单选题The pianist played beautifully, showing a real______for the music.

单选题Office jobs are among the positions hardest hit by computation(计算机自动化). Word processors and typists will lose about 93,000 jobs over the next few years, while 57,000 secretarial jobs will vanish. Blame the PC: today, many executives type their own memos and carry their "secretaries" in the palms of their hands. Time is also hard for stock clerks, whose ranks are expected to decrease by 68,000. And employees in manufacturing firms and wholesalers are being replaced with computerized systems. But not everyone who loses a job will end up in the unemployment line. Many will shift to growing positions within their own companies. When new technologies shook up the telecom business, telephone operator Judy Dougherty pursued retraining. She is now a communications technician, earning about $64,000 per year. Of course, if you"ve been a tollbooth collector for the past 30 years, and you find yourself replaced by an E-ZPass machine, it may be of little consolation(安慰)to know that the telecom field is booming. And that"s just it: the service economy is fading; welcome to the expertise(专门知识)economy. To succeed in the new job market, you must be able to handle complex problems. Indeed, all but 1 of the 50 highest-paying occupations — air-traffic-controller—demand at least a bachelor"s degree. For those with just a high school diploma(毕业证书), it"s going to get tougher to find a well-paying job. Since fewer factory and clerical jobs will be available, what"s left will be the jobs that computation can"t kill. Computers can"t clean offices, or care for Alzheimer"s patients(老年痴呆病人). But, since most people have the skills to fill those positions, the wages stay painfully low, meaning computation could drive an even deeper wedge(楔子)between the rich and poor. The best advice now: never stop learning, and keep up with new technology. For busy adults, of course, that can be tough. The good news is that the very technology that"s reducing so many jobs is also making it easier to go back to school — without having to sit in a classroom. So-called Internet distance learning is hot, with more than three million students currently enrolled, and it"s gaining credibility with employers. Are you at risk of losing your job to a computer? Check the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics" Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is available online at bls.gov.

单选题Readthefollowingtextandanswerthequestionsbyfindinginformationfromtherightcolumnthatcorrespondstoeachofthemarkeddetailsgivenintheleftcolumn,therearetwoextrachoicesintherightcolumn.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.Leadingdoctorstodayweighinonthedebateoverthegovernment'sroleinpromotingpublichealthbydemandingthatministersimpose"fattaxes"onunhealthyfoodandintroducecigarette-stylewarningstochildrenaboutthedangersofpoordiet.Thedemandsfollowcommentsmadelastweekbythehealthsecretary,AndrewLansley,whoinsistedthegovernmentcouldnotforcepeopletomakehealthychoicesandpromisedtofreebusinessfrompublichealthregulations.Butseniormedicalfigureswanttostopfast-foodoutletsopeningnearschools,restrictadvertisingofproductshighinfat,salt,orsugar,andlimitsponsorshipofsportseventsbyfast-foodproducerssuchasMcDonald's.TheyarguethatgovernmentactionisnecessarytocurbBritain'saddictiontounhealthyfoodandhelphaltspiralingratesofobesity,diabetesandheartdisease.ProfessorTerenceStephenson,presidentoftheRoyalCollegeofPediatricsandChildHealth,saidthattheconsumptionofunhealthyfoodshouldbeseentobejustasdamagingassmokingorexcessivedrinking."Thirtyyearsago,itwouldhavebeeninconceivabletohaveimaginedabanonsmokingintheworkplaceorinpubs,andyetthatiswhatwehavenow.Arewewillingtobejustascourageousinrespectofobesity?Iwouldsuggestthatweshouldbe,"saidtheleaderoftheUK'schildren'sdoctors.Lansleyhasalarmedhealthcampaignersbysuggestinghewantsindustryratherthangovernmenttotakethelead.HesaidthatmanufacturersofcrispsandcandiescouldplayacentralroleintheChange4Lifecampaign,thecenterpieceofgovernmenteffortstoboosthealthyeatingandfitness.HehasalsocriticizedthecelebritychefJamieOliver'shigh-profileattempttoimproveschoollunchesinEnglandasanexampleofhow"lecturing"peoplewasnotthebestwaytochangetheirbehavior.StephensonsuggestedpotentialrestrictionscouldincludebanningTVadvertisementforfoodshighinfat,saltorsugarbefore9pmandlimitingthemonbillboardsorcinemas."Ifwewerereallybold,wemightevenbegintothinkofhigh-caloriesfastfoodinthesamewayascigarettes-bysettingstrictlimitsonadvertising,productplacementandsponsorshipofsportsevents,"hesaid.SuchamovecouldaffectfirmssuchasMcDonald's,whichsponsorstheyouthcoachingschemerunbytheFootballAssociation.Fast-foodchainsshouldalsostopoffering"inducements"suchastoys,cuteanimalsandmobilephonecredittolureyoungcustomers,Stephensonsaid.ProfessorDineshBhugra,presidentoftheRoyalCollegeofPsychiatrists,said:"Ifchildrenaretaughtabouttheimpactthatfoodhasontheirgrowth,andthatsomethingscanharm,atleastinformationisavailableupfront."Healsourgedcouncilstoimpose"fast-food-freezones"aroundschoolsandhospitals—areaswithinwhichtakeawayscannotopen.ADepartmentofHealthspokespersonsaid:"Weneedtocreateanewvisionforpublichealthwhereallofsocietyworkstogethertogethealthyandlivelonger.Thisincludescreatinganew'responsibilitydeal'withbusiness,builtonsocialresponsibility,notstateregulation.Laterthisyear,wewillpublishawhitepapersettingoutexactlyhowwewillachievethis."Thefoodindustrywillbealarmedthatsuchseniordoctorsbacksuchradicalmoves,especiallythecalltousesomeofthetoughtacticsthathavebeendeployedagainstsmokingoverthelastdecade.

单选题The lives of very few Newark residents are untouched by violence: New Jersey"s biggest city has seen it all. Yet the murder of three young people, who were forced to kneel before being shot in the back of the head in a school playground on August 4th, has shaken the city. A fourth, who survived, was stabbed and shot in the face. The four victims were by all accounts good kids, all enrolled in college, all with a future. But the cruel murder, it seems, has at last forced Newarker to say they have had enough. Grassroots organizations, like Stop Shootin", have been flooded with offers of help and support since the killings. Yusef Ismail, its co-founder, says the group has been going door-to-door asking people to sign a pledge of non-violence. They hope to get 50, 000 to promise to "stop shootin", start thinkin", and keep livin"." The Newark Community Foundation, which was launched last month, announced on August 14th that it will help pay for Community Eye, a surveillance(监视)system tailored towards gun crime. Cory Booker who became mayor 13 months ago with a mission to revitalize the city, believes the surveillance program will be the largest camera and audio network in any American city. More than 30 cameras were installed earlier this summer and a further 50 will be installed soon in a seven-square-mile area where 80% of the city"s recent shootings have occurred. And more cameras are planned. When a gunshot is detected, the surveillance camera zooms in on that spot. Similar technology in Chicago has increased arrests and decreased shootings. Mr. Booker plans to announce a comprehensive gun strategy later this week. Mr. Booker, as well as church leaders and others, believes(or hopes)that after the murder the city will no longer stand by in coldness. For generations, Newark has been paralyzed by poverty— almost one in three people lives below the poverty line — and growing indifference to crime. Some are skeptical. Steven Malanga of the conservative Manhattan Institute notes that Newark has deep social problems: over 60% of children are in homes without fathers. The school system, taken over by the state in 1995, is a mess. But there is also some cause for hope. Since Mr. Booker was elected, there has been a rise in investment and re-zoning for development. Only around 7% of nearby Newark airport workers used to come from Newark; now, a year, the figure is 30%. Mr. Booker has launched a New York-style war on crime. So far this year, crime has fallen 11% and shootings are down 30%(though the murder rate looks likely to match last year"s high).

单选题Lightning has been the second largest storm killer in the US over the past 40 years and is______only by flood.

单选题I was addressing a small gathering in a suburban Virginia living room—a women"s group that had invited men to join them. Throughout the evening one man had been particularly talkative, frequently offering ideas and anecdotes, while his wife sat silently beside him on the couch. Toward the end of the evening I commented that women frequently complain that their husbands don"t talk to them. This man quickly nodded in agreement. He gestured toward his wife and said "She"s the talker in our family." The room burst into laughter. The man looked puzzled and hurt. "It"s true," he explained. "When I come home from work I have nothing to say. If she didn"t keep the conversation going, we"d spend the whole evening in silence." This episode crystallizes the irony that although American men tend to talk more than women in public situations, they often talk less at home. And this pattern is wreaking havoc with marriage. The pattern was observed by political scientist Andrew Hacker in the late 1970s. Sociologist Catherine Kohler Riessman reports in her new book Divorce Talk that most of the women she interviewed — but only a few of the men — gave lack of communication as the reason for their divorces. Given the current divorce rate of nearly 50 percent, that amounts to millions of cases in the United States every year—a virtual epidemic of failed conversation. In my own research, complaints from women about their husbands most often focused not on tangible inequities such as having given up the chance for a career to accompany a husband, or doing far more than their share of daily life-support work like cleaning, cooking and social arrangements. Instead, they focused on communication: "He doesn"t listen to me.", "He doesn"t talk to me." I found, as Hacker observed years before, that most wives want their husbands to be, first and foremost, conversational partners, but few husbands share this expectation of their wives. In short, the image that best represents the current crisis is the stereotypical cartoon scene of a man sitting at the breakfast table with a newspaper held up in front of his face, while a woman glares at the back of it, wanting to talk.

单选题The first serious prospect of a cure for Aids,______a treatment which delays its effects, has emerged recently.

单选题Wholesale prices in July rose more sharply than expected and at a faster rate than consumer prices.【1】that businesses were still protecting consumers【2】the full brunt(冲击)of higher energy costs. The Producer Price Index,【3】measures what producers receive for goods and services,【4】1 percent in July, the Labor Department reported yesterday, double【5】economists had been expecting and a sharp turnaround from flat prices in June. Excluding【6】and energy, the core index of producer prices rose 0.4 percent,【7】than the 0.1 percent that economists had【8】. Much of that increase was a result of an【9】increase in car and truck prices. On Tuesday, the Labor Department said the【10】 that consumers paid for goods and services in July were【11】0.5 percent overall, and up 0.1 percent, excluding food and energy. 【12】the overall rise in both consumer and producer prices【13】caused by energy costs, which increased 4.4 percent in the month. Wholesale food prices【14】0.3 percent in July.【15】July 2004, wholesale prices were up 4.6 percent, the core rate【16】2.8 percent— its fastest pace since 1995. Typically, increases in the Producer Price Index indicate similar changes in the consumer index【17】 businesses recoup(补偿)higher costs from customers.【18】for much of this expansion, which started【19】the end of 2001, that has not been the【20】. In fact, many businesses like automakers have been aggressively discounting their products.

单选题The outbreak of swine flu that was first detected in Mexico was declared a global epidemic on June 11, 2009. It was the first worldwide epidemic【1】by the World Health Organization in 41 years. The heightened alert【2】an emergency meeting with flue experts in Geneva that assembled after a sharp rise in cases in Australia, and rising【3】in Britain, Japan, Chile and elsewhere. But the epidemic is "【4】" in severity, according to Margaret Chan, the organization"s director general,【5】the overwhelming majority of patients experiencing only mild symptoms and a full recovery, often in the【6】of any medical treatment. The outbreak came to global【7】in late April 2009, when Mexican authorities noted an unusually large number of hospitalizations and deaths【8】healthy adults. As much of Mexico City shut down at the height of a panic, cases began to【9】in New York City, the southwestern United States and around the world. In the United States, new cases seemed to fade【10】warmer weather arrived. But in late September 2009, officials reported there was【11】flu activity in almost every state and that virtually all the【12】tested are the new swine flu, also known as(A)H1N1, not seasonal flu. In the U.S., it has【13】more than one million people, and caused more than 600 deaths and more than 6,000 hospitalizations. Federal health officials【14】Tamiflu for children from the national stockpile and began【15】orders from the states for the new swine flue vaccine. The new vaccine, which is different from the annual flu vaccine, is【16】ahead of expectation. More than three million doses were to be made available in early October 2009, though most of those【17】doses were of the FluMist nasal spray type, which is not【18】for pregnant women, people of 50 or those with breathing difficulties, heart disease or several other【19】. But it was still possible to vaccinate people in other high-risk groups: health-care workers, people【20】infants and healthy young people.

单选题Consciously or not, ordinary citizens and government bureaucrats still______the notion that Japanese society is a unique culture.

单选题Olympic Games are held every four years at a different site, in which athletes【1】different nations compete against each other in a【2】of sports. There are two types of Olympics, the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. In order to【3】the Olympics, a city must submit a proposal to the International Olympic Committee(IOC). After all proposals have been【4】. the IOC votes. If no city is successful in gaining a majority in the first vote, the city with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voting continues, with【5】rounds, until a majority winner is determined. Typically the Games are awarded several years in advance,【6】the winning city has time to prepare for the Games. In selecting the 【7】of the Olympic Games, the IOC considers a number of factors, chief among them which city has, or promises to build, the best facilities, and which organizing committee seems most likely to 【8】the Games effectively. The IOC also【9】which parts of the world have not yet hosted the Games.【10】. Tokyo, Japan, the host of the 1964 Summer Games, and Mexico City, Mexico, the host of the 1968 Summer Games, were chosen 【11】to popularize the Olympic movement in Asia and in Latin America. 【12】the growing importance of television worldwide, the IOC in recent years has also taken into【13】the host city"s time zone.【14】the Games take place in the United States or Canada, for example, American television networks are willing to pay【15】higher amounts for television rights because they can broadcast popular events【16】. in prime viewing hours. 【17】the Games have been awarded, it is the responsibility of the local organizing committee to finance them. This is often done with a portion of the Olympic television【18】and with corporate sponsorships, tickets sales, and other smaller revenue sources. In many【19】there is also direct government support. Although many cities have achieved a financial profit by hosting the Games, the Olympics can be financially【20】. When the revenues from the Games were less than expected, the city was left with large debts.

单选题The Internet affords anonymity to us users, a blessing to privacy and freedom of speech. But that very anonymity is also behind the explosion of cyber crime that has【1】across the Web. Can privacy be preserved【2】bringing safety and security to a world that seems increasingly 【3】? Last month, Howard Schmidt, the nation"s cyber-czar, offered the federal government a【4】to make the Web a safer place - a "voluntary trusted identity" system that would be the high-tech【5】of a physical key, a fingerprint and a photo ID card, all rolled【6】one. The system might use a smart identity card, or a digital credential【7】to a specific computer, and would authenticate users at a range of online services. The idea is to【8】a federation of private online identity systems. Users could【9】which system to join, and only registered users whose identities have been authenticated could navigate those systems. The approach contrasts with one that would require an Internet driver"s license【10】by the government. Google and Microsoft are among companies that already have these "single sign-on" systems that make it possible for users to【11】just once but use many different services.【12】the approach would create a "walled garden" in cyberspace, with safe "neighborhoods" and bright "streetlights" to establish a sense of【13】community. Mr. Schmidt described it as a "voluntary ecosystem" in which "individuals and organizations can complete online transactions with【14】, trusting the identities of each other and the identities of the infrastructure【15】which the transaction runs." Still, the administration"s plan has【16】privacy rights activists. Some applaud the approach; others are concerned. It seems clear that such a scheme is an initiative push toward what would【17】be a compulsory of Internet "driver"s license" mentality. The plan has also been greeted with【18】by some computer security experts, who worry that the "voluntary ecosystem" envisioned by Mr. Schmidt should still leave much of the Internet【19】. They argue that all Internet users should be【20】to register and identify themselves in the same way drivers must be licensed to drive on public roads.

单选题The employees tried to settle the dispute by direct______with the boss.

单选题In some countries girls are still______of a good education.

单选题Ruth Simmons joined Goldman Sachs"s board as an outside director in January 2000; a year later she became president of Brown University. For the rest of the decade she apparently managed both roles without attracting much criticism. But by the end of 2009 Ms. Simmons was under fire for having sat on Goldman"s compensation committee; how could she have let those enormous bonus payouts pass unremarked? By February the next year Ms. Simmons had left the board. The position was taking up too much time, she said. Outside directors are supposed to serve as helpful, yet less biased, advisers on a firm"s board. Having made their wealth and their reputations elsewhere, they presumably have enough independence to disagree with the chief executive"s proposals. If the sky, and the share price, is falling, outside directors should be able to give advice based on having weathered their own crises. The researchers from Ohio University used a database that covered more than 10,000 firms and more than 64,000 different directors between 1989 and 2004. Then they simply checked which directors stayed from one proxy statement to the next. The most likely reason for departing a board was age, so the researchers concentrated on those "surprise" departure, the probability that the company will subsequently have to restate earnings increases by nearly 20%. The likelihood of being named in a federal class-action lawsuit also increases, and the stock is likely to perform worse. The effect tended to be larger for larger firms. Although a correlation between them leaving and subsequent bad performance at the firm is suggestive, it does not mean that such directors are always jumping off a sinking ship. Often they "trade up," leaving riskier, smaller firms for larger and more stable firms. But the researchers believe that outside directors have an easier time of avoiding a blow to their reputations if they leave a firm before bad news breaks, even if a review of history shows they were on the board at the time any wrongdoing occurred. Firms who want to keep their outside directors through tough time may have to create incentives. Otherwise outside directors will follow the example of Ms. Simmons, once again very popular on campus.

单选题In its 14 years of______, the European Union has earned the scorn of its citizens and skepticism from the United States.

单选题______they can get people in the organization to do what must be done, they will not succeed.

单选题You shouldn"t be so______—I didn"t mean anything bad in what I said.

单选题I"m______to think that most children would like their teachers to be their friends rather than their commanders.

问答题Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingchart.Inyourwriting,youshould(1)interpretthechartand(2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteatleast150words.WriteyouressayonANSWERSHEET2.