单选题Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C or D. In the 1990s, everyone believed that education was the key to economic success. A college degree, even a postgraduate degree, was essential for anyone who wanted a good job as one of those "symbolic analysts". But computers, are proficient at analyzing symbols; it is the messiness of the real world that they have trouble with. Therefore, many of the jobs that once required a college degree have been eliminated. The others can be done by any intelligent person, whether or not he has studied world literature. This trend should have been obvious in 1996. Even then, America's richest man was Bill Gates, a college drop-out who did not need a lot of formal education to build the world's most powerful information technology company. Or consider the panic over "downsizing" that gripped America in 1996. As economists quickly pointed out, the rate at which Americans were losing jobs in the 90s was not especially high by historical standards. Downsizing suddenly became news because, for the first time, white-collar, college-educated workers were being fired in large numbers, even while skilled mechanists and other blue-collar workers were in demand. This should have signaled that the days of ever-rising wage premiums for people with higher education were over. Eventually, the eroding payoff(工资的发放) of higher education created a crisis in education itself. Why should a student put himself through four years of college and several years of postgraduate work to acquire credentials(资格；证书) with little monetary value? These days, jobs that require only 6 or 12 months of vocational training—paranursing(特别护理), carpentry, household maintenance and so on—pay nearly as much if not more than a job that requires a master's degree, and pay more than one requiring a PhD. So enrollment in colleges and universities has dropped almost two-thirds since its peak at the turn of the century. Today a place like Harvard is, as it was in the 19th century, more of a social institution than a scholarly one—a place for children of the wealthy to refine their social graces and befriend others of their class.

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单选题 The principal factor depressing life expectancy in developing countries has always been the high death rate for infants and children. The World Bank studies suggest that as much as two thirds of the difference in life-spans between people in developed countries and those in developing ones can be traced to differences in survival rates for children under five. It is here where the most improvement has come. According to UN estimates, significant regional drops in infant mortality - ranging from 25 percent to 60 percent and centering near 40 percent - appear to have taken place between the late 1950s and the late 1970s in northern Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Although sub-Saharan Africa' s mortality trends cannot be quantified with confidence, there is reason to believe that life expectancy has risen and infant mortality has declined in that region as well. There is little doubt that population growth has accelerated in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1950s; in fact, sub-Saharan Africa is widely thought to have the highest rate of population growth of any major region in the world. Only a small portion of that acceleration is likely to have been caused by increases in fertility (and increases in fertility, insofar as they have occurred, may also imply improvements in health and nutrition). Mortality, of course, is not a perfect measure of nutritional change. Improved nutrition is only one of a number of forces that have been pushing down death rates in developing countries. Others include the upgrading of hygiene and sanitation; the extension of public health services; medical innovations; improvements in education, communications, transportation, and, in some areas, civil order. Even so, the extent to which improvements innutrition—both direct and indirect—have reduced mortality in developing countries has frequently been underestimated. For example, Sri Lanka experienced an abrupt jump in life expectancy shortly after the Second World War. Whereas this was long described as a "technical fix"—a triumph of DDT over the anopheles mosquito—years later researchers realized that abrupt and rapid drops in mortality had also taken place in Sri Lanka' s highlands, or "dry zones", where malaria had never been a serious problem. In both highlands and lowland regions health improved in tandem with access to food.

单选题At the European Commission in Brussels, they have a joke about the work interpreters do "Languages", they say, "have nothing to do with interpretation, it helps to know them. "Anyone thinking of becoming an interpreter would bear this so well in mind. Translating languages, especially in a political context, involves far more than mere linguistic ability. To work in an international organization, such as the United Nations, you need to be approved by one of the various international translators or "interpreters" associations. To achieve this, you must experience rigorous and lengthy training, either at an accrediting organization"s own school. or on a postgraduate course at university. But a qualification in languages is not the only route into the job. At London"s University of Westminster, candidates get offered a place on the interpreter"s course if they can show that they have " lived a bit " , in the words of one lecture. Young people who have just left university often lack adequate experience of life. The University also looks for candidates who have lived for long time in the countries where their acquired languages are spoken. They are also expected to have wide cultural interests and a good knowledge of current affairs. This broad range of interests are essential in a job which can require interpreting discussions of disarmament (裁军) on Monday, international fishing rights on Tuesday, multinational finance on Wednesday, and the building and construction industry on Thursday. Interpreters also rely on adrenaline (肾上腺素) —which is caused by the stress and challenges of the job—to keep them going through their demanding schedules. Many admit that they enjoy the buzz of adrenaline they get from the job, and it"s known that their heart rates speed up while they are working. It"s also a job with its own risks and excitement. Interpreters are needed in war zones as well as in centers of international diplomacy, like the U. N.

单选题If a consumer wants a quick settlement of his problem, it’s better to complain to ______.

单选题 Of all the foods we know, fruit is one of the most healthful. It is also one of the most tasty foods. Almost everyone enjoys fruit. Fruit is grown in almost every part of the world. There are hundreds of different kinds of fruits. And there are thousands of different varieties. In the United States alone, there are several hundred types of apples. In general, though, there are three separate groups. There are tropical fruits. These are most important. In this group, we have bananas and pineapples. They are shipped from tropical countries and are eaten all over the world. Next come the subtropical fruits. The most important of these are the citrus fruits. Oranges, tangerines, limes, and grapefruit are favorites. Other fruits in this class are figs, dates, and olives. The last group comes from the temperate zone. In this group are pears, apples, grapes, and plums. Many kinds of berries fit this group, too. Fruits are very important to the human diet. Besides being tasty, they provide important acids, salts, and vitamins. Also, they are easy to digest. Nutrition experts say that the more fruit people eat, the healthier they become. Down through the centuries fruit has played a part in tales and history. In a Greek myth, Hercules sent Atlas to pick "golden apples" to pay for a crime. Today we believe these golden apples were oranges. During the 1700's, British ships began to carry limes. It was found that sailors who drank the lime juice did not get sick. Since that time, British sailors have been called "limeys." The peach also has an exciting history. It has been a world traveler. Its journey began many, many centuries ago. Peaches were first grown in China. From China, traders of long ago carried peach trees to Persia. From there, Alexander the Great brought the fruit to Europe. From Europe, Spanish ships carried peaches to the New World. Through the years, fruit trees and plants have been improved. Today's fruits are bigger. They also taste better. Different kinds of fruits are often being bred. We now have fruit that can travel to all parts of the world and still stay fresh. Even after traveling for some time, these new fruits keep the vitamins and minerals that are so good for our diet. Fruit will always be prized as a basic food that now can be enjoyed the whole year round.

单选题What does the woman think of the price?

单选题 IQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard./I

单选题—Today is my birthday. Can you come to my party tonight? —______. [A] Don't worry. [B] Sure, I'd love to. [C] No,I don't know.

单选题Questions 14-17 are based on the following conversation.

单选题{{I}}Questions 20～23 are based on the passage you've just heard.{{/I}}

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单选题Which of the following is the key factor in the immediate approval of Labor Day as a national holiday?

单选题I long to that classification of people known as wives. I am a wife. And, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother. Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his exwife. He is obviously looking for another wife. As I thought about him while. I was cooking one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife? I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent upon me. I want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife to keep track of the children"s doctor appointments. And to keep track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean. I want a wife who will wash the children"s clothes and keep them mended. I want a wife who arranges for their schooling, makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to the park, the zoo, etc. I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, mended, replaced when need be and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and then do the washing up while I do my studying. I want a wife who will care for me when I am sick and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a rest and change of scene. If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the wife 1 already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life. My wife will take the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free. When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife"s duties. My God, who wouldn"t want a wife?