填空题Thanks to the rise of social media, news is no longer gathered exclusively by reporters and turned into a story but emerges from an ecosystem in which journalists, sources, readers and viewers exchange information. The change began around 1999, when blogging tools first became widely available, says Jay Rosen, professor of journalism at New York University. The result was "the shift of the tools of production to the people formerly known as the audience," he says. (41) ______. At first many news organisations were openly hostile towards these new tools. In America the high point of the antagonism between bloggers and the mainstream media was in late 2004, when "60 Minutes", an evening news show on CBS, alleged on the basis of leaked memos that George Bush junior had used family connections to win favourable treatment in the Air National Guard in the 1970s. (42) ______ CBS retracted the story and Dan Rather, one of the most respected names in American news, resigned as the show's anchor in early 2005. (43) ______ Newspapers and news channels have since launched blogs of their own, hired many bloggers and allowed readers to leave comments. They also invite pictures, video and other contributions from readers and seek out material published on the Internet, thus incorporating non-journalists into the news system. (44) ______ "We see these things as being highly complementary to what we do," says Martin Nisenholtz of the New York Times. Many journalists who were dismissive about social media have changed their tune in the past few months as their value became apparent in the coverage of the Arab uprisings and the Japanese earthquake, says Liz Heron, social-media editor at the New York Times. Rather than thinking of themselves as setting the agenda and managing the conversation, news organisations need to recognise that journalism is now just part of a conversation that is going on anyway, argues Jeff Jarvis, a media guru at the City University of New York. (45) ______. All this requires journalists to admit that they do not have a monopoly on wisdom. "Ten years ago that was a terribly threatening idea, and it still is to some people," says the Guardian's Alan Rusbridger. "But in the real world the aggregate of what people know is going to be, in most cases, more than we know inside the building. " [A] Journalists are becoming more inclined to see blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media as a valuable adjunct to traditional media (and sometimes a corrective to them). [B] The role of journalists in this new world is to add value to the conversation by providing reporting, context, analysis, verification and debunking, and by making available tools and platforms that allow people to participate. [C] By providing more raw material than ever from which to distil the news, social media have both done away with editors and shown up the need for them. [D] This was followed by a further shift: the rise of "horizontal media" that made it quick and easy for anyone to share links (via Facebook or Twitter, for example) with large numbers of people without the involvement of a traditional media organisation. In other words, people can collectively act as a broadcast network. [E] With a single click of a Facebook "Like" button, for example, you can recommend a story, video or slideshow to your entire network of friends. [F] Bloggers immediately questioned the authenticity of the memos. A former CBS News executive derided blogging as "a guy sitting in his living room in his pyjamas writing what he thinks". But the bloggers were right. [G] But in the past few years mainstream media organisations have changed their attitude. The success of the Huffington Post (博客网站), which launched in May 2005 with a combination of original reporting by members of staff, blog posts from volunteers (including many celebrity friends of Arianna Huffington's, the site's co-founder) and links to news stories on other sites, showed the appeal of what Ms Huffington calls a "hybrid" approach that melds old and new, professional and amateur.

填空题As companies continue to cut costs, the days of frequent promotions are a distant memory. So are the days of endless opportunities to show off your skills. Layoff survivors, faced with fewer options are finding themselves in career purgatory—there's no way up and no way out. After talking to career coaches, managers, recruiters, and psychologists, Fortune put together eight tips to help workers break free from the inertia. 41. Avoid taking cover Don't hide out behind your computer. "You should really work to increase or maintain the visibility that you have," says David Opton, founder and CEO of career management firm ExecuNet. Build a circle of allies Fortify your current relationships and work on making new ones, both within and outside the office. "Allies will be helpful in terms of letting you know information, like if there's a job possibility that comes up," says Dee Soder, founder of the CEO Perspective Group. Who you know can make a big difference, especially in difficult times. 42. Load up on new tools This is the perfect time to acquire new expertise. (If the boss can't pay, do it on your own.) 43. Look beyond your job description People don't get promotions just because they do their jobs well; they get promotions because they take initiative. Lauren Doliva, a partner at recruiting firm Heidrick Struggles International, has a client looking to hire a CO0. 44. Manage your own PR "Doing well is part productivity and part publicity," says Marilyn Moats Kennedy, a managing partner at Career Strategies. Be creative Remember, says Doliva, "people hire us to think, not just to do." This is the perfect time to tackle the project that you've always wished you had more time for. Soder recommends scheduling an hour each day to work on extra things such as new initiatives or ways to improve your job or that of those above you. Take responsibility for your success Be proactive, not reactive. Says Kennedy: "If you're waiting for something to happen to you, it's not going to be anything positive." Figure out your goals and let managers know what they are; identify your weaknesses and work on them; find better ways to harness your strengths. For nontangible skills— leadership, management, communication—coaches recommend hiring a coach. A client of Soder's was put into a new management role, but didn't feel like she had what it took to oversee a bigger team. She went out and hired a coach who helped her learn how to interact with top executives as well as how to run a bigger territory. She has since been promoted again. Taking responsibility for your own success is something everyone should do, regardless of external factors. Otherwise you're heading straight for burnout. 45. Adjust your attitude Don't panic. Even though the economy is in a recession, your career is not coming to an end. How you look at the situation will have a big impact on whether you stay stuck or move ahead. "One can choose to say there is no opportunity or one can choose to look for it," says Doliva. In fact, many coaches believe that being stuck is just a state of mind. [A] Let people know when you accomplish something or when you put in the extra effort to get a project done early. Without being cheesy, make sure that you're giving off the right vibes by keeping a positive attitude, avoiding emotional outbursts, and appearing calm and organized. And don't forget to look the part. Many didn't get promotions because of their professional presence—grooming, clothes, and body language. [B] When someone brought up the VP of operations, who was the obvious candidate for the job, the CEO rejected him outright. "He said no because the VP only does what's expected," says Doliva. "The CEO didn't see him as someone who would take the risks and the time to do the job better. " Now is not the time for complacency, even if you're not gunning for a spot in the executive suite. Coaches suggest that employees come in early, stay late, and take on extra projects. Little things can make a big difference. [C] Brush up on computer skills, audit a class, or get a certificate or degree in your field—and when jobs do open up, you'll be ready. [D] "What you don't want to do is start getting depressed", adds Melissa Karz, founder of Kadima Coaching. "Be what you want to attract." It might be helpful to hunt for motivation in other places. "Now is the time to start taking a look at how fulfilling your life is outside of work," says Lois Frankel, president of Corporate Coaching International. Find exciting activities to replenish yourself with—and then bring that positive spirit into the office. [E] Amid all of the layoffs, you've managed to keep your job—but the chances of moving up are slim to none. Nobody above you is going to leave now, and there's no money for special projects to prove yourself. You're stuck. Here's how to avoid fading into the woodwork. [F] Speak up in meetings, join task forces; and volunteer for difficult projects that co-workers aren't willing to tackle.

填空题"Universal history, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here," wrote the Victorian stage Thomas Carlyle. Well, not any more it is not. Suddenly, Britain looks to have fallen out with its favourite historical form. This could be no more than a passing literary craze, but it also points to a broader truth about how we now approach the past: less concerned with learning from forefathers and more interested in feeling their pain. Today, we want empathy, not inspiration. From the earliest days of the Renaissance, the writing of history meant recounting the exemplary lives of great men. In 1337, Petrarch began work on his rambling writing De Viris Illustribus—On Famous Men, highlighting the virtus (or virtue) of classical heroes. Petrarch celebrated their greatness in conquering fortune and rising to the top. This was the biographical tradition which Niccolo Machiavelli turned on its head. In The Prince, the championed cunning, ruthlessness, and boldness, rather than virtue, mercy and justice, as the skills of successful leaders. Over time, the attributes of greatness shifted. The Romantics commemorated the leading painters and authors of their day, stressing the uniqueness of the artist's personal experience rather than public glory. By contrast, the Victorian author Samual Smiles wrote Self-Help as a catalogue of the worthy lives of engineers, industrialists and explores. "The valuable examples which they furnish of the power of self-help, if patient purpose, resolute working and steadfast integrity, issuing in the formulation of truly noble and many character, exhibit," wrote Smiles. "what it is in the power of each to accomplish for himself" His biographies of James Walt, Richard Arkwright and Josiah Wedgwood were held up as beacons to guide the working man through his difficult life. This was all a bit bourgeois for Thomas Carlyle, who focused his biographies on the truly heroic lives of Martin Luther, Oliver Cromwell and Napoleon Bonaparte. These epochal figures represented lives hard to imitate, but to be acknowledged as possessing higher authority than mere mortals. Communist Manifesto. For them, history did nothing, it possessed no immense wealth nor waged battles: "It is man, real, living man who does all that. "And history should be the story of the masses and their record of struggle. As such, it needed to appreciate the economic realities, the social contexts and power relations in which each epoch stood. For: "Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly found, given and transmitted from the past. " This was the tradition which revolutionized our appreciation of the past. In place of Thomas Carlyle, Britain nurtured Christopher Hill, EP Thompson and Eric Hobsbawm. History from below stood alongside biographies of great men. Whole new realms of understanding—from gender to race to cultural studies—were opened up as scholars unpicked the multiplicity of lost societies. And it transformed public history too: downstairs became just as fascinating as upstairs. [A] emphasized the virtue of classical heroes. 41. i Petrarch [B] highlighted the public glory of the leading artists. 42. Niccolo Machiavelli [C] focused on epochal figures whose lives were hard to imitate. 43. Samuel Smiles [D] opened up new realms of understanding the great men in history. 44. Thomas Carlyle [E] held that history should be the story of the masses and their record ofstruggle. 45. Marx and Engels [F] dismissed virtue as unnecessary for successful leaders. [G] depicted the worthy lives of engineer industrialists and explorers.

填空题[A] Mark Williams and Jason Mattingley, whose study has just been published in Current Biology, looked at the way a person’s sex affects his or her response to emotionally charged facial expressions. People from all cultures agree on what six basic expressions of emotion look like. Whether the face before you is expressing anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness or surprise seems to be recognised universally — which suggests that the expressions involved are innate, rather than learned. [B] Moreover, most participants could find an angry face just as quickly when it was mixed in a group of eight photographs as when it was part of a group of four. That was in stark contrast to the other five sorts of expression, which took more time to find when they had to be sorted from a larger group. This suggests that something in the brain is attuned to picking out angry .expressions, and that it is especially concerned about angry men. Also, this highly tuned ability seems more important to males than females, since the two researchers found that men-picked out the angry expressions faster than women did, even though women were usually quicker than men to recognized every other sort of facial expression. [C] Dr Williams and Dr Mattingley showed the participants in their study photographs of these emotional expressions in mixed sets of either four or eight. They asked the participants to look for a particular sort of expression, and measured the amount of time it took them to find it. The researchers found, in agreement with previous studies, that both men and women identified angry expressions most quickly. But they also found that anger was more quickly identified on a male face than a female one. [D] Men are notoriously insensitive to the emotional world around them. At least, that is the stereotype peddled by a thousand women’s magazines. And a study by two researchers at the University of Melbourne, in Australia, confirms that men are, indeed, less sensitive to emotion than women, with one important exception. Men are acutely sensitive to the anger of other men. [E] Dr Williams and Dr Mattingley suspect the reason for this is that being able to spot an angry individual quickly has a survival advantage — and, since anger is more likely to turn into lethal violence in men than in women, the ability to spot angry males quickly is particularly valuable. [F] The ability to spot quickly that an alpha male is in a foul mood would thus have great survival value. It would allow the sharp-witted time to choose appeasement, defence or possibly even pre-emptive attack. And, if it is right, this study also confirms a lesson learned by generations of bar-room tough guys and schoolyard bullies: if you want attention, get angry.[G] As to why men are more sensitive to anger than women, it is presumably because they are far more likely to get killed by it. Most murders involve men killing other men — even today the context of homicide is usually a spontaneous dispute over status or sex.(作图)

填空题Will humans always be superior to machines? This statement actually consists of a series of three related claims: (1) machines are tools of human minds; (2) human minds will always be superior to machines; and (3) it is because machines are human 'tools that human minds will always be superior to machines. While I concede the first claim, whether I agree with the other two claims depends partly on how one defines "superiority," and partly on how willing one is to humble oneself to the unknown future scenarios. (41) After all, would any machine even exist unless a human being invented it? Of course not. Moreover, I would be hard-pressed to think of any machine that cannot be described as a tool. Even machines designed to entertain or amuse us—for example, toy robots, cars and video games, and novelty items—are in fact tools, which their inventors and promoters use for engaging in commerce and the business of entertainment and amusement. (42) And, the claim that a machine can be an end in itself, without purpose or utilitarian function for humans whatsoever, is dubious at best, since I cannot conjure up even a single example of any such machine. (43) As for the statement's second claim, in certain respects machines are superior. We have devised machines that perform number-crunching and other rote cerebral tasks with greater accuracy and speed than human minds ever could. However, if one defines superiority not in terms of competence in performing rote tasks but rather in other ways, human minds are superior. Machines have no capacity for independent thought, for making judgments based on normative considerations, or for developing emotional responses to intellectual problems. (44)Up until now, the notion of human-made machines that develop the ability to think on their own, and to develop so-called "emotional intelligence," has been pure fiction. Besides, even in fiction we humans ultimately prevail over such machines—as in the cases of Frankenstein's monster and Hat, the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yet it seems presumptuous to assert with confidence that humans will always maintain their superior status over their machines. In other words, machines will soon exhibit the traits to which we humans attribute our own superiority. (45) And insofar as humans have the unique capacity for independent thought, subjective judgment, and emotional response, it also seems fair to claim superiority over our machines. Besides, should we ever become so clever a species as to devise machines that can truly think for themselves and look out for their own well-being, then query whether these machines of the future would be "machines" anymore.[A] Recent advances in biotechnology, particularly in the area of human genome research, suggest that within the twenty-first century we'll witness machines that can learn to think on their own, to repair and nurture themselves, to experience Visceral sensations, and so forth.[B] The statement is clearly accurate insofar as machines are tools of human minds.[C] In sum, because we devise machines in order that they may serve us, it is fair to characterize machines as "tools of human minds."[D] It's hardly surprising that human-made machine can do the most works that belong to human before.[E] In fact, it is because we can devise machines that are superior in these respects that we devise them--as our tools—to begin with.[F] When we develop any sort of machine we always have some sort of end in mind—a purpose for that machine.

填空题[A] Knight acknowledges the challenge. "We have to be beautiful as well as big. It's no mean feat," says Scott Bedbury, former global ad chief for Nike. "The worst ease scenario would be to become Microsoft," says Kevin Keller, a marketing professor at Duke. Best ease: be like Coea-Cola. "They're everywhere, but no one seems to resent them for it. " [B] One answer is to play down the Swoosh, and some Nike watchers say it will do just that. Nike is marketing new products, including its ACG (All Condition Gear) line for hiking and outdoor styles. [C] Last week was particularly glum at Nike's headquarters in suburban Portland. Managers had warned of layoffs but hadn't revealed any names. On Wednesday, 250 employees were told to pack up their desks, while stunned colleagues looked on. [D] Phil Knight doesn't speak in public very often. And when you hear from him these days, he doesn't sound happy. Talking to Wall Street analysts from his Oregon headquarters last week, the founder and head of Nike Inc. didn't mince words: "This is a dark day around these halls. " [E] Yet Nike is now facing a marketing conundrum: can you be big and cool? When Teenage Research Unlimited did its latest survey, 40 percent of kids named Nike as one of the " coolest" brands, down from 52 percent just six months ago. Kim Hostetler of Paper, a New York magazine, says that the coolest things around now are brilliantly colored suede sneakers by New Balance. Even Adidas, torpedoed by Nike and Reebok in the [980s, is staging a comeback. [F] Knight's problems would worry any CEO: a stock price that has slid to the bottom from the top, a plunge in profits and warehouses lull of shoes that aren't selling. But most critical is a price war that has sliced U. S. sales and is a sign that Nike's lock as the champion of "cool" may be weakening. Although Nike prides itself on technical innovation, losing its cool would be tantamount to losing the game. [G] At most corporate offices, that scene, though painful, wouldn't be cataclysmic, but for Knight and his employees, even a setback bears the agony of defeat. Nike rose about as high and fast in the 1990s as any company can. It took on a new religion of brand consciousness and broke advertising sound barriers with its indelible Swoosh, "Just Do It" slogan and deified sports figures. Nike managed the deftest of marketing tricks: to be both anti-establishment and mass market, to the tune of $ 2 billion in sales last year. Order: [D]→41. ______ →42. ______ →43. ______ →44. ______→45. ______→[B]

填空题(41)Conflicts: If you do get a place in the student dormitory, it is likely that you will have to share your living space with one other student. While having an American roommate will help you to learn more about American ways, there will probably be many times that discomfort or conflict will arise due to cultural differences.(42) Sex: With regard to sex in general, American behavior is quire different from the norms found in China.(43) Relationship Between Teachers & Students: On the campus, particularly where classes are small. I found a strange informality that characterized the relationship between students and their professors.(44)Gifts: In my interaction with American friends. I noticed that the concept of a gift is quite different here. Many things we give to each other in China are not called "gifts" but are considered to be a reflection of ordinary duties and mutual obligations. Accustomed as we are to using the word "gift" to refer to something valuable given on special occasions, it comes as a surprise to see how often the word is used in America. In the United States. "gifts", given on many different occasions, are only services.(45) Social Intercourse: When you do enter American homes, you will have an opportunity to observe different ways of greeting people. On the whole. Americans tend to be far more physical than we in their greetings: [A] I was astonished, for example, when a friend told me that he was offering to care for his younger brother and sister so that his father could take a vacation for his birthday this was a gift to him. For us this would be considered duty rather than a gift. Even between friends gestures of this sort might be considered "gifts" here.[B] While many students do call their professors, "Professor" so and so or "Dr." so and so. some professors prefer to be called familiarly by their first names. And in the spirit of informality, many professors may invite students to their homes or can be seen chatting with students over a meal or a cup of coffee in the school cafeteria. A good number of instructors even request that students fill our class evaluation forms which assess the content and presentation of the course.[C] My roommate was very sociable and had many boyfriends who came to visit often very late. One night, after midnight, I had to stay in the bathroom for an extra 40 minutes because I had heard a man's voice in my room. My roommate did not realize how awkward I would feel meeting a man while I was in my nightgown. You see. American students tend to be much more casual about these matters.[D] On many occasions, for instance, close friends or sometimes even casual acquaintances embrace or kiss each other on the cheeks in greeting or bidding farewell. It may even happen that where couples are close friends, the two husbands will kiss the other man's wife![E] In the United States. for example, if a student wants to invite his teacher to a dinner party, the invitation should be sent a week or so before the party date. If the invitation is extended only three or four days before the party date. the teacher will feel he is not highly regarded.[F] For example, many American students seem to like to listen to popular and sometimes loud music while studying in their rooms. Sometimes they will even leave the music on when they leave the room. For some reason, many will tell you, music helps them to relax and concentrate, an idea which other foreign students and I found very strange and disturbing. We'd like to study quietly without any disturbance.

填空题[A]Butsoonthesettlerswantedbiggerfarmsandmorelandforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.MoreandmoreimmigrantswerecomingfromEuropeandallthesepeopleneededland.SotheEuropeansstartedtotakethelandfromtheIndians.TheIndianshadtomovebackintothecenterofthecontinentbecausethesettlersweretakingalltheirland.[B]By1857theIndianshadlostthefight:theywerelivinginspecialplacescalled"reservations".ButevenheretheWhiteMantooklandfromthem--perhapshewantedthewood,orperhapsthelandhadimportantmineralsinit,orheevenwantedtomakenationalparksthere.SoevenontheirreservationstheIndianswerenotsafefromtheWhiteMan.Between1500and1900theIndianpopulationoftheareathatisnowtheUnitedStatesdeclinedfromcloseto1,000,000to300,000.andforthoseremained,theagonywasgreat.Manywereforcedtotakelandinnewandstrangeplaces.Theywereintroducedtonewtools,implementsandtechniques.Theywereforcedtoabandontheiroldwayoflife.[C]In1960s,Indiansmovedingreatnumberstothenation'scities.ManyIndiansmovedintopovertyrows.Itwashardforthemtofindjobs.Itwashard--almostimpossible--tocompetewiththeWhiteManinthewhiteman'sworld.ManyIndiansreturnedtothereservations.Butifthereservationshadbeenbrokenuptherewasnoplacetogo.ThegapbetweenIndianAmericanandwhiteAmericanwasgrowingwider.[D]ThenativeAmericans,thepeoplewecallthe"Indians",hadbeeninAmericaformanythousandsofyearsbeforeChristopherColumbusarrivedin1492.ColumbusthoughthehadarrivedinIndia,sohecalledthenativePeople"Indians".TheIndianswerekindtotheearlysettlers.Theywerenotafraidofthemandtheywantedtohelpthem.Theyshowedthesettlersthenewworldaroundthem;theytaughtthemaboutthelocalcropslikesweetpotatoes,cornandpeanuts;theyintroducedtheEuropeanstochocolateandtotheturkey;andtheEuropeansdidbusinesswiththeIndians.[E]TheIndianscouldn'tunderstandthis.TheyhadaverydifferentideaoflandfromtheEuropeans.FortheIndians,theland,theearth,wastheirmother,everythingcamefromtheirmother,theland,andeverythingwentbacktoit.Thelandwasforeveryoneanditwasimpossibleforonemantoownit.HowcouldtheWhiteMandividetheearthintoparts?Howcouldheputfencesroundit,buyitandsellit?Naturally,whentheWhiteManstartedtakingalltheIndians'land,theIndiansstartedtofightback.Theywantedtokeeptheirland,theywanttostoptheWhiteMantakingitallforhimself.ButtheWhiteManwasstrongerandclever.SlowlyhepushedtheIndiansintothosepartsofthecontinentthathedidn'twant--thepartswhereitwastoocoldortoodryortoomountainoustolivecomfortably.[F]MeanwhiletheIndianshavebeenworkinghardintheirowninterests.Theyarebuildingnewcommunities,establishingnewindustries,anderectingnewschools.Theyaredevelopingmotelsandotherrecreationalschemesonthereservations.ThereisagrowingPan-IndianGovernment.Indianshavebecomeactiveinwritingandpublishing.Sometribeshavebenefitedthroughsettlementoftheirlandorotherclaimsagainstthegovernment.Theyareusingthefundsfortheirowndevelopment.PerhapsanewdayhasalreadydawnedfortheAmericanIndians.[G]Manyoftheirtribeswereresettledonreservationsinthewest.ThelandbelongedtotheUnitedStatesGovernmentbutwasreservedtax-freefortheIndians.Thefederalgovernmentprovidedthetribeswithrations,tools,andequipment.Boardinganddayschoolsweresetup.Inmanycasesresponsibleagentsweresenttoadministerthereservations.ButthechangefromafreelifetotherestrictedlifeofreservationsbroughttheIndiansneardespair.Theydidnotchangeeasily.

填空题A computer model has been developed that can predict what word you are thinking of. (41) Researchers led by Tom Mitchell of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, "trained" a computer model to recognize the patterns of brain activity associated with 60 images, each of which represented a different noun, such as "celery" or "aeroplane". (42) . Words such as "hammer", for example, axe known to cause movement-related areas of the brain to light up; on the other hand, the word "castle" triggers activity in regions that process spatial information. Mitchell and his colleagues also knew that different nouns are associated more often with some verbs than with others--the verb "eat", for example, is more likely to be found in conjunction with "celery" than with "aeroplane". The researchers designed the model to try and use these semantic links to work out how the brain would react to particular nouns. They fed 25 such verbs into the model. (43) . The researchers then fed the model 58 of the 60 nouns to train it. For each noun, the model sorted through a trillion-word body of text to find how it was related to the 25 verbs, and how that related to the activation pattern. After training, the models were put to the test. Their task was to predict the pattern of activity for the two missing words from the group of 60, and then to deduce which word was which. On average, the models came up with the right answer more than three-quarters of the time. The team then went one step further, this time training the models on 59 of the 60 test words, and then showing them a new brain activity pattern and offering them a choice of 1 001 words to match it. The models performed well above chance when they were made to rank the 1001 words according to how well they matched the pattern. The idea is similar to another "brain-reading" technique. (44) . It shouldn't be too difficult to get the model to choose accurately between a larger number of words, says John-Dylan Haynes. An average English speaker knows 50 000 words, Mitchell says, so the model could in theory be used to select any word a subject chooses to think of. Even whole sentences might not be too distant a prospect for the model, saysMitchell. "Now that we can see individual words, it gives the scaffolding for starting to see what the brain does with multiple words as it assembles them," he says. (45) Models such as this one could also be useful in diagnosing disorders of language or helping students pick up a foreign language. In semantic dementia, for example, people lose the ability to remember the meanings of things--shown a picture of a chihuahua, they can only recall "dog", for example--but little is known about what exactly goes wrong in the brain. "We could look at what the neural encoding is for this," says Mitchell. [A] The team then used functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) to scan the brains of 9 volunteers as they looked at images of the nouns [B] The study can predict what picture a person is seeing from a selection of more than 100, reported by Nature earlier this year [C] The model may help to resolve questions about how the brain processes words and language, and might even lead to techniques for decoding people's thoughts [D] This gives researchers the chance to understand the "mental chemistry" that the brain does when it processes such phrases, Mitchell suggests [E] This research may be useful for a human computer interface but does not capture the complex network that allows a real brain to learn and use words in a creative way [F] The team started with the assumption that the brain processes words in terms of how they relate to movement and sensory information [G] The new model is different in that it has to look at the meanings of the words, rather than just lower-level visual features of a picture

填空题I strongly agree with the contention that absence of choice is a rare circumstance, primarily because this contention accords with common sense and our everyday experience as human beings. Besides, the reverse claim-that we do not have free choice-serves to undermine the notions of moral accountability and human equality, which are critical to the survival of any democratic society. 41. The role of free will of humans in choice Common sense dictates that humans have free will, and therefore the true absence of choice is very rare. The only possible exceptions would involve extreme and rare circumstances such as solitary imprisonment or a severe mental or physical deficiency—any of which might potentially strip a person of his or her ability to make conscious choices. Yet, even under these circumstances, a person still retains choices about voluntary bodily functions and movement. Thus, the complete absence of choice would seem to be possible only in a comatose state or in death. 42. The nature of absence of choice People often claim that life's circumstances leave them with "no choice." One might feel trapped in a job or a marriage. Under financial duress a person might claim that he or she has "no choice" but to declare bankruptcy, take a demeaning job, or even lie or steal to obtain money. The fundamental problem with these sorts of claims is that the claimants are only considering those choices that are not viable or attractive. That is, people in situations such as these have an infinite number of choices; it's just that many of the choices are unappealing, even self-defeating. 43. Choice is beyond our control Besides, the contention that we are almost invariably free to choose is far more appealing from a sociopolitical standpoint than the opposite claim. A complete tack of choice implies that every person's fate is determined, and that we all lack free will. According to the philosophical school of "strict determinism," every event, including human actions and Choices, that occurs is physically necessary given the laws of nature and events that preceded that event or choice. In other words, the "choices" that seem part of the essence of our being are actually beyond our control. 44. The logical result of strict determinism and of the new "scientific determinism" However, the logical result of strict determinism and of the new "scientific determinism" is that we are not morally accountable for our actions and choices, even those that harm other individuals or society. Moreover, throughout history monarchs and dictators have embraced determinism, at least ostensibly, to bolster their claim that certain individuals are preordained to assume positions of authority or to rise to the top levels of the socioeconomic infrastructure. Finally, the notion of scientific determinism opens the door for genetic engineering, which poses a potential threat to equality in socioeconomic opportunity, and could lead to the development of a so-called "master race." Admittedly, these disturbing implications neither prove nor disprove the determinists' claims. 45. Insistence of tree will I would concede that science might eventually disprove the very notion of free will. However, until that time I'll trust my strong intuition that free will is an essential part of our being as humans and, accordingly, that humans are responsible for their own choices and actions.[A] For example, almost every person who claims to be trapped in a job is simply choosing to retain a certain measure of financial security. The choice to forego this security is always available, although it might carry unpleasant consequences.[B] Our collective life experience is that we make choices and decisions every day on a continual basis.[C] However, the dilemma seams to be unavoidable which gives people a lot of Painfully experience with it.[D] In sum, despite the fact that we all experience occasional feelings of being trapped and having no choice, the statement is fundamentally correct.[E] Recent advances in molecular biology and genetics lend some credence to the determinists' position that as physical beings our actions are determined by physical forces beyond our control. New research suggests that these physical forces include our own individual genetic makeup.[F] Assuming that neither free will nor determinism has been proven to be the correct position, the former is to be preferred by any humanist and in any democratic society.

填空题Monday's Supreme Court decision to block a class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart was a huge setback for as many as 1.6 million current and former female employees of the world's largest retailer. But the decision has consequences that range far beyond sex discrimination or the viability of class-action suits. The underlying issue, which the Supreme Court has now ratified, is Wal-Mart's authoritarian style, by which executives pressure store-level management to squeeze more and more from millions of clerks, stockers and lower-tier managers. (41) ______. In the 1950s and '60s, northwest Arkansas, where Wal-Mart got its start, was poor, white and rural, in the midst of a wave of agricultural mechanization that generated a huge surplus of unskilled workers. To these men and women, the burgeoning chain of discount stores founded by Sam Walton was a godsend. The men might find dignity managing a store instead of a hardscrabble farm, while their wives and daughters could earn pin money clerking for Mr. Sam. "The enthusiasm of Wal-Mart associates toward their jobs is one of the company's greatest assets," declared the firm's 1973 annual report. (42) ______. Wal-Mart attorneys have argued, and the Supreme Court agreed this week, that even if sex discrimination was once part of the company's culture, it is now ancient history: if any store managers are guilty of bias when it comes to promoting women, they are at odds with corporate policy. Wal-Mart is no longer an Ozark company; it is a cosmopolitan, multinational operation. But that avoids the more essential point, namely that Wal-Mart views low labor costs and a high degree of workplace flexibility as a signal competitive advantage. It is a militantly anti-union company that has been forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to current and former employees for violations of state wage and hour laws. There are tens of thousands of experienced Wal-Mart women who would like to be promoted to the first managerial rung, salaried assistant store manager. (43) ______. Why? Because, for all the change that has swept over the company, at the store level there is still a fair amount of the old communal sociability. Recognizing that workers steeped in that culture make poor candidates for assistant managers, who are the front lines in enforcing labor discipline, Wal-Mart insists that almost all workers promoted to the managerial ranks move to a new store, often hundreds of miles away. (44) ______. (45) ______. Not unexpectedly, some managers think women with family responsibilities would balk at such demands. For a time it seemed as if the class-action lawsuit might be a partial substitute for the role of union. By drastically limiting how a class-action suit can be brought, the Supreme Court leaves millions of service-sector workers with few avenues to escape the grinding work life and limited opportunities that so many now face. [A] But Wal-Mart makes it impossible for many of them to take that post, because its ruthless management style structures the job itself as one that most women, and especially those with young children or a relative to care for, would find difficult to accept. [B] The obstacles to women's advancement do not stop there. The workweek for salaried managers is around 50 hours or more, which can surge to 80 or 90 hours a week during holiday seasons. [C] Indeed. the sex discrimination at Wal-Mart that drove the recent suit is the product not merely of managerial bias and prejudice, but also of a corporate culture and business model that sustains it, rooted in the company's very beginnings. [D] Especially in recent years, Wal-Mart's same-store sales have declined. Workers of both sexes pay the price, but women, who constitute more than 70 percent of hourly employees, pay more. [E] A patriarchal (男性统治或者主宰的) ethos was written into the Wal-Mart DNA. And that corporate culture was "the single most important element in the continued, remarkable success of Wal-Mart," asserted Don Soderquist, the company's chief operating officer in the 1990s. [F] There used to be a remedy for this sort of managerial authoritarianism: it was called a union, which bargained over not only wages and pensions but also the kind of qualitative issues, including promotion and transfer policies. [G] For middle-aged women caring for families, this corporate reassignment policy amounts to sex discrimination. True, Wal-Mart is hardly alone in demanding that rising managers sacrifice family life, but few companies make relocation such a fixed policy.

填空题[A] Extensive applications of haptic technology. [B] Possibilities rendered by haptic mechanisms. [C] The feasibility of extending our senses and exploring abstract universes. [D] An example of the progress in science of haptics. [E] Bringing the potential of our senses into full play. [F] Will haptics step into a bright future? "OOOF!" Using your mouse, you heave a data file across the screen--a couple of gigabytes of data weigh a lot. Its rough surface tells you that it is a graphics file. Having tipped this huge pile of data into a hopper that sends it to the right program, you examine a screen image of the forest trail you'll be hiking on your vacation. Then, using a gloved hand, you master its details by running your fingers over its forks and bends, its sharp rises and falls. Later you send an E-mail to your beloved, bending to the deskpad to attach a kiss. 41. __________. The science of haptics (from the Greek haptesthai, "to touch") is making these fantasies real. A few primitive devices are extending human-machine communication beyond vision and sound. Haptic joysticks and steering wheels for computer games are already giving happy players some of the sensations of piloting a spaceship, driving a racing car or firing weapons. In time, haptic interfaces may allow us to manipulate single molecules, feel clouds and galaxies, even reach into higher dimensions to grasp the subtle structures of mathematics. 42. __________. Most of our senses tire passive. In hearing and vision, for example, the sound or light is simply received and analyzed. But touch is different: we actively explore and alter reality with our hands, so the same action that gathers information can also change the world--to model a piece of clay or press a button, for example. In providing direct contact between people, touch carries emotional impact. And in providing direct contact with the world, it is the sure sign of reality, as in "pinch me--am I dreaming?" 43. __________. Some small steps have even been taken towards whole-body haptics. Touch Technology of Nova Scotia, Canada, has built a haptic chair. It looks like a full-length lounge chair in a family den, but its surface is studded with 72 "tactors" -pneumatic piston rods, covered with rounded buttons, that can extend about an inch, and can be driven under computer control in any desired sequence and pattern. It could be programmed to imitate a real massage or to function in time to music. According to the manufacturer, that provides a powerful blending of sen-sations--a long-term goal of virtual reality. 44. __________. Even at its present crude level, however, haptics can make tangible what once could not be touched or even pictured. To investigate the world of the very small, researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, have developed the nanoManipulator. This adds touch to the technique of scanning probe microscopy, which can image a single atom by monitoring either the electrical current flowing between an extremely fine probe and a surface or the force between them. With the nanoManipulator, researchers can see and manipulate a universe a million times smaller than their own, to study viruses and tiny semiconducting devices. If the force feedback can be made sensitive enough, it may be possible to push molecular keys into specific molecular locks, to custom-design drugs or assemble silicon parts into intricate nanomachines. With other interfaces, there is no reason we shouldn't also be able to touch the very large-clouds, ocean currents, mantle flows, mountains, galaxy clusters. Or the very strong--with a suitable force scaling, new ceramics or alloys could be squeezed and twanged to test their engineering properties. Or the physically extreme and inaccessible--such as ultra hot plasma flows in fusion machines. 45. __________. Haptic technology could even make abstract ideas tangible. Many scientific concepts occupy spaces of more than three dimensions, string theory, for' example, asserts that we live in a 10 or 11-dimensional Universe. As it is impossible to visualise such a space, we explore these ideas' through mathematical expressions or two dimensional sketches on paper. But probing these unfamiliar geometries with touch may be more effective. And for blind people, haptics offers a new way to grasp information even in three dimensions. A group at the University of Delaware has developed an environment where a person can feel a mathematical function. Using a PHAN-TOM, the user "walks" along the surface of the figure. Like a hiker following mountainous terrain, the user feels where the function is steep, where it is level, and where its peaks and valleys lie. Other haptic systems could help blind people to browse the Internet, feeling images as well as words. The future of haptics is bright, but the only sensual relationship it will be sustaining any time soon is between you and your computer.

填空题Though hardly as unwelcome as death or taxes, college entrance exams are just as inevitable and almost as dreaded by high school students. As the testing dates loom for juniors and seniors for the SAT (formerly called the Scholastic Assessment Test) and the American College Test, or ACT, most students are looking for an edge, any edge, in the competition. And as the number of homes with computers continues to rise, test publishers and software developers have been quick to recognize a growing niche. With the market for test preparation materials at all levels estimated at $540 million annually, they have jumped on the tech bandwagon to produce computerized tutorials that promise to boost scores. (41) " We believe that it's important for a student to be prepared to take the tests, " notes Don Powers, a research scientist at the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N. J. , the organization that administers the SAT for the College Board. " It's important to know how to take the test so that you won't get a score that's lower than you deserve. " But, he adds, " none of the rigorous scientific evidence that we have seen supports these promises" to raise test scores. (42)Several points, however, do weigh in favor of software as opposed to traditional test-preparation. Cost is a big one. (43)Convenience is another, as the College Board points out in touting its new sofware. A few points to remember when evaluating various test-prep software packages: (44)The exams, though they may seem mystical to the test taker, are not magic and certainly not random. There is little variation in the strategies the programs use to boost test scores because there is little variation in how the test are developed. Largely, what differentiates one program from another is the computer interface, which can make the software more—or less—user-friendly, and such features as automated tracking of student progress. (45)A crash course with test prep software is never an alternative to careful, long-term preparation for taking the exams. Some students are better equipped to respond to the self-paced, self-motivated approach software offers than others, Powers notes. Although parents may be in the market for what they consider " serious " study aids, their children, who are the ones taking the tests, may appreciate the programs that offer a little humor. Finally, as programs frequently point out, the SAT and ACT, while important to college admissions officers, are only one element of a successful college application. [A] A test prep course with a live instructor can cost as much as $700. Test-prep software costs $30 to $80. [B] Most of the programs, in fact, emphasize the importance of " guessing strategies " and eliminating unlikely answers to improve scores. Many students often succeed in exams in this way. [C] Unlike many programs, this one can give you a quick, easy and comfortable way to achieve a high score. Such programs can turn your dream passing exams into reality. [D] " I would rather use the program than take a preparation course, because I could do this on my own time and in my own home, " notes one student in the College Board materials. [E] Although at least one of the test programs asks you how long you have to prepare to take the examination in order to customize the learning curve, all recommend spending a period of weeks, not hours, using the software. [F] But though many programs offer money-back guarantees, professional test writers tend to scoff at those claims. In their mind, such programs overemphasize its functions. [G] SAT and ACT is popular with the international students, especially Asian students. Many Asian students chase their dream through SAT and ACT.