单选题Investors said they were "surprised and encouraged" by the sentiment, although other shareholders seemed ______ to having Prosser in the role.

单选题Compared to other species, only human beings are ______of speech.

单选题Just as each wedding creates potential business for divorce lawyers, so each engagement gives insurers a chance to drum up business. Future spouses, says Alan Tuvin of Travelers, an insurer, may wish to protect themselves against something going wrong on the wedding day. It is unlikely that your intended wife will leave on horseback, as Julia Roberts did in "Runaway Bride", and most insurers wouldn"t cover that anyway. But you never know what might happen. Mr. Tuvin launched the firm"s wedding-insurance business; he and his wife were its first clients. A typical American wedding costs 25,000 or so. This has fallen a bit over the past quarter-century but still seems lavish given how tight American belts are these days. Weddings are pricey because the rich are more likely to marry than the poor, and the average age of newlyweds has gone up, so couples are more prosperous when they eventually tie the knot. High prices, and the fact that many venues require couples to take out liability insurance, feed demand for wedding insurance. A fifth of couples buy it, says the Wedding Report , a trade publication. Wedding insurance began in Britain: Cornhill, an insurer, wrote its first policy in 1988. But there were few takers. The idea only took off once transplanted to America. In the early days, says Mr. Nuccio of Robert Nuccio of Wedsure, an surer, there were incidents of couples faking engagements to collect a payout. Since then, most policies have a clause that excludes "change of heart". Wedsure does insure against cold feet, but its policy will pay out only if the wedding is cancelled more than 12 months before it is due to take place, thereby guarding against fiancés phoning the broker once the relationship is already on the rocks. This does not mean policies are useless. Common causes of payouts include the venue or caterers going bust after having taken a big deposit. Extreme weather, a spouse being deployed by the armed forces and an absent priest can all trigger payouts. Most policies will pay to re-stage the photos if the photographer fails to turn up or disappears with the pictures. For some, even a small risk of something going wrong on a day that has been planned for months is worth paying to avoid. Who says romance is dead?

单选题{{B}}Text 3{{/B}} The American screen has long been a smoky place, at least since 1942's Now, Voyager, in which Bette Davis and Paul Henreid showed how to make and seal a romantic deal over a pair of cigarettes that were smoldering as much as the stars. Today cigarettes are more common on screen than at any other time since midcentury: 75% of all Hollywood films—including 36% of those rated G or PG—show tobacco use, according to a 2006 survey by the University of California, San Francisco. Audiences, especially kids, are taking notice. Two recent studies, published in Lancet and Pediatrics, have found that among children as young as 10, those exposed to the most screen smoking are up to 2.7 times as likely as others to pick up the habit. Worse, it's the ones from nonsmoking homes who are hit the hardest. Now the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)—the folks behind the designated-driver campaign—are pushing to get the smokes off the screen. "Some movies show kids up to 14 incidents of smoking per hour," says Barry Bloom, HSPH's dean. "We're in the business of preventing disease, and cigarettes are the No. 1 preventable cause." Harvard long believed that getting cigarettes out of movies could have as powerful an effect, but it wouldn't be easy. Cigarette makers had a history of striking product-placement deals with Hollywood, and while the 1998 tobacco settlement prevents that, nothing stops directors from incorporating smoking into scenes on their own. In 1999 Harvard began holding one-on-one meetings with studio execs trying to change that, and last year the Motion Picture Association of America flung the door open, inviting Bloom to make a presentation in February to all the studios. Harvard's advice was direct: Get the butts entirely out, or at least make smoking unappealing. A few films provide a glimpse of what a no-smoking or low-smoking Hollywood would be like. Producer Lindsay Doran, who once helped persuade director John Hughes to keep Ferris Bueller smoke-free in the 1980s hit, wanted to de the same for the leads of her 2006 movie Stranger Than Fiction. When a writer convinced her that the character played by Emma Thompson had to smoke, Doran relented, but from the way Thompson hacks her way through the film and snuffs out her cigarettes in a palmful of spit, it's clear the glamour's gone. And remember all the smoking in The Devil Wears Prada? No? That's because the producers of that film kept it out entirely—even in a story that travels from the US fashion world to Paris, two of the most tobacco-happy places on earth. "No one smoked in that movie," says Doran, "and no one noticed." Such movies are hardly the rule, but the pressure is growing. Like smokers, studios may conclude that quitting the habit is not just a lot healthier but also a lot smarter.

单选题In general, the British people belong to one of the more {{U}}affluent{{/U}} countries of Europe and enjoy a high standard of living compared to the rest of the world.

单选题Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many north Americans interact these days. The term is " networked individualism". This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings. How can we be individuals and be networked at the same time? You need other people for networks. Here is what Professor Wellman means. Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail, our social networks involved live interactions with relatives, neighbors, and colleagues at work. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time. A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to-person interaction. However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that's a good thing. Why? In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer . But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true. The Internet connects us with more real people than expected helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions. Thanks to the computer, "networked individuals" are able to be alone and together with other people—at the same time .

单选题Some people worry about my collecting of those fascinating birds and animals that they pay to see in the zoo. One of the questions that is always asked is【C1】______I became an animal collector. The answer is that I have always been【C2】______in animals and zoos. According to my parents, the first【C3】______I was able to say was not the normal "mamma" or "daddy", but the word "zoo", which I would【C4】______many times until someone took me to the【C5】______. 【C6】______I grew a little older, we lived in Greece and I had a【C7】______number of pets, ranging from snakes to seahorses, and I【C8】______all my spare time【C9】______the countryside in search of fresh specimens to add to my collection of【C10】______. Later on I【C11】______for a year in the City Zoo, as a student attendant, to get experience of the large【C12】______, such as lions, bears, tigers and elephants, which were not easy to keep at home. When I left, I【C13】______had enough money of my own to be able to pay my first trip and I have been going regularly ever since then. Though a collector' s job is not an【C14】______one and is full of sorrow, it is certainly a job which will【C15】______all those who love animals.

单选题She's still ______ to her new duties, but she will soon learn.

单选题I was uncertain of my success. Which of the following can replace the underlined word?A. willingB. not sureC. certainlyD. not certainly

单选题Having recently missed out on the Matisse retrospective, which has taken Paris and New York by storm, and on the tour of great paintings from Philadelphia's Barnes collection, London is becoming______in the competition to show blockbuster international art exhibitions.

单选题 When I was walking down the street the other day, I happened to notice a small brown leather wallet lying on the sidewalk. I picked it up and opened it to see if I could find out the owner's name. There was nothing inside it except some change and an old photograph-a picture of a woman and a young gift about twelve years old, who looked like the woman's daughter. I put the photograph back and took the wallet to the police station, where I handed it to the desk sergeant. Before I left, the sergeant took down my name and address in case the owner might want to write and thank me. That evening I went to have dinner with my aunt and uncle. They had also invited a young woman so that there would be four people at the table. Her face was familiar. I was quite sure that we had not met before, but I couldn' t remember where I had seen her. In the course of conversation, however, the young woman happened to mention that she had lost her wallet that afternoon. All at once I realized where I had seen her. She was the young girl in the photograph, although she was now much older. She was very surprised, of course, when I was able to describe her wallet to her. Then I explained that I had recognized her from the photograph I had found in the wallet. My uncle insisted on going to the police station immediately to claim the wallet. As the police sergeant handed it over, he said that it was amazing that I had not only found the wallet, but also the person who had lost it.

单选题His ______ directions confused us; we did not know which of the two roads to take.(2007年中国矿业大学考博试题)

单选题I had been sitting in my seat for at least two hours, waiting ______. A. the train to start B. for the train starting C. for the train to start D. for the train start

单选题{{B}}PartB{{/B}}Thepassagebelowsummarizesthemainpointsofthepassage.Readthesummaryandthenselectthebestwordorphrasefromtheboxblowaccordingtothepassage.Youshoulddecideonthebest'choiceandmarkthecorrespondingletterontheANSWERSHEETwithasinglelinethroughthecenter.Thinkaboutwhatwouldmakeyoureally,reallyhappy.Moremoney?Wrong.Smiling,well-adjustedkids?Wrongagain.Thefactisweareterribleatpredictingthesourceofjoy.Andwhateverchoiceswedomake,welikelylaterdecideitwasallforthebest.Theseareinsightsfromhappinesseconomics,perhapsthehottestfieldinwhatusedtobecalledthedismalscience.Happinessiseverywhere--onthebest-sellerlists,inthemindsofpolicymakers,andfrontandcenterforeconomists--yetitremainselusive.Thegoldenroleofeconomicshasalwaysbeenthatwell-beingisasimplefunctionofincome.That'swhynationsandpeoplealikestriveforhigherincomes-moneygivesuschoiceandameasureoffreedom.Afteracertainincomecan,wesimplydon'tgetanyhappier.Anditisn'twhatwehave,butwhetherwehavemorethanourneighbor,thatreallymatters.Sothenewslastweekthatin2006tophedge-fundmanagerstookhome$240million,minimum,probablydidn'tmakethemanyhappier,itjustmadetherestofuslessso.Nowpolicymakersareracingtofigureoutwhatmakespeoplehappy,andjusthowtheyshoulddeliverit.CountriesasdiverseasBhutan,Australia,China,ThailandandtheU.ICarecomingupwith"happinessindexer,"tobeusedalongsideGDPasaguidetosociety'sprogress.InBritain,the"politicsofhappiness"willlikelyfigureprominentlyinnextyear'selections.Nevermindthattheworld'stophappinessresearchersrecentlygatheredataconferenceinRometodebatewhetherjoyisevenmeasurable.Whyisthisallhappeningnow?onlyinthelastdecadehaveeconomists,psychologists,biologistsandphilosophersbeguncross-pollinatinginsuchawaytoarriveat"happinessstudies".HarvardpsychologistDanielGilberthumorouslysumsupmuchofthenewwisdominhisbook"StumblingonHappiness".Hesays24-hourtelevisionandtheInternethaveallowedusalltoseemoreseeminglyhappypeoplethaneverbefore."We'resurroundedbythelifestylesoftherichandfamous,"saysGilbert,"rubbingournosesinthefactthatothershavemore."ofcourse,theideathatmoneyisn'ttherealkeytohappinessisn'tnew.The18th-centryBritishEnlightenmentthinkerJeremyBenthamarguedthatpublicpolicyshouldtryto.maximizehappiness,andmanyprominenteconomistsagreedbutcouldnotquiteembracetheidea.Therewasjustnowaytomeasurehappinessobjectively.oneoftheearlyrevelationsofhappinessresearch,fromRichardEasterlinattheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,wasthatwhilethericharetypicallyhappierthanthepoor,thehappinessboostfromextracashisn'tthatgreatonceonerisesabovethepovertyline.Thereason,saysEasterlin,isthe"hedoniccycle":wegetusedtobeingricherdamquick,andtakeitforgrantedorcompareittowhatothershave,notwhatweusedtohave.Tumsout,keepingupwiththeJonesesishard-wiredintoourbrains,thankstoourpack-creatureroots.Thoughmanyhappinessresearcherssay"workless,playmore"istheformulaforhappiness,RuutVeenhoven,aprofessoratErasmusUniversityinRotterdam,suggestsotherwise.Hard-workingAmericansranks17thonhislist;thehard-vacationingFrench39th.HumanbeingsdowantaEuropean-stylesafetynet,butalsowantfreedomandopportunity.Andperhapsourintuitionsabouthappinessshouldtriumphoverthefuzzydata,anyway.Theeconomicsofhappinesshasgivenusacoupleoffairlyhardandfastrolesaboutwell-being-beingtrulypoorisbad,andtimewithfriendsandfamilyaregood.Thegoodnewsisthatwhateverchoiceswemakeindividuallyandassocietiesinthepursuitofhappinessthere'sgoodchancethatthey'llseembetterinhindsight.Yetanothertruismofhappinessisthat"weallwearrose-coloredglasseswhenitcomestoourpastdecision-making,"saysGilbert.Today'sdreadfullifechoicewilllikelybetomorrow'shappyaccident.Wearepooratprevisionoftheoriginofhapiness,andwewouldprobablybelievethedecisionwemadeisthemostsatisfactory.TheHappinesshasbecome{{U}}16{{/U}}everywherebuttoughtodefine.Nationsandpeoplemanagetogainhigherincomesbasedontheprincipleofeconomicsthat{{U}}17{{/U}}arerelatedtohapiness,butthatisnot{{U}}18{{/U}}.Wealthaloneisn'tnecessarilywhatmakesushappy.Itmakesdifferentifwepossessmorethan{{U}}19{{/U}},andthat'swhywefeelunhappytofindthosetop{{U}}20{{/U}}havesuperlativeincome.Somenationsarebeginningtoconsiderissueslikemeasuringsociety'sprogressby{{U}}21{{/U}}aswellasGDP,andresearchersheldseminartoexchangesurveysaboutthe{{U}}22{{/U}},thoughtheinfluentialtopicwasadvanced10yearsago.Theissuethatastatepolicyshouldbe{{U}}23{{/U}}thehappinessofthemajority,eruptedmanydecadesagobyBritishEnlightenmentthinkerJeremyBenthamandacceptedbymanyeminenteconomists,couldnotfairly{{U}}24{{/U}},becausehappinesscannotbeobjectivelymeasured.The{{U}}25{{/U}}ofthehappinessmadebyRichardEasterlinisthatthewealthmakespeoplehappier,buttheirhappinesswillnot{{U}}26{{/U}}asgreatasitshouldbeiftheyliveabovethe{{U}}27{{/U}}.Thecaneasilytakethelifeforgrantedand{{U}}28{{/U}}themoreexpansivewayoflife.Theyare{{U}}29{{/U}}tocomparethelifewithothersandmanagetokeepupwiththeJoneses.RuutVeenhoven,aprofessoratErasmusUniversityinRotterdam,doesnotsupportthe{{U}}30{{/U}}"workless,playmore".Accordingtohisinvestigationofhappinesslist,peoplewantaEuropen-style{{U}}31{{/U}}andwanttoenjoyfreedomandopportunityaswell.Weshouldprobablygobeyondtheconfusinginformationand{{U}}32{{/U}}thefairlyprinciplesofthehappiness:povertyis{{U}}33{{/U}},stayingwithfriendsandfamilyis{{U}}34{{/U}},andthedecisionsmade{{U}}35{{/U}}arebychancetobehappyexperience.

单选题Which of the following is NOT included in G. Leech"s seven types of meaning?(大连外国语学院2008研)

单选题1 The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, painfree life equals happiness actu ally reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain. As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happi ness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment (承担的义务), self-improvement. Ask a bachelor (单身汉) why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commit ment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features. Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night's sleep or a three-day vaca tion. I don't know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising chil dren. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild. Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activi ties that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money, buying that new ear or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy. we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.

单选题The loudest outcry (呐喊) about poverty seemed to come in the wealthiest country—by far—in the world. According to most calculations, through most of the 1945—1970 period the United States had a standard of living well above Europe's and many times above the world average. Yet protests about grinding poverty, hunger, and dreadful need proceed more from the United States than from countries with one-fortieth of their living standard. (An annual per capita income of eight dollars is typical of much of Africa and Asia and not a little of South America. ) It would seem strange to these people (were they only aware of the fact) that American radicals demand a retreat from an American commitment to the far corners of the globe so that the money thus saved can be spent raising the standard of living of underprivileged Americans. What this last point suggests is not so much that human wants are never to be satisfied though this is doubtlessly true, and the American living in suburb deprived of his second car and his color TV suffers just as acutely as an African farmer in need of a second cow and a screen door. Rather, it suggests the extent of contemporary breach (违反) of social norm (标准) —the emancipation (解放) of the individual self. People have learned that their wants are sacred and rights ought to be satisfied. They have learned to consider any obstacle to personal fulfillment and intolerable insult. They have greatly expanded the circle of self-awareness. They no longer accept sharp limitations on individual desires in the name of the group. The amount of potential human discontent has always been infinite—misery, failure, misfitting, bitterness, hatred, envy beyond telling. It has usually failed of utterance, and in the past it was accepted passively as being beyond help.