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单选题The author mentions Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley because they______.

单选题{{B}}Text 3{{/B}} Insurance is supposed to provide protection against financial risks, and while dying too soon is one major risk we face, another risk more and more people fear is outliving their money. As a result, a growing away of life insurance products make it possible to protect against both of those risks. In many of today's life insurance products, MacDonald notes, "The death benefit portion really has become a commodity type product, so if someone is really concerned about the financial impact of dying young, then they can get a pretty good deal by buying term insurance on a commodity basis—find the cheapest policy and buy it." But, he says, "The other side of the coin is that insurance companies have developed products that can be very creative, mad very competitive to other alternatives, including investments. They can fill a very important role in any overall investment plan." Diverse and universal policies offer people choices in how much they want to put into their policies and how they want their funds invested. These funds can then be tapped later on to provide a lump sum for purchasing a retirement home or a stream of retirement income. Life insurance is an attractive investment vehicle, because the "inside buildup", the accumulation of funds inside a policy structrue, is not subject to taxes, in contrast to other personal investments. However, MacDonald and others warn against using insurance policies purely as an investment. While there are tax advantages, there are also the costs connected with the insurance coverage, and if you don't need that coverage these can be expensive ways to invest. Moreover, MacDonald notes that some companies are offering insurance that has a critical illness or long-term care benefit. These policies specify that if someone suffers a heart attack, for example, they will get 25% of the face amount of the insurance policy immediately rather than at death. Or if they must be confined to a nursing home, they will be able to use up to the face amount of the policy to pay the nursing home costs. Amid the proliferation of insurance product, MacDonald says, "The positive side of it is there are better products—they're cheaper and more flexible. The negative side is that it's more complicated and easier to make a mistake. In the past, it was plain vanilla; everybody was selling the same product and everybody had to find an agent they liked. Now there has been significant changes in product structure and design, and benefits, and so it is worthwhile to shop around."

单选题{{B}}TEXT 1{{/B}} People have been passionate about roses since the beginning of time. In fact, it is said that the floors of Cleopatral's palace were carpeted with delicate rose petals, and that the wise and knowing Confucius had a 600-book library specifically on how to care for roses. The rose is a legend on its own. The story goes that during the Roman Empire, there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe. Her beauty drew many zealous suitors who pursued. her relentlessly. Exhausted by their pursuit, Rhodanthe was forced to take refuge from her suitors in the temple of her friend Diana. Unfortunately, Diana became jealous. And when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near their beloved Rhodanthe, she became angry turning Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns. In Greek legend, the rose was created by Chloris, the Greek goddess of flowers. It was just a lifeless seed of a Nymph2 that Chloris found one day in a clearing in the woods. She asked the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who gave her beauty. Dionysus, the god of wine, added Nectar3 to give her a sweet scent, and the three Graces4 gave her charm, brightness and joy. Then Zephyr, the West Wind, blew away the clouds so that Apollo, the sun god, could shine and made this flower bloom. And so the Rose was born and was immediately crowned the Queen of Flowers. The first tree primary red rose seen in Europe was "Slater's Crimson China" introduced in 1792 from China, where it had been growing wild in the mountains. Immediately, rose breeders began using it to Hybridize5 red roses for cultivation. Ever since, the quest for the perfect red rose has been the Holy Grail6 of rosarians: a fragrant, disease-resistant, long-lasting, long-stemmed, reblooming, perfectly formed rose with a clear non-fading vivid red color. Absolute perfection still hasn't been attained, and of course never will! There is a special rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly. In the mid 18th century the wife of the British ambassador in Constantinople described this in her letters, which were published after her death. These letters inspired many books on the language of flowers, each describing the secret message hidden in each flower. A red rose bud stands for budding desire; an open white rose asks "Will you love me?" An open red rose means "I'm full of love and desire," while an open yellow rose asks "Don't you love me any more?".

单选题Not long ago, a mysterious Christmas card dropped through our mail slot. The envelope was addressed to a man named Raoul, who, I was relatively certain, did not live with us. The envelope wasn't sealed, so I opened it. The inside of the card was blank. Ed, my husband, explained that the card was both from and to the newspaper deliveryman. His name was apparently Raoul, and Raoul wanted a holiday tip. We were meant to put a check inside the card and then drop the envelope in the mail. When your services are rendered at 4 a. m. , you can't simply hang around, like a hotel bellboy expecting a tip. You have to be direct. So I wrote a nice holiday greeting to this man who, in my imagination, fires The New York Times from his bike aimed at our front door, causing more noise with mere newsprint than most people manage with sophisticated black market fireworks. With a start, I realized that perhaps the reason for the 4 a.m. wake-up noise was not ordinary rudeness but carefully executed spite.. I had not tipped Raoul in Christmases past. I honestly hadn't realized I was supposed to. This was the first time he'd used the card tactic. So I got out my checkbook. Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services to a Mafia-style protection racket (收取保护费的黑社会组织). Several days later, I was bringing our garbage bins back from the curb when I noticed an envelope taped to one of the lids. The outside of the envelope said MICKEY. It had to be another tip request, this time from our garbage collector. Unlike Raoul, Mickey hadn't enclosed his own Christmas card from me. In a way, I appreciated the directness. "I know you don't car how merry my Christmas is, and that's fine," the gesture said. "I want $ 30, or I'll forget to empty your garbage bin some hot summer day. " I put a check in the envelope and taped it back to the bin. The next morning, Ed noticed that the envelope was gone, though the trash hadn't yet been picked up. "Someone stole Mickey's tip!" Ed was quite certain. He made me call the bank and cancel the check. But Ed had been wrong. Two weeks later, Mickey left a letter from the bank on our steps. The letter informed Mickey that the check, which he had tried to cash, had been cancelled. The following Tuesday morning, when Ed saw a truck outside, he ran out with his wallet. "Are you Mickey?" The man looked at him with scorn. "Mickey is the garbageman. I am the recycling. " Not only had Ed insulted this man by hinting that he was a garbageman, but he had obviously neglected to tip him. Ed ran back inside for more funds. Then he noticed that the driver of the truck had been watching the whole transaction. He peeled off another twenty and looked around, waving bills in the air. "Anyone else?" Had we consulted the website of the Emily Post Institute, this embarrassing breach of etiquette (礼节) could have been avoided. Under "trash/recycling collectors" in the institute's Holiday Tipping Guidelines, it says: " $10 to $ 30 each. " You may or may not wish to know that your pet groomer, hairdresser, mailman and UPS guy all expect a holiday tip.

单选题Have you heard about the book which pushes blood types as determining whether somebody should be vegetarian or not? The idea of choosing foods based on your blood type was popularized by Peter J. D'Adamo, ND, in his book, Eat Right For Your Type (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1996). D'Adamo, a naturopath, proposes that those who have blood type A should be vegetarian, while those with blood type O must eat meat and eliminate wheat and some other grains. He says that following the correct diet for your blood type will help you maintain optimal health and weight, avoid many infections, and fight back against life-threatening illnesses. Is there any truth to his claims? While D'Adamo spends more than 350 pages explaining the minute details of the foods, supplements, medications, and exercise regimens which should be followed by people with each blood type, he fails to scientifically document the effectiveness of his recommendations. Many of the claims which he makes are not backed up by published research. For example, depending on your blood type, you are presented with detailed lists of foods which are highly beneficial, neutral, or to be avoided. How were these lists generated? Has any research been published showing adverse health effects from use of foods which should be avoided? No studies are presented which support what appear to be the author's speculations. Numerous studies have shown that vegetarians live longer than non-vegetarians and have a lower risk of a number of chronic diseases. These studies are likely to be based on people from all blood type groups. It certainly seems that a vegetarian diet has benefits for those studied, regardless of their blood type. Similarly, studies like those of Dean Ornish appear to demonstrate the beneficial effect of a vegetarian diet and other lifestyle changes on a number of individuals, and not just those of certain blood type. Eat Right For Your Type should not be used as the basis for dietary change. Statements like "I could never be a vegetarian, I'm type O" are not based on scientific evidence and may even lead people to avoid making dietary changes which could benefit both their health and the health of our planet. Our advice? Stick with a varied, whole foods-based vegetarian diet regardless of your blood type.

单选题{{I}} Questions 17 - 20 are based on the following talk. You now have 20 seconds to read Questions 17 - 20.{{/I}}

单选题Whatwasthemaincauseoftheseverecasualties?

单选题Questions 4～6 are based on the following talk, listen and choose the best answer.

单选题The single most shattering statistic about life in America in the late 1990s was that tobacco killed more people than the combined total of those who died from AIDS, car accidents, alcohol, murder, suicide, illegal drugs and fire. The deaths of more than 400, 000 Americans each year, 160, 000 of them from lung cancer, make a strong case for the prohibition of tobacco, and particularly of cigarettes. The case, backed by solid evidence, has been made in every public arena since the early 1950s, when the first convincing link between smoking and cancer was established in clinical and epidemiological studies—yet 50 million Americans still go on smoking. tobacco-related illness. It is a remarkable story, clearly told, astonishingly well documented and with a transparent moral motif. Most smokers in America eventually manage to quit, and local laws banning smoking in public have become common, but the industry prospers. The tobacco companies have survived virtually everything their opponents have thrown at them. At the end of his story, Mr. Brandt writes: "The legal assault on Big Tobacco had been all but repelled. The industry was decidedly intact, ready to do business profitably at home and abroad. "Although the conclusion is not to his liking, Mr. Brandt's is the first full and convincing explanation of how they pulled it off. Cigarettes overcame any lingering opposition to the pleasure they gave when American soldiers came to crave them during the World War I. War, says Mr. Brandt, was "a critical watershed in establishing the cigarette as a dominant product in modern consumer culture. " Cigarettes were sexy, and the companies poured money into advertising. By 1950 Americans smoked 350 billion cigarettes a year and the industry accounted for 3.5% of consumer spending on non-durables. The first 50 years of the"cigarette century"were a golden era for Big Tobacco. That was simply because, until the 1940s, not enough men had been smoking for long enough to develop fatal cancers (women did not reach this threshold until the 1970s). The first clinical and epidemiological studies linking eigarette-smoking and lung cancer were published only in 1950. By 1953 the six leading companies had agreed that a collective response was required. They paid handsomely for a public-relations campaign that insistently denied any proof of a causal connection between smoking and cancer. This worked well until 1964, when a devastating report from the surgeon-general's advisory committee in effect ended medical uncertainty about the harmfulness of smoking. But Big Tobacco rode the punches. When the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruled that health warnings must appear on each pack, the industry, consented. But it shrewdly exploited the warning: "In a culture that emphasised individual responsibility, smokers would bear the blame for willful risk-taking," notes Mr. Brandt. Many cases for damages against the companies foundered on that rock. Cigarette-makers also marshaled their numerous allies in Congress to help the passage of a law that bypassed federal agencies such as the FTC, and made Congress itself solely responsible for tobacco regulation. Describing the pervasive influence of tobacco lobbyists, he says: "Legislation from Congress testified to the masterful preparation and strategic command of the tobacco industry. " However, the industry was powerless to prevent a flood of damaging internal documents, leaked by insiders. The companies were shown, for instance, to have cynically disregarded evidence from their in-house researchers about the addictive properties of nicotine. Internal papers also showed that extra nicotine was added to cigarettes to guarantee smokers sufficient" satisfaction". Despite such public-relations disasters, the industry continued to win judgments, most significantly when the Supreme Court rejected by five votes to four a potentially calamitous attack that would have given the Federal Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products. The industry's shrewdest move was to defuse a barrage of eases brought by individual states, aiming to reclaim the cost of treating sick smokers. The states in 1998 accepted a settlement of $246 billion over 25 years (the price of a pack rose by 45 cents shortly afterwards). In return, the states agreed to end all claims against the companies. But the settlement tied the state governments to tobacco's purse-strings; they now had an interest in the industry's success. For those who thought the settlement was akin to" dancing with the devil", it appeared in retrospect that the devil had indeed had the best tunes, reports Mr. Brandt. To his credit, he manages to keep his historian's hat squarely on his head. But you can feel the anguish.

单选题{{B}}Text 2{{/B}} The making of classifications by literary historians can be a somewhat risky enterprise. When Black poets are discussed separately as a group, for instance, the extent to which their work reflects the development of poetry in general should not be forgotten, or a distortion of literary history may result. This caution is particularly relevant in an assessment of the differences between Black poets at the turn of the century (1900—1909) and those of the generation of the 1920's. These differences include the bolder and more forthright speech of the later generation and its technical inventiveness. It should be remembered, though, that comparable differences also existed for similar generations of White poets. When poets of the 1910's and 1920's are considered together, however, the distinctions that literary historians might make between "conservative" and "experimental" would be of little significance in a discussion of Black poets, although these remain helpful classifications for White poets of these decades. Certainly differences can be noted between "conservative" Black poets such as Countee Cullen and Cluade Mckay and "expert mental" ones such as Jean Toomer and Langston Hughes. But Black poets were not battling over old or new styles, rather, one accomplished Black poet was ready to welcome another, whatever his or her style, for what mattered was racial pride. However, in the 1920's Black poets did debate whether they should deal with specifically racial subjects. They asked whether they should only write about Black experience for a Black audience or whether such de ands were restrictive. It may be said, though, that virtually all these poets wrote their best poems when they spoke out of racial feeling, race being, as James Weldon Johnson rightly put it, "perform the thing the Negro poet knows best". At the turn of the century, by contrast, most Black poets generally wrote in the conventional manner of the age and expressed noble, if vague emotions in their poetry. These poets were not unusually gifted, though Roscoe Jamison and G. M. McClellen may be mentioned as exceptions. They chose not to write in dialect, which, as Sterling Brown has suggested, "meant a rejection of stereotypes of Negro life", and they refused to write only about racial subjects. This refusal had both a positive and a negative consequence. As Brown observes, "Valuably insisting that Negro poets should not be confined to issues of race, these poets committed an error... they refused to look into their hearts and write." These are important insights, but one must stress that this refusal to look within was also typical of most White poets of the United States at the time. They, too, often turned from their own experience and consequently produced not very memorable poems about vague topics, such as the peace of nature.

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单选题{{B}}Text 2{{/B}} Guam is no longer a quiet island backwater. Only in the last 10 years has this Micronesian island of 540 square kilometers been transformed into a burgeoning tourist Mecca. The oxcart tracks of old have become six-lane highway connecting the high-rise hotels and beach bars with the duty-free shops and downtown nightclubs of Tumon. Guam's "big blue", one of the most popular dive sites, beckons many recreational divers. It offers prime conditions for spotting some of the 400 varieties of coral and 900 species of fish that inhabit the surrounding reef system. 32 kilometers south of Agana lies the village of Utamad, where Ferdinand Magellan reputedly landed on March 6, 1521. The legacy of more than 300 years of Spanish rule is still visible around its small cove, which was once a port of call for the treasure-laden galleons plying routes between Mexico and the Philippines. The trip ends in Plaza de Espana. As you wander its wide lawns or bicycling along the sidewalks in the late afternoon, it is easy to imagine the wives of Spanish governors serving hot chocolate to their guests on the terrace of the aptly-named Chocolate House. Less imposing, though just as defiant against the sun and humidity, are the remains of the Casa Gobierno, the Governor's Palace, which stand beneath a vast banyan tree. It is, as the taxi drivers readily concede, the perfect place to escape the sun, drink iced tea and reflect on the turbulent history of the island. {{U}}Where to Stay{{/U}} The Hyatt Regency Hotel (671 647 - 1234) is on the beachfront in Tumon. Facilities include three swimming pools, tennis courts, Italian and Japanese restaurants, a poolside bar and day-tour operators. Ratcs are $ 270 / $ 290 for superior, single or double, $ 290 / $ 310 for deluxe. Guan Garden Villa (477- 8166) in Ordot Village (central Guam) is a family-rnn B the fare is $ 1, and a day pass costs $ 3. Private shuttle buses run between Tumon' s major hotels, K-mart and Micronesia Mall; fares up to $ 4. Car rental is recommended for extended sightseeing. Budget (646 - 0366) offers deal of $ 35 to $ 40 a day with unlimited mileage. {{U}}Climate{{/U}} Tropical, 20°to 35℃. Guam's wet season lasts from July to November. Typhoons are common during this time. {{U}}Tourist Information{{/U}} Visitors Bureau is at 401 Pale San Vitores Road, Tumon; Tel: (671)646- 5278/9, fax: (671)646- 8861.

单选题Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following talk about pickpockets in the United States.

单选题Not long ago, it seemed that there would come a day quite soon when science would reveal that every food would be toxic and every practice lethal. Or, at any rate, that is how things appeared to many ordinary people. The supposition was based on half-digested and partially understood scientific reports. As a code of belief it still has its disciples—only the other day I found myself sitting at dinner between women who, to hear them talk, seemed to imagine that every article in the supermarket was deadly. But I am pleased to report that, at long last, I detect the first signs that my fellow citizens are beginning to emerge from the gloomy depression in which it has been fashionable to hide for the past 20 years or so. There are now a handful of daring souls who are prepared once again to eat the odd spoonful of strawberry' jam and take the consequences. They have noticed, perhaps, that for all the talk about refined sugar, the strawberry jam, mortality rate is somewhat lower than they had previously been led to expect. The loss of nerve, from which the ordinary person seems to be recovering, was caused by several factors. First, he was told by various professional watchdogs, public analysts and medical officers of health that it would be a good thing if he knew the contents of all the foods he bought. But when he saw the lists of ingredients dutifully printed on the sides of packets and bottles, he trembled and feared for his safety. The second thing which once frightened the timid but which, I do believe, is now frightening them less, was the remarkable scientific advance which, all unremarked by the general public and its legislators, has been revolutionising analytical chemistry. What this galloping advance in analytical acuity means is that scientists can now isolate the tiniest amounts of harmful substances in foods which ,hitherto, have always been considered safe, or in some cases beneficial. Now there are sophisticated tests which can detect poisons in the tiniest amount—not even enough to kill a mouse. Over the years the general public has been bombarded with half-correct newspaper reports of the increasing number of foods which detailed investigation has proved contain harmful substances in some degree. And so it came to pass that few foods could face the charge of toxicity with equanimity. Gradually, I do believe, a still small voice has come to be heard amid the hubbub—the voice of common sense. Surprisingly, it was first heard in the United states. Prolonged tests on mice had shown that saccharin was—even to a minuscule degree—carcinogenic. A few years ago, such a finding would have led to public turmoil and the exclusion of all saccharin from the American scene. This time, however, there was a pause for reflection. If even a huge intake of saccharin could only be expected to give you cancer 70 or 80 years hence, did it really matter? Or should one insist on the government protecting one from being poisoned, not merely during one's lifetime, but after one's death as well? Nitrosamines will undoubtedly posion you—if you take a poisonous dose. But when it was found recently that tiny traces can be detected in whisky, people kept their nerve and reckoned that, just as the minute amounts of gold which every schoolboy knows can be found in seawater do no one any good, so the picograms of nitrosamines did them no harm. I salute the dawn of common sense.

单选题The Village Green in New Milford, Connecticut, is a snapshot of New England charm: a carefully manicured lawn flanked by scrupulously maintained colonial homes. Babysitters dandle kids in the wooden gazebo, waiting for commuter parents to return from New York, On a lazy afternoon last week Caroline Nicholas, 16, had nothing more pressing to do than drink in the early-summer sunshine and discuss the recent events in town. "I don"t think a lot of older people knew there were unhappy kids in New Milford," she said, "I could see it coming." In a five-day period in early June eight girls were brought to New Milford Hospital after what hospital officials call suicidal gestures. The girls, all between 12 and 17, tried a variety of measures, including heavy doses of alcohol, over-the-counter medicines and cuts or scratches to their wrists. None was successful, and most didn"t require hospitalization; but at least two attempts, according to the hospital, could have been vital. Their reasons seemed as mundane as the other happen-stances of suburban life. "I was just sick of it all," one told a reporter, "Everything in life." Most alarming, emergency-room doctor Frederick Lohse told a local reporter that several girls said they were part of a suicide pact. The hospital later backed away from this remark. But coming in the wake of at least sixteen suicide attempts over the previous few months, this sudden cluster—along with the influx of media—has set this well-groomed suburb of 23,000 on edge. At a town meeting last Wednesday night, Dr Simon Sobo, chief of psychiatry at the hospital, told more than 200 parents and kids, "We"re talking about a crisis that has really gotten out of hand." Later headed, "There have been more suicide attempts this spring than I have seen in the 13 years I have been here." Sobo said that the girls he treated didn"t have serious problems at home or school. "Many of these were popular kids," he said, "They got plenty of love, but beneath the reassuring signs, a swath of teens here are not making it." Some say that drugs, Both pot and "real drugs", are commonplace. Kids have shown up with LIFE SUCKS and LONG LIVE DEATH penned on their arms. A few girls casually display scars on their arms where they cut them-selves. "You"d be surprised how many kids try suicide," said one girl, 17. "You don"t want to put pain on other people; you put it on yourself." She said she used to cut herself "just to release the pain". Emily, 15, a friend of three of the girls treated in June, said one was having family problems, one was "upset that day "and the third was "just upset with everything else going on". She said they weren"t really trying to kill themselves—they just needed coucern. As Sobo noted, "What"s going on in New Milford is not unique to New Milford." The same underlying culture of despair could be found in any town. But teen suicide, he added, can be a "contagion". Right now New Milford has the bug—and has it bad.

单选题{{B}}TEXT 3{{/B}} The government will be told next month that a stark new class divide is opening between career women and mothers who give up work to become housewives. While career mums are able to build on the increased "social capital" or status that a modem education and equal access to the workplace have afforded them, stay-at-home mothers rapidly lose their social status. The new study of social mobility and its conclusion that middle-class women are becoming increasingly "polarised" will be presented at a Cabinet Office meeting later this month by Professor Jonathan Gershuny, a leading sociologists. He will say that while reforms in equal opportunities legislation over the past 30 years have improved women's life chances, all the gains can be lost at the point when they have children if they are unable to afford nurseries or nannies. "When they enter the labor force, young men and women now have similar level of educational attainment, but from the first child's birth a new dynamic emerges," said Gershuny. "In almost all cases where childcare is unaffordable, the woman withdraws (from work). And the withdrawal means a progressive reduction in accumulated work experience, perhaps the loss of a promotion, so the wife's capital falls." Critics claim the constant emphasis on equal economic attainment for men and women is feeding the divorce rate and destroying family life. In addition, many mothers choose to stay at home to ensure that they, rather than an outsider, play the main role in bringing up their children. While women's place in the class system is increasingly determined by their ability to afford children, the declining social status of stay-at-home mums may be accentuated by the break-up of local communities, itself partly a product in increased social mobility. The importance of access to child-care and the determining effect it can have on women's lives is leading them to delay the age at which they have their first child. Many middle-class women do not even consider having their children until they are into their thirties. Researchers say that other social changes have made the life of the stay-at-home mother even less attractive. Greater social mobility means relatives are now less likely to be available to offer help. Danielle Stewart, 41, form south London, is a member of the "superwomen" tribe and has two children, Francesca, 7, and Isabelle, 4. she earns more than ￡ 150,000 a year, of which she spends ￡ 24,000 a year on a nanny. "I am a strong woman who is giving my girl a great example. The intellectual inspiration of work has been fantastic, and I think if I had stayed at home and given up work I would not have got that." Gershumy's research suggests that career women like Stewart, who are able to afford childcare, almost always come from well-to-do backgrounds. It suggests that the old British class system where privilege and status are passed down the generations is still very much alive.

单选题 {{I}}{{B}} Questions 17 to 20 are based on the following monologue about energy conservation. You now have 20 .seconds to read Questions 17 to 20.{{/I}}{{/B}}

单选题 IQuestions 11～13 are based on the following conversation. You now have 15 seconds to rend Questions 11～13./I

单选题Questions 14 to 16 are based on a talk introducing American adult education programs. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 14 to 16.