单选题Could the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply-cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December. This near-tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the 1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979-80, when they also almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double-digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom this time? The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspended oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price higher still in the short term. Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past. Rich economies are also less dependent on oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries has reduced oil consumption. Software, consultancy and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel or car production. For each dollar of GDP (in constant prices) rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, its oil prices averaged $ 22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies by only 0.25 -0.5% of GDP. That is less than one-quarter of the income loss in 1974 or 1980. On the other hand, oil-importing emerging economies—to which heavy industry has shifted—have become more energy-intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed. One more reason not to lose sleep over the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the 1970s, it has not occurred against the background of general commodity-price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The Economist's commodity price index is broadly unchanging from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70% and in 1979 by almost 30%.

单选题 Text 2 Most experts believe that an ever-increasing number of countries and terrorist groups will gain the technical capability to acquire and use chemical and biological weapons. But use of these weapons by hostile states or terrorist groups is not inevitable. Even when locked in bloody conventional wars, nations that have considered using these weapons have generally been deterred by the risk that their opponents would retaliate in the same way or escalate the conflict elsewhere. Terrorist groups with the technical capacity to acquire and use a chemical or biological weapon have typically lacked an interest in doing so, while groups interested in such weapons have generally lacked the necessary technical skills. Assessing future threats, however, involves more than simple extrapolation from past trends. In the case of chemical and biological weapons, it appears that the likelihood of use by both hostile states and terrorist groups is growing, and it is clear that even one such attack against an unprotected population could be devastating. Ironically, some experts believe that the technological superiority of the US armed forces is heightening the long-term risks of chemical and biological weapons used by states that wish to challenge the international status quo through aggression. Hostile states that hope to have a fighting chance against a US led military coalition, such as the one that defeated Iraq in 1991, may search for ways to compensate for the inferiority of their own conventional military forces. An obvious answer, and one of grave concern to US military planners, is that such states might turn to an unconventional arsenal, most importantly chemical and biological weapons. The threat of CBW used by terrorists is of an entirely different character. Terrorists have almost always chosen to kill fewer people than they are able to kill. The main reason is that traditional terrorist strategies seek to draw international attention to a cause without excessively antagonizing public opinion. For a variety of reasons this traditional model of terrorism appears to be changing in ways that make future acts of CBW terrorism more likely. Some terrorist groups appear to be increasingly interested in causing massive casualties, a phenomenon that may stem from a rise in religiously inspired acts of violence, the emergence of new, more fluid terrorist cells, and the perception that traditional, low-casualty terrorist acts have lost the capacity to focus public attention. To date only the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo has combined the technical capability with the lethal intent required to carry out an act of CBW terrorism. But national security experts are increasingly concerned that more hostile groups will follow Aum's precedent and will do so with greater effectiveness than the cult displayed.

单选题Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？

单选题The author mentions Chicago in the second paragraph as an example of a city______.

单选题Why are meetings comforting for the managers who participate in them?

单选题According-to the author, Australia______ .

单选题Part B In the following article some paragraphs or sentences have been removed. For questions 16—20, choose the most suitable paragraph or sentence from the lists A—F to fit into each of the numbered gaps. There is one paragraph which doesn't fit in any of the gaps. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET 1. A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps, for there is a companionship of books as well as of men. And one should always live in the best company, whether it is of books or of men. 16.____________ Men often discover their attractions to each other by the love they have each for a book — just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old proverb, "Love me, love my dog." But there is more wisdom in this: "Love me, love my book." 17.____________ A good book is often the best container of a life, containing the best that life could think out, for the world of a man's life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. 18.____________ "They are never alone," said Sir Philip Sidney, "that are accompanied by noble thoughts." The good and tree thought may in times of temptation be as an angel of mercy, purifying and guarding the soul. It also preserves the seeds of action, for good words almost always inspire good works. 19.____________ Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author's minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to separate the bad products, for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good. 20.____________ We hear what they said and did. We see them as if they were really alive. We sympathize with them, enjoy with them, and sorrow with them. Their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe. The great and good do not die even in this world. Well preserved in the books, their spirits walk abroad. [A] Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. [B] A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not tum its back upon us in times of misfortune or suffering. It always receives us with the same kindness, amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting us in age. [C] Thus the best books are treasuries of good words and golden thoughts, which, remembered and cared about, become our lasting companions and comforters. [D] The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of the past. [E] The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them. [F] Books introduce us into the best society. They bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived.

单选题[m], from the manner of articulation, it is ______. A. bilabial B. plosive C. nasal D. latral

单选题The issue of online privacy in the Internet age found new urgency following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, sparking debate over striking the correct balance between protecting civil liberties and attempting to prevent another tragic terrorist act. While preventing terrorism certainly is of paramount importance, privacy rights should not be deemed irrelevant. In response to the attacks, Congress quickly passed legislation that included provisions expanding rights of investigators to intercept wire, oral and electronic communications of alleged hackers and terrorists. Civil liberties groups expressed concerns over the provisions and urged caution in ensuring that efforts to protect our nation do not result in broad government authority to erode privacy rights of U. S. citizens. Nevertheless, causing further concern to civil liberties groups, the Department of Justice proposed exceptions to the attorney-client privilege. On Oct. 30, Attorney General John Ashcroft approved an interim agency rule that would permit federal prison authorities to monitor wire and electronic communications between lawyers and their clients in federal custody, including those who have been detained but not charged with any crime, whenever surveillance is deemed necessary to prevent violence or terrorism. In light of this broadening effort to reach into communications that were previously believed to be "off-limits", the issue of online privacy is now an even more pressing concern. Congress has taken some legislative steps toward ensuring online privacy, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and provided privacy protections for certain sectors through legislation such as the Financial Services Modernization Act. The legislation passed to date does not, however, provide a statutory scheme for protecting general online consumer privacy. Lacking definitive federal law, some states passed their own measures. But much of this legislation is incomplete or not enforced. Moreover, it becomes unworkable when states create different privacy standards; the Internet does not know geographic boundaries, and companies and individuals cannot be expected to comply with differing, and at times conflicting, privacy rules. An analysis earlier this year of 751 U. S. and international Web sites conducted by Consumers International found that most sites collect personal information but fail to tell consumers how that data will be used, how security is maintained and what rights consumers have over their own information. At a minimum, Congress should pass legislation requiring Web sites to display privacy policies prominently, inform consumers of the methods employed to collect client data, allow customers to opt out of such data collection, and provide customer access to their own data that has already been collected. Although various Internet privacy bills were introduced in the 107th Congress, the focus shifted to expanding government surveillance in the wake of the terrorist attacks. Plainly, government efforts to prevent terrorism are appropriate. Exactly how these exigent circumstances change the nature of the online privacy debate is still to be seen.

单选题WhichofthefollowingisTRUEaboutthesafetyofputtingphotosonline?[A]Donotcopyorpastepicturestoyourwebsite.[B]Sanitizingyourphotosonlineguaranteestheirsafety.[C]Comparedwithemails,websitesaresafertosharephotos.[D]Evenyourfriendsmayuseyourphotosforabadpurpose.

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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What are Ryan’s chances of making a complete recovery?

单选题Swept by the prevailing trend, the author ______.

单选题 Who's to blame? The trail of responsibility goes beyond poor maintenance of British railways, say industry critics. Stingy governments--both Labor and T9ry--have cut down on investments in trains and rails. In the mid-1990s a Conservative government pushed through the sale of the entire subsidy-guzzling rail network. Operating franchises were parceled out among private companies and a separate firm, Railtrack, was awarded ownership of the tracks and stations. In the future, the theory ran back then, the private sector could pay for any improvements--with a little help from the state--and take the blame for any failings. Today surveys show that travelers believe privatization is one of the reasons for the railways's failures. They ask whether the pursuit of profits is compatible with guaranteeing safety. Worse, splitting the network between companies has made coordination nearly impossible. "The railway was torn apart at privatization and the structure that was put in place was.., designed, if we are honest, to maximize the proceeds to the Treasury," said Railtrack boss Gerald Corbett before resigning last month in the wake of the Hatfield crash. Generally, the contrasts with mainland Europe are stark. Over the past few decades the Germans, French and Italians have invested 50 percent more than the British in transportation infrastructure. As a result, a web of high-speed trains now crisscross the Continent, funded by governments willing to commit state funds to major capital projects. Spain is currently planning 1,000 miles of new highspeed track. In France superfast trains already shuttle between all major cities, often on dedicated lines. And in Britain? When the Eurostar trains that link Paris, London and Brussels emerge from the Channel Tunnel onto British soil and join the crowded local network, they must slow down from 186 mph to a maximum of 100 mph--and they usually have to go even slower. For once, the government is listening. After all, commuters are voters, too. In a pre-vote spending spree, the government has committed itself to huge investment in transportation, as well as education and the public health service. Over the next 10 years, the railways should get an extra ￡60 billion, partly through higher subsidies to the private companies. As Blair ackoowledged last month, "Britain has been underinvested in and investment is central to Britain's future. " You don't have to tell the 3 million passengers who use the railways every day. Last week trains to Darlington were an hour late--and crawling at Locomotion No. 1 speeds.

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

单选题{{B}}Test 2{{/B}} Economists believe that investors are rational, and that stock prices are therefore unpredictable. It sounds peculiar, but the logic is ironclad. Rational investors would take into account everything they know when buying or selling stock — all the information available about where profits, interest rates, technology and so on are going. So stock prices would reflect all available knowledge, and would change only when new information came in. And new information is, by definition, unpredictable, which means that changes in stock prices would be unpredictable, too. But investors, being human, are driven by fear, greed and the madness of crowds. In principle this should create patterns in stock prices, and in principle you can use those patterns to outperform the market. But while it may be very hard to tell whether the market is overvalued or undervalued, one thing is for sure: It fluctuates more than it should. That is, instead of rising or falling only when there is real news about future, stocks surge and plunge for no good reason. People sell because other people are selling, or buy because other people are buying. And, as a result, it is more a series of random leaps than a random walk. Tuesday was a case in point. On a slow news day, markets suddenly dived, with the Dow falling by more than 3 percent and the Nastaq by more than 5 without anything happening to change your fundamental view about what is going on in the U.S. economy. Why was the market so easily spooked? Presumably because everyone is even more confused than usual about what stocks are really worth these days. On one side, the U.S. economy has been wallowing in good news. Productivity has been soaring, allowing the economy to grow far faster than seemed possible. And with clever new applications of silicon chips coming out every day, it is easy to become exuberant about the future. On the other hand, as any financial theorist could tell you, good news that you already expect to hear isn't news. Five years ago, a 2 percent annual increase in worker productivity would have been regarded as excellent, and stocks would have risen sharply. Today it would be regarded as a disappointing performance, and would drive stocks down. So, is it terrific or incredible.'? Nobody really knows. And a rational market would accept this ignorance, and wait for some actual evidence in favor of one side or the other. Of course, it doesn' t work that way. On Tuesday, something caused investors to become slightly less convinced than they had been the day before that we are living in the best of all possible world. And the result was a huge destruction of paper — virtual — wealth.

单选题Opinion polls are now beginning to show that, whoever is to blame and whatever happens from now on, high unemployment is probably here to stay. This means we shall have to make ways of sharing the available employment more widely. But we need to go further. We must ask some primary questions about the future of work. Would we continue to treat employment as the norm? Would we not rather encourage many other ways for self-respecting people to work? Should we not create conditions in which many of us can work for ourselves, rather than for an employer? Should we not aim to revive the household and the neighborhood, as well as the factory and the office, as centers of production and work? The industrial age has been the only period of human history in which most people"s work has taken the form of jobs. The industrial age may now be coming to an end, and some of the changes in work patterns which it brought may have to be reversed. This seems a daunting thought. But, in fact, it could provide the prospect of a better future for work. Universal employment, as its history shows, has not meant economic freedom. Employment became widespread when the enclosures of the 17th and 18th centuries made many people depend ent on paid work by depriving them of the use of the land, and thus of the means to provide a living for themselves. Then the factory system destroyed the cottage industries and removed work from people"s homes. Later, as transportation improved, first by rail and then by road, people commuted longer distances to their places of employment until, eventually, many people"s work lost all connection with their home lives and the place in which they lived. Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. In pre-industrial time, men and women had shared the productive work of the household and village community. Now it became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and family to his wife. Tax and benefit regulations still as some this norm today and restrict more flexible sharing of work roles between the sexes. It was not only women whose work status suffered. As employment became the dominant form of work, young people and old people were excluded—a problem now, as more teenagers become frustrated at school and more retired people want to live active lives. All this may now have to change. The time has certainly come to switch some effort and resources away from the idealist goal of creating jobs for all, to the urgent practical task of helping many people to manage without full time jobs.

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