单选题Which of the following is true of the environments in which fossils are found?

单选题The willingness of doctors at several major medical centers to apologize .to patients for harmful errors is a promising step toward improving the rather disappointing quality of a medical system that kills tens of thousands of innocent patients a year inadvertently. For years, experts have lamented that medical malpractice litigation is an inefficient way to deter lethal or damaging medical errors. What they noticed, simply put it, is that most victims of malpractice never sue, and there is some evidence that many patients who do sue were not harmed by a physician's error but instead suffered an adverse medical outcome that could not have been prevented. The details of what went wrong are often kept secret as part of a settlement agreement. What is needed, many specialists agree, is a system that quickly brings an error to light so that further errors can be headed off and that compensates victims promptly and fairly. Many doctors, unfortunately, have been afraid that admitting and describing their errors would only invite a costly lawsuit. Now, as described by Kevin Sack in The Times, a handful of prominent academic medical centers have adopted a new policy of promptly disclosing errors, offering earnest apologies and providing fair compensation. It appears to satisfy many patients, reduce legal costs and the litigation burden and, in some instances, helps reduce malpractice premiums. Here are some examples from colleges of the United States: at the University of Illinois, of 37 cases where the hospital acknowledged a preventable error and apologized, only one patient filed suit; at the University of Michigan Health System, existing claims and lawsuits dropped from 262 in August 2001 to 83 in August 2007, and legal costs fell by two-thirds. To encourage greater candor, more than 30 states have enacted laws making apologies for medical errors inadmissible in court. That sounds like a sensible step that should be adopted by other states or become federal law. Such laws could help bring more errors to light. Patients who have been harmed by negligent doctors can still sue for malpractice, using other evidence to make their case. Admitting errors is only the first step toward reforming the health care system so that far fewer mistakes are made. But reforms can be more effective if doctors are candid about how they went astray. Patients seem far less angry when they receive an. honest explanation, an apology and prompt, fair compensation for the harm they have suffered.

单选题Sweden has a longstanding reputation as an egalitarian country with a narrow gender gap. But a national debate about gender equality has revealed substantial dissatisfaction, with some Swedes feeling it has gone too far. Rousing controversy now is the issue of gender pedagogy, a concept that emerged in the early 2000s and typically involves challenging gender stereotypes in learning material and in avoiding treating male and female pupils in a stereotypical manner . But what has sharpened the debate in Sweden has been the argument that schools should also be gender neutral , giving children the opportunity to define themselves as neither male nor female if they wish. Kristina Henkel, a gender expert specializing in equality in schools, disputes the argument that gender pedagogy and neutrality are being foisted on Swedes. "Sweden has a long tradition of working with equality and this has had strong support among politicians, " she says, and adds that "the question of gender neutrality, or of everyone having equal rights despite their gender, has also been driven by activists at the grassroots level. " But Elise Claeson, a columnist and a former equality expert at the Swedish Confederation of Professions, disagrees. "I have long participated in debates with gender pedagogues and they act like an elite, " she says. "They tend to be well-educated, live in big cities, and have contacts in the media, and they clearly despise traditional people. " Ms. Claeson has been a vocal critic of the word "hen, " a new, gender-neutral pronoun that was recently included in the online version of the National Encyclopedia. Around the same time, Sweden"s first gender-neutral children"s book was published. The author, Jesper Lundqvist, uses hen throughout his book, completely avoiding han and hon, the Swedish words for him and her. Claeson believes that the word hen can be harmful to young children because, she says, it can be confusing for them to receive contradicting messages about their genders in school, at home, and in society at large. "It is important to have your gender confirmed to you as a child. This does not limit children; it makes them confident about their identity... Children ought to be allowed to mature slowly and naturally. As adults we can choose to expand and change our gender identities. " Last fall, nearly 200 teachers gathered in Stockholm to discuss how to avoid "traditional gender patterns" in schools. The conference was part of a research project run by the National Agency for Education and supported by the Delegation for Equality in Schools. "I work with these issues in Finland and Norway and it is clear to me that they have been inspired by the Swedish preschool — and school curricula , " says Ms. Henkel, the gender expert. But Henkel also insists that gender equality is a rights issue that cannot simply be left to the state to handle. Instead, she says, it requires the active involvement of citizens. "Rights are not something we receive and then don"t have to fight for. This is about a redistribution of power, and for that initiative and action are needed, not just fancy legislation. "

单选题If a person drinks silver tea during his golden years, we can say that

单选题Space Shuttle Project is one of the first huge-typed spaceflight instruments used for many times in the world, organized by American National Aviation andSpaceflight Bureau, the main researches of (1) are researching and making the system of space shuttle, suggesting and choosing (2) and landing ports,deciding the scheme of reclaiming the roll booster of solid rocket, (3) the establishment of repairing the roll booster, and rebuilding and expanding the building of the (4) and controlling system. At the beginning of 1969, the United States set up a group that specially researched the development direction of spaceflight with (5) for the next stage, (6) by deputy president. After (7) and research, it suggested that an aerocraft with great benefits in (8) should be made, eg (9) the spaceflight being its leading stanchion. In this project, five orbit implements were prescribed to be made, (10) " Exploitation", " Columbia", " Challenger","Discovery" and "Atlands". In 1970, spaceflight got into an all-round (11) of research and manufacture. The whole-project had to delay more than three years. Five orbit implements were (12) to be four and flight experiment for six times was also decreased for four, (13) the number of production was cut down, according to the original scheme. In April 1971 this (14) was decided that Kennedy Space Centre was used for the launching and landing port for space shuttles, and Edwards Air Base was used for the (15) landing port. In February 1977,"Exploitation" Orbit Implement started to have entering and landing experiment sin Edwards Air Base. From May 12, 1981 to July 4, 1982, "Columbia" Space Shuttle successfully finished four flight experiments for research and manufacture, (16) meant that the (17) and manufactures were over in (18) form. It (19) about 12 years and cost more than 75 billion US dollars to finish the whole project. On November 11, 1990, space shuttles began to fly for (20) .

单选题To understand the marketing concept, it is only necessary to understand the difference between marketing and selling. Not too many years ago, most industries concentrated primarily on the 1 production of goods, and then 2 on "persuasive salesmanship" to move as much of these goods as possible. Such production and selling focuses on the needs of the seller to produce goods and then 3 them into money. Marketing, on the other hand, focuses on the wants of consumers. It begins with first analyzing the 4 and demands of consumers and then producing goods that will 5 them. This eye-on-the-consumer 6 is known as the marketing concept, which simply means that instead of trying to sell 7 is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first try to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go 8 making it available for purchase. Every 9 —design, production, distribution, promotion—is made according to consumer demand. This concept does not 10 that consumer satisfaction is given 11 over profit in a company. There are always two 12 to every business activity—the firm and the customer—and each must be satisfied before trade 13 . Successful merchants and producers, 14 , recognized that the surest route to profit is 15 understanding customers. This concept has been recognized in such slogans as "Have It Your Way", and "Your are the boss". A good example of the importance of satisfying the consumer 16 itself in mid-1985, when Coca Cola changed the 17 of its drink. The non-acceptance of the change by a significant 18 of the public brought about a quick 19 of the Classic Coke, which was then marked alongside the new. King Customer 20 .

单选题We can infer from the text that the author believes

单选题{{B}}Text 1{{/B}} The food you eat does more than provide energy. It can have a dramatic effect on your body's ability to fight off heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and weak bones. With remarkable consistency, recent research has found that a diet high in plant-based foods—fruits, vegetables, dried peas and beans, grains, and starchy staples such as potatoes—is the body's best weapon in {{U}}thwarting{{/U}} many health-related problems. These foods work against so many diseases that the same healthy ingredients you might use to protect your heart or ward off cancer will also benefit your intestinal tract and bones. Scientists have recently estimated that approximately 30 to 40 percent of all cancers could be averted if people ate more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods and minimized high-fat, high-calorie edibles that have scant nutritional value. Up to 70 percent' of cancers might be eliminated if people also stopped smoking, exercised regularly, and controlled their weight. In the past, researchers had linked fat consumption with the development of cancers, but they currently believe that eating fruits, vegetables, and grains may be more important in preventing the disease than not eating fat. "The evidence about a high-fat diet and cancer seemed a lot stronger several years ago than it does now," says Melanie Polk, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition education at the American Institute for Cancer Research. The road to strong bones is paved with calcium-rich food. Leafy green vegetables and low-fat dairy products are excellent sources of calcium, the mineral that puts stiffness into your skeletal system and keeps your bones from turning rubbery and fragile. Your body uses calcium for more than keeping your bones strong. Calcium permits cells, to divide, regulates muscle contraction and relaxation, and plays an important role in the movement of protein and nutrients inside cells. If you don’t absorb enough from what you eat to satisfy these requirements, your body will take it from your bones. Because your body doesn't produce this essential mineral, you must continually replenish the supply. Even though the recommended daily amount is 1,200mg, most adults don't eat more than 500mg. One reason may have been the perception that calcium-rich dairy products were also loaded with calories. "In the past, women, in particular, worried that dairy products were high in calories," says Letha Y. Griffin, M. D. , of Peachtree Orthopaedics in Atlanta. "But today you can get calcium without eating any high-fat or high-calorie foods by choosing skim milk or low-fat yogurt." Also, low-fat dairy products contain phosphorous and magnesium and are generally fortified with vitamin D, all of which help your body absorb and use calcium. If you find it difficult to include enough calcium in your diet, ask your doctor about supplements. They're a potent way to get calcium as well as vitamin D and other minerals. But if you rely on pills instead of a calcium-rich diet, you won't benefit from the other nutrients that food provides. Getting the recommended vitamin D may be easy, since your body makes the vitamin when your skin is exposed to the sun's rays.

单选题{{B}}Text 4{{/B}} Watching a three-and-a-half-pound chicken roast in 14 minutes, time loses all meaning. The skin turns gold and crisp, juices immediately rise to the surface, and the flesh firms before your eyes. It's dizzying and seductive, like the home makeovers on TV that compress as "Wow." you think "I could do this every single night." The makers of the TurboChef, a super-fast oven, used at Subway and Starbucks and, recently, by chefs like Charlie Trotter and Gray Kurtz, are banking on that reaction. Speed ovens made by TurboChef, Merrychef. Electrolux and others are common in commercial kitchens: they generally use some layering of microwave, convection, steam and infrared technologies, which provides even cooking, moistness and browning, all at high speed. No single technology has been able m produce all of those traits. The combination ovens are also mining up. in more limited roles, in some fine-dining kitchens. Mr. Trotter installed a commercial TurboChef in his upscale takeout cafe, Trotter's to Go. in Chicago about six years ago. Mr. Kurtz says that his speed oven is used mostly for souffi6s, reducing the cooking time from 25 minutes to 2. "I liked .taking that line off the menu where you have to order the souffi6 at the beginning of the meal," he said. This is hardly an everyday concern for home cooks. But manufacturers are unable to resist the lure of the lucrative residential market: companies like Electrolux. G.E. and Sharp already sell speed ovens for home cooks. TurboChef, however, has put an unusual amount of research and design energy into adapting its product for residential use. It will be introduced next month, priced at $5,995 for a solo unit and $7.895 for a TurboChef combined with a conventional oven. The company is pitching—hard—the notion that its appliance will do no less than revolutionize American home cooking. "I can't imagine a home cook who wouldn't respond to the speed of this oven," said Mr. Trotter. who has become a consultant and spokesman for TurboChef. "But speed alone wouldn't validate it. The results are glorious." Glorious is a strong word. So last week, I hauled raw chickens and a jug of souffle batter over to TurboChef's New York office for a road test. Three hours later, it was clear that the technology used by TurboChef—a combination of high-speed convection for rapid heat transfer and browning, plus "controlled bursts" of microwave for moist, even cooking—is far more successful for actual cooking than a microwave alone

单选题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}}Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. Speech, whether oral or written, is a used commodity. If we are to be heard, we must {{U}}(1) {{/U}} our words from those {{U}}(2) {{/U}} to us within families, peer groups, societal institutions, and political networks. Our utterances position us both in an immediate social dialogue {{U}}(3) {{/U}} our addressee and, simultaneously, in a larger ideological one {{U}}(4) {{/U}} by history and society. We speak as an individual and also, as a student or teacher, a husband or wife, a person of a particular discipline, social class, religion, race, or other socially constructed {{U}}(5) {{/U}}. Thus, to varying degrees, all speaking is a {{U}}(6) {{/U}} of others' words and all writing is rewriting. As language {{U}}(7) {{/U}}, we experience individual agency by infusing our own intentions {{U}}(8) {{/U}} other people's words, and this can be very hard. {{U}} (9) {{/U}}, schools, like into churches and courtrooms, are places {{U}}(10) {{/U}} people speak words that are more important than they are. The words of a particular discipline, like those of "God the father" or of "the law," are being articulated by spokespeople for the given authority. The {{U}}(11) {{/U}} of the addressed, the listener, is to acknowledge the words and their {{U}}(12) {{/U}}. In Bakhtin's {{U}}(13) {{/U}}, "the authoritative word is located in a distanced zone, organically connected with a {{U}}(14) {{/U}} that is felt to be hierarchally higher." {{U}} (15) {{/U}}, part of growing up in an ideological sense is becoming more "selective" about the words we appropriate and, {{U}}(16) {{/U}}, pass on to others. In Bakhtin's {{U}}(17) {{/U}}, responsible people do not treat {{U}}(18) {{/U}} as givens, they treat them as utterances, spoken by particular people located in specific ways in the social landscape. Becoming alive to the socio-ideological complexity of language use is {{U}}(19) {{/U}} to becoming a more responsive language user and, potentially, a more playful one too, able to use a {{U}}(20) {{/U}} of social voices, of perspectives, in articulating one's own ideas.

单选题The Euro's fiscal straitjacket is mentioned to show

单选题House-price falls are gathering momentum and are spreading across the UK, according to a monthly poll of surveyors which on Monday delivered its gloomiest reading for nearly 12 years. Fifty-six per cent of surveyors contacted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reported price falls in the three months to October. Only 3 per cent saw prices rise in their area, compared with 58 per cent as recently as May. There was further evidence of slowing activity in the property market as the number of sales per surveyor dived to a nine-year low. Unsold stock on agents' books has increased 10 per cent since the summer. Ian Perry, Rics' national housing spokesman, said it was now very clear that buyers were unsettled by higher interest rates. The Bank of England raised rates five times to 4. 75 per cent over the last year to cool the property boom. But he also blamed comments by Mervyn King, the Bank's governor, and misleading media headlines for "injecting additional uncertainty into the market by continued speculation over more serious price declines". "Mervyn King presumably felt that he had to be more explicit in the summer when people were still buying. His warnings of a drop in property prices then have had the desired effect. "But our concern now is that the pendulum is swinging too far," be said. Last week, the Bank's monetary policy committee predicted for the first time that "house prices may fall modestly for a period" in its November inflation report. The Nationwide and Halifax mortgage lenders both showed a modest monthly decline in house prices in their latest loan approval data. Although the majority of surveyors expect prices to fall further in the next three months, Mr. Perry stressed there were signs of stabilizing demand from buyers in London. "London tends to be ahead of the rest of the market. And agents are telling us that more people are looking to buy. It is much better than it was," Mr. Perry said. However, falling prices continued to spread from the South of England as surveyors reported the first clear decline in prices in Yorkshire and the Humber, the north and the north west. Scotland remained the only region with rising prices.

单选题What would the section following this text probably deal with?