单选题 Advantages of Public Transport A. A new study conducted for the World Bank by Murdoch University's Institute for Science and Technology Policy (ISTP) has demonstrated that public transport is more efficient than cars. The study compared the proportion of wealth poured into transport by thirty-seven cities around the world. This included both the public and private costs of building, maintaining and using a transport system. B. The study found that the Western Australian city of Perth is a good example of a city with minimal public transport. As a result, 17% of its wealth went into transport costs. Some European and Asian cities, on the other hand, spent as little as 5%. Professor Peter Newman, ISTP Director, pointed out that these more efficient cities were able to put the difference into attracting industry and jobs or creating a better place to live. C. According to Professor Newman, the larger Australian city of Melbourne is a rather unusual city in this sort of comparison. He describes it as two cities: A European city surrounded by a car-dependent one. Melbourne's large tram network has made car use in the inner city much lower, but the outer suburbs have the same car-based structure as most other Australian cities. The explosion in demand for accommodation in the inner suburbs of Melbourne suggests a recent change in many people's preferences as to where they live. D. Newman says this is a new, broader way of considering public transport issues. In the past, the case for public transport has been made on the basis of environmental and social justice considerations rather than economics. Newman, however, believes the study demonstrates that 'the auto-dependent city model is inefficient and grossly inadequate in economic as well as environmental terms'. E. Bicycle use was not included in the study but Newman noted that the two most 'bicycle friendly' cities considered—Amsterdam and Copenhagen—were very efficient, even though their public transport systems were—'reasonable but not special'. F. It is common for supporters of road networks to reject the models of cities with good public transport by arguing that such systems would not work in their particular city. One objection is climate. Some people say their city could not make more use of public transport because it is either too hot or too cold. Newman rejects this, pointing out that public transport has been successful in both Toronto and Singapore and, in fact, he has checked the use of cars against climate and found 'zero correlation'. G. When it comes to other physical features, road lobbies are on stronger ground. For example, Newman accepts it would be hard for a city as hilly as Auckland to develop a really good rail network. However, he points out that both Hong Kong and Zurich have managed to make a success of their rail systems, heavy and light respectively, though there are few cities in the world as hilly. H. In fact, Newman believes the main reason for adopting one sort of transport over another is politics: 'The more democratic the process, the more public transport is favoured.' He considers Portland, Oregon, a perfect example of this. I. Some years ago, federal money was granted to build a new road. However, local pressure groups forced a referendum over whether to spend the money on light rail instead. The rail proposal won and the railway worked spectacularly well. In the years that have followed, more and more rail systems have been put in, dramatically changing the nature of the city. Newman notes that Portland has about the same population as Perth and had a similar population density at the time. J. In the UK, travel times to work had been stable for at least six centuries, with people avoiding situations that required them to spend more than half an hour travelling to work. Trains and cars initially allowed people to live at greater distances without taking longer to reach their destination. However, public infrastructure did not keep pace with urban sprawl, causing massive congestion problems which now make commuting times far higher. K. There is a widespread belief that increasing wealth encourages people to live farther out where cars are the only viable transport. The example of European cities refutes that. They are often wealthier than their American counterparts but have not generated the same level of car use. In Stockholm, car use has actually fallen in recent years as the city has become larger and wealthier. L. A new study makes this point even more starkly. Developing cities in Asia, such as Jakarta and Bangkok, make more use of the car than wealthy Asian cities such as Tokyo and Singapore. In cities that developed later, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank discouraged the building of public transport and people have been forced to rely on cars—creating the massive traffic jams that characterize those cities. M. Newman believes one of the best studies on how cities built for cars might be converted to rail use is The Urban Village report, which used Melbourne as an example. It found that pushing everyone into the city centre was not the best approach. Instead, the proposal advocated the creation of urban villages at hundreds of sites, mostly around railway stations. N. It was once assumed that improvements in telecommunications would lead to more dispersal in the population as people were no longer forced into cities. However, the ISTP team's research demonstrates that the population and job density of cities rose or remained constant in the 1980s after decades of decline. The explanation for this seems to be that it is valuable to place people working in related fields together. 'The new world will largely depend on human creativity, and creativity flourishes where people come together face-to-face.'

单选题 Banking is about money; and no other familiar services or commodities arouse such excesses of passion and dislike. Nor is there any other about which more nonsense is talked. The type of thing that comes to mind is not what normally called economics, which is inexact rather than nonsensical, and only in the same way as all scientists are at the point where they try to predict people's behavior and its consequences. Indeed most social sciences and, for example, medicine could probably be described in the same way. However, it is common to hear assertions of the kind 'if you were marooned (孤立无援) on a desert island a few seed potatoes would be more useful to you than a million pounds' as though this proved something important about money except the undeniable fact that it would not be much used to anyone in a situation where very few of us are at all likely to find ourselves. Money in fact is a token, or symbolic object, exchangeable on demand by its holders for goods and services. Its use for this purpose is universal except within a small number of primitive agricultural communities. Money and the price mechanism, i.e., the changes in prices expressed in money terms of different goods and services, are the means by which all modem societies regulate demand and supply for these things. Especially important are the relative changes in price of different goods and services compared with each other. To take random examples: the price of house building has over the past five years risen a good deal faster than that of domestic appliances like refrigerators, but slower than that of motor insurance or French Impressionist paintings. This fact has complex implications for students of the brick industry, trade unionism, town planning, insurance companies, fine art auctions, and politics. Unpacking these implications is what economics is about, but their implications for bankers are quite different. In general, in modem industrialized societies, prices of services or goods produced in a context requiring a high service-content (e.g., a meal in a restaurant) are likely to rise in price more rapidly than goods capable of mass-production on a large scale. It is also a characteristic of highly developed economies that the number of workers employed in service industries tends to rise and that of workers employed in manufacturing to fall. The discomfort this truth causes the big general trade unions as they contrast their own situation with that of the rapidly growing white-collar unions has been an important source of tension in western political life for many years and is likely to remain so for many more.

单选题That health and beauty are linked is not in doubt. But it comes as something of a surprise that who is 28 as beautiful depends not only on the health of a person but also on the average level of health in the place where she lives. This, though, is the conclusion of a study just published in Biology Letters by Urszula Marcinkowska of the University of Turku, in Finland, and her 29 —for Ms. Marcinkowska has found that men in healthy countries think women with the most 30 face are the prettiest whilst those in unhealthy places prefer more masculine-looking ones. Ms Marcinkowska came to this conclusion by showing nearly 2,000 men from 28 countries various versions of the same female faces, 31 to look less or more feminine and thus 32 the effect of different levels of oestrogen and testosterone. Oestrogen promotes 33 , such as large eyes and full lips, that are 34 feminine. Testosterone promotes 35 features, such as wide faces and strong chins. Previous studies have shown that women with feminine features are more fertile. A man's 36 for them is thus likely to enhance his reproductive success. Ms Marcinkowska speculates that testosterone-induced behavioral characteristics like 37 , which might be expected to correlate with masculine-looking faces even in women (they certainly do in men), help in the competition for resources needed to sustain children once they are born. But why that should be particularly important in an unhealthy country is unclear. A. features B. refined C. feminine D. favorable E. modified F. perceived G. preference H. dominance I. genetically J. personality K. characteristically L. masculine M. valuable N. colleagues O. reflect

单选题To be successful in a job interview, one should demonstrate certain personal and professional qualities. There is a need to create a good image in the limited time 19 Furthermore, the impression made should be one that the interviewer will remember while he sees other applicants At all times, the applicant should present his most 20 qualities during an interview. One should, for example, take care to appear well-groomed and modestly dressed, avoiding the extremes of too 21 or too casual attire. On the positive side, clothes may be an effective leveler, putting one on par with other applicants and requiting the interviewer to consider more important 22 . On the other hand, clothes which are too informal may convey the impression that the job is not being taken seriously or that the interviewee's 23 to work is as casual as his dress. Clothes which are too elaborate, too colorful or too expensive suggest a lack of understanding as to what behavior 24 the job. The right clothes worn at the right time, however, 25 the interviewer and his confidence in the applicant's judgment. It may not be true that 'clothes make the man', but the first and often the lasting impression may be 26 by the clothes one wears. Besides care for personal appearance, attention should be paid to one's manner of speaking. Since speech is a reflection of personality, it is a good idea to reflect confidence by speaking in a clear voice, loud enough to be heard, without being 27 or overpowering. One's speech should not 28 itself, but should reveal the individuality and ability of the speaker.

单选题 Questions2-5 are based on the conversation yon have just heard.

单选题 Questions2-5 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

单选题 Into the Unknown The world has never seen population ageing before. Can it cope? A. Until the early 1990s nobody much thought about whole populations getting older. The UN had the foresight to convene a 'world assembly on ageing' back in 1982, but that came and went. By 1994 the World Bank had noticed that something big was happening. In a report entitled 'Averting the Old Age Crisis', it argued that pension arrangements in most countries were unsustainable. B. For the next ten years a succession of books, mainly by Americans, sounded the alarm. They had titles like Young vs Old, Gray Dawn and The Coming Generational Storm, and their message was blunt: health-care systems were heading for the rocks, pensioners were taking young people to the cleaners, and soon there would be intergenerational warfare. C. Since then the debate has become less emotional, not least because a lot more is known about the subject. Books, conferences and research papers have multiplied. International organisations such as the OECD and the EU issue regular reports. Population ageing is on every agenda, from G8 economic conferences to NATO summits. The World Economic Forum plans to consider the future of pensions and health care at its prestigious Davos conference early next year. The media, including this newspaper, are giving the subject extensive coverage. D. Whether all that attention has translated into sufficient action is another question. Governments in rich countries now accept that their pension and health-care promises will soon become unaffordable, and many of them have embarked on reforms, but so far only timidly. That is not surprising: politicians with an eye on the next election will hardly rush to introduce unpopular measures that may not bear fruit for years, perhaps decades. E. The outline of the changes needed is clear. To avoid fiscal (财政) meltdown, public pensions and health-care provision will have to be reined back severely and taxes may have to go up. By far the most effective method to restrain pension spending is to give people the opportunity to work longer, because it increases tax revenues and reduces spending on pensions at the same time. It may even keep them alive longer. John Rother, the AARP's head of policy and strategy, points to studies showing that other things being equal, people who remain at work have lower death rates than their retired peers. F. Younger people today mostly accept that they will have to work for longer and that their pensions will be less generous. Employers still need to be persuaded that older workers are worth holding on to. That may be because they have had plenty of younger ones to choose from, partly thanks to the post-war baby-boom and partly because over the past few decades many more women have entered the labour force, increasing employers' choice. But the reservoir of women able and willing to take up paid work is running low, and the baby-boomers are going grey. G. In many countries immigrants have been filling such gaps in the labour force as have already emerged (and remember that the real shortage is still around ten years off). Immigration in the developed world is the highest it has ever been, and it is making a useful difference. In still-fertile America it currently accounts for about 40% of total population growth, and in fast-ageing Western Europe for about 90%. H. On the face of it, it seems the perfect solution. Many developing countries have lots of young people in need of jobs; many rich countries need helping hands that will boost tax revenues and keep up economic growth. But over the next few decades labour forces in rich countries are set to shrink so much that inflows of immigrants would have to increase enormously to compensate: to at least twice their current size in western Europe's most youthful countries, and three times in the older ones. Japan would need a large multiple of the few immigrants it has at present. Public opinion polls show that people in most rich countries already think that immigration is too high. Further big in-creases would be politically unfeasible. I. To tackle the problem of ageing populations at its root, 'old' countries would have to rejuvenate (使年轻) themselves by having more of their own children. A number of them have tried, some more successfully than others. But it is not a simple matter of offering financial incentives or providing more child care. Modern urban life in rich countries is not well adapted to large families. Women find it hard to combine family and career. They often compromise by having just one child. J. And if fertility in ageing countries does not pick up? It will not be the end of the world, at least not for quite a while yet, but the world will slowly become a different place. Older societies may be less innovative and more strongly disinclined to take risks than younger ones. By 2025 at the latest, about half the voters in America and most of those in western European countries will be over 50—and older people turn out to vote in much greater number than younger ones. Academic studies have found no evidence so far that older voters have used their power at the ballot box to push for policies that specifically benefit them, though if in future there are many more of them they might start doing so. K. Nor is there any sign of the intergenerational warfare predicted in the 1990s. After all, older people themselves mostly have families. In a recent study of parents and grown-up children in 11 European countries, Karsten Hank of Mannheim University found that 85% of them lived within 25kin of each other and the majority of them were in touch at least once a week. L. Even so, the shift in the centre of gravity to older age groups is bound to have a profound effect on societies, not just economically and politically but in all sorts of other ways too. Richard Jackson and Neil Howe of America's CSIS, in a thoughtful book called The Graying of the Great Powers, argue that, among other things, the ageing of the developed countries will have a number of serious security implications. M. For example, the shortage of young adults is likely to make countries more reluctant to commit the few they have to military service. In the decades to 2050, America will find itself playing an ever-increasing role in the developed world's defence effort. Because America's population will still be growing when that of most other developed countries is shrinking, America will be the only developed country that still matters geopolitically (地缘政治上). Ask me in 2020 N. There is little that can be done to stop population ageing, so the world will have to live with it. But some of the consequences can be alleviated. Many experts now believe that given the right policies, the effects, though grave, need not be catastrophic. Most countries have recognised the need to do something and are beginning to act. O. But even then there is no guarantee that their efforts will work. What is happening now is historically unprecedented. Ronald Lee, director of the Centre on the Economics and Demography of Ageing at the University of California, Berkeley, puts it briefly and clearly: 'We don't really know what population ageing will be like, because nobody has done it yet.'

单选题 A mere 5% of the chief executives of the world's biggest companies are women. And they are more likely to be sacked than their more numerous male colleagues: 38% of the female CEOs who left their jobs over the past ten years were forced to go, compared with 27% of the men. This is the latest finding from the research on the top management at the world's 2,500 largest public companies that the consulting firm Strategy has been conducting since 2000. A clue as to why women are more likely to be fired than men is provided by another statistic in the study: 35% of female CEOs are hired from outside the company, compared with just 22% of male ones. Since generating lower returns to shareholders, outsiders generally have a higher chance of being kicked out. Businesses that are already troubled are more likely to turn to outsiders; and contrary to the insiders, outsiders are less likely to have a support network of friends who can rally around when times get tough. Michelle Ryan, an organisational psychologist at the University of Exeter in England, says women face nothing less than a 'glass cliff': they get their best shot at the top job by taking the helm of a firm in trouble. In practice, outsiders of either sex face the same precipice (绝壁). But since women are still fairly exotic creatures in the management, they attract disproportionate publicity when they hit problems. Carly Fiorina, dropped as HP's boss in 2005, made things worse by inviting such publicity. But the same is not true of, say, Ginni Rometty, the lower-profile boss of IBM (promoted from within the company in 2012), who is under fire over the firm's performance. The new research is not entirely pessimistic. Over the past ten years the balance of incoming versus outgoing female CEOs, as a proportion of all changes of boss, has risen significantly. Strategy predicts that women will make up as many as a third of incoming CEOs by 2040. It appears that the demand for female bosses exceeds supply—hence firms' willingness to bring them in from outside. This points to an obvious solution: companies should work harder on creating an internal pipeline of female future CEOs. This would reduce both the pressure to raid rival firms and the chances of women failing when they at last reach the top.

单选题 Directions: Write a letter of complaint according to the following situation: You bought an air conditioner in Sun Appliance Store and had it installed the other day, but you found that the fan made too much noise when the machine operated. You demand the store to send a representative to check it up. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

单选题 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the remark 'Life is 10%of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.' You can give examples to illustrate your point and then explain how you will react to your life. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

单选题In face of global warming, much effort has been focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of strategies. But while much of the research and innovation has 26 on finding less-polluting energy alternatives, it may be decades before clean technologies like wind and solar meet a significant portion of our energy needs. In the meantime, the amount of CO2 in the air is rapidly 27 the limits proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 'As long as we're consuming fossil fuels, we're putting out CO2, ' says Klaus Lackner, a geophysicist at Columbia University. 'We cannot let the CO2 in the atmosphere rise 28 . ' That sense of urgency has increased interest in capturing and storing CO2. which the IPCC says could provide the more than 50% reduction in emissions thought needed to reduce global warming. 'We see the 29 for capture and storage to play an integral role in reducing emissions, ' says Kim Corley, Shell's senior advisor of CO2 and environmental affairs. That 30 thinking strategy is gaining support. The U. S. Department of Energy recently proposed putting $1 billion into a new $2.4 billion coal-burning energy plant. The plant's carbon-capture technologies would serve as a 31 project for other new coal-burning plants. But what do you do with the gas once you've captured it? One option is to put it to new uses. Dakota Gasification of North Dakota captures CO2 at a plant that 32 coal into synthetic natural gas. It then ships the gas 200 miles by pipeline to Canada, where it is pumped underground in oil recovery operations. In the Netherlands, Shell delivers CO2 to farmers who pipe it into their greenhouses, increasing their 33 of fruits and vegetables. However, scientists say that the scale of CO2 emissions will require 34 amounts of long-term storage. Some propose storing the CO2 in coal mines or liquid storage in the ocean. Shell favors storing CO2 in deep geological structures such as saline (盐的) formations and 35 oil and gas fields that exist throughout the world. A. indefinitely B. critical C. vast D. concentrated E. yield F. approaching G. accurately H. potential I. storage J. exhausting K. forward L. converts M. commented N. pilot O. conveys

单选题 自1983年首次在国内外进行实况转播以来，央视“春晚(the Spring Festival Gala)”被视为农历新年庆祝活动中一个重要的组成部分。一年一度的“春晚”是一个集歌舞、喜剧小品(comedic sketch)、戏曲、民间艺术表演为一体的大型综艺节目(variety show)。和谐、团聚是晚会的两大主题。近些年来“春晚”一直位居全国综艺节目收视率之首。然而，众口难调，每年观众们都希望“春晚”能够有所创新，导演和演员们绞尽脑汁地进行节目编排。“春晚”已成为节目主创人员所面临的一个巨大挑战。

单选题 Balancing College Life and Academics A. Control your Schedule; don't let your schedule control you. Organization and time management skills are two of the most valuable skills you will ever have. One of the first things you should do at the beginning of each semester is organize the dates of all class tests and project deadlines from each syllabus, and all required meetings and events from each organization. All obligations should then be logged into a centralized schedule you keep at all times, such as a daily planner, desk calendar, or even a PDA (personal digital assistant). For the next 4 months, you now know exactly what you must schedule the rest of your life around. B. Next, it is highly recommended for you to set a schedule for yourself in writing to include all other items you want to create as a routine. Most importantly, this should include times of study, such as every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-6:30. Physically block off these tinge periods every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of the semester. Of course, the most important part of creating a schedule is sticking to it! So, be disciplined enough to schedule any other activities that are less important around those that are most important. C. Ask for help when you need it. Whether it involves academics or organizational responsibilities, everyone comes to a point where they feel overwhelmed. This is what friends, fellow members, and other university resources are there for. Unfortunately, there are several reasons why people don't seek help when it is available. Some people try to take on too much, trying to prove to themselves that 'I can do this all on my own'. Some may not want to admit to people that they 'can't handle everything.' Others may feel they must do everything all on their own, because only then will they know it will get done right and on time (an early signal of being a control freak). D. Academically, seek out help when you don't understand something. There should be plenty of resources available, from writing centers, to computer labs, to graduate assistants, to your professors who offer office hours. There are also other students who may understand that subject better, or who have even taken the course before. Especially in very large classes, some students may be intimidated to ask for help. But, the sole purpose of the institution and all of these resources is to help you learn. So use them. Ask for rope to be thrown down before you drown! E. Keep a firm grasp on your priorities. Understanding what your PRIORITIES are each and every day is one of the biggest keys to college success. It is also one of the easiest concepts to lose track of. It is a fast-paced world, where it is easy to become sidetracked with social activities, TV shows, video games, etc. Some people carry a card in their wallet, or even a card on their PC, where they list the top 1-5 priorities in their life. F. Everyone has exactly 24 hours each day. People who achieve more in life simply make better use of their 24 hours each day than everyone else. What you do with each of your 24 hours has as much to do with your success during college as any other factor. There is an old saying that 'if it's important enough to you, you make time for it.' Be sure that nobody is in charge of your tune except for you. It is one of the most valuable assets you have. G. Don't wait until the end of your college career to stop procrastinating (延迟). Whether it is an event or a semester project that is two months away, ask yourself each day 'What can be done now instead of later?' Write down when you are going to do something, not simply when something is due. Set deadlines for yourself, and put them in writing. Then stick to it. Most people procrastinate because the activity they are supposed to do is not as desirable as what they would rather be doing. However, if you complete tasks early, you can enjoy your leisure time worry-free. This is one of the biggest ways to alleviate stress. H. If it is the 3rd day of the month, and there is a project due on the 28th of the month, most students hardly have that project on the radar screen yet. Then, they see the project creep up on their calendar on the 24th or 25th, and they say 'Uh-oh! ' Further, they realize there is an event planned on the 26th, and they have to work at their part-time job on the 27th! This lack of planning is what leads to either missed deadlines, or turning a project in on time, but with poor quality. In addition to poor quality, it also led to undue stress for 4 days. One easy way to tackle projects ahead of time is to break the project down into several smaller ones. For example, instead of writing a 10-page paper in one night, write 1-page per day for 10 days, or 1-page every other day. This will save time, increase quality, and decrease stress. I. Go to class. That's right. Skipping class is one of the most dangerous, yet tempting habits on college campuses today. Sure, you might be able to miss a class here and there--perhaps even miss a lot of classes--and still pass if you cram hard enough. However, don't make things hard on yourself, make things easy. The more you attend class, the less you have to study, and the more time you have for the everything else you want or need to do. Professors also have a way of telling you what will be on the test, and explaining the answers in class--but you are only privy to that if you are actually in class. J. Try to get in the habit of forcing yourself to sit in the FRONT of the class, especially in large classes. Studies show that students retain more information, and pay more attention, even if they don't realize it. It also helps keep you awake. That usually allows you to take better notes, as well. K. Find a mentor or example of a great student lifer in your organization. Almost every organization has one or more students who are shining examples of the balance between extra-curricular activities and academics. They make the Dean's List every semester, hold an important office in the organization, work part-time, and even have a girlfriend or boyfriend. Everyone seems to ask 'How do they do it?' L. So, are they smarter than you? In most cases, ABSOLUTELY NOT! There have been literally millions of college students that were 'smart enough' to graduate, but who failed in the areas of time manage- ment, priorities, and responsibilities. So, understand the habits of those who are successful at balancing college life and academics. Ask them what their secrets are, and they will surely be willing to help. M. Have fun! Ok, so most college students don't need help with this tip, right? However, enjoy it while you can--you are only in college once! Many Americans recall their college days as the best time of their life. Believe it or not, professors, administrators, and us college speakers want you to enjoy every minute of it! Making efficient use of your time and controlling your schedule are important ingredients in being able to enjoy yourself. They allow you to alleviate stress and succeed both inside and outside the classroom, so you can have a BLAST during your college career. Good luck!

单选题Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessaybasedonthepicturebelow.Youshouldfocusontheimpactofrealityshows.Youarerequiredtowriteatleast150wordsbutnomorethan200words.WriteyouressayonAnswerSheet1.