单选题By almost every measure, Paul Pfingst is an unsentimental prosecutor. Last week the San Diego County district attorney said he fully intends to try (1) Charles Andrew Williams, 15, as an adult (2) the Santana High School shootings. Even before the (3) Pfingst had stood behind the controversial California law that (4) treating murder suspects as young as 14 as adults. So nobody would have wagered that Pfingst would also be the first D. A. ( district attorney) in the U. S. to (5) his very own Innocence Project. Yet last June, Pfingst told his attorneys to go back over old murder and rape (6) and see ff any unravel with newly developed DNA-testing tools. In other words, he wanted to revisit past victories—this time playing for the other team. "I think people misunderstand being conservative (7) being biased," says Pfingst. "I consider myself a pragmatic guy, and I have no interest in putting (8) people in jail." Around the U. S. , flabbergasted defense attorneys and their jailed clients cheered his move. Among prosecutors, (9) , there was an awkward pause. (10) , each DNA test costs as much as $ 5,000. Then there's the (11) risk: if dozens of innocents (12 , the D.A. will have indicted his shop. (13) nine months later, no budgets have been busted or prosecutors ousted. Only the rare case merits review. Pfingst's team considers convictions before 1993, when the city started (14) DNA testing. They discard cases if the defendant has been released. Of the 560 (15) files, they have re-examined 200, looking for cases with biological evidence and defendants who still (16) innocence. They have identified three so far. The most compelling involves a man (17) 12 years for molesting a girl who was playing in his apartment. But others were there at the time. Police found a small drop of saliva on the (18) shirt—too small a (19) to test in 1991. Today that spot could free a man. Test results are due any day. (20) by San Diego, 10 other counties in the U.S. are starting DNA audits.

单选题The author considers the explanation put forward by Freyre and Tannenbaum for the treatment accorded Black slaves to be

单选题For a national of pet-rovers, the British are surprisingly relaxed about the vast numbers of animal experiments that are conducted by its scientists. A dearth of publicity following the jailing of extremists who threatened the livelihoods (and, in other cases, the lives) of those who help provide animals for research may be one reason for the muted response to the recent Home Office announcement that the number of animals used in experiments rose once again last year. But another reason is that Britain already has the most restrictive rules in the world governing the use of animals, which curtail the use of many of the higher-order species for which people feel the greatest empathy, and that most of the research that is done instead involves rodents. Unlike America, where researchers routinely use chimpanzees to help develop vaccines against diseases such as hepatitis-C and HIV, no experiments of any kind have been conducted on great apes in Britain for more than a decade. Only relatively small numbers of monkeys are used (less than 0.1% of the total number of animals). Nevertheless their use is controversial so, to determine whether it is also worthwhile, Sir Patrick Bateson of the University of Cambridge recently conducted the first ever retrospective study of the use of primates in research, which was published on July 27th. Sir Patrick examined experiments on some 3,000 monkeys such as the macaque that were conducted over the decade to 2006. The lion's share involved neurological studies: scientists argue that if they can better understand how the brain works, then they will be better placed to develop ways to stave off degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They were supervised by 72 people who held a license from the Home Office that allowed them to use primates in research; each experiment had to be licensed, too. And most did indeed help to further knowledge. However in a disturbing 9 % of cases "no clear scientific, medical or social benefit had emerged" by the time the evaluation was completed. That seems rather a lot of unnecessary pain and distress, as Sir Patrick acknowledges. Yet his colleague Sir Mark Walport of the Wellcome Trust, which funds medical research, points out that all scientific research carries a risk that it will reveal nothing novel, and that the fact that 91% of investigations using primates did prove worthwhile was something of a triumph. One of Sir Patrick's recommendations that is particularly welcome is that researchers "have a moral obligation to publish results—even if negative—in order to prevent work being repeated unnecessarily". For too long scientists have shared only the results of successful experiments, condemning others to repeat their mistakes. That is something we have previously argued against, and the ongoing shift away from paper-based journals to electronic: data repositories can only help. In an ideal world, there would be no animal testing. It is stressful for animals, and expensive and time-consuming for people. But while it remains necessary to advance both medical and veterinary research, conducting it under the strictest rules, and exposing what is done to external scrutiny, should help ensure Britain's continuing status as an animal-loving nation.

单选题About three-quarters of Americans, according to surveys, think the country is on the wrong track. About two-thirds of the public disapprove of the job performance of President Bush, and an even higher number disdain Congress. The media are excited about the prospect of a wealthy businessman running for President as an independent who could tap into broad public disgruntlement with the partisan politicians in Washington. 2007? Yes. But also 1992. The main difference between the two situations is that Michael Bloomberg is richer—and saner—than Ross Perot. But one similarity might be this: the American people were wrong then and may be wrong now. The widespread pessimism in the early 1990s about the course of the country turned out to be unwarranted. The rest of the decade featured impressive economic growth, a falling crime rate, successful reform of the welfare system and a reasonably peaceful world. Perhaps the problems weren't so bad in the first place, or perhaps the political system produced politicians, like Bill Clinton, Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, who were able to deal with the problems. But, in any case, the country got back on course. That's not to say all was well in the 1990s, especially in foreign policy. Responsibilities in places ranging from Bosnia to Rwanda to Afghanistan were shirked, and gathering dangers weren't dealt with. Still, the sour complaints and dire predictions of 1992—oh, my God, the budget deficit will do us in! —were quickly overtaken by events. What' s more, the fear of many conservatives that we might be at the mercy of unstoppable forces of social disintegration turned out to be wrong. Indeed, the dire predictions were rendered obsolete so quickly that one wonders whether we were, in 1992, really just indulging in some kind of post-cold-war victory. Sometimes the public mood is…well, moody. Today we're moody again. We are obviously fighting a difficult and, until recently, badly managed war in Iraq, whose outcome is uncertain. This accounts for much of the pessimism. It also doesn't help that the political system seems incapable of dealing with big problems like immigration, an energy policy and health care. Still, is the general feeling that everything is going to the dogs any more justified today than it was 15 years ago? Not really. Think of it this way: Have events in general gone better or worse than most people would have predicted on Sept. 12, 2001? There's been no successful second attack here ill the U. S. —and very limited terrorist successes in Europe or even in the Middle East. We've had 5 1/2 years of robust economic growth, low unemployment and a stock-market recovery. Social indicators in the U. S. are mostly stable or improving—abortions, teenage births and teenage drug use are down and education scores are up a bit. As for American foreign policy since 9/11, it has not produced the results some of us hoped for, and there are many legitimate criticisms of the Bush Administration's performance. But, in fact, despite the gloom and doom from critics left and right (including, occasionally, me), the world seems to present the usual mixed bag of difficult problems and heartening developments. The key question, of course, is the fate of Iraq. A decent outcome—the defeat of al-Qaeda in what it has made the central front in the war on terrorism and enough security so there can be peaceful rule by a representative regime—seems to me achievable, if we don' t lose our nerve here at home. With success in Iraq, progress elsewhere in the Middle East will be easier. The balance sheet is uncertain. But it is by no means necessarily grim.

单选题Standard English is the variety of English which is usually used in print and which is normally taught in schools and to non-native speakers learning the language. It is also the variety which is normally (1) by educated people and used in news broadcasts and other (2) situations. The difference between standard and nonstandard, it should be noted, has (3) in principle to do with differences between formal and colloquial (4) ; standard English has colloquial as well as formal variants. (5) , the standard variety of English is based on the London (6) of English that developed after the Norman Conquest resulted in the removal of the Court from Winchester to London. This dialect became the one (7) by the educated, and it was developed and promoted (8) a model, or norm, for wider and wider segments of society. It was also the (9) that was carried overseas, but not one unaffected by such export. Today, (10) English is arranged to the extent that tile grammar and vocabulary of English are (11) the same everywhere in the world where English is used; (12) among local standards is really quite minor, (13) the Singapore, South Africa, and Irish varieties are really very (14) different from one another so far as grammar and vocabulary are (15) .Indeed, Standard English is so powerful that it exerts a tremendous (16) on all local varieties, to the extent that many of long-established dialects of England have (17) much of their vigor and there is considerable pressure on them to be (18) . This latter situation is not unique (19) English: it is also true in other countries where processes of standardization are (20) .But it sometimes creates problems for speakers who try to strike some kind of compromise between local norms and national, even supranational ones.

单选题One of the most pressing challenges that the United States—and indeed, the world—will face in the next few decades is how to alleviate the growing stress that human activities are placing on the environment. The consequences are just too great to ignore. Wildlife habitats are being degraded or disappearing altogether as new developments take up more land. Plant and animal species are becoming extinct at a greater rate now than at any time in Earth's history. As many as 30 percent of the world's fish stocks are overexploited. And the list goes on. Yet, there is reason to have hope for the future. Advances in computing power and molecular biology are among the tremendous increases in scientific capability that are helping researchers gain a better understanding of these problems. Recent developments in science and technology could provide the basis for some major, and timely actions that would improve our understanding of how human activities affect the environment. One priority for research is improving hydrological forecasting. It has been estimated that the world's water use could triple in the next two decades. Already, widespread water shortages have occurred in parts of China, India, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. The need for water also is taking its toll on freshwater ecosystems in the United States. Only 2 percent of the nation's streams are considered in good condition, and close to 40 percent of native fish species are rare to extinct. Using a variety of new remote sensing tools, scientists can learn more about how precipitation affects water levels, how surface water is generated and transported, and how changes in the landscape affect water supplies. To prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases in plants, animals, and humans, more study is needed on how pathogens, parasites, and disease-carrying species—as well as humans and other species they infect— are affected by changes in the environment. The overuse of antibiotics both in humans and in farm animals has contributed to the growth of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Researchers can take advantage of new technologies in genetics and computing to better monitor and predict the effects that environmental changes might have on disease outbreaks. Humans have made alterations to Earth's surface—such as tropical deforestation, reduction of surface and ground water, and massive development—so dramatic that they approach the levels of transformation that occurred during glacial periods. Such alterations cause changes in local and regional climate, and will determine the future of agriculture. Recent advances in data collection and analysis should be used to document and better understand the causes and consequences of changes in land cover and use.

单选题Owing to the efforts of the originators of the Welfare State______

单选题Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and. In order to understand, however imperfectly, what is meant by "face", we must take {{U}}(1) {{/U}}of the fact that, as a race, the Chinese have a strongly{{U}} (2) {{/U}}instinct. The theatre may almost be said to be the only national amusement, and the Chinese have for theatricals a{{U}} (3) {{/U}} like that of the Englishman{{U}} (4) {{/U}}athletics, or the Spaniard for bull-fights. Upon very slight provocation, any Chinese regards himself in the{{U}} (5) {{/U}}of an actor in a drama. He throws himself into theatrical attitudes, performs the salaam, falls upon his knees, prostrates himself and strikes his head upon the earth, {{U}}(6) {{/U}}circumstances which to an Occidental seem to make such actions superfluous, {{U}}(7) {{/U}}to say ridiculous. A Chinese thinks in theatrical terms. When roused in self-defense he addresses two or three persons as if they were a multitude. He exclaims: "I say this in the presence of You, and You, and You, who are all here present. " If his troubles are adjusted he{{U}} (8) {{/U}}of himself as having "got off the stage" with credit, and if they are not adjusted he finds no way to "retire from the stage". All this, {{U}}(9) {{/U}}it clearly understood, has nothing to do with realities. The question is never of facts, but always of {{U}}(10) {{/U}}. If a fine speech has been{{U}} (11) {{/U}}at the proper time and in the proper way, the requirement of the play is met. We are not to go behind the scenes, for that would{{U}} (12) {{/U}}all the plays in the world. Properly to execute acts like these in all the complex relations of life, is to have "face". To fail them, to ignore them, to be thwarted in the performance of them, this is to "{{U}} (13) {{/U}}face". Once rightly apprehended, "face" will be found to be in itself a {{U}}(14) {{/U}}to the combination lock of many of the most important characteristics of the Chinese. It should be added that the principles which regulate "face" and its attainment are often wholly{{U}} (15) {{/U}}the intellectual apprehension of the Occidental, who is constantly forgetting the theatrical element, and wandering{{U}} (16) {{/U}}into the irrelevant regions of fact. To him it often seems that Chinese "face" is not unlike the South Sea Island taboo, a force of undeniable potency, but capricious, and not reducible to rule, deserving only to be abolished and replaced by common sense. At this point Chinese and Occidentals must agree to{{U}} (17) {{/U}}, for they can never be brought to view the same things in the same light. In the adjustment of the incessant quarrels which distract every hamlet, it is necessary for the "peace-talkers" to take a careful account of the{{U}} (18) {{/U}}of "face" as European statesmen once did of the balance of power. The object in such cases is not the execution of even-handed justice, which, even if theoretically desirable, seldom{{U}} (19) {{/U}}to an Oriental as a possibility, but such an arrangement as will distribute to all concerned "face" in due proportions. The same principle often applies in the settlement of lawsuits, a very large percentage of which end in what may be called a{{U}} (20) {{/U}}game.

单选题What can be inferred from the third paragraph?

单选题"You are not here to tell me what to do. You are here to tell me why I have done what I have already decided to do," Montagu Norman, the Bank of England's longest-serving governor (1920-1944), is reputed to have once told his economic adviser. Today, thankfully, central banks aim to be more transparent in their decision making, as well as more rational. But achieving either of these things is not always easy. With the most laudable of intentions, the Federal Reserve, America's central bank, may be about to take a step that could backfire. Unlike the Fed, many other central banks have long declared explicit inflation targets and then set interest rates to try to meet these. Some economists have argued that the Fed should do the same. With Alan Greenspan, the Fed's much-respected chairman, due to retire next year—after a mere 18 years in the job—some Fed officials want to adopt a target, presumably to maintain the central bank's credibility in the scary new post-Greenspan era. The Fed discussed such a target at its February meeting, according to minutes published this week. This sounds encouraging. However, the Fed is considering the idea just when some other central banks are beginning to question whether strict inflation targeting really works. At present central banks focus almost exclusively on consumer-price indices. On this measure Mr. Greenspan can boast that inflation remains under control. But some central bankers now argue that the prices of assets, such as houses and shares, should also somehow be taken into account. A broad price index for America which includes house prices is currently running at 5.5%, its fastest pace since 1982. Inflation has simply taken a different form. Should central banks also try to curb increases in such asset prices? Mr. Greenspan continues to insist that monetary policy should not be used to prick asset-price bubbles. Identifying bubbles is difficult, except in retrospect, he says, and interest rates are a blunt weapon: an increase big enough to halt rising prices could trigger a recession. It is better, he says, to wait for a housing or stock market bubble to burst and then to cushion the economy by cutting interest rates—as he did in 2001-2002. And yet the risk is not just that asset prices can go swiftly into reverse. As with traditional inflation, surging asset prices also distort price signals and so can cause a misallocation of resources—encouraging too little saving, for example, or too much investment in housing. Surging house prices may therefore argue for higher interest rates than conventional inflation would demand. In other words, strict inflation targeting—the fad of the 1990s—is too crude.

单选题The use of chemicals in almost all areas of life has become a commonplace phenomenon. There is growing evidence, however, that chemicals in the environment, including pesticides, may contribute to some illnesses. While studies are still being conducted, preliminary conclusions point to the verdict that such chemicals are indeed negatively impacting those humans to whom they are exposed. Children are especially vulnerable to toxic substances. Pound for pound, they eat, drink and breathe more than adults, all of which exposes them more heavily to those chemicals to which most individuals encounter on a daily basis. Furthermore, their bodies are still in developing stages, exacerbating the negative effects of those chemicals, which negatively impact them. Of 50 types of pesticides commonly used in American schools, a study conducted by the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides found that many caused negative reactions in laboratory animals. Such negative effects included kidney and liver damage, cancer, and neurological and reproductive problems. These implications of these findings are far-reaching. Given the variety of harmful effects attributed to those pesticides tested, one must pause and consider whether it is wise to continue their use in the nation"s schools, where children will be constantly exposed to them. Activists have lobbied for the elimination of such use with a degree of success, and recent findings, if supported by further analysis and confirmation, may help further the cause. A long term solution or alternative, however, remains elusive. In the short run, however, there may be some measures that can be taken to mitigate the harmful effects of dangerous pesticides. The American Medical Association"s Council on Scientific Affairs concluded in a 1997 report that given the "particular uncertainty.., regarding the long-term health effects of low-dose pesticide exposures," it is "prudent" for adults and children to limit their exposure and to "consider the use of the least toxic chemical pesticides or non-chemical alternatives. "

单选题The expression "do the trick" in the last paragraph most probably means

单选题How have the business attitudes changed in Britain?

单选题You slip the key into the ignition and crank the engine to life. But before you put the car into gear, you tap a key on the keyboard mounted by the steering wheel, and your newest e-mail flashes up on the windscreen. This seductive satyr is what you get when you cross a car and a computer. Dubbed the "network vehicle", or net-mobile, it may soon come to a driveway near you (probably the one belonging to your rich neighbor). In a net-mobile, a motorist could tap into a regional road system but also to map out a route around rush-hour traffic snags. Drivers and passengers will be able to send and receive e-mail, track the latest sports scores or stock quotes, surf the Web, and even play video games. Or so, at least, say a number of computer-industry firms such as Microsoft, Sun, IBM and Netscape. The modern car is already an electronic showcase on wheels. On-board microcomputers improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. They operate anti-lock brake systems, and on some cars even regulate the firmness of the shock absorbers. But much of the technology needed to add extra is available now. A prototype network vehicle, produced by a consortium of Netscape, Sun, IBM and Delco (an automotive-electronics firm based in Michigan), was introduced at the recent annual computer-industry show in Las Vegas. It not only offered such desktop-computer-like services as e-mail, but allowed a driver to use them without looking away from the road. It was operated by voice commands and projected its data on to the windscreen, using the same sort of head-up display system found in modern fighter jets. Members of the consortium think a real-world network vehicle could be in production in as little as four years. Car makers have already begun rolling out some of the features found on these prototype net- mobiles. If the driver of a General Motors car equipped with its On-Star system locks his key in the car, for example, an emergency centre can transmit a digital signal to unlock the doors. On-Star also calls automatically for help if an accident triggers the airbags. Toyota and General Motors are among a growing list of firms offering in-car navigation systems. And in Europe, BMW and Mercedes-Benz recently introduced navigation hardware that can not only plot out a route, but alert a driver to traffic jams.

单选题What does the sentence "society could not care less whether we play it or not "mean? ______.