will be left behind, want to spread Internet access. Within the next decade or two, one to two billion people on the planet will be netted together. As a result, I now believe the digital divide will narrow rather than widen in the years ahead. And that is very good news because the Internet may well be the most powerful tool for combating world poverty that we‘ve ever had. Of course, the use of the Internet isn‘t the only way to defeat poverty. And the Internet is not the only tool we have. But it has enormous potential. To take advantage of this tool, some impoverished countries will have to get over their outdated anti-colonial prejudices with respect to foreign investment. Countries that still think foreign investment is an invasion of their sovereignty might well study the history of infrastructure (the basic structural foundations of a society) in the United States. When the United States built its industrial infrastructure, it didn‘t have the capital to do so. And that is why America‘s Second Wave infrastructure -- including roads, harbors, highways, ports and so on -- were built with foreign investment. The English, the Germans, the Dutch and the French were investing in Britain‘s former colony. They financed them. Immigrant Americans built them. Guess who owns them now? The Americans. I believe the same thing would be true in places like Brazil or anywhere else for that matter. The more foreign capital you have helping you build your Third Wave infrastructure, which today is an electronic infrastructure, the better off you‘re going to be. That doesn‘t mean lying down and becoming fooled, or letting foreign corporations run uncontrolled. But it does mean recognizing how important they can be in building the energy and telecom infrastructures needed to take full advantage of the Internet. 55. Digital divide is something ________. [A] getting worse because of the Internet [B] the rich countries are responsible for [C] the world must guard against [D] considered positive today 56. Governments attach importance to the Internet because it ________. [A] offers economic potentials [B] can bring foreign funds [C] can soon wipe out world poverty [D] connects people all over the world 57. The writer mentioned the case of the United States to justify the policy of ________. [A] providing financial support overseas [B] preventing foreign capital‘s control [C] building industrial infrastructure [D] accepting foreign investment 58. It seems that now a country‘s economy depends much on ________. [A] how well developed it is electronically [B] whether it is prejudiced against immigrants [C] whether it adopts America‘s industrial pattern [D] how much control it has over foreign corporations Text 3 Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project. Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want. But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard templates (patterns) into which they plug each day‘s events. In other words, there is a conventional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news. There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the ―standard templates‖ of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions. Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedeses, and trade stocks, and they‘re less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community. Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The astonishing distrust of the news media isn‘t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers. This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and a credibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class. 59. What is the passage mainly about? [A] needs of the readers all over the world [B] causes of the public disappointment about newspapers [C] origins of the declining newspaper industry [D] aims of a journalism credibility project 60. The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ________. [A] quite trustworthy [B] somewhat contradictory [C] very illuminating [D] rather superficial 61. The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their ________. [A] working attitude [B] conventional lifestyle [C] world outlook [D] educational background 62. Despite its efforts, the newspaper industry still cannot satisfy the readers owing to its ________. [A] failure to realize its real problem [B] tendency to hire annoying reporters [C] likeliness to do inaccurate reporting [D] prejudice in matters of race and gender Text 4 The world is going through the biggest wave of mergers and acquisitions ever witnessed. The process sweeps from hyperactive America to Europe and reaches the emerging countries with unsurpassed might. Many in these countries are looking at this process and worrying: ―Won‘t the wave of business concentration turn into an uncontrollable anti-competitive force?‖ There‘s no question that the big are getting bigger and more powerful. Multinational corporations accounted for less than 20% of international trade in 1982. Today the figure is more than 25% and growing rapidly. International affiliates account for a fast-growing segment of production in economies that open up and welcome foreign investment. In Argentina, for instance, after the reforms of the early 1990s, multinationals went from 43% to almost 70% of the industrial production of the 200 largest firms. This phenomenon has created serious concerns over the role of smaller economic firms, of national businessmen and over the ultimate stability of the world economy. I believe that the most important forces behind the massive M&A wave are the same that underlie the globalization process: falling transportation and communication costs, lower trade and investment barriers and enlarged markets that require enlarged operations capable of meeting customer‘s demands. All these are beneficial, not detrimental, to consumers. As productivity grows, the world‘s wealth increases. Examples of benefits or costs of the current concentration wave are scanty. Yet it is hard to imagine that the merger of a few oil firms today could recreate the same threats to competition that were feared nearly a century ago in the U.S., when the Standard Oil trust was broken up. The mergers of telecom companies, such as WorldCom, hardly seem to bring higher prices for consumers or a reduction in the pace of technical progress. On the contrary, the price of communications is coming down fast. In cars, too, concentration is increasing -- witness Daimler and Chrysler, Renault and Nissan -- but it does not appear that consumers are being hurt. Yet the fact remains that the merger movement must be watched. A few weeks ago, Alan Greenspan warned against the megamergers in the banking industry. Who is going to supervise, regulate and operate as lender of last resort with the gigantic banks that are being created? Won‘t multinationals shift production from one place to another when a nation gets too strict about infringements to fair competition? And should one country take upon itself the role of ―defending competition‖ on issues that affect many other nations, as in the U.S. vs. Microsoft case? 63. What is the typical trend of businesses today? [A] to take in more foreign funds [B] to invest more abroad [C] to combine and become bigger [D] to trade with more countries 64. According to the author, one of the driving forces behind M&A wave is ________. [A] the greater customer demands [B] a surplus supply for the market [C] a growing productivity [D] the increase of the world‘s wealth 65. From paragraph 4 we can infer that ________. [A] the increasing concentration is certain to hurt consumers [B] WorldCom serves as a good example of both benefits and costs [C] the costs of the globalization process are enormous [D] the Standard Oil trust might have threatened competition 66. Toward the new business wave, the writer‘s attitude can be said to be ________. [A] optimistic [B] objective [C] pessimistic [D] biased Text 5 When I decided to quit my full time employment it never occurred to me that I might become a part of a new international trend. A lateral move that hurt my pride and blocked my professional progress prompted me to abandon my relatively high profile career although, in the manner of a disgraced government minister, I covered my exit by claiming ―I wanted to spend more time with my family‖. Curiously, some two-and-a-half years and two novels later, my experiment in what the Americans term ―downshifting‖ has turned my tired excuse into an absolute reality. I have been transformed from a passionate advocate of the philosophy of ―having it all,‖ preached by Linda Kelsey for the past seven years in the page of She magazine, into a woman who is happy to settle for a bit of everything. I have discovered, as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build up of stress, that abandoning the doctrine of ―juggling your life,‖ and making the alternative move into ―downshifting‖ brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status. Nothing could persuade me to return to the kind of life Kelsey used to advocate and I once enjoyed: 12-hour working days, pressured deadlines, the fearful strain of office politics and the limitations of being a parent on ―quality time‖. In America, the move away from juggling to a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle is a well-established trend. Downshifting -- also known in America as ―voluntary simplicity‖ -- has, ironically, even bred a new area of what might be termed anti-consumerism. There are a number of best-selling downshifting self-help books for people who want to simplify their lives; there are newsletters, such as The Tightwad Gazette, that give hundreds of thousands of Americans useful tips on anything from recycling their cling-film to making their own soap; there are even support groups for those who want to achieve the mid-‘90s equivalent of dropping out. While in America the trend started as a reaction to the economic decline -- after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late ‘80s -- and is still linked to the politics of thrift, in Britain, at least among the middle-class downshifters of my acquaintance, we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives. For the women of my generation who were urged to keep juggling through the ‘80s, downshifting in the mid-‘90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life -- growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one -- as a personal recognition of your limitations. 67. Which of the following is true according to paragraph 1? [A] Full-time employment is a new international trend. [B] The writer was compelled by circumstances to leave her job. [C] ―A lateral move‖ means stepping out of full-time employment. [D] The writer was only too eager to spend more time with her family. 68. The writer‘s experiment shows that downshifting ________. [A] enables her to realize her dream [B] helps her mold a new philosophy of life [C] prompts her to abandon her high social status [D] leads her to accept the doctrine of She magazine 69. ―Juggling one‘s life‖ probably means living a life characterized by ________. [A] non-materialistic lifestyle [B] a bit of everything [C] extreme stress [D] anti-consumerism 70. According to the passage, downshifting emerged in the U.S. as a result of ________. [A] the quick pace of modern life [B] man‘s adventurous spirit [C] man‘s search for mythical experiences [D] the economic situation 2002 Text 1 If you intend using humor in your talk to make people smile, you must know how to identify shared experiences and problems. Your humor must be relevant to the audience and should help to show them that you are one of them or that you understand their situation and are in sympathy with their point of view. Depending on whom you are addressing, the problems will be different. If you are talking to a group of managers, you may refer to the disorganized methods of their secretaries; alternatively if you are addressing secretaries, you may want to comment on their disorganized bosses. Here is an example, which I heard at a nurses’ convention, of a story which works well because the audience all shared the same view of doctors. A man arrives in heaven and is being shown around by St. Peter. He sees wonderful accommodations, beautiful gardens, sunny weather, and so on. Everyone is very peaceful, polite and friendly until, waiting in a line for lunch, the new arrival is suddenly pushed aside by a man in a white coat, who rushes to the head of the line, grabs his food and stomps over to a table by himself. ―Who is that?‖ the new arrival asked St. Peter. ―Oh, that‘s God,‖ came the reply, ―but sometimes he thinks he‘s a doctor.‖ If you are part of the group which you are addressing, you will be in a position to know the experiences and problems which are common to all of you and it’ll be appropriate for you to make a passing remark about the inedible canteen food or the chairman‘s notorious bad taste in ties. With other audiences you mustn‘t attempt to cut in with humor as they will resent an outsider making disparaging remarks about their canteen or their chairman. You will be on safer ground if you stick to scapegoats like the Post Office or the telephone system. If you feel awkward being humorous, you must practice so that it becomes more natural. Include a few casual and apparently off-the-cuff remarks which you can deliver in a relaxed and unforced manner. Often it’s the delivery which causes the audience to smile, so speak slowly and remember that a raised eyebrow or an unbelieving look may help to show that you are making a light-hearted remark. Look for the humor. It often comes from the unexpected. A twist on a familiar quote “If at first you don’t succeed, give up” or a play on words or on a situation. Search for exaggeration and understatements. Look at your talk and pick out a few words or sentences which you can turn about and inject with humor. 41. To make your humor work, you should ________. [A] take advantage of different kinds of audience [B] make fun of the disorganized people [C] address different problems to different people [D] show sympathy for your listeners 42. The joke about doctors implies that, in the eyes of nurses, they are ________. [A] impolite to new arrivals [B] very conscious of their godlike role [C] entitled to some privileges [D] very busy even during lunch hours 43. It can be inferred from the text that public services ________. [A] have benefited many people [B] are the focus of public attention [C] are an inappropriate subject for humor [D] have often been the laughing stock 44. To achieve the desired result, humorous stories should be delivered ________. [A] in well-worded language [B] as awkwardly as possible [C] in exaggerated statements [D] as casually as possible 45. The best title for the text may be ________. [A] Use Humor Effectively [B] Various Kinds of Humor [C] Add Humor to Speech [D] Different Humor Strategies Text 2 Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that is dangerous, boring, burdensome, or just plain nasty. That compulsion has resulted in robotics -- the science of conferring various human capabilities on machines. And if scientists have yet to create the mechanical version of science fiction, they have begun to come close. As a result, the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with mechanical politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robot-drivers. And thanks to the continual miniaturization of electronics and micro-mechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy -- far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone. But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves -- goals that pose a real challenge. “While we know how to tell a robot to handle a specific error,‖ says Dave Lavery, manager of a robotics program at NASA, ―we can‘t yet give a robot enough ?common sense‘ to reliably interact with a dynamic world.‖ Indeed the quest for true artificial intelligence has produced very mixed results. Despite a spell of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to copy the action of the human brain by the year 2010, researchers lately have begun to extend that forecast by decades if not centuries. What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain’s roughly one hundred billion nerve cells are much more talented -- and human perception far more complicated -- than previously imagined. They have built robots that can recognize the error of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd. The most advanced computer systems on Earth can‘t approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don‘t know quite how we do it. 46. Human ingenuity was initially demonstrated in ________. [A] the use of machines to produce science fiction [B] the wide use of machines in manufacturing industry [C] the invention of tools for difficult and dangerous work [D] the elite‘s cunning tackling of dangerous and boring work 47. The word ―gizmos‖ (line 1, paragraph 2) most probably means ________. [A] programs [B] experts [C] devices [D] creatures 48. According to the text, what is beyond man‘s ability now is to design a robot that can ________. [A] fulfill delicate tasks like performing brain surgery [B] interact with human beings verbally [C] have a little common sense [D] respond independently to a changing world 49. Besides reducing human labor, robots can also ________. [A] make a few decisions for themselves [B] deal with some errors with human intervention [C] improve factory environments [D] cultivate human creativity 50. The author uses the example of a monkey to argue that robots are ________. [A] expected to copy human brain in internal structure [B] able to perceive abnormalities immediately [C] far less able than human brain in focusing on relevant information [D] best used in a controlled environment Text 3 Could the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply-cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December. This near-tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the 1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979-80, when they also almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double-digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom this time? The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspended oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price higher still in the short term. Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past. Rich economies are also less dependent on oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries have reduced oil consumption. Software, consultancy and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel or car production. For each dollar of GDP (in constant prices) rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, if oil prices averaged $22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies by only 0.25-0.5% of GDP. That is less than one-quarter of the income loss in 1974 or 1980. On the other hand, oil-importing emerging economies -- to which heavy industry has shifted -- have become more energy-intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed. One more reason not to lose sleep over the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the 1970s, it has not occurred against the background of general commodity-price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The Economist‘s commodity price index is broadly unchanging from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%, and in 1979 by almost 30%. 51. The main reason for the latest rise of oil price is ________. [A] global inflation [B] reduction in supply [C] fast growth in economy [D] Iraq‘s suspension of exports 52. It can be inferred from the text that the retail price of petrol will go up dramatically if ________. [A] price of crude rises [B] commodity prices rise [C] consumption rises [D] oil taxes rise 53. The estimates in Economic Outlook show that in rich countries ________. [A] heavy industry becomes more energy-intensive [B] income loss mainly results from fluctuating crude oil prices [C] manufacturing industry has been seriously squeezed [D] oil price changes have no significant impact on GDP 54. We can draw a conclusion from the text that ________. [A] oil-price shocks are less shocking now [B] inflation seems irrelevant to oil-price shocks [C] energy conservation can keep down the oil prices [D] the price rise of crude leads to the shrinking of heavy industry 55. From the text we can see that the writer seems ________. [A] optimistic [B] sensitive [C] gloomy [D] scared Text 4 The Supreme Court’s decisions on physician-assisted suicide carry important implications for how medicine seeks to relieve dying patients of pain and suffering. Although it ruled that there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide, the Court in effect supported the medical principle of “double effect,” a centuries-old moral principle holding that an action having two effects -- a good one that is intended and a harmful one that is foreseen -- is permissible if the actor intends only the good effect. Doctors have used that principle in recent years to justify using high doses of morphine to control terminally ill patients’ pain, even though increasing dosages will eventually kill the patient. Nancy Dubler, director of Montefiore Medical Center, contends that the principle will shield doctors who “until now have very, very strongly insisted that they could not give patients sufficient mediation to control their pain if that might hasten death.‖ George Annas, chair of the health law department at Boston University, maintains that, as long as a doctor prescribes a drug for a legitimate medical purpose, the doctor has done nothing illegal even if the patient uses the drug to hasten death. “It’s like surgery,‖ he says. ―We don‘t call those deaths homicides because the doctors didn‘t intend to kill their patients, although they risked their death. If you‘re a physician, you can risk your patient‘s suicide as long as you don‘t intend their suicide.‖ On another level, many in the medical community acknowledge that the assisted-suicide debate has been fueled in part by the despair of patients for whom modern medicine has prolonged the physical agony of dying. Just three weeks before the Court’s ruling on physician-assisted suicide, the National Academy of Science (NAS) released a two-volume report, Approaching Death: Improving Care at the End of Life. It identifies the undertreatment of pain and the aggressive use of ―ineffectual and forced medical procedures that may prolong and even dishonor the period of dying‖ as the twin problems of end-of-life care. The profession is taking steps to require young doctors to train in hospices, to test knowledge of aggressive pain management therapies, to develop a Medicare billing code for hospital-based care, and to develop new standards for assessing and treating pain at the end of life. Annas says lawyers can play a key role in insisting that these well-meaning medical initiatives translate into better care. “Large numbers of physicians seem unconcerned with the pain their patients are needlessly and predictably suffering,” to the extent that it constitutes ―systematic patient abuse.‖ He says medical licensing boards ―must make it clear… that painful deaths are presumptively ones that are incompetently managed and should result in license suspension.‖ 56. From the first three paragraphs, we learn that ________. [A] doctors used to increase drug dosages to control their patients‘ pain [B] it is still illegal for doctors to help the dying end their lives [C] the Supreme Court strongly opposes physician-assisted suicide [D] patients have no constitutional right to commit suicide 57. Which of the following statements is true according to the text? [A] Doctors will be held guilty if they risk their patients‘ death. [B] Modern medicine has assisted terminally ill patients in painless recovery. [C] The Court ruled that high-dosage pain-relieving medication can be prescribed. [D] A doctor‘s medication is no longer justified by his intentions. 58. According to the NAS‘s report, one of the problems in end-of-life care is ________. [A] prolonged medical procedures [B] inadequate treatment of pain [C] systematic drug abuse [D] insufficient hospital care 59. Which of the following best defines the word ―aggressive‖ (line 3, paragraph 7)? [A] Bold [B] Harmful [C] Careless [D] Desperate 60. George Annas would probably agree that doctors should be punished if they ________. [A] manage their patients incompetently [B] give patients more medicine than needed [C] reduce drug dosages for their patients [D] prolong the needless suffering of the patients 2003 Text 1 Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the ―great game‖ of espionage -- spying as a ―profession.‖ These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan‘s vocation as well. The last revolution isn‘t simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen‘s e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it ―open source intelligence,‖ and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open-Source Solutions, whose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world. Among the firms making the biggest splash in the new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com. Straitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster‘s dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. ―As soon as that report runs, we‘ll suddenly get 500 new internet sign-ups from Ukraine,‖ says Friedman, a former political science professor. ―And we‘ll hear back from some of them.‖ Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That‘s where Straitford earns its keep. Friedman relies on a lean staff in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm‘s outsider status as the key to its success. Straitford‘s briefs don‘t sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice. 41. The emergence of the Net has ________. [A] received support from fans like Donovan [B] remolded the intelligence services [C] restored many common pastimes [D] revived spying as a profession 42. Donovan‘s story is mentioned in the text to ________. [A] introduce the topic of online spying [B] show how he fought for the U.S. [C] give an episode of the information war [D] honor his unique services to the CIA 43. The phrase ―making the biggest splash‖ (line 1, paragraph 3) most probably means ________. [A] causing the biggest trouble [B] exerting the greatest effort [C] achieving the greatest success [D] enjoying the widest popularity 44. It can be learned from paragraph 4 that ________. [A] Straitford‘s prediction about Ukraine has proved true [B] Straitford guarantees the truthfulness of its information [C] Straitford‘s business is characterized by unpredictability [D] Straitford is able to provide fairly reliable information 45. Straitford is most proud of its ________. [A] official status [B] nonconformist image [C] efficient staff [D] military background Text 2 To paraphrase 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke, ―all that is needed for the triumph of a misguided cause is that good people do nothing.‖ One such cause now seeks to end biomedical research because of the theory that animals have rights ruling out their use in research. Scientists need to respond forcefully to animal rights advocates, whose arguments are confusing the public and thereby threatening advances in health knowledge and care. Leaders of the animal rights movement target biomedical research because it depends on public funding, and few people understand the process of health care research. Hearing allegations of cruelty to animals in research settings, many are perplexed that anyone would deliberately harm an animal. For example, a grandmotherly woman staffing an animal rights booth at a recent street fair was distributing a brochure that encouraged readers not to use anything that comes from or is tested in animals—no meat, no fur, no medicines. Asked if she opposed immunizations, she wanted to know if vaccines come from animal research. When assured that they do, she replied, ―Then I would have to say yes.‖ Asked what will happen when epidemics return, she said, ―Don‘t worry, scientists will find some way of using computers.‖ Such well-meaning people just don‘t understand. Scientists must communicate their message to the public in a compassionate, understandable way -- in human terms, not in the language of molecular biology. We need to make clear the connection between animal research and a grandmother‘s hip replacement, a father‘s bypass operation, a baby‘s vaccinations, and even a pet‘s shots. To those who are unaware that animal research was needed to produce these treatments, as well as new treatments and vaccines, animal research seems wasteful at best and cruel at worst. Much can be done. Scientists could ―adopt‖ middle school classes and present their own research. They should be quick to respond to letters to the editor, lest animal rights misinformation go unchallenged and acquire a deceptive appearance of truth. Research institutions could be opened to tours, to show that laboratory animals receive humane care. Finally, because the ultimate stakeholders are patients, the health research community should actively recruit to its cause not only well-known personalities such as Stephen Cooper, who has made courageous statements about the value of animal research, but all who receive medical treatment. If good people do nothing there is a real possibility that an uninformed citizenry will extinguish the precious embers of medical progress. 46. The author begins his article with Edmund Burke‘s words to ________. [A] call on scientists to take some actions [B] criticize the misguided cause of animal rights [C] warn of the doom of biomedical research [D] show the triumph of the animal rights movement 47. Misled people tend to think that using an animal in research is ________. [A] cruel but natural [B] inhuman and unacceptable [C] inevitable but vicious [D] pointless and wasteful 48. The example of the grandmotherly woman is used to show the public‘s ________. [A] discontent with animal research [B] ignorance about medical science [C] indifference to epidemics [D] anxiety about animal rights 49. The author believes that, in face of the challenge from animal rights advocates, scientists should ________. [A] communicate more with the public [B] employ hi-tech means in research [C] feel no shame for their cause [D] strive to develop new cures 50. From the text we learn that Stephen Cooper is ________. [A] a well-known humanist [B] a medical practitioner [C] an enthusiast in animal rights [D] a supporter of animal research Text 3 In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers. Supporters of the new super systems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat. The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads typically charge such ―captive‖ shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government‘s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases. Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone‘s cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It‘s theory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. ―Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?‖ asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shipper. Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases. The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortunes, still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic. Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail‘s net railway operating income in 1996 was just $427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction. Who‘s going to pay for the rest of the bill? Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market. 51. According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because ________. [A] cost reduction is based on competition [B] services call for cross-trade coordination [C] outside competitors will continue to exist [D] shippers will have the railway by the throat 52. What is many captive shippers‘ attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry? [A] Indifferent. [B] Supportive. [C] Indignant. [D] Apprehensive. 53. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that ________. [A] shippers will be charged less without a rival railroad [B] there will soon be only one railroad company nationwide [C] overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief [D] a government board ensures fair play in railway business 54. The word ―arbiters‖ (line 7, paragraph 4) most probably refers to those ________. [A] who work as coordinators [B] who function as judges [C] who supervise transactions [D] who determine the price 55. According to the text, the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by ________. [A] the continuing acquisition [B] the growing traffic [C] the cheering Wall Street [D] the shrinking market Text 4 It is said that in England death is pressing, in Canada inevitable and in California optional. Small wonder. Americans‘ life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past century. Failing hips can be replaced, clinical depression controlled, cataracts removed in a 30-minutes surgical procedure. Such advances offer the aging population a quality of life that was unimaginable when I entered medicine 50 years ago. But not even a great health-care system can cure death -- and our failure to confront that reality now threatens this greatness of ours. Death is normal; we are genetically programmed to disintegrate and perish, even under ideal conditions. We all understand that at some level, yet as medical consumers we treat death as a problem to be solved. Shielded by third-party payers from the cost of our care, we demand everything that can possibly be done for us, even if it‘s useless. The most obvious example is late-stage cancer care. Physicians -- frustrated by their inability to cure the disease and fearing loss of hope in the patient -- too often offer aggressive treatment far beyond what is scientifically justified. In 1950, the U.S. spent $7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be $1,540 billion. Anyone can see this trend is unsustainable. Yet few seem willing to try to reverse it. Some scholars conclude that a government with finite resources should simply stop paying for medical care that sustains life beyond a certain age -- say 83 or so. Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has been quoted as saying that the old and infirm ―have a duty to die and get out of the way,‖ so that younger, healthier people can realize their potential. I would not go that far. Energetic people now routinely work through their 60s and beyond, and remain dazzlingly productive. At 78, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone jokingly claims to be 53. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O‘Connor is in her 70s, and former surgeon general C. Everett Koop chairs an Internet start-up in his 80s. These leaders are living proof that prevention works and that we can manage the health problems that come naturally with age. As a mere 68-year-old, I wish to age as productively as they have. Yet there are limits to what a society can spend in this pursuit. Ask a physician, I know the most costly and dramatic measures may be ineffective and painful. I also know that people in Japan and Sweden, countries that spend far less on medical care, have achieved longer, healthier lives than we have. As a nation, we may be overfunding the quest for unlikely cures while underfunding research on humbler therapies that could improve people‘s lives. 56. What is implied in the first sentence? [A] Americans are better prepared for death than other people. [B] Americans enjoy a higher life quality than ever before. [C] Americans are over-confident of their medical technology. [D] Americans take a vain pride in their long life expectancy. 57. The author uses the example of caner patients to show that ________. [A] medical resources are often wasted [B] doctors are helpless against fatal diseases [C] some treatments are too aggressive [D] medical costs are becoming unaffordable 58. The author‘s attitude toward Richard Lamm‘s remark is one of ________. [A] strong disapproval [B] reserved consent [C] slight contempt [D] enthusiastic support 59. In contras to the U.S., Japan and Sweden are funding their medical care ________. [A] more flexibly [B] more extravagantly [C] more cautiously [D] more reasonably 60. The text intends to express the idea that ________. [A] medicine will further prolong people‘s lives [B] life beyond a certain limit is not worth living [C] death should be accepted as a fact of life [D] excessive demands increase the cost of health care 2004 Text 1 Hunting for a job late last year, lawyer Gant Redmon stumbled across CareerBuilder, a job database on the Internet. He searched it with no success but was attracted by the site’s “personal search agent.” It’s an interactive feature that lets visitors key in job criteria such as location, title, and salary, then E-mails them when a matching position is posted in the database. Redmon chose the keywords legal, intellectual property, and Washington, D.C. Three weeks later, he got his first notification of an opening. ―I struck gold,‖ says Redmon, who E-mailed his resume to the employer and won a position as in-house counsel for a company. With thousands of career-related sites on the Internet, finding promising openings can be time-consuming and inefficient. Search agents reduce the need for repeated visits to the databases. But although a search agent worked for Redmon, career experts see drawbacks. Narrowing your criteria, for example, may work against you: ―Every time you answer a question you eliminate a possibility,‖ says one expert. For any job search, you should start with a narrow concept -- what you think you want to do -- then broaden it. “None of these programs do that,” says another expert. “There’s no career counseling implicit in all of this.” Instead, the best strategy is to use the agent as a kind of tip service to keep abreast of jobs in a particular database; when you get E-mail, consider it a reminder to check the database again. ―I would not rely on agents for finding everything that is added to a database that might interest me,‖ says the author of a job-searching guide. Some sites design their agents to tempt job hunters to return. When CareerSite’s agent sends out messages to those who have signed up for its service, for example, it includes only three potential jobs -- those it considers the best matches. There may be more matches in the database; job hunters will have to visit the site again to find them -- and they do. ―On the day after we send our messages, we see a sharp increase in our traffic,‖ says Seth Peets, vice president of marketing for CareerSite. Even those who aren’t hunting for jobs may find search agents worthwhile. Some use them to keep a close watch on the demand for their line of work or gather information on compensation to arm themselves when negotiating for a raise. Although happily employed, Redmon maintains his agent at CareerBuilder. ―You always keep your eyes open,‖ he says. Working with a personal search agent means having another set of eyes looking out for you. 41. How did Redmon find his job? [A] By searching openings in a job database. [B] By posting a matching position in a database. [C] By using a special service of a database. [D] By E-mailing his resume to a database. 42. Which of the following can be a disadvantage of search agents? [A] Lack of counseling. [B] Limited number of visits. [C] Lower efficiency. [D] Fewer successful matches. 43. The expression ―tip service‖ (Line 4, Paragraph 3) most probably means ________. [A] advisory [B] compensation [C] interaction [D] reminder 44. Why does CareerSite‘s agent offer each job hunter only three job options? [A] To focus on better job matches. [B] To attract more returning visits. [C] To reserve space for more messages. [D] To increase the rate of success. 45. Which of the following is true according to the text? [A] Personal search agents are indispensable to job-hunters. [B] Some sites keep E-mailing job seekers to trace their demands. [C] Personal search agents are also helpful to those already employed. [D] Some agents stop sending information to people once they are employed. Text 2 Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been condemned or made illegal. But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism. This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet. It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zoëuml Zysman. English names are fairly evenly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a suspiciously large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K. Thus the American president and vice-president have surnames starting with B and C respectively; and 26 of George Bush’s predecessors (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chrétien and Koizumi). The world‘s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. As are the world‘s five richest men (Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison and Albrecht). Can this merely be coincidence? One theory, dreamt up in all the spare time enjoyed by the alphabetically disadvantaged, is that the rot sets in early. At the start of the first year in infant school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So short-sighted Zysman junior gets stuck in the back row, and is rarely asked the improving questions posed by those insensitive teachers. At the time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less individual attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly. The humiliation continues. At university graduation ceremonies, the ABCs proudly get their awards first; by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are literally having a ZZZ. Shortlists for job interviews, election ballot papers, lists of conference speakers and attendees: all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their recipients lose interest as they plough through them. 46. What does the author intend to illustrate with AAA A cars and Zodiac cars? [A] A kind of overlooked inequality. [B] A type of conspicuous bias. [C] A type of personal prejudice. [D] A kind of brand discrimination. 47. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs? [A] In both East and West, names are essential to success. [B] The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoë Zysman. [C] Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names. [D] Some form of discrimination is too subtle to recognize. 48. The 4th paragraph suggests that ________. [A] questions are often put to the more intelligent students [B] alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class [C] teachers should pay attention to all of their students [D] students should be seated according to their eyesight 49. What does the author mean by ―most people are literally having a ZZZ‖ (Lines 2-3, Paragraph 5)? [A] They are getting impatient. [B] They are noisily dozing off. [C] They are feeling humiliated. [D] They are busy with word puzzles. 50. Which of the following is true according to the text? [A] People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill-treated. [B] VIPs in the Western world gain a great deal from alphabetism. [C] The campaign to eliminate alphabetism still has a long way to go. [D] Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional bias. Text 3 When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn’t cutting, filling or polishing as many nails as she’d like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. ―I‘m a good economic indicator,‖ she says. ―I provide a service that people can do without when they‘re concerned about saving some dollars.‖ So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard‘s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. ―I don‘t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too‖ she says. Even before Alan Greenspan’s admission that America’s red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year‘s pace. But don‘t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy‘s long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt-tightening. Consumers say they’re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, “there’s a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses,‖ says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. ―Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three,‖ says john Deadly, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job. Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn’t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan‘s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting. 51. By ―Ellen Spero isn‘t biting her nails just yet‖ (Line 1, Paragraph 1), the author means ________. [A] Spero can hardly maintain her business [B] Spero is too much engaged in her work [C] Spero has grown out of her bad habit [D] Spero is not in a desperate situation 52. How do the public feel about the current economic situation? [A] Optimistic. [B] Confused. [C] Carefree. [D] Panicked. 53. When mentioning ―the $4 million to $10 million range‖ (Lines 3-4, Paragraph 3) the author is talking about ________. [A] gold market [B] real estate [C] stock exchange [D] venture investment 54. Why can many people see ―silver linings‖ to the economic showdown? [A] They would benefit in certain ways. [B] The stock market shows signs of recovery. [C] Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom. [D] The purchasing power would be enhanced. 55. To which of the following is the author likely to agree? [A] A now boom, on the horizon. [B] Tighten the belt, the single remedy. [C] Caution all right, panic not. [D] The more ventures, the more chances. Text 4 Americans today don’t place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education -- not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren‘t difficult to find. “Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,” says education writer Diane Ravish. “Schools could be a counterbalance.” Ravitch’s latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits. But they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path, says writer Earl Shorris, ―We will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.‖ “Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege,” writes historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American life, a Pulitzer Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book. Ralph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: “We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.‖ Mark Twain‘s Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero avoids being civilized -- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness. Intellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines. School remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country’s educational system is in the grips of people who “joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.‖ 56. What do American parents expect their children to acquire in school? [A] The habit of thinking independently. [B] Profound knowledge of the world. [C] Practical abilities for future career. [D] The confidence in intellectual pursuits. 57. We can learn from the text that Americans have a history of ________. [A] undervaluing intellect [B] favoring intellectualism [C] supporting school reform [D] suppressing native intelligence 58. The views of Ravitch and Emerson on schooling are ________. [A] identical [B] similar [C] complementary [D] opposite 59. Emerson, according to the text, is probably ________. [A] a pioneer of education reform [B] an opponent of intellectualism [C] a scholar in favor of intellect [D] an advocate of regular schooling 60. What does the author think of intellect? [A] It is second to intelligence. [B] It evolves from common sense. [C] It is to be pursued. [D] It underlies power. 2005 Text 1 Everybody loves a fat pay rise. Yet pleasure at your own can vanish if you learn that a colleague has been given a bigger one. Indeed, if he has a reputation for slacking, you might even be outraged. Such behaviour is regarded as ―all too human,‖ with the underlying assumption that other animals would not be capable of this finely developed sense of grievance. But a study by Sarah Brosnan and Frans de Waal of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, which has just been published in Nature, suggests that it is all too monkey, as well. The researchers studied the behaviour of female brown capuchin monkeys. They look cute. They are good-natured, co-operative creatures, and they share their food readily. Above all, like their female human counterparts, they tend to pay much closer attention to the value of ―goods and services‖ than males. Such characteristics make them perfect candidates for Dr. Brosnan‘s and Dr. de Waal‘s study. The researchers spent two years teaching their monkeys to exchange tokens for food. Normally, the monkeys were happy enough to exchange pieces of rock for slices of cucumber. However, when two monkeys were placed in separate but adjoining chambers, so that each could observe what the other was getting in return for its rock, their behaviour became markedly different. In the world of capuchins, grapes are luxury goods (and much preferable to cucumbers). So when one monkey was handed a grape in exchange for her token, the second was reluctant to hand hers over for a mere piece of cucumber. And if one received a grape without having to provide her token in exchange at all, the other either tossed her own token at the researcher or out of the chamber, or refused to accept the slice of cucumber. Indeed, the mere presence of a grape in the other chamber (without an actual monkey to eat it) was enough to induce resentment in a female capuchin. The researchers suggest that capuchin monkeys, like humans, are guided by social emotions. In the wild, they are a co-operative, group-living species. Such co-operation is likely to be stable only when each animal feels it is not being cheated. Feelings of righteous indignation, it seems, are not the preserve of people alone. Refusing a lesser reward completely makes these feelings abundantly clear to other members of the group. However, whether such a sense of fairness evolved independently in capuchins and humans, or whether it stems from the common ancestor that the species had 35 million years ago, is, as yet, an unanswered question. 21. In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by ________. [A] posing a contrast [B] justifying an assumption [C] making a comparison [D] explaining a phenomenon 22. The statement ―it is all too monkey‖ (Last line, Paragraph l) implies that ________. [A] monkeys are also outraged by slack rivals [B] resenting unfairness is also monkeys‘ nature [C] monkeys, like humans, tend to be jealous of each other [D] no animals other than monkeys can develop such emotions 23. Female capuchin monkeys were chosen for the research most probably because they are ________. [A] more inclined to weigh what they get [B] attentive to researchers‘ instructions [C] nice in both appearance and temperament [D] more generous than their male companions 24. Dr. Brosnan and Dr. de Waal have eventually found in their study that the monkeys ________. [A] prefer grapes to cucumbers [B] can be taught to exchange things [C] will not be co-operative if feeling cheated [D] are unhappy when separated from others 25. What can we infer from the last paragraph? [A] Monkeys can be trained to develop social emotions. [B] Human indignation evolved from an uncertain source. [C] Animals usually show their feelings openly as humans do. [D] Cooperation among monkeys remains stable only in the wild. Text 2 Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn‘t know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves. There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth‘s atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in the preface to the panel‘s report: ―Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions.‖ Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it‘s OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now. Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it‘s obvious that a majority of the president‘s advisers still don‘t take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research -- a classic case of ―paralysis by analysis.‖ To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won‘t take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound. 26. An argument made by supporters of smoking was that ________. [A] there was no scientific evidence of the correlation between smoking and death [B] the number of early deaths of smokers in the past decades was insignificant [C] people had the freedom to choose their own way of life [D] antismoking people were usually talking nonsense 27. According to Bruce Alberts, science can serve as ________. [A] a protector [B] a judge [C] a critic [D] a guide 28. What does the author mean by ―paralysis by analysis‖ (Last line, Paragraph 4)? [A] Endless studies kill action. [B] Careful investigation reveals truth. [C] Prudent planning hinders progress. [D] Extensive research helps decision-making. 29. According to the author, what should the Administration do about global warming? [A] Offer aid to build cleaner power plants. [B] Raise public awareness of conservation. [C] Press for further scientific research. [D] Take some legislative measures. 30. The author associates the issue of global warming with that of smoking because ________. [A] they both suffered from the government‘s negligence [B] a lesson from the latter is applicable to the former [C] the outcome of the latter aggravates the former [D] both of them have turned from bad to worse Text 3 Of all the components of a good night‘s sleep, dreams seem to be least within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just ―mental noise‖ -- the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind‘s emotional thermostat, regulating moods while the brain is ―off-line.‖ And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better, ―It‘s your dream,‖ says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago‘s Medical Center. ―If you don‘t like it, change it.‖ Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep -- when most vivid dreams occur -- as it is when fully awake, says Dr, Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the limbic system (the ―emotional brain‖) is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. ―We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day.‖ says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement. The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright‘s clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don‘t always think about the emotional significance of the day‘s events -- until, it appears, we begin to dream. And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams. As soon as you awaken, identify what is upsetting about the dream. Visualize how you would like it to end instead; the next time it occurs, try to wake up just enough to control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in their sleep. At the end of the day, there‘s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or ―we wake up in a panic,‖ Cartwright says. Terrorism, economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people‘s anxiety. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep -- or rather dream -- on it and you‘ll feel better in the morning. 31. Researchers have come to believe that dreams ________. [A] can be modified in their courses [B] are susceptible to emotional changes [C] reflect our innermost desires and fears [D] are a random outcome of neural repairs 32. By referring to the limbic system, the author intends to show ________. [A] its function in our dreams [B] the mechanism of REM sleep [C] the relation of dreams to emotions [D] its difference from the prefrontal cortex 33. The negative feelings generated during the day tend to ________. [A] aggravate in our unconscious mind [B] develop into happy dreams [C] persist till the time we fall asleep [D] show up in dreams early at night 34. Cartwright seems to suggest that ________. [A] waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams [B] visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under control [C] dreams should be left to their natural progression [D] dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious 35. What advice might Cartwright give to those who sometimes have bad dreams? [A] Lead your life as usual. [B] Seek professional help. [C] Exercise conscious control. [D] Avoid anxiety in the daytime. Text 4 Americans no longer expect public figures, whether in speech or in writing, to command the English language with skill and gift. Nor do they aspire to such command themselves. In his latest book, Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care, John McWhorter, a linguist and controversialist of mixed liberal and conservative views, sees the triumph of 1960s counter-culture as responsible for the decline of formal English. Blaming the permissive 1960s is nothing new, but this is not yet another criticism against the decline in education. Mr. McWhorter‘s academic speciality is language history and change, and he sees the gradual disappearance of ―whom,‖ for example, to be natural and no more regrettable than the loss of the case-endings of Old English. But the cult of the authentic and the personal, ―doing our own thing,‖ has spelt the death of formal speech, writing, poetry and music. While even the modestly educated sought an elevated tone when they put pen to paper before the 1960s, even the most well regarded writing since then has sought to capture spoken English on the page. Equally, in poetry, the highly personal, performative genre is the only form that could claim real liveliness. In both oral and written English, talking is triumphing over speaking, spontaneity over craft. Illustrated with an entertaining array of examples from both high and low culture, the trend that Mr. McWhorter documents is unmistakable. But it is less clear, to take the question of his subtitle, why we should, like, care. As a linguist, he acknowledges that all varieties of human language, including non-standard ones like Black English, can be powerfully expressive -- there exists no language or dialect in the world that cannot convey complex ideas. He is not arguing, as many do, that we can no longer think straight because we do not talk proper. Russians have a deep love for their own language and carry large chunks of memorized poetry in their heads, while Italian politicians tend to elaborate speech that would seem old-fashioned to most English-speakers. Mr. McWhorter acknowledges that formal language is not strictly necessary, and proposes no radical education reforms -- he is really grieving over the loss of something beautiful more than useful. We now take our English ―on paper plates instead of china.‖ A shame, perhaps, but probably an inevitable one. 36. According to McWhorter, the decline of formal English ________. [A] is inevitable in radical education reforms [B] is but all too natural in language development [C] has caused the controversy over the counter-culture [D] brought about changes in public attitudes in the 1960s 37. The word ―talking‖ (Line 6, Paragraph 3) denotes ________. [A] modesty [B] personality [C] liveliness [D] informality 38. To which of the following statements would McWhorter most likely agree? [A] Logical thinking is not necessarily related to the way we talk. [B] Black English can be more expressive than standard English. [C] Non-standard varieties of human language are just as entertaining. [D] Of all the varieties, standard English can best convey complex ideas. 39. The description of Russians‘ love of memorizing poetry shows the author‘s ________. [A] interest in their language [B] appreciation of their efforts [C] admiration for their memory [D] contempt for their old-fashionadness 40. According to the last paragraph, ―paper plates‖ is to ―china‖ as ________. [A] ―temporary‖ is to ―permanent‖ [B] ―radical‖ is to ―conservative‖ [C] ―functional‖ is to ―artistic‖ [D] ―humble‖ is to ―noble‖ 2006 Text 1 In spite of ―endless talk of difference,‖ American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. There is ―the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference‖ characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into ―a culture of consumption‖ launched by the 19th-century department stores that offered ―vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite,‖ these were stores ―anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act.‖ The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization. Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today‘s immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation -- language, home ownership and intermarriage. The 1990 Census revealed that ―a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke English ?well‘ or ?very well‘ after ten years of residence.‖ The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. ―By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families.‖ Hence the description of America as a ―graveyard‖ for languages. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born Americans. Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics ―have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S.-born whites and blacks.‖ By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians. Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet ―some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation‘s assimilative power.‖ Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America‘s turbulent past, today‘s social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment. 21. The word ―homogenizing‖ (Line 2, Paragraph 1) most probably means ________. [A] identifying [B] associating [C] assimilating [D] monopolizing 22. According to the author, the department stores of the 19th century ________. [A] played a role in the spread of popular culture [B] became intimate shops for common consumers [C] satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite [D] owed its emergence to the culture of consumption 23. The text suggests that immigrants now in the U.S. ________. [A] are resistant to homogenization [B] exert a great influence on American culture [C] are hardly a threat to the common culture [D] constitute the majority of the population 24. Why are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5? [A] To prove their popularity around the world. [B] To reveal the public‘s fear of immigrants. [C] To give examples of successful immigrants. [D] To show the powerful influence of American culture. 25. In the author‘s opinion, the absorption of immigrants into American society is ________. [A] rewarding [B] successful [C] fruitless [D] harmful Text 2 Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry -- William Shakespeare -- but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway‘s Cottage, Shakespeare‘s birthplace and the other sights. The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC‘s actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It‘s all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making. The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus -- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side -- don‘t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town‘s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall. The townsfolk don‘t see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive. Anyway, the townsfolk can‘t understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 percent occupied all year long and this year they‘ll do better.) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low. It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford‘s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -- lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m. 26. From the first two paragraphs, we learn that ________. [A] the townsfolk deny the RSC‘s contribution to the town‘s revenue [B] the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage [C] the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms [D] the townsfolk earn little from tourism 27. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that ________. [A] the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately [B] the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers [C] the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers [D] the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater 28. By saying ―Stratford cries poor traditionally‖ (Line 2-3, Paragraph 4), the author implies that ________. [A] Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects [B] Stratford has long been in financial difficulties [C] the town is not really short of money [D] the townsfolk used to be poorly paid 29. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because ________. [A] ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending [B] the company is financially ill-managed [C] the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable [D] the theatre attendance is on the rise 30. From the text we can conclude that the author ________. [A] is supportive of both sides [B] favors the townsfolk‘s view [C] takes a detached attitude [D] is sympathetic to the RSC Text 3 When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strange happened to the large animals. They suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived. The large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. Now something similar could be happening in the oceans. That the seas are being overfished has been known for years. What researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown is just how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then. Dr. Worm acknowledges that these figures are conservative. One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today‘s vessels can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines would have been more saturated with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since no baited hooks would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around now. Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the data support an idea current among marine biologists, that of the ―shifting baseline.‖ The notion is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum sustainable yield that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is about 50% of its original levels. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do business. 31. The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that ________. [A] large animal were vulnerable to the changing environment [B] small species survived as large animals disappeared [C] large sea animals may face the same threat today [D] slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones 32. We can infer from Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm‘s paper that ________. [A] the stock of large predators in some old fisheries has reduced by 90% [B] there are only half as many fisheries as there were 15 years ago [C] the catch sizes in new fisheries are only 20% of the original amount [D] the number of larger predators dropped faster in new fisheries than in the old 33. By saying "these figures are conservative" (Line 1, paragraph 3), Dr. Worm means that ________. [A] fishing technology has improved rapidly [B] the catch-sizes are actually smaller than recorded [C] the marine biomass has suffered a greater loss [D] the data collected so far are out of date 34. Dr. Myers and other researchers hold that ________. [A] people should look for a baseline that can work for a longer time [B] fisheries should keep their yields below 50% of the biomass [C] the ocean biomass should be restored to its original level [D] people should adjust the fishing baseline to the changing situation 35. The author seems to be mainly concerned with most fisheries‘ ________. [A] management efficiency [B] biomass level [C] catch-size limits [D] technological application Text 4 Many things make people think artists are weird. But the weirdest may be this: artists‘ only job is to explore emotions, and yet they choose to focus on the ones that feel bad. This wasn‘t always so. The earliest forms of art, like painting and music, are those best suited for expressing joy. But somewhere from the 19th century onward, more artists began seeing happiness as meaningless, phony or, worst of all, boring, as we went from Wordsworth‘s daffodils to Baudelaire‘s flowers of evil. You could argue that art became more skeptical of happiness because modern times have seen so much misery. But it‘s not as if earlier times didn‘t know perpetual war, disaster and the massacre of innocents. The reason, in fact, may be just the opposite: there is too much damn happiness in the world today. After all, what is the one modern form of expression almost completely dedicated to depicting happiness? Advertising. The rise of anti-happy art almost exactly tracks the emergence of mass media, and with it, a commercial culture in which happiness is not just an ideal but an ideology. People in earlier eras were surrounded by reminders of misery. They worked until exhausted, lived with few protections and died young. In the West, before mass communication and literacy, the most powerful mass medium was the church, which reminded worshippers that their souls were in danger and that they would someday be meat for worms. Given all this, they did not exactly need their art to be a bummer too. Today the messages the average Westerner is surrounded with are not religious but commercial, and forever happy. Fast-food eaters, news anchors, text messengers, all smiling, smiling, smiling. Our magazines feature beaming celebrities and happy families in perfect homes. And since these messages have an agenda -- to lure us to open our wallets -- they make the very idea of happiness seem unreliable. ―Celebrate!‖ commanded the ads for the arthritis drug Celebrex, before we found out it could increase the risk of heart attacks. But what we forget -- what our economy depends on us forgetting -- is that happiness is more than pleasure without pain. The things that bring the greatest joy carry the greatest potential for loss and disappointment. Today, surrounded by promises of easy happiness, we need art to tell us, as religion once did, Memento mori: remember that you will die, that everything ends, and that happiness comes not in denying this but in living with it. It‘s a message even more bitter than a clove cigarette, yet, somehow, a breath of fresh air. 36. By citing the examples of poets Wordsworth and Baudelaire, the author intends to show that ________. [A] poetry is not as expressive of joy as painting or music [B] art grows out of both positive and negative feelings [C] poets today are less skeptical of happiness [D] artists have changed their focus of interest 37. The word ―bummer‖ (Line 5, paragraph 5) most probably means something ________. [A] religious [B] unpleasant [C] entertaining [D] commercial 38. In the author‘s opinion, advertising ________. [A] emerges in the wake of the anti-happy art [B] is a cause of disappointment for the general public [C] replaces the church as a major source of information [D] creates an illusion of happiness rather than happiness itself 39. We can learn from the last paragraph that the author believes ________. [A] happiness more often than not ends in sadness [B] the anti-happy art is distasteful but refreshing [C] misery should be enjoyed rather than denied [D] the anti-happy art flourishes when economy booms 40. Which of the following is true of the text? [A] Religion once functioned as a reminder of misery. [B] Art provides a balance between expectation and reality. [C] People feel disappointed at the realities of modern society. [D] Mass media are inclined to cover disasters and deaths. 2007 Text 1 If you were to examine the birth certificates of every soccer player in 2006‘s World Cup tournament, you would most likely find a noteworthy quirk: elite soccer players are more likely to have been born in the earlier months of the year than in the later months. If you then examined the European national youth teams that feed the World Cup and professional ranks, you would find this strange phenomenon to be even more pronounced. What might account for this strange phenomenon? Here are a few guesses: a) certain astrological signs confer superior soccer skills; b) winter-born babies tend to have higher oxygen capacity, which increases soccer stamina; c) soccer-mad parents are more likely to conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania; d) none of the above. Anders Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at Florida State University, says he believes strongly in ―none of the above.‖ Ericsson grew up in Sweden, and studied nuclear engineering until he realized he would have more opportunity to conduct his own research if he switched to psychology. His first experiment, nearly 30 years ago, involved memory: training a person to hear and then repeat a random series of numbers. ―With the first subject, after about 20 hours of training, his digit span had risen from 7 to 20,‖ Ericsson recalls. ―He kept improving, and after about 200 hours of training he had risen to over 80 numbers.‖ This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person ―encodes‖ the information. And the best way to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson determined, was a process known as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a task. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome. Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a wide range of pursuits, including soccer. They gather all the data they can, not just performance statistics and biographical details but also the results of their own laboratory experiments with high achievers. Their work makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers – whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming – are nearly always made, not born. 21. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to [A] stress the importance of professional training. [B] spotlight the soccer superstars in the World Cup. [C] introduce the topic of what makes expert performance. [D] explain why some soccer teams play better than others. 22. The word ―mania‖ (Line 4, Paragraph 2) most probably means [A] fun. [B] craze. [C] hysteria.(B) [D] excitement. 23. According to Ericsson, good memory [A] depends on meaningful processing of information. [B] results from intuitive rather than cognitive exercises. [C] is determined by genetic rather than psychological factors. [D] requires immediate feedback and a high degree of concentration. 24. Ericsson and his colleagues believe that [A] talent is a dominating factor for professional success. [B] biographical data provide the key to excellent performance. [C] the role of talent tends to be overlooked. [D] high achievers owe their success mostly to nurture. 25. Which of the following proverbs is closest to the message the text tries to convey? [A] ―Faith will move mountains.‖ [B] ―One reaps what one sows.‖ [C] ―Practice makes perfect.‖ [D] ―Like father, like son.‖ Text 2 For the past several years, the Sunday newspaper supplement Parade has featured a column called ―Ask Marilyn.‖ People are invited to query Marilyn vos Savant, who at age 10 had tested at a mental level of someone about 23 years old; that gave her an IQ of 228 – the highest score ever recorded. IQ tests ask you to complete verbal and visual analogies, to envision paper after it has been folded and cut, and to deduce numerical sequences, among other similar tasks. So it is a bit confusing when vos Savant fields such queries from the average Joe (whose IQ is 100) as, What‘s the difference between love and fondness? Or what is the nature of luck and coincidence? It‘s not obvious how the capacity to visualize objects and to figure out numerical patterns suits one to answer questions that have eluded some of the best poets and philosophers. Clearly, intelligence encompasses more than a score on a test. Just what does it mean to be smart? How much of intelligence can be specified, and how much can we learn about it from neurology, genetics, computer science and other fields? The defining term of intelligence in humans still seems to be the IQ score, even though IQ tests are not given as often as they used to be. The test comes primarily in two forms: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (both come in adult and children‘s version). Generally costing several hundred dollars, they are usually given only by psychologists, although variations of them populate bookstores and the World Wide Web. Superhigh scores like vos Savant‘s are no longer possible, because scoring is now based on a statistical population distribution among age peers, rather than simply dividing the mental age by the chronological age and multiplying by 100. Other standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ tests. Such standardized tests may not assess all the important elements necessary to succeed in school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg. In his article ―How Intelligent Is Intelligence Testing?‖, Sternberg notes that traditional test best assess analytical and verbal skills but fail to measure creativity and practical knowledge, components also critical to problem solving and life success. Moreover, IQ tests do not necessarily predict so well once populations or situations change. Research has found that IQ predicted leadership skills when the tests were given under low-stress conditions, but under high-stress conditions, IQ was negatively correlated with leadership – that is, it predicted the opposite. Anyone who has toiled through SAT will testify that test-taking skill also matters, whether it‘s knowing when to guess or what questions to skip. 26. Which of the following may be required in an intelligence test? [A] Answering philosophical questions. [B] Folding or cutting paper into different shapes. [C] Telling the differences between certain concepts. [D] Choosing words or graphs similar to the given ones. 27. What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph 3? [A] People no longer use IQ scores as an indicator of intelligence. [B] More versions of IQ tests are now available on the Internet [C] The test contents and formats for adults and children may be different. [D] Scientists have defined the important elements of human intelligence. 28. People nowadays can no longer achieve IQ scores as high as vos Savant‘s because [A] the scores are obtained through different computational procedures. [B] creativity rather than analytical skills is emphasized now. [C] vos Savant‘s case is an extreme one that will not repeat [D] the defining characteristic of IQ tests has changed. 29. We can conclude from the last paragraph that [A] test scores may not be reliable indicators of one‘s ability. [B] IQ scores and SAT results are highly correlated. [C] testing involves a lot of guesswork. [D] traditional test are out of date. 30. What is the author‘s attitude towards IQ tests? [A] Supportive. [B] Skeptical. [C] Impartial.(B) [D] Biased. Text 3 During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months. In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today‘s families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback – a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This ―added-worker effect‖ could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner. During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen – and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families‘ future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent – and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance – have jumped eightfold in just one generation. From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind. 31. Today‘s double-income families are at greater financial risk in that [A] the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared. [B] their chances of being laid off have greatly increased. [C] they are more vulnerable to changes in family economics. [D] they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance. 32. As a result of President Bush‘s reform, retired people may have [A] a higher sense of security. [B] less secured payments. [C] less chance to invest. [D] a guaranteed future. 33. According to the author, health-savings plans will [A] help reduce the cost of healthcare. [B] popularize among the middle class. [C] compensate for the reduced pensions. [D] increase the families‘ investment risk. 34. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that [A] financial risks tend to outweigh political risks. [B] the middle class may face greater political challenges. [C] financial problems may bring about political problems. [D] financial responsibility is an indicator of political status. 35. Which of the following is the best title for this text? [A] The Middle Class on the Alert [B] The Middle Class on the Cliff [C] The Middle Class in Conflict [D] The Middle Class in Ruins Text 4 It never rains but it pours. Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation governance, a new problem threatens to earn them – especially in America – the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity. Left, until now, to odd, low-level IT staff to put right, and seen as a concern only of data-rich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel, information protection is now high on the boss‘s agenda in businesses of every variety. Several massive leakages of customer and employee data this year – from organizations as diverse as Time Warner, the American defense contractor Science Applications International Corp and even the University of California, Berkeley – have left managers hurriedly peering into their intricate IT systems and business processes in search of potential vulnerabilities. ―Data is becoming an asset which needs to be guarded as much as any other asset,‖ says Haim Mendelson of Stanford University‘s business school. ―The ability to guard customer data is the key to market value, which the board is responsible for on behalf of shareholders.‖ Indeed, just as there is the concept of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), perhaps it is time for GASP, Generally Accepted Security Practices, suggested Eli Noam of New York‘s Columbia Business School. ―Setting the proper investment level for security, redundancy, and recovery is a management issue, not a technical one,‖ he says. The mystery is that this should come as a surprise to any boss. Surely it should be obvious to the dimmest executive that trust, that most valuable of economic assets, is easily destroyed and hugely expensive to restore – and that few things are more likely to destroy trust than a company letting sensitive personal data get into the wrong hands. The current state of affairs may have been encouraged – though not justified – by the lack of legal penalty (in America, but not Europe) for data leakage. Until California recently passed a law, American firms did not have to tell anyone, even the victim, when data went astray. That may change fast: lots of proposed data-security legislation is now doing the rounds in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the theft of information about some 40 million credit-card accounts in America, disclosed on June 17th, overshadowed a hugely important decision a day earlier by America‘s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that puts corporate America on notice that regulators will act if firms fail to provide adequate data security. 36. The statement ―It never rains but it pours‖ is used to introduce [A] the fierce business competition. [B] the feeble boss-board relations. [C] the threat from news reports. [D] the severity of data leakage. 37. According to Paragraph 2, some organizations check their systems to find out [A] whether there is any weak point. [B] what sort of data has been stolen. [C] who is responsible for the leakage. [D] how the potential spies can be located. 38. In bringing up the concept of GASP the author is making the point that [A] shareholders‘ interests should be properly attended to. [B] information protection should be given due attention. [C] businesses should enhance their level of accounting security. [D] the market value of customer data should be emphasized. 39. According to Paragraph 4, what puzzles the author is that some bosses fail to [A] see the link between trust and data protection. [B] perceive the sensitivity of personal data. [C] realize the high cost of data restoration. [D] appreciate the economic value of trust. 40. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that [A] data leakage is more severe in Europe. [B] FTC‘s decision is essential to data security. [C] California takes the lead in security legislation. [D] legal penalty is a major solution to data leakage. 2008 Text 1 While still catching-up to men in some spheres of modern life, women appear to be way ahead in at least one undesirable category. ―Women are particularly susceptible to developing depression and anxiety disorders in response to stress compared to men,‖ according to Dr. Yehuda, chief psychiatrist at New York‘s Veteran‘s Administration Hospital. Studies of both animals and humans have shown that sex hormones somehow affect the stress response, causing females under stress to produce more of the trigger chemicals than do males under the same conditions. In several of the studies, when stressed-out female rats had their ovaries (the female reproductive organs) removed, their chemical responses became equal to those of the males. Adding to a woman‘s increased dose of stress chemicals, are her increased ―opportunities‖ for stress. ―It‘s not necessarily that women don‘t cope as well. It‘s just that they have so much more to cope with,‖ says Dr. Yehuda. ―Their capacity for tolerating stress may even be greater than men‘s,‖ she observes, ―it‘s just that they‘re dealing with so many more things that they become worn out from it more visibly and sooner.‖ Dr. Yehuda notes another difference between the sexes. ―I think that the kinds of things that women are exposed to tend to be in more of a chronic or repeated nature. Men go to war and are exposed to combat stress. Men are exposed to more acts of random physical violence. The kinds of interpersonal violence that women are exposed to tend to be in domestic situations, by, unfortunately, parents or other family members, and they tend not to be one-shot deals. The wear-and-tear that comes from these longer relationships can be quite devastating.‖ Adeline Alvarez married at 18 and gave birth to a son, but was determined to finish college. ―I struggled a lot to get the college degree. I was living in so much frustration that that was my escape, to go to school, and get ahead and do better.‖ Later, her marriage ended and she became a single mother. ―It‘s the hardest thing to take care of a teenager, have a job, pay the rent, pay the car payment, and pay the debt. I lived from paycheck to paycheck.‖ Not everyone experiences the kinds of severe chronic stresses Alvarez describes. But most women today are coping with a lot of obligations, with few breaks, and feeling the strain. Alvarez‘s experience demonstrates the importance of finding ways to diffuse stress before it threatens your health and your ability to function. 21. Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs? [A] Women are biologically more vulnerable to stress. [B] Women are still suffering much stress caused by men. [C] Women are more experienced than men in coping with stress. [D] Men and women show different inclinations when faced with stress. 22. Dr. Yehuda‘s research suggests that women [A] need extra doses of chemicals to handle stress. [B] have limited capacity for tolerating stress. [C] are more capable of avoiding stress. [D] are exposed to more stress. 23. According to Paragraph 4, the stress women confront tends to be [A] domestic and temporary. [B] irregular and violent. [C] durable and frequent. [D] trivial and random. 24. The sentence ―I lived from paycheck to paycheck.‖ (Line 6, Para. 5) shows that [A] Alvarez cared about nothing but making money. [B] Alvarez‘s salary barely covered her household expenses. [C] Alvarez got paychecks from different jobs. [D] Alvarez paid practically everything by check. 25. Which of the following would be the best title for the text? [A] Strain of Stress: No Way Out? [B] Responses to Stress: Gender Difference [C] Stress Analysis: What Chemicals Say [D] Gender Inequality: Women Under Stress Text 2 It used to be so straightforward. A team of researchers working together in the laboratory would submit the results of their research to a journal. A journal editor would then remove the authors‘ names and affiliations from the paper and send it to their peers for review. Depending on the comments received, the editor would accept the paper for publication or decline it. Copyright rested with the journal publisher, and researchers seeking knowledge of the results would have to subscribe to the journal. No longer. The Internet – and pressure from funding agencies, who are questioning why commercial publishers are making money from government-funded research by restricting access to it – is making access to scientific results a reality. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has just issued a report describing the far-reaching consequences of this. The report, by John Houghton of Victoria University in Australia and Graham Vickery of the OECD, makes heavy reading for publishers who have, so far, made handsome profits. But it goes further than that. It signals a change in what has, until now, been a key element of scientific endeavor. The value of knowledge and the return on the public investment in research depends, in part, upon wide distribution and ready access. It is big business. In America, the core scientific publishing market is estimated at between $7 billion and $11 billion. The International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers says that there are more than 2,000 publishers worldwide specializing in these subjects. They publish more than 1.2 million articles each year in some 16,000 journals. This is now changing. According to the OECD report, some 75% of scholarly journals are now online. Entirely new business models are emerging; three main ones were identified by the report‘s authors. There is the so-called big deal, where institutional subscribers pay for access to a collection of online journal titles through site-licensing agreements. There is open-access publishing, typically supported by asking the author (or his employer) to pay for the paper to be published. Finally, there are open-access archives, where organizations such as universities or international laboratories support institutional repositories. Other models exist that are hybrids of these three, such as delayed open-access, where journals allow only subscribers to read a paper for the first six months, before making it freely available to everyone who wishes to see it. All this could change the traditional form of the peer-review process, at least for the publication of papers. 26. In the first paragraph, the author discusses [A] the background information of journal editing. [B] the publication routine of laboratory reports. [C] the relations of authors with journal publishers. [D] the traditional process of journal publication. 27. Which of the following is true of the OECD report? [A] It criticizes government-funded research. [B] It introduces an effective means of publication. [C] It upsets profit-making journal publishers. [D] It benefits scientific research considerably. 28. According to the text, online publication is significant in that [A] it provides an easier access to scientific results. [B] it brings huge profits to scientific researchers. [C] it emphasizes the crucial role of scientific knowledge. [D] it facilitates public investment in scientific research. 29. With the open-access publishing model, the author of a paper is required to [A] cover the cost of its publication. [B] subscribe to the journal publishing it. [C] allow other online journals to use it freely. [D] complete the peer-review before submission. 30. Which of the following best summarizes the text? [A] The Internet is posing a threat to publishers. [B] A new mode of publication is emerging. [C] Authors welcome the new channel for publication. [D] Publication is rendered easier by online service. Text 3 In the early 1960s Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames. The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today‘s people – especially those born to families who have lived in the U.S. for many generations – apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they aren‘t likely to get any taller. ―In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we‘ve pretty much gone as far as we can go,‖ says anthropologist William Cameron Chumlea of Wright State University. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world. Growth, which rarely continues beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients – notably, protein – to feed expanding tissues. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height – 5′9″ for men, 5′4″ for women – hasn‘t really changed since 1960. Genetically speaking, there are advantages to avoiding substantial height. During childbirth, larger babies have more difficulty passing through the birth canal. Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs. ―There are some real constraints that are set by the genetic architecture of the individual organism,‖ says anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University. Genetic maximums can change, but don‘t expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass., ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon says that by and large, ―you could use today‘s data and feel fairly confident.‖ 31. Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to [A] illustrate the change of height of NBA players. [B] show the popularity of NBA players in the U.S.. [C] compare different generations of NBA players. [D] assess the achievements of famous NBA players. 32. Which of the following plays a key role in body growth according to the text? [A] Genetic modification. [B] Natural environment. [C] Living standards. [D] Daily exercise. 33. On which of the following statements would the author most probably agree? [A] Non-Americans add to the average height of the nation. [B] Human height is conditioned by the upright posture. [C] Americans are the tallest on average in the world. [D] Larger babies tend to become taller in adulthood. 34. We learn from the last paragraph that in the near future [A] the garment industry will reconsider the uniform size. [B] the design of military uniforms will remain unchanged. [C] genetic testing will be employed in selecting sportsmen. [D] the existing data of human height will still be applicable. 35. The text intends to tell us that [A] the change of human height follows a cyclic pattern. [B] human height is becoming even more predictable. [C] Americans have reached their genetic growth limit. [D] the genetic pattern of Americans has altered. Text 4 In 1784, five years before he became president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was nearly toothless. So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw – having extracted them from the mouths of his slaves. That‘s a far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation. They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings. And only over the past 30 years have scholars examined history from the bottom up. Works of several historians reveal the moral compromises made by the nation‘s early leaders and the fragile nature of the country‘s infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong – and yet most did little to fight it. More than anything, the historians say, the founders were hampered by the culture of their time. While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste for slavery, they also understood that it was part of the political and economic bedrock of the country they helped to create. For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was ―like having a large bank account,‖ says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America. The southern states would not have signed the Constitution without protections for the ―peculiar institution,‖ including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation. And the statesmen‘s political lives depended on slavery. The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating the votes of the southern states in the Electoral College. Once in office, Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states. Still, Jefferson freed Hemings‘s children – though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves. Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will. Only a decade earlier, such an act would have required legislative approval in Virginia. 36. George Washington‘s dental surgery is mentioned to [A] show the primitive medical practice in the past. [B] demonstrate the cruelty of slavery in his days. [C] stress the role of slaves in the U.S. history. [D] reveal some unknown aspect of his life. 37. We may infer from the second paragraph that [A] DNA technology has been widely applied to history research. [B] in its early days the U.S. was confronted with delicate situations. [C] historians deliberately made up some stories of Jefferson‘s life. [D] political compromises are easily found throughout the U.S. history. 38. What do we learn about Thomas Jefferson? [A] His political view changed his attitude towards slavery. [B] His status as a father made him free the child slaves. [C] His attitude towards slavery was complex. [D] His affair with a slave stained his prestige. 39. Which of the following is true according to the text? [A] Some Founding Fathers benefit politically from slavery. [B] Slaves in the old days did not have the right to vote. [C] Slave owners usually had large savings accounts. [D] Slavery was regarded as a peculiar institution. 40. Washington‘s decision to free slaves originated from his [A] moral considerations. [B] military experience. [C] financial conditions. [D] political stand. 2009 Text 1 Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. "Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd," William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word "habit" carries a negative connotation. So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks. But don't bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they're there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads. "The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder," says Dawna Markova, author of "The Open Mind" and an executive change consultant for Professional Thinking Partners. "But we are taught instead to 'decide,' just as our president calls himself 'the Decider.' " She adds, however, that "to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities." All of us work through problems in ways of which we're unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960 covered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At puberty, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life. The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. "This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — that anyone can do anything," explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book "This Year I Will..." and Ms. Markova's business partner. "That's a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you're good at and doing even more of it creates excellence." This is where developing new habits comes in. 21. The view of Wordsworth habit is claimed by being ________. A. casual B. familiar C. mechanical D. changeable 22. The researchers have discovered that the formation of habit can be ________ A. predicted B. regulated C. traced D. guided 23. "ruts"(in line one, paragraph 3) has closest meaning to ________ A. tracks B. series C. characteristics D. connections 24. Ms. Markova's comments suggest that the practice of standard testing ________? A, prevents new habits form being formed B, no longer emphasizes commonness C, maintains the inherent American thinking model D, complies with the American belief system 25. Ryan most probably agree that A. ideas are born of a relaxing mind B. innovativeness could be taught C. decisiveness derives from fantastic ideas D. curiosity activates creative minds Text 2 It is a wise father that knows his own child, but today a man can boost his paternal (fatherly) wisdom – or at least confirm that he's the kid's dad. All he needs to do is shell our $30 for paternity testing kit (PTK) at his local drugstore – and another $120 to get the results. More than 60,000 people have purchased the PTKs since they first become available without prescriptions last years, according to Doug Fog, chief operating officer of Identigene, which makes the over-the-counter kits. More than two dozen companies sell DNA tests Directly to the public , ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to more than $2500. Among the most popular : paternity and kinship testing , which adopted children can use to find their biological relatives and latest rage a many passionate genealogists-and supports businesses that offer to search for a family's geographic roots . Most tests require collecting cells by webbing saliva in the mouth and sending it to the company for testing. All tests require a potential candidate with whom to compare DNA. But some observers are skeptical, "There is a kind of false precision being hawked by people claiming they are doing ancestry testing," says Trey Duster, a New York University sociologist. He notes that each individual has many ancestors-numbering in the hundreds just a few centuries back. Yet most ancestry testing only considers a single lineage, either the Y chromosome inherited through men in a father's line or mitochondrial DNA, which a passed down only from mothers. This DNA can reveal genetic information about only one or two ancestors, even though, for example, just three generations back people also have six other great-grandparents or, four generations back, 14 other great-great-grandparents. Critics also argue that commercial genetic testing is only as good as the reference collections to which a sample is compared. Databases used by some companies don't rely on data collected systematically but rather lump together information from different research projects. This means that a DNA database may differ depending on the company that processes the results. In addition, the computer programs a company uses to estimate relationships may be patented and not subject to peer review or outside evaluation. 26. In paragraphs 1 and 2, the text shows PTK's ___________. [A] easy availability [B] flexibility in pricing [C] successful promotion [D] popularity with households 27. PTK is used to __________. [A] locate one's birth place [B] promote genetic research [C] identify parent-child kinship [D] choose children for adoption 28. Skeptical observers believe that ancestry testing fails to__________. [A] trace distant ancestors [B] rebuild reliable bloodlines [C] fully use genetic information [D] achieve the claimed accuracy 29. In the last paragraph, a problem commercial genetic testing faces is __________. [A] disorganized data collection [B] overlapping database building [C] excessive sample comparison [D] lack of patent evaluation 30. An appropriate title for the text is most likely to be__________. [A] Fors and Againsts of DNA testing [B] DNA testing and It's problems [C] DNA testing outside the lab [D] lies behind DNA testing Text 3 The relationship between formal education and economic growth in poor countries is widely misunderstood by economists and politicians alike progress in both area is undoubtedly necessary for the social, political and intellectual development of these and all other societies; however, the conventional view that education should be one of the very highest priorities for promoting rapid economic development in poor countries is wrong. We are fortunate that is it, because new educational systems there and putting enough people through them to improve economic performance would require two or three generations. The findings of a research institution have consistently shown that workers in all countries can be trained on the job to achieve radical higher productivity and, as a result, radically higher standards of living. Ironically, the first evidence for this idea appeared in the United States. Not long ago, with the country entering a recessing and Japan at its pre-bubble peak. The U.S. workforce was derided as poorly educated and one of primary cause of the poor U.S. economic performance. Japan was, and remains, the global leader in automotive-assembly productivity. Yet the research revealed that the U.S. factories of Honda Nissan, and Toyota achieved about 95 percent of the productivity of their Japanese counterparts -- a result of the training that U.S. workers received on the job. More recently, while examining housing construction, the researchers discovered that illiterate, non-English- speaking Mexican workers in Houston, Texas, consistently met best-practice labor productivity standards despite the complexity of the building industry's work. What is the real relationship between education and economic development? We have to suspect that continuing economic growth promotes the development of education even when governments don't force it. After all, that's how education got started. When our ancestors were hunters and gatherers 10,000 years ago, they didn't have time to wonder much about anything besides finding food. Only when humanity began to get its food in a more productive way was there time for other things. As education improved, humanity's productivity potential, they could in turn afford more education. This increasingly high level of education is probably a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for the complex political systems required by advanced economic performance. Thus poor countries might not be able to escape their poverty traps without political changes that may be possible only with broader formal education. A lack of formal education, however, doesn't constrain the ability of the developing world's workforce to substantially improve productivity for the forested future. On the contrary, constraints on improving productivity explain why education isn't developing more quickly there than it is. 31. The author holds in paragraph 1 that the important of education in poor countries ___________. [A] is subject groundless doubts [B] has fallen victim of bias [C] is conventional downgraded [D] has been overestimated 32. It is stated in paragraph 1 that construction of a new education system __________. [A] challenges economists and politicians [B] takes efforts of generations [C] demands priority from the government [D] requires sufficient labor force 33. A major difference between the Japanese and U.S workforces is that __________. [A] the Japanese workforce is better disciplined [B] the Japanese workforce is more productive [C] the U.S workforce has a better education [D] the U.S workforce is more organize 34. The author quotes the example of our ancestors to show that education emerged __________. [A] when people had enough time [B] prior to better ways of finding food [C] when people on longer went hung [D] as a result of pressure on government 35. According to the last paragraph , development of education __________. [A] results directly from competitive environments [B] does not depend on economic performance [C] follows improved productivity [D] cannot afford political changes Text 4 The most thoroughly studied in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was "So much important attached to intellectual pursuits " According to many books and articles, New England's leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life. To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church-important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture adjusting to New world circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity. The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England. `Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629,There were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. There men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness. We should not forget , however, that most New Englanders were less well educated. While few crafts men or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, The in thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality. A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs. sexual confusion, economic frustrations , and religious hope-all name together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: "come out from among them, touch no unclean thing , and I will be your God and you shall be my people." One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churched. Meanwhile, many settles had slighter religious commitments than Dane's, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion . "Our main end was to catch fish. " 36. The author notes that in the seventeenth-century New England___________. [A] Puritan tradition dominated political life. [B] intellectual interests were encouraged. [C] Politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors. [D] intellectual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment. 37. It is suggested in paragraph 2 that New Englanders__________. [A] experienced a comparatively peaceful early history. [B] brought with them the culture of the Old World [C] paid little attention to southern intellectual life [D] were obsessed with religious innovations 38. The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay__________. [A] were famous in the New World for their writings [B] gained increasing importance in religious affairs [C] abandoned high positions before coming to the New World [D] created a new intellectual atmosphere in New England 39. The story of John Dane shows that less well-educated New Englanders were often __________. [A] influenced by superstitions [B] troubled with religious beliefs [C] puzzled by church sermons [D] frustrated with family earnings 40. The text suggests that early settlers in New England__________. [A] were mostly engaged in political activities [B] were motivated by an illusory prospect [C] came from different backgrounds. [D] left few formal records for later reference 2010 Text 1 Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage. It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in general-circulation dailies. We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared. In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviewers who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. These men believed in journalism as a calling, and were proud to be published in the daily press. ―So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,‖ Newman wrote, ―that I am tempted to define ?journalism‘ as ?a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are.‘‖ Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917 until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of essays on the game of cricket. During his lifetime, though, he was also one of England‘s foremost classical-music critics, a stylist so widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of writings on music is unknown save to specialists. Is there any chance that Cardus‘s criticism will enjoy a revival? The prospect seems remote. Journalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern readers have little use for the richly upholstered Vicwardian prose in which he specialized. Moreover, the amateur tradition in music criticism has been in headlong retreat. 21. It is indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 that [A] arts criticism has disappeared from big-city newspapers. [B] English-language newspapers used to carry more arts reviews. [C] high-quality newspapers retain a large body of readers. [D] young readers doubt the suitability of criticism on dailies. 22. Newspaper reviews in England before World War II were characterized by [A] free themes. [B] casual style. [C] elaborate layout. [D] radical viewpoints. 23. Which of the following would Shaw and Newman most probably agree on? [A] It is writers' duty to fulfill journalistic goals. [B] It is contemptible for writers to be journalists. [C] Writers are likely to be tempted into journalism. [D] Not all writers are capable of journalistic writing. 24. What can be learned about Cardus according to the last two paragraphs? [A] His music criticism may not appeal to readers today. [B] His reputation as a music critic has long been in dispute. [C] His style caters largely to modern specialists. [D] His writings fail to follow the amateur tradition. 25. What would be the best title for the text? [A] Newspapers of the Good Old Days [B] The Lost Horizon in Newspapers [C] Mournful Decline of Journalism [D] Prominent Critics in Memory Text 2 Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what are called business methods. Amazon.com received one for its "one-click" online payment system. Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy. One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box. Now the nation's top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz the U.S. court of Appeals for the federal circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents. In re Bilski, as the case is known , is "a very big deal", says Dennis D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of law. It "has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents." Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the federal circuit itself that introduced such patents with is 1998 decision in the so-called state Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging internet companies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of online transactions. Later, move established companies raced to add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals that might beat them to the punch. In 2005, IBM noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method patents despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them. Similarly, some Wall Street investment films armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice. The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market. The Federal circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court's judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluate is whether it should "reconsider" its state street Bank ruling. The Federal Circuit's action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders. Last April, for example the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for "inventions" that are obvious. The judges on the Federal circuit are "reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court", says Harold C. Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School. 26. Business-method patents have recently aroused concern because of [A] their limited value to business [B] their connection with asset allocation [C] the possible restriction on their granting [D] the controversy over authorization 27. Which of the following is true of the Bilski case? [A] Its ruling complies with the court decisions [B] It involves a very big business transaction [C] It has been dismissed by the Federal Circuit [D] It may change the legal practices in the U.S. 28. The word "about-face" (Line 1, Para 3) most probably means [A] loss of good will [B] increase of hostility [C] change of attitude [D] enhancement of dignity 29. We learn from the last two paragraphs that business-method patents [A] are immune to legal challenges [B] are often unnecessarily issued [C] lower the esteem for patent holders [D] increase the incidence of risks 30. Which of the following would be the subject of the text? [A] A looming threat to business-method patents [B] Protection for business-method patent holders [C] A legal case regarding business-method patents [D] A prevailing trend against business-method patents Text 3 In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that social epidemics are driven in large part by the acting of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called influentials, who are unusually informed, persuasive, or well-connected. The idea is intuitively compelling, but it doesn't explain how ideas actually spread. The supposed importance of influentials derives from a plausible sounding but largely untested theory called the "two step flow of communication": Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else. Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those selected people will do most of the work for them. The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods. In many such cases, a cursory search for causes finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention. Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trends In their recent work, however, some researchers have come up with the finding that influentials have far less impact on social epidemics than is generally supposed. In fact, they don't seem to be required of all. The researchers' argument stems from a simple observing about social influence, with the exception of a few celebrities like Oprah Winfrey—whose outsize presence is primarily a function of media, not interpersonal, influence—even the most influential members of a population simply don't interact with that many others. Yet it is precisely these non-celebrity influentials who, according to the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics by influencing their friends and colleagues directly. For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected, must then influence his or her own acquaintances, who must in turn influence theirs, and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these people has little to do with the initial influential. If people in the network just two degrees removed from the initial influential prove resistant, for example from the initial influential prove resistant, for example the cascade of change won't propagate very far or affect many people. Building on the basic truth about interpersonal influence, the researchers studied the dynamics of populations manipulating a number of variables relating of populations, manipulating a number of variables relating to people's ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced. Our work shows that the principal requirement for what we call "global cascades"– the widespread propagation of influence through networks – is the presence not of a few influentials but, rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people, each of whom adopts, say, a look or a brand after being exposed to a single adopting neighbor. Regardless of how influential an individual is locally, he or she can exert global influence only if this critical mass is available to propagate a chain reaction. 31. By citing the book The Tipping Point, the author intends to [A] analyze the consequences of social epidemics [B] discuss influentials' function in spreading ideas [C] exemplify people's intuitive response to social epidemics [D] describe the essential characteristics of influentials. 32. The author suggests that the "two-step-flow theory" [A] serves as a solution to marketing problems [B] has helped explain certain prevalent trends [C] has won support from influentials [D] requires solid evidence for its validity 33. What the researchers have observed recently shows that [A] the power of influence goes with social interactions [B] interpersonal links can be enhanced through the media [C] influentials have more channels to reach the public [D] most celebrities enjoy wide media attention 34. The underlined phrase "these people" in paragraph 4 refers to the ones who [A] stay outside the network of social influence [B] have little contact with the source of influence [C] are influenced and then influence others [D] are influenced by the initial influential 35. what is the essential element in the dynamics of social influence? [A] The eagerness to be accepted [B] The impulse to influence others [C] The readiness to be influenced [D] The inclination to rely on others Text 4 Bankers have been blaming themselves for their troubles in public. Behind the scenes, they have been taking aim at someone else: the accounting standard-setters. Their rules, moan the banks, have forced them to report enormous losses, and it's just not fair. These rules say they must value some assets at the price a third party would pay, not the price managers and regulators would like them to fetch. Unfortunately, banks' lobbying now seems to be working. The details may be unknowable, but the independence of standard-setters, essential to the proper functioning of capital markets, is being compromised. And, unless banks carry toxic assets at prices that attract buyers, reviving the banking system will be difficult. After a bruising encounter with Congress, America's Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rushed through rule changes. These gave banks more freedom to use models to value illiquid assets and more flexibility in recognizing losses on long-term assets in their income statement. Bob Herz, the FASB's chairman, cried out against those who "question our motives." Yet bank shares rose and the changes enhance what one lobby group politely calls "the use of judgment by management." European ministers instantly demanded that the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) do likewise. The IASB says it does not want to act without overall planning, but the pressure to fold when it completes it reconstruction of rules later this year is strong. Charlie McCreevy, a European commissioner, warned the IASB that it did "not live in a political vacuum" but "in the real word" and that Europe could yet develop different rules. It was banks that were on the wrong planet, with accounts that vastly overvalued assets. Today they argue that market prices overstate losses, because they largely reflect the temporary illiquidity of markets, not the likely extent of bad debts. The truth will not be known for years. But bank's shares trade below their book value, suggesting that investors are skeptical. And dead markets partly reflect the paralysis of banks which will not sell assets for fear of booking losses, yet are reluctant to buy all those supposed bargains. To get the system working again, losses must be recognized and dealt with. America's new plan to buy up toxic assets will not work unless banks mark assets to levels which buyers find attractive. Successful markets require independent and even combative standard-setters. The FASB and IASB have been exactly that, cleaning up rules on stock options and pensions, for example, against hostility from special interests. But by giving in to critics now they are inviting pressure to make more concessions. 36. Bankers complained that they were forced to [A] follow unfavorable asset evaluation rules [B] collect payments from third parties [C] cooperate with the price managers [D] reevaluate some of their assets. 37. According to the author , the rule changes of the FASB may result in [A] the diminishing role of management [B] the revival of the banking system [C] the banks' long-term asset losses [D] the weakening of its independence 38. According to Paragraph 4, McCreevy objects to the IASB's attempt to [A] keep away from political influences. [B] evade the pressure from their peers. [C] act on their own in rule-setting. [D] take gradual measures in reform. 39. The author thinks the banks were "on the wrong planet" in that they [A] misinterpreted market price indicators [B] exaggerated the real value of their assets [C] neglected the likely existence of bad debts. [D] denied booking losses in their sale of assets. 40. The author's attitude towards standard-setters is one of [A] satisfaction. [B] skepticism. [C] objectiveness [D] sympathy 2011 Text 1 The decision of the New York Philharmonic to hire Alan Gilbert as its next music director has been the talk of the classical-music world ever since the sudden announcement of his appointment in 2009. For the most part, the response has been favorable, to say the least. ―Hooray! At last!‖ wrote Anthony Tommasini, a sober-sided classical-music critic. One of the reasons why the appointment came as such a surprise, however, is that Gilbert is comparatively little known. Even Tommasini, who had advocated Gilbert‘s appointment in the Times, calls him ―an unpretentious musician with no air of the formidable conductor about him.‖ As a description of the next music director of an orchestra that has hitherto been led by musicians like Gustav Mahler and Pierre Boulez, that seems likely to have struck at least some Times readers as faint praise. For my part, I have no idea whether Gilbert is a great conductor or even a good one. To be sure, he performs an impressive variety of interesting compositions, but it is not necessary for me to visit Avery Fisher Hall, or anywhere else, to hear interesting orchestral music. All I have to do is to go to my CD shelf, or boot up my computer and download still more recorded music from iTunes. Devoted concertgoers who reply that recordings are no substitute for live performance are missing the point. For the time, attention, and money of the art-loving public, classical instrumentalists must compete not only with opera houses, dance troupes, theater companies, and museums, but also with the recorded performances of the great classical musicians of the 20th century. There recordings are cheap, available everywhere, and very often much higher in artistic quality than today‘s live performances; moreover, they can be ―consumed‖ at a time and place of the listener‘s choosing. The widespread availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the traditional classical concert. One possible response is for classical performers to program attractive new music that is not yet available on record. Gilbert‘s own interest in new music has been widely noted: Alex Ross, a classical-music critic, has described him as a man who is capable of turning the Philharmonic into ―a markedly different, more vibrant organization.‖ But what will be the nature of that difference? Merely expanding the orchestra‘s repertoire will not be enough. If Gilbert and the Philharmonic are to succeed, they must first change the relationship between America‘s oldest orchestra and the new audience it hops to attract. 21. We learn from Para.1 that Gilbert‘s appointment has [A]incurred criticism. [B]raised suspicion. [C]received acclaim. [D]aroused curiosity. 22. Tommasini regards Gilbert as an artist who is [A]influential. [B]modest. [C]respectable. [D]talented. 23. The author believes that the devoted concertgoers [A]ignore the expenses of live performances. [B]reject most kinds of recorded performances. [C]exaggerate the variety of live performances. [D]overestimate the value of live performances. 24. According to the text, which of the following is true of recordings? [A]They are often inferior to live concerts in quality. [B]They are easily accessible to the general public. [C]They help improve the quality of music. [D]They have only covered masterpieces. 25. Regarding Gilbert‘s role in revitalizing the Philharmonic, the author feels [A]doubtful. [B]enthusiastic. [C]confident. [D]puzzled. Text 2 When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of America in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up. Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was leaving ―to pursue my goal of running a company.‖ Broadcasting his ambition was ―very much my decision,‖ McGee says. Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on September 29. McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. It also sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations. And McGee isn‘t alone. In recent weeks the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post. As boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder pressure, executives who don‘t get the nod also may wish to move on. A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud their reputations. As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net. In the third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research. As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders. The decision to quit a senior position to look for a better one is unconventional. For years executives and headhunters have adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached. Says Korn/Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey:‖I can‘t think of a single search I‘ve done where a board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first.‖ Those who jumped without a job haven‘t always landed in top positions quickly. Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a decade age, saying she wanted to be a CEO. It was a year before she became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. Robert Willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO. He finally took that post at a major financial institution three years later. Many recruiters say the old disgrace is fading for top performers. The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one. ―The traditional rule was it‘s safer to stay where you are, but that‘s been fundamentally inverted,‖ says one headhunter. ―The people who‘ve been hurt the worst are those who‘ve stayed too long.‖ 26.When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being [A]arrogant. [B]frank. [C]self-centered. [D]impulsive. 27. According to Paragraph 2, senior executives‘ quitting may be spurred by [A]their expectation of better financial status. [B]their need to reflect on their private life. [C]their strained relations with the boards. [D]their pursuit of new career goals. 28.The word ―poached‖ (Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means [A]approved of. [B]attended to. [C]hunted for. [D]guarded against. 29. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that [A]top performers used to cling to their posts. [B]loyalty of top performers is getting out-dated. [C]top performers care more about reputations. [D]it‘s safer to stick to the traditional rules. 30. Which of the following is the best title for the text? [A]CEOs: Where to Go? [B]CEOs: All the Way Up? [C]Top Managers Jump without a Net [D]The Only Way Out for Top Performers Text 3 The rough guide to marketing success used to be that you got what you paid for. No longer. While traditional ―paid‖ media – such as television commercials and print advertisements – still play a major role, companies today can exploit many alternative forms of media. Consumers passionate about a product may create ―owned‖ media by sending e-mail alerts about products and sales to customers registered with its Web site. The way consumers now approach the broad range of factors beyond conventional paid media. Paid and owned media are controlled by marketers promoting their own products. For earned media , such marketers act as the initiator for users‘ responses. But in some cases, one marketer‘s owned media become another marketer‘s paid media – for instance, when an e-commerce retailer sells ad space on its Web site. We define such sold media as owned media whose traffic is so strong that other organizations place their content or e-commerce engines within that environment. This trend ,which we believe is still in its infancy, effectively began with retailers and travel providers such as airlines and hotels and will no doubt go further. Johnson & Johnson, for example, has created BabyCenter, a stand-alone media property that promotes complementary and even competitive products. Besides generating income, the presence of other marketers makes the site seem objective, gives companies opportunities to learn valuable information about the appeal of other companies‘ marketing, and may help expand user traffic for all companies concerned. The same dramatic technological changes that have provided marketers with more (and more diverse) communications choices have also increased the risk that passionate consumers will voice their opinions in quicker, more visible, and much more damaging ways. Such hijacked media are the opposite of earned media: an asset or campaign becomes hostage to consumers, other stakeholders, or activists who make negative allegations about a brand or product. Members of social networks, for instance, are learning that they can hijack media to apply pressure on the businesses that originally created them. If that happens, passionate consumers would try to persuade others to boycott products, putting the reputation of the target company at risk. In such a case, the company‘s response may not be sufficiently quick or thoughtful, and the learning curve has been steep. Toyota Motor, for example, alleviated some of the damage from its recall crisis earlier this year with a relatively quick and well-orchestrated social-media response campaign, which included efforts to engage with consumers directly on sites such as Twitter and the social-news site Digg. 31.Consumers may create ―earned‖ media when they are [A] obscssed with online shopping at certain Web sites. [B] inspired by product-promoting e-mails sent to them. [C] eager to help their friends promote quality products. [D] enthusiastic about recommending their favorite products. 32. According to Paragraph 2,sold media feature [A] a safe business environment. [B] random competition. [C] strong user traffic. [D] flexibility in organization. 33. The author indicates in Paragraph 3 that earned media [A] invite constant conflicts with passionate consumers. [B] can be used to produce negative effects in marketing. [C] may be responsible for fiercer competition. [D] deserve all the negative comments about them. 34. Toyota Motor‘s experience is cited as an example of [A] responding effectively to hijacked media. [B] persuading customers into boycotting products. [C] cooperating with supportive consumers. [D] taking advantage of hijacked media. 35. Which of the following is the text mainly about ? [A] Alternatives to conventional paid media. [B] Conflict between hijacked and earned media. [C] Dominance of hijacked media. [D] Popularity of owned media. Text 4 It‘s no surprise that Jennifer Senior‘s insightful, provocative magazine cover story, ―I love My Children, I Hate My Life,‖ is arousing much chatter – nothing gets people talking like the suggestion that child rearing is anything less than a completely fulfilling, life-enriching experience. Rather than concluding that children make parents either happy or miserable, Senior suggests we need to redefine happiness: instead of thinking of it as something that can be measured by moment-to-moment joy, we should consider being happy as a past-tense condition. Even though the day-to-day experience of raising kids can be soul-crushingly hard, Senior writes that ―the very things that in the moment dampen our moods can later be sources of intense gratification and delight.‖ The magazine cover showing an attractive mother holding a cute baby is hardly the only Madonna-and-child image on newsstands this week. There are also stories about newly adoptive – and newly single – mom Sandra Bullock, as well as the usual ―Jennifer Aniston is pregnant‖ news. Practically every week features at least one celebrity mom, or mom-to-be, smiling on the newsstands. In a society that so persistently celebrates procreation, is it any wonder that admitting you regret having children is equivalent to admitting you support kitten-killing ? It doesn‘t seem quite fair, then, to compare the regrets of parents to the regrets of the children. Unhappy parents rarely are provoked to wonder if they shouldn‘t have had kids, but unhappy childless folks are bothered with the message that children are the single most important thing in the world: obviously their misery must be a direct result of the gaping baby-size holes in their lives. Of course, the image of parenthood that celebrity magazines like Us Weekly and People present is hugely unrealistic, especially when the parents are single mothers like Bullock. According to several studies concluding that parents are less happy than childless couples, single parents are the least happy of all. No shock there, considering how much work it is to raise a kid without a partner to lean on; yet to hear Sandra and Britney tell it, raising a kid on their ―own‖ (read: with round-the-clock help) is a piece of cake. It‘s hard to imagine that many people are dumb enough to want children just because Reese and Angelina make it look so glamorous: most adults understand that a baby is not a haircut. But it‘s interesting to wonder if the images we see every week of stress-free, happiness-enhancing parenthood aren‘t in some small, subconscious way contributing to our own dissatisfactions with the actual experience, in the same way that a small part of us hoped getting ― the Rachel‖ might make us look just a little bit like Jennifer Aniston. 36.Jennifer Senior suggests in her article that raising a child can bring [A]temporary delight [B]enjoyment in progress [C]happiness in retrospect [D]lasting reward 37.We learn from Paragraph 2 that [A]celebrity moms are a permanent source for gossip. [B]single mothers with babies deserve greater attention. [C]news about pregnant celebrities is entertaining. [D]having children is highly valued by the public. 38.It is suggested in Paragraph 3 that childless folks [A]are constantly exposed to criticism. [B]are largely ignored by the media. [C]fail to fulfill their social responsibilities. [D]are less likely to be satisfied with their life. 39.According to Paragraph 4, the message conveyed by celebrity magazines is [A]soothing. [B]ambiguous. [C]compensatory. [D]misleading. 40.Which of the following can be inferred from the last paragraph? [A]Having children contributes little to the glamour of celebrity moms. [B]Celebrity moms have influenced our attitude towards child rearing. [C]Having children intensifies our dissatisfaction with life. [D]We sometimes neglect the happiness from child rearing. 2012 Text 1 Come on –Everybody‘s doing it. That whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is what most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads to no good-drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club, Tina Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the word. Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host of example of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers. The idea seems promising，and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer. Her critique of the lameness of many pubic-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology.‖ Dare to be different, please don‘t smoke!‖ pleads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers-teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure. But on the general effectiveness of the social cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so powerful. The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it‘s presented here is that it doesn‘t work very well for very long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed. There‘s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits-as well as negative ones-spread through networks of friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day. Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in virtuous directions. It‘s like the teacher who breaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The tactic never really works. And that‘s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our own friends. 21. According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as [A] a supplement to the social cure [B] a stimulus to group dynamics [C] an obstacle to school progress [D] a cause of undesirable behaviors 22. Rosenberg holds that public advocates should [A] recruit professional advertisers [B] learn from advertisers‘ experience [C] stay away from commercial advertisers [D] recognize the limitations of advertisements 23. In the author‘s view, Rosenberg‘s book fails to [A] adequately probe social and biological factors [B] effectively evade the flaws of the social cure [C] illustrate the functions of state funding [D]produce a long-lasting social effect 24. Paragraph 5shows that our imitation of behaviors [A] is harmful to our networks of friends [B] will mislead behavioral studies [C] occurs without our realizing it [D] can produce negative health habits 25. The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is [A] harmful [B] desirable [C] profound [D] questionable Text 2 A deal is a deal-except, apparently ,when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations. Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not challenge the constitutionality of Vermont‘s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant running. It‘s a stunning move. The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont‘s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant‘s license be subject to Vermont legislature‘s approval. Then, too, the company went along. Either Entergy never really intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn‘t foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 207 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee‘s safety and Entergy‘s management– especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy‘s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension. Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point. The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has noting left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a poblic trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company‘s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth. 26. The phrase ―reneging on‖(Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning to [A] condemning. [B] reaffirming. [C] dishonoring. [D] securing. 27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to [A] obtain protection from Vermont regulators. [B] seek favor from the federal legislature. [C] acquire an extension of its business license . [D] get permission to purchase a power plant. 28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its [A] managerial practices. [B] technical innovativeness. [C] financial goals. [D] business vision 29. In the author‘s view, the Vermont case will test [A] Entergy‘s capacity to fulfill all its promises. [B] the mature of states‘ patchwork regulations. [C] the federal authority over nuclear issues . [D] the limits of states‘ power over nuclear issues. 30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that [A] Entergy‘s business elsewhere might be affected. [B] the authority of the NRC will be defied. [C] Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application. [D] Vermont‘s reputation might be damaged. Text 3 In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound. Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential. But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher‘s me, here, now becomes the community‘s anyone, anywhere, anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point. Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual‘s discovery claim into the community‘s credible discovery. Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal is new-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as ―seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.‖ But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated. In the end, credibility ―happens‖ to a discovery claim – a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind. ―We reason together, challenge, revise, and complete each other‘s reasoning and each other‘s conceptions of reason.‖ 31. According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by its [A] uncertainty and complexity. [B] misconception and deceptiveness. [C] logicality and objectivity. [D] systematicness and regularity. 32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requires [A] strict inspection. [B]shared efforts. [C] individual wisdom. [D]persistent innovation. 33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it [A] has attracted the attention of the general public. [B]has been examined by the scientific community. [C] has received recognition from editors and reviewers. [D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists. 34. Albert Szent-Györgyi would most likely agree that [A] scientific claims will survive challenges. [B]discoveries today inspire future research. [C] efforts to make discoveries are justified. [D]scientific work calls for a critical mind. 35.Which of the following would be the best title of the test? [A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development. [B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery. [C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science. [D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science. Text 4 If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa‘s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America‘s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized. There are three reasons for the public-sector unions‘ thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America‘s public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain‘s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions. At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state‘s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers‘ unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care. In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians have repeatedly ―backloaded‖ public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous. Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers‘ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones. As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too. John Donahue at Harvard‘s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers‘ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America. 36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that [A] Teamsters still have a large body of members. [B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant. [C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership. [D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists. 37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2? [A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions. [B] Education is required for public-sector union membership. [C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions. [D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions. 38. It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is [A] illegally secured. [B] indirectly augmented. [C] excessively increased. [D]fairly adjusted. 39. The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions [A]often run against the current political system. [B]can change people‘s political attitudes. [C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms. [D]are dominant in the government. 40. John Donahue‘s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of [A]disapproval. [B]appreciation. [C]tolerance. [D]indifference.