单选题 The rise of multinational corporations, global marketing, new communications technologies, and shrinking cultural differences have led to an unparalleled increase in global public relations or PR.
Surprisingly, since modem PR was largely an American invention, the U. S. leadership in public relations is being threatened by PR efforts in other countries. Ten years ago, for example, the world's top five public relations agencies were American-owned. In 1991, only one was. The British in particular are becoming more sophisticated and creative. A recent survey found that more than half of all British companies include PR as part of their corporate planning activities, compared to about one-third of U. S. companies. It may not belong before London replaces New York as the capital of PR.
Why is America lagging behind in the global PR race? Firstly, Americans as a whole tend to be fairly provincial and take more of an interest in local affairs. Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country. Secondly, Americans lag behind their European and Asian counterparts in knowing a second language. Less than 5 percent of Burson-Marshall's U. S. employees know two languages. Ogilvy and Mather has about the same percentage. Conversely, some European firms have half or more of their employees fluent in a second language. Finally, people involved in PR abroad tend to keep a closer eye on international affairs. In the financial PR area, for instance, most Americans read the Wall Street Journal. Overseas, their counterparts read the Journal as well as the Financial Times of London and The Economist, publications not often read in this country.
Perhaps the PR industry might take a lesson from Ted Turner of CNN (Cable News Network). Turner recently announced that the word "foreign" would no longer be used on CNN news broadcasts. According to Turner, global communications have made the nations of the would so interdependent that there is no longer any such thing as foreign.

单选题 According to the passage, U. S. leadership in public relations is being threatened because of ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】本题询问的是美国在公共关系业中的领袖地位受到威胁的原因。从文章的第一段可以判断A、D、C所涉及的三点是公共关系业迅速发展和增长的原因，与题意不符。而根据第二段的内容可以肯定B为正确答案。
单选题 The underlined word "provincial" (Para. 3) most probably means ""______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】这里要求猜测单词“provincial”的意义。根据上下文，作者在指出“作为一个总体，美国人倾向 provincial”，紧接着又说“(美国人)对地方事务更感兴趣”，“这个国家(美国)的雇员的地理知识从来就不是那么优秀”，可见provincial应具有与local类似的意思，四个选项中D“狭小的世界观”最为贴切；而选项B“对世界金融事务感兴趣”与以上分析相矛盾；选项A和C“思维刻板的”和“像来自乡下的人”则无从推测。
单选题 London could soon replace New York as the centre of PR because
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】“不久伦敦就会代替纽约成为公共关系业的中心”是文章第二段最后得出的结论，其依据在第二段“The British in particular are becoming more sophisticated and creative. A recent survey found that more than half of all British companies include PR as part of their corporate planning activities, compared to about one-third of U. S. companies.”由此可见选项A“英国的公司比美国的公司更强调公共关系的重要性”为正确答案。
单选题 We learn from the third paragraph that employees in the American PR industry ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】从“In the financial PR area, for instance, most Americans read the Wall Street Journal.”可以判断A是不正确的，而从“American lag behind their European and Asian counterparts in knowing a second language.”又可以判断B是错误的，“Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country.”只是说明美国人对地理知识不感兴趣而不是“无知”，所以C是错误的。然后联系第二段“The British in particular are becoming more sophisticated and creative.”和本段主要讲的是“美国为什么会在公共关系业落后”，可以得出结论D为正确答案。
单选题 What lesson might the PR industry take from Ted Turner of CNN?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据Ted Turner of CNN所声称的“... the word 'foreign' would no longer be used on CNN news broadcasts”，可见CNN的发展方向要放眼全世界，把世界作为自己的事业的着眼点。作者之所以引用这个例子是想以此建议“美国的公共关系公司也要更多地胸怀世界”，可见C为正确答案。