单选题Innovation, the effective recipe of progress, has always cost people their jobs. Over the past 30 years the digital revolution has 28 many of the mid-skill jobs that supported 20th-century middle-class life. Typists, ticket agents, bank tellers and many production-line jobs have been 29 with. For those who believe that technological progress has made the world a better place, such change is a natural part of rising 30 . Although innovation kills some jobs, it creates new and better ones, as a more productive society becomes richer and its wealthier inhabitants 31 more goods and services. A hundred years ago one in three American workers was employed on a farm. Today less than 2% of them produce far more food. The millions freed from the land were not delivered to joblessness, but found better-paid work as the economy grew more 32 . Today the pool of secretaries has 33 , but there are ever more computer programmers and web designers. Optimism remains the right starting-point, but for Workers the dislocating (扰乱的) effects of technology may make themselves evident faster than its benefit. Even if new jobs and 34 products emerge, in the short term income gaps will widen, causing huge social dislocation and perhaps even changing politics. Technology's impact will feel like a tornado, hitting the rich world first, but 35 sweeping through poorer countries too. Worse, it seems likely that this wave of technological 36 to the job market has only just started. From driverless cars to clever household devices, innovations that already exist could destroy jobs that have 37 been untouched. A. prosperity E. partition I. conversely M. demand B. dispensed F. eventually J. shrunk N. complicated C. inquire G. sophisticated K. fragile O. hitherto D. wonderful H. displaced L. disruption

单选题Cancer is the world's top 'economic killer' as well as its likely leading cause of death. Cancer costs more in 26 and lost life than AIDS, malaria, the flu and other diseases that spread person-to-person. Chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes 27 for more than 60 percent of deaths worldwide but less than 3 percent of public and private 28 for global health, said Rachel Nugent of the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based policy research group. Money shouldn't be taken away from fighting diseases that 29 person-to-person, but the amount 30 to cancer is way out of whack (重击) with the impact it has, said Otis Brawley, the cancer society's chief medical officer. Cancer's economic toll (损耗) was $895 billion in 2008—equivalent to 1.5 percent of the world's gross 31 product, the report says. That's in terms of disability and years of life lost—not the cost of treating the disease, which wasn't addressed in the report. Many groups have been pushing for more attention to non-infectious causes of death, and the United Nations General Assembly has set a meeting on this a year from now. Some policy experts are 32 it to the global initiative that led to big increases in spending on AIDS nearly a decade ago. 'This needs to he discussed at the UN—how we are going to deal with this rising burden of 33 disease', said Dr. Andreas Ullrich, medical officer for cancer control at WHO. Researchers used the World Health Organization's death and disability reports, and economic data from the World Bank. They 34 disability-adjusted life years, which reflect the impact a disease has on how long and how 35 people live. A. productively B. supplying C. shifting D. spread E. account F. funding G. calculated H. devoted I. productivity J. chronic K. comparing L. domestic M. doubtful N. clumsily O. disability

单选题 The term 'joint international business venture', joint venture for short, has come to mean many things to many people. It sometimes is taken to mean any joint relationship between one or more foreign firms and one or more local firms. Such a broad definition is excluded here. Joint venture will be taken to mean joint ownership of an operation in which at least one of the partners is foreign based. Joint ventures can take many forms. A foreign firm may take a majority share, a minority share, or an equal share in ownership. While it is not necessary to have financial control or to have operating control, some firms refuse to use the joint venture form if it is not possible to have a majority position in ownership. There are firms that have few qualms (担忧) about holding minority position, however, so long as they can have operating control. They achieve this through technical-aid, management, or supply contracts. It should be recognized that maintaining operating control is sometimes difficult if one does not have financial control too. Objectives of the participants may diverge (相异); when they do, financial control becomes important. Management may wish to reinvest earnings while the majority of the board may wish earnings distributed as dividends. Unless policy issues of this kind can be settled peacefully, lack of financial control can prove to be very unsatisfactory, if not fatal. Many joint ventures emerge as matters of necessity: that is, no single firm is willing to assume the risks entailed, while a consortium (联盟) of firms is. Large, capital-intensive, long-lived investments are natural candidates for the joint venture. Exploitation of resource deposits often is done by a consortium of several petroleum or mining firms. Roles are parceled out even though each phase of the operation is owned jointly. One firm does the actual mining, another provides transportation, and still another does the refining and extraction. There is a wide variety of combinations. Also the joint venture can pose problems, especially if it is an enforced marriage of partners. For many ventures in small countries, it is difficult to find a suitable local partner, that is, one with sufficient capital and know how to be able to contribute to the partnership. In some developing countries, a small handful of families control the entire locally-owned part of the industrial structure. Under these circumstances, a joint venture merely insulates them further from independent, foreign-owned plants that would compete against them. For this and other reasons, the only suitable partner may end up being the government itself. Most multinational firms, however, shy away from such arrangements where possible.

单选题 Several years ago I was teaching a course on the philosophical assumptions and cultural impact of massive multi-user online games at Williams College. The students in the course were very intelligent and obviously interested in the topic. But as the semester progressed, I began to detect a problem with the class. The students were working hard and performing well but there was no energy in our discussions and no passion in the students. They were hesitant to express their ideas and often seemed to be going through the motions. I tried to encourage them to be more venturesome with tactics I had used successfully in the past but nothing worked. One day I asked them what was or, perhaps better, was not going on. Why were they so cautious and where was their enthusiasm for lean, g? They seemed relieved to talk about it and their response surprised me. Since pre-kindergarten, they explained, they had been programmed to perform well so they could get to the next level. They had been taught the downside of risk and encouraged to play it safe. What mattered most was getting into a good elementary school, middle school and high school so that they would finally be admitted to a top college. Having succeeded beyond their parents' wildest expectations, they did not know why they were in college and had no idea what to do after graduation. In today's market-driven economy we constantly hear that choice is the highest good and that competition fuels innovation. But this is not always true. Choice provokes anxiety and competition can quell (压制) the imagination and discourage the spirit of experimentation that is necessary for creativity. In a world obsessed with ratings, well-meaning parents all too often train their children to jump through the hoops they think will lead to success. This was a bad bet—the course many young people were forced to take has not paid off. The lucrative jobs they expected as a reward for years of hard work have vanished and show little sign of returning in the near future. The difficult truth is that their education has not prepared them for the world they face. Though many young people have become disillusioned with Wall Street and all it represents and would like to pursue alternative careers, they have neither the educational nor financial resources to do so. The situation is critical—colleges and universities must be reformed in ways that allow students to develop the knowledge and skills they need for creative and productive lives. And parents must give their children the freedom to explore possibilities they never could have imagined.

单选题 When Morn and Dad Grow Old A. The prospect of talking to increasingly fragile parents about their future can be 'one of the most difficult challenges adult children will ever face,' says Clarissa Green, a Vancouver therapist. 'People often tell me they don't want to raise sensitive issues with their parents about bringing in caregivers or moving,' she says. 'They'll say, 'I don't want to see Dad cry.'' But Green usually responds, 'What's wrong with that?' Adult children, she says, need to try to join their parents in grieving their decline, acknowledge their living arrangements may no longer work and, if necessary, help them say goodbye to their beloved home. 'It's sad. And it's supposed to be. It's about death itself.' B. There are almost four million men and women over age 65 in Canada. Nearly two thirds of them manage to patch together enough support—from family, friends, private and government services—to live independently until virtually the day they die, according to Statistics Canada. C. Of the Canadian seniors who live to 85 and over, almost one in three end up being moved—sometimes kicking—to group living for the last years of their lives. Even in the best-case scenarios (可能出现的情况), such dislocations can bring sorrow. 'Often the family feels guilty, and the senior feels abandoned,' says Charmaine Spencer, a professor in the gerontology department of Simon Fraser University. Harassed with their own careers and children, adult children may push their parents too fast to make a major transition. D. Val MacDonald, executive director of the B.C. Seniors Services Society, cautions adult children against imposing their views on aging parents. 'Many baby boomers can be quite patronizing (高人一等的),' she says. Like many who work with seniors, MacDonald suggests adult children devote many conversations over a long period of time to collaborating on their parents' future, raising feelings, questions and options—gently, but frankly. However, many middle-aged adults, according to the specialists, just muddle (应付) through with their aging parents. E. When the parents of Nancy Woods of Mulmur Hills, Ont., were in their mid-80s, they made the decision to downsize from their large family home to an apartment in Toronto. As Woods's parents, George and Bernice, became frailer, she believed they knew she had their best interests at heart. They agreed to her suggestion to have Meals on Wheels start delivering lunches and dinners. However, years later, after a crisis, Woods discovered her parents had taken to throwing out the prepared meals. Her dad had appreciated them, but Bernice had come to believe they were poisoned. 'My father was so loyal,' says Woods, 'he had hid that my mother was overwhelmed by paranoia (偏执狂).' To her horror, Woods discovered her dad and morn were 'living on crackers and oatmeal porridge' and were weakening from the impoverished diet. Her dad was also falling apart with the stress of providing for Bernice—a common problem when one spouse tries to do everything for an ailing partner. 'The spouse who's being cared for might be doing well at home,' says Spencer, 'but often the other spouse is burned out and ends up being hospitalized.' F. Fortunately, outside help is often available to people struggling through the often-distressing process of helping their parents explore an important shift. Sons and daughters can bring in brochures or books on seniors' issues, as well as introduce government health-care workers or staff at various agencies, to help raise issues and open up discussions, says Val MacDonald, whose nonprofit organization responds to thousands of calls a year from British Columbians desperate for information about how to weave through the dizzying array of seniors services and housing options. The long list of things to do, says MacDonald, includes assessing their ability to live independently; determining your comfort level with such things as bathing a parent; discussing with all household members whether it would be healthy for an elderly relative to move in; monitoring whether, out of pure duty, you're overcommitting yourself to providing a level of care that could threaten your own well-being. G. The shock phone call that flung Nancy Woods and her parents into action came from her desperate dad. 'I got this call from my father that he couldn't cope anymore. My mother was setting fires in the apartment,' she says. 'He didn't want to see it for what it was. Up to then he'd been in denial.' H. Without knowing she was following the advice of experts who recommend using outside sources to stimulate frank discussion with parents, Woods grabbed a copy of The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons With Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life. She read sections of the book to her dad and asked him, 'Who does that sound like?' Her father replied, 'It's Mother. It's dementia (痴呆).' At that point, Woods said, her dad finally recognized their tragic plight. She told her father she would help them move out of their apartment. 'He nodded. He didn't yell or roar. He took it on the chin (忍受痛苦).' I. Woods regrets that she 'had not noticed small details signalling Mom's dementia.' But she's satisfied her dad accepted his passage into a group residence, where he and his wife could stay together in a secure unit where staff were trained to deal with patients with dementia. 'From the moment they moved into the Toronto nursing home, their physical health improved. On the other hand, it was the beginning of the end in terms of their mental abilities. Perhaps they couldn't get enough stimulation. Perhaps it was inevitable.' J. After my father died in 2002, the grim reality of my mother's sharply declining memory set in starkly. With her expanding dementia, Morn insisted on staying in her large North Shore house, even though she was confused about how to cook, organize her day or take care of herself. For the next three years we effectively imposed decisions on her, most of them involving bringing in caregivers, including family members. In 2005 Mom finally agreed, although she barely knew what was happening, to move to a nearby nursing home, where, despite great confusion, she is happier. K. As Spencer says, the sense of dislocation that comes with making an important passage can be 'a very hard adjustment for a senior at the best of times. But it's worse if it's not planned out.'

单选题 Questions23-25 are based on the recording you have just heard.

单选题 中国有4,000多年的历史，是世界最古老的文明之一。从公元前21世纪的夏朝开始至清朝结束，中国历史上经历过几十个朝代的变更。每个朝代在政治、经济、文化、科技领域等都有独特的成就。汉朝是当时世界上最先进的帝国。“汉族”(the Han Nationality)这一名称就得名于汉朝。唐朝因统一时间长、国力强盛而被国人铭记，因此在海外的中国人自称为“唐人”(Tang people)。宋朝和明朝是经济、文化、教育与科学高度繁荣的时代。但朝代的更替一般会导致连年战争，给人民大众带来了难以言表的痛苦。

单选题 Now listen to the following recording and answer questions24-26.

单选题 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled On Self-improvement by commenting on the saying 'There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.' You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

单选题 The first time your boss suggests that you formally present something to your department or a client, your reaction may be panic. But remember that being asked to present is a compliment. Someone believes that you have valuable information to share with the group, and wants to listen to your ideas. You need to decide exactly what you will say during the allotted time. Condense your topic into one sentence. What do you want your audience to remember or learn from your talk? This is your 'big idea'. Remember that your are dealing with the short attention spans of individuals who tend to have many things on their minds. Think of three main points you want to make to support your overall topic. Develop a story to demonstrate each of those concepts. This could be something that happened to you or someone you know, or something you read in a newspaper or magazine. We have all heard the saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' Think about how your presentation can be more interesting to watch. Props are a wonderful way to make your talk come alive. You could do something as simple as holding up a toy phone receiver when talking about customer service or putting on a hat to signal a different part of your talk. Think of dynamic and unusual way to start your presentation. This might involve telling anecdotes that relate to your topic. Never begin with, 'Thank you for inviting me here to talk with you today.' You will put your audience to sleep right away. Start off enthusiastically so they will listen with curiosity and interest. After your energetic introduction, identify yourself briefly and thank the audience for taking the time to listen to you. Plan your ending, and finish in a memorable way. Your listeners remember best what they hear at the beginning and end of a speech, so conclude with a game in which they can participate, or tell a humorous story and your audience will leave laughing. Don't try to memories your talk or read it word-for-word. It will sound stilted and boring. Instead, practice your dynamic introduction and conclusion until you can deliver them effortlessly. If you do this you'll feel a burst of confidence that will help you sail through the whole of the speech.

单选题 Questions16-19 are based on the recording you have just heard.