填空题Hurricanes (龙卷风) Did you know that before 1950, hurricanes had no names? They were simply given numbers. The first names were simply Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. but in 1953, females names were given because of the unpredictability (不可预知) factor of the storms. In 1979, realizing the sexist (性别歧视的) nature of such names, the lists were expanded to include both men and women. Hurricanes and typhoons (台风) are the same things. If they form in the Atlantic, we call these strong storms hurricanes, from the West Indian word hurricane, meaning "big wind". And if they are Pacific storms, they are called typhoons from the Chinese taifun, meaning "great wind". To be classified as a hurricane, the storm must have maximum winds of at least 75 mph. These storms are big, many hundreds of miles in diameter. Hurricanes get their power from water vapor as it gives out its stored-up energy. All water vapor gives out heat as it condenses (凝结) from a gaseous state to a liquid state over fixed points on the equator (赤道). To make a hurricane, you must have extremely wet, warm air, the kind of air that can only be found in tropical region. Scientists have determined that the heat given out in the process of water condensation can be as high as 95 billion kilowatts per hour. In just one day alone, the storm can produce more energy than many industrialized nations need in an entire year! The problem is that we don't know how to make sure such great energy work for us. Predicting the path of a hurricane is one of the most difficult tasks for forecasters. It moves at a typical speed of 15 mph. But not always. Some storms may race at twice this speed, then suddenly stop and remain in the same location for several days. It can be maddening (发疯的) if you live in a coastal area that may be hit. The biggest advance in early detection is continuous watch from weather satellites. With these, we can see the storms form and track them fully, from birth to death. While they can still kill people and destroy property, hurricanes will never surprise any nation again.

填空题How to Interview People Interviewing (采访) is one of those skills that you can only get better at. You will never again feel so ill at ease as when you try it for the first time, and probably you"ll never feel entirely comfortable trying to get from another person answers that he or she may be too shy to reveal. 1 The rest is instinct, which can all be learned with experience. The basic tools for an interview are paper and two or three well-sharpened pencils. But keep your notebook or paper out of sight until you need it. There"s nothing less likely to relax a person than the arrival of someone with a note-taking pad. 2 Take a while just to chat, judging what sort of person you"re dealing with, getting him or her to trust you. Never go into an interview without doing whatever homework you can. If you are interviewing a town official, know his voting record. If it"s an actor, know what plays he has been in. 3 Many beginning interviewers are afraid that they are forcing the other person to answer questions and have no right to inquire about his personal secrets. 4 Unless the person really hates being interviewed, he is delighted that somebody wants to interview him. Most men and women lead lives that are uninteresting, and they grasp any chance to talk to an outsider who seems eager to listen. This doesn"t necessarily mean that it will go well. In general you will be talking to people who have never been interviewed before, and they will get used to the process awkwardly, perhaps not giving you anything that you can use. 5 You will both even begin to enjoy it—proof that you aren"t forcing your victim to do something he doesn"t really want to. A. Come back another day; it will go better. B. But at least half of the skill is mechanical. C. As one philosopher interviewed in the film notes, they lack irony. D. You will not be liked if you inquire about facts that you could have learned in advance. E. This fear is almost 100 percent unnecessary. F. Both of you need time to get to know each other.

填空题 Reduce Packaging Pressure increased recently on British supermarkets and retailers to reduce packaging as part of an anti-waste campaign. {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}Britain generates 4.6 million tons of household waste every year by packaging. Dozens of people have expressed anger at the excess of plastic wrapping. Campaigners have called on Britain to learn from other European countries. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}When returned bottles are put in a vending machine (自动售货机), the deposit is refunded. Environmentalists warn that Britain lags behind in this. There were reports of growing unease among consumers over the amount of packaging they have to deal with. Trade standards officers also object to excessive packaging. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}In response to a campaign by Britain's The Independent newspaper, leading supermarkets have pointed to various initiatives to win the public confidence. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}} But campaigners said retailers and the government could learn much from anti-waste practices on the Continent. In Sweden, non-recyclable batteries have been taxed since 1991 to encourage a switch to alternatives. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}In Germany, plastic bags are unheard of in supermarkets and deposits are paid for reusable plastic and glass beverage bottles. A. In Belgium, when you buy something in a plastic or glass container, you make a deposit. B. This is because too much padding can give buyers a false impression of what they are buying. C. This has resulted in a 74 percent reduction in sales. D. Tesco said it was saving 112,000 tons of cardboard a year by switching to reusable plasticcrates (装货箱) for transporting its fresh produce. E. The campaign was initiated by The Independent newspaper. F. If a product is over-packaged, don't buy it.

填空题下面的短文有5处空白，短文后有6个句子，其中5句取自短文，请根据短文内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 American Dreams There is a common response to America among foreign writers: the US is a land of extremes where the best of things are just as easily found as the worst. This is a clich6 (陈词滥调). In the land of black and white, people should not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out to everyone. {{U}}(46) {{/U}} No class system or government stands in the way. Sadly, this old argument is no longer true. Over the past few decades there has been a fundamental shift in the structure of the American economy. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened and widened. {{U}}(47) {{/U}} Over the past 25 years the median US family income has gone up 18 per cent. For the top 1 per cent, however, it has gone up 200 per cent. Twenty-five years ago the top fifth of Americans had an average income 6.7 times that of the bottom fifth. {{U}}(18) {{/U}} Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California, incomes for lower class families have fallen by 4 per cent since 1969．{{U}} (49) {{/U}} This has led to an economy hugely in favor of a small group of very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 per cent of households now control a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in poverty. At 12.7 per cent of the population, it is the highest percentage in the developed world. Yet the tax burden on America's rich is falling, not growing. {{U}}(50) {{/U}} There was an economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality.A．Nobody is poor in the US.B．The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.C．For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.D．Now it is 9.8 times.E. As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.F. All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.

填空题U.S. Signs Global Tobacco Teaty 1 The United States has taken the first step toward approving a global tobacco treaty that promises to help control the deadly effects of tobacco use throughout the world. Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ( FCTC ) this week at the United Nations. The Senate must still approve the treaty before the U.S. can implement its provisions. 2 The FCTC was developed by the World Health Organization and approved by members of the World Health Assembly, including the United States, last year. Countries that ratify it would be required to enact strict tobacco control policies. 3 For instance, cigarettes sold in those countries would have to have health warnings on at least 30% of the front and back of every pack. The treaty calls for higher tobacco taxes, restrictions on smoking in public places, and more promotion of tobacco prevention and cessation programs. It also requires bans on tobacco advertising, though there are some exceptions for countries like the United States, where the Constitution prohibits such an outright ban. 4 The impact of the treaty could be huge. The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco use kills nearly 5 million people worldwide every year. In the U.S. alone, about 440,000 people die each year from tobacco-related illnesses; about one-third of all cancers in the U.S. are caused by tobacco use. If current trends continue, WHO estimates, by 2025 tobacco will kill 10 million people each year. 5 The treaty must be ratified by at least 40 countries before it can take effect. So far,109 countries have signed it, and 12 have ratified it.

填空题 How to Get along Well with Your Boss 1．Before you argue with your boss, check with the boss's secretary to determine his mood. If he ate nails for breakfast, it is not a good idea to ask him for something. Even without the boss's secretary, there are keys to timing don't approach the boss when he's on deadllne, don't go in right before lunch, when he is apt to be distracted and rushed, don't go in just before or after he has token a vacation. 2．If you're mad, that will only make your boss mad. Calm clown first. And don't let a particular concern open the floodgates for all your accumulated frustration. The boss will feel that you think negatively about the company and it is hopeless trying to change your mind. Then maybe he will dismiss you. 3．Terrible disputes can result when neither the employer nor the employee knows what is the problem the other wants to discuss. Sometimes the fight will go away when the issues are made clear. The employee has to get his point across clearly in order to make the boss understand it.4．Your boss has enough on his mind without your adding more. If you can't put forward an immediate solution, at least suggest how to approach the problem, People who frequently present problems without solutions to their bosses may soon find they can't get past the secretary. 5．To deal effectively with a boss, it's important to consider his goals and pressures. If you can put yourself in the position of being a partner to the boss, then he will be naturally more inclined to work with you to achieve your goals.

填空题阅读下面的短文，文章中有5处空白，文章后面有6组文字，请根据文章的内容选择5组文字，将其分别放回文章原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 Rising Tuition in the US Every spring, US university administrators gather to discuss the next academic year's budget. They consider faculty salaries, utility costs for dormitories, new building needs and repairs to old ones. They run the numbers and conclude—it seems, inevitably—that, yet again, the cost of tuition must go up. According to the US's College Board, the price of attending a four-year private university in the US rose 81 percent between 1993 and 2004．{{U}} (46) {{/U}} In 2005 and 2006, the numbers continued to rise. According to university officials, college cost increases are simply the result of balancing university checkbooks. "Tuition increases at Cedarville University are determined by our revenue needs for each year. " said the university's president, Dr Bill Brown. "Student tuition pays for 78 percent of the university's operating costs. " Brown's school is a private university that enrolls about 3,100 undergrads and is consistently recognized by annual college ranking guides like US News and World Report's and The Princeton Review's. {{U}}(47) {{/U}} Tuition at private universities is set by administration officials and then sent for approval to the school's board of trustees(董事). {{U}}(48) {{/U}} This board oversees (监管) all of a state's public institutions. John Durham, assistant secretary to the board of trustees at East Carolina University (ECU), explains that state Law says that public institutions must make their services available whenever possible to the people of the state for free. Durham said that North Carolina residents only pay 22 percent of the cost of their education. {{U}}(49) {{/U}} State residents attending ECU pay about US $10, 000 for tuition room and board before financial aid. Amid the news about continued increases in college costs, however, there is some good news. Tuition increases have been accompanied by roughly equal increases in financial aid at almost every university. To receive financial aid, US students complete a formal application with the federal government. The federal government then decides whether an applicant is eligible (有资格的) for grants or loans. {{U}}(50) {{/U}}A．The application is then sent to the student's university, where the school itself will decide whether free money will be given to the student and how much.B．At public universities, however, tuition increases must also be approved by a state education committee, sometimes called the board of governors.C．The school currently charges US $ 23,410 a year for tuition.D．Many American people are simply unable to pay the growing cost of food.E. That's more than double the rate of inflation.F. The state government covers the rest.

填空题Screen Test 1 Every year millions of women are screened with X-rays to pick up signs of breast cancer. If this happens early enough, the disease can often be treated successfully. According to a survey published last year, 21 countries have screening programs. Nine of them, including Australia, Canada, the USA and Spain, screen women under 50. 2 But the medical benefit of screening these younger women are controversial, partly because the tradition brings a small risk of inducing cancer. Also, younger women must be given higher doses of X-rays because their breast tissue is denser. 3 Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia analyzed the effect of screening more than 160,000 women at 11 local clinics. After estimating the women's cumulative dose of radiation, they used two models to calculate the number of extra cancers this would cause. 4 The mathematical model recommended by Britain's National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) predicted that the screening program would cause 36 cancers per 100,000 women, 18 of them fatal. The model preferred by the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation led to a lower figure of 20 cancers. 5 The researchers argue that the level of radiation-induced cancers is "not very significant" compared to the far greater number of cancers that are discovered and treated. The Valencia program, they say, detects between 300 and 450 cases of breast cancer in every 100,000 women screened. 6 But they point out that the risk of women contracting cancer from radiation could be reduced by between 40 and 80 percent if screening began at 50 instead of 45, because they would be exposed to less radiation. The results of their study, they suggest, could help "optimize the technique" for breast cancer screening. 7 "There is a trade-off between the diagnostic benefits of breast screening and its risks," admits Michael Clark of the NRPR. But he warns that the study should be interpreted with caution. "On the basis of the current data, far every 10 cancers successfully detected and prevented there is a risk of causing one later in life. That's why radiation exposure should be minimized in any screening program." A Harm screening may do to a younger woman B Investigating the effect of screening C Effects predicted by two different models D Treatment of cancers E Factors that trigger cancers F The Result of Their Study

填空题Washoe Learned American Sign Language 1 An animal that influenced scientific thought has died. A chimpanzee named Washoe and born in Africa died of natural causes late last month at the age of 42 at a research center in the American state of Washington. Washoe had become known in the scientific community and around the world for her ability to use American Sign Language. She was said to be the first non-human to learn a human language. Her skills also led to debate about primates and their ability to understand language. 2 Research scientists Allen and Beatrix Gardner began teaching Washoe sign language in 1966. In 1969, the Gardners described Washoe"s progress in a scientific report. The people who experimented with Washoe said she grew to understand about 250 words. For example, Washoe made signs to communicate when it was time to eat. She could request foods like apples and bananas. She also asked questions like, "Who is coming to play?" Once the news about Washoe spread, many language scientists began studies of their own into this new and exciting area of research. The whole direction of primate research changed. 3 However, critics argued Washoe only learned to repeat sign language movements from watching her teachers. They said she had never developed true language skills. Even now, there are some researchers who suggest that primates learn sign language only by memory, and perform the signs only for prizes. Yet Washoe"s keepers disagree. Roger Fouts is a former student of the Gardners. He took Washoe to a research center in Ellensburg, Washington. There, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimpanzees, which are still alive. 4 Scientists like private researcher Jane Goodall believe Washoe provided new information about the mental workings of chimpanzees. Today, there are not as many scientists studying language skills with chimps. Part of the reason is that this kind of research takes a very long time. 5 Debate continues about chimps understanding of human communication. Yet, one thing is sure-Washoe changed popular ideas about the possibilities of animal intelligence.

填空题For most people television is the most important ______.

填空题阅读下面的短文，文章中有5处空白，文章后面有6组文字，请根据文章的内容选择5组文字，将其分别放回文章原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 {{B}} Supermarket{{/B}} Supermarket is a type of retailing institution that has a moderately broad product assortment spanning groceries and some nonfood lines, that ordinarily emphasizes price in either an offensive or defensive way. As a method, supermarket retailing features several related product lines, a high degree of self-service, largely centralized checkout, and competitive prices. The supermarket approach to retailing is used to sell various kinds of merchandise,{{U}} (46) {{/U}}. The term supermarket usually refers to an institution in the grocery retailing field. Most supermarkets emphasize price. Some use price offensively by featuring low prices in order to attract customers. Other supermarkets use price more defensively by relying on leader pricing to avoid a price disadvantage. Since supermarkets typically have very thin gross margins, they need light levels of inventory turnover to achieve satisfactory returns on invested capital. Supermarkets originated in the early 1930s. They were established by independents{{U}} (47) {{/U}}. Supermarkets were an immediate success, and the innovation was soon adopted by chain stores. In recent decades supermarkets have added various nonfood lines to provide customers with one stop shopping convenience and to improve overall gross margins. Today stores using the supermarket method of retailing are dominant in grocery retailing. However, different names are used to distinguish these institutions{{U}} (48) {{/U}}. A superstore is a larger version of the supermarket. It offers more grocery and nonfood items{{U}} (49) {{/U}}. Many supermarket chains are emphasizing superstores in their new construction. Combination stores are usually even larger than superstore. They, too, offer more groceries and nonfoods than a supermarket but also most product lines found in a large drugstore. Some combination stores are joint ventures between supermarkets and drug chains such as Kroger and Savon. For many years the supermarket has been under attack from numerous competitors. For example, a grocery shopper can choose among not only many brands of supermarkets but also various types of institutions (warehouse stores, gourmet shops, meat and fish markets, and convenience stores). Supermarkets have reacted to competitive pressures{{U}} (50) {{/U}}: Some cut costs and stressed low prices by offering more private brands and generic products and few customer services. Others expanded their store size and assortments by adding more nonfood lines (especially products found in drugstores), groceries attuned to a particular market area (foods that appeal to a specific ethnic group, for example), and various service departments (including video rentals, restaurants, delicatessens, financial institutions, and pharmacies). A．by size and assortment B．than a conventional supermarket does C．including building materials, office products, and, of course, groceries D．attracting more customers with their low prices E．primarily in either of two ways F．to compete with grocery chains

填空题There is a difference between science and technology. (46) Science has to do with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships; technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for applying the findings of science. (47) Progress in science excludes the human factor. Scientists, who seek to understand the universe and know the truth within the highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people's likes or dislikes or to popular ideas about the fitness of things. (48) But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the choice of refusing to believe it! But hardly so with technology; we do not have the choice of refusing to hear the sound produced by a supersonic (超音速的) aircraft flying overhead; we cannot refuse to breathe polluted air. (49) The purpose of technology is to serve people-people in general, not merely some people; and future generations, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves. (50) Many people blame technology itself for widespread pollution, resource depletion (枯竭) and even social decay in general-so much so that the promise of technology is "obscured" That promise is a cleaner and healthier world. If wise applications of science and technology do not lead to a better world, what else will? A. Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each. B. Unlike science, progress in technology must be measured in terms of the human factor. C. What scientists discover may shock or anger people-as did Darwin's theory of evolution. D. Science and technology are different. E. We are all familiar with the improper use of technology. F. Science is a method of answering theoretical questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems.

填空题A. Necessity for the Teammates to Improve Their Own SkillsB. Evaluation from Two Different PerspectivesC. Spectacular Performance on the CourtD. Players Houston Can't Do WithoutE. Yao Ming's PerformanceF. McGrady's Injury

填空题Ludwig Van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven, a major composer of the nineteenth century, overcame many personal problems to achieve artistic greatness. Born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770, he first studied music with the court organist, Gilles van der Eeden. His father was excessively strict and given to heavy drinking. (46) Appointed deputy court organist to Christian Gottlob Neefe at a surprisingly early age in 1782, Beethoven also played the harpsichord and the viola. In 1792 he was sent to Vienna by his patron, Count Ferdinand Waldstein, to study music under Haydn. Beethoven remained unmarried. (47) Continually plagued by ill health, he developed an ear infection which led to his tragic deafness in 1819. (48) He completed mature masterpieces of great musical depth: three piano sonatas, four string quartets, the Missa Solemnis, and the 9th Symphony. He died in 1827. (49) Noting that Beethoven often flew into fits of rage, Goethe once said of him, "I am astonished by his talent, but he is unfortunately an altogether untamed personality." (50) A. In spite of this handicap, however, he continued to write music. B. Because of irregular payments from his publishers and erratic support from his patrons, he was troubled by financial worries throughout his adult life. C. His life was marked by a passionate dedication to independence. D. When his mother died, Beethoven, then a young man, was named guardian of his two younger brothers. E. Although Beethoven's personality may have been untamed, his music shows great discipline and control, and this is how we remember him best. F. Today his music is still being played all over the world.

填空题 阅读下面这篇短文，短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为规定段每段选择1个正确的小标题；(2)第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中选择4个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。 {{B}}Ocean Ecosystem Endangered{{/B}}1. Spanning the oceanic divide between the U.S. and Russia, it is one of the richest and most commercially productive marine environments on earth, teeming with pollack (保镖) and halibut, fur seals and Steller's sea lions, horn puffins and murres. The seals and seabirds depend on catching fish, and so do humans. More than 2,000 boats from the U.S., Russia, Japan, Norway, China, Poland and the Koreas haul in an annual catch worth roughly $1 billion. The portion taken off the shores of Alaska alone amounts to one-half the sea life caught by commercial fishing vessels in U.S. waters.2. But will the bounty (奖励) last? Since the majority of the world's fisheries are in a state of collages, as too many boats chase too few fish, conservationists fear the same fate for the Bering Sea, the last great refuge of marine abundance. Competition among countries for the rights to fish certain sectors of the sea is already fierce and could turn violent, as it has elsewhere in the world. The Russians have severely depleted (耗尽) fish stocks in their zone, and the international area open to all boats, called the Doughnut Hole, has been nearly stripped of commercial fish.3. No species is more important to man and beast than Pollack, the No. 1 ingredient (成分) of frozen fish sticks and the fish items served by chains like Burger King and Long John Silver. Each year the Bering Sea yields two billion kg of this bottom—dwelling creature, making the Pollack business the biggest fish harvest in the world.4. On the surface, that business is healthy: the Pollack catch has stayed near record levels. But signs of over fishing and an ailing ecosystem can be seem higher up in the food chain. The fur-seal population has not increased despite a long-standing ban on commercial hunting. The number of Steller's sea lions, which feed mostly on Pollack, has plunged 80% since the 1970s, and seabirds such as the red-legged kittiwake are also in trouble.5. Even if fishing is brought under control, the Bering Sea faces threats that originate thousands of miles away. Wind currents from industrial areas far to the south bring in pollutants like insecticides and heavy metals, which collect in the tissues of wildlife and the local Inuit people. At the same time the region has been warming up, and part of the reason may be the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Whatever the cause, sea ice has been retreating farther to the north, making life harder for polar bears and other ice-dwelling animals.A. Other threats to the Bering seaB. Pollack—the most important kind o fishC. The problems many counties faceD. How to protect Bering seaE. Over-fishing destroys the food chainF. Why to control fishing

填空题下面的短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2～5段每段选择1个最佳标题；(2)第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中为每个句子确定1个最佳选项。 Intelligent Machines 1．Medical scientists are already putting computer chips(芯片)directly into the brain to help people who have Parkinson's disease，but in what other ways might computer technology be able to help us? RayKurzweil is author of the successful book The Age of Intelligent Machines and is one of the world's best computer research scientists．He is researching the possibilities． 2．Kurzweil gets computers to recognize voices．An example of this is Ramona，the virtual(虚拟的) hostess of Kurzweil's homepage，who is programmed to understand what you say．Visitors to the site can have their conversations with her，and Ramona also dances and sings． 3．Kurzweil uses this technology to help people with physical disabilities．One of his ideas is a“seeing machine”．This will be“like a friend that could describe what is going on in the visible world”，he explains．Blind people will use a visual sensor(探测器)which will probably be built into a pair of sunglasses．This sensor will describe to the person everything it sees． 4．Another idea，which is likely to help deaf people，is the“listening machine”．This invention will recognize millions of words and understand any speaker．The listening machine will also be able to translate into other languages，80 even people without hearing problems are likely to be interested in using it． 5．But it is not just about helping people with disabilities．Looking further into the future，Kurzweil sees a time when we will be able to download our entire consciousness onto a computer．This technology probably won't be ready for at least 50 years，but when it arrives，it means our minds will be able to live forever． A．A new pair of eyes B．Computers that can communicate C．Everlasting consciousness on a computer D．Time to break off a friendship E．An author and researcher F．A new pair of ears

填空题 Ford 1. Ford's great strength was the manufacturing process—not invention. Long before he started a car company, he was a worker, known for picking up pieces of metal and wire and turning them into machines. He started putting cars together in 1891. Although it was by no means the first popular automobile, the Model T showed the world just how creative Ford was at combining technology and market. 2. The company's assembly line alone threw America's Industrial Revolution into overdrive (高速运转). Instead of having workers put together the entire car, Ford's friends, who were great toolmakers from Scotland, organized teams that added parts to each Model T as it moved down a line. By the time Ford's Highland Park plant was humming (嗡嗡作响) along in 1914, the world's first automatic conveyor belt could turn out a car every 93 minutes. 3. The same year Henry Ford shocked the world with the $5-a-day minimum wage scheme, the greatest contribution he had ever made. The average wage in the auto industry then was $2.34 for a 9-hour shift. Ford not only doubled that, he also took an hour off the workday. In those years it was unthinkable that a man could be paid that much for doing something that didn't involve an awful lot of training or education. The Wall Street Journal called the plan "an economic crime", and critics everywhere laughed at Ford. 4. But as the wage increased later to daily $10, it proved a critical component of Ford's dream to make the automobile accessible (可及的) to all. The critics were too stupid to understand that because Ford had lowered his costs per car, the higher wages didn't matter—except for making it possible for more people to buy cars. A. Ford's Followers B. The Assembly Line C. Ford's Great Dream D. The Establishment of the Company E. Ford's Biggest Contribution F. Ford's Great Talent

填空题 下面的短文有5处空白，短文后有6个文字，其中5个取自短文，请根据短文内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 {{B}}The Dollar in World Markets{{/B}} According to a leading German banker, the U.S. dollar is "the most frequently discussed economic phenomenon of our times." He adds, "...the dollar's exchange rate is at present the most important price in the world economy..."{{U}} (46) {{/U}}The central banks of many countries hold huge reserves of dollars, and over half of all world trade is priced in terms of dollars. Any shift in the dollar's exchange rate will benefit some and hurt others.{{U}} (47) {{/U}}. The dollar's exchange rate has been too volatile and unpredictable. Several years ago the dollar was rapidly declining in value.{{U}} (48) {{/U}}The rise in the price of foreign goods made it possible for U.S. businesses to raise the price of competing goods produced here, thus worsening inflation. Foreigners who dealt in dollars or who held dollars as reserves were hurt. People in the United States who had borrowed foreign currencies found that they had to pay back more than they borrowed because the declining dollar would buy fewer units of the foreign money.{{U}} (49) {{/U}}. The dollar went soaring upward, and the situation was reversed. United States exporters found it hard to sell abroad because foreigners would have to pay more for U.S. dollars. People in the United States now bought the relatively cheaper foreign goods, and U.S. manufacturers complained that they could not compete. Job losses were often blamed on the "overvalued" dollar. Poor nations that had borrowed dollars found it difficult to repay both the loans and the interest because they had to use more and more of their own currencies to obtain dollars. {{U}} (50) {{/U}}We might even return to the gold standard. Fixed exchange rates did not work in the past. Currency values should be determined by market conditions. A drop in the exchange value of a nation's currency means that it is importing too much, that it is too inefficient to compete in world markets, that it is permitting a high rate of inflation which makes its goods too expensive, that it is going too deeply in debt, or that others have lost confidence in the nation's stability. A nation should bring its exchange rate back up by addressing these problems, not by interfering with the money market.A The solution to this problem is to end the system of floating exchange rates and return to fixed rates.B Some people suggest, therefore, that the dollar's value should be more tightly controlled.C The United States lost face in the eyes of the rest of the world.D Because the dollar acts as a world currency, its value affects many nations.E This made it difficult for Americans to purchase foreign goods and services.F Those who borrowed a lot of money from a bank suffered most.

填空题Big Railway Dreams Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there. It sounds unusual, doesn"t it? But it"s not that unrealistic, with the development of China"s high-speed railway system. And that"s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe. China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore. China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe. If China"s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days. The new system would still follow China"s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes. China"s bullet train (高速客车), the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the world"s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours. Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge (轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it"s important to pay attention to every detail. But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion. It will be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those countries. For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China"s far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions, where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they"ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.

填空题阅读下面这篇短文，短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2～5段每段选择1个正确的小标题；(2)第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中选择4个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。 {{B}} Blasts from the Past{{/B}} 1．Volcanoes were destructive in ancient history. Not because they were bigger, but because the carbon dioxide they released wiped out life with greater ease. 2．Paul Wignall from the University of Leeds was investigating the link between volcanic eruptions and mass extinctions. Not all volcanic eruptions killed off large number of animals, but all the mass extinction cover the past 300 million years coincided with huge formations of volcanic rock. To his surprise, the older the massive volcanic eruptions were, the more damage they seemed to do. 3．Wignall calculated the "killing efficiency" for these volcanoes by comparing the proportion of life they killed off with the volume of lava that they produced. He found that size for size, older eruptions were at least 10 times as effective at wiping out life as their more recent rivals. 4．The Permian extinction, for example, which happened 250 million years ago, is marked by floods of volcanic rock in Siberia that cover an area roughly the size of western Europe. Those volcanoes are thought to have pumped out about 10 gigatonnes of carbon as carbon dioxide. The global warming that followed wiped out 80 per cent of all marine genera at the time, and it took 5 million years for the planet to recover. 5．Yet 60 million years ago in the late Palaeocene there was another huge amount of volcanic activity and global warming but no mass extinction. Some animals did disappear but things returned to normal within ten thousands of years. "The most recent ones hardly have an effect at all," Wignall says. He ignored the extinction which wiped out the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, 265 million years ago, because many scientists believe it was primarily caused by the impact of an asteroid. 6．Wignall thinks that older volcanoes had more killing power because more recent life forms were better adapted to dealing with increased levels of CO2. Ocean chemistry may also have played a role. As the supercontinents broke up and exposed more coastline there may have been more weathering of silica rocks. This would have encouraged the growth of phytoplankton in the oceans, increasing the amount of CO2absorbed from the atmosphere.7．Vincent Courtillot, director of the Paris Geophysical Institute in France, says that Wignall's idea is provocative. But he says it is incredibly hard to do these sorts of calculations. He points out that the killing power of volcanic eruptions depends on how long they lasted. And it is impossible to tell whether the huge blasts lasted for thousands or millions of years. 8．Courtillot also adds that it is difficult to estimate how much lava prehistoric volcanoes produced, and that lava volume may not necessarily correspond to carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide emissions.