单选题When, in 1976. John Midgley was awarded the CBE for telling readers of The Economist about the United States, he took particular delight in the fact that he went by bus from work to accept the decoration from Queen Elizabeth (who was staying in Blair House in Washington), and was in and out quick enough, drinking up a gin and tonic without a stop, to use the transfer ticket to go out to dinner. He was a print hack all his life, spending freely on fun and friends, but never bothering to make his name known or his wallet fatter, with books or broadcasting. The possessor of free intelligence, he was not on a soap-box, or concentrated on influencing the great and good, though he got their attention just the same. His job, he once said, "was to assist the reading public to understand what was going on". He conveyed his liberal view of the world with great clarity but "if you can't give [people] useful information, you can shut up." He finally did shut up, just before Christmas. Midgley, born in the working-class north of England in 1911, was in military intelligence during the Second World War, trying to work out Germany's intentions. He then turned to journalism, dodging for a time between The Economist, the (then) Manchester Guardian and the Times. as leader writer and foreign correspondent. In 1956 he landed on The Economist and, luckily for us, stayed there, until and beyond his retirement, contributing a book review days before he died. He was foreign editor for seven years, pulling foreign coverage together in (his own words) "a reasonably satisfactory manner". He was a brilliant, scary teacher to a classroom of aspiring hacks, not lazily rewriting their pathetic stories but throwing them back to be redone, with advice that bums to this day. He also. less brilliantly, sent Kim Philby, whom he had known at Cambridge, to string for the paper from Beirut. until the spy's mask fell off and he fled to the Soviet Union. In 1963. after a bit of an upheaval at The Economist, he went off to be Washington correspondent and, from then on, everything fell into place. He excelled at his job, lucidly explaining American affairs even to Americans themselves as well as to the rest of the world. He married Elizabeth. a producer at CBS, and they looked after each other with love and wit. Their house in north-west Washington was a warm and lovely meeting-place. His was a good life, the second half especially.

单选题The increasingly high rates of juvenile delinquency are a great problem in modem society. More and more people are paying special attention to it. When it comes to the reasons, here are two of them. Modem youth are more revolutionary and more independent than the elder generation. When this tendency goes to an extreme, problems arise. Some of the young want to throw away all the traditional principles and beliefs, most of which are very good for self-cultivation. They are reluctant to listen to the advice from elder generation. If they behave in the way, as they like, they might commit crimes without realizing it. Studies also show that juvenile-delinquency rates are twice as high for youngsters from single-parent homes as for those in traditional households. Children in single-parent families are taken less care of and thus have feelings of being neglected, discriminated and isolated. The lack of parental love makes them hostile and cynical towards the society. There are several ways to prevent the youth from committing crimes. School education plays an important role to teach traditional beliefs. Books and programs should be in good quality. There should be more educational books and programs for young children to tell them how to distinguish the right from the wrong. Also, mutual understanding between parents and children is also very important. Parental supervision and guidance are a key factor of self-cultivation in lifetime. The two generations need to smooth away disagreement. Parents can spend much time staying with their children and patiently carry out the duty of family education. And others are starting to pay attention to another problem in modern society that may underline all sorts of crimes, including juvenile delinquency, though it is believed that the development of information technology has made the world smaller. Modern people have greater tensions so that they have less time to communicate with each other. More and more people are living in urban areas, where life is in a quick rhythm. Due to fierce competition, which is the most important reason of all, city dwellers have to be working hard in order to keep up with the steps of city life. Everybody is busy all the time. Work pressures deprive them of a casual way of life. Moreover, living in apartments in different blocks, people are isolated from each other. It is not convenient for them to meet each other freely.

单选题Whether to teach young children a second language is disputed among teachers, researchers and pushy parents. On the one hand, acquiring a new tongue is said to be far easier when young. On the other, teachers complain that children whose parents speak a language at home that is different from the one used in the classroom sometimes struggle in their lessons and are slower to reach linguistic milestones. Would a 15-month-old child, they wonder, not be better off going to music classes? A study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences may help resolve this question by getting to the point of what is going on in a bilingual child’s brain, how a second language affects the way he thinks, and thus in what circumstances being bilingual may be helpful. Agnes Kovacs and Jacques Mehler at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste say that some aspects of the cognitive development of infants raised in a bilingual household must be undergoing acceleration in order to manage which of the two languages they are dealing with. The aspect of cognition in question is part of what is termed the brain’s “executive function”. This allows people to organise, plan, prioritise activity, shift their attention from one thing to another and suppress habitual responses. Bilingualism is common in Trieste which, though Italian, is almost surrounded by Slovenia. So Dr. Kovacs and Dr. Mehler looked at 40 “preverbal” seven-month-olds, half raised in monolingual and half in bilingual households, and compared their performances in a task that needs control of executive function. First, the babies were trained to expect the appearance of a puppet on a screen after they had heard a set of meaningless words invented by the researchers. Then the words, and the location of the puppet, were changed. When this was done, the babies who speak only one language had difficulty overcoming their learnt response, even when the researchers gave them further clues that a switch had taken place. The bilingual babies, however, found it far easier to switch their attention — counteracting the previously learnt, but no longer useful response. Monitoring languages and .keeping them separate is part of the brain’s executive function, so these findings suggest that even before a child can speak, a bilingual environment may speed up that function’s development. Before rushing your offspring into bilingual kindergartens, though, there are a few cautions. For one thing, these extraordinary cognitive benefits have been demonstrated so far only in “crib” bilinguals — those living in households where two languages are spoken routinely. The researchers speculate that it might be the fact of having to learn two languages in the same setting that requires greater use of executive function. So whether those benefits apply to children who learn one language at home, and one at school, remains unclear.

单选题What does the author wants to illustrate with Johnny roaming the streets?

单选题{{B}}Part A{{/B}}{{B}}Directions:{{/B}} Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.{{B}}Text 1{{/B}} You know you should do it, other people do it all the time. Maybe you've already done it but it wasn't very satisfying, and you'd like to learn to do it better. I'm talking, of course, about having a business lunch. Don't feel embarrassed if you are uncomfortable with the idea of sitting over a grilled chicken breast, talking to a prospective client. Most inexperienced, overeager launchers believe the main purpose of a business lunch is to either (a) conduct business or (b) eat lunch, and they're unsure how to mix the two. Don't worry! Business lunches aren't about either business or lunch,they're about building relationships. One of my business rules is "People do business with people they like. " Often, it's not products, prices, or the company that makes the sale—it's the person Business lunches are the perfect time for you and your client, supplier, or employee to get to know each other as people. This helps establish common interests and makes working together easier. The single most important thing you can do at a business lunch—even more important than picking up the tab—is listen. You don't need a particular reason to ask someone to lunch, so don't wait until for a certain occasion or issue. Don't make it seem like lunch is going to be a sales call. Instead, try the straightforward approach, "We've been doing business together for almost a year. I'd like to take you to lunch and get to know you a little better." Or a little less straightforward, "I'm often in your area, how about having lunch sometime?" Have the other person suggest a place to eat—"Is there a restaurant you've been wanting to try?" Or if you have a limited budget, you choose a nice mid priced restaurant. Forget McDonald's. If you're thanking someone for an important order, take them to a really special, possibly new, restaurant. If you did the inviting, you pick up the tab, even if your guest says, "I can put this on my company's credit card." But don't have a scene arguing over the check. You can just say, "You can get the next one." Some companies have policies that don't permit employees to be treated; in that case, split the tab.

单选题UK used to be free from bombings due to

单选题{{B}}Text 4{{/B}} Walt Disney could have built his biggest theme park anywhere. He chose Florida. The weather is balmy, and when it gets too hot there are lots of pools to cool off in, says. Meg Crofton, Walt Disney World's CEO'. Florida also offers plenty of space to expand. Disney World, which was first carved out of wild woodland in 1971, has swollen to four parks covering 40 square miles ( 104 sq km) and employing 60 000 "cast members". Contrary to the stereotype of rapid flow in the service sector, the average full-time employee sticks around for nine years. Florida's business climate is sunny, too. The Milken Institute, a think-tank in California, compiles an index of "best-performing cities" in America, a composite measure of such things as job creation, wage growth and whether businesses are thriving. In the most recent index, six of the top ten metropolitan areas are in Florida. ( Orlando-Kissimmee is sixth. ) And 18 of the top 30 are in the South. For a long time the South's weather got in the way of its development. Richard Pillsbury, a geography professor at Georgia State University, describes traditional life in the lowland South, a region stretching from northern Virginia down to the Gulf coast of Texas: "Smallish barren farms almost lost in the white heat of a hot and humid summer sun as the owners and their help fought swarms of mosquitoes to plant, cultivate and harvest the meagre cotton crop for market." Then air-conditioning came. As it spread after the World War Ⅱ, the South became suddenly more comfortable to live and work in. From the 1940s until the 1980s the region boomed. In his book Old South, New South, Gavin Wright lists four reasons why Federal defence spending stimulated growth. Sunshine attracted skilled professionals. The South, having developed so little in the past, was a "clean slate", without strong labour unions, entrenched bureaucracies, restrictive laws or outdated machinery. Lastly, given how much catching up the South had to do, the potential returns were higher than in the north. Southerners have prospered in part by playing to their traditional strengths. The fame of southern hospitality has bolstered the region's hotel chains, such as Holiday Inn. That of southern cuisine helps local restaurants, such as Waffle House, Cracker Barrel and KFC. Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has kept costs low by refusing to recognize unions. And Coca-Cola owes at least some of its success to its southern origins.

单选题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}} Read the following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C, or D on Answer Sheet I. Plastic is the panacea of the ages. Nearly every man-made object{{U}} (1) {{/U}} {{U}}(2) {{/U}}of, or at least{{U}} (3) {{/U}}its very structure, to this wonder compound. Rain slickers, computer terminals, automobile engine parts, coffee cups (and the sugar stirrers too), breast implants, toy soldiers--they are all made up of plastic, or one of its many{{U}} (4) {{/U}}. Since the{{U}} (5) {{/U}}of civilization, humankind has been experimenting{{U}} (6) {{/U}}a multifunctional material--one that had to be equally strong and lightweight--to carry, contain and protect valuables.{{U}} (7) {{/U}}it could carry, contain and protect humans too, even Better. Generations of tinkerers and scientists set off{{U}} (8) {{/U}}the challenge, striking gold some 170 years ago. By mixing natural rubber with sulphur they created the world's most utilized material ever. In developing a{{U}} (9) {{/U}}, malleable and durable substance, the most important inventions of the industrial age were to follow shortly thereafter. The automobile and airplane industries, to{{U}} (10) {{/U}}just two, owe their very existence to plastic. And,{{U}} (11) {{/U}}celluloid plastic strips, the Lumiere Brothers would never have brought moving pictures to the big screen. The development of plastic is a story of human{{U}} (12) {{/U}}, ingenuity and luck.{{U}} (13) {{/U}}the legend now goes, in 1839, the American inventor Charles Goodyear (the famous tyre company would later use his name) was experimenting with the sulphur treatment of natural rubber when he dropped a piece of sulphur treated rubber on a stove; The heat seemed to give rubber{{U}} (14) {{/U}}properties. It was stronger, more{{U}} (15) {{/U}}to abrasion, more elastic, much less{{U}} (16) {{/U}}to temperature,{{U}} (17) {{/U}}to gases, and highly resistant to chemicals and electric{{U}} (18) {{/U}}. Eyeing this as a cheaply and easily reproduced construction material, a whirlwind of work{{U}} (19) {{/U}}and the birth of{{U}} (20) {{/U}}plastic and plastic-derivatives were born from camphor to celluloid to rayon; cellophane, polyvinyl chloride (or PVC); styrofoam and nylon were soon to follow.

单选题The word "reinvigorate" ( Line 3, Paragraph 5 ) probably means

单选题{{B}}Text 4{{/B}} Work hard and get ahead. That's what every American learns growing up, but for millions of them, it's getting harder to tell the difference between working hard and being a workaholic. "The line happens when you come home one day and your husband isn't there, and you didn't realize he left you a week ago," Stephen Viscusi said. Viscusi is CEO of the Viscusi Group. The actual reasons for becoming a workaholic are quite varied. It might involve a need in someone to always stay a step ahead of their co-workers or anyone else they perceive as a competitive threat. It could be a desire to never leave the office at night without tying up any loose ends such as returning an email, writing a memo or getting a package out. It might be a single-minded commitment to being successful, gaining promotion after promotion, no matter what the cost. Workaholics Anonymous—a "fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problems and help others to recover from work holism"—lists 20 questions to ask yourself if you think you may be a workaholic, including whether you get more excited about work than anything else and work more than 40 hours per week.viscusi said a good indication that you're a workaholic is if you are constantly electronically connected to the office, whether by cell phone, BlackBerry or laptop. Workaholism’s effects on the family can be devastating, Viscusi said, with the consequences eventually manifesting themselves, as they would with any other addiction, in broken marriages and broken homes. Brian Robinson, a professor at the University of North Carolina, told "20/20" in 1999 that children of workaholics developed the same disorders as children of alcoholics, such as depression and anxiety, that crippled them later in life. Viscusi offered the following tips for workaholics trying to make a change. Don't take on every project. Don't say yes to everyone. Learn the art of saying "I can't handle any more." Also, doesn't it seem like exercise is good for everything? It is recommended as part of every self-help regime— well, this is no difference. Exercise and yoga help you, and it's the hardest place to get any workdone. No cell phones allowed! Similar to a hobby, doing something without asking for any payment in return lets you focus on something other than work or your job. It can give you a different perspective and a different way to meet new people.

单选题"WHAT'S the difference between God and Larry Ellison?" asks an old software industry joke. Answer: God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison. The boss of Oracle is hardly alone among corporate chiefs in having a reputation for being rather keen on himself. Indeed', until the bubble burst and the public turned nasty at the start of the decade, the cult of the celebrity chief executive seemed to demand bossly narcissism, as evidence that a firm was being led by an all-conquering hero. Narcissus met a nasty end, of course. And in recent years, boss-worship has come to be seen as bad for business. In his management bestseller, "Good to Great", Jim Collins argued that the truly successful bosses were not the serf-proclaimed stars who adorn the covers of Forbes and Fortune, but instead self-effacing, thoughtful, monkish sorts who lead by inspiring example. A statistical answer may be at hand. For the first time, a new study, "It's All About Me", to be presented next week at the annual gathering of the American Academy of Management, offers a systematic, empirical analysis of what effect narcissistic bosses have on the firms they run. The authors, Arijit Chatterjee and Donald Hambrick, of Pennsylvania State University, examined narcissism in the upper levels of 105 firms in the computer and software industries. To do this, they bad to solve a practical problem: studies of narcissism have hitherto relied on surveying individuals personally, something for which few chief executives are likely to have time or inclination. So the authors devised an index of narcissism using six publicly available indicators obtainable without the co-operation of the boss. These are: the prominence of the boss's photo in the annual report; his prominence in company press releases; the length of his "Who's Who" entry; the frequency of his use of the first person singular in interviews; and the ratios of his cash and non-cash compensation to those of the firm's second-highest paid executive. Narcissism naturally drives people to seek positions of power and influence, and because great self-esteem helps your professional advance, say the authors, chief executives will tend on average to be more narcissistic than the general population. How does that affect a firm? Messrs Chatterjee and Hambrick found that highly narcissistic bosses tended to make bigger changes in the use of important resources, such as research and development, or in spending and leverage; they carried out more and bigger mergers and acquisitions; and their results were both more extreme (more big wins or big losses) and more transient than those of firms run by their humbler peers. For shareholders, that could be good or bad. Although (oddly) the authors are keeping their narcissism ranking secret, they have revealed that Mr Ellison did not come top. Alas for him, that may be because the study limited itseff to people who became the boss after 1991--well after he took the helm. In every respect Mr Ellison seems to be the classic narcissistic boss, claims Mr Chatterjee. There is life in the old joke yet.

单选题Which sentence is the main idea of Paragraph 2 ?______