单选题Questions 1～3 are based on the following passage, listen and choose the best answer.

单选题HowmanybirdvictimswerethereintheoilspillinSanFransiscoBay?A.About30,000.B.About500.C.About700.D.About1,200.

单选题{{B}}Text 3{{/B}} When doctors need information about what dose of medication to prescribe, they usually consult a fat navy-blue book called The Physicians' Desk Reference, or PDR, an extensive compilation of data about drugs form their manufacturers. But the doses recommended in the PDR may be too high for many people and may cause adverse reactions, ranging from dizziness and nausea all the way to death, according to an article published last month in the journal Postgraduate Medicine. For many drugs — including Viagra, Prozac and some medicines used to treat high blood pressure, allergies, insomnia and high cholesterol — smaller doses would work just as well, with far less risk of bad reactions, said Jay Cohen, the author of the article. "Side effects drive a lot of people out of treatment that they need," Dr. Cohen said, noting that people with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, headaches and depression often gave up trying to treat their illnesses when they found that the cure was worse than the disease. But if doctors were to individualize dosages for each patient, more people might take their medicine. Dr. Cohen said he became aware of the problem because he encountered many patients who suffered from side effects even though they had taken what were supposedly the correct doses of medicine. When Dr. Cohen consulted medical journals and textbooks, he discovered studies showing that many patients were helped by smaller than usual amounts of medication. And many of his own patients did better with reduced doses of medicine. He said his findings helped explain a study published last year by other researchers, who reported that drug reactions in hospitals were among the nation' s leading causes of death, killing more than 100,000 Americans a year. The deaths that the team studied were not due to medication errors by doctors or patients; they occurred in people taking doses thought to be correct. Dosing guidelines generally tend to be too high because they are based on studies conducted in limited numbers of patients by drug companies when they are seeking approval for new products. For those studies to run efficiently, doses need to be high enough to show as quickly as possible that the drug works. But later, after the drug is approved, far more people take it, sometimes along with other drugs, and individual differences begin to show up. Yet, that information does not always make it into the PDR and it is not well taught in medical school, Cohen said. Dr. Cohen cautioned that patients should not begin tinkering with doses pf prescription drugs on their own. He said they needed to work with doctors to adjust the doses safely. With some drugs, doses cannot be changed. And in emergencies, he said, it is always safest to stick with recommended doses.

单选题 {{B}}Questions 14 ～ 16 are based on the following passage. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 14 ～ 16.{{/B}}

单选题No people doubt the fundamental importance of mothers in childrearing, but what do fathers do? Much of what they contribute is simply being the second adult in the home. Bringing up children is demanding, stressful and exhausting. Two adults can support and make up for each other's deficiencies and build on each other's strength. As we all know, fathers also bring an array of' unique qualities. Some are familiar: protector and role model. Teenage boys without fathers are notoriously prone to trouble. The pathway to adulthood for daughters is somewhat easier, but they must still learn from their fathers, in ways they cannot from their mothers, such as how to relate to men. They learn from their fathers about heterosexual trust, intimacy and difference. They learn to appreciate their own femininity from the one male who is most special in their lives. Most important, through loving and being loved by their fathers, they learn that they are love-worthy. Current research gives much deeper—and more surprising insight into the father's role in childrearing. One significantly overlooked dimension of fathering is play. From their children's birth through adolescence, fathers tend to emphasize game more than caretaking. The father's style of play is likely to be both physically stimulating and exciting. With older children it involves more teamwork, requiring competitive testing of physical and mental skills. It frequently resembles a teaching relationship: come on, let me show you how. Mothers play more at the child's level. They seem willing to let the child directly play. Kids, at least in the early years, seem to prefer to play with daddy. In one study of two and half years old who were given a choice, more than two-thirds chose to play with their fathers. The way fathers' play has effects on everything from the management of emotions to intelligence and academic achievement. It is of particular importance in promoting self-control. According to one expert, "children who roughhouse with their fathers quickly learn that biting, kicking and other forms of physical violence are not acceptable." They learn when to "shut it down". At play and in other realms, fathers tend to lay stress on competition, challenge, initiative, risktaking and independence. Mothers, as caretakers, stress emotional security and personal safety. On the playground fathers often try to get the child to swing ever higher, while mothers are cautious, worrying about an accident. We know, too, that fathers' involvement seems to be linked to enhanced verbal and problem solving skills and higher academic achievement. Several studies found that along with paternal strictness, the amount of time fathers spent reading with them was a strong predictor of their daughters' verbal ability. For sons the results have been equally striking. Studies uncovered a strong relationship between fathers' involvement and the mathematical abilities of their sons. Other studies found a relationship between paternal nurturing and boys' verbal intelligence.

单选题Questions 14～16 are based on the following talk. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 14～16.

单选题The word "Kodak" is a product of ______. A. coinage B. clipping C. blending D. borrowing

单选题Jack Maple started his career in

单选题 Questions 17 to 20 are based on a dialogue between two colleagues in the office one night. You now have 20 seconds to read Questions 17 to 20.

单选题Questions 1--3 Choose the best answer.

单选题The federal government get most of their income from

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 array 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, and 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 structure , 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Whatisthewomandoing?A.Interviewingamoviestar.B.Discussingteenagerolemodels.C.Hostingatelevisionshow.D.Reviewinganewbiography.

单选题Today TV audiences all over the world are accustomed to the sight of American astronauts in tip-top condition, with fair hair, crew-cuts, good teeth, an uncomplicated sense of humour and a severely limited non-technical vocabulary. What marks out an astronaut from his earthbound fellow human beings is something of a difficult problem. Should you wish to interview him, you must apply beforehand, and you must be prepared for a longish wait, even if your application meets with success. It is, in any case, out of the question to interview an astronaut about his family life or personal activities, Because all the astronauts have contracts with an American magazine under conditions for bidding any unauthorized disclosures about their private lives. Certain obvious qualities are needed. Anyone who would be a spaceman must be in perfect health, must have powers of concentration( since work inside a spacecraft is exceptionally demanding)and must have considerable courage. Again, space-work calls for dedication. Courage and dedication are particularly essential. In the well-known case of the Challenger seven crew members lost their lives in space because of the faulty equipment in the shuttle. Another must be outstanding scientific expertise. It goes without saying that they all have to have professional aero nautical qualifications and experience. A striking feature of the astronauts is their ages. For the younger man, in his twenties, say, space is out. Only one of the fifty men working for NASA in 1970 was under 30. The oldest astronaut to date is Alan Shepard, America's first man in space, who, at nearly fifty, was also the man who captained Apollo 13. The average age is the late thirties. The crew members of Apollo 11 were all born well before the Second World War. In 1986 the Challenger astronauts had an average age of 39. The range was from 35 to 46. In a society where marital continuity is not always exhibited, the astronauts' record in this respect hits you in the eye. Of all the married men in NASA group, only two or three are divorced from their wives. Mind you, it is hard to tell whether something in the basic character of an astronaut encourages fidelity or whether the selection process demands that a candidate should be happily married. The NASA astronauts live in unattractive small communities dotted here and there around the base in Texas. You would expect them to find their friends from among their professional associates, But this is not the case. Rather, they prefer to make friends with the normal folk in their districts. Astronauts, like everybody else, must get fed up with talking shop all the time, and whereas they are indeed an elite, their daily life outside work should be as normal as possible, if only for the sake of their families. As for the astronauts' political leanings, they seem to be towards the right. This may be due to the fact that a large proportion of the astronauts have a military background. On the other hand, it could be just coincidence.

单选题Nopeopledoubtthefundamentalimportanceofmothersinchildrearing,butwhatdofathersdo?Muchofwhattheycontributeissimplybeingthesecondadultinthehome.Bringingupchildrenisdemanding,stressfulandexhausting.Twoadultscansupportandmakeupforeachother'sdeficienciesandbuildoneachother'sstrength.Asweallknow,fathersalsobringanarrayofuniquequalities.Somearefamiliar:protectorandrolemodel.Teenageboyswithoutfathersarenotoriouslypronetotrouble.Thepathwaytoadulthoodfordaughtersissomewhateasier,buttheymuststilllearnformtheirfathers,inwaystheycannotfromtheirmothers,suchashowtorelatetomen.Theylearnfromtheirfathersaboutheterosexualtrust,intimacyanddifference.Theylearntoappreciatetheirownfemininityfromtheonemalewhoismostspecialintheirlives.Mostimportant,throughlovingandbeinglovedbytheirfathers,theylearnthattheyarelove-worthy.Currentresearchgivesmuchdeeper-andmoresurprisinginsightintothefather'sroleinchildrearing.Onesignificantlyoverlookeddimensionoffatheringisplay.Fromtheirchildren'sbirththroughadolescence,fatherstendtoemphasizegamemorethancaretaking.Thefather'sstyleofplayislikelytobebothphysicallystimulatingandexciting.Witholderchildrenitinvolvesmoreteamwork,requiringcompetitivetestingofphysicalandmentalskills,fffrequentlyresemblesateachingrelationship:comeon,letmeshowyouhow.Mothersplaymoreatthechild'slevel.Theyseemwillingtoletthechilddirectlyplay.Kids,atleastintheearlyyears,seemtoprefertoplaywithdaddy.Inonestudyof-year-oldwhoweregivenachoice,morethantwo-thinschosetoplaywiththeirfathers.Thewayfathers'playhaseffectsoneverythingfromthemanagementofemotionstointelligenceandacademicachievement.Itisofparticularimportanceinpromotingself-control.Ac-cordingtooneexpert,"childrenwhoroughhousewiththeirfathersquicklylearnthatbiting,kickingandotherformsofphysicalviolencearenotacceptable."Theylearnwhento"shutitdown".Atplayandinotherrealms,fatherstendtolaystressoncompetition,challenge,initiative,risk-takingandindependence.Mothers,ascaretakers,stressemotionalsecurityandpersonalsafety.Onetheplaygroundfathersoftentrytogetthechildtoswingeverhigher,whilemothersalecautious,worryingaboutanaccident.Weknow,too,thatfathers'involvementseemstolinkedtoenhancedverbalandproblem-solvingskillsandhigheracademicachievement.Severalstudiesfoundthatalongwithpaternalstrictness,theamountoftimefathersspent:readingwiththemwasastrongpredictoroftheirdaughters'verbalability.Forsonstheresultshavebeenequallystriking.Studiesuncoveredastrongrelationshipbetweenfathers'involvementandthemathematicalabilitiesoftheirsons.Otherstudiesfoundsrelationshipbetweenpaternalnurturingandboys'verbalintelligence.

单选题WhatmemorandumdidPresidentWilliamJ.Clintonissue?A.Onenhancinglearningandeducationthroughtechnology.B.OnFederalprograms.C.Onnewopportunitiesthattechnologyprovides.D.Onfinancialsupportforlifelonglearning.

单选题{{B}}Text 1{{/B}} Can the Internet help patients jump the line at the doctor's office? The Silicon Valley Employers Forum, a sophisticated group of technology companies, is launching a pilot program to test online "virtual visits" between doctors at three big local medical groups and about 6 000 employees and their families. The six employers taking part in the Silicon Valley initiative, including heavy hitters such as Oracle and Cisco Systems, hope that online visits will mean employees won't have to skip work to tend to minor ailments or to follow up on chronic conditions. "With our long commutes and traffic, driving 40 miles to your doctor in your hometown can be a big chunk of time, "says Cindy Conway, benefits director at Cadence Design Systems, one of the participating companies. Doctors aren't clamoring to chat with patients online for free; they spend enough unpaid time on the phone. Only 1 in 5 has ever e-mailed a patient, and just 9 percent are interested in doing so, according to the research firm Cyber Dialogue. "We are not stupid," says Stifling Somers, executive director of the Silicon Valley employers group. "Doctors getting paid is a critical piece in getting this to work." In the pilot program, physicians will get $20 per online consultation, about what they get for a simple office visit. Doctors also fear they'll be swamped by rambling e-mails that tell everything but what's needed to make a diagnosis. So the new program will use technology supplied by Healinx, an Alameda, Calif-based star-up. Healinx's "Smart Symptom Wizard" questions patients and turns answers into a succinct message. The company has online dialogues for 60 common conditions. The doctor can then diagnose the problem and outline a treatment plan, which could include e-mailing a prescription or a face-to-face visit. Can e-mail replace the doctor's office? Many conditions, such as persistent cough, require a stethoscope to discover what's wrong and to avoid a malpractice suit. Even Larry Bonham, head of one of the doctor's groups in the pilot, believes the virtual doctor's visits offer a "very narrow" sliver of service between phone calls to an advice nurse and a visit to the clinic. The pilot program, set to end in nine months, also hopes to determine whether online visits will boost worker productivity enough to offset the cost of the service. So far, the Internet's record in the health field has been underwhelming. The experiment is "a huge roll of the dice for Healinx", notes Michael Barrett, an analyst at Internet consulting firm Forester Research. If the "Web visits" succeed, expect some HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) to pay for online visits. If doctors, employers, and patients aren't satisfied, figure on one more E health star-up to stand down.

单选题HowmanypeopledoesVeraMullerbookroomsfor?A.Twopeople.B.Threepeople.C.Fourpeople.D.Fivepeople.