单选题The underlined word "flak" (Para. 1) most likely means______.

单选题What does the word "they" (Para. 3, Line 5) refer to?

单选题The European Union's Barcelona summit, which ended on March 16th, was played out against the usual backdrop of noisy "anti-globalizati0n' demonstrations and massive security. If nothing else, the demonstrations illustrated that economic liberalization in Europe--the meeting's main topic--presents genuine political difficulties. Influential sections of public opinion continue to oppose anything that they imagine threatens "social Europe", the ideal of a cradle-to-grave welfare state. In this climate of public opinion, it is not surprising that the outcome in Barcelona was modest. The totemic issue was opening up Europe's energy markets. The French government has fought hard to preserve a protected market at home for its state-owned national champion, Electricite de France (EDF). At Barcelona it. made a well-flagged tactical retreat. The summiteers concluded that from 2004 industrial users across Europe would be able to choose from competing energy suppliers, which should account for "at least" 60% of the market. Since Europe's energy market is worth 350 billion (＄ 309 billion) a year and affects just about every business, this is a breakthrough. But even the energy deal has disappointing aspects. Confining competition to business users makes it harder to show that economic liberalization is the friend rather than the foe of the ordinary person. It also allows EDF to keep its monopoly in the most profitable chunk of the French market. In other areas, especially to do with Europe's tough labor markets, the EU is actually going backwards. The summiteers declared that "disincentives against taking up jobs" should be removed; 20m jobs should be created within the EU by 2010. But only three days after a Barcelona jamboree, the European Commission endorsed a new law that would give all temporary-agency workers the same rights as full-timers within six weeks of getting their feet under the desk. Six out of 20 commissioners did, unusually, vote against the measure--a blatant piece of re-regulation--but the social affairs commissioner, Anna Diamantopoulou, was unrepentant, indeed triumphant. A dissatisfied liberaliser in the commission called the directive "an absolute disaster". The summit's other achievements are still more fragile. Europe's leaders promised to increase spending on "research and development" from its current figure of 1.9% of GDP a year to 3%. But how will European politicians compel businesses to invest more in research? Nobody seems to know. And the one big research project agreed on at Barcelona, the Galileo satellite-positioning system, which is supposed to cost 3.2 billion of public money, is of dubious commercial value, since the Europeans already enjoy free access to the Americans' GPA system. Edward Bannerman, head of economics at the Centre for European Reform, a Blairite think-tank, calls Galileo "the common agricultural policy in space./

单选题As any diplomat from Britain, Austria or Turkey can tell you, handling the legacy of a vanished, far-flung empire is a tricky business. But for Georgia, the gap between old glory and present vulnerability is especially wide. Today's Georgia is diminished by war, buffeted by geopolitics and recovering from post-Soviet chaos. But 800 years ago the country was a mighty military, cultural and ecclesiastical force. Its greatest monarch, Queen Tamara, defeated many foes (including her first husband) and built fine monuments. In her time, Georgia also had a big stake in the Christian life of the Holy Land. From Jerusalem to the Balkans, Georgia's priests, artists and church-builders were active and respected. So too were its poets, like Shota Rustaveli, the national bard who dedicated an epic to his beloved queen. In between seeking western aid and coping with power cuts, modern Georgia has pledged to keep a wary eye on every place where churches, inscriptions and frescoes testify to its golden age. That includes Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and above all, Israel. Last year, Georgians were enraged when a fresco of Rustaveli, in a Jerusalem church under the care of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, was defaced, then badly restored. This year, a better restoration was done, but Georgians now want a promise that in all future restoration their own experts can take part. They also want to stop the seepage of Georgian frescoes and icons, supposedly under the Patriarchate's care, on to the art market. Several times, Georgia has had to use its meagre resources to buy back pieces of the national heritage. The hope is that things will improve with the recent election of a new Jerusalem Patriarch, after his predecessor was ousted under a cloud of scandal. Georgia's ties with Israel are good, thanks to a thriving Georgian-Jewish community with happy memories of its homeland. Georgia also gets along with Greece, amid a fug of sentimentality over legends about the Argonauts that link the two nations. But can these warm, fuzzy feelings translate into better protection for an ancient culture? That will be a challenge for Gela Bezhuashvili, who succeeds Salome Zourabichvili, the French-born diplomat who was sacked, after a power struggle, as Georgian foreign minister on October 19th.

单选题The author thinks that unfortunately BMW's campaign has conveyed the idea of

单选题Losing weight can seem like an unwinnable war. You know you need to eat less and exercise more, but that's (1) impossible when everything in your life—from job stress to the temptation of fast and (2) foods—encourages you to do the (3) . A healthy diet and regular exercise are certainly the best weapons against weight gain, (4) the fact is that sometimes they aren't enough. And that's (5) science may someday be able to help. In various research labs, researchers are closely looking (6) the biological mechanisms of obesity, (7) why some bodies store fat so (8) , and why others are better at burning the calories they (9) . They are discovering a surprising (10) of metabolic and physiologic factors that contribute to weight: did you know, for instance, that your intestines are full of bacteria that can (11) or restrain weight gain to some extent? Or that the brown fat—which is (12) in newborns—actually burns a lot of calories, (13) the traditional white fat commonly stored in bellies? These and other findings about the biology of weight gain could be the (14) to slimming our collective waistline, if scientists can someday use them to (15) better treatments for obesity. (16) we could use the help: in the decade between the year of 1991 and that of 2000, the (17) of overweight adults in the U.S. increased by 61%. Last year, 30% of children in 30 states (18) the scales as either overweight or obese. "We just don't have enough physicians to treat all the obese people," says Dr. Michael Jensen, professor of medicine. If the latest findings from obesity labs prove as (19) as they are promising, they could in the future make the job of fighting obesity easier for (20) and patients, and help all of us get an extra boost from our diet and exercise programs.

单选题What does the author think of Bailyn's work?

单选题 Alan "Ace" Greenberg chose his nickname to improve his chances with girls at the University of Missouri. But it is an apt{{U}} (1) {{/U}}of his wading skills on Wall Street. This week, as the 73-year-old{{U}} (2) {{/U}}down{{U}} (3) {{/U}}chairman of Bear Stearns, the investment bank where he has worked since 1949 is in a high. It{{U}} (4) {{/U}}an increase in post-tax profits in the second quarter of 43% on a year earlier,{{U}} (5) {{/U}}a time when many of its Wall Street rivals have{{U}} (6) {{/U}}. On June 26th Merrill Lynch{{U}} (7) {{/U}}a warning that its profits in the second quarter would fall by half, far{{U}} (8) {{/U}}of expectations. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have also reported lower profits. Strange that this surprised.{{U}} (9) {{/U}}Alan Greenspan's frenetic cuts{{U}} (10) {{/U}}interest rates, times are good for underwriters and waders of bonds, core activities for Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers,{{U}} (11) {{/U}}also recorded a sharp increase in profits. It has been a terrible{{U}} (12) {{/U}}for equity underwriters and for advisers on the small amounts of mergers and acquisitions (M＆A) this year. Merrill, Goldman and Morgan Stanley are three of the investment banks that gained{{U}} (13) {{/U}}during the boom in equity and M＆A business, and they are now{{U}} (14) {{/U}}the most. Of the three, Merrill is weakest in bonds. It cut{{U}} (15) {{/U}}its fixed-income activities after the collapse of Lung-Term Capital Management (LTCM) in 1998. As it happens, both Bear Stearns and Lehman have long been criticised for their weakness in equities. Mr Greenberg is famous for worrying about even the price of a paper-clip at Bear Stearns. This used to seem terribly{{U}} (16) {{/U}},but these days other Wall Street firms are{{U}} (17) {{/U}}about costs. Lay-offs are{{U}} (18) {{/U}}though not yet alarmingly-not least, because banks saw how Merrill Lynch lost{{U}} (19) {{/U}}when the markets rebounded quickly after the LTCM crisis. Still, if few{{U}} (20) {{/U}}of improvement show soon, expect real blood-letting on Wall Street.

单选题The moon appears to warp the minds of some men. Despite putting men on the moon in 1969 America seems determined on re-enacting the space race, this time pitting its efforts against those of the Chinese. Now a Russian company claims it could develop a system to exploit the moon's natural resources and potentially relocate harmful industries there. This is lunacy. Russia certainly has great prowess in space. In its former guise as the centre of power in the Soviet Union it launched the first man-made satellite in 1957. In a spectacular follow up, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961. Another triumph came in 1968 when the Russians sent a spaceship to orbit the moon with turtles aboard, returning it and its living cargo safely to Earth. An unmanned Russian spacecraft also landed on the moon ahead of the first manned landing by the Americans. Even after Neil Armstrong took his one small step, Russia has proved its superiority in keeping people in space stations orbiting the Earth. The Russian Soyuz rocket is a mainstay of satellite launches and would be used to rescue astronauts should any accident befall the International Space Station. Head of the spacecraft manufacturer that helped achieve these Russian successes, this week boasted that his rockets could be used to industrialise the moon. So why were his remarks greeted with such scepticism? One reason for the cynicism is that the idea is absurd. A United Nations treaty passed in 1967 bans potentially harmful interference with the Earth's original satellite and requires international consultation before proceeding with any activity that could disrupt the peaceful exploration of space, including the moon. A second problem is that landing on the moon has proved beyond the budget of any state other than America and of any private company to date. In fact one of the best hopes for investment comes from space tourism. On Saturday April 7th, the fifth such holidaymaker entered space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. Charles Simonyi, an American software developer, paid $25m for his ten-day stay at the International Space Station. The next holiday destination is the moon. The tour operator that organised the first five packages is offering two tickets to orbit the moon for $100m each. Launch would be aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. But the Soyuz system was designed in the 1960s and has been on the verge of retirement for many years. Unfortunately the Russian authorities have postponed indefinitely the development of a successor. Thus the claim of the industrialisation of the moon is unlikely to succeed.

单选题The author cites the example of Mrs. Pryce to show that

单选题At the end of last year, a town called Friendship Heights, in Maryland's Montgomery County, approved America's (and thus the world's) strictest tobacco policy. Town officers courageously banned smoking on all public property, including streets, pavements and public squares. "It's a public health issue," said the mayor, Alfred Muller. who is also a doctor. "We don't have the right to outlaw tobacco. but we're doing what we can within our rights." This newspaper has expressed disgruntlement with the element of intolerance that is increasingly manifesting itself within America's anti-tobacco movement. It must be said, however, that brave Friendship Heights has discovered an approach that liberals can embrace. Private property is its owners' sanctuary, but the public rules in public spaces. Undeniably, the streets belong to the government; what happens in them. therefore, is the government's business. On this worthy principle, smoking should be merely the beginning. For example, it is clear that the consumption of fatty foods contributes to heart disease, strokes and other deadly disease. Besides, eating junk makes you fat and ugly. What people do at home is their own affair, but why allows them to abuse the public streets for this gluttony? America's pavements and boardwalks are overridden with persons, many of them overweight, who amble along licking ice cream or gobbling chips. In many cities, hot dogs are spreaded, quite openly, on the pavement itself. All this should be stopped. Not just in Friendship Heights but in other enlightened districts, it should be illegal to eat anything but low-fat foods in public zones. Because Americans consume too little by way of fruits and vegetables, in time (it is best to move slowly, because people's rights must be respected) streets should become strictly vegetarian. More can be done. Shrieking newspaper headlines create stress for those who may not wish to view them. People who want to buy and read papers should therefore be required to do so in private. America has long and justly sought to prevent the entanglement of religion with public life. What people do in church or at home is their business. However, praying, sermonizing or wearing religious garb in the streets surely compromises the requirement that the public will not be dragoored into supporting religion. There is the environment to consider, as well. That people exhale carbon dioxide in public places. thus contributing to global warming, is probably inevitable, and America's politicians would be wise to permit it. But methane, too. is a greenhouse gas, and an odiferous one. Its emission in public places. where it can neither be avoided nor filtered, seems an imposition on both planetary hygiene and human comfort. Breakers of wind, surely, can be required to wait until they can answer their needs in private; and prosecuted when they fail. Fame. then. to Friendship Heights. Other towns should take note. If they intend to fulfill their responsibilities to the health and welfare of citizens, to public order, and above all to the public streets and parks whose rights the authorities are sworn to uphold, then the way ahead is clear.

单选题What does the future hold for the problem of housing? A good (1) depends, of course, on the meaning of" future". If one is thinking in (2) of science fiction and the space age (3) at least possible to assume that man will have solved such trivial and earthly problems as housing. Writers of science fiction have (4) the suggestion that men will live in great comfort, with every (5) device to make life smooth, healthy and easy, (6) not happy. But they have not said what his house will be made of. The problems of the next generation or two can more readily be imagined. Scientists have already pointed out that (7) something is done either to restrict the world's rapid growth in population or to discover and develop new sources of food (or both), millions of people will be dying of starvation or, (8) , suffering from under feeding before this (9) is out. But nobody has worked out any plan for housing these growing populations. Admittedly the worse situations will occur in the (10) parts of the world, where housing can be of light structure, or in backward areas where standards are (11) low. But even the minimum shelter requires materials of (12) kind, and in the crowded, bulging towns the low-standard" housing" of flattened petrol mans and dirty canvas is far more wasteful (13) ground space than can be tolerated. Since the war, Hong Kong has suffered the kind of crisis which is likely to (14) in many other places during the next generation. (15) millions of refugees arrived to (16) the already growing population and emergency steps had to be taken to prevent squalor and disease and the (17) of crime. Hong Kong is only one small part of what will certainly become a vast problem and not (18) a housing problem, because when population grows at this rate there are (19) problems of education, transport, water supply and so on. Not every area may have the same resources as Hong Kong to (20) and the search for quicker and cheaper methods of construction must never cease.

单选题When was the wreck of Kyrenia ship found?

单选题"The essential qualities of a true Pan-Americanism", remarked Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, "must be the same as those which constitute a good neighbour, namely mutual understanding and… a sympathetic appreciation of the other's point of view." That is advice which the United States would do well to heed in its relations with its immediate neighbours, Canada and Mexico. Most Americans may not be aware of it, but frustrations and resentments are building just across their borders to both south and north. Of course, neighbourly ties in North America are closer than in Roosevelt's day. Under the North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA), trade among the three countries has more than doubled since 1994 and cross-border investment climbed even faster. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, the United States moved quickly to sign "smart border" agreements with both Canada and Mexico, to try to ensure that the demands of security did not interrupt trade. By the standards of much of the 20th century, political ties between the United States and Mexico are warm. Yet go to either border and you wouldn't know all this. Fed up with the flow of illegal migrants from the south, the governors of Arizona and New Mexico this month declared a state of emergency. Violence between drug gangs recently led the United States temporarily to close its consulate in Nuevo Laredo, the busiest border-crossing point. The American ambassador bluntly criticises Mexico for its failure to prevent drug-related violence along the border. That has prompted retaliatory verbal blasts from Mexican officials. Canada's mood is not much more cordial. Since September 11th, Canadians and Americans alike have become less keen on popping over what they liked to call " the world's longest undefended border" for shopping or recreation. Canadians increasingly disagree with Americans over matters as varied as the Iraq war and gay marriage. They are disillusioned with NAFTA, claiming it has failed to prevent the United States from unlawfully punishing their exports of, for example, lumber. So what? Friction is in the nature of international relations, and the problems on the northern border are different from those in the south. Yet there is a common denominator. Americans tend to see security, migration, drugs, even trade, as domestic political issues. But so they are for Canada and Mexico too. Like it or not, Americans rely on their neighbours for prosperity, energy and help with security. It behoves all three countries to show some "sympathetic understanding".

单选题The contenders as mentioned in the text criticized Blatter for his