单选题Reforming the Social Security retirement program is an issue of enormous practical importance. Yet it remains the missing piece in American policy analysis. At a time when the Congress and the Administration are considering ways to reform welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, and the income tax, elected officials are still unwilling to confront the serious problems of our Social Security system. Eventually, however, its deteriorating financial condition will force major reforms. Whether those reforms are good or bad, whether they deal with the basic economic problems of the system or merely protect the solvency of existing institutional arrangements will depend in part on whether we, as economists, provide the appropriate intellectual framework for analyzing reform alternatives. Major policy changes that affect the public at large can only happen in our democracy when there is widespread public support for the new direction of policy. In the field of economics, the views of the media, of other private-sector opinion leaders, and of politicians and their advisers, depend very much on their perception of what economists believe feasible and correct. Fundamental policy reforms in a complex area like social security also require the development of technical expertise, both in and out of government, about the options for change and their likely consequences. Fortunately, an expanding group of economists is now thinking and writing about social security reform. My remarks today greatly benefit from what they have written and from my conversations with many of them. I began to do my research on the effects of Social Security reform nearly 25 year ago [Feldstein, 1974, 1975]. A central concept in my analysis of Social Security has been the notion of "Social Security wealth," which I defined as the present actuarial value of the Social Security benefits to which the current adult population will be entitled at age 65 [or are already entitled to if they are older than 65] minus the present actuarial value of the Social Security taxes that they will pay before reaching that age. Social Security wealth has now grown to about ＄11 trillion or more than 1.5 times GDP. Since this is equivalent to more than ＄50000 for every adult in the country, the value of Social Security wealth substantially exceeds all other assets for the vast majority of American households. In the aggregate, Social Security wealth exceeds three-fourths of all private financial wealth, as conventionally measured. Social Security wealth is of course not real wealth but only a claim on current and future taxpayers. Instead of labeling this key magnitude "Social Security wealth," I could have called it the nation's "Social Security liability." Like ordinary government debt, Social Security wealth has the power to crowd out private capital accumulation; and Social Security wealth will continue to grow as long as our current system remains unchanged, displacing an ever larger stock of capital. The ＄11 trillion Social Security liability is three times as large as the official national debt. Although I certainly welcome the current political efforts to shrink future budget deficits, it is worth noting that, even if the traditional deficit is eliminated in the year 2002, so that the national debt is then no longer increasing, the national debt in the form of the Social Security liability is likely to increase that year by about ＄ 300 billion. Looking further into the future, the aggregate Social Security liability will grow as the population expands, as it become relatively older, and as income rises. Government actuaries predict that, under existing law, the tax rate required to pay each year's Social Security benefit will rise over the next 50 years from the present level of slightly less than 12 percent to more than 18 percent, and perhaps to as much as 23 percent.

单选题They issued a______to the effect that the covenant(违反契约的诉讼)would not have any place in the treaty.

单选题Mothers tend to be too______towards their children. They should let them see more of the world.

单选题By comparison, the author considers that ______.

单选题3 Almost since the beginning of mankind, governments have been recording the num bers of their populace. The first known census report took place in 3800 B. C. in Babylonia for the purpose of deciding who should pay taxes. As time went by, governments found other, more creative uses for knowing their numbers. Egyptian King Ramses II used the census not only to determine who should pay taxes, but also to figure out how to divide land for farming and to decide who could provide manpower for various government pro jects. These new ideas came about in the mid-1200s-B. C. William the Conqueror brought the concept of census taking to England in 1085. All landowners were required to name their holdings for the purpose of taxation. By the fif teenth century, Tudor kings found a new twist to the Egyptians' use of the census. They too used the population count as a means of getting ready manpower for important govern ment projects, namely, replenishing troops in the ongoing battles in western Europe. A rebellious tide swept over England, however, in the mid-1700s. A bill to authorize a regular census was defeated in Parliament on the grounds that it would give valuable in formation to England's enemies. But the tide of rebellion soon turned, and in 1800 England established its first regular census. Meanwhile the United States had already had an ongoing census for ten years. It was authorized in the Constitution for the purpose of deciding how many members of Congress would be needed for a fair representation of the American people. The constitutional article also established that the census would be taken in 1790 and every ten years thereafter. And so it has. Since its beginning, the American census has gone through many changes. Today the census provides more than a count of the people who live here. It takes polls on transporta tion, economic planning, and agriculture. The census also provides data for most govern ment agency statistics, such as the unemployment rate. Counting costs have risen since 1790. The government spent about a penny per person to count post-Revolutionary Americans. Today the census costs ﹩ 250 million—more than a dollar per person. That's a long way since 3800 B. C.

单选题Education in Russia and the other new countries faces especially daunting obstacles because the struggling economies of these nations often provide insufficient funds for education.

单选题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}} Read the following passage, decide on the best one of the choices marked A, B, C, and D for each question or unfinished statement and then mark the corresponding letter with a single bar across the square bracket on ANSWER SHEET. Passage One The Commercial Revolution was not confined, of course, to the growth of trade and banking. Included in it also were fundamental changes in methods of production. The system of manufacture developed by the craft guilds in the later Middle Ages was rapidly becoming defunct. The guilds themselves, dominated by the master craftsmen, had grown selfish and exclusive. Membership in them was commonly restricted to a few privileged families. Besides, they were so completely choked by tradition that they were unable to make adjustments to changing conditions. Moreover, new industries had sprung up entirely outside the guild system. Characteristic examples were mining and smelting and the woolen industry. The rapid development of these enterprises was stimulated by technical advances, such as the invention of the spinning wheel and the discovery of a new method of making brass, which saved about half of the fuel previously used. In the mining and smelting industries a form of organization was adopted similar to that which has prevailed ever since. But the most typical form of industrial production in the Commercial Revolution was the domestic system, developed first of all in the woolen industry. The domestic system derives its name from the fact that the work was done in the homes of industrial artisans instead of in the shop of a master craftsman. Since the various jobs in the manufacture of a product were given out on contract, the system is also known as the putting out system. Notwithstanding the petty scale of production, the organization was basically capitalistic. The raw material was purchased by an entrepreneur and assigned to individual worker, each of whom would complete his allotted task for a stipulated payment. In the case of the woolen industry the yam would be given out first of all to the spinners, then to the weavers, fullers, and dyer in succession. When the cloth was finally finished, it would be taken by the clothier and sold in the open market for the highest price it would bring.

单选题Not until the advent of histochemistry could the anatomist see through the microscope which cells carry specific enzymes or gauge how active these enzymes are in different cells under various conditions. A. discern B. grasp C. measure D. estimate

单选题Forty years ago no one was concerned about the health of the ocean, in spite of the fact that many fisheries were being over-harvested, toxic wastes were being dumped in the sea, and developers were beginning to seriously disrupt coastlines. In those days, the magnitude of the problems was small, even though it was obvious that if the trends continued people would face severe economic and personal hardship in the future. People just didn't understand, nor did they care. Unfortunately many of our concerns were realized, but the situation could have been much worse, had we, and others, not taken action to inform people about the ocean and the need to protect it. During our campaign to share the wonders of the sea and alert the public about the need to protect it, we have used every medium available—personal appearances, the printed word, and television. Now there is a new medium that is even more effective than its predecessors. Thanks to the Internet and computers, people can not only receive linear stories, but they can actually participate in them, exploring and learning at their own pace and as their curiosity dictates. I am tremendously impressed with the personalization of what had been labeled by skeptics as the most impersonal medium yet developed. For these reasons I have made a major commitment of time and resources to dive into this sea of electronic marvels. I'm swimming hard to keep up, but when I look around I find I'm not alone. We are all learning together and it is an adventure I am finding immensely rewarding. I have been encouraged by our first modest dunking in this new world. We recently completed a CD-ROM, Jean-Michel Cousteau's World. Cities Under the Sea-Coral Reefs. A couple of months ago I was in Fiji to celebrate the 1997 International Year of the Reef and presented our Cities under the Sea CD-ROM to a group of children. I was impressed to see how quickly they grasped our concepts and how they directed their own learning process, thanks to the flexibility of the medium. It was particularly exciting to see kids squeal with delight as they responded to questions and the computer rewarded them when they got the correct answers. I want young people to experience the mystery and wonder of our oceans. I want them to understand how precious and vulnerable our environment is. Young people need to be taught to take responsibility for ensuring that their heritage will be protected and used wisely. Hopefully the next generation will do a better job than mine has. I believe individuals must be personally involved and I am counting on the Internet to be the medium through which people can experience, learn, and take action I am counting on young people with their idealism and energy to create a better future—it is too important to be left to bureaucrats and politicians.

单选题Kuwait, a small country in the Persian Gulf, is ______ in petroleum deposits.

单选题What is the attitude of the Department of Education towards affirmative action?

单选题I can follow his career up to 1958, but quite abruptly I lose______of him.(2006年财政部财政研究所考博试题)

单选题Technically, any substance other than food that alters our bodily or mental functioning is a drug. Many people mistakenly believe the term drug refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal chemical taken by drug addicts. They don"t realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco are also drugs. This is why the more neutral term substance is now used by many physicians and psychologists. The phrase substance abuse is often used instead of drug abuse to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine. We live in a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances (drugs) is pervasive: an aspirin to quiet a headache, some wine to be sociable, coffee to get going in the morning, a cigarette for the nerves. When do these socially acceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses? First of all, most substances taken in excess will produce negative effects such as poisoning or intense perceptual distortions. Repeated use of a substance can also lead to physical addiction or substance dependence. Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance, with more and more of the substance required to produce the desired effect, and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued. Drugs (substances) that affect the central nervous system and alter perception, mood, and behavior are known as psychoactive substances. Psychoactive substances are commonly grouped according to whether they are stimulants, depressants, or hallucinogens. Stimulants initially speed up or activate the central nervous system, whereas depressants slow it down. Hallucinogens have their primary effect on perception, distorting and altering it in a variety of ways including producing hallucinations. These are the substances often called psychedelic (from the Greek word meaning mind-manifestation) because they seemed to radically alter one"s state of consciousness.

单选题But, in our enthusiasm to discover our heritage, we are ruining the very scenery we go to enjoy, damaging natural habitats, ______ down footpaths, disturbing wildlife, polluting the air and dropping litter.

单选题Facing the danger, they were quite______themselves. A. in case of B. in name of C. in possession of D. in charge of

单选题From the stories which exemplify Roosevelt' s affection for his family members, we can infer that ______.

单选题Her remarkable success as a rock star is partly due to her ability to ______ the media. A. mandate B. meditate C. manifest D. manipulate

单选题Recently some ______ incidents involving mistreatment of new immigrants and ethnic groups have occurred in some European countries. A. vile B. steady C. dreary D. dissimilar

单选题The problem of where we will raise the funds for the scheme has not yet been ______. A. accessed B. addressed C. dealt D. expressed

单选题 Coronary heart attacks occur more commonly in those with high blood pressure, in the obese, in the cigarette smokers, and in those ______ to prolonged emotional and mental strain.