单选题The idea that boys and girls—and men and women—are programmed by evolution to behave differently from one another is now widely acknowledged. But which of the differences between the sexes are "biological", in the sense that they have been honed by evolution, and which are "cultural" or "environmental" and might more easily be altered by changed circumstances, is still fiercely debated. The sensitivity of the question was shown last year by an uproar at Harvard University. Larry Summers, then Harvard's president, caused a storm when he suggested that innate ability could be an important reason why there were so few women in the top positions in mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences. Even as a proposition for discussion, this is unacceptable to some. But biological explanations of human behavior are making a comeback. The success of neo -Darwinism has provided an intellectual foundation for discussion about why some differences between the sexes might be innate. And new scanning techniques have enabled researchers to examine the brain's interior while it is working, showing that male and female brains do, at one level, operate differently. The results, however, do not always support past cliches about what the differences in question actually are. One behavioral difference that has borne a huge amount of scrutiny is in mathematics, particularly since Dr. Summers' comments. The problem with trying to argue that the male tendency to systemize might lead to greater mathematical ability is that, in fact, girls and boys are equally good at maths prior to teenage years. Until recently, it was believed that males outperformed females in mathematics at all ages. Today, that picture has changed, and it appears that males and females of any age are equally good at computation and at understanding mathematical concepts. However, after their mid-teens, men are better at problem solving than women are. The question raised by Dr. Summers does get to the heart of the matter. Over the past 50 years, women have made huge progress into academia and within it. Slowly, they have worked their way into the higher echelons of discipline after discipline. But some parts of the ivory tower have proved harder to occupy than others, The question remains, to what degree is the absence of women in science, mathematics and engineering caused by innate, immutable ability? Innate it may well be. That does not mean it is immutable. A variety of abilities are amenable to training in both sexes. And such training works. Biology may predispose, but it is not necessarily destiny.

单选题{{B}}Part A{{/B}}{{B}}Directions:{{/B}}Reading 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}} After the terrorist attacks in America last September, {{U}}terrorist risk became the pariah of perils.{{/U}} The airline industry was most directly affected by the attacks, and it was the first to find that no one wanted to insure terrorist risk. Insurance companies immediately increased premiums and cut cover for airlines' third-party terror and war liabilities to ＄ 50m per airline, per "event". Under pressure from airlines, the American government and the members of the European Union agreed to become insurers of last resort for airlines' war and terrorist liabilities, for a limited period. These government guarantees are due to expire at the end of the month. The American government has already agreed to extend its guarantee for another 60 days. The EU's transport ministers are meeting next week in Brussels to decide what to do. Insurers and reinsurers are keen for the commercial market to resume the provision of all airline insurance as soon as possible. No wonder: The premiums for such cover have inevitably increased considerably. However, in the case of terrorism, and especially of terrorism in the skies, a number of special factors arise. Some are purely practical: a disaster as sudden and unforeseen as the attacks on the World Trade Center has had destructive effects on the insurance industry. The maximum cover for third-party terrorist risk available in the primary aviation market is now $ 5Om, and that is not nearly enough cover risks that are perceived to be much higher since September 11th. Even if the market could offer sufficient cover, another catastrophe on such a scale would be more than the market could cope with. In addition, a rare and devastating risk of a political nature is arguably one that it is right for governments to cover, at least in part. In the wake of attacks by Irish terrorists the British government has recognized this point by agreeing to back a mutual fund to cover risks to property from terrorist attack. In the case of the airlines, the appropriate answer is some form of mutual scheme with government backing. In fact, under the code-name "Equitime", representatives of airlines, insurers and the American government are setting up an insurance {{U}}vehicle{{/U}} to be financed by airlines and reinsured by the government. Governments would guarantee the fund's excess risk, but their role would diminish as the fund grew. Setting something up will take time. So, to bridge the gap, governments will have to remain insurer of last resort for airlines' war and terrorist risk for some time to come.

单选题{{B}}Text 4{{/B}} The Republican Party has lost its mind. To win elections, a party needs votes, obviously, and constituencies. First, however, it needs ideas. In 1994--95, the Republican Party had after long struggle advanced a coherent, compelling set of political ideas expressed in a specific legislative agenda. The political story of 1996 is that this same party, within the space of six weeks, then became totally, shockingly intellectually {{U}}deranged{{/U}}. Then, astonishingly, on the very moment of their philosophical victory, just as the Republicans prepared to carry these ideas into battle in November, came cannon fire from the rear. Pat Buchanan first came out to declare a general insurrection. The enemy, according to Buchanan, is not the welfare state. It is that conservative icon, capitalism, with its ruthless captains of industry, greedy financiers and political elites (Republicans included, of course). All three groups collaborate to let foreigners--immigrants, traders, parasitic foreign-aid loafers--destroy the good life of the ordinary American worker. Buchananism would support and wield a big and mighty government apparatus to protect the little guy from buffeting, a government that builds trade walls and immigrant-repelling fences, that imposes punitive taxes on imports, and that polices the hiring and firing practices of business with the arrogance of the most zealous forcer. Republicans have focused too much on the mere tactical dangers posed by this assault. Yes, it gives ammunition to the Democrats. Yes, it puts the eventual nominee through a bruising campaign and delivers him tarnished and drained into the ring against Bill Clinton. But the real danger is philosophical, not tactical. It is axioms, not just policies, that are under fire. The Republican idea of smaller government is being ground to dust--by Republicans. In the middle of an election year, when they should be honing their themes against Democratic liberalism, Buehanan's rise is forcing a pointless rearguard battle against a philosophical corpse, the obsolete paleoconservatism--a mix of nativism, protectionism and isolationism--of the 1930s. As the candidates' debate in Arizona last week showed, the entire primary campaign will be fought on Buchanan's grounds, fending off his Smoot-Hawley-Franco populism. And then what? After the convention, what does the nominee do? Try to resurrect the anti-welfare state themes of the historically successful '94 congressional campaign? Political parties can survive bruising primary battles. They cannot survive ideological meltdown. Dole and Buchanan say they are fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. Heart and soul, however, will get you nowhere when you've lost your way--and your mind.

单选题The author considers a new theory that coherently relates diverse phenomena to one another to be the______

单选题The invention of irrigation is meaningful because it could help to

单选题About 40 percent of Americans think of themselves as shy, while only 20 percent say they have never suffered from shyness at some point in their lives. Shyness occurs when a person's apprehensions are so great that they (1) his making an expected or desired social response. (2) of shyness can be as minor as (3) to make eye contact when speaking to someone, (4) as major as avoiding conversations whenever possible. "Shy people tend to be too (5) with themselves, "said Jonathan Cheek, a psychologist, who is one of those at the forefront of current research on the topic." (6) , for a smooth conversation, you need to pay attention to the other person's cues (7) he is saying and doing. But the shy person is full of (8) about how he seems to the other person, and so he often (9) cues he should pick up. The result is an awkward lag in the conversation. Shy people need to stop focusing on (10) and switch their attention to the other person." (11) ,shy people by and large have (12) social abilities than they think they do. (13) Dr. Cheek videotaped shy people talking to (14) ,and then had raters (评估者) evaluate how socially skilled the people were, he found that, in the (15) of other people, the shy group had few (16) problems. But when he asked the shy people themselves (17) they had done, they were unanimous in saying that they had been social flops(失败). "Shy people are their own (18) critics, "Dr. Cheek said. (19) , he added, shy people feel they are being judged more (20) than they actually are, and overestimate how obvious their social anxiety is to others.

单选题Which of the following makes the demonstration most persuasive?

单选题College graduates are now leaving school with not only a diploma, but also with more debt than in any other period in history. According to the College Board, average financial aid per full time equivalent student adjusted for inflation, has almost doubled in the last decade. Additionally, not only is the average student debt load higher, but also the number of loans originated increased by nearly fourfold. Thus student lending has increased in breadth as well as depth, doubly impacting the financial situations of those students who must depend on student loans to finance their education. Furthermore, these figures no doubt understate the true level of indebtedness incurred by students and their families since some undoubtedly finance part of their education and living expenses through the use of consumer loans, home equity loans or credit cards. Thus, the already huge burden of student loan debt incurred by students and their families is exacerbated by financial obligations from other sources. This situation is the outcome of a precarious combination of easy credit, thanks to card issuers who are eager to tap into this lucrative market, financial naiveté on the part of students, and a sense on both sides that, if worse comes to worse, mommy and daddy will step in and set things right. All combine to make credit a tempting lure to students strapped for cash. While credit still remain a virtual element for the financing of many students' education at expensive colleges, its implications must carefully weighed and considered, lest the cash-poor student find himself with more that he bargained for. Most students in the United States attend colleges whose tuition does not exceed $15,000, however. Nevertheless, rising prices, combined with stagnant income gains among low-and moderate-income families, have made it difficult if not impossible for a student from a family of such an income level, a student who has the most to gain from a college education, to attend college without significantly adding to the financial burden of his or her family. While student loans still remain a vital element for the financing of many students' education at expensive colleges, its implications must be carefully weighed and considered, lest the cash-poor student find himself with more than he bargained for.

单选题The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihood of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to implement the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical activities, these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed "intuition" to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process of thinking. Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse of capriciousness. Isenberg's recent research on the cognitive processes of senior managers reveals that managers' intuition is neither of these. Rather, senior managers use intuition in at least five distinct ways. First, they intuitively sense when a problem exists. Second, managers rely on intuition to perform well-learned behavior patterns rapidly. This intuition is not arbitrary or irrational, but is based on years of painstaking practice and personal experience that build skills. A third function of intuition is to synthesize isolated bits of data and practice into an integrated picture, often in an "Aha!" experience. Fourth, some managers use intuition as a check on the results of more rational analysis. Most senior executives are familiar with the formal decision analysis models and tools, and those who use such systematic methods for reaching decisions are occasionally suspicious of solutions suggested by these methods which run counter to their sense of the correct course of action. Finally, managers can use intuition to bypass in-depth analysis and move rapidly to find out a plausible solution. Used in this way, intuition is an almost instantaneous cognitive process in which a manager recognizes familiar patterns. One of the implications of the intuitive style of executive management is that "thinking" is inseparable from acting. Since managers often "know" what is right before they can analyze and explain it, they frequently act first and explain later. Analysis is invariably tied to action in thinking/acting cycles, in which managers develop thoughts about their companies and organizations not by analyzing a problematic situation and then acting, but by acting and analyzing in close concert. Given the great uncertainty of many of the management issues that they face, senior managers often initiate a course of action simply to learn more about an issue. They then use the results of the action to develop a more complete understanding of the issue. One implication of thinking/acting cycles is that action is often part of defining the problem, not just of implementing the solution. (454 words)Notes: capriciousness 多变，反复无常。run counter to 与……背道而驰；违反。bypass 绕过。in close concert一齐，一致。given prep.考虑到，由于。

单选题{{B}}Part B{{/B}}Directions： In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions (41-45), choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps. In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions (41-45), choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps. Coffee is worth approximately $ 50-60bn each year in terms of world sales. It is a truly international commodity, and today more than 50 countries in the world grow coffee beans. This makes the coffee industry fairly universal, according to Pablo Dubois, head of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), based in London. ICO organization helps coffee producers and promotes coffee consumption worldwide. ICO estimates that world production next year will reach 97.5 million bags, 11.3 million bags higher than the current year. The main reason for this is higher Brazilian output as production recovers from weather damage to crops. 41．______In 1994 Brazil was responsible for 25% of world production, Colombia was next with 13.4%, Indonesia had 7.5%, Mexico 4.7%, Guatemala 3.8% and Ethiopia and Vietnam were equal with 3.4%. Coffee is a tough crop, and can be grown in areas where it is difficult or impossible to grow other crops. It is cultivated in mountain regions which can only be reached by animal transport, and in other difficult areas where modern agricultural equipment cannot be used. 42． ______ICO is active in educating farmers about avoiding disease and dealing with problems when they occur. The distribution chain varies from country to country, explains Pablo Dubois. In most countries the smaller farmers sell their crop to a local trader, who then sells it on to exporters. 43． ______Larger coffee growers, for example, frequently export directly. Some countries, like Vietnam, have special government marketing organizations for coffee. Coffee prices often vary greatly from one year to the next. In 1997, for example, there was a large rise in the world price, which was immediately felt by the consumer. 44．______ In some of these countries, this can amount to as much as 50% of all export earnings. In the opinion of Pablo Dubois, the biggest problem for his organisation is to create greater consumer awareness of the different varieties of coffee and different ways of preparing it. In North America, most consumers already have above average knowledge Of the range available. 45．______It is also encouraging environmentally friendly coffee production, and last year's seminar on coffee and the environment created a lot of interest. The future looks bright for the coffee industry. It is estimated that consumption over the next few years will continue to rise steadily. New markets like Eastern Europe and China are expected to develop fast. [A] However, disease is always problem for coffee production, as we can see in some parts of South America at the moment. [B] Because the amount of coffee demand is on a high rise. [C] ICO is therefore concentrating its promotional activities on Russia and China. [D] As the largest producing country, Brazil is particularly important in the coffee world. [E] Rising prices always result in a drop in sales, which will have a bad effect on those developing countries, which are highly dependent on foreign exchange from coffee exports. [F] There are, however, other distribution systems. [G] Almost all the coffee growers share the same distribution channel.

单选题The adjustments that employer can make for the disabled people may NOT include

单选题The term "diversify" (Line 8, Paragraph 3) most probably denotes