填空题The image of the Briton abroad, speaking English slowly and loudly in the expectation that eventually the natives will get the idea, is a stereotype with a good deal of truth behind it. According to a survey by the European Commission last year, just 30% of Britons can converse in a language other than their own (only Hungarians did worse). Bad as these figures are, they are flattered by the one in ten residents of Britain who speak a language other than English at home. The next generation is unlikely to do even this well. (1) . Around four in five of all English state schools allow their students to abandon languages at 14 and some private schools are starting to follow suit. In 2006 only half of all students took a foreign-language GCSE exam——the standard test for 16-year-olds. (2) . Whatever the recommendations, the place of languages in the secondary-school curriculum may no longer be the government's to decide. Young people hoping to do a degree at a prestigious university may find themselves having to study a foreign language until at least the age of 16. (3) . Other universities are also concerned. On December 3rd a letter calling for the government to restore the compulsory status of language teaching after 14 was published in The Observer, a Sunday newspaper. The 50 signers of the letter represented many of the country's top universities, some of which may follow UCL's lead, if they don't like what Lord Dearing has to say. (4) . And this year English was added to the curriculum studied by Mexican primary-school children, who are learning the language along with 200,000 teachers. According to David Graddol of the British Council, a cultural organization, "within a decade nearly a third of the world's population will all be trying to learn English at the same time." (5) . Competent bilinguals? Many of whom have traveled in the course of acquiring English, can offer everything that native speakers of English (and just English) can as well as an extra language and an international perspective. Even Britons, however, are willing to learn a language if they can see the benefit of doing so. Nic Byrne, who runs the language Centre at the London School of Economics, surveyed university language centers around Britain. He discovered that tens of thousands of students are studying a language in their own time, or as a small part of their degree. Many are hoping to spend a year studying abroad, and recognize that a language and a life-changing experience will get them better jobs. A. Enthusiasm for English is spreading all over the world. More than a fifth of Japanese five-year-olds now attend classes in English conversation. Countries like Chile and Mongolia have declared their intention to become bilingual in English over the next decade or two. B. More subtly, as British native English speakers are increasingly outnumbered by people who speak English as a second language, the future of their own language is passing from their hands. C. At first sight this means that things are about to get even more comfortable for native English speakers; they needn't lift a finger to learn other people's subjunctives. But the problem is that they will lose the competitive advantage that once came with being among the relatively few to speak the world's most useful language. D. Fewer young people are studying languages in school, a trend that has accelerated since 2004, when the government allowed English schools to make foreign languages optional for students aged 14 and over. Even those who are keen on languages often drop them at this stage now, as schools offer a narrower choice of languages and schedule them against other subjects. E. Native English speakers often complain that they would study a foreign language, if only they, like the rest of the world, knew which to choose. But the freedom to choose a second tongue is really more a blessing than a curse. F. Worried by the rush to the exit, in October the education secretary, Alan Johnson, asked Lord (Ron) Dearing, a former boss of the Post Office, to look at the state of language teaching in English schools. G. On December 12th the committee on admissions policy at University College London (UCL) voted to phase in a requirement for all applicants to have a GCSE or equivalent in a modern foreign language. Michael Worton, the committee's chairman, says the idea is to persuade young people—and schools— that studying a language is necessary and worthwhile.

填空题A. The "oceans of Spam" problem B. It"s all garbage C. The free ride D. It"s worse than computer viruses E. The theft of resources F. It might be illegal Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most Spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. We often get very upset when we receive e-mail which was not requested. 1 Spam costs the sender very little to send—most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender. For example, AOL has said that they were receiving 1.8 million Spams from Cyber Promotions per day until they got a court injunction to stop it. Assuming that it takes the typical AOL user only 10 seconds to identify and discard a message, that"s still 5,000 hours per day of connect time per day spent discarding their Spam, just on AOL. By contrast, the Spammer probably has a T1 line that costs him about $100/day. No other kind of advertising costs the advertiser so little, and the recipient so much. 2 At the moment, most of us only get a few Spams per day. But imagine if only 1/ 10 of 1% of the users on the Internet decided to send out Spam at a moderate rate of 100,000 per day, a rate easily achievable with a dial-up account and a PC. Then everyone would be receiving 100 Spams every day. If 1% of users were Spamming at that rate, we"d all be getting 1,000 spares per day. If Spam grows, it will crowd our mailboxes to the point that they"re not useful for real mail. Users on AOL report that they"re already nearing this point. 3 An increasing number of Spammers, such as Quantum Communications, send most or all of their mail via innocent intermediate systems. This fills the intermediate systems" networks and disks with unwanted Spare messages, takes up their managers" time dealing with all the undeliverable Spare messages, and subjects them to complaints from recipients who conclude that since the intermediate system delivered the mail, they must be in league with the Spammers. Many other Spammers use "hit and run" Spamming in which they get a trial dial-up account at an Internet provider for a few days, send tens of thousands of messages, then abandon the account, leaving the unsuspecting provider to clean up the mess. Many Spammers have done this tens or dozens of times, forcing the providers to waste staff time both on the cleanup and on monitoring their trial accounts for abuse. 4 The Spam messages I"ve seen have almost without exception advertised stuff that"s worthless, deceptive, and partly or entirely fraudulent. It"s Spam software, funky miracle cures, off-brand computer parts, vaguely described get-rich-quick schemes, dial-a-porn, and so on downhill from there. It"s all stuff that"s too cruddy to be worth advertising in any medium where they"d actually have to pay the cost of the ads. 5 Some kinds of Spam are illegal in some countries on the Internet. Especially with pornography, mere possession of such material can be enough to put the recipient in jail. In the United States, child pornography is highly illegal and we"ve already seen Spammed child porn offers. Any one of these would be enough to make me pretty unhappy about getting junk e-mail. Put them together and it"s intolerable.

填空题(41)____________________ Through laziness and cowardice a large part of mankind, even after nature has freed them from alien guidance, gladly remain immature. It is because of laziness and cowardice that it is so easy for others to usurp the role of guardians. It is so comfortable to be a minor! If I have a book which provides meaning for me, a doctor who will judge my diet for me and so on, then I do not need to exert myself. I do not have any need to think; if I can pay, others will take over the tedious job for me. The guardians who have kindly undertaken the supervision will see to it that by far the largest part of mankind, including the entire "beautiful sex," should consider the step into maturity, not only as difficult but as very dangerous. (42)________________________ It is difficult for the isolated individual to work himseff out of the immaturity which has become almost natural for him. He has even become fond of it and for the time being is incapable of employing his own intelligence, because he has never been allowed to make the attempt. Statues and formulas, these mechanical tools of a serviceable use, or rather misuse, of his natural faculties, are the ankle-chains of a continuous immaturity. Whoever threw it off would make an uncertain jump over the smallest trench because he is not accustomed to such free movement. Therefore there are only a few who have pursued a firm path and have succeeded in escaping from immaturity by their own cultivation of the mind. But it is more nearly possible for a public to enlighten itself: this is even inescapable if only the public is given its freedom. For there will always be some people who think for themselves, even among the self-appointed guardians of the great mass who, after having thrown off the yoke of immaturity themselves, will spread about them the spirit of a reasonable estimate of their own value and of the need for every man to think for himself. (43)____________________ Through revolution, the abandonment of personal despotism may be engendered and the end of profit-seeking and domineering oppression may occur, but never a true reform of the state of mind. Instead, new prejudices, just like the old ones, will serve as the guiding reins of the great, unthinking mass. (44)___________________ But I hear people clamor on all sides: Don't argue! The officer says: Don't argue, drill! The tax collector: Don't argue, pay! The pastor: Don't argue, believe!… Here we have restrictions on freedom everywhere. Which restriction is hampering enlightenment, and which does not, or even promotes it? I answer: The public use of a man's reason must be free at all times, and this alone can bring enlightenment among men. The question may now be put: Do we live at present in an enlightened age? (45)____________________ [A] All that is required for this enlightenment is freedom; and particularly the least harmful of that may be called freedom, namely, the freedom for man to make public use of his reason in all matters. [B] Enlightenment is man's leaving his self-caused immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused by lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use one's intelligence without being guided by another. Have the courage to use your own intelligence! It is therefore the motto of the Enlightenment. [C] The answer is: No, but in an age of enlightenment. Much still prevents men from being placed in a position to use their own minds securely and well in matters of religion. But we do have very definite indications that this field of endeavor is being opened up for men to work freely and reduce gradually the hindrances preventing a general enlightenment and an escape from self- caused immaturity. [D] I call this soaring wealth and shrinking spirit "the American paradox." More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low morale, secured rights and diminished civility. We excel at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate our prosperity but yearn for purpose. We cherish our freedoms but long for connection. In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger. [E] A public can only arrive at enlightenment slowly. [F] After having made their domestic animals dumb and having carefully prevented these quiet creatures from daring to take any step beyond the lead-strings to which they have fastened them, these guardians then show them the danger which threatens them, should they attempt to walk alone. Now this danger is not really so very great; for they would presumably learn to walk after some stumbling. However, an example of this kind intimidates and frightens people out of all further attempts. [G] Attitudes about divorce have dramatically changed. In the past, it was seen as the last resort of a woman who had been beaten up or cheated on. Women were victims. Today many women choose to get divorced because they think they will have a better life as a SINDI than by staying in a stale marriage. In 74 percent of cases it is women who now instigate divorce proceedings.

填空题Back when we were kids, the hours spent with friends were too numerous to count. There were marathon telephone conversations, all-night studying and giggling sessions. Even after boyfriends entered the picture, our best friends remained irreplaceable. And time was the means by which we nurtured those friendships. Now as adult women we never seem to have enough time for anything. Husbands, kids, careers and avocations-all require attention; too often, making time for our friends comes last on the list of priorities. And yet, ironically, we need our friends as much as ever in adulthood. A friendship network is absolutely crucial for our well-being as adults. We have to do the hard work of building and sustaining the network. Here are some important ways for accomplishing this. Let go of your less central friendships. Many of our friendships were never meant to last a lifetime. It's natural that some friendships have time limits. Furthermore, now everyone has a busy social calendar, so pull back from some people that you don't really want to draw close to and give the most promising friendship a fair chance to grow. (41) Be willing to "drop everything" when you' re truly needed. You may get a call from a friend who is really depressed over a certain problem when you are just sitting down to enjoy a romantic dinner with your husband. This is just one of those instances when a friend's needs mattered more. (42) Take advantage of the mails. Nearly all of us have pals living far away-friends we miss very much. Given the limited time available for visits and the high price of phone calls, writing is a fine way to keep in touch-and makes both sender and receiver feel good. (43) Risk expressing negative feelings. When time together is tough to come by, it's natural to want the mood during that time to be upbeat. And many people fear that others will think less of you if you express the negative feelings like anger and hurt. (44) Don't make your friends' problems your own. Sharing your friend's grief is the way you show deep friendship. Never underestimate the value of loyalty. Loyalty has always been rated as one of the most desired qualities in friends. True loyalty can be a fairly subtle thing. Some people feel it means that, no matter what, your friend will always take your side. But real loyalty is being accepting the person, not necessarily of certain actions your friend might take. (45) Give the gift of time as often as time allows. Time is what we don't have nearly enough of-and yet, armed with a little ingenuity, we can make it to give it to our friends. The last but not the least thing to keep a friendship alive is to say to your friends "I miss you and love you." Saying that at the end of a phone conversation, or a visit, or writing it on a birthday card, can sustain your friendship for the times you aren't together.[A] But taking on your friend's pain doesn't make that pain go away. There's a big difference between empathy or recognizing a friend's pain, and over identification, which makes the sufferer feel even weaker-"I must be in worse pain than I even thought, because the person I'm confiding in is suffering so much!" Remember troubled people just need their friends to stay grounded in their own feelings.[B] Remember honesty is the key to keeping a friendship real. Sharing your pain will actually deepen a friendship.[C] Besides, letters, cards and postcards have the virtue of being tangible-friends can them and reread them for years to come.[D] The trick is remembering that a little is better than none and that you can do two things at once. For instance, if you both go for a weekly aerobics, go on the same day. If you both want to go on vocation, schedule the same destination.[E] Careful listening, clear writing, close reading, plain speaking, and accurate description-will be invaluable. In tomorrow's fast-paced business environment there will be precious little time to correct any misunderstandings. Communications breakdown may well become a fatal corporate disease.[F] Sometimes, because of our unbreakable commitments or other circumstances, we simply can't give a needy friend the time we'd like. If you can't be there at that given moment, say something like, "I wish I could be with you-I can hear that you're in pain. May I call you tomorrow?" Be sure your friend knows she's cared about.

填空题[A]Inventoriesofthisstoredmerchandiseoftenneedtobefinanced.Modernmarketingisthereforeacoordinatedsystemofmanybusinessactivities.Butbasicallyitinvolvesfourthings:sellingthecorrectproductattheproperplace,sellingitatapricedeterminedbydemand,satisfyingacustomer'sneedandwants,andproducingaprofitforthecompany.[B]Rawmaterialsrequiringlittleornospecialtreatmentcanbetransportedbyrail,shiporbargeatlowcost.Largequantitiesofrawmaterialstravelasbulkfreight.Butfinishedproductsthatoftenrequirespecialtreatment,suchasrefrigerationofcarefulhandling,areusuallytransportedbytruck.Thismerchandisefreightisusuallysmallerinvolumeandrequiresquickerdelivery.Merchandisefreightisatermforthetransportationofmanufacturedgoods.[C]Thetermsmarketandmarketingcanhaveseveralmeaningsdependinguponhowtheyareused.Thetermstockmarketreferstothebuyingandsellingofsharesincorporations.Aswellasotheractivitiesrelatedtostocktradingandpricing.TheimportantworldstockmarketsareinLondon,Geneva,NewYork,TokyoandSingapore,anothertpeofmarketisagrocerymarket,whichisaplacewherepeoplepurchasefood.Wheneconomistsusethewordmarket.Theymeanasetofforcesorconditionsthatdeterminethepriceofaproduct,suchasthesupplyavailableforsaleandthedemandforitbyconsumers.Thetermmarketinginbusinessincludesallthesemeanings,andmore.[D]Inthepast,theconceptofmarketingemphasizedsales.Theproducerormanufacturermadeaproducthewantedtosell.Marketingwasthetaskoffiguringouthowtoselltheproduct.Basically,sellingtheproductwouldbeaccomplishedbysalespromotion,whichincludedadvertisingandpersonalselling.Inadditiontosalespromotion,marketingalsoinvolvedthephysicaldistributionoftheproducttotheplaceswhereitwasactuallysold.Distributionconsistedoftransportation,storage,andrelatedservices.Suchasfinancing,standardizationandgrading,andtherelatedrisks.[E]Marketingnowinvolvesfirstdecidingwhatthecustomerwants,anddesigningandproducingaproductthatsatisfiesthesewantsataprofittothecompany.Insteadofconcentratingsolelyonproduct,thecompanymustconsiderthedesiresoftheconsumer.Andthisismuchmoredifficultsinceitinvolveshumanbehavior.Production,ontheotherhand,ismostlyanengineeringproblem,thus,demandandmarketforcesarestillanimportantaspectofmodernmarketing.Buttheyareconsideredpriortotheproductionprocess.[F]Themodernmarketingconceptencompassesalloftheactivitiesmentioned,butitisbasedonadifferentsetofprinciples.Itsubscribestothenotionthatproductioncanbeeconomicallyjustifiedonlybyconsumption.Inotherwords,goodsshouldbeproducedonlyiftheycanbesold.Therefore,theproducershouldconsiderwhoisgoingtobuytheproduct.Orwhatthemarketfortheproductisbeforeproductionbegins.Thisisverydifferentfrommakingaproductandthenthinkingabouthowtosellit.[G]Becauseproductsareoften,marketedinternationally,distributionhasincreasedinimportance.Goodsmustbeattheplacewherethecustomerneedsthemorbroughtthere.Thisisknownasplaceutility,itaddsvaluetoaproduct.However,manymarketsareseparatedfromtheplaceofproduction.Whichmeansthatoftenbothrawmaterialsandfinishedproductsmustbetransportedtothepointswheretheyareneeded.[H]Alongallpointsofthedistributionchannelvariousamountsofstoragearerequired.Thetimeandmannerofsuchstoragedependsuponthetypeofproduct.

填空题[A]SowhatdotheAmericansthinkoftheforeignvisitorswhoarriveforthetorridheat,justwhenlocalsfromtheUnitedStatestendtoavoidDeathValley?SaysparkrangerBrendaHenson,"TheforeignerswanttoexperiencetheheatinDeathValley.Theythinkthisisneat.Ithinkit'scrazy."[B]Theplacethatthetourists—mainlyfromEurope—aredrawntoisanactuallyseriesofsaltflats225kmlongand6kmto26kmwide.Thesearingheatofthesunisreflectedupfromthisdryandwaterlessterrain,andtheonlynoisethatbreaksthesilenceinthisvastvalleyisthecrunchofvisitors'shoesonthefinesaltcrystalsleftbyevaporation.Birdsandanimalsarelargelyabsent,andonlythehardiestplantshaveanychanceofexistenceinthisunforgivinglandscape.[C]Accordingtoparkrangers,anaverageof1.3millionvisitorsentertheparkeachyear.FromJunethroughAugust,90percentofthemareforeigners,theretoexperiencetheblisteringheatthatgivesDeathValleyitsname.ArtHorton,meteorologistfromtheNationalWeatherService,saystheaveragehighinJulyis46.2degCandthelow30degC.ForAugust,theaveragehighis45.2degCandthelow29.4degC.[D]Allaround,mountainstowerabovethesaltflats.Acrosstheflats,visitorscanseeTelescopePeak,thehighestpointintheparkatmorethan3,350m.Normallysnowcoveredinwinter,themountainrangeisbareinsummer,butattheedgesoftheValleyofferssomeshadefromtheblisteringsun.[E]EvenDeathValley'shotnewsweathercanhaveextremesabovethat.Thehott,dayseverrecordedwereonJune30,1994,andJuly14,1972whentemperatulhit53.3degC.Andinwinter,DeathValleycontinuestoliveuptoitsname,pducingcoldnessattheotherendofthescalethatcanbelife-threateningtoanyocaughtexposedinit.ThecoldestdayrecordedinDeathValleywasonJanuary31988whenitwas18degCbelowzero.[F]OnetouristfromParissumsuptheattractionverysimply:"Wecomeherebecatwecantellallourfriendsandfamilythatwe'vebeentothehottestplaceintworld,"hesays.[G]DeathValleyisthelowest,hottest,driestareainNorthAmerica.TheclimatethisCaliforniaNationalParkhaslessthanScmofrainfallayearandtemperaturesto53degCinsummer.That'senoughtokeepsensibleAmericansawayduringlhottestmonthsfromJunetoAugust.Butit'sthenthatthesizzlingtemperaturesastiflingheatdrawtheirmostavidfans,theforeigntourists.Fromallovertheglobtheydescendtothevalleyfloorinrentalcars,carryingmapsandwaterbottles,avigorouslyfanningthemselveswithnewspaperstokeepcool.Order: