单选题 There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another. Three basic ways may be described as the market system, the administered system and the traditional system. In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the market place. It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them. In a market, transactions may take place via barter or money exchange. In a barter economy, real goods such as automobiles, shoes, and pizzas are traded against each other. Obviously, finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task. Hence, the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably. In the modern market economy, goods and services are bought or sold for money. An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions. This agency will issue edicts or commands as to how much of each goods and services should be produced, exchanged, and consumed by each economic unit. Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy. The central plan, drawn up by the government, shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production, consumption, and exchange for the whole economy. In a traditional society, production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition: parentage, religion, and custom fix every person's place within the economic system. Transactions take place on the basis of tradition, too. People belonging to a certain group or caste may have an obligation to care for other persons, provide them with food and shelter, care for their health, and provide for their education. Clearly, in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone, progress may be difficult to achieve. A stagnant society may result.

单选题Minority youths are more likely to face trial as adults. A white kid sells a bag of cocaine at his suburban high school. A Latino kid does the same hi his inner-city neighborhood. Both get caught. Both are first-time offenders. The white kid walks into juvenile court with his parents, his priest, a good lawyer and medical coverage. The Latino kid walks into court with his mom, no legal resources and no insurance. The judge lets the white kid go with his family; he's placed in a private treatment program. The minority kid has no such option. He's detained. There, hi n nutshell, is what happens more and more often in the juvenile-court system. Minority youths arrested on violent felony charges in California are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to be transferred out of the juvenile-justice system and tried as adults, according to a study released last week by the Justice Policy Institute, a research center hi San Francisco. Once they are in adult courts, young black offenders are 18 times more likely to be jailed--and Hispanics seven times more likely---than are young white offenders. "Discrimination against kids of color accumulates at every stage of the justice system and skyrockets when juveniles are, tried as adults," says Dan Macallair, a co-author of the new study. "California has a double standard: throw kids of color behind bars, but rehabilitate white kids who commit comparable crimes." Even as juvenile crime has declined from its peak in the early 199Qs, headline grabbing violence by minors has intensified a get-tough attitude. Over the past six years, 43 states have passed laws that make it easier to try juveniles as adults, in Texas and Connecticut in 1995, the latest year for which figures are available, all the juveniles in jails were minorities. Vincent Schiraldi, the Justice Policy Institute's director, concedes that "some kids need to be tried as adults. But most can be rehabilitated." Instead, adult prisons tend to brutailze juveniles. They are eight times more likely to commit suicide and five times more likely to be sexually abused than offenders held In juvenile detention. "Once they get out, they tend to commit more crimes and more violent crimes, "says Jenni Gainsborough, a spokeswoman for the Sentencing Project, a reform group In Washington. The system, In essence, is training career criminals. And it's doing its worst work among minorities.

单选题To be successful in a job interview, you should take care to appear modestly dressed, avoiding the extremes of too elaborate or too casual attire. On the positive side, clothes maybe a good leveller, putting you on a bar with other applicants. On the other hand, clothes which are too informal may convey the impression that you are not serious about the job or that you may be casual about your work as well as your dress. Clothes which are too elaborate, too colorful, or too expensive suggest that you don't understand what behavior is appropriate for the job. The right clothes at the right time, however, gain the respect of the interviewer and his confidence in your judgment. It may be not true that "clothes make the man", but the first and often lasting impression of you is determined by the clothes you wear. Besides care for personal appearance, you should pay close attention to the manner of speaking. You should speak in a clear voice, loud enough to be heard without being aggressive or overpowering. Your speech should not call attention to itself, but it should reveal your individuality and ability. Obviously you must speak without grammatical mistakes or dialect differences. You should be prepared to talk knowledgeably about the requirements of the position you are applying for in relation to your own experiences and interests. Knowing something about the position enables you to ask intelligent questions about the work and the requirements for the job. The interviewer can decide from the questions asked whether you are interested or knowledgeable. You can comment on your own training, experience, and other qualifications. The interviewer can determine whether your background and potential seem to fit the position. The position for which you are applying is not only the safest topic for discussion; it is essential that you demonstrate your understanding of the requirements and your abilities in meeting these requirements. Finally, you must convey a sense of self-confidence and enthusiasm for work. You can demonstrate self- confidence by your manner of speech and dress. You further show it by being prepared for the interview. In addition, the way you enter the room, sit, look at the interviewer, and fill out application forms and other papers may express self-confidence. The eagerness with which you discuss the job rather than the salary may reveal your enthusiasm for work. You may express it through your questions and comments about working conditions and facilities. And your previous experience and success will tell the interviewer about you* enthusiasm for work. Self-confidence and enthusiasm for work are valued highly by all interviewers.

单选题Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully (21) only among people he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seams inhibited. (22) embarrassed. You have only to (23) a commuter train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing in a corner; no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. (24) , there is here an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which. (25) broken, makes the person immediately the object of (26) . It is a well-known fact that the English have a (27) for the discussion of their weather and that, given half a chance, they will talk about it (28) . Some people argue that it is because English weather (29) forecast and hence is a source of interest and. (30) to everyone. This may be so. (31) Englishmen cannot have much (32) in the weathermen, who, after promising fine, sunny weather for the following day, are of- ten proved wrong (33) a cloud over the Atlantic brings rainy weather to all districts! The man in the street seems to be as accurate — or as inaccurate — as the weathermen in his (34) . The overseas visitors may be excused for showing surprise at the number of references (35) weather that the English make to each other in the course of a single day. Very often conversational greetings are (36) by comments on the weather. "Nice day, isn't it?" "Beautiful!" may well be heard instead of "Good morning, how are you?" (37) the foreigner may consider this exaggerated and comic, it is worthwhile pointing out that it could be used to his ad- vantage. (38) he wants to start a conversation with an Englishman but is (39) to know where to begin, he could do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a safe subject which will (40) an answer from even the most reserved of Englishmen.

单选题What is the author's attitude toward the future of film?

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单选题What do things like Summer homes, European travel and BMWs stand for in this passage?

单选题In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity (紧缩) programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, see, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1930s. In 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers. President Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with famers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid (杂交) grain, and fertilizers.

单选题Questions 11—13 are based on the following interview about Doctor Thomas. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 11—13.

单选题As video game images become increasingly more realistic and graphic, policy makers are debating if there is a link between the violence depicted in those games and violence in real life. A 20-year-old gunman"s shooting spree at a school in the northeastern America this month has reinvigorated discussions about violence, prompting lawmakers to call for greater examination of brutality in video games. "But evidence does not suggest violence in games causes violence in life," says James Ivory, a professor in the university"s department of communication who researches the effects of video games. "The agreement is pretty well universal among social scientists that there is not a clearly established link between actual violent crime and violent media usage," says Ivory. He adds that it is possible, though debated, that exposure to violent video games could make a person think or respond more aggressively in a short term, in Ivory"s words, "might even make you potentially more of a jerk to somebody." But he emphasizes, temporary aggression and violent crime are worlds apart. Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association, disagrees. He maintains that there exists in this country sadly a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and sows violence against its own people, through vicious, violent video games. He named the popular game "Grand Theft Auto" as an example. One of the creators of "Grand Theft Auto", Navid Khonsari, says he grew up playing video games in Iran, Canada and the U.S. , where video games were enjoyed by people of all ages. "The discerning factor among the countries," says Khonsari, "is that while video games have been readily available, what has been limited is the accessibility to weapons. The focus on virtual violence might be limiting substantive discussions about firearm regulations and mental health treatment. "When we talk about violent video games and actual violent crime, we"re chasing something that hasn"t really been observed and we"re not talking about other things that have been observed," says Ivory. Despite the renewed focus on video game violence, investigators of the most recent U.S. school shooting have not said whether the young gunman was a player of violent video games. Interest in video games continues to grow around the globe. Analysts estimate people spent about ＄70 billion worldwide on video games and components in 2012. North America, Western Europe and East Asia remain key markets, while gaming is on the rise in India, Brazil, Russia and Southeast Asia.

单选题 Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. High oil prices have not yet produced an economic shock among consuming countries, but further rises, especially sharp {{U}}(21) {{/U}} , would undoubtedly hurt the world economy, and {{U}}(22) {{/U}} would inevitably harm producers, too. Beyond this obvious point, {{U}}(23) {{/U}}, higher prices could even do harm to both oil firms and producers. Big oil firms {{U}}(24) {{/U}} rolling in money today, but that disguises the fact that their longer-term prospects are {{U}}(25) {{/U}} Behind the reserves-accounting scandal at Royal Dutch/ Shell {{U}}(26) {{/U}} a problem bedeviling all of the majors: replacing their dwindling reserves. {{U}}(27) {{/U}} existing fields in Alaska and the North Sea are rapidly declining; OPEC countries and Russia are {{U}}(28) {{/U}} them out. {{U}}(29) {{/U}} they are to survive in the long term, the big oil firms must embrace other sources of energy {{U}}(30) {{/U}} oil. {{U}} (31) {{/U}} it is to believe, higher oil prices could be bad news for producing countries {{U}}(32) {{/U}} Political leaders in Russia, Venezuela and other oil-rich countries are bending laws to crack {{U}}(33) {{/U}} on foreign firms and to strengthen their grip on oil {{U}}(34) {{/U}} through state-run firms. This may be convenient for the political leaders themselves. Alas, it is {{U}}(35) {{/U}} to do much for their countrymen. For years corruption and inefficiency {{U}}(36) {{/U}} the typical results of government control of oil resources. Producing countries should {{U}}(37) {{/U}} embrace open markets. {{U}}(38) {{/U}} one thing, shutting out foreign investment will only hurt their own oil output by {{U}}(39) {{/U}} the sharpest managers and latest technologies. For another, economic liberalization (including reform of bloated welfare states) would help OPEC countries {{U}}(40) {{/U}} their economies—as the NAFTA trade deal has done for oil-rich Mexico—and so prepare them for the day when the black gold starts running out.

单选题Generally speaking, a British is widely regarded as a quiet, shy and conservative person who is 1 only among those with whom he is acquainted. When a stranger is at present, he often seems nervous, 2 embarrassed. You have to take a commuter train any morning or evening to 3 the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing in a corner; hardly anybody talks, since to do so would be considered quite offensive. 4 , there is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, 5 broken, makes the offender immediately the object of 6 . It has been known as a fact that a British has a 7 for the discussion of their weather and that, if given a chance, he will talk about it 8 . Some people argue that it is because the British weather seldom 9 forecast and hence becomes a source of interest and 10 to everyone. This may be so. 11 a British cannot have much 12 in the weathermen, who, after promising fine, sunny weather for the following day, are often proved wrong 13 a cloud over the Atlantic brings rainy weather to all districts! The man in the street seems to be as accurate—or as inaccurate—as the weathermen in his 14 . Foreigners may be surprised at the number of references 15 weather that the British make to each other in the course of a single day. Very often conversational greetings are 16 by comments on the weather. "Nice day, isn"t it?" "Beautiful day!" may well be heard instead of "Good morning, how are you?" 17 the foreigner may consider this exaggerated and comic, it is worthwhile pointing out that it could be used to his advantage. 18 he wants to start a conversation with a British but is 19 to know where to begin, he could do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a safe subject which will 20 an answer from even the most reserved of the British.