填空题A. Refuse Gimmicks B. Be Wary of Price Levels C. Say No to Useless Things D. Never Pay List Price E. Stand up to Temptations F. Switch—or Threaten to G. Don't Buy on Impulse In recent years the basic market principles of competition and choice have expanded into new aspects of American life. Consumers now face a bewildering array of options for air travel, phone service, medical care, even postal service. Car buyers can shop on the Internet for the best price at any dealership in their area. In some parts of the country, homeowners can purchase electricity from a menu of companies. All this choice translates into unprecedented consumer power. One of the persistent myths of capitalist culture is that business people love competition. They don't. They spend their waking hours plotting ways to avoid it, and keep prices high. These days they use information technologies that give them intricate data on individual shoppers, and then present multiple prices to get each consumer to cough up the maximum he is willing to pay. The airlines have mastered this game, offering many levels of fares. So how can you make the most of your new power as a consumer? Here are rules to help you find your way. (41) In the New Economy, competition is so strong that fewer stores and services are immune to price pressure, so sharpen your bargaining skills. Ask retailers to match prices you've seen on the Internet. Ask at the checkout counter if there are any coupons or discounts you can use. Ask hotel clerks if there are better rates available. You'll be surprised how often the answer is yes. (42) As competition heats up and pushes prices down, businesses scramble to boost their profits by heaping on extras: rust proofing your car, service contracts on your appliance, prepaid gasoline for your rental car. These stunts are devised to make you pay more at the last minute and probably aren't a good deal. (43) The information highway is a two-way street. As a consumer, you can get more data. But while you are roaming the Web, businesses are studying your habits and vulnerabilities. Have a weakness for chocolates? Don't be surprised if Amazon. com offers to sell you a box while you're browsing for books. They're using a wrinkle on the last-minute marketing pitch perfected by McDonald's: "Would you like fries with that?" The ploy works remarkably well. (44) Versioning is a tactic used by businesses to separate status-conscious consumers from the bargain-hungry ones—since the former mean bigger profit margins. "Deluxe" and "platinum" are code words used to entice status seekers to open their wallets. Add a third price level and the purses of even bargain-hungry shoppers can be pried open. Research shows that many consumers who might pick the lower-priced option when given just two choices will choose the medium-priced alternative if given three. "Consumers try to avoid extreme options," write Carl Shapiro and Hal R. Varian in their book Information Rules. (45) Consumers in the New Economy face more demands on their time and attention than ever before, so they're inclined to make the most familiar choice. Consider this: it had been a decade and a half since the breakup of AT&T, yet it is still by far the largest long-distance provider—even while other phone companies offer $50 worth of free service for switching. More than ever, it pays to change services and brands. If you don't want the hassles of switching, remember that businesses are eager to hang on to consumers. The next time you get a tempting offer from a credit-card issuer or a phone company, call your current provider and ask them to match the deal. You'11 be pleased to find how often they'll agree.

填空题A. Physical changes B. Low self-esteem C. Emerging independence and search for identity D. Emotional turbulence E. Interest in the opposite sex F. Peer pressure and conformity The transition to adulthood is difficult. Rapid physical growth begins in early adolescence—typically between the ages of 9 and 13—and thought processes start to take on adult characteristics. Many youngsters find these changes distressing because they do not fully understand what is happening to them. Fears and anxieties can be put to rest by simply keeping an open line of communication and preparing for change before it occurs. The main issues that arise during adolescence are: (1) . A child's self-worth is particularly fragile during adolescence. Teenagers often struggle with an overwhelming sense that nobody likes them, that they're not as good as other people, that they are failures, losers, ugly or unintelligent. (2) . Some form of bodily dissatisfaction is common among pre-teens. If dissatisfaction is great, it may cause them to become shy or very easily embarrassed. In other cases, teens may act the opposite—loud and angry—in an effort to compensate for feelings of self-consciousness and inferiority. As alarming as these bodily changes can be, adolescents may find it equally distressing to not experience the changes at the same time as their peers. Late maturation can cause feelings of inferiority and awkwardness. (3) . Young people feel more strongly about everything during adolescence. Fears become more frightening, pleasures become more exciting, irritations become more distressing and frustrations become more intolerable. Every experience appears king-sized during adolescence. Youngsters having a difficult adolescence may become seriously depressed and / or engage in self-destructive behavior. Often, the first clue that a teenager needs professional help is a deep-rooted shift in attitude and behavior. Parents should be alert to the warning signs of personality change indicating that a teenager needs help. They include repeated school absences, slumping grades, use of alcohol or illegal substances, hostile or dangerous behavior and extreme withdrawal and reclusiveness. (4) . There is tremendous pressure on adolescents to conform to the standards of their peers. This pressure toward conformity can be dangerous in that it applies not only to clothing and hairstyles; it may lead them to do things that they know are wrong. (5) . Adolescence marks a period of increasing independence that often leads to conflict between teenagers and parents. This tension is a normal part of growing up—and for parents, a normal part of the letting-go process. Another normal part of adolescence is confusion over values and beliefs. This time of questioning is important as young people examine the values they have been taught and begin to embrace their own beliefs. Though they may adopt the same beliefs as their parents, discovering them on their own enables the young person to develop a sense of integrity. Although adolescence will present challenges for young people and their parents, awareness and communication can help pave the way for a smooth transition into this exciting phase of life.

填空题Manpower Inc. ,with 560,000 workers

填空题With the pace of technological change making heads spin, we tend to think of our age as the most innovative ever. We have smart phones and supercomputers, big data and stem-cell transplants. Governments, universities and firms together spend around $1.4 trillion a year on R and the drop-off since 2004 probably has more to do with the economic crisis than with underlying lack of invention. B. Economic growth is a modem invention: 20th-century growth rates were far higher than those in the 19th century, and pre-1750 growth rates were almost imperceptible by modem standards. C. Rather as electrification changed everything by allowing energy to be used far from where it was generated, computing and communications technologies transform lives and businesses by allowing people to make calculations and connections far beyond their unaided capacity. D. And it wasn't just modem sanitation that sprang from late-19th and early-20th-century brains: they produced cars, planes, the telephone, radio and antibiotics. E. Many more brains are at work now than were 100 years ago: American and European inventors have been joined in the race to produce cool new stuff by those from many other countries. F. If the pessimists are right, the implications are huge. Economies can generate growth by adding more stuff: more workers, investment and education. But sustained increases in output per person, which are necessary to raise incomes and welfare, entail using the stuff we already have in better ways— innovating, in other words. G. Life expectancy in America, for instance, has risen more slowly since 1980 than in the early 20th century. The speed of travel, in the rich world at least, is often slower now than it was a generation earlier, after rocketing a century or so ago.

填空题 41)___________. Nevertheless, some of these small changes are important. There are three basic processes that cause a change in oceanic salinity. One of these is the subtraction of water from the ocean by means of evaporation—conversion of liquid water to water vapor in this manner, the salinity is increased, since the salts stay behind. If this is carried to the extreme, of course, white crystals of salt would be left behind. The opposite of evaporation is precipitation, such as rain, by which water is added to the ocean. Here the ocean is being diluted so that the salinity is decreased. This may occur in areas of high rainfall or in coastal regions where rivers flow into the ocean. 42) ___________. Normally, in tropical regions where the sun is very strong, the ocean salinity is somewhat higher than it is in other parts of the world where there is not as much evaporation. 43) ___________. A third process by which salinity may be altered is associated with the formation and melting of sea ice. When seawater is frozen, the dissolved materials are left behind. In this manner, seawater directly beneath freshly formed sea ice has a higher salinity than it did before the ice appeared. 44) ___________. In the Weddell Sea, off Antarctic, the densest water in the oceans is formed as a result of this freezing process, which increases the salinity of cold water. 45) ___________.[A] The water in the oceans only leaves by evaporating (and the freezing of polar ice), but the salt remains dissolved in the ocean—it does not evaporate.[B] Thus salinity may be increased by the subtraction of water by evaporation, or decreased by the addition of fresh water by precipitation or runoff.[C] If the salinity of ocean waters is analyzed, it is found to vary only slightly from place to place.[D] Of course, when this ice melts, it will tend to decrease the salinity of the surrounding water.[E] This heavy water sinks and is found in the deeper, portions of the oceans of the world.[F] The salinity (salt content) of ocean water varies. One cubic foot of average sea water contains 2.2 pounds of salt.[G] Similarly, in coastal regions where rivers dilute the sea, salinity is somewhat lower than in other oceanic areas.

填空题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}}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. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. The tragic impact of the modern city on the human being has killed his sense of aesthetics, the material benefits of an affluent society have diverted his attention from his city and its cultural potentials to the products of science and technology, washing machines, central heating, automatic cookers, television sets, computers and fitted carpets. He is, at the moment, drunk with democracy, well-to-do, a car driver, and has never had it so good. He is reluctant to walk. Statistics reveal that the distance he is prepared to walk from his parking place to his shopping center is very short. (41) __________. Congestion has become the predominant factor in his environment, and statistics suggest that two cars per household system may soon make matters worse. (42) __________. "Putting land to its highest and best use" becomes the principal economic standard in urban growth. This speculative approach and the pressure of increasing population leads to the "vertical" growth of cities with the result that people are forced to adjust themselves to congestion in order to maintain these relatively artificial land values. Paradoxically the remedy for removing congestion is to create more of it. Partial decentralization, or rather, pseudo-decentralization, in the form of large development units away from the traditional town centers, only' shifts the disease round the anatomy of the town; if it is not combined with the remodeling of the town's transportation system, it does not cure it. (43) __________. It is within our power to build better cities and revive the civic pride of their citizens, but we shall have to stop operating on the fringe of the problem. We shall have radically to replan them to achieve a rational density of population. We shall have to provide in them what can be called minimum "psychological elbow room." (44) __________. We must collect, in an organized manner, all and complete information about the city or the town, if we want to plan effectively. The principal unit in this process is "IM' (one man). We must not forget that cities are built by people, and that their form and shape should be subject to the will of the people. (45) __________.The "man-educate' man, the human, will have to set the target, and using the results obtained by science and his own engineering skill, take upon himself the final shaping of his environment. He will have to use his high moral sense of responsibility to the community and to future generations. [A] New systems of city management may be necessary to cope with the needs of today's urban populations. Some planners insist that a decentralised decision-making process is fundamental to ensuring that cities work for and not against people. [B] As there are no adequate off-street parking facilities, the cities are littered with kerb parked cars and parking meters rear themselves everywhere. [C] Here the engineering solutions are strongly affected by the necessity for complicated intersections, which in turn, are frustrated by the extravagant cost of land. [D] Scientific methods of data collection and analysis will indicate trends, but they will not direct action. Scientific methods are only an instrument. [E] The convergence of economic growth, population growth and urban expansion offers both great challenges and great potentials for realizing metropolitan sustainability. [F] In the meantime, insult is added to injury by "land value." The value of land results from its use; its income is derived from the service it provides. When its use is intensified, its income and its value increase. [G] One of the ingredients of this will be proper transportation plans. These will have to be an integral part of the overall planning process which in itself is a scientific process where facts are essential.

填空题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}}You are going to read a list of headings and a text about the functions of advertisment. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-F for each numbered paragraph (4145). There is one extra beading which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on ANSWERSHEET 1. [A] Advertisements add interests to life[B] Advertisements help to save money[C] Criticisms on advertisers[D] Usefulness of small advertisements[E] True aesthetic value of advertisement[F] Informing: the chief function of advertising 41______ Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they're always coming in for criticism. Their critics seem to resent them because they have a flair for self-promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. "It's iniquitous," they say," that this entirely unproductive industry ( ff we can call it that) should absorb millions of pounds each year. It only goes to show how much profit the big companies are making. Why don't they stop advertising and reduce the price Of their goods? After ail, it's the consumer who pay..." 42______ The poor old consumer! He'd have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn't create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods derives largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc. , from an advertisement. 43______ Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too ! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading railway laws while waiting for a train? Would you like to read only closely-printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a drab wall or newspaper full of the daily ration of calamities. 44______ We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could not subsist without this source of revenue. The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programs is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price ! 45______ Another thing we mustn't forget is the "small ads." which are in virtually every newspaper and magazine. What a tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the "hatch, match and dispatch" columns; but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or "agony" column. No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a deep insight into human nature. It's the best advertisement for advertising there is !

填空题　There is a general expectation that teachers can spot talented children and do something for them. But studies have　1　that teachers do not always　2　gifted children, even those 　3　academic talent. In fact, they　4　to identify from 10 to 50 percent of their gifted students. 　　The first　5　in identifying gifted students is determining the　6　for finding them. If we want to　7　a group of students for an　8　mathematics class, our approach would be different than　9　we are looking for students with high talent　10　a creative-writing program. Specific program needs and requirements, then,　11　the identification process. 　　Subjective evaluation--teacher　12　, parent referral--should be　13　by standardized tests and other　14　measures of ability. Any　15　for identifying gifted children in a school system should　16　both subjective and objective methods of 　17　Classroom behavior, for example, can point　18　children''s ability to organize and use materials and reveal their potential for processing information better than　19　a test situation. Many aspects of creativity and verbal fluency are also best　20　in a classroom or informal setting.

填空题A.ThemainlinesthatcurrentlyserveEuropearelargelyaproductofthe19thcentury.Therailwayshavebeenindeclineformostofthe20thcentury.Fromthe1920sonwards,motorvehiclesbeganpilferingtheshort-distancetraffic.Inthe1960stheairplanesnatchedlong-distancetravelersandmotorwayssqueezedtherailwaysstillfurther.B.TheplanswereunveiledlastmonthinBrusselsataconferenceonhigh-speedtrainshostedbytheUnionInternationaledesCheminsdeferandtheCommunityofEuropeanRailways(agroupingthatincludesthe12CommunityrailwaysplusAustriaandSwitzerland).TheyexpandonthoseofDecember1990,whichhavealreadyreceivedtheblessingoftheCommunity'stransportministers.C.Japanledthewayforwardwhenitopenedanewhigh-speedlinein1964.The"bullet"trainsbetweenTokyoandOsakawerethefirstintheworldtoaveragemorethan160kilometersperhour,Europefollowedsuit.TheFrenchhigh-speedlinebetweenParisandLyon,whichopenedintwostagesin1981and1983,halvedjourneytimes.Anon-stoptrainnowtakestwohoursandthenumberofpassengerstravelingbytrainbetweenthetwocitieshastrebled.TheItalianRailwaysopeneditshigh-speedline,betweenFlorenceandRome,duringthe1980s.D.Progresshasbeenslower,andmorecostly,inGermanywhereGermanRailwayshasbeenplanninghigh-speedlinessince1970.Environmentaloppositiondelayedproceduresforacquiringland,whichforcedtheauthoritiestoputlargestretchesofnewlineintotunnels.Thisinturncausedanotherproblem.Enteringatunnelathighspeedcreatespressureplusesthatcausepassengers'earstopopunpleasantly.Asaresult,Germany'sintercitytrainsaresealedandpressurizedlikeaircrafttoinsulatepassengersfromthechangesinpressureoutside.E.Thescopeofthevisionisbreathtaking.AccordingtoAndresLopez,professorofengineeringatthePolytechnicUniversityofCatalonia,twiceasmanymilesofnewrailwaysarebeingplannedasmilesofmotorway.Theblueprintenvisagesthenetworkofhigh-speedlinesgrowingfromafewhundredkilometersto3,000kilometersby1,996and7,400kilometersbytheendofthecentury.Itseesthenetworkextendingeventuallyto20,000kilometerswithafurther15,000kilometersofexistinglinesbeingsubstantiallyrebuiltforhighspeedsatacostof180billion.F.Nevertheless,inthe1990sthepaceofopeninghasalreadybeguntoaccelerate.LastyearGermanyopeneditsfirsttwohigh-speedlinesandFranceopeneditssecondTGVline.Lastmonth,SpanishRailwaysbecamethefourthrailwaystojointhe250kilometersperhourclubwhenitopenedanewlinefromMadridtoSeville.Overthenextfouryearsafurthersixstretchesofhigh-speedlinewillopen:threeinFranceandoneeachinAustria,BelgiumandGermany.BritainwillfinallybelinkedtothisgrowingnetworkwhentrainsbegintorunthroughtheChannelTunnelfromLondontoBrusselsandParis,althoughdelaysindeliveringtherollingstockmakethisunlikelyuntilearlyin1994.G.FourEuropeanrailwayscurrentlyhavehigh-speedtrains.PerhapsthebestknownisFrenchRailways,TGV,whichholdstheworldspeedrecordof515kilometersperhour.ButGermany,ItalyandSpainalsohavetrainsthatarecapableofexceeding250kilometersperhour(thethresholdthatdefineshighspeed).NownewplansproposeanetworknotonlylinkingcountriesintheEuropeanCommunitybutextendingacrossEasternEuropetoo.Order:

填空题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}}ThefollowingparagraphsaregiveninawrongorderforQuestions41-45,youarerequiredtoreorganizetheseparagraphsintoacoherentarticlebychoosingfromthelistA-Etofillineachnumberedbox.ThefirstandthelastparagraphshavebeenplacedforyouinBoxes.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.[A]ThepetitionersarguethatrepealingthetaxwillcosttheTreasurybillionsofdollarsinlostrevenuesandwillresultineitherincreasedtaxesinthelongrunorcutstoMedicare,SocialSecurity,environmentalprotectionandothergovernmentprograms.Repealingthelevy"wouldenrichtheheirsofAmerica'smillionairesandbillionaires,whilehurtingfamilieswhostruggletomakeendsmeet,"thepetitionsays.[B]About120wealthyAmericanshadsignedorsupportedapetitiontoopposephasingoutthetax.PresidentBushhasincludedtherepealofthetaxinhis$1.6trilliontax-cutproposal.Normallywhen"dozens"ofAmericansjoininapoliticalcause,itisnotparticularlynoteworthy,butinthiscasethedozensinclude:GeorgeSoros,abillionairefinancier;WarrenBuffett,aninvestorlistedasAmerica'sfourth-richestperson;thephilanthropistDavidRockefellerJr.;andWilliamGatesSr.,aSeattlelawyerandfatherofAmerica'srichestman,MicrosoftCorp.ChairmanBillGates.[C]Buffettandcompanycitethesefactorsintheirpetitioncallingforoppositiontotheestate-taxrepeal.Theyalsodiscusssomethingthat'sequallyemotionalandfarmorecomplex:theprincipleofmeritocracy.TheideathateveryoneinAmericahasanequalchance,thatourfatesarenotdeterminedbyaccidentsofbirth,isoneofourcorevalues.Andnowhereisthisprinciplemorereveredthaninthetechnologyeconomy;entrepreneurshipisalmostbydefinitionanexpressionofmeritocracy.[D]BuffetttoldtheTimesthatrepealingtheestatetaxwouldbea"terriblemistake"andtheequivalentof"choosingthe2020Olympicteambypickingtheeldestsonsofthegoldmedalwinnersinthe2000Olympics."[E]Anoldbrokeragecommercialsays:"Hemadehismoneytheold-fashionedway:Heearnedit."Therewasaperfectparodyoftheadinwhichthelineread:"Hemadehismoneytheold-fashionedway:Heinheritedit."In20or50or100years,whichoftheselineswillberight?BuffettandSorosandfriends,totheircredit,wanttohelpmakethefirstonereal.Let'shopethisisonlyonestepinthatprocess.[F]ItwasrefreshingtoseeBuffettandGeorgeSorosandanumberofotherextremelywealthyluminariesstandupinoppositiontoPresidentBush'sproposedrepealoftheestatetax.Whilethepolicyhassomeemotionalattractions—itwouldprotecttheinheritorsofsomesmallbusinessesfromhavingtosellthecompaniestopaytaxes,anditistruethatmostpeoplehavebeentaxedontheirsavingsoncealready—inpracticethetaxrepealwouldmainlybeawindfallforaverysmallnumberofvery,veryrichpeople.[G]Presidentwillmakehiscaseforhis$1.6trilliontaxcutplan,deliveringaspeechatacommunitycenterinSt.Louis.Theproposalwouldslashfederaltaxratesacrossalllevelsofincome,eliminatetheso-calledmarriagepenaltyandphaseoutestatetaxes.Democratscomplainthattheplan—whichwouldcutthetopratefrom39to33percent—woulddisproportionatelybenefitthewealthyandunnecessarilysquanderexpectedbudgetsurpluses.SomeoftherichestAmericansareurgingCongressnottorepealtheestatetax,TheNewYorkTimesreportedonWednesday.(Feb.14)Order:

填空题Before you speak to any audience, you should learn as much about its members as possible. Only in that way can you best adapt the level of your language and the content of your talk to your listeners.41. Speaking to someone you know well. ______ Where are you likely to speak? Certainly, in this class you'll give several talks, and since you know most, ff not all, of the students, you should face no major problems in adapting your approach to them. Another speaking possibility exists in your workplace. A third speaking possibility exists in any organization (social, cultural, athletic, and so on ) that you belong to. You may be asked to speak at the next meeting or at the annual banquet. Here again, you know the people involved, their background, their education level, and their attitudes ? and that's a tremendous advantage for you. Since we're upbeat and positive in this course, we'll assume that you've given successful talks under all three circumstances, and with this course under your belt, you can do it again. Since good speakers are hard to. find and word about them travels fast, suppose that one day you get an invitation to speak to an organization in which you don't know a soul. What do you do now? If you feel able to handle the topic you're asked to speak on, accept this rare challenge. Here's where audience analysis comes into play. Be sure to ask the person who invited you for information on the members, information that encompasses a broad spectrum, such as in the following areas.42. How old are your listeners? ______43. Sex composition of your listeners. ______44. Interest in topic.45. Interests or hobbies of the listeners.[A] If you're invited to speak to a women's or men's organization, you know the answer to this question at once. Quite often, however, audiences are mixed fairly evenly, although at times one sex may predominate.[B] Do members of your prospective audience spend evenings watching TV movies and drinking beer at a local tavern, or do they read the Harvard Classics and attend concerts of Beethoven and Mozart? Do they play bingo and 21, or do they pursue the questions the intriguing intricacies of contract bridge and chess? Answers to these questions can help you choose the most appropriate material and language for your audience. Your choices can be crucial in determining the success or failure of your presentation.[C] Are the members recent college graduates, senior citizens, or business executives in midcareer? Just remember, age exerts a powerful impact on people's attitudes, values and motivations.[D] For example, your department manager may ask you to explain and demonstrate a procedure to some fellow employee. Or she may select you to address your department on behalf of the local blood donor drive. In both speech situations--in class and on the job— you're familiar with your audience; you speak their language; you have things in common with them.[E] Are you aware of the educational background of your audience? How many of them have doctoral degrees, master degrees or bachelor degrees? This will decide what kind of language you should adopt and how much they can understand.[F] Are the members of the organization interested in the topic or are they required to attend regardless of their interest? If the latter is true, what types of material will most likely pique their curiosity?

填空题[A] Refuse Gimmicks[B] Be Wary of Price Levels[C] Say No to Useless Things[D] Never Pay List Price[E] Stand up to Temptations[F] Switch — or Threaten to[G] Don’t Buy on Impulse In recent years the basic market principles of competition and choice have expanded into new aspects of American life. Consumers now face a bewildering array of options for air travel, phone service, medical care, even postal service. Car buyers can shop on the Internet for the best price at any dealership in their area. In some parts of the country, homeowners can purchase electricity from a menu of companies. All this choice translates into unprecedented consumer power. One of the persistent myths of capitalist culture is that business people love competition. They don’t. They spend their waking hours plotting ways to avoid it, and keep prices high. These days they use information technologies that give them intricate data on individual shoppers, and then present multiple prices to get each consumer to cough up the maximum he is willing to pay. The airlines have mastered this game, offering many levels of fares. So how can you make the most of your new power as a consumer? Here are rules to help you find your way. 41.______ In the New Economy, competition is so strong that fewer stores and services are immune to price pressure, so sharpen your bargaining skills. Ask retailers to match prices you’ve seen on the Internet. Ask at the checkout counter if there are any coupons or discounts you can use. Ask hotel clerks if there are better rates available. You’ll be surprised how often the answer is yes. 42.______ As competition heats up and pushes prices down, businesses scramble to boost their profits by heaping on extras: rust proofing your car, service contracts on your appliance, prepaid gasoline for your rental car. These stunts are devised to make you pay more at the last minute and probably aren’t a good deal. 43.______ The information highway is a two-way street. As a consumer, you can get more data. But while you are roaming the Web, businesses are studying your habits and vulnerabilities. Have a weakness for chocolates? Don’t be surprised if Amazon. Com offers to sell you a box while you’re browsing for books. They’re using a wrinkle on the last-minute marketing pitch perfected by McDonald’s: “Would you like fries with that?” The ploy works remarkably well. 44.______ Versioning is a tactic used by businesses to separate status-conscious consumers from the bargain-hungry ones — since the former mean bigger profit margins. “Deluxe” and “platinum” are code words used to entice status seekers to open their wallets. Add a third price level and the purses of even bargain-hungry shoppers can be pried open. Research shows that many consumers who might pick the lower-priced option when given just two choices will choose the medium-priced alternative if given three. “Consumers try to avoid extreme options,” write Carl Shapiro and Hal R. Varian in their book Information Rules. Consumers in .the New Economy face more demands on their time and attention than ever before, so they’re inclined to make the most familiar choice. Consider this: it had been a decade and a half since the breakup of AT＆T, yet it is still by far the largest long-distance provider — even while other phone companies offer $ 50 worth of free service for switching. More than ever, it pays to change services and brands. If you don’t want the hassles of switching remember that businesses are eager to hang on to consumers. The next time you get a tempting offer from a credit-card issuer or a phone company, call your current provider and ask them to match the deal. You’ll be pleased to find how often they’ll agree.

填空题A.However,thecultureofAtlantisbegantodecay.Platorecountsthatthepeoplechangedtheirlaw-respectingwayoflife.Theybegantodisregardtheirreligion,graduallylivingwithlessrestraintandpiety.Theybegantovalueluxuries,wealth,andidleness.Theninonedayandonenightthecontinentwascompletelydestroyed.Platoconcludesthatadecadentsocietydeservedsuchpunishment.Buttwoquestionsremainunanswered.WherewasAtlantis,andwherediditgo?B.Thisstoryintriguespeoplesomuchthatmanyhavebeensearchingfortheexplanationofthe"lostcontinent"for23centuries.TherearethreeprobablelocationsforAtlantis:theAzores,intheAtlanticOcean;theBiminiIslands,intheCaribbeanSea;andSantorini,orKalliste,intheAegeanSea.SeveralfactsmaketheAzoresapossiblelocation.IntheAzoresandnearIcelandtherehavebeenmanyvolcanicislandsthathaverisenfromtheseaandthendisappearedlater.Also,PlatowassurethatAtlantiswasintheAtlantic,asthenameimplies.ThetheorythatAtlantiswasintheAzoreshasonlyrecentlybeenrefuted.C.TheGreekphilosopherPlato(approximately427to347B.C.)istheprimarysourceforthelegendofAtlantis.Hisdescriptionofthe"lostcontinent"stillexcitesthemodemmind.Plato'sAtlantiswasakindofparadise—avastisland"largerthanLibyaandAsiaputtogether"—withmagnificentmountainranges,greenplainsthatwerefullofeveryvarietyofanimal,andluxuriantgardenswherethefruitwas"fairandwondrousandininfiniteabundance."Theearthwasrichwithpreciousmetals,especiallytheoneprizedmosthighlybytheancients,orichalc,analloyofcopper,perhapsbrass.D.ThesecondcrediblepossibilityforAtlantisisintheBahamas,intheBiminis.In1958somestrangestructureswerenoticedontheseabedunderthewater.Curiousgeometricstructures—regularpolygons,circles,triangles,rectangles,andcompletelystraightlines—extendoverseveralmiles.Agiant"wall"severalhundredyardslongwasfoundsubmergedinthewatersoffthesmallislandofNorthBiinini.Thewallhastwobranches,runningatrightangles,inperfectlystraightlines.Theconstruction,whichispreciselyperpendicular,ismadeofmassivestoneblocksover16feetsquare.Partofthestructureevenresemblesaharborwithadockforboats.ThegeologyoftheBahamasshows,however,thatthesubmersionoftheplateauhadbeencausedbythemeltingofthepolarglaciersthatraisedtheleveloftheworld'soceans.ThisdiminishesthepossibilitythatAtlantiswasintheCaribbeanSea.Therewerenoviolenteruptions,merelytheslowlyrisingoceanfromapproximately8,000to7,000B.C.E.ThecapitalofAtlantiswasbeautifullyconstructedinwhite,black,andredstone.Thecitywascarefullyplannedinfivezonesbuiltinperfectconcentriccircles.Eachcircularzonewasbuiltinsidealargerone.Platosaysthatthecapital'scanalsanditsnearbyportwere"fullofvesselsandmerchantscomingfromallparts,whokeptupdinandclatternightandday."Thecitywasfulloflife,activityandculture.F.ThelastreasonablepossibilitytodateisthatAtlantiswaslocatedintheAegean,notfarfromCrete.However,thisassumptioncannotbeprovedbeyonddoubt,andthedisappearanceofAtlantisremainsalastingmystery.G.Thirty-fivehundredyearsago,atremendousexplosionblewapartanislandandcompletelydestroyedacivilizationcalledAtlantis.WherewasAtlantis?Whatkindofpeoplelivedthere?Whyandhowwasitdestroyed?Nooneknowstheanswerstothesequestions,buttherehavebeenhundredsofguessesandtheories.Order: