单选题In the first paragraph the author introduces his topic by relating

单选题How does the writer feel about the present situation?

单选题Independence from the state is the prerequisite for

单选题The kite is limited by the following conditions EXCEPT for______.

单选题The most important reason why DTVs sell less than traditional sets is that

单选题According to this text the Internet_________.

单选题{{B}}Text 2{{/B}} With 22 years on the job, Jackie Bracey could be considered a career employee of the Internal Revenue Service. But she defies any stereotype of an over-eager agent running down a reluctant taxpayer. Instead, she spends her time defending people who owe the government money. Ms. Bracey, based in Greensboro N. C., is a taxpayer advocate, a created by Congress in 1998 as part of the kinder, gentler theme adopted by the tax collection agency. Bracey and advocates at 73 Other offices nationwide, backed by 2,100 field workers and staff, go to bat for taxpayers who are in financial straits because of something the agency has done or is about to do. Though it may seem contrary to the IRS, the advocate service not only helps taxpayers, but identifies procedural problems. The main goal, though, is for the ombudsman to step into a dispute a taxpayer is having with the IRS when it appears that something the IRS is doing, or planning, would create an undue hardship on the taxpayer. This can range from speeding up resolution of a dispute that has dragged on too long, to demanding that the IRS halt a collection action that the taxpayer can show he or she “is suffering or is about to suffer a significant hardship.” Taxpayer ombudsmen have been around in one form or another since 1979, says Nina Olson, the national taxpayer advocate. But they were given much more power in 1998 when Congress decided that the workers would no longer report to regional directors but to her office. While this gave them a great deal more authority, outside watchdogs say more can be done. “There is a long way to go to get an agency that feels independent and emboldened to work for taxpayers”, says Joe Seep, a vice president of the Washington-based tax-advocacy group. The taxpayers union also has complained that Congress and the Bush administration don’t seem to be taking the advocates seriously enough. Each year, the IRS group reports to Congress on the top problems that advocates see. Many of these are systemic problems that can gum up the works for both taxpayer and collector, such as a December notice from Ms. Olson that the IRS should have just one definition of a dependent child, rather than the three definitions currently used. While taxpayer advocates can help smooth things out in many cases, they cannot ignore laws. If taxpayers haven’t made legitimate claims for credits, there’s nothing the advocate can do to reverse that course. And Olson says that while taxpayers are free to use her service, they should keep in mind that it does not replace the normal appeals process and should be the last place a citizen calls upon for help, not the first. “We’re really there for .when the processes fall down,” she says. Every state has at least one taxpayer-advocate service office.

单选题According to those who welcomed the railway, the railway itself should include all the following except that ______.

单选题The mythology of a culture can provide some vital insights into the beliefs and values of that culture. By using fantastic and sometimes incredible stories to create an oral tradition by which to explain the wonders of the natural world and teach lessons to younger generations, a society exposes those ideas and concepts held most important. Just as important as the final lesson to be gathered from the stories, however, are the characters and the roles they play in conveying that message. Perhaps the epitome of mythology and its use as a tool to pass on cultural values can be found in Aesop's Fables, told and retold during the era of the Greek Empire. Aesop, a slave who won the favor of the court through his imaginative and descriptive tales, almost exclusively used animals to fill the roles in his short stories. Humans, when at all present, almost always played the part of bumbling fools struggling to learn the lesson being presented. This choice of characterization allows us to see that the Greeks placed wisdom on a level slightly beyond humans, implying that deep wisdom and understanding is a universal quality sought by, rather than steanning from, human beings. Aesop's fables illustrated the central themes of humility and self-reliance, reflecting the importance of those traits in early Greek society. The folly of humans was used to contrast against the ultimate goal of attaining a higher level of understanding and awareness of truths about nature and humanity. For example, one notable fable features a fox repeatedly trying to reach a bunch of grapes on a very high vine. After failing at several attempts, the fox gives up, making up its mind that the grapes were probably sour anyway. The fable's lesson, that we often play down that which we can't achieve so as to make ourselves feel better, teaches the reader or listener in an entertaining way about one of the weaknesses of the human psyche. The mythology of other cultures and societies reveal the underlying traits of their respective cultures just as Aesop's fables did. The stories of Roman gods, Aztec ghosts and European elves all served to train ancient generations those lessons considered most important to their community, and today they offer a powerful looking glass by which to evaluate and consider the contextual environment in which those culture existed.

单选题One characteristic of the El Nifio is

单选题All of the following are mentioned to suggest that the Bermuda Triangle is really a mysterious area EXCEPT______.

单选题Millennials were (1) to be the next golden ticket for retailers. A 70 million consumers (2) between the ages of 18 and 34, this was the first generation of Americans to grow up with cell phones and the Web. Marketers could (3) them in numerous ways—tweets, Facebook pages—that were (4) when their boomer parents started out. " Marketers thought, 'Here come the Millennials, we're going to have an awesome time selling to them, '" says Max Lenderman, a director at ad agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky. "They were waiting for a (5) . Then comes the financial crisis, and all of a sudden the door has almost (6) in their face. " No group was hit harder by the Great Recession than the Millennials. Their careers are (7) . They hold record levels of education debt. And an estimated 24 percent have had to move back home with parents at least once. That's bad news for the movie studios, clothing retailers, and home improvement chains that had hoped for better. Williams-Sonoma and Home Depot thrive on household formation— economist (8) for marrying, having kids, and buying a home—but many cash-strapped Gen Yers have put those modern rites of passage (9) hold. Twenty percent of 18-to 34-year-old respondents in a recent Pew survey said they had (10) marriage for financial reasons, while 22 percent put (11) having a baby for similar reasons. (12) this generation was always going to be a challenge. (13) into the Web's endless information and choices, Millennials are pickier and (14) brand loyal than their parents. (15) before the recession they craved authentic products—for example, buying shoes from Toms Shoes, which donates a pair to poor children for every one it sells. The Millennial (16) is "buy less and do more, " says David Maddocks. "Boomers were about (17) , whereas this generation is about having enough. " The (18) of the recession could make Gen Y even less acquisitive. Gen Y's (19) could eventually hurt the luxury market, too, says Pam Danziger, president of research firm Unity Marketing. She says a 25-year-old who shops at Gap typically trades up to Nordstrom (JWN), Saks (SKS), and perhaps Tiffany (TIF) decades later. But today, Danziger says, "We have a group of people who are seeking only to live within their (20) /