单选题 Search engine Google was aiming to float on Wall Street this week, valued at up to $ 36 billion. But the Internet company's advisers are meeting this weekend to discuss possibly delaying the public listing after a sharp fall in share prices in New York on Friday. An insider said last night:' "The float is teetering on the brink -- it really is 50/50 at this stage, although many of us are optimistic." The initial public offering (IPO) of shares in Google, which could raise nearly $ 4bn, will amount to one of the biggest IPOs for years. But many US firms have shelved their IPOs amid volatile market conditions and investors appear unwilling to subscribe to new equity. A Wall Street analyst said that the Google IPO "would be a seminal event for the American stock market" as its real significance was that it would test whether or not the recovery in equity prices since the end of the Iraq war had taken hold. "If this float works, a lot of other companies will be encouraged and come to the market later in the year," the insider added. "But it will be bad news if the IPO is pulled or the shares fall sharply after the company is listed. If that happens, it could kill off the IPO market in America and elsewhere for at least 12 months."
Several fund managers have already expressed reservations about Google, in particular its high valuation and the complex way the shares are being sold. Moreover, the Google flotation is taking place at a time when technology companies in the US have been shunned. On Thursday, the IPO hit a technical hitch over the failure of the company to meet its legal obligations concerning its employees' stock option plans. But the company did not think that the disclosure would mean a delay to the IPO, which is due on Tuesday. At the top of the suggested price range, Google would be valued not far short of its rival Internet firm Yahoo! -- and this has raised eyebrows within the industry. The auction is being conducted over the Internet, and potential buyers will have to register by signing on to a Google website. But only investors who have brokerage accounts with one of the 28 US banks and brokers underwriting the stock sale, will be able to apply. Google suffered a setback last month after it re- ported an unexpected slowdown in its huge growth rate. But sources close to Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, said that the tailing-off of growth was due to seasonal factors and would not affect the IPO.

单选题 According to paragraph 1, the insider's attitude towards Google IPO can be said to be

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】本题问业内人士对Google IPO的态度怎样。须定位题干中关键词“insider”。首段第三句中“An insider said．．．The float is teetering on the brink—it really is 50/50 at this stage，although many of us are optimistic．”表明业内人士认为Google上市的可能性是50%，也就是说知情人对Google IPO采取的态度是A项“怀疑”。实际上本题也是体现中心思想的题，可以看出全文的观点就是论述Google的IPO计划有可能推迟，即对 Google的IPO计划的顺利实施感到怀疑。而作者提到业内人士显然是从正面说明这个问题，因此从贴近中心的程度也可定A项为正确答案。
[B]困惑的：confused意为“unable to think clearly”，是指面对某种情形时迷茫、不能清楚思考的状态。而文中业内人士并不是感到迷茫，只是怀疑Google的IPO不能准时上市。
[C]悲观的：pessimistic程度太重，这些人的情绪还没到悲观的地步。
[D]自信的：“50/50”表明业内人士的态度不会是自信的。而且这显然与文章中心相悖。

单选题 If Giggle IPO works,

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题问如果Google上市成功会怎样。本题题干的内容是文中原句的内容转述：If Google IPO works=If this float(发行，筹资)works，故可定位到首段倒数第三句。它提到“if this float works，a lot of other companies will be encouraged and come to the market later in the year”，如果Google上市成功，有很多公司会受到鼓舞而上市，即会推动IPO市场的繁荣。故“它会促进IPO市场”正确。
[A]股票价格的回升将会结束：从首段“A Wall Street analyst said that the Google IPO…would test whether or not the recovery in equity prices…had taken hold”可知，Google上市成功与否能够表明股票价格的回升是否站稳脚跟，也就是说，如果上市成功，说明股价反弹的形势已经站稳脚跟，可能会继续反弹下去，而不像本项说的停止反弹。
[C]许多美国公司会买新股票：首段“many US firms have shelved their IPOs amid volatile market conditions and investors appear unwilling to subscribe to new equity．”说的是投资者买新股票，而非美国公司。
[D]会带来持续的经济增长：许多公司的上市，并不一定能带来经济的持续增长。本项属于过度引申，由促进 IPO市场夸大到促进经济持续增长，这是干扰项常用的一种方式。

单选题 According to the passage, Google's IPO is to share market recovery as

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】本题问Google的IPO计划相对于股票市场就像什么。解此题的关键在于理解“Google's IPO”与“share market recovery”的相互关系。首段后半部分讨论了两者关系。第六句谈到“…is real significance was that it would test whether or not the recovery in equity prices．．．”，即Google的IPO计划是股市恢复与否的标志。接下来第七句谈到“If this float works，a lot of other companies will be encouraged and come to the market later in the year”，可以看出，如果Google的IPO计划成功，会对股市的发展起促进作用。综上可看出，Google的 IPO计划一方面是股市复苏的一个标志，同时它的成功也会对股市的发展起促进作用。分析四个选项，可以发现，文明是社会繁荣的一个标志，同时文明的发展对社会的繁荣起促进作用。故D项“文明相对于社会繁荣”正确。
[A]体检相对于健康状况：体检结果是健康状况的一个标志，但体检本身并不会促进健康。
[B]GDP相对于经济发展：GDP是反映经济发展的一个指标，但它本身对经济并没有促进作用。
[C]勤奋相对于学习上的成功：勤奋是获得学习上成功的一个条件，会促进成功，但它不是成功的标志。

单选题 The fund managers had doubts about Google because of the following reasons EXCEPT

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】本题问基金经理们不是由于以下的哪个原因对Google有疑虑。根据题干中关键词“fund managers”，可将目光定位在第二段前几句。“…fund managers…expressed reservations about Google…its high valuation and the complex way the shares are being sold．．．flotation is taking place at a time when technology companies…shunned．”，也就是说，fund managers认为Google过高的估价、出售股票的复杂方式及不利的上市时间都会对Google的准时上市造成不良影响。故A项“股票估价很高”、B项“不利的时机”、C项“股票销、售的方式”均是fund managers对Google上市有顾虑的原因。
第二段末提到“Google suffered a setback last month after it reported an unexpected slowdown in its huge growth rate．”。但这只是作者讨论的一个事实，fund managers并没有提到这点。故D项“增长率的下降”不是fund managers质疑Google的原因，为正确选项。

单选题 By the phrase "raised eyebrows within the industry" (Line 7, Paragraph 2), we 'can learn that Google has

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题问“raised eyebrows within the industry”的意思。第二段提到“At the top of the suggested price range， Google would be valued not far short of its rival internet firm Yahoo!…”Google最高的估价竟然可能与它的对手Yahoo!不相上下。这无疑会“令同行感到惊讶”。实际上可以看出surprise跟全文整体上doubt的基调颇为相近，所以做题中要认识到“符合中心思想的容易是解”这个解题技巧。
[A]激怒了它的对手、[D]受到对手的憎恨：“raised eyebrows”从表面来看有瞪大眼睛的意思，这或许让人觉得有“憎恨”或“激怒”之意。但文中并没有谈到Google的过高估价会使对手遭受什么危害。所以“憎恨”或者“愤怒”放在这里不合逻辑。实际上如果文中没有明确说明，像这种具有严重消极感情色彩的选项一般都不会是正确选项。
[C]受到同行的赞赏：由该句的上下文来看，作者是在论述Google的估价很高。前面(第二段首句)已经谈到专家质疑Google的估价。可见这种估价的后果很难说，因此说Coogle受到同行赞赏比较牵强。实际上全文显然是在阐述各界对Google IPO的质疑，而本项说Google受到同行的赞赏，显然背离了中心，不可能是正确选项。