填空题The share of young adults living with their parents edged up last year despite improvements in the economy—a sign that the effects of the recession are lingering. In a report on the status of families, the Census Bureau on Tuesday said 13.6% of Americans ages 25 to 34 were living with their parents in 2012, up slightly from 13.4% in 2011. Though the trend began before the recession, it accelerated sharply during the downturn. In the early 2000s, about 10% of people in this age group lived at home. The figures are the latest evidence of the recession"s continuing impact on young Americans, who are finding it harder to land jobs and take on the costs of setting up their own homes. Vivien Tsuong, 28, has a job as a marketing specialist, but is living at home in San Gabriel, Calif., to save money. In 2010, after returning from Japan, where she taught English for two years, Ms. Tsuong struggled for a year to find work. After landing a position in 2012, she moved into her current job at a company that sells computer and Internet products this spring. Now that she is stable professionally, she wants to build savings, just in case she encounters more job turbulence, she said. Ms. Tsuong said many of her friends are spending $700 or $800 a month on rent. "I can move out if I really wanted to, but given the situation with rent and gas, I feel like I can save more living at home," she said. "If you can save now, you"re sort of investing in your future." Demographers say joblessness during the recession and in its aftermath has fueled the trend of young adults living at home. The percentage of 25-to-34-year-olds living with parents climbed from 10.6% early in the 2000s to 11.8% in 2007, when the recession officially began. But after that the figure jumped sharply. Richard Fry, an economist at Pew Research Center, said the rising share of young adults at home reflects changing attitudes about the phenomenon as well as economic pressures. "Recent surveys by Pew found over 60% of people ages 18 to 34 knew someone who had moved back in with their parents because of the economy," he said, "and that four of five people ages 25 to 34 who were living with their parents were satisfied with the arrangement." "That may suggest there is less stigma attached to living at home," said Mr. Fry. "Living with your parents may not be what it once was," he said. Other trends also are playing a role: Young adults are marrying later, putting off having children and finding it harder to establish stable careers. The latest findings have important implications for the nation"s housing market and broader recovery, since they suggest fewer young Americans are buying houses, furniture and appliances—purchases that fuel much of the country"s economic growth. While Americans are spending much more than they did during the throes of the recession, overall consumption growth has remained much weaker than in past recoveries. A. said people"s attitude about young adults living at home as well as the economic pressure is changing. B. found that there were 11.8% of Americans ages 25-34 living at home in 2007, which was higher than that in 2011. C. trend to get married later and postpone having a baby. D. thinks the consequence of unemployment in recession has intensified the trend of young adults living at home. E. emphasizes that more people feel it shameful to live with parents nowadays. F. held that before the recession, the trend of young adults living at home has already begun, and accelerated sharply during the downturn. G. would like to save money by living at home for fear of running into job turbulence.

填空题Directions: You are going to read a list of headings and a text. Choose a heading from the list A-F that best fits the meaning of each numbered part of the text. The first and last paragraphs of the text are not numbered. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.Archaeological study covers an extremely long span of time and a great variety of subjects. The earliest subjects of archaeological study date from the origins of humanity. These include fossil remains believed to be of human ancestors who lived 3.5 million to 4.5 million years ago. The earliest archaeological sites include those at Hadar, Ethiopia; Laetoli, Tanzania; East Turkana, Kenya; and elsewhere in East Africa. These sites contain evidence of the first appearance of bipedal (uprightwalking, apelike early humans). {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}} The first physically modem humans, Homo sapiens, appeared in tropical Africa between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago-dates determined by molecular biologists and archaeologists working together. Dozens of archaeological sites throughout Asia and Europe show how people migrated from Africa and settled in these two continents during the last Ice Age (100,000 to 15,000 years ago). {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}} Archaeologists have documented that the development of agriculture took place about 10,000 years ago. Early domestication—the planting and harvesting of plants and the breeding and herding of animals— is evident in such places as the ancient settlement of Jericho in Jordan and in Tehuacán Valley in Mexico. Archaeology plays a major role in the study of early civilizations, such as those of the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, who built the city of Ur, and the ancient Egyptians, who are famous for the pyramids near the city of Giza and the royal sepulchres (tombs) of the Valley of the Kings at Thebes. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}} Archaeological research spans the entire development of phenomena that are unique to humans. For instance, archaeology tells the story of when people learned to bury their dead and developed beliefs in an afterlife. Sites containing signs of the first simple but purposeful burials in graves date to as early as 40,000 years ago in Europe and Southwest Asia. By the time people lived in civilizations, burials and funeral ceremonies had become extremely important and elaborate rituals. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}} Archaeology also examines more recent historical periods. Some archaeologists work with historians to study American colonial life, for example. They have learned such diverse information as how the earliest colonial settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, traded glass beads for food with native Algonquian peoples; how the lives of slaves on plantations reflected their roots in Africa; and how the first major cities in the United States developed. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}} A. For example, the Moche lords of Sipán in coastal Peru were buried in about AD 400 in fine cotton dress and with exquisite ornaments of bead, gold, and silver. Few burials rival their lavish sepulchres. Being able to trace the development of such rituals over thousands of years has added to our understanding of the development of human intellect and spirit. B. By 40,000 years ago people could be found hunting and gathering food across most of the regions of Africa. Populations in different regions employed various technologiealdevelopments in adapting to their different environments and climates. C. Archaeological studies have also provided much information about the people who first arrived in the America over 12,000 years ago. D. The first fossil records of vascular plants—that is, land plants with tissue that carries food— appeared in the Silurian period. They were simple plants that had not developed separate stems and leaves. E. Laetoli even reveals footprints of humans from 3.6 million years ago. Some sites also contain evidence of the earliest use of simple tools. Archaeologists have also recorded how primitive forms of humans spread out of Africa into Asia about 1.8 million years ago, then into Europe about 900,000 years ago. F. One research project involves the study of garbage in present-day cities across the United States. This garbage is the modern equivalent of the remains found in the archaeological record. In the future, archaeologists will continue to move into new realms of study. G. Other sites that represent great human achievement are as varied as the cliff dwellings of the ancient Anasazi (a group of early Native Americans of North America) at Mesa Verde, Colorado; the Inca city of Machu Picehu high in the Andes Mountains of Peru; and the mysterious, massive stone portrait heads of remote Easter Island in the Pacific.

填空题Directions: You are going to read a list of headings and a text about what parents are supposed to do to guide their children into adulthood. Choose a heading from the list A-G that best fits the meaning of each numbered part of the text. The first paragraph of the text is not numbered. There is two extra headings which you do not need to use.A. Set a Good Example for Your Kids. B. Build Your Kids'Work Skills. C. Place Time Limits on Leisure Activities. D. Talk about the Future on a Regular Basis. E. Help Kids Develop Coping Strategies. F. Help Your Kids Figure Out Who They Are. G. Build Your Kids'Sense of Responsibility. Mothers and fathers can do a lot to ensure a safe landing in early adulthood for their kids. Even if a job's starting salary seems too small to satisfy an emerging adult's need for rapid content, the transition from school to work can be less of a setback if the start-up adult is ready for the move. Here are a few measures, drawn from my book Ready or Not, Here Life Comes, that parents can take to prevent what I call "work-life unreadiness" : {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}You can start this process when they are 11 or 12. Periodically review their emerging strengths and weaknesses with them and work together on any shortcomings, like difficulty in communicating well or collaborating. Also, identify the kinds of interests they keep coming back to, as these offer clues to the careers that will fit them best. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}Kids need a range of authentic role models—as opposed to members of their clique, pop stars and vaunted athletes. Have regular dinner-table discussions about people the family knows and how they got where they are. Discuss the joys and downsides of your own career and encourage your kids to form some ideas about their own future. When asked what they want to do, they should be discouraged from saying "I have no idea. " They can change their minds 200 times, but having only a foggy view of the future is of little good. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}Teachers are responsible for teaching kids how to learn ; parents should be responsible for teaching them how to work. Assign responsibilities around the house and make sure homework deadlines are met. Encourage teenagers to take a part-time job. Kids need plenty of practice delaying gratification and deploying effective organizational skills, such as managing time and setting priorities. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}Playing video games encourages immediate content. And hours of watching TV shows with canned laughter only teaches kids to process information in a passive way. At the same time, listening through earphones to the same monotonous beats for long stretches encourages kids to stay inside their bubble instead of pursuing other endeavors. All these activities can prevent the growth of important communication and thinking skills and make it difficult for kids to develop the kind of sustained concentration they will need for most jobs. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}They should know how to deal with setbacks, stresses and feelings of inadequacy. They should also learn how to solve problems and resolve conflicts, ways to brainstorm and think critically. Discussions at home can help kids practice doing these things and help them apply these skills to everyday life situations. What about the son or daughter who is grown but seems to be struggling and wandering aimlessly through early adulthood? Parents still have a major role to play, but now it is more delicate. They have to be careful not to come across as disappointed in their child. They should exhibit strong interest and respect for whatever currently interests their fledging adult (as naive or ill conceived as it may seem) while becoming a partner in exploring options for the future. Most of all, these new adults must feet that they are respected and supported by a family that appreciates them.

填空题The typical picture of a corporate highflier is someone who survives on very little sleep. He or she rises when it is still dark, works late and is still answering emails at two o" clock in the morning. Such people do exist, of course. The late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, for example, was famous for operating on a few hours" sleep. Some entrepreneurs and Wall Street traders seem to follow suit. But if you think you need to do the same thing to get ahead, think again. A growing body of research is finding that, on the contrary, those who get a good night"s sleep are usually more productive at work. That"s because sleep doesn"t just rest the brain, say medical specialists. It allows the brain to perform vital maintenance and restoration tasks. Brains that get too little sleep simply cannot perform as well as those that are rested. "There"s no doubt that sleep deprivation affects job performance," says the Detroit Medical Center"s Safwan Badr. "The evidence is compelling that when you do not get enough sleep ... you are not as productive." Investors should also take heed: Numerous studies have found that those running on too little sleep tend to make poorer investment decisions and take needless risks as well. Charles Czeisler, a sleep specialist at Brigham you"ll see similar effects if you simply sleep too little each night over time. For the first time, new research has attempted to put some numbers on the link between more Zzzs and more Benjamins. Matthew Gibson, graduate researcher in the economics department of the University of California, San Diego, compared wage data with sleep times recorded in the U.S. Census Bureau"s American Time Use Survey. His conclusion: For those who are sleeping too little, "a onehour increase in longrun average sleep increases wages by 16%, equivalent to more than a year of schooling." Adults need eight hours of sleep on average, experts say. There is some variation between individuals. But when we are tired, we find it much harder to think innovatively and to make creative leaps, say researchers. We find it harder to adapt our thinking to new information or to learn new lessons. Consider: At England"s Loughborough University in 1999, researchers Yvonne Harrison tested the effects of sleep deprivation on a small group of healthy young participants. They were given complex business-situation tasks in the form of a game, as well as some critical reading tasks. Those who went short on sleep were able to keep up with the reading, they found. But when it came to the complex game, "their play collapsed," they Reported. A．agrees that sleep deprivation brings bad effects to investment. B．holds that adults need an average of 8 hours" sleep. C．believes that lack of sleep diminishes your performance. D．thinks it is difficult for people lacking sleep to take up creative work. E．points out the relation between sleep time and American dollars. F．is well known for very little sleep. G．maintains that sleep can rest the brain, and let the brain do other important tasks.

填空题A. Monitor your alcohol use B. Pay attention to table manners C. Don"t be a gossip D. Network with higher-ups E. Keep the conversation light F. Dress appropriately G. Make new friends For young workers, holiday parties can be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a successful. year gone by, catch up with colleagues and hobnob with senior executives to try to get ahead. But a host of challenges confront young employees—from figuring out whom to bring to walking the fine line between being friendly and being flirty. Some do"s and don "ts when it comes to these events: 1 If you"re new to the company, talk to co-workers who have attended previous office functions to get a sense of what you should wear. Dress conservatively, not "like you"re going to a club in Vegas," says Tom Gimbel, CEO of staffing firm LaSalle Network in Chicago. But, he adds, don"t take it "to the point where (you"re) wearing a suit where everybody else is wearing jeans." 2 Steer clear of talking about those layoffs or pay freezes that have hit morale, experts advise. "Try to keep the conversation upbeat," says Barbara Pachter, president of Pachter & Associates, a business-etiquette and communications firm in Cherry Hill, N.J. "If you"re merging, that could be an exciting thing, (or if) you"re adding new product lines, that could be an exciting thing" to talk about. 3 While it"s fun to indulge in rumors about colleagues, you don"t want to be known as the person who"s always spreading juicy gossip. "You want to be known for your work ethic, you want to be known for the work product that you put out, and at a holiday party, you don"t want to be the one telling everybody who"s making out with whom and who"s fighting with whom," says Mr. Gimbel. Instead, he encourages people to stick to safe topics like sports, entertainment and what"s going on in the world. 4 Even if you"re intimidated by the clique of VPs huddling in their own circle, don"t pass up the opportunity to meet these people, who could be interviewing you when you"re up for your next promotion. Look for an opening to chime in on a topic that you know about. If they don"t already know you, introduce yourself and say how long you"ve been with the company and what you do. Afterward, if you feel like you connected with someone senior, send them a follow-up email saying it was nice to meet them, says Ms. Pachter. "What have you got to lose?" 5 Holiday parties are one of the few workplace events where imbibing is allowed and even encouraged to get people relaxed. However, just because alcohol is free-flowing at the bar doesn"t mean you should take that as a license to reprise your college frat parties. "Most people head toward the bar and the buffet when they get to a holiday party, and if they drink on an empty stomach they tend to get inebriated and then they could say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing," says Ms. Whitmore. "No. 1 rule is: Don"t drink too much, monitor your alcohol intake. Usually, one or two drinks is plenty."

填空题Most people can identify their top priority at work. Generally, it will be the part of the job that is most productive for their employer: for a merger and acquisitions banker, it could be landing a big deal for a client; for a lorry driver, the punctual delivery of an important consignment; for a hospital doctor or nurse, giving vital treatment to a patient. But every job is ringed with secondary tasks—the routine but critical stuff covered by codes and guidelines. If such chores are neglected, the consequences may undermine overall success. New research suggests tired workers in demanding jobs start giving up doing those small, but vital, tasks remarkably quickly. Peter Thiel, the entrepreneur, wrote in the FT last week that computers "excel at efficient data processing but struggle to make basic judgments". In other words, humans are not redundant. But the flesh-and-blood workers who remain now have greater responsibility for more important tasks. If companies pile more work on to them, these weary employees could inadvertently plunge them into disaster. It is a truism that a tired worker is less productive than a fresh one. But researchers at Wharton business schools have shown that compliance with routine tasks can fall away within one heavy shift. Their study"s focus was hand hygiene, healthcare"s mundane but powerful weapon against cross-infection. Such is the importance of sanitisation—when done thoroughly, it can reduce infection by the MRSA "superbug" by 95 per cent—that hospitals have started to monitor compliance, using electronic tags in sanitisers and workers" badges. Each time a member of staff skips the sanitiser, the omission is logged. The extraordinarily rich anonymised information from such a system is a treasure trove for big data researchers such as Wharton"s Katherine Milkman. Analysing 13.8 million "unique hand hygiene opportunities" for more than 4,000 staff at 35 hospitals, she and her co-authors found that over a 12-hour shift compliance by an average staff member fell by 8.5 percentage points. Lax handwashing, they suggest, could be costing $25 billion annually in treatment of unnecessary infection in the US—and leading to 70,000 needless deaths. As Prof Milkman explained to me last week, the fact that intense work makes it harder to do less important tasks could have profound implications in other walks of life. The study points out that "these deviations pose a threat to the wellbeing of organisations, employees and clients, because such violations can reduce the quality of products produced and services provided as well as creating an unsafe work environment". Suddenly, it is a little clearer why the exhausted M&A banker skips parts of the ethical code her bank insists on, or why the tired lorry driver jumps the lights to make it to the depot on time. The work could offer clues about how to make sure the steeplejack always checks his harness, even on the final ascent of the skyscraper, and the weary journalist reads through her story for possible errors on deadline. A. humans are not needed any more in computer age. B. the abundant anonymised information from the system. C. weary workers are likely to stop doing small but important things. D. intense work makes it harder to do some important work. E. how to make people reduce mistakes in routine work. F. the efficiency of workers will fall away in a heavy shift. G. tired workers could inadvertently plunge their company into disaster.

填空题Experts have long known that children imitate many of the deeds—good and bad—that they see on television. But it has rarely been shown that changing a young child"s viewing habits at home can lead to improved behavior. In a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, researchers reported the results of a program designed to limit the exposure of preschool children to violence-laden videos and television shows and increase their time with educational programming that encourages empathy. They found that the experiment reduced the children"s aggression toward others, compared with a group of children who were allowed to watch whatever they wanted. "Here we have an experiment that proposes a potential solution," said Thomas Robinson, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford, who was not involved in the study. "Giving this intervention—exposing kids to less adult television, less aggression on television and more prosocial television—will have an effect on behavior." While the research showed "a small to moderate effect" on the preschoolers" behavior, he added, the broader public health impact could be "very meaningful." The new study was a randomized trial, rare in research on the effects of media on children. The researchers, at Seattle Children"s Research Institute and the University of Washington, divided 565 parents of children ages 3 to 5 into two groups. Both were told to track their children"s media consumption in a diary that the researchers assessed for violent, didactic and prosocial content, which they defined as showing empathy, helping others and resolving disputes without violence. The control group was given advice only on better dietary habits for children. The second group of parents were sent program guides highlighting positive shows for young children. They also received newsletters encouraging parents to watch television with their children and ask questions during the shows about the best ways to deal with conflict. The parents also received monthly phone calls from the researchers, who helped them set television-watching goals for their preschoolers. The researchers surveyed the parents at six months and again after a year about their children"s social behavior. After six months, parents in the group receiving advice about television-watching said their children were somewhat less aggressive with others, compared with those in the control group. The children who watched less violent shows also scored higher on measures of social competence, a difference that persisted after one year. Low-income boys showed the most improvement, though the researchers could not say why. Total viewing time did not differ between the two groups. "The key message for parents is it"s not just about turning off the TV; it"s about changing the channel," said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, the lead author of the study and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. The new study has limitations, experts noted. Data on both the children"s television habits and their behavior was reported by their parents, who may not be objective. And the study focused only on media content in the home, although some preschool-aged children are exposed to programming elsewhere. A. their children behaved less aggressively. B. their children are more aggressive than others. C. children show less violent actions after they watch less aggressive TV programs. D. they had better turn off the TV. E. they were not only sent program guides about positive shows for children but also received newsletters telling them how to deal with conflict. F. they should move to another channel. G. parents may be somewhat subjective.

填空题A. Set a Good Example for Your Kids B. Build Your Kids" Work Skills C. Place Time Limits on Leisure Activities D. Talk about the Future on a Regular Basis E. Help Kids Develop Coping Strategies F. Help Your Kids Figure Out Who They Are G. Build Your Kids" Sense of Responsibility How Can a Parent Help? Mothers and fathers can do a lot to ensure a safe landing in early adulthood for their kids. Even if a job"s starting salary seems too small to satisfy an emerging adult"s need for rapid content, the transition from school to work can be less of a setback if the start-up adult is ready for the move. Here are a few measures, drawn from my book Ready or Not, Here Life Comes , that parents can take to prevent what I call "work-life unreadiness". 41 You can start this process when they are 11 or 12. Periodically review their emerging strengths and weaknesses with them and work together on any shortcomings, like difficulty in communicating well or collaborating. Also, identify the kinds of interests they keep coming back to, as these offer clues to the careers that will fit them best. 42 Kids need a range of authentic role models—as opposed to members of their clique, pop stars and vaunted athletes. Have regular dinner-table discussions about people the familyknows and how they got where they are. Discuss the joys and downsides of your own career and encourage your kids to form some ideas about their own future. When asked what they want to do, they should be discouraged from saying "I have no idea." They can change their minds 200 times, but having only a foggy view of the future is of little good. 43 Teachers are responsible for teaching kids how to learn; parents should be responsible for teaching them how to work. Assign responsibilities around the house and make sure homework deadlines are met. Encourage teenagers to take a part-time job. Kids need plenty of practice delaying gratification and deploying effective organizational skills, such as managing time and setting priorities. 44 Playing video games encourages immediate content. And hours of watching TV shows with caned laughter only teaches kids to process information in passive way. At the same time, listening through earphones to the same monotonous beats for long stretches encourages kids to stay inside their bubble instead of pursuing other endeavors. All these activities can prevent the growth of important communication and thinking skills and make it difficult for kids to develop the kind of sustained concentration they will need for most jobs. 45 They should know how to deal with setbacks, stresses and feelings of inadequacy. They should also learn how to solve problems and resolve conflicts, ways to brainstorm and think critically. Discussions at home can help kids practice doing these things and help them apply these skills to everyday life situations. What about the son or daughter who is grown but seems to be struggling and wandering aimlessly through early adulthood? Parents still have a major role to play, but now it is more delicate. They have to be careful not to come across as disappointed in their child. They should exhibit strong interest and respect for whatever interests their fledging adult (as naive or ill conceived as it may seem) while becoming a partner in exploring options for the future. Most of all, these new adults, must feel they are respected and supportedby a farther.

填空题A. Use commute time B. Make conversations about your artwork a priority C. Read before you fall asleep D. Carry a notepad and pen about E. Take notes whenever ideas come F. Talk about yourself as much as possible G. Don"t underestimate thinking time Most of us will have days or weeks when we can"t make as much stuff as we"d like. Things get busy, we have jobs, families and lives which means occasionally you"ll be out of time to sit down and make art. There are some simple tips you can try to maximize the thinking and considering time that can help fuel your creative work. 1 This is a classic subconscious-employing trick, used a lot for when you really need to study and remember material. If you want to think more about your artwork, read about it just before you fall asleep. Studies show that your brain remembers more and thinks subconsciously about the information you process just before going into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. If you"re reading a book on creativity you really want to digest, this is a great strategy to help stimulate your own creative process. 2 Take notes. Lots of notes. No matter what time of day (or night). Give keeping a notepad and pen beside your bed, and always carry one in your handbag or pocket. Some strategies you could try are making lists of future or potential artwork. Taking notes can be valuable in their offhanded, in- discriminate format—sometimes they"re not important or playful, and sometimes they can be tiny seeds of gold. 3 Get rid of the guilt around talking about yourself too much. It can really help to regularly make the effort to speak about what you"ve been working on. There"s a learning curve that comes out of forcing yourself to name things. Set up catch-ups or phone calls with other artists to check in with each other regarding your work. Hopefully these conversations can happen with family and friends or co-workers, and can be used as an artistic compass to check you are on course, on the whole, with making work. 4 Use the time you"re driving, on the train, or commuting to and from work to your advantage. Read, listen, think, make lists, or mentally check off your progress. I know artists who use commute time to meditate and reflect on themselves, which is another interesting strategy to try. Using com mute time means that when you do sit down to create work, you"ve often done the heavy thinking and are ready to dive into the practical, hands-on work. 5 When you"re not making artwork, make time to simply think. It seems like many artworks are made after months (or even years) of living inside your own head. Whether you"re at work, walking pets, or doing the dishes, using this time to think hard about your artwork can pay off greatly. You can often surprise yourself with how much progress you can make if you clock the thinking hours. Realizing that this was a thing that was one of the most helpful and insightful lessons I learned as an artist. Thinking time is time well spent.

填空题Directions: You are going to read a list of headings and a text about leadership. Choose a heading from the list A-F that best fits the meaning of each numbered part of the text. The first and last paragraphs of the text are not numbered. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.The word economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability, as evidenced by the protest riots that have erupted in places like Haiti, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally. The crisis has its roots in four interlinked trends. The first is the chronically low productivity of farmers in the poorest countries, caused by their inability to pay for seeds, fertilizers and irrigation. The second is the misguided polity in the U. S. and Europe of subsidizing the diversion of food crops to produce biofuels like corn-based ethanol. The third is climate change: take the recent droughts in Australia and Europe, which cut the global production of grain in 2005 and 2006. The fourth is the growing global demand for food and feed grain brought on by swelling populations and incomes. In short, rising demand has hit a limited supply, with the poor taking the hardest blow. So, what should be done? Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi's harvest doubled after just one years. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion altogether. Such a fund could fight hunger as effectively as the Global fund to Gight AIDS, TB and Malaria is controlling those diseases. Second, the U. S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels. The U. S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol (乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods—tree crops, grasses and wood products—but there's no case for the government to pay to put the world's dinner into the gas tank. Third, we urgently need to weather-proof die world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond—which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather—can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Find to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise. A. poor countries B. all the world C. the Climate Adaptation Fund D. the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria E. Bangladesh F. Malawi G. the US and Europe Anti-hunger campaigns are successful in {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}} Production of biofuels are subsidized in {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}} Protest riots occurred in {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}} The efforts were not so successful with {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}} Food shortage become more serious in {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}

填空题A. Universities have been chosen as the way for competition as well as peace. B. The undergraduates are supported to study abroad during their academic years. C. The globalization of universities is realized through various ways. D. The US has played the leading role in the commercialized technologies. E. The number of students studying abroad has been increasing. F. The United States remains deeply hesitant about sustaining the research-university model. G. The conduction of research has been greatly affected by globalization. As never before in their long history, universities have become instruments of national competition as well as instruments of peace. They are the place of the scientific discoveries that move economies forward, and the primary means of educating the talent required to obtain and maintain competitive advantage. But at the same time, the opening of national borders to the flow of goods, services, information and especially people has made universities a powerful force for global integration, mutual understanding and geopolitical stability. 1 In response to the same forces that have driven the world economy, universities have become more self-consciously global: seeking students from around the world who represent the entire range of cultures and values, sending their own students abroad to prepare them for global careers, offering courses of study that address the challenges of an interconnected world and collaborative research programs to advance science for the benefit of all humanity. 2 Over the past three decades the number of students leaving home each year to study abroad has grown at an annual rate of 3.9 percent, from 800,000 in 1975 to 2.5 million in 2004. Most travel from one developed nation to another, but the flow from developing to developed countries is growing rapidly. The reverse flow, from developed to developing countries, is on the rise, too. Today foreign students earn 30 percent of the doctoral degrees awarded in the crossing borders for undergraduate study is growing as well, to 8 percent of the in the U.K. In the United States, 20 percent of the newly hired professors in science and engineering are foreign-born, and in China many newly hired faculty members at the top research universities received their graduate education abroad. 3 Universities are also encouraging students to spend some of their undergraduate years in another country. In Europe, more than 140,000 students participate in the Erasmus program each year, taking courses for credit in one of 2,200 participating institutions across the continent. And in the United States, institutions are helping place students in summer internships abroad to prepare them for global careers. Yale and Harvard have led the way, offering every undergraduate at least one international study or internship opportunity and providing the financial resources to make it possible. 4 Globalization is also reshaping the way research is done. One new trend involves sourcing portions of a research program to another country. Yale professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Tian Xu directs a research center focused on the genetics of human disease at Shanghai"s Fudan University, in collaboration with faculty colleagues from both schools. The Shanghai center has 95 employees and graduate students working in a 4,300-square-meter laboratory facility. Yale faculty, post-doctors and graduate students visit regularly and attend videoconference seminars with scientists from both campuses. The arrangement benefits both countries; Xu"s Yale lab is more productive, thanks to the lower costs of conducting research in China, and Chinese graduate students, postdoctors and faculty get on-the-job training from a world-class scientist and his U.S. team. 5 As a result of its strength in science, the United States has consistently led the world in the commercialization of major new technologies, from the mainframe computer and the integrated circuit of the 1960s to the Internet infrastructure and applications software of the 1990s. The link between university-based science and industrial application is often indirect but sometimes highly visible: Silicon Valley was intentionally created by Stanford University, and Route 128 outside Boston has long housed companies spun off from MIT and Harvard. Around the world, governments have encouraged copying of this model, perhaps most successfully in Cambridge, England, where Microsoft and scores of other leading software and biotechnology companies have set up shop around the university. For all its success, the United States remains deeply hesitant about sustaining the research-university model. Most politicians recognize the link between investment in science and national economic strength, but support for research funding has been unsteady. The budget of the National Institutes of Health doubled between 1998 and 2003, but has risen more slowly than inflation since then. Support for the physical sciences and engineering barely kept pace with inflation during that same period. The attempt to make up lost ground is welcome, but the nation would be better served by steady, predictable increases in science funding at the rate of long-term GDP growth, which is on the order of inflation plus 3 percent per year.

填空题A. You should make efforts to attain a level of self-honoring. B. You should develop the answer to "What do I really want to do?" C. You should have a clear self-definition about yourself. D. Your beliefs have great effect on you choice. E. Your commitment should devote to being who you are. F. Your enlightenment comes through facing obstacles and difficulties. G. Your Actions speak louder than your words. Many people today find themselves in unfulfilling work situations. In fact, one in four workers is dissatisfied with their current job, according to the recent "Plans for 2004" survey. Their career path may be financially rewarding, but it doesn"t meet their emotional, social or creative needs. They"re stuck, unhappy, and have no idea what to do about it, except move to another job. 1 Job seekers and those dissatisfied with work or life should examine their beliefs about work and recognize that "in many cases your beliefs are what brought you to where you are today. " You may have been raised to think that women were best at nurturing and caring and, therefore, should be teachers and nurses. So that"s what you did. Or, perhaps you were brought up to believe that you should do what your father did, so you have taken over the family business, or become a dentist "just like dad." If this sounds familiar, it"s probably time to look at the new possibilities for your future. 2 Look at the gifts and talents you have and make a commitment to pursue those things that you love most. If you love the social aspects of your job, but are stuck inside an office or "chained to your desk" most of the time, vow to follow your instinct and investigate alternative careers and work that allow you more time to interact with others. Dawn worked as a manager for a large retail clothing store for several years. Though she had advanced within the company, she felt frustrated and longed to be involved with nature and the outdoors. She decided to go to school nights and weekends to pursue her true passion by earning her master"s degree in forestry. She now works in the biotech forestry division of a major paper company. 3 Once job seekers know who they are, they will know how to sell themselves. "In the job market, you are a product. And just like a product, you must know the features and benefits that you have to offer a potential client, or employer." Examine the skills and knowledge that you have and identify how they can apply to your desired occupation. Your qualities will exhibit to employers why they should hire you over other candidates. 4 Self-honoring or self-love may seem like an odd step for job hunters, but being able to accept yourself, without judgment, helps eliminate insecurities and will make you more self-assured. By accepting who you are—all your emotions, hopes and dreams, your personality, and your unique way of being—you"ll project more confidence when networking and talking with potential employers. The power of self-honoring can help to break all the falsehoods you were programmed to believe—those that made you feel that you were not good enough, or strong enough, or intelligent enough to do what you truly desire. 5 Some teachers of philosophy describe action in this way, "If one wants to get to the top of a mountain, just sitting at the foot thinking about it will not bring one there. It is by making the effort of climbing up the mountain, step by step, that eventually the summit is reached. " All too often, it is the lack of action that ultimately holds people back from attaining their ideals. Creating a plan and taking it one step at a time can lead to new and different job opportunities. Job-hunting tasks gain added meaning as you sense their importance in your quest for a more meaningful work life. The plan can include researching industries and occupations, talking to people who are in your desired area of work, taking classes, or accepting volunteer work in your targeted field. Each of these steps will lead you on a journey to a happier and more rewarding work life. After all, it is the journey, not the destination, that is most important.

填空题New knowledge and sophisticated diagnostic techniques are helping doctors recognize early signs of autism, Alzheimer"s disease and heart problems in women. Harvard experts report on the advances that are giving patients hope. Early diagnosis of autism is critical because educational programs that build upon a child"s strengths and improve social skills may help sculpt the developing brain, minimizing the impact of the illness later in life. But spotting the disorder is hard since there is no test for it, although scientists are slowly uncovering gene abnormalities that make children vulnerable to autism. Last week The New England Journal of Medicine reported that a specific location on chromosome 16 was the site of mutations responsible for some cases of autism. For now, diagnosis depends on observing a child"s behavior. It"s a complex process, since no two cases are alike and signs range from mild to severe. Indeed, even though signs of autism may be apparent before their first birthday, most children aren"t diagnosed until the age of 3. That makes parents, who are so intimately familiar with their child"s behavior, perhaps the most effective diagnostic "tools". The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued screening guidelines recommending that pediatricians engage parents in evaluating infants for autism. Even babies developing typically, the guidelines say, should be screened at set intervals, such as during the 9-, 18- and 24-month visits. Alzheimer"s disease, which begins years, even decades, before it causes symptoms, is a quietly ticking time bomb. But until recently doctors had no diagnostic test that could "hear" the ticking. Unfortunately, it didn"t matter much that Alzheimer"s couldn"t be spotted early—at a stage called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI—since there were no treatments. Today, however, there are new diagnostic tests that can detect Alzheimer"s at an early stage, and several disease-modifying drugs are in advanced clinical trials. The brain shrinkage caused by Alzheimer"s can now be measured with volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This technique takes a series of MRI brain scans and then uses sophisticated mathematical models to analyze the results. Most important, volumetric MRI enables researchers to identify subtle shrinkage in brain areas first affected by Alzheimer"s, such as the hippocampus, which is involved in memory. Another technology in limited clinical use is fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Images produced by FDG-PET reveal patterns of glucose metabolism in the cerebral cortex, the site of abstract thought, reasoning and learning. Because active neurons guzzle glucose for energy, diminished uptake in a specific pattern can denote Alzheimer"s. In the research setting, scientists have even used FDG-PET to identify people who do not yet have Alzheimer"s but are at risk for developing it, or for developing mild cognitive impairment. Although all these new imaging and biochemical developments are individually promising, the combination of several different imaging tests and biochemical markers may yield the most accurate diagnosis. For example, scientists at the New York University School of Medicine have reported that combining volumetric MRI of the hippocampus with spinal-fluid measures improved diagnostic accuracy in identifying people with mild cognitive impairment who are most likely to progress to Alzheimer"s. When it comes to diagnosing the most common kind of heart disease, some cardiologists share Henry Higgins"s lament in "My Fair Lady": "Why can"t a woman be more like a man?" That"s because many women don"t have the typical symptoms, like crushing chest pain and shortness of breath brought on by physical activity or stress. Instead, they have diffuse discomfort in the chest, unusual exhaustion or depression without an apparent reason. To make matters worse, the tests considered best at diagnosing coronary-artery disease generally don"t work as well for women as they do for men. As a result, an alarming number of women with heart disease go undiagnosed and untreated despite repeated visits to the doctor and the emergency room. A. because there still exists no test for diagnosis by now B. because many women don"t have the typical symptoms like men for diagnosis C. the pattern of glucose metabolism D. with volumetric magnetic resonance imaging E. the most efficient technology for diagnosing Alzheimer is combination of different technologies F. those babies without autism when they start to say single words by 16 months G. the symptoms of heart disease often result from cholesterol-filled plaques.

填空题Directions: In the following article, some sentences have been removed. For Questions, choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps. The first two stages in the development of civilized man were probably the invention of primitive weapons and the discovery of fire, although nobody knows exactly when he acquired the use of the latter. {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}Animals have a few cries that serve as signals, but even the highest apes have not been found able to pronounce words, even with the most intensive professional instruction. The superior brain of man is apparently a necessity for the mastering of speech. When man became sufficiently intelligent, we must suppose that he gradually increased the number of cries for different purposes. It was a great day when he discovered that speech could be used for narrative. There are those who think that in this respect picture language preceded oral language. A man could draw a picture on the wall of his cave to show in which direction he had gone, or what prey he hoped to catch. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}} Two important stages came not so long before the dawn of written history. The first was the domestication of animals; the second was agriculture. Agriculture made possible an immense increase in the number of the human species in the regions where it could be successfully practiced. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}} {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}These inventions and discoveries—fire, speech, weapons domestic animals, agriculture, and writing—made the existence of civilized communities possible. From about 3000 B. C. until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution less than two hundred years ago there was no technical advance comparable to these. During this long period man had time to become accustomed to his technique, and to develop the beliefs and political organizations appropriate to it. There was, of course, an immense extension in the area of civilized life. At first it had been confined to the Nile, the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Indus, but at the end of the period in question it covered much the greatest part of the inhabitable globe. I do not mean to suggest that there was no technical progress during the time. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}A. Probably picture language and oral language developed side by side. I am inclined to think that language has been the most important single factor in the development of man. B. Another fundamental technical advance was writing, which, like spoken language, developed out of pictures, but as soon as it had reached a certain stage, it was possible to keep records and transmit information to people who were not present when the information was given. C. With the development of civilization, primitive people who lived in caves at that time badly needed a language, which would help them to communicate with one another. D. The origin of language is also obscure. No doubt it began very gradually. E. In fact, there was progress—there were even two inventions of very great importance, namely, gunpowder and the mariner's compass—but neither of these can be compared in their revolutionary power to such things as speech and writing and agriculture. F. These were, at first, only those in which nature fertilized the soil after each harvest. Agriculture met with violent resistance from the pastoral nomads, but the agricultural way of life prevailed in the end because of the physical comforts it provided. G. But industry was a step in human progress to which subsequently there was nothing comparable until our own machine age.

填空题A. Set a Good Example for Your Kids. B. Build Your Kids' Work Skills. C. Place Time Limits on Leisure Activities. D. Talk about the Future on a Regular Basis. E. Help Kids Develop Coping Strategies. F. Help Your Kids Figure Out Who They Are. G. Build Your Kids' Sense of Responsibility. Mothers and fathers can do a lot to ensure a safe landing in early adulthood for their kids. Even if a job's starting salary seems too small to satisfy an emerging adult's need for rapid content, the transition from school to work can be less of a setback if the start-up adult is ready for the move. Here are a few measures, drawn from my book Ready or Not, Here Life Comes, that parents can take to prevent what I call "work-life unreadiness". (41) You can start this process when they are 11 or 12. Periodically review their emerging strengths and weaknesses with them and work together on any shortcomings, like difficulty in communicating well or collaborating. Also, identify the kinds of interests they keep coming back to, as these offer clues to the careers that will fit them best. (42) Kids need a range of authentic role models—as opposed to members of their clique, pop stars and vaunted athletes. Have regular dinner-table discussions about people the family knows and how they got where they are. Discuss the joys and downsides of your own career and encourage your kids to form some ideas about their own future. When asked what they want to do, they should be discouraged from saying "I have no idea" . They can change their minds 200 times, but having only a foggy view of the future is of little good. (43) Teachers are responsible for teaching kids how to learn; parents should be responsible for teaching them how to work. Assign responsibilities around the house and make sure homework deadlines are met. Encourage teenagers to take a part-time job. Kids need plenty of practice delaying gratification and deploying effective organizational skills, such as managing time and setting priorities. (44) Playing video games encourages immediate content. And hours of watching TV shows with canned laughter only teaches kids to process information in a passive way. At the same time, listening through earphones to the same monotonous beats for long stretches encourages kids to stay inside their bubble instead of pursuing other endeavors. All these activities can prevent the growth of important communication and thinking skills and make it difficult for kids to develop the kind of sustained concentration they will need for most jobs. (45) They should know how to deal with setbacks, stresses and feelings of inadequacy. They should also learn how to solve problems and resolve conflicts, ways to brainstorm and think critically. Discussions at home can help kids practice doing these things and help them apply these skills to everyday life situations. What about the son or daughter who is grown but seems to be struggling and wandering aimlessly through early adulthood.'? Parents still have a major Me to play, but now it is more delicate. They have to be careful not to come across as disappointed in their child. They should exhibit strong interest and respect for whatever currently interests their fledging adult ( as naive or ill conceived as it may seem) while becoming a partner in exploring options for the future. Most of all, these new adults must feet that they are respected and supported by a family that appreciates them.

填空题Directions: You are going to read a list of ]wadings and a text about leadership. Choose a heading from the list A-F that best fits the meaning of each numbered part of the text. The first and last paragraphs of the text are not numbered. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.A. Thinks Positively. B. Knows That Principles Are More Important than Rules. C. Possesses a Sense of Humor. D. Communicates Facts That Are Hard to Take. E. Cares for Others and Their Well-being. F. Has Integrity and Authenticity. G. Order Is Important. Much has been written about the tasks of leaders and the skills required for leadership. There has been considerable debate about the question of whether leaders are born or made. Likely behind these arguments is the difference between personal characteristics that some people have at birth and skills that one can acquire through education and practice. But the important personal characteristics, while they may seem innate in some people, can be cultivated, and indeed, require cultivation in all of us. For unless they are strengthened through conscious attention and cultivation, they can, for example, easily be forgotten or ignored in the craziness of activity often associated with leadership. What are some of these characteristics? One could make many lists, but here are five personal traits that seem especially important. A good leader: {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}An effective leader is "genuine", internally and externally consistent. A good leader is one of whom it can be said, "What you see is what you get" —there is never any wonder as to whether the imaage, the "person" presented to the world, really reflects the person. Such a leader has honesty—he/she says what he/she means, means what he/she says. A good leader has a consistency of purpose, operates out of discernible principles, and "stands for" something worthwhile and detectable. Honesty and reliability require self-reflection, the ability to understand oneself honestly, the capacity to assess one's strengths and weaknesses accurately, and acceptance of one"s self. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}A good leader takes responsibility seriously but never takes himself seriously. Such a leader can help people relax and get through tough situations in good spirits. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}A good leader understands that nothing except a great work of art can be done by one person alone—that something of lasting value is almost always the result of a group effort. But even more than that, a good leader genuinely is concerned with and interested in others. Such concerning means that a good leader is collegial, building a sense of group identity and purpose. A good leader "brings out the best" in each of those who follow, seeks the development and advancement of each member of the group, and delights in each person's growth in ability and of character. A good leader rejoices in the success of group members without announcement of jealousy. A good leader is deliberative, involving the group in decisions wherever possible and encourages, supports, and applauds the members of the group. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}One of the primary roles of the leader is to inspire hope, even in a difficult situation. This is not the same as being blindly optimistic. We think, for example, of Franklin Roosevelt's "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" or of Desmond Tutu's observation about apartheid in South Africa that since "it is difficult to be optimistic, one must have hope. " Such a leader empowers followers, making them believe that they can accomplish worthwhile but very difficult things. He actually creates energy in the group by being active without becoming unrealistic. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}A good leader understands that order is important to a group but that rigidity destroys the followe rs' emotion state. Lasting, empowering order comes more from trust and the. development of group norms than from regulations imposed by a leader. Doubtless, everyone would develop a somewhat different, and in many cases, a longer list of personal characteristics. But a leader who is conscious of such a list, who questions the extent to which he or she lives and acts in accord with these traits, and who deliberately cultivates these characteristics is likely to be a successful and appreciated leader.

填空题The word economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. The price of wheat, corn and rice have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil's price have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability, as evidenced by the protest riots that have erupted in places like Haiti, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally. The crisis has its roots in four interlinked trends. The first is the chronically low productivity of farmers in the poorest countries, caused by their inability to pay for seeds, fertilizers and irrigation. The second is the misguided policy in the U. S. and Europe of subsidizing the diversion of food crops to produce biofuels like corn-based ethanol. The third is climate change: take the recent droughts in Australia and Europe, which cut the global production of grain in 2005 and 2006. The fourth is the growing global demand for food and feed grain brought on by swelling populations and incomes. In short, rising demand has hit a limited supply, with the poor taking the hardest blow. So, what should be done? Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi's harvest doubled alter just one years. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion altogether. Such a fund could fight hunger as effectively as the Global fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is controlling those diseases. Second, the U. S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels. The U. S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol (乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods—tree crops, grasses and wood products—but there's no case for the government to pay to put the world's dinner into the gas tank. Third, we urgently need to weather-proof die world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond— which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather—can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise. A. poor countries B. all the world C. the Climate Adaptation Fund D. the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria E. Bangladesh F. Malawi G. the U. S. and Europe

填空题A. Although no such evidence was presented, the casino's marketing department continued to pepper him with mailings. And he entered the casino and used his Fun Card without being detected. B. It is unclear what luring was required, given his compulsive behavior. And in what sense was his will operative? C. By the time he had lost $5,000 he said to himself that if he could get back to even, he would quit. One night he won $5,500, but he did not quit. D. Gambling has been a common feature of American life forever, but for a long time it was broadly considered a sin, or a social disease. Now it is a social policy: the most important and aggressive promoter of gambling in America is the government. E. David Williams's suit should trouble this gambling nation. But don't bet on it. F. It is worrisome that society is medicalizing more and more behavioral problems, often defining as addictions what earlier, sterner generations explained as weakness of will. G. The anonymous, lonely, undistracted nature of online gambling is especially conductive to compulsive behavior. But even if the government knew how to move against Internet gambling, what would be its grounds for doing so? On the north bank of the Ohio river sits Evansville, Ind. , home of David Williams, 52, and of a riverboat casino (a place where gambling games are played). During several years of gambling in that casino, Williams, a state auditor earning $35,000 a year, lost approximately $175,000. He had never gambled before the casino sent him a coupon for $20 worth of gambling. He visited the casino, lost the $20 and left. On his second visit he lost $800. The casino issued to him, as a good customer, a "Fun Card", which when used in the casino earns points for meals and drinks, and enables the casino to track the user's gambling activities. For Williams, those activities became what he calls "electronic heroin" (41) In 1997 he lost $21,000 to one slot machine in two days. In March 1997 he lost $72,186. He sometimes played two slot machines at a time, all night, until the boat docked at 5 a.m., then went back aboard when the casino opened at 9 a. m. Now he is suing the casino, charging that it should have refused his patronage because it knew he was addicted. It did know he had a problem. In March 1998, a friend of Williams's got him involuntarily confined to a treatment center for addictions, and wrote to inform the casino of Williams's gambling problem. The casino included a photo of Williams among those of banned gamblers, and wrote to him a "cease admissions" letter. Noting the "medical/psychological" nature of problem gambling behavior, the letter said that before being readmitted to the casino he would have to present medical/psychological information demonstrating that patronizing the casino would pose no threat to his safety or well-being. (42) The Wall Street Journal reports that the casino has 24 signs warning: "Enjoy the fun.., and always bet with your head, not over it." Every entrance ticket lists a toll-free number for counseling from the Indiana Department of Mental Health. Nevertheless Williams' suit charges that the casino, knowing he was "helplessly addicted to gambling", intentionally worked to "lure" him to" engage in conduct against his will". Well. (43) The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders says "pathological gambling" involves persistent, recurring and uncontrollable pursuit less of money than of the thrill of taking risks in quest of a windfall. (44) Pushed by science, or what claims to be science, society is reclassifying what once were considered character flaws or moral failings as personality disorders akin to physical disabilities. (45) Forty-four states have lotteries, 29 have casinos, and most of these states are to varying degrees dependent on—you might say addicted to—revenues from wagering. And since the first Internet gambling site was created in 1995, competition for gambler's dollars has become intense. The Oct. 28 issue of Newsweek reported that 2 million gamblers patronize 1,800 virtual casinos every week. With $3.5 billion being lost on Internet wagers this year, gambling has passed pornography as the web's webs most profitable business.

填空题The world has never seen population ageing before. Can it cope? Until the early 1990s nobody much thought about whole populations getting older. The UN had the foresight to convene a "world assembly on ageing" back in 1982, but that came and went. By 1994 the World Bank had noticed that something big was happening. In a report entitled "Averting the Old Age Crisis", it argued that pension arrangements in most countries were unsustainable. For the next ten years a succession of books, mainly by Americans, sounded the alarm. They had titles like Young vs Old, Gray Dawn and The Coming Generational Storm, and their message was blunt: health-care systems were heading for the rocks, pensioners were taking young people to the cleaners, and soon there would be intergenerational warfare. Since then the debate has become less emotional, not least because a lot more is known about the subject. Books, conferences and research papers have multiplied. Whether all that attention has translated into sufficient action is another question. Governments in rich countries now accept that their pension and health-care promises will soon become unaffordable, and many of them have embarked on reforms, but so far only timidly. That is not surprising: politicians with an eye on the next election will hardly rush to introduce unpopular measures that may not bear fruit for years, perhaps decades. The outline of the changes needed is clear. To avoid fiscal meltdown, public pensions and health-care provision will have to be reined back severely and taxes may have to go up. By far the most effective method to restrain pension spending is to give people the opportunity to work longer, because it increases tax revenues and reduces spending on pensions at the same time. It may even keep them alive longer. John Rother, the AARP"s head of policy and strategy, points to studies showing that other things being equal, people who remain at work have lower death rates than their retired peers. Younger people today mostly accept that they will have to work for longer and that their pensions will be less generous. Employers still need to be persuaded that older workers are worth holding on to. That may be because they have had plenty of younger ones to choose from, partly thanks to the post-war baby-boom and partly because over the past few decades many more women have entered the labour force, increasing employers" choice. But the reservoir of women able and willing to take up paid work is running low, and the baby-boomers are going grey. In many countries immigrants have been filling such gaps in the labor force as have already emerged (and remember that the real shortage is still around ten years off). Immigration in the developed world is the highest it has ever been, and it is making a useful difference. In still-fertile America it currently accounts for about 40% of total population growth, and in fast-ageing western Europe for about 90%. On the face of it, it seems the perfect solution. Many developing countries have lots of young people in need of jobs; many rich countries need helping hands that will boost tax revenues and keep up economic growth. But over the next few decades labor forces in rich countries are set to shrink so much that inflows of immigrants would have to increase enormously to compensate: to at least twice their current size in western Europe"s most youthful countries, and three times in the older ones. Japan would need a large multiple of the few immigrants it has at present. Public opinion polls show that people in most rich countries already think that immigration is too high. Further big increases would be politically unfeasible. To tackle the problem of ageing populations at its root, "old" countries would have to rejuvenate themselves by having more of their own children. A number of them have tried, some more successfully than others. But it is not a simple matter of offering financial incentives or providing more child care. Modem urban life in rich countries is not well adapted to large families. Women find it hard to combine family and career. They often compromise by having just one child. A. Intergenerational conflicts will intensify. B. need large numbers of immigrants from overseas C. People should be allowed to work longer. D. They find it hard to balance career and family. E. the current pension system in most countries could not be sustained in the long term F. The employers are unwilling to keep older workers G. politicians are afraid of losing votes in the next election

填空题The first two stages in the development of civilized man were probably the invention of primitive weapons and the discovery of fire, although nobody knows exactly when he acquired the use of the latter. (41) Animals have a few cries that serve as signals, but even the highest apes have not been found able to pronounce words, even with the most intensive professional instruction. The superior brain of man is apparently a necessity for the mastering of speech. When man became sufficiently intelligent, we must suppose that he gradually increased the number of cries for different purposes. It was a great day when he discovered that speech could be used for narrative. There are those who think that in this respect picture language preceded oral language. A man could draw a picture on the wall of his cave to show in which direction he had gone, or what prey he hoped to catch. (42) Two important stages came not so long before the dawn of written history. The first was the domestication of animals ; the second was agriculture. Agriculture made possible an immense increase in the number of the human species in the regions where it could be successfully practiced. (43) (44) These inventions and discoveries—fire, speech, weapons domestic animals, agriculture, and writing—made the existence of civilized communities possible. From about 3000 B. C. until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution less than two hundred years ago there was no technical advance comparable to these. During this long period man had time to become accustomed to his technique, and to develop the beliefs and political organizations appropriate to it. There was, of course, an immense extension in the area of civilized life. At first it had been confined to the Nile, the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Indus, but at the end of the period in question it covered much the greatest part of the inhabitable globe. I do not mean to suggest that there was no technical progress during the time. (45) A. Probably picture language and oral language developed side by side. I am inclined to think that language has been the most important single factor in the development of man. B. Another fundamental technical advance was writing, which, like spoken language, developed out of pictures, but as soon as it had reached a certain stage, it was possible to keep records and transmit information to people who were not present when the information was given. C. With the development of civilization, primitive people who lived in caves at that time badly needed a language, which would help them to communicate with one another. D. The origin of language is also obscure. No doubt it began very gradually. E. In fact, there was progress—there were even two inventions of" very great importance, namely, gunpowder and the mariner's compass—but neither of these can be compared in their revolutionary power to such things as speech and writing and agriculture. F. These were, at first, only those in which nature fertilized the soil after each harvest. Agriculture met with violent resistance from the pastoral nomads, but the agricultural way of life prevailed in the end because of the physical comforts it provided. G. But industry was a step in human progress to which subsequently there was nothing comparable until our own machine age.