Developing Economy or Protecting the Environment?

When competition is fierce and elbows are flying, nothing is more natural than the desire to climb atop the heap. The biggest firms in most industries have an edge. They probably became the biggest by being the best. (46) They tend to become more efficient as they grow, reaping economies of scale, thus increasing their margins and their advantage over smaller rivals. Being large enough to shape an industry can help. And when the national champion is faltering, there is a fair chance politicians will consider it too big to fail. (47) So you might think that it"s time to crack open a few cans of the stuff at PepsiCo, which this week surpassed Coca-Cola in market value for the first time in 112 years of crazy competition. And yet, without wishing to spoil Pepsi"s party, the case for celebration is not so clear-cut. As America has discovered in the geopolitics business, being number one is not much fun. As soon as a firm climbs above the sharp elbows of its rivals, it starts getting pelted with the eggs of anti-business activists. People who hate big business aim high. (48) So while big, bad Wal-Mart is mocked, Target has in the past couple of years easily cut the benefits of its non-union workers. And when was the last time you saw an anti-globalization mob destroy a Burger King outlet? (49) Unlike Microsoft, which is loathed by many for its monopoly power, Apple has not had to contend with thousands of young hackers fighting to poke holes in the security of its operating systems. While Nike was inundated with complaints about its "sweat shops" in poor countries, Adidas steadily improved its brand, and has recently acquired Reebok to emerge as a strong number two. If only Ebenezer Scrooge had lived across town from a bigger rival, the ghosts of Christmas might have picked on the other guy, and left the poor curmudgeon to a good night"s sleep. As protesters get better at running media campaigns, the second-best advantage may even be growing. (50) Firms such as Ford, Burger King and Target do not have documentary-makers queuing up to attack them in such films as "Roger and Me" (General Motors), "Super Size Me" (McDonald"s) or "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price". Even if the runner-up does get caught doing something unpopular, it can pin the blame on merciless competition from the evil number one.

Long before Man lived on the Earth, there were fishes, reptiles, birds, insects, and some mammals. Although some of these animals were ancestors of kinds living today, others are now extinct, that is, they have no descendants alive now.【C1】______. Very occasionally the rocks show impression of skin, so that, apart from color, we can build up a reasonably accurate picture of an animal that died millions of years ago. That kind of rock in which the remains are found tells us much about the nature of the original land, often of the plants that grew on it, and even of its climate. 【C2】______. Nearly all of the fossils that we know were preserved in rocks formed by water action, and most of these are of animals that lived in or near water. Thus it follows that there must be many kinds of mammals, birds, and insects of which we know nothing. 【C3】______. There were also crablike creatures, whose bodies were covered with a horny substance. The body segments each had two pairs of legs, one pair for walking on the sandy bottom, the other for swimming. The head was a kind of shield with a pair of compound eyes, often with thousands of lenses. They were usually an inch or two long but some were 2 feet. 【C4】______. Of these, the ammonites are very interesting and important. They have a shell composed of many chambers, each representing a temporary home of the animal. As the young grew larger it grew a new chamber and sealed off the previous one. Thousands of these can be seen in the rocks on the Dorset Coast. 【C5】______. About 75 million years ago the Age of Reptiles was over and most of the groups died out. The mammals quickly developed, and we can trace the evolution of many familiar animals such as the elephant and horse. Many of the later mammals though now extinct, were known to primitive man and were featured by him in cave paintings and on bone carvings. [A]The shellfish have a long history in the rock and many different kinds are known. [B]Nevertheless, we know a great deal about many of them because their bones and shells have been preserved in the rocks as fossils, from them we can tell their size and shape, how they walked, the kind of food they ate. [C]The first animals with true backbones were the fishes, first known in the rocks of 375 million years ago. About 300 million years ago the amphibians, the animals able to live both on land and in water, appeared. They were giant, sometimes 8 feet long, and many of them lived in the swampy pools in which our coal seam, or layer is formed. The amphibians gave rise to the reptiles and for nearly 150 million years these were the principal forms of life on land, in the sea, and in the air. [D]The best index fossils tend to be marine creatures. These animals evolved rapidly and spread over large over large areas of the world. [E]The earliest animals whose remains have been found were all very simple kinds and lived in the sea. Later forms are more complex, and among these are the sea-lilies, relations of the star-fishes, which had long arms and were attached by a long stalk to the sea bed, or to rocks. [F]When an animal dies, the body, its bones, or shell, may often be carried away by streams into lakes or the sea and there get covered up by mud. If the animal lived in the sea its body would probably sink and be covered with mud. More and more mud would fall upon it until the bones or shell become embedded and preserved. [G]Many factors can influence how fossils are preserved in rocks. Remains of an organism may be replaced by minerals, dissolved by an acidic solution to leave only their impression, or simply reduced to a more stable form.

Mr. Green ran all the way up to the station only to find that the train had left 15 minutes before.

BSection II Reading Comprehension/B

Online Reading or Book Reading?

At the moment, mobile TV is mostly streamed over 3G networks. But sending an individual data stream to each viewer is inefficient and will be unsustainable in the long run if mobile TV takes off.【F1】 So the general consensus is that 3G streaming is a prelude to the construction of dedicated mobile-TV broadcast networks, which transmit digital TV signals on entirely different frequencies to those used for voice and data. There are three main standards: DVB-H, favoured in Europe; DMB. which has been adopted in South Korea and Japan; and MediaFLO, which is being rolled out in America. Watching TV using any of these technologies requires a TV capable handset, of course. Although several new models were unveiled in has Vegas this week, no such handsels are yet available in Europe or America, and few in Asia. In contrast, watching downloaded TV programmes on an iPod or other portable video player is already possible today.【F2】 And unlike a programme streamed over 3G or broadcast via a dedicated mobile-TV network, shows stored on an iPod can be watched on an underground train or in regions with patchy network coverage. That suggests that some shows(such as drama)better suit the download model, while others(such as live news, sports or reality shows)are better suited to real-time transmission, notes Michelle de Lussanet of Forrester, a consultancy. The two approaches will probably co-exist. Future iPods may be able to receive real-time broadcasts, while mobile handsets will be able to store broadcast content or download it from PCs or PVRs for later viewing. Just as there are several competing mobile-TV technologies, there are also many possible business models.【F3】 Mobile operators might choose to build their own mobile-TV broadcast networks; or they could form a consortium and build a shared network; or existing broadcasters could build such networks. Some channels will be given away for free, while others are for paying subscribers only. The outcome will vary from country to country, depending on the regulatory environment and the availability of spectrum. The big question is whether the broadcasters and mobile operators can agree how to divide the spoils, assuming there are any.【F4】 Broadcasters own the content, but mobile operators generally control the handsets, and they do not always see eye to eye. 【F5】 In South Korea, a consortium of broadcasters launched a free-to-air DMB network last month, but the country"s mobile operators were reluctant to provide their users with handsets able to receive the broadcasts, since they were unwilling to undermine the prospects for their own subscription-based mobile-TV services.

With 950 million people, India ranks second to China among the most populous countries. But since China 【B1】______ a family planning program in 1971, India has been closing the 【B2】______. Indians have reduced their birth rate but not nearly 【B3】______ the Chinese have. If current growth rates continue, India' s population will 【B4】______ China's around the year 2028 【B5】______ about 1.7 billion. Should that happen, it won't be the【B6】______of the enlightened women of Kerala, a state in southern India. 【B7】______ India as a whole adds almost 20 million people a year, Kerala's population is virtually 【B8】______. The reason is no mystery: nearly two-thirds of Kerala women practice birth control,【B9】______about 40% in the entire nation. The difference【B10】______the emphasis put on health programs【B11】______birth control by the state authorities, 【B12】______in 1957 became India's first elected Communist【B13】______. And an educational tradition and matrilineal customs in parts of Kerala help girls and boys get【B14】______good schooling. While one in three Indian women is【B15】______, 90% of those in Kerala can read and write. Higher literacy rates【B16】______family planning. "Unlike our parents, we know that we can do more for our children if we have【B17】______of them," says Laila Cherian, 33, who lives in the village of Kudamaloor. She has limited herself【B18】______three children—one below the national【B19】______of four. That kind of restraint will keep Kerala from putting added【B20】______on world food supplies.

To Buy or to Rent? A. Title: To Buy or to Rent? B. Word limit: 160-200 words (not including the given opening sentence) C. Your composition should be based on the OUTLINE below and should start with the given opening sentence: "Today, the rocketing housing price has made it a huge burden for lots of people to possess a house." OUTLINE: 1. A general description of the present situation 2. People's different views 3. My opinion

Moulex is a world-leading manufacturer of home appliances. With 30 years of rich experience, we produce and sell the most reliable and user-friendly irons for our customers all over the world. Before you enjoy our great product, please ensure that basic safety precautions be followed and all instructions be read carefully. (l)Filling the reservoir: Your iron is designed to function using tap water. However, it will last longer if you use distilled water. (2)Temperature and steam control: Your Moulex iron has two buttons which control the intensity of heat produced by the iron. You can, therefore, adjust the temperature of the iron and the amount of steam being given off depending upon the type of fabric being ironed. -Turn the steam control to the desired intensity. -Turn the thermostat control to the desired temperature. (3)Pressing button: Important: Do not use this more than five successive times. (4)Suits crease erasing: It is possible to use this iron in a vertical position so that you can remove creases from clothes on coathangers or from curtains. Turning the thermostat control and the steam button to maximum, hold the iron in a vertical position close to the fabric but without touching it. Hold down the pressing button for a maximum of one second. The steam produced is not always visible but is still able to remove creases. (5)Auto-clean: In order that your iron does not become furred up, Moulex have integrated an auto-clean system and we advise you to use it very regularly(1-2 times per month.) [A]Turn the steam control to the off position. Fill the reservoir and turn the thermostat control to maximum. As soon as the indicator light goes out, unplug the iron and, hold it over the sink, turn the steam control to auto-clean. Any calcium deposits will be washed out by the steam. Continue the procedure until the reservoir is empty. [B]If your iron produces droplets of water instead of giving off steam, your temperature control is set too low. [C]Always unplug the iron before filling the reservoir. Always empty the reservoir after use. [D]This button activates a super shot of steam which momentarily gives you an additional 40g of steam, when needed. [E]This button activates a jet of cold water which allows you to iron out any unintentional creases. Press the button for one second. [F]Hold the iron at a sufficient distance from silk and wool to avoid all risk of scorching. Do not attempt to remove creases from an item of clothing that is being worn, always use a coathanger.

Duringuncertaintimes,peopletendtolookbackandwonderhowitgottothis.Theyfeelmorekeenlytheirmissedopportunitiesandfailuresinjudgment.Regret—thesensethatthingscouldhaveturnedoutbetterifonlyadifferentchoicehadbeenmade—becomespervasive.However,regretneedn"tbeagarmentrending,self-whippingemotion.Instead,itcanbesomethingtovalueanduse.AccordingtoarecentstudybyColleenSaffreyattheUniversityofVictoriainCanadaandcolleaguesattheUniversityofIllinois,mostpeopleholdregretinhighregard.Ofallthenegativeemotions,regretwasidentifiedasthemostvaluedinthatithelpedpeoplemakesenseoflifeeventsandremedywhatwentwrong.Regretishardwiredintohumanbiology,underscoringitsimportanceinbehavior.Advancesinneuro-imagingshowthatwhenapersonexperiencesregret,apartofthebraininvolvedinbothreasoningandemotionbecomesactive.Neurosciencealsotellsusthatlearningprobablyworksbestwhenthereisanintenseemotionalcomponenttoit,soitcouldbethatregretbolstersourabilitytolearnfromexperience.Suggestionslistedbelowmayhelpyoumanagethisemotionandturnitintoatoolforgrowth.Bewareofhindsightbias.Whatyoushouldhavedonealwaysseemsclearerinretrospectthanitwasatthetime.AstheDanishphilosopherKierkegaardputit,"Lifecanonlybeunderstoodbackwards,butitmustbelivedforwards."Hemighthavesaid,"Sodon"tbesohardonyourself."Useregretstoimprovedecisionmakingandclarifyvalues.Insteadofthinkingoverwhatmighthavebeen,letwhathappenedpointtheway.Theregretmighthelpyouprioritizeyourinvestmentsinrelationships,servicetothecommunity,health,andtime,aswellashelpyousetreasonablefinancialgoals.Balanceregretandrisk.Insteadofchoosingalessriskyoptionthatyouareleastlikelytoregret,choosetheonethatwillmaximizeyourchanceofreachingrealisticgoals.Infact,pastexperiencesofregretmayhavegivenyouabetterappreciationofrisk,whichisasignofgrowth.Don"tworryalone,especiallyifyouaredrowninginregret.Ifmiserylovescompany,it"sbecauseperspectivehelps.It"sgoodtoknowyou"renottheonly"idiot"intheneighborhood.Onsomelevel,we"reallidiots.Themostsuccessfulpeoplearethosewhohavebeenresoluteinthefaceoffailure.Ifyourthoughtsturnmorbid,getprofessionalhelpsoyoucangobacktostrivingtowardyourpersonalandcareergoals.

Bilingual education in New York City was originally viewed as a transitional program that would teach foreign-born children in their native languages until they were fluent enough in English to enter the educational mainstream. But over the last 25 years, bilingual programs at many schools have become foreign-language ghettos from which many children never escape. The need to expose foreign-born students to more English during the school day—and to move them as quickly as possible into the mainstream—was underscored this week in a pair of reports, one from Mayor Rudolph Giuliani"s task force on bilingual education and one form Schools Chancellor Harold Levy. The push to reform bilingual education has intensified across the country since the Silicon Valley millionaire Ron K. Unz championed a ballot initiative that ended bilingual education in California two years ago. Opponents of bilingual education want it replaced with the so-called immersion method, in which students are forced to "sink or swim" in classes taught entirely in English. Immersion has at least a chance of success in the early grades, where children are mainly being taught to read and write. But it is a recipe for failure in the upper grades, where older foreign-born students must simultaneously learn English and master complex subjects like math, science and literature. Mayor Giuliani and Schools Chancellor Levy have wisely called for reforming special education instead of dismantling it. Both reports want to end the practice of dragooning children into the system, and call on administrators to offer parents a range of choices. Instead of automatically assigning students to bilingual classes—where they take subjects like mathematics and social studies in their native languages—parents would be allowed to choose other options, including the strategy of English as a second language, in which most instruction is offered in English. Children would be moved into the mainstream as quickly as possible, preferably within three years. But these sensible reforms have little chance of succeeding unless the city and the state act quickly to train and recruit teachers who can perform the needed task. Nearly 30 percent of bilingual instructors are uncertified. Some have not even mastered the languages they have been hired to teach. True reform will require dollars, determination and a qualified teacher in every classroom.

We thus easily get into great difficulties from the necessity of viewing culture, at one moment, as a part of the man and, at another moment, as a part of the environment.

America is one of many countries where the state gives a leg-up to members of certain racial, ethnic, or other groups【C1】______holding them to different standards. The details【C2】______. In some countries, the policy【C3】______only to areas under direct state control, such as public-works contracts or【C4】______to public universities. In others, private firms are also obliged to take【C5】______of the race of their employees, contractors and even owners.【C6】______the effects are strikingly similar around the world. Many of these policies were put in place with the best of intentions: to【C7】______for past injustices and purify their legacy. No one can deny that, 【C8】______, blacks in America have suffered awful wrongs, and continue to suffer【C9】______. Favouring members of these groups seems like a quick and effective way of making society【C10】______. Most of these groups have made great【C11】______. At the same time, the downside of affirmative action has become all too【C12】______. Awarding university places to black students【C13】______lower test scores than whites sounds reasonable,【C14】______the legacy of segregation. But a study found that at some American universities, black applicants who scored 450 points worse than Asians on entrance tests were【C15】______likely to win a place. That is neither fair on Asians, nor a(n) 【C16】______to blacks to study in high school. The book "Mismatch" produces evidence that【C17】______affirmative action reduces the number of blacks who【C18】______as lawyers by placing black students in law schools for which they are【C19】______, causing many to drop out. Had they attended less demanding schools, they might have【C20】______.

If I ask you what constitutes "bad" eating, the kind that leads to obesity and a variety of connected diseases, you're likely to answer, "Salt, fat and sugar." Yet that's not a(n) 【C1】______answer. We don't know everything about the dietary【C2】______to chronic disease, but the best-qualified people argue that real food is more likely to promote health and less likely to cause disease than hyper-processed food. And we can further【C3】______that message: Minimally processed food—Real Food—should【C4】______our diets. Real food solves the salt / fat / sugar problem. Yes, excess salt may cause high blood pressure, and【C5】______sodium intake in people with high blood pressure helps.【C6】______salt is only one of several risk factors in developing high blood pressure, and those who eat a diverse diet and few processed foods need not【C7】______about salt intake. "Fat" is a complicated topic. Most naturally occurring fats are probably essential, but too much of some fats seems【C8】______. Eat real food【C9】______your fat intake will probably be fine. "Sugar" has come to【C10】______the entire group of processed, nutritionally worthless caloric sweeteners. All appear to be damaging because they're added sugars, as【C11】______to naturally occurring ones.【C12】______: Sugar is not the only enemy. The enemy is hyper-processed food, 【C13】______sugar. We know that eating real food is a general solution, but a large part of our dietary problems might【C14】______from the consumption of caloric sweeteners and / or hyper-processed carbs. For example, how to limit the intake of sugar? A soda tax is a(n) 【C15】______, proper labeling would be helpful, and—quite possibly most important, 【C16】______it's going to take us a generation or two to get out of this mess—restrictions【C17】______marketing sweet "food" to children. There' s no reason to【C18】______action on those kinds of moves. But let' s get the science straight so that firm, 【C19】______, sound recommendations can be made【C20】______the best possible evidence. And meanwhile, let' s also get the simple message straight: It's "Eat Real Food."

The day was star-crossed: Friday the 13th in the month of October, on the eve of the second looming anniversary of a devastating market crash. "I"m telling you, psychology is really funny. People get crazy in situations like that", said portfolio strategist Elaine Garzarelli. Last week Friday the 13th lived up to its frightful reputation. After drifting lower at a sleepy pace for most of the day, the Dow Jones industrial average abruptly lurched into a hair-raising sky dive in the final hour of trading. The Bush Administration moved swiftly to avert any sense of crisis after the market Closed. Declared Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady: "It"s important to recognize that today"s stock market decline doesn"t signal any fundamental change in the condition of the economy. The economy remains well balanced, and the outlook is for continued moderate growth". But Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey, who chairs a House subcommittee on telecommunications and finance, vowed to hold hearings this week on the stock market slide. Said he: "This is the second heart attack. My hope is that before we have the inevitable third heart attack, we pay attention to these problems". Experts found no shortage of culprits to blame for the latest shipwreck. A series of downbeat realizations converged on Friday, ranging from signs of a new burst of inflation to sagging corporate profits to troubles in the junk-bond market that has fueled major takeovers. The singular event that shook investors was the faltering of a $6.75 billion labor management buyout of UAL, the parent company of United Airlines, the second largest U.S. carrier. On one point most thoughtful Wall Streeters agreed: the market had reached such dizzying heights that a correction of some sort seemed almost inevitable. Propelled by favorable economic news and a wave of multibillion-dollar takeovers, stocks had soared more than 1,000 points since the 1987 crash. But by last August some Wall streeters were clearly worried. The heaviest blow to the market came Friday afternoon. In a three-paragraph statement, UAL said a labor-management group headed by Chairman Stephen Wolf had failed to get enough financing to acquire United. Several banks had apparently balked at the deal, which was to be partly financed through junk bonds. The take-over group said it would submit a revised bid "in the near term", but the announcement stunned investors who had come to view the United deal as the latest sure thing in the 1980s buyout binge. Said John Downey, a trader at the Chicago Board Options Exchange: "The airline stocks have looked like attractive takeover targets. But with the United deal in trouble, everyone started to wonder what other deals might not go through."

There is virtually no limit to how one can serve community interests, from spending a few hours a week with some charitable organization to practically full-time work for a social agency. Just as there are opportunities for voluntary service【B1】______(VSO) for young people before they take up full-time employment, 【B2】______there are opportunities for overseas service for 【B3】______technicians in developing countries. Some people, 【B4】______those who retire early, 【B5】______ their technical and business skills in countries【B6】______there is a special need. So in considering voluntary or【B7】______community service, there are more opportunities than there【B8】______were when one first began work. Most voluntary organizations have only a small full-time【B9】______, and depend very much on volunteers and part-timers. This means that working relationships are different from those in commercial organizations, and values may be different.【B10】______some ways they may seem more casual and less efficient, but one should not【B11】______them by commercial criteria. The people who work with them do so for different reasons and with different【B12】______, both personal and【B13】______. One should not join them【B14】______to arm them with professional experience; they must be joined with commitment to the【B15】______, not business efficiency. Because salaries are【B16】______or non-existent, many voluntary bodies offer modest expense. But many retired people take part in community service for【B17】______, simply because they enjoy the work. Many community activities possible【B18】______retirement were also possible during one' s working life, but they are to be undertaken【B19】______seriously for that. Retired people who are just looking for something different or unusual to do should not consider【B20】______community service.

In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45, choose the most suitable one from the list (A、B、C、D、E、F、G……) to fit into each of the numbered blank. There are several extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps. (10 points) "Every three months from the beginning of 2008", says Cliff Richard, who was once Britain"s answer to Elvis Presley, "I will lose a song". The reason is that in most European countries copyright protection on sound recordings lasts for 50 years, and (now) Sir Cliff recorded his first hit single, "Move It", in 1958. (41)______ One of the big four music firms estimates that about 100m "deep catalogue" (ie, old) albums now sold in Europe each year will have entered the public domain by the end of 2010. Assuming a current wholesale price of $10, that could jeopardize $1 billion of revenues, or about 3% of annual recorded music sales. (42)______ Even once much of the back catalogue has entered the public domain, the big music firms can carry on selling it on CD. They will even benefit from not having to pay anything to the artist or to his estate. They will in many cases still own copyright on the original cover art. But they will face new competition from a host of providers of CDs who may undercut them. And on the internet, public domain music is likely to be free, as much of the copy righted stuff already is on peer-to-peer networks. (43) ______ Artists have rallied to the cause: U2, Status Quo and Charles Aznavour all want the 50-year limit increased. Many more acts will sign a petition this spring. Sir Cliff has spent hours complaining to the commission that composers of songs get copyright for 70 years after their death: more than performers. (44)______ Many people believe that America has gone too far in protecting copyright at the expense of the public good, including, it seems, the commission, which said last year that it saw no need to lift its own 50-year limit. Its deadline for proposals on copyright law has supped from this year to 2006. But governments are likely to weigh in on the issue. France, Italy and Portugal have indicated that they support an extension of the term, and Britain is likely to stick up for its own music major, EMI. Although artists and their estates want longer copyright, the big music firms would benefit from it the most, especially "in the next couple of decades, says Stephen King, chairman of the Association of United Recording Artists and manager of the Libertines: (45)______. Now they have wised up about making deals. The best guarantee of financial security—safer than clinging on to copyright—is hiring a good lawyer early on.A. He is unlikely to produce such a big hit in the near future, so more of his attention is directed to revising the old song and selling it to more people.B. Back in the 1950s, he says, performers got only one-tenth of the share of royalties that they do now. For years, artists have, with good reason, accused big record labels of ripping them off.C. This month, early recordings by Elvis himself started to enter Europe"s public domain. Over the next few decades a torrent of the most popular tracks from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and many other artists. will become public property in Europe—to the pleasure of fans and the consternation of the music industry.D. The music industry also points out that America gives artists almost twice as much copyright protection as Europe. America has repeatedly lengthened copyright terms, with the latest reprieve, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, giving performers protection for 95 years after publication.E. But when the attention is shifted from Europe to America, artists should feel much better because the length of copyright protection there is even shorter. It seems that the American government is more interested in serving the public than the already very rich artists.F. Music executives want the European Commission to protect them from such unwelcome competition by extending the copyright term.G. And that estimate accounts only for songs up to the end of the 1950s. Far more will be at risk as music from the 1960s and 1970s moves out of copyright.

There is growing interest in East Japan Railway Co., one of the six companies, created out of the (1)_____ national railway system. In an industry lacking exciting growth (2)_____, its plan to use real-estate assets in and around train stations (3)_____ is drawing interest. In a plan dubbed "Station Renaissance" that it (4)_____ in November, JR East said that it would (5)_____ using its commercial spaces for shops and restaurants, extending them to (6)_____ more suitable for the information age. It wants train stations as pick-up (7)_____ for such goods, as books, flowers and groceries purchased (8)_____ the Internet. In a country (9)_____ urbanites depend heavily on trains (10)_____ commuting, about 16 million people a day go to its train stations anyway, the company (11)_____. So, picking up purchases at train stations spare (12)_____ extra travel and missed home deliveries. JR East already has been using its station (13)_____ stores for this purpose, but it plans to create (14)_____ spaces for the delivery of Internet goods. The company also plans to introduce (15)_____ cards—known in Japan as IC cards because they use integrated (16)_____ for holding information—(17)_____ train tickets and commuter passes (18)_____ the magnetic ones used today, integrating them into a single pass. This will save the company money, because (19)_____ for IC cards are much less expensive than magnetic systems. Increased use of IC cards should also (20)_____ the space needed for ticket vending.

Lie detectors are widely used in the United States to find out whether a person is telling the truth or not.【F1】 Polygraphers, the people who operate them, claim that they can establish guilt by detecting physiological changes that accompany emotional stress. The technique adopted is to ask leading questions such as: " Did you take the money?" or "Where did you hide the money?" , mixed in with neutral questions, and measure the subject's electrical resistance in the palm or changes in his breathing and heart rates. Such apparatus has obtained widespread recognition. Whether lie detectors will ever be adopted on a similar scale in Britain is still a matter of opinion.【F2】 At first sight, it appears obvious that any simple, reliable method of convicting guilty people is valuable, but recent research sponsored by the US Officers of Public Health not only raises doubts about how lie detectors should be used but also makes it questionable whether they should be employed at all. 【F3】 The point is that, apart from many of the polygraphers being unqualified for the tests themselves are by no means free error, primarily because they discount human imagination and ingenuity. Think of all those perfectly innocent people, with nothing to be afraid of, who blush and stammer when a customs officer asks them if they have anything to declare. Fear, and a consequently heightened electrical response, may not be enough to establish guilt. It depends on whether the subject is afraid of being found out or afraid of being wrongfully convicted.【F4】 On the other hand, the person who is really guilty and whose past experience has prepared him for such tests can distort the results by anticipating the crucial questions or deliberately giving exaggerated responses to neutral ones! The success rate of up to 90% claimed for lie detectors is misleadingly attractive. If we refer such a figure to a company with 500 employees, twenty of whom are thieves, the lie detector could catch 18 of them but in doing so would place 32 innocent employees under suspicion. The problem for the management would therefore become one of deciding how much industrial unrest they are prepared to cause in order to eliminate theft.【F5】 What concerns research workers even more, of course, is the fact that a certain number of innocent people are bound to be convicted of crimes they have not committed.