单选题The legislative filibuster is a parliamentary tactic designed to delay or prevent action by the majority.

单选题 {{B}}Shopping in the supermarket{{/B}} Remember when a trip to the supermarket was nothing more than a boring thing requiring little or no specialized knowledge? You could send your kinds into a cart while you did shopping. You always bought the same brands, usually the brands your mother bought. You didn't know about unit pricing, and furthermore, you didn't care. It never occurred to you to read the labels on anything. After all, you'd bought these things a hundred times. But now, I really look on those days with a feeling of yearn. How innocent we were! How carefree were those trips to the supermarket. No worries. Today a trip to the supermarket is filled with social implication. Every time I buy pork chops I think about the years I'm shaving from my life. I keep a wary eye on the freshness date and examine the tamper-proof packaging. I am victim of that most dangerous social disease: shoppers' panic. I didn't realize how serious my condition had become until the last time I needed laundry soap. It seemed simple enough. Just run into the market, grab a box of the old reliable and pay for it. Can't get less complicated than that, right? I hadn't planned on discovering Ecover, a new brand of laundry soap. It sat quietly on the shelf right next to my old reliable. "Healthy, gentle but effective." My respect for it deepened with each new claim as I read the entire package. Then I looked at the price: $5.69 for 2 pound. $5.69! I cast a quick glance at the old reliable, still on sale for $1.39. Six bucks for laundry soap! These people must be crazy! Who's going to pay six bucks for laundry soap? It's not as though I can't afford it. See, it's concentrated-use less, get more. BUT SIX BUCKS! And the box is made from recycled materials... This act went on for a solid half hour, after which I left the shelf without any soap at all. Disagreement extends every self. Even the cushion poses a multitude of burning questions. Healthy? Dust free? Or natural? Surely the meat department is most threatening place. Remember what protein was good for you? That's all over, Every bite you take kills you. I won't even mention meat's moral implications. When all is said and done, we still must eat. I gather up my healthy cooking oil and my recycled paper towels and head to the checkout counter. The cashier smiles across that strange and possible hazardous bar code reader and asks, "Paper or plastic?"

单选题Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Before 1933, and particularly during the period 1929—1933, bank failures were not uncommon. 1 a bank overextended itself in creating credit or if several of its important loans could not be 2 , depositors in the bank would frequently become panicky and begin to make large withdrawals. 3 the bank had only a small number of its deposits backed by currency, the bank would soon be unable to meet withdrawals, and most depositors 4 their money. Most frequently a bank merely needed time to improve its cash position by 5 some of its loans and not making additional ones. In 1933, the number of bank failures 6 a peak, forcing the federal government to intervene and 7 the banks temporarily. To help restore the public"s confidence 8 banks and strengthen the banking community, Congress passed legislation setting up the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. 9 corporation, an agency of the federal government, now insures over 90 percent of all mutual savings and commercial bank deposits for 10 $100,000 per deposit. The FDIC has 11 its insurance fund by charging member institutions one-twelfth of 1 percent of their total deposits. As a result of the protection provided by the FDIC and through other kinds of supervision, bank failures have been 12 to a few isolated instances. When deposits are federally insured, people 13 rush to withdraw their money if they 14 the financial condition of their bank. The delay gives the banks the necessary time to adjust their cash credit balance, and this action helps to reduce the 15 of bankruptcy.

单选题The more engaged a parent is, the more the child benefits, adds Bruce Arai. "The evidence is clear: Parental involvement is one of the most important factors in school success. "Arai cites the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, sponsored by Human Respirces Development Canada (HRDC), which is measuring all aspects of child development. "The hours children spend in class are not one element of their education," states HRDC, which says parental support, along with teacher support and a positive attitude towards school, all contribute to academic success. A child's academic performance by all the following factors EXCEPTA. parental involvement.B. teacher support.C. a positive attitude towards school.D. the size of the class.

单选题A Lucky Break Actor Antonio Banderas is used to breaking bones, and it always seems to happen when he's (51) sport. In the film Play it to the Bone he (52) the part of a middleweight boxer alongside Woody Harrelson. (53) the making of the film Harrelson (54) complaining that the fight (55) weren't very convincing, so one day he suggested that he and Banderas should have a fight for real. The Spanish actor wasn't (56) on the idea at first, but he was (57) persuaded by his co-star to put on his gloves and climb into the boxing ring. However, when he realized how seriously his (58) was taking it all, he began to regret his decision to fight. And then in the third round, Harrelson hit Banderas (59) hard in the face that he actually broke his nose. His wife, actress Melanie Griffith, was furious that he had been pla- ying "silly macho games". "She was right", confesses Banderas, "and I was a fool to (60) a risk like that in the middle of a movie". He was (61) of the time he broke his leg during a football match in his native Malaga. He had always (62) of becoming a soccer star, of performing in front of a big crowd, but doctors told him his playing days were probably over. "That's when I decided to take (63) acting； I saw it as (64) way of performing, and achieving recognition. What happened to me on that football (65) was, you might say, my first lucky break. /

单选题Since the Great Depression, the United States government has protected farmers from damaging drops in grain prices.

单选题if you were to begin a new job tomorrow, you would bring with you some basic strengths and weaknesses. Success or (51) in your work would depend, to some great extent, (52) your ability to use your strengths and weaknesses to the best advantage. Of the utmost importance is your attitude. A person (53) begins a job convinced that he isn't going to like it or is (54) that he is going to show a weakness which can only harm his Success. On the other hand, a person who is firm in his belief that he is probably as capable (55) doing the work as anyone else and who is willing to make a cheerful attempt at it possesses a certain strength of purpose. The chances are that he will do well. (56) the required skills for a particular job is strength. Lacking those skills is obviously a weakness. A bookkeeper who can't add or a carpenter who can't cut a straight line with a saw (57) hopeless eases. This book has been designed to help you capitalize (58) the strength and overcome the (59) that you bring to the job of learning. But in groups to measure your development, you must first (60) stock of somewhere you stand now. As we get further along in the book, we'll be (61) in some detail with specific processes for developing and strengthening (62) skills. However (63) begin with, you should stop (64) examine your present strengths and weaknesses in three alreas that are critical to your success or failure in school: your (65) , your reading and communication skills, and your study habits.

单选题When Fear Takes Control of the Mind A panic attack is a sudden feeling of terror. Usually it does not last long, but it may feel like forever. The cause can be something as normally uneventful as driving over a bridge or flying in an airplane. And it can happen even if the person has driven over many bridges or flown many times before. A fast heart beat. Sweaty hands. Difficulty in breathing. A light-headed feeling. At first a person may have no idea what is wrong. But these can all be signs of what is known as panic disorder. The first appearance usually is between the ages of 18 and 25. In some eases it develops after a tragedy, like the death of a loved one, or some other difficult situation. In the United States, the National Institute of Mental Health says more than two million people are affected in any one-year period. The American Psychological Association says panic disorder is twice more likely in women than men. And it can last anywhere from a few months to a lifetime. Panic attacks can be dangerous—for example, if a person is driving at the time. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the state of Maryland is so long and so high over the water, and it is famous for scaring motorists. There is even a driver assistance program to help people get across. Some people who suffer a panic attack develop a phobia, a deep fear of ever repeating the activity that brought on the attack. But experts say panic disorder can be treated. Doctors might suggest anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medicines. Talking to a counselor could help a person learn to deal with or avoid a panic attack. There are breathing methods, for example, that might help a person calm down. Panic disorder is included among what mental health professionals call anxiety disorders. A study published last week reported a link between anxiety disorders and several physical diseases. It says these include thyroid disease, lung and stomach problems, arthritis, migraine headaches and allergic conditions. Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Canada say that in most cases the physical condition follows the anxiety disorder. However, they say, exactly how the two are connected remains unknown. The report in the Archives of Internal Medicine came from a German health study of more than 4,000 adults.

单选题Individualism The most important thing to understand about Americans is probably their 1 to "individualism". They have been trained 2 very early in their lives to consider themselves as 3 individuals who are responsible for their own situations in life and their own destinies. They have not been trained to treat themselves as members of a tightly 4 family, religious group, nation, or any other 5 . You can see individualism in the way Americans treat their children. Even very young children are given 6 to make their own choices and express their opinions. A parent will ask a one-year-old child what color balloon she wants, which candy bar she would 7 , or 8 she wants to sit next to mommy or daddy. The child"s preference will normally be accommodated. 9 this practice, Americans come to consider themselves as separate human beings who have their own opinions and who make their own decisions. 10 , some American child-rearing magazines state that the parents" 11 in raising a child is to 12 a responsible, self-reliant individual who, by the age of 18 or so, is ready to 13 of the parents" house and make his or her own way in life. Americans 14 the advice very seriously, so that a person 15 the age of about 20 who is still living at home with his or her parents may be thought of as being unable to lead a normal, independent life.

单选题He succeeded because he is both diligent and intelligent.A. ambitiousB. lazyC. hardworkingD. clever

单选题Working Successfully within Cultural Boundaries Soon after starting our job in China, we realized that the greatest challenge we faced would not be our day-to-day responsibilities but a completely foreign work environment and culture. We were used to the very direct, sometimes confrontational, but more equal style of management in the United States. Here, we were faced with the never-direct, never-confrontational style of management common in Asia. We often hear similar stories. One woman shared her experience of returning to China after more than 15 years in the US. Although she spent most of her childhood in China, she felt that her colleagues' thinking processes were completely foreign to her. She needed to adapt herself to the culture of her company only then would she be successful at her job. In the end, she wasn't able to successfully re-adapt herself to the culture. What she didn't realize was that, rather than disagreeing with her ideas, they disagreed with her method of implementing them. For example, instead of recognizing her company's strict chain-of-command, she had in one case taken her plan straight to the company chairman. This action consequently caused her superiors to lose face. She had unwittingly broken a cardinal rule of Chinese culture. One man who spent many years overseas before returning to China to head up the local operations of a multinational company, had a similar experience. In his first management team meeting, he presented his plans for a new direction in China operations. His request was met with an uncomfortable silence, with none of the managers daring to speak up. They had not been prepared for his open style of management. Soon he quickly determined that his first on-the-job challenge would be to build up managers' confidence in him, and that he had to do this individually, not in a group. Within a year, their management team meetings were transformed into the interactive, brainstorming sessions that he intended them to be. Therefore, it wasn't until after we had learned to appreciate the culture of our workplace and earned the confidence and trust of our inferiors that we were able to move forward and successfully do our job. We must first understand and accept a culture for what it is; only then will we be able to successfully work within it.

单选题He is {{U}}hopeful{{/U}} about his chances of winning a gold medal in the Olympics next year. A. optimistic B. optional C. outstanding D. obvious

单选题Going Her Own Way When she was twelve, Mafia made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria-or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark. Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools: the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools. Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modem languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. Most people including Maria's father-believed that girls would never he able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them. Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did, with her mother's help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family. Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her. In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modem subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient.

单选题Photos Big Business Now Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business! In 2005, the American artist Richard Prince"s photograph of a photographer, Untitled (Cow- boy), was sold for $1,248,000. Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called "found photographs"—a loose term given to everything from discarded(丢弃的) prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger"s family album. The German artist Joachim Schmid, who believes "basically everything is worth looking at", has gathered discarded photographs, postcards and newspaper images since 1982. In his on-going project, Archiv, he groups photographs of family life according to themes: people with dogs; teams; new cars; dinner with the family; and so on. Like Schmid, the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion (捍卫) found photographs. One of them, called simply Found, was born on one snowy night in Chicago, when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper (雨刷) an angry note intended for someone else: "Why"s your car HERE at HER place?" The note became the starting point for Rothbard"s addictive publication, which features found photographs sent in by readers, such as poster discovered in our drawer. The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions. Perhaps one of the most difficult is: can these images really be considered as art? And if so, whose art? Yet found photographs produced by artists, such Richard Prince, may riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone? Or how did Prince create this photograph? It"s anyone"s guess. In addition, as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists, like Schmid, have collated (整理), we also turn toward to our own photographic albums. Why is memory so important to us? Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children, our parents, our lovers, and ourselves? Will they mean anything to anyone after we"ve gone? In the absence of established facts, the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely. That, above all, is why they are so fascinating.

单选题When an organization acquires a computer system, it decides precisely what forms of input would be most {{U}}favourable{{/U}}.

单选题Adult education is the practice of (51) and educating adults. This is often done in the workplace, or (52) "continuing education" courses at secondary schools, or at a college or university. Educating adults differs from educating (53) in several ways. One of the most important (54) is that adults have gained knowledge and experience which can (55) add value to a learning experience or interfere 56 it. Another important difference is that adults frequently must apply their knowledge in some (57) fashion in order to learn effectively; there must be a (58) and a reasonable expectation that the new knowledge will help them further that goal. One example, (59) in the 1990s,was the spread of computer training courses in (60) adults, most of them office workers, could enroll. These courses would (61) basic use of the operating system or specific application (62) . Because the skills (63) to interact with a PC were so new, many people (64) had been working white - collar jobs (65) ten years or more eventually took such training courses, either of their own will( to gain computer skills and thus can get higher pay) or at the request of their managers.

单选题Two People, Two Paths You must be familiar with the situation: Dad"s driving, Mum"s telling him where to go. He"s sure that they need to turn left. But she says it"s not for another two blocks. Who has the better sense of direction? Men or women. They both do, a new study says, but in different ways. Men and women, Canadian researchers have found, have different methods of finding their way. Men look quickly at landmarks (地标) and head off in what they think is the right direction. Women, however, try to picture the whole route in detail and then follow the path in their head. "Women tend to be more detailed," said Edward Cornell, who led the study, "while men tend to be a little bit faster and ... a little bit more intuitive (直觉感知的)." In fact, said Cornell, "sense of direction" isn"t one skill but two. The first is the "survey method". This is when you see an area from above, such as a printed map. You can see, for example, where the hospital is, where the church is and that the supermarket is on its right. The second skill is the "route method" This is when you use a series of directions. You start from the hospital, then turn left, turn right, go uphill—and then you see the supermarket. Men are more likely to use the survey method while women are more likely to use one route and follow directions. Both work, and neither is better. Some scientists insist that these different skills have a long history. They argue it is because of the difference in traditional roles. In ancient times, young men often went far away with the older men to fish or hunt. The trip took hours or days and covered unfamiliar places. The only way to know where you were was to use the survey method to remember landmarks—the mountains, the lakes and so on. The women, on the other hand, took young girls out to find fruits and plants. These activities were much closer to home but required learning well-used paths. So, women"s sense of space was based on learning certain routes.

单选题Did {{U}}anyone{{/U}} call when l was out?

单选题The word confidential in the last paragraph could best be replaced by

单选题The local authority will take measures to deal with noise pollution in the area.