单选题"There is a {{U}}weird{{/U}} power in a spoken word," Joseph Conrad once said. A. mighty B. prospective C. odd D. formidable

单选题Passage Three It is the world's fourth-most-important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. It provides more calories, more quickly, using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant. It is, of course, the potato. The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals, by helping to reduce poverty and promote economic development. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato's unusual history means it is well worth celebrating. Unlikely though it seems, the potato promoted economic development by supporting the Industrial Revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to cultivate, so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England, as people there specialized in livestock farming and domestic industry, while farmers in the south concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident, the concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readily available, and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its "historically revolutionary role". In the form of French fries, served alongside burgers and Coca-Cola, potatoes are now a symbol of globalization. This is quite a change given the skepticism which first greeted them on their arrival in the Old World in the 16th century. They were variously thought to be fit only for animals, to be associated with the devil or to be poisonous. They took hold in 18th-century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realized just how useful and reliable they were. As Adam Smith, one of the potato's many admirers, observed at the time, "The very general use which is made of potatoes in these kingdoms as food for man is a convincing proof that the prejudices of a nation, with regard to diet, however deeply rooted, are by no means unconquerable." Mashed, fried, boiled and roast, a humble potato changed the world, and people everywhere should celebrate it.

单选题These are the men and women who run the house and tend to the special needs of its residents. A．take to B．amount to C．attend to D．object to

单选题 Public goods are those commodities from whose enjoyment nobody can be{{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}excluded. Everybody is free to{{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}the benefits of these commodities, and one person's utilization {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}the possibilities of anybody else's enjoying the same goods. Examples of public goods are not{{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}one might expect. A flood control dam is a public goods. Once the dam is built, all the people living in the area will benefit{{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}their own contribution to the construction cost of the dam. The same{{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}true for highway signs or aids to navigations. Once a lighthouse is built, no ship of any nationality can be effectively excluded from the{{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}the lighthouse for navigational purposes. National defense is another example. Even a person who voted against military expenditures or{{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}taxes will benefit from the protection afforded. It is no easy task to determine the social costs and social benefits associated with a public good. There is no practicable way of{{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}drivers for 100 at highway signs, sailors for watching a lighthouse, and citizens for the security provided to them through national defense. {{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}the market does not provide the necessary signals, economic analysis has to be substituted for the impersonal judgment of the market place.

单选题Dayton Robles was on Monday sensationally______his world 110m hurdles title for obstruction of Liu Xiang. A. warded off B. stripped off C. called off D. paid off

单选题An aircraft is equipped with a {{U}}sophisticated{{/U}} electronic control system for the sake of safety. A. highly-developed B. newly-invented C. well-meant D. long-lived

单选题In spite of the efforts of those industrious farmers, the local economy is far from developed due to isolation.

单选题Directions: In this part of the test, there are five short passages. Read each passage carefully, and then do the questions that follow. Passage One For years, Europeans have been using "smart cards" to pay their way through the day. They use them in shops and restaurants; plug them into public telephones and parking meters. In France smart cards cover anything from a biscuit bill to a swimming-pool entry fee. In America, smart cards are not nearly so common-only about 430,000 are now circulating in the US and Canada-but Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass., predicts that number will balloon to 4.7 million by the year 2002. What is a smart card, exactly, and how does it work? Also called a chip card because of the tiny microprocessor embedded in it, a smart card looks a lot like the other plastic in your wallet. To make things more confusing, some smart cards pull double duty as regular ATM bank cards. The difference is that when you swipe your ATM (or debit) card at the grocery-store checkout, you're draining cash from your bank account. Smart cards, on the other hand, are worthless unless they are "loaded" with ash value, pulled directly from your bank account or traded for currency. The chip keeps track of the amounts stored and spent. The advantage, in theory, is convenience: consumers bother less with pocket change and are able to use plastic even at traditionally cash-only vendors. The electronic transaction doesn't require a signature, a PIN number or bank approval. Downside: lose the card, lose the money. Most people are probably more familiar with stored-value cards equipped only with a magnetic stripe, such as fare cards issued to riders on the Washington metro or the New York City subway. The newer Chip-enhanced versions armed with more memory and processing power, have popped up in various places in the past year or so, from college campuses to military bases to sports stadiums. Other experiments are under way. A healthcare claims processor in Indianapolis, Ind., hopes smart cards will streamline medical bill payments. In Ohio, food-stamp recipients receive a smart card rather than paper vouchers. Smart cards issued for general commerce are rarer, unless you happen to live in a place designated for a test run, such as Manhattan's Upper West Side. But big banks and plastic-purveying kings Visa and Master Card are hot for the idea, promising more extensive trials and more elaborate, multipurpose cards capable of rendering everything else you carry-plastic, paper or coin-superfluous. Today's smart cards may not be revolutionizing the way we buy the morning paper yet, but they could turn out to be the right tool to spur Internet commerce and banking. For the time being, though, smart cards are just another way to buy stuff. And it could be a while before even that catches on. Remember: some people still don't quite trust ATMs either.

单选题Parties are therefore free to strive for a settlement without {{U}}jeopardizing{{/U}} their chances for or in a trial if mediation is unsuccessful. A. assuring B. increasing C. endangering D. destroying

单选题All the recommendations and advice will be considered {{U}}in earnest{{/U}} before any action is taken. A. beforehand B. seriously C. unanimously D. enthusiastically

单选题The lawyer {{U}}conceded{{/U}} that her statement was true. A. proved B. doubted C. denied D. admitted

单选题 {{B}}Passage Five {{/B}} Tourists were surprised to see a woman driving a huge orange tractor down one of Rome's main avenues. Italy's political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been even more puzzled to see that the tractor was followed by about 200,000 women in a parading procession that took more than three hours to snake through central Rome. Shouting slogans, waving flags and dancing to drumbeats, the woman had come to the capital from all over Italy to demonstrate for "a job for each of us, a different type of job, and a society without violence". So far, action to improve woman's opportunities in employment has been the province of collective industrial bargaining. "But there is a growing awareness that this is not enough," says a researcher on female labor at the government-funded institute for the Development of Professional Training for Workers. Women, who constitute 52 percent of Italy's population, today represent only 35 percent of Italy's total workforce and 33 percent to the total number of Italians with jobs. However, their presence in the workplace is growing. The employment of women is expanding considerably in services, next to the public administration and commerce as their principal workplace. Official statistics also show that woman have also made significant strides in self-employment. More and more women are going into business for themselves. Many young women are turning to business because of the growing overall unemployment. It is also a fact that today many prejudices have disappeared, so that banks and other financial institutes make judgments on purely business considerations without caring if it is a man or a woman. Such changes are occurring in the professions too. The number of woman doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers and university professors increased two to three folds. Some of the changes are immediately visible. For example, women have appeared on the scene for the first time as state police, railway workers and street cleaners. However, the present situation is far from satisfactory though some progress has been made. A breakthrough in equal opportunities for woman is now demanded.

单选题 I was talking with a senior Public Relations manager the other day about "The Game Trainers" and he expressed much skepticism about both the possibility and value of getting senior professionals to play games. "These are serious people with serious jobs, and they are not going to waste time running around like school children," he told me. This statement highlighted many of his assumptions. It also provided me with a golden opportunity to talk about how these "serious people with serious jobs" could actually learn something about themselves, their company, and their business opportunities by allowing creativity to flow more freely through "games." His position is not uncommon and it comes from a deep seated misunderstanding of what a "game" is and what it is for, as well as a set notion of what "work" must look like for it to be considered of value. It's not a coincidence that the most successful companies of the last decade, including Apple and Google, were all started by college students, and perhaps as a consequence have a spirit of fun, creativity and innovation. Their success has not been achieved through a cubicle work environment, strict hierarchy, dull meetings and a 9 to 5 work structure. Instead they have flowing and flexible work spaces, a culture of collaboration, and opportunities for creativity. So where does the line between "work" and "game" occur? Well maybe there isn't one, or at least maybe there shouldn't be one. So is all this just a matter of perception? Well, yes and no. The starting point in allowing creativity to flow freely is to accept that the line between business and play is blurred, or at best non-existent. Only then is it possible to create the opportunity and appropriate environment for individuals and groups to play the game (or work) as well as they possibly can. The Game Trainers support this innovative and highly productive approach to work by creating games and group exercises to develop awareness and insight of issues, as well developing games to integrate into the working environment. And so, I said to the PR man, it's a good thing that they are "serious people with serious jobs," because we also are extremely serious about play, and in today's environment they simply cannot afford not to play games.

单选题Doctors and researchers have to keep themselves ______ on the latest developments in their sphere of study. A. convinced B. isolated C. humiliated D. updated

单选题 Passage Four To claim supernatural powers and then be caught in dirty acts—sexually abusing children or, even worse, protecting the abusers—is not only a moral problem. It is a near fatal professional error. I wonder if the hierarchy knows how gravely the Roman Catholic Church, especially the American church, has been wounded. There's huge internal bleeding, a hemorrhage of credibility —yet, in the face of all that, a changing official attitude mixing pain and evasion. At least priest Jimmy Swaggart had the good grace to cry on television and beat his breast and otherwise oblige the audience with the acting of regret. Last week the Pilot, the newspaper of the archdiocese of Boston, did ask several questions that it admitted are "out there in the minds of Catholics"—an interesting phrase, by the way, that suggests some of the problems: A hierarchy that sees "the Catholic mind" as something "out there" and the defended priests as being "in here." Among the questions: 1) Should being alone continue to be "a normative condition for the diocesan priests"? 2) If being alone were of their own choice, would there be fewer errors of this nature in the priests? My answers would be: 1) No. 2) Yes. There's no cure-all, as the Pilot said. Catholics have to think though strong arguments for and against being alone—and for and against the appointment of women as priests. But the current failure will be compounded if the debate becomes a merely technical discussion of difficulties and ignores the overall danger to the church. A Catholic Church that is losing so much ground around the world and has such difficulty in employing new priests cannot afford the critical, firm pride of centuries past. Allowing priests to marry, and appointing women, would do an important thing: begin to change the culture of the priests—a culture that needs very considerable changing. It would help clean the sometimes dirty atmosphere of the religion. Sexual crimes against the most innocent lambs in the flock are a tragedy for the authority and moral structure of the church. Faith climbs on a vertical axis to God. The vertical is supported by a horizontal axis—trust, which is the everyday, stabilizing living church. If trust dissolves into doubt and dislike, if God's representatives on earth turn out to be, many of them, child abusers and protectors of child abusers, then who will ever see such men at their priestly work without suspicion and hating?

单选题 Money may not be flowing much in Thailand's capital these days, but something more unlikely is traffic. Motorists like to joke that it took the International Monetary Fund to unclog Bangkok's notoriously jammed thoroughfares. Before the economy crashed last summer, Bangkok was famous for its round-the-clock gridlock. Stories of how people coped became urban lore. Thais bought custom-made vans equipped with TVs and microwave ovens. On the endless trips home after school and work, parents would serve family dinners, then the kids would do their homework and change into pajamas before finally arriving. One company did a booming business in plastic disposable toilets. Consumers could get just about anything, from McDonald's hamburgers to prescription medicine, delivered via motorbike. The solution for easing congestion turned out to be simple: economic catastrophe. Rising fuel costs, coupled with lost jobs and declining incomes, mean people are making fewer trips. About 20,000 cars have been repossessed, while new-car buying has dwindled from about 900 a day a year ago to just 300 now. Bus rider ship is up; taxi trips are down. So many cabbies are having trouble making enough fares to cover gas and car rental that hundreds of taxis are sitting idle every day. Thinner wallets also mean people are spending less time in bars, restaurants, movie theaters and shopping malls. Instead, they're staying home. The government, much maligned in the past for botching up mass transit construction, deserves credit as well. New expressways have opened, and some of the construction that has blocked traffic lanes for years has been cleared. The good times may not last, however, at least for motorists. If traffic flow is in fact a reliable economic indicator, Thailand may be on the rebound. "The last few days," says taxi driver Boonlarb Srikam, "I've noticed the traffic getting busy again." Bring out those portable toilets.

单选题When George H. W. Bush graduated from Yale in 1948, most assumed he would {{U}}head to{{/U}} Wall Street. A. excel in B. make for C. compete against D. dispose of

单选题 At least since the Industrial Revolution, gender roles have been in a state of transition. As a result, cultural scripts about marriage have undergone change. One of the more obvious changes has occurred in the roles that women {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}. Women have moved into the world of work and have become adept at meeting expectations in that arena, while maintaining their family roles of nurturing and creating a (n) {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}that is a haven for all family members. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}many women experience strain from trying to "do it all," they often enjoy the increased rewards that can result from playing multiple roles. As women's roles have changed, changing expectations about men's roles have become more {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}Many men are relinquishing their major responsibility {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}the family provider. Probably the most significant change in men's roles, however, is in the emotional {{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}of family life. Men are increasingly expected to meet the emotional needs of their families, especially their wives. In fact, expectations about the emotional domain of marriage have become more significant for marriage in general. Research on {{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}marriage has changed over recent decades points to the increasing importance of the emotional side of the relationships and the importance of sharing in the "emotion work" {{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}to nourish marriages and other family relationships. Men and women want to experience marriages that are interdependent, {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}both partners nurture each other, attend and respond to each other, and encourage and promote each other. We are thus seeing marriages in which men's and women's roles are becoming increasingly more {{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}

单选题Studies have proved that smart people tend to be smart across different kinds of realms. A. realities B. fields C. occupations D. courses

单选题The spacecraft touched down on schedule and the astronauts were helped out of it. A. launched B. operated C. landed D. crashed