单选题The environmentalists advocated better protection of the earth.

单选题We"ve been through some rough times together.

单选题Strict sanitary procedures help to {{U}}forestall{{/U}} outbreaks of disease.

单选题Unpredictable Earthquake Humans are forever forgetting that they can"t control nature. Exactly 20 years ago, a Time magazine cover story announced that "scientists are on the verge of being able to predict the time, place and even the size of earthquakes." The people of quake-ravaged (被地震破坏的) Kobe learned last week how wrong that assertion was. None of the methods conceived two decades ago has yet to discover a uniform wanting signal that preceded all quakes, let alone any sign that would tell whether the coming temblor (地震) is mild or a killer. Earthquake formation can be triggered by many factors, says Hiroo Kanamori, a seismologist (地震学家) at the California Institute of Technology. So, finding one all-purpose warning sign is impossible. One reason: Quakes start deep in the earth, so scientists can"t study them directly. If a quake precursor were found, it would still be impossible to ward humans in advance of all dangerous quakes. Places like Japan and California are riddle with hundreds, if not thousands, of minor faults. Prediction would be less important if scientists could easily build structures to withstand tremors. While seismic engineering has improved dramatically in the past 10 to 15 years, every new quake reveals unexpected weakness in "quake-resistant" structures, says Terry Tullis, a geophysicist at Brown University. In Kobe, for example, a highway that opened only last year was damaged. In the Northridge earthquake, on the other hand, well-built structures generally did not collapse. A recent report in Science adds yet more anxiety about life on the faulty lines. Researchers Fan computer simulations to see how quake resistant buildings would fall in a moderate size temblor, taking into account that much of a quake"s energy travels in a large "pulse" of focused shaking. The results: both steel—frame buildings and buildings that sit on insulating rubber pads suffered severe damage. More research will help experts design stronger structures and possibly find quake pre cursors. But it is still a certainty that the next earthquake will prove once again that every fault cannot be monitored and every highway cannot be completely quake-proofed.

单选题They Say Ireland"s the Best Ireland is the best place in the world to live for 2005, according to a life quality ranking that appeared in Britain"s Economist magazine last week. The ambitious attempt to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the principle that wealth is not the only measure of human satisfaction and well-being. The index of 111 countries uses data on incomes, health, unemployment, climate, political stability, job security, gender equality as well as what the magazine calls "freedom, family and community life". Despite the bad weather, troubled health service, traffic congestion (拥挤), gender inequality, and the high cost of living, Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points out of 10. That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland, which managed 8.07. Zimbabwe, troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest (最差的), picking up only 3.89 points. "Although rising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued," the report said, "some of the factors associated with modernization such as the breakdown (崩溃) in traditional institutions and family values in part take away from a positive impact." "Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new with the preservation of certain warm elements of the old, such as stable family and community life." The magazine admitted measuring quality of life is not a straightforward thing to do, and that its findings would have their critics. No. 2 on the list is Switzerland. The other nations in the top 10 are Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden, Australia, Iceland, Italy, Denmark and Spain. The U. K. is positioned at No. 29, a much lower position chiefly because of the social and family breakdown recorded in official statistics. The U.S., which has the second highest per capita GDP (人均国内生产总值) after Luxembourg, took the 13th place in the survey. China was in the lower half of the league at 60th.

单选题The journalist is collecting material for an article.

单选题 下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题，每题后面有4个选项。请仔细阅读短文，并根据短文回答其后面的问题，从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。{{B}}第一篇{{/B}} {{B}}Reasoning{{/B}} Another common type of reasoning is the search for causes and results. We want to know whether cigarettes really do cause lung cancer, what causes malnutrition, the decay of cities, or the decay of teeth. We are equally interested in effects: what is the effect of sulphur of lead in the atmosphere, of oil spills and raw sewage in rivers and the sea, of staying up late on the night before an examination? Causal reasoning may go from cause to effect or from effect to cause. Either way, we reason from what we know to what we want to find out, Sometimes we reason from an effect to a cause and then on to another effect. Thus, if we reason that because the lights have gone out, the refrigerator won't work, we first relate the effect (lights out) to the cause (power off) and then relate that cause to another effect (refrigerator not working). This kind of reasoning is calls, for short, effect to effect. It is quite common to reason through an extensive chain of causal relations. When the lights go out we might reason in the following causal chain: lights out—power off—refrigerator not working—temperature will rise—milk will sour. In other words, we diagnose a succession of effects from the power failure, each becoming the cause of the next. Causes are classified as necessary, sufficient, or contributory. A necessary cause is one which must be present for the effect to occur, as combustion is necessary to drive a gasoline engine. A sufficient cause is one which can produce an effect unaided, though there may be more than one sufficient cause: a dead battery is enough to keep a car from starting, but faulty spark plugs or an empty gas tank will have the same effect. A contributory cause is one which helps to produce an effect but cannot do so by itself, as running through a red light may. help cause an accident, though other factors--pedestrians or other cars in the intersection—must also be present. In establishing or refuting (驳倒) a causal relation it is usually necessary to show the process by which the alleged (所谓的) cause produces the effect. Such an explanation is called a causal process.

单选题下面的短文后列出7个句子，请根据短文的内容对每个句子做出判断：如果该句提供的是正确信息，请选择A；如果该句提供的是错误信息，请选择B；如果该句的信息文中没有提及，请选择C。 The Science of Persuasion If leadership consists of getting things done through others, then persuasion is one of the leader's essential tools. Many executives have assumed that this tool is beyond their grasp, available only to the charismatic (有魅力的)and the eloquent. Over the past several decades, though, experimental psychologists have learned which methods reliably lead people to concede, comply, or change. Their research shows that persuasion is governed by several principles that can be taught and applied. The first principle is that people are more likely to follow someone who is similar to them than someone who is not. Wise managers, then, ask peers to help make their cases. Second, people are more willing to cooperate with those who are not only like them but who like them, as well. So it's worth the rune to uncover real similarities and offer genuine praise. Third, experiments confirm the intuitive truth that people tend to treat you the way you treat them. It's sound policy to do a favor before seeking one. Fourth, individuals are more likely to keep promises they make voluntarily and clearly. The message for managers here is to get commitments in writing. Fifth, studies show that people really do defer to (服从) experts. So before they attempt to exert influence, executives should take pains to establish their own expertise and not assume that it's self-evident. Finally, people want more of a commodity when it's scarce; it follows, then, that exclusive information is more persuasive than widely available data.

单选题One of the most fascinating things about television is the size of the audience. A novel can be on the "best seller" list with a sale of fewer than 1 00,000 copies ,but a popular TV show might have 70 million TV viewers. TV can make anything or anyone well - known overnight. This is the principle behind" quiz" or" game" shows, which put ordinary people on TV to play a game for prizes and money. A quiz show can make anyone a star, and it can give away thousands of dollars just for fun. But all of this money can create problems. For instance, in the 1950s,quiz shows were very popular in the US and almost everyone watched them. Charles Van Doren, an English instructor, became rich and famous after winning money on several shows. He even had a career as a television personality. But one of the losers proved that Charles Van Doren was cheating. It turned out that the show's producers who were pulling the strings, gave the answers to the most popular contestants beforehand. Why? Because if the audience didn't like the person who won the game, they turned the show off. The result of this cheating was a huge scandal. Based on his story, a movie under the title" Quiz Show" is on 40 years later. What is the biggest attraction of TV?A. It has a large audience.B. It can make anything or anyone well - known overnight.C. It gives out a large sum of money to the audience.D. It creates opportunities for the audience to become TV personalities.

单选题My principal concern is to get the job done fast.

单选题Her mood can be gauged, by her reaction to the most trivial of incidents. A. displayed B. shown C. proved D. assessed

单选题In the end, both attacks and defenses of the free market and {{U}}conventional{{/U}} economics have immense philosophical implications. A. traditional B. novel C. capital-centered D. consumption-centered

单选题A number of theories have been proposed to explain the situation.A. suggestedB. testedC. usedD. announced

单选题I was {{U}}shocked{{/U}} when I saw the size of the telephone bill．

单选题"Salty" Rice Plant Boosts Harvests British scientists are breeding a new generation of rice plants that will be able to grow in soil containing salt water. Their work may enable abandoned farms to become productive once more. Tim Flowers and Tony Yeo, from Sussex University"s School of Biological Sciences, have spent several years researching how crops, such as rice, could be made to grow in water that has become salty. The pair have recently begun a three-year programme, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, to establish which genes enable some plants to survive salty conditions. The aim is to breed this capability into crops, starting with rice. It is estimated that each year more than 10m hectares (公顷) of agricultural land are lost because salt gets into the soil and stunts (妨碍生长) plants. The problem is caused by several factors. In the tropics, mangroves (红树林) that create swamps (沼泽) and traditionally formed barriers to sea water have been cut down. In the Mediterranean, a series of droughts have caused the water table to drop, allowing sea water to seep (渗透) in. In Latin America, irrigation often causes problems when water is evaporated (蒸发) by the heat, leaving salt deposits behind. Excess salt then enters the plants and prevents them functioning normally. Heavy concentrations of minerals in the plants stop them drawing up the water they need to survive. To overcome these problems, Flowers and Yeo decided to breed rice plants that take in very little salt and store what they do absorb in ceils that do not affect the plants" growth. They have started to breed these characteristics into a new rice crop, but it will take about eight harvests before the resulting seeds are ready to be considered for commercial use. Once the characteristics for surviving salty soil are known, Flowers and Yeo will try to breed the appropriate genes into all manners of crops and plants. Land that has been abandoned to nature will then be able to bloom again, providing much needed food in the poorer countries of the world.

单选题Riches and Romance From France's Wine Harvest September is harvest time. And with bunches of grapes swinging (摇摆) in the wind, the vineyards of southern France are getting ready to celebrate it. The yearly wine festival is held in honour of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. It's a fun time with parties, music, dancing, big meals and, of course, lots of wine. French wine-making began more than 2,500 years ago. The world's oldest type of vine grows in France and always produces a good quality wine. Today France produces one-fifth of the world's wine, and some of the most famous varieties. The top wine-producing areas are Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley. Champagne, a drink used in celebrations, is named after the place where sparkling (有气泡的)wine was first produced in 1700. Wine is made from the juice of freshly picked grapes. It is the sugars that turn into alcohol. Traditionally, people used to take off their shoes and crush the grapes with their bare feet to bring out the juice. Nowadays, this practice is usually carried out by machines. Each wine producing region has its own character, based on its type of grapes and soil. The taste of wine changes with time. Until 1850, all French champagne was sweet. Now, both wine and champagne taste slightly bitter. The drink has always been linked with riches, romance and nobleness. Yet the French think of it in more ordinary terms. They believe it makes daily living easier, less hurried and with fewer problems. "All its links are with times when people are at their best; with relaxation, happiness, long slow meals and the free flow of ideas, "wrote wine expert Hugh Johnson.

单选题The Fraunhofer Society is the largest organisation for applied technology in

单选题We volunteered to collect money to help the victims of the earthquake.

单选题There is always excitement at the Olympic Games when an athlete Ubreaks/U a previous record of performance,

单选题College Night Owls Have Lower Grades College students who are morning people tend to get better grades than those who are night owls (晚睡的人) , according to University of North Texas researchers. They had 824 undergraduate (大学本科生的) students complete a health survey that included questions about sleep habits and daytime functioning, and found that students who are morning people had higher grade point averages (GPAs)than those who are night people. "The finding that college students who are evening types have lower GPAs is a very important finding, sure to make its way into undergraduate psychology texts in the near future, along with the research showing that memory is improved by sleep, "study co-author Daniel J. Taylor said in a prepared statement. "Further, these results suggest that it might be possible to improve academic performance by using chronotherapy (时间疗法) to help students retrain their biological clock to become more morning types," Taylor said. The research was expected to be presented Monday at SLEEP, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in Baltimore. In other findings expected to be heard at the meeting, University of Colorado researchers found a significant association between insomnia (失眠) and a decline in college students" academic performance. The study included 64 psychology, nursing and medical students, average age 27.4 years, who were divided into two groups—low GPAs and high GPAs. Among those with low GPAs, 69.7 percent had trouble falling asleep, 53.1 percent experienced leg kicks or twitches (痉挛) at night, 65.6 percent reported waking at night and having trouble falling back to sleep, and 72.7 percent had difficulty concentrating during the day. "In college students, the complaint of difficulty concentrating during the day continues to have a considerable impact on their ability to succeed in the classroom," study author Dr James F. Pagel said in a prepared statement. "This study showed that disordered sleep has significant harmful effects on a student"s academic performance, including GPAs."