复合题Directions: Please read the following passages and then answer IN COMPLETE SENTENCES the questions which follow each passage. Use only the information from the passage you have just read and write your answer in the corresponding space in your Answer Sheet.(1)What are those of us who have chosen careers in science and engineering able to do about our current problems?(2) First, we can help destroy the false impression that science and engineering have caused the current world troubles. On the contrary, science and engineering have made vast contributions to better living for more people. Second, we can identify the many areas in which science and technology, more considerably used, can be of greater service in the future than in the past to improve the quality of life. While we can make many speeches, and pass many laws, the quality of our environment will be improved only through better knowledge and better application of that knowledge. Third, we can recognize that much of the dissatisfaction we suffer today results from our very successes of former years. We have been so greatly successful in attaining material goals that we are deeply dissatisfied that we cannot attain other goals more rapidly. We have achieved a better life for most people, but we are unhappy that we have not spread it to all people. We have reduced many sources of environmental disasters, but we are unhappy that we have not conquered all of them. It is our raised expectation rather than our failures which now cause our distress. (3) Granted that many of our current problems must be cured more by social, political, and economic instruments than by science and technology, yet science and technology must still be the tools to make further advances in such things as clean air, clean water, better transportation, better housing, better medical care, more adequate welfare programs, purer food, conservation of resources, and many other areas.

复合题Passage AWith medicine, the benefit of biotechnology has been obvious. People readily accept it when they see how better drugs and clearer diagnoses improve their lives. Why is it different when biotech is applied to agriculture? The answer is that the clearest gains from the current crop of genetically modified (GM) plants go not to consumers but to producers. Indeed, that was what their developers intended: an appeal to farmers offered the suppliers of GM technology the best hope of a speedy return. For consumers, especially in the rich world, the benefits of super-yielding soybeans are less clear: the world, by and large, already has too much food in its stores; developing countries principally lack money, not food as such. Yet companies still pitch their products as a cure for malnutrition even though little that they are doing can justify such a noble claim. In boasting the technology as the only answer to everything from pest control to world hunger, the industry has fed the popular view that its products are unsafe, unnecessary and bad for the environment.Of the two main charges against GM crops, by far the weaker is that they are unsafe to eat. Critics assert that genetic engineering introduces into food genes that are not present naturally, cannot be introduced through conventional breeding and may have unknown health effects that should be investigated before the food is sold to the public. GM crops such as the maize and soybeans that now blanket America certainly differ from their garden variety neighbors. But there is a broad scientific consensus that the present generation of GM foods is safe. Even so, this does little to reassure consumers. Food frights such as “mad cow” disease and revelations of cancer-causing dioxin in Belgian food have sorely undermined their confidence in scientific pronouncements and regulatory authorities alike. GM foods have little future in Europe until this faith can be restored.The second big worry about GM food is that it may harm the environment. The producers argue that the engineered traits—such as resistance to certain brands of herbicide or types of insects and virus—actually do ecological good by reducing chemical use and improving yields so that less land needs to go under the plough. Opponents retort that any such benefits are far outweighed by the damage such crops might do. They worry that pesticide-resistant genes may spread from plants that should be saved to weeds that have to be killed. They fear a loss of biodiversity. They worry that the in-built resistance to bugs that some GM crops will have may poison insects such as Monarch butterfly, and allow other, nastier bugs to develop a natural resistance and thrive.Many of the fears are based on results from limited experiments, often in the laboratory. The only way to discover whether they will arise in real life, or whether they will be any more damaging than similar risks posed by conventional crops and farming practice, is to do more research in the field. Banning the experimental growth of GM plants as some protesters want simply deprives scientists of their most fruitful laboratory.By presenting the case of GM food, the author of the passage probably aims to _____.

复合题Directions: Read the following passages and then answer the questions which follow each passage. Use only information from the passage you have just read and write your answer in I the corresponding space on your answer sheet.For many years, scientists couldn’ t figure out how atoms and molecules on the Earth combined to make living things. Plants, fish, dinosaurs, and people are made of atoms and molecules, but they are put together in a more complicated way than the molecules in the primitive ocean. What’ s more, living things have energy and can reproduce, while the chemicals on the Earth 4 billion years ago were lifeless.After years of study, scientists figured out that living things, including human bodies, are basically made of amino acids and nucleotide bases. These are molecules with millions of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms. How could such complicated molecules have been formed in the primitive soup？ Scientists were stumped.Then, in 1953, two scientists named Harold Urey and Stanley L. Miller did a very simple experiment to find out what had happened on the Primitive Earth. They set up some tubes and bottles in a closed loop, and put in some of the same gases that were present in the atmosphere 4 billion years ago: water vapor, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen.Then they shot an electric spark through the gases to simulate bolts of lightning on the ancient Earth, circulated the gases through some water, sent them back for more sparks, and so on. After seven days, the water that the gases had been bubbling through had turned brown. Some new chemicals were dissolved in it. When Miller and Urey analyzed the liquid, they found that it contained amino acids-the very kind of molecules found in all living things.

复合题Directions: In this section there are reading passages followed by multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your answer sheet.Passage fourWilfred Emmanuel-Jones was a teenager before he saw his first cow in his first field. Born in Jamaica, the 47- year-old grew up in inner-city Birmingham before making a career as a television producer and launching his own marketing agency. But deep down he always nurtured every true Englishman’ s dream of a rustic life, a dream that his entrepreneurial wealth has allowed him to satisfy. These days he’ s the owner of a thriving 12-hectare farm in deepest Devon with cattle, sheep and pigs. His latest business venture: pushing his brand of Black Fanner gourmet sausages and barbecue sauces. “My background may be very urban, ” says Emmanuel-Jones. “But it has given me a good idea of what other urbanites want. ”And of how to sell it. Emmanuel-Jones joins a herd of wealthy fugitives from city life who are bringing a new commercial know-how to British farming. Britain’ s burgeoning farmers’ markets-numbers have doubled to at least 500 in the last five years — swarm with specialty cheese makers, beekeepers or organic smallholders who are redeploying the business skills they learned in the city. “Everyone in the rural community has to come to terms with the fact that things have changed. ” Says Emmanuel- Jones. “You can produce the best food in the world, but if you don’ t know how to market it, you are wasting your time. We are helping the traditionalists to move on. ”The emergence of the new class of super peasants reflects some old yearnings. If the British were the first nation to industrialize, they were also the first to head back to the land. “There is this romantic image of the countryside that is particularly English, ” says Alun Howkins of the University of Sussex, who reckons the population of rural England has been rising since 1911. Migration into rural areas is now running at about 100, 000 a year, and the hunger for a taste of the rural life has kept land prices buoyant even as agricultural incomes tumble. About 40 percent of all farmland is now sold to “lifestyle buyers” rather than the dwindling number of traditional farmers, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.What’ s new about the latest returnees is their affluence and zeal for the business of producing quality foods, if only at a micro-level. A healthy economy and surging London house prices have helped to ease the escape of the would-be rustics. The media recognize and feed the fantasy. One of the big TV hits of recent years, the “River Cottage” series, chronicled the attempts of a London chef to run his own Dorset farm.Naturally, the newcomers can’ t hope to match their City salaries, but many are happy to trade any loss of income for the extra job satisfaction. Who cares if there’ s no six-figure annual bonus when the land offers other incalculable compensations？Besides, the specialist producers can at least depend on a burgeoning market for their products. Today’ s eco-aware generation loves to seek out authentic ingredients. “People like me may be making a difference in a small way, ” Jan McCourt, a onetime investment banker now running his own 40-hectare spread in the English Midlands stocked with rare breeds.Optimists see signs of far-reaching change: Britain isn’ t catching up with mainland Europe; it’ s leading the way. “Unlike most other countries, where artisanal food production is being eroded, here it is being recovered, ” says food writer Matthew Fort. “It may be the mark of the next stage of civilization that we rediscover the desirability of being a peasant. ” And not an investment banker.

复合题WhenwarringparentsheadtocourttofightoverchildcustodyinNewYork,theirlawyersoftenlettheminonalittlesecret:Themostpowerfulpersonintheprocessisnotthejudge.Itisnottheotherparent,notoneofthelawyers,notevenachild.No,themostimportantpersonindeterminingwhogetscustody,andonwhatterms,isfrequentlyacourt-appointedforensicevaluator.Forensics,astheyareoftencalled,canbepsychiatrists,psychologistsorsocialworkers;theyinterviewthefamiliesandusuallymakedetailedrecommendationstojudges,rightdowntowhogetsthechildrenonWednesdaysandalternateweekends.Andthejudgesusuallygoalong.Forensicreports,whichtheparentspayfor,cancostasmuchas$40,000orevenmore.Therearenostandardsforwhocanbeanevaluatororwhatshouldgointoanassessment.Thecourtsystemdoesnottrackwhogetstheselucrativeappointments,muchlesswhetherevaluatorstendtofavorfathersormothersorjoincustody.【】Somelawyersandparentssuspectthatcronyismplaysabigroleinsomeappointments,butgiventhesecrecysurroundingmatrimonialcases,thatishardtoprove,ordisprove.Otherssaythereisnowheretolodgecomplaintsaboutmistreatment.Andmany—includingsomeforensics—questionwhetherthereisanyscientificbasistojustifytheevaluators’recommendations.InSuffolkCounty,judgesrepeatedlyappointedapsychologistwhowasnotlicensedtopracticeinNewYorkState.InManhattan,anevaluatorremainedonacaseeventhoughtherewasevidencethathehadbusinessdealingswithonespouse’slawyer.InWestchesterCounty,anexpertchargedparents$57,000forareportthatthejudgefoundextremelybiasedtowardthefather.Thoughtheyhavebeenaroundforyears,court-appointedforensicshavebecomeincreasinglycommonplace-andcontroversial—inNewYork,whichmaybethehighconflictcustodycapitalofthenation.Butsimilardebatesaboutcustodyevaluatorsaregoingonacrossthecountry,expertssay,asdivorceratescontinuetoriseandcourtstrytocopewiththeneedsofchildrencaughtupinacontentiousprocess.“It’sboilingovereverywhere,”saidPeterSalem,executivedirectoroftheAssociationofFamilyandConciliationCourts.InArizona,thegovernorrecentlysignedalawchangingthestate’sprocessforinvestigatingcomplaintsaboutpsychologists,inpartbecauseofcontroversyoverforensicevaluations.InLouisiana,acommitteeofthestateboardgoverningsocialworkersisconsideringcreatingstandardsforevaluations.Andoverthelastfewyears,Californiahasadoptedaseriesofcourtrulesthatrequiretrainingforforensics,setstandardsforevaluationsandprovidemechanismsforfilinggrievancesagainstevaluators,saidPhilipM.Stahl,apsychologistandfrequentlectureroncustodyevaluations.“It’stheonlystatewheretherulesareveryspecific,”hesaid.InNewYork,forensics’behaviorsarebeingdebatedatjudicialconferences,psychiatricconventionsandimpromptumeetingsofdisgruntledparents.Eventhecourtsystemhasdecidedtotakeanotherlookatthem,throughacommissionappointedinFebruarybythestate’schiefjudge.Whilesomebelievesthatforensics“havereallybecomearbitersofwhathappensinacase,othersthinkthatisasitshouldbeclaimingthat“theywereextremelyhelpfulevencritical“Custodycasesaredifficultandemotionallyfraught.Judgesmustdecidecustodycasesbasedonthebestinterestofthechildinquestion,andtheycanappointa“neutralexpert”whenevertheythinkitwouldbehelpfulinmakingthatdecision.Somejudgesasktheparties’lawyerstoagreeonaforensicortoprovidealistofcandidates,otherssimplynameanevaluator.Somejudgeshaveveryspecificquestionstheywantaddressed;othersjustcallforanevaluation.Many,thoughnotall,wantdetailedrecommendations.TheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation’sguidelinesstatethatwhileevaluatorsmaydeterminewhethereitherparenthasseverepsychologicalproblems,whichisnottheirmaingoal.Rather,evaluatorsaresupposedtojudgetheparties“parentingcapacity”andhowthatfitsthepsychologicalneedsofthechild.Intheend,theevaluatorgivesthecourtareportthatusuallymakesdetailedrecommendationsaboutcustodyarrangements.Theparentsarenotgenerallygivencopies;insomecases,theyarenotevenallowedtoreadthereports.Atthatpoint,theparentsusuallysettle.“Whichwewouldmuchprefer,fortheparties’sake,”saidJusticeJacquelineW.Silbermann,theadministrativejudgeformatrimonialmattersinNewYorkState.Thereports’usefulnessinencouragingsettlementsisonereasonjudges’orderthem,shesaid.

复合题AfewcommonmisconceptionsBeautyisonlyskin-deep.One’sphysicalassetsandliabilitiesdon’tcountallthatmuchinamanagerialcareer.Awomanshouldalwaystrytolookherbest.Overthelast30years,socialscientistshaveconductedmorethan1,000studiesofhowwereacttobeautifulandnot-so-beautifulpeople.Thevirtuallyunanimousconclusion:Looksdomatter,morethanmostofusrealize.Thedatasuggest,forexample,thephysicallyattractiveindividualsaremorelikelytobetreatedwellbytheirparents,soughtoutasfriends,andpursuedromantically.Withthepossibleexceptionofwomenseekingmanagerialjobstheyarealsomorelikelytobehired,paidwell,andpromoted.Un-American,yousay,unfairandextremelyunbelievable?Onceagain,thescientistshavecaughtusmouthingpietieswhileactingjustthecontrary.Theirtypicalexperimentworkssomethinglikethis.Theygiveeachmemberofagroup--collegestudents,perhaps,orteachersorcorporatepersonnelmanagersapieceofpaperrelatinganindividual’saccomplishments.Attachedtothepaperisaphotograph.Whilethepapersallsayexactlythesamethingthepicturesaredifferent.Someshowastrikinglyattractiveperson,someanaverage-lookingcharacter,andsomeanunusuallyunattractivehumanbeing.Groupmembersareaskedtoratetheindividualoncertainattributes,anythingfrompersonalwarmthtothelikelihoodthatheorshewillbepromoted.Almostinvariably,thebetterlookingthepersoninthepicture,thehigherthepersonisrated.Inthephrase,borrowedfromSappho,thatthesocialscientistsusetosumupthecommonperception,whatisbeautifulisgood.Inbusiness,however,goodlookscutbothwaysforwomen,anddeeperthanformen.AUtahStateUniversityprofessor,whoisanauthorityonthesubject,explains:Intermsoftheircareers,theimpactofphysicalattractivenessonmalesisonlymodest.Butitspotentialimpactonfemalescanbetremendous,makingiteasier,forexample,forthemoreattractivetogetjobswheretheyareinthepubliceye.onanothernote,though,thereisenoughliteraturenowforustoconcludethatattractivewomenwhoaspiretomanagerialpositionsdonotgetonaswellaswhomaybelessattractive.

复合题Clancy Martin knows a lot about lying. He’ s now an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, specializing in 19th-and 20th- century continental philosophy and business ethics, and he wrote his dissertation on deception. But he really learned how to lie in his youth, when he was a crackerjack jewelry salesman. Not as good as his brother, perhaps, but good enough to turn a fake Rolex into the real thing. “I do miss it, ” Martin admits. “I miss that feeling of being on the edge. Say what you will, there is something fun about deceiving people. ”Talking to Martin about deception can be unnerving. His voice, sweetened with sincerity, has the compulsive tones of a convert. Sincere people make good salesmen. So what to make of Clancy Marlin—a man who wants to sell his debut novel while reclaiming his soul?When he was young, selling was simple—a matter of getting a customer to buy into his fictions. “He was a very gifted liar. ” says his brother and former business partner, Darren. Thai much is still true, as Martin’ s novel, How to Sell, makes clear. How to Sell is outrageous, theatrical and slicker than oil. It tells the tale of Bobby Clark, a high-school dropout who joins his older brother at a jewelry shop in Texas. It’ s a festival of drugs, diamonds and sex. Prostitution, a saleswoman turned hooker suggests at one point, is a more honest kind of living than the jewelry trade (at least in this book) . “With what I do now, ” she tells Bobby, “1 sleeps well at night. ”Martin was born in Toronto, in 1967. Like his protagonist, he left high school, moved to Texas and got a job at the jewelry store where his brother worked. “I would say that, unfortunately, most of the book is lifted directly from my life with some exaggeration and lots of omission, ” says Martin cheerfully. For a young man, the life had a kind of reckless glamour. “You sell a diamond, and booing, ” he says. But Martin was a little different from most employees. He read, for example. Just as Bobby rims on a Jorge Luis Borges story to sell a bracelet, Martin wove stories for customers from the plotlines of books, and he’ d read Spinoza’ s Ethics between boos and bumps of coke. Bobby’ s pain, too, conics from Martin’ s life: his complicated relationships with his older brother and his charming but crazy father, Bill, who was never quite far enough out of the picture. “I think a lot of Clancy’ s interest in self-deception came from his interest in who his dad was” says his ex-wife, Alicia Martin.Martin tried to steer his life in another direction. He went to college, began graduate school in philosophy and married. Then, one day, when he was in Copenhagen working on a paper on Kierkegaard, his brother called and asked him to help with the business plan lord expanding his jewelry store. Suddenly, Martin was out of school and back in jewels. Unlike the shop started by the brothers in the novel, the Martins’ joint venture was clean. Darren insists. But the game, more or less, was the same: the process of turning a gem from a mass of matter into a narrative of possibility.In the seven years Martin worked there, life was never boring, but it wasn’ t much of a life. “I had all this experience, and no sense of moral responsibility. ” Martin says. His marriage broke up. He despaired. But he began writing, and that seemed to offer the promise of something worthwhile. He returned to graduate school. He wanted to understand deception and self-deception not practice it. Insofar as he could.Martin remarried and became a professor. In addition to writing fiction, he translated Nietzsche and had edited several collections on ethics (including the forthcoming Philosophy of Deception) , his nonfiction book Love, Lies and Marriage comes out next year. When we spoke two months ago, he said his life was now “incredibly calm and domestic” . He did not say that he was undergoing one of the most trying periods of his life.With How to Sell, Martin has written a gem of a story. Selling it probably won’ t be hard. The bigger challenge for Martin might be to learn how to stop selling.

复合题Weareinthemiddleofthebiggesteducationalmovement【A1】________history.Hundredsofthousandsofyoungpeoplearetravelingtobeeducatedabroad.TheyareledbytheChinese,for【A2】________aforeigneducationishighlyprized.Therenowareover50,000ChinesestudentsinBritain—mostlythechildrenoftheeliteandtherich–andthenumberstudyingabroadis【A3】________todouble.Sowhathappenstothebeliefsand【A4】________oftheseyoungpeoplewhen【A5】________byaculturesodifferentfromtheirown?StayinginBritainproducesextensivereflectionaboutbothBritishandChinese【A6】________,asanewstudyofrecentgraduatesbytheBritishCouncilhas【A7】________.Their【A8】________topolitics,sexuality,equalityandrightslookverydifferentfrombackhome.Students’knowledgebeforetheyarriveisoften【A9】________.Manyareexpectingacountryofgentlemen,【A10】________sticksandtophats.Asonerespondentputit,her【A11】________ofBritainwas“poshgardenparties,traditionalEnglishafternoonteaandtheroyalfamily”.Whattheyactuallyencountercanleavethemshocked.Theyseeyoungpeopledrunkand【A12】________control.Notallyoungpeoplewereseeninthisway,andoldergenerationswerethoughttohavegood【A13】________.ThestudentsnotedthattheBritishalsohadtheabilitytohaveagoodtimeandrelax【A14】________inChinapeopleworriedincessantlyabouttheirchildrenortheirparents.ChinesestudentscometoBritainforthequalityofitseducationsystem.TheexperienceoflivinginBritainalsomeansthattheycanexplorehowtheirconditionsmightchange,【A15】________themselvesandforthefutureoftheirowncountry.

复合题Passage BAll Eskimos live most of their lives close to salt or fresh water. They may follow game inland for several hundred miles, but they always return to the shores of rivers, lakes, or seas.Eskimo land has a bare look. Large rocks, pebbles, and sand cover much of the surface. Plants called lichen grow right on rock. And where there is enough soil, even grass, flowers, and small bushes manage to live. No trees can grow on Eskimo land, so geographers sometimes call this country the Arctic plains. Some animals, such as rabbits and caribou, eat the plants. Others, like the white fox and grey wolf, eat the rabbits and caribou. The Eskimo is a meat-eater, too, and may even eat a wolf when food is scarce.The Eskimo year has two main parts: a long, cold winter and a short, cool summer. Spring and fall are almost too short to be noticed. Summer is the good time, when food is usually plentiful. But it is also the time when the Eskimos are very busy. Winter is never far away, and the men must bring home extra meat for the women to prepare and store. For seldom can enough animals be killed in winter to feed a family.The Far North is sometimes called the land of the midnight sun. This is true in the middle of summer, for between April 21st and August 21st the sun never sets in Northern Greenland. But in midwinter the Far North is a land with no sun shining at all. Around Oct. 21st the Eskimos of Northern Greenland see the sun setting straight south of them, and they don’ t see it again until February 22nd. All places on earth get about the same amount of daylight during a year. As a result, if summer is lighter, winter has to be darker.Winter nights in the Far North are seldom pitch-black. As in the rest of the world, the stars and moon provide a little light. The northern lights also help the Eskimos to see. And with the ground covered with snow, even a little light is reflected back to the Eskimo’ s eyes.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

复合题Passage 1My suicide attempt when I was a senior in high school must have puzzled those around me. From the outside, it seemed that I had a lot going for me. I lived in a comfortable middle class home with swimming pool. I was active in sports, a member of the National Honor Society, an editor of the school newspaper. But I was also miserable.I was convinced that no one understood me, especially my parents. I didn’t see much of my father, who was busy with his work. My mother had died when I was very young, and my stepmother and I didn’t get along. Our personalities clashed, and I felt she didn’t like me. I remember her once telling me, “I didn’t have to take you, you know.”Socially awkward, I tried to make amends through sports. I remember eagerly waiting for my father to come home from work so I could tell him that I had made the field-hockey team. He just said, “I bet everybody made it.” I interpreted his remark as another message that I was worthless.When I was 15, my parents began to talk about divorce, and I was sure I was the cause. I knew that my father felt caught between my mother and me. He’d yell at me to “shape up,” then I’d hear him in the next room, asking Mother, “Can’t you give the kid a break?” though I thought of running away from home, I was stopped by the horror stories I’d heard of runaway girls, falling prey to drugs and prostitution. But I did wonder if the world would be better off without me.Communication had always been a problem at home. And I was afraid to open up to friends. I felt that if people knew my problems and fears, they’d think less of me. So I nursed my hurts and anxieties into a towering self-hatred.In my junior year, I wrote a paper on Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, an autobiographical novel about despair, which foreshadowed the author’s eventual suicide. Suddenly, suicide seemed a realistic option. My English teacher commented on my report: “You really understand that book!” I thought, you bet I do! I became a closet expert on suicide, looking into serious literature on the topic. Although I wasn’t a drinker and never used drugs, I concluded that a mixture of alcohol and tranquilizers, both available at home, would be my ticket out.Once the school social worker asked me to list all my good qualities, and I came up with only two: blue eyes and good grades. I felt there wasn’t anything good about me.By my senior year I was convinced that I was an outcast, unlovable. Thoughts of suicide were ever-present. Though I had done very well on my college-board exams, I saw no reason to go on tocollege. Sooner or later, I was going to kill myself, so why bother? I applied to college “just in case,”though the idea of going terrified me. I was sure college would be worse than high school. But Icouldn’t take the constant fighting at home. I didn’t see any way out.In February 1981, I chose my date with death. Once I’d picked the time, I felt relieved. I’m sure Iseemed more cheerful to those around me as I began to plan. At about 2 a.m., on my “death date,” Isneaked out of the house and wandered back streets, downing my tranquilizers and rum. I had troubleswallowing all the pills—a handful at a time, then a swig of rum. The last thing I recall is heading forthe reservoir, where I knew wouldn’t be found for a while. I didn’t make it. I passed out on thesidewalk. A man walking his dog found me and called an ambulance.I woke up in the intensive-care unit with tubes up my nose and needles in my arms. I was sent homewith orders to visit a psychologist twice a week. But I resisted her attempts to help me. I was angry Iwas alive.I hoped that my parents would want to discuss the suicide attempt, and finally one night at dinner thesubject came up. “Why did you do such a stupid thing?” my mother asked. My father replied quickly,“I’m sure she had her reasons.” End of discussion. Except for the ever-patient psychologist and socialworker, even in school the subject was not mentioned. I think that upset me as much as failing with thesuicide did. It seemed as if nobody had enough interest in me to want to know why I’d done it.Suicide was still on my mind when I attended an orientation session at a prestigious college where Ihad been accepted. That weekend gave me a glimmer of hope. People there seemed to like me.College could be a chance for a fresh start.In college I began to make some friends, and decided to hand in “a little longer.” I also began to appreciate how my high-school social worker had reached me in ways I hadn’t realized at the time.In class, I opened up a little more and my confidence improved. I moved into a gift clubhouse. Peopleactually wanted me in their group. By my junior year, I was a field-hockey star.At the club I made friends with a girl I’ll call Beth. We shared a dark secret, for she, too, had attempted suicide. Now and then we’d discuss suicide—always in objective, intellectual terms. Then,one winter night in my senior year, a club sister burst into my room, crying: “Beth’s not breathing!”Beth had asked her to call an ambulance, then collapsed on the floor.Rage swept over me, I saw what her death put her friends through. There was a grief and guilt as weasked ourselves how we could have prevented her suicide.I slowly began to realize that taking my own life was no longer an option. I could see what a total waste suicide was. Beth would have made a solid contribution to society.I decided to do something positive with my life. I graduated in 1985. In March 1986 I answered an adasking volunteers for The Samaritans suicide-prevention hot lines, hoping I could prevent others frommaking the desperate decision I’d made.I can understand how I got to the state I was in that night several years ago. I just wish I’d known thenthat it didn’t—and it doesn’t—have to be that way. That’s what I try to tell them when the hot linerings.The author’s purpose in writing this article is that by sharing her story, _____.

复合题Passage BFew great architects have been so adamant in their beliefin the integration of architecture and design as CharlesRennie Mackintosh. Clients who tried to modify his grip onevery detail of the structure, interior decoration orfurniture often ended up with the architect losing histemper—and his commission. Now, 63 years after he died,Mackintosh has found the perfect patron, in the form of a56-year-old structural engineer and fellow Glaswegiannamed Graham Roxburgh.The story begins with a competition launched in December1900 by Zeitschrift Fur Innendekoration, and innovativedesign magazine published in the German city of Darmstadt.European architects were invited to design an Art LoversHouse. Mackintosh sent in his entry in March 1901, his onechance to design a house unfettered (解开) by financialconstraints or a conservative client. But he wasdisqualified for failing to include the required number ofdrawing of the interior. He hastily completed theportfolio (作品集) , which he then resubmitted. Delightedwith the designs, the judges awarded Mackintosh a specialprize (there was no outright winner) .Publication of these drawings did much to establishMackintoshs reputation abroad as an original anddistinctive architect, particularly in Austria andGermany. The Art Lovers House is an important twentieth-century building because it anticipates the abstract formsof Modernism. At first glance it could be an illustrationfrom the thirties. Artists of the avant-garde ViennaSecession described Mackintosh as “our leader who showedus the way” —an acclaim that he was never able to gain athome. Rich Glasgow businessmen never quite took himseriously.But today Glaswegians hail Mackintosh as their localgenius. Three years ago, the enterprising Mr. Roxburgh,who has already rescued Craigie Hall, a mansion on theoutskirts of Glasgow that Mackintosh helped design,hatched a plan to build the Art Lovers House—now closeto completion on a site in Glasgows Bellahouston Park.Strathclyde Council, the Scottish Development Agency andthe Scottish Tourist Board have picked up a third of thehefty (相当多的) ￡ 3 million bill. Roxburgh has raised therest through sponsorship and private loans.The original designs contradict each other in places.Details of the elaborate external stone carving and muchof the furniture and fittings for the main interiors—which will be open to the public—are exact, butMackintosh gave no indication of what should be done withthe lower ground floor or the roof spaces. No matter, forthe area will be rented out as offices to recoup some ofthe costs. The plans have been meticulously (仔细地)interpreted by Andy McMillan of Glasgows MackintoshSchool of Architecture and the furniture made by an expertcabinet-maker.The elegant, mysterious music-room is lit by tall windowsalong one side; the vertical lines are repeated in theelongated female figures embroidered on linen that hang inthe recesses, in the clusters of coloured lamps suspendedon slender wires and the uncomfortable high-backed chairs.The whole effect culminates (达到顶点) in the strangesuperstructure of the piano.What would Mackintosh have made of the Art Lovers house?The is a danger it will be all too perfect, like thoseexpensive reproduction Mackintosh chairs you find in shinymagazines or on the dust-free floors of design buffs. YetRoxburghs attention to detail and refusal to cut comersmakes him a man after Mackintoshs heart. He is nowhunting for an extra $300, 000 to complete the interiorsaccording to his exacting requirements.Why were there sometimes problems between Mackintosh and his clients?

复合题Itisquiteafeattobeinvisiblewhile,occupyingsubstantialbuildingsincentralLondonflanktheRoyalAcademyofArts.Butthat’sjustwhattheLinnaeanSociety,theRoyalSocietyofChemistry,theGeologicalSocietyofLondon,theSocietyofAntiquariesofLondonandtheRoyalAstronomicalSocietymanagedtodofornearlyacentury.Then,in2004,HerMajesty’sGovernmentnotonlynoticedbutalsoquestionedtheirrighttoremainatBurlingtonHouse,asthecomplexiscalled.TotheLearnedSocietiesthismayhaveseemedabitterirony.In1857,thegovernmentofapreviousqueenhadbuiltBurlingtonHouseexpresslytohousethemall.Reverenceforsuchinstitutions,alongwiththevalueofrealestate,wasnotwhatithadbeeninVictoria’sday.Buttheirtermsofoccupancyremainedunchanged.WhentheymovedintoBurlingtonHouse,onlytheRoyalAcademy,runbysupposedlyimpracticalartists,askedforalease.Itwasgiven999yearsatapeppercornrent.TheSocietiesandtheirallegedlyhard-headedscientistmembers,wereleaselessandrent-free.Asdecadespassed,keepingalowprofilemusthaveseemedasensibleidea.Indeed,by1920,somefellowsoftheSocietyofAntiquariesofLondon(SAL),thoughtitessential.Whena1919ActofParliamentmadeitillegaltobarwomenfromsuchsocietiesmerelybecauseoftheirgender,acommitteeofSALfellowspressedforimmediateaction:womenmustbeinvitedtobecomefellowsatonce.Thiswasnotinordertofightpreviouswrongs.Itwastoavoidcriticismandwithittheriskthatpeoplemightnoticethatnorentwasbeingpaid.Thedangeraverted,headsstayedbelowtheparapet.Butdangerreappearedin2004.WithreputedaimofClarifyingSAL’spresenceatBurlingtonHouse,thegovernmentbroughtasuitagainstit.RumorsweptthroughintellectualLondonthat,infact,thegovernmentwantedtoturftheSocietiesoutortogetafullmarketrent,whichwouldhaveamountedtomuchthesamething.Alarmedfeathersfromfiveaviariesofrarebirdswentflying.Now,threeyearslater,feathersaresmooth.Indeed,cooingcanbeheardoccasionallyfromBurlingtonHouse.CompromisesreachedwiththegovernmenthavinggiventheLearnedSocietiessecurityoftenureataffordablerents.Inreturn,theSocietieshavebegunintroducingthemselvestooneanotherandtothepublic.Theyhavecreateda“culturalcampus”inthecourtyardtosharescholarshipandconviviality—andreflecttheirnewappreciationthatthereisstrengthinnumbers,Earlierthisyear,theLinnaeanSocietyannounceditwasproducingadigitalarchiveofitspricelesscollectionsofspecimens,manuscriptsandlettersoftheworldfamousSwedishnaturalist,CarlLinnaeus,onthe300thanniversaryofhisbirth.TheSAL,also300thisyear,iscelebratingwithanine-monthseriesoflectures.OnSeptember26th,DavidStarkey,oneofthemosthigh-profileofits2300fellows,willtalkabout“TheAntiquarianEndeavor”atSt.James’sChurch,Piccadilly.OnNovember8thatHarvard,hometomanyofSAL’s100American-basedfellows,FelipeFernndez-Armestotackles“DonFransisco’snose-piece:formingnewempiresinRenaissanceAmerica.”Thebiggestbirthdayeventisanexhibitionof150ofSAL’streasuresattheRoyalAcademyfromSeptember15thtoDecember2nd.AmongthesetreasuresisanoilonoakportraitofQueenMaryIpaintedbyHansEworthin1554andaglowing12th-centuryenamelcasketdesignedtoholdtheremainsofThomasBecket.Howgoodthatinvisibilityisathingofthepast.

复合题Thenumberofpeoplelivingwhat’sconsidereda“middle-income”existencehasalmostdoubledsincetheturnofthecentury,butit’sstilljustasmallpercentageoftheworld’spopulation.Despiteanhistoricreductioninglobalpovertyfrom2001-2011,theemergenceofaglobalmiddleclassisstilljustanaspiration,aPewResearchCenterstudyrevealedThursday.Only13percentoftheworld’spopulationwasconsideredmiddleincomein2011;56percentwereconsidered“low-income”.Thefindingsofthereportdemonstratethat,althougheconomicdevelopmentispullingmorepeopleoutofpovertyonaglobalscale,thedreamthataworldwidemajoritywillattaintheWesternnotionofa“middleclasslifestyle”isstillfarfrombecomingareality.“EventhosenewlymintedasmiddleclassenjoyastandardoflivingthatismodestbyWesternnorms,”thereportnotes.“In2011,only16%oftheworld’spopulationwaslivingon$20ormoredaily,alittleabovetheU.S.povertyline.”ThePewstudydefines“middleincome”asanyonewholiveson$10-$20aday,oraround$14,600-$29,200forafamilyoffour.TheupperendofthatrangeisbarelyabovetheofficialpovertylineintheUnitedStates,whichwasconsideredtobe$28,498forafamilyoffourin2013.Thegoodnewsisthatfrom2001-2011,closeto700millionpeoplesteppedoutofpoverty,meaningthatthepercentageoftheworld’spopulationthatliveson$2adayorlessdroppedfrom29percentto15percent.Butmostofthesepeople“tookonlyamoderatestepuptheincomeladder,changingtheirstatusfrompoortolowincome,”accordingtothePewreport.What’smore,theriseinincomehasbeenconcentratedinspecificregions,suchasChina,SouthAmerica,andEasternEurope.Inmanypartsoftheworld,suchasIndia,SoutheastAsia,Africa,andCentralAmerica,themiddleclasshardlyexpandedatall.“Asthereportpointsout,growthinChinaalonecontributedtomorethanhalfofthetotalincreaseintheglobalmiddle-incomepopulation.MostoftherestemanatesfromEasternEuropeandSouthAmerica.So,someoftheBRICSChina,BrazilandRussiawereimportantcontributors.ButIndialaggedbehind,”explainsthestudy’sauthorRakeshKochhar,AssociateDirectorforResearchatthePewCenter.Thegrowthinemergingmarketsthatswelledtheranksoftheglobalmiddleclassmayalsobeslowingdown,expertsnote.OnThursday,theInternationalMonetaryFunddowngradeditsforecastforglobalgrowthin2015to3.3percent,asexpansioninChinaandotheremergingmarketsbegantodecelerate.Meanwhile,theincomegapbetweennationshasclosedonlyslightlyinrecentyears.Ninety-onepercentoftheworldshighincomepopulation,orthoselivingon$50adayormore,livedinEuropeandNorthAmericain2001,thatnumberdroppedfourpercentagepointsto87percentby2011.Nevertheless,expertslargelyagreethatsupersedinga$10adaylivingstandard,as13percentoftheworld’spopulationcurrentlyhas,isimportantforpeopleacrosstheglobe.Theemergenceofa“globalconsumingclass”thatdoesn’thavetolosesleepaboutsubsistence,orworrywhetheritwillfallbackintoextremepovertysomedaysoon,couldhaveahugeimpactonconsumptionpatternsanddemand-drivengrowthinemergingmarkets.Inotherwords,thefactthatthepercentageofpeoplelivingon$10adayormorehasnearlydoubledinadecadecouldhaveanimportantlong-termimpactontheglobaleconomyandonlivingstandardsworldwide.Happily,manyexpertshavepredictedthatthispatternwillcontinue.A2013reportbytheconsultancygroupEYnotedthat,althoughmorepeoplehaveclimbedoutofpovertythanreachedthemiddleclass,“itisthisricher,globalmiddleclassthatweforecastwillbegintogrowrapidlyoverthenext20years.”Additionally,theUSNationalIntelligenceCouncilpositedthistrendasapotentialportentofpoliticalchange.Themorepeopleareabletopurchaseandsave,theCouncil’sexpertssaid,themoremotivatedtheywillbetoworkforsocialandpoliticalchangesthatwilladvancetheirlong-terminterests.Inthiscase,theCouncilsaystheriseinincomecouldbeapoliticalgamechangerbyhelpingtopromotedemocracyworldwide.Despitethisrosyforecast,theauthorofthePewreportremainsskepticalthatwe’regettingclosetosuchapivotalmoment.“Thequestionaddressedbythisreportiswhetherwehaveyettoseetheemergenceofatrulyglobalmiddleclassonethathasthepotentialtodramaticallyalterthetrajectoryofsocietiesaroundtheworld,”theauthornotes.Still,alargermiddleclassisalwaysgoodnews,sincemanyeconomistssayincomeinequalityhasbeenfoundtonegativelyimpacteconomicgrowthindevelopedanddevelopingnationsalike.Andwhilewehaven’tachievedamiddleclassstatusforallquiteyet,wecouldbeslowlyheadedinthatdirection.

复合题When Ford’ s River Rouge Plant was completed in 1928 it boasted everything it needed to turn raw materials into finished cars: 100, 000 workers, 16m square feet of factory floor, 100 miles of railway track and its own docks and furnaces. Today it is still Ford’ s largest plant, but only a shadow of its former glory. Most of the parts are made by sub-contractors and merely fitted together by the plant’ s 6, 000 workers. The local steel mill is run by a Russian company, Severstal.Outsourcing has transformed global business. Over the past few decades companies have contracted out everything from mopping the floors to spotting the flaws in their internet security. TPI, a company that specializes in the sector, estimates that $100 billion-worth of new contracts are signed every year. Oxford Economics reckons that in Britain, one of the world’ s most mature economies, 10% of workers toil away in “outsourced” jobs and companies spend $200 billion a year on outsourcing. Even war is being outsourced: America employs more contract workers in Afghanistan than regular troops.The latest TPI quarterly index of outsourcing (which measures commercial contracts of $25m or more) suggests that the total value of such contracts for the second quarter of 2011 fell by 18% compared with the second quarter of 2010. Dismal figures in the Americas (i. e. mostly the United States) dragged down the average: the value of contracts there was 50% lower in the second quarter of 2011 than in the first half of 2010. This is partly explained by America’ s gloomy economy, but even more by the maturity of the market: TPI suspects that much of what can sensibly be outsourced already has been.Miles Robinson of Mayer Brown, a law firm, notes that there has also been an uptick in legal disputes over outsourcing. In one case EDS, an IT company, had to pay BSkyB, a media company, ￡ 318m (S469m) in damages. The two firms spent an estimated ￡ 70m on legal fees and were tied up in court for five months. Such nightmares are worse in India, where the courts move with Dickensian speed. And since many disputes stay out of court, the well of discontent with outsourcing is surely deeper than the legal record shows.Some of the worst business disasters of recent years have been caused or aggravated by outsourcing. Eight years ago Boeing, America’ s biggest aeroplane-maker, decided to follow the example of car firms and hire contractors to do most of the grunt work on its new 787 Dreamliner. The result was a nightmare. Some of the parts did not fit together. Some of the dozens of sub-contractors failed to deliver their components on time, despite having subcontracted their work to sub-sub-contractors. Boeing had to take over some of the subcontractors to prevent them from collapsing. If the Dreamliner starts rolling on the production line towards the end of this year, as Boeing promises, it will be billions over budget and three years behind schedule.Outsourcing can go wrong in a colorful variety of ways. Sometimes companies squeeze their contractors so hard that they are forced to cut corners. (This is a big problem in the car industry, where a handful of global firms can bully the 80, 000 parts-makers. ) Sometimes vendors overpromise in order to win a contract and then fail to deliver. Sometimes both parties write sloppy contracts. And some companies undermine their overall strategies with injudicious outsourcing. Service companies, for example, contract out customer complaints to foreign call centres and then wonder why their customers hate them.When outsourcing goes wrong, it is the devil to put right. When companies outsource a job, they typically eliminate the department that used to do it. They become entwined with their contractors, handing over sensitive material and inviting contractors to work alongside their own staff. Extricating themselves from this tangle can be tough. It is much easier to close a department than to rebuild it. Sacking a contractor can mean that factories grind to a halt, bills languish unpaid and chaos mounts.None of this means that companies are going to re-embrace the River Rouge model any time soon. Some companies, such as Boeing, are bringing more work back in-house, in the jargon. But the business logic behind outsourcing remains compelling, so long as it is done right. Many tasks are peripheral to a firm’ s core business and can be done better and more cheaply by specialists. Cleaning is an obvious example; many back-office jobs also fit the bill. Outsourcing firms offer labour arbitrage, using cheap Indians to enter data rather than expensive Swedes. They can offer economies of scale, too. TPI points out that, for all the problems in America, outsourcing is continuing to grow in emerging markets and, more surprisingly, in Europe, where Germany and France are late converts to the idea.Companies are rethinking outsourcing, rather than jettisoning it. They are dumping huge long term deals in favour of smaller, less rigid ones. The annualized value of ‘mega-relationship’ ’ worth $100m or more a year fell by 62% this year compared with last. Companies are forming relationships with several outsourcers, rather than putting all their eggs in few baskets. They are signing shorter contracts, too. But still, they need to think harder about what their core business is, and what is peripheral. And above all, newspaper editors need to say no to the temptation to outsource business columns to cheaper, hungrier writers.

复合题Passage BWe live in southern California growing grapes, a firstgeneration of vintners, our home adjacent to the vineyardsand the winery. Its a very pretty place, and in order toearn the money to realize our dream of making wine, weworked for many years in a business that demanded severalhousehold moves, an incredible amount of risk-taking andlong absences from my husband. When it was time, we tradedin our old life, cinched up our belts and began thecreation of the winery.We make small amounts of premium wine, and our lives aredictated by the rhythm of nature and the demands of theliving vines. The vines start sprouting tiny greentendrils in March and April, and the baby grapes begin toform in miniature, so perfect that they can be dipped ingold to form jewelry. The grapes swell and ripen in earlyfall, and when their sugar content is at the right level,they are harvested carefully by hand and crushed in smalllots. The wine is fermented and tended until it is readyto be bottled. The vineyards shed their leaves; the vinesare pruned and made ready for the dormant months—and thenext vintage.It sounds nice, doesnt it? Living in the country, ourdays were spent in the ancient routine of the vineyard;knowing that the course of our lives as vintners waschoreographed long ago and that if we practiceddiligently, our wine would be good and wed besuccessful. From the start we knew there was a price forthe privilege of becoming a winemaking family, connectedto the land and the caprices of nature.We work hard at something we love, we are slow to panicover the daily emergencies, and we are nimble at solvingproblems as they arise. Some hazards to completing asuccessful vintage are expected: rain just beforeharvesting that can cause mold; electricity unexpectedlyinterrupted during the cold fermentation of white wine candamage it, a delayed payment from a major client when themoney is needed.There are outside influences that disrupt production andtake patience, good will and perseverance. For example,the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms regulatesevery facet of the wine business. A winerys records areaudited as often as two or three times a year and everylabel—newly written for each years vintage—must beapproved.The greatest threat to the winery, and one that almostmade us lose heart came out of a lawyers imagination.Our little winery was served notice that we were named ina lawsuit accusing us of endangering the public health byusing lead foils on our bottles (it was the only materialused until recently) “without warning consumers of apossible risk. ” There it was, our winerys name listedwith the industrys giants.I must have asked a hundred times: “Who gets the money ifthe lawsuit is successful?” The answer was, and I neverwas able to assimilate it, the plaintiffs and theirlawyers who filed the suit! Since the lawsuit was broughtin on behalf of consumers, it seemed to me that consumersmust get something if it was proved that a lead foil wasdangerous to them. We were told one of the two consumerclaimants was an employee of the firm filing the suit!There are attorneys who focus their careers on lawsuitslike this. It is an immense danger to the smallbusinessman. Cash reserves can be used up in the blink ofan eye when in the company of lawyers. As long as itspossible for anyone to sue anybody for anything, we areall in danger. As long as the legal profession allowsmembers to practice law dishonorably and lawyers arecongratulated for winning big money in this way, wellall be plagued with a corruptible justice system.The phrase “cinched up our belts, ” in the first paragraph, suggests that the couple _____.

复合题Passage AThe fox really exasperated them both. As soon as they had let the fowls out, in the early summer mornings, they had to take their guns and keep guard; and then again as soon as evening began to mellow, they must go once more. And he was so sly. He slid along in the deep grass; he was difficult as a serpent to see. And he seemed to circumvent the girls deliberately. Once or twice March had caught sight of the white tip of his brush, or the ruddy shadow of him in the deep grass, and she had let fire at him. But he made no account of this.The trees on the wood edge were a darkish, brownish green in the full light-for it was the end of August. Beyond, the naked, copper like shafts and limbs of the pine trees shone in the air. Nearer the rough grass, with its long, brownish stalks all agleam, was full of light. The fowls were round about—the ducks were still swimming on the pond under the pine trees. March looked at it all, saw it all, and did not see it. She heard Banford speaking to the fowls in the distance—and she did not hear. What was she thinking about? Heaven knows. Her consciousness was, as it were, held back.She lowered her eyes, and suddenly saw the fox. He was looking up at her. His chin was pressed down, and his eyes were looking up. They met her eyes. And he knew her. She was spellbound—she knew he knew her. So he looked into her eyes, and her soul failed her. He knew her, he has not daunted.She struggled, confusedly she came to herself, and saw him making off, with slow leaps over some fallen boughs, slow, impudent jumps. Then he glanced over his shoulder, and ran smoothly away. She saw his brush held smooth like a feather, she saw his white buttocks twinkle. And he was gone, softly, soft as the wind.She put her gun to her shoulder, but even then pursed her mouth, knowing it was nonsense to pretend to fire. So she began to walk slowly after him, in the direction he had gone, slowly, pertinaciously. She expected to find him. In her heart she was determined to find him. What she would do when she saw him again she did not consider. But she was determined to find him. So she walked abstractedly about on the edge of the wood, with wide, vivid dark eyes, and a faint flush in her cheeks. She did not think. In strange mindlessness she walked hither and thither.As soon as supper was over, she rose again to go out,without saying why.She took her gun again and went to look for the fox. For he had lifted his eyes upon her, and his knowing look seemed to have entered her brain. She did not so much think of him: she was possessed by him. She saw his dark, shrewd, unabashed eye looking into her, knowing her. She felt him invisibly master her spirit. She knew the way he lowered his chin as he looked up, she knew his muzzle, the golden brown, and the grayish white. And again she saw him glance over his shoulder at her, half inviting, half contemptuous and cunning. So she went, with her great startled eyes glowing, her gun under her arm, along the wood edge. Meanwhile the night fell, and a great moon rose above the pine trees.As the story proceeds, March begins to feel under the spell of _____.

复合题ItwouldbereasonabletoassumethattheyearsfollowingtheCivilWarwereatimeofhealingandrebuilding.Andforthemostpart,thatiswhattheywere,albeitaverylongandpainfulone.WhilethehealingoftheriftbetweenNorthandSouthdidmakeprogress,allwasnotpeacefulandthedisharmonywasntconfinedtothepoliticalarena.Inliterarycirclestoo,theperiodwascharacterizedbyupheavalandturmoil.AliterarycivilwarofsortswasragingbetweenthecampsoftheRomanticsandRealists.Later,theNaturalistswouldjointhefrayaswell.Thiswasabattlewagedoverthewaysfictionalcharacterswerepresentedinrelationtotheirexternalworld.Thoughtheunrestmighthavebeenbetweenschoolsoffiction,ithadaveryrealbasis.Thebattlereflectedfar-reachingsocialchangethatwasplantingtheseedsofnewdiscord--aconflictthatwouldthreatentofragmentthecountry;thistimenotalonggeographicalborders,butalongclasslines.Usingplotandcharacterdevelopment,awriterexpressedhisorherphilosophyabouthowmuchcontrolamanreallyhadoverhisowndestiny.RomanticwriterssuchasRalphWaldoEmersoncelebratedwhattheysawastheabilityofthehumanwilltotriumphoveranyadversity.OccupyingthemiddlegroundwereauthorslikeMarkTwain,WilliamDeanHowells,andHenryJames,allofwhomwereinfluencedbytheworksoftheearlyEuropeanRealists.Itwastheirbeliefthatpeoplehadonlyalimitedcapacitytodeterminethedirectiontheirlivestook;thathumanitysfreedomofchoicewasconstrainedbythepowerofexternalforces.DiametricallyopposedtotheRomanticauthorswerethenaturalist—thelikesofStephenCraneandFrankNorris,wholineduponthesideofEmileZolaandtheDeterminismmovement.Theirwritingsgavevoicetotheviewthatindividualshavenochoicewhatsoeverinwhathappenstothem.Itwastheirpositionthatthepathofoneslifewasdictatedwhollybyaconspiracybetweenhereditaryfactorsandtheexternalenvironment.Thiswasanaltogetherpessimisticviewthatleftmantotallyatthemercyofcircumstance.Socio-economicchangeshadaprofoundanddecisiveinfluenceonthisdebate.TheIndustrialRevolutionthattookplaceattheendofthe19thcenturychangedtheUnitedStatesinfundamentalways.Inhugenumbers,peoplemigratefromruralhomesseekingeconomicopportunitiesinurbanenvironments.Theplentifulsupplyoflabor,combinedwiththenewmachineryandprocessesbeingdevelopedmadeconditionsripeforaneconomyfocusedonmanufacturing.Forthefirsttime,therewasanalternativetoagricultureandcommerceasameansoflivelihood.Atthesametime,immigrantsfromallovertheworldflowedacrossthebordersinpursuitofthesameopportunities.Insodoing,theyaddedtotheburgeoninglaborpool,drovedowncostsandhelpedtopushindustrializationforward.Uponarrivinginthecitiesandfindingwork,mostofthesemigrantsfoundthemselvesandtheirfamiliesatthemercyofunscrupulousbusinessmenwhoexploitedthemwithbrutalworkschedulesandcoercedanywhotriedtoresist,orinmanycases,anyonewhotriedtoescape.Intheend,itwasthesesweepingeconomicandsocialchangesandthepessimismtheyengenderedthatswungthebalanceofpowerinfavorofRealistsandtheNaturalists.Muchoftheliteraryproductoftheperiodhadadistinctlyregionalcharacter.Thistoocouldbetracedtoeconomicchanges.TheindustrialRevolutioncalledforstandardization,themassproductionofgoods,andstreamlinedchannelsofdistribution.Thelifestylechangesthisrationalizationofproductionentailedwereprofoundandpeoplebegantofearthatlocaltraditionswouldfallbythewayside,trampledinrecklesspursuitofeconomicefficiency.Respondingtothesesentiments,Realistswriterssoughttocaptureandpreservethelocalcolorbeforeitwaslost.Theydrewuponthegrimrealitiesofeverydaylifeindepictingthebreakdownoftraditionalvaluesanddeepeningplightofthenewurbanunderclass.ThisfocusontheordinarylivesofordinarypeoplewascharacteristicofAmericanRealism.Readerswereattractedtothestoriesbecausetheyweresomethingwithwhichtheycouldidentify.Americanlifewaschanging,thepacewasquickening,andreadersneededwriterswhodealtdirectlywiththeproblemstheywerefacing.Inthegreatliterarystruggleofthetimes,theRomanticwritershadbeenrenderedirrelevant,vanquishedbychangingcircumstances.

复合题Directions: Read the following passages and then answer the questions which follow each passage. Use only information from the passage you have just read and write your answer in the corresponding space on your answer sheet.Take the case of public education alone. The principal difficulty faced by the schools has been the tremendous increase in the number of pupils. This has been caused by the advance of the legal age for going into industry and the impossibility of finding a job even when the legal age has been reached. In view of the technological improvements in the last few years, business will require in the future proportionately fewer workers than ever before. The result will be still further raising of he legal age for going into employment, and still further difficulty in finding employment when hat age has been attained. If we cannot put our children to work, we must put them in school.We may also be quite confident that the present trend toward a shorter day and a shorter week will be maintained. We have developed and shall continue to have a new leisure class. Already the public agencies for adult education are swamped by the tide that has swept over them since depression began. They will be little better off when it is over. Their support must come from the taxpayer.It is surely too much to hope that these increases in the cost of public education can be borne by the local communities. They cannot care for the present restricted and inadequate system. The local communities have failed in their efforts to cope with unemployment. They cannot expect to cope with public education on the scale on which we must attempt it. The answer to the problem of unemployment has been Federal relief. The answer to the problem of public education may have to be much the same, and properly so. If there is one thing in which the citizens of all parts of the country have an interest, it is in the decent education of the citizens of all parts of the country. Our income tax now goes in part to keep our neighbors alive. It may have to go in part as well to make our neighbors intelligent. We are now attempting to preserve the present generation through Federal relief of the destitute. Only a people determined to ruin the next generation will refuse such Federal funds as public education may require.

复合题Directions: In this part there are several passagesfollowed by questions or unfinished statements, each withfour suggested answers marked A, B, C, and D. Choose theone that you think is the best answer. Write your answerson the Answer Sheet.Passage Two(1) Do you ever feel as though you spend all your time inmeetings?(2) Henry Mintzberg, in his book The Nature of ManagerialWork, found that in large organizations managers spent 22percent of their time at their desk, 6 percent on thetelephone, 3 percent on other activities, but a whopping69 percent in meetings.(3) There is a widely-held but mistaken belief thatmeetings are for “solving problems” and “makingdecisions. ” For a start, the number of people attending ameeting tends to be inversely proportional to theircollective ability to reach conclusions and makedecisions. And these are the least important elements.(4) Instead hours are devoted to side issues, playingelaborate games with one another. It seems, therefore,that meetings serve some purpose other than just makingdecisions.(5) All meetings have one thing in common: role-playing.The most formal role is that of chairman. He sets theagenda, and a good chairman will keep the meeting runningon time and to the point. Sadly, the other, informal role-players are often able to gain the upper hand. Chief isthe “constant talker” , who just loves to hear his or herown voice.(6) Then there are the “can’ t do” types who want tomaintain the status quo. Since they have often been in theorganization for a long time, they frequently quotehistorical experience as an excuse to block change: “itwon’ t work, we tried that last year and it was adisaster. ” A more subtle version of the “can’ t do”type, the “yes, but. . . ” has emerged recently. They havelearnt about the need to sound positive, but they stillcan’ t hear to have things change.(7) Another whole sub-set of characters are people wholove meetings and want them to continue until 5: 30 p. m. orbeyond. Irrelevant issues are their specialty. They needto call or attend meetings, either to avoid work, or tojustify their lack of performance, or simply because theydo not have enough to do.(8) Then there are the “counter-dependents” , those whousually disagree with everything that is said,particularly if it comes from the chairman or throughconsensus from the group. These people need to fightauthority in whatever form.(9) Meetings can also provide attenders with a sense ofidentification of their status and power. In this case,managers arrange meetings as a means of communicating toothers the boundaries of their exclusive club: who is“in” , and who is not.(10) Because so many meetings end in confusion and withouta decision, another game is played at the end of meetings,called reaching a false consensus. Since it is importantfor the chairman to appear successful in problem-solvingand making a decision, the group reaches a falseconsensus. Everyone is happy, having spent their timeproductively. The really” is that the decision is soambiguous that it is never acted upon, or if it is, thereis continuing conflict, for which another meeting isnecessary.(11) In the end, meetings provide the opportunity forsocial intercourse, to engage in battle in front of ourbosses, to avoid unpleasant or unsatisfying work, tohighlight our social status and identity. They are, infact, a necessary though not necessarily productivepsychological sideshow. Perhaps it is our civilized way tomoderating, if not preventing, change.

复合题Passage 2In science, a theory is a reasonable explanation of observed events that are related. A theory ofteninvolves an imaginary model that helps scientists picture the way an observed event could beproduced. A good example of this is found in the kinetic molecular theory, in which gases arepictured as being made up of many small particles that are in constant motion.A useful theory, in addition to explaining past observations, helps to predict events that have not asyet been observed. After a theory has been publicized, scientists design experiments to test the theory.If observations confirm the scientists’ predictions, the theory is supported. If observations do notconfirm the predictions, the scientists must search further. There may be a fault in the experiment, orthe theory may have to be revised or rejected.Science involves imagination and creative thinking as well as collecting information and performingexperiments. Facts by themselves are not science. As the mathematician Jules Henri Pioneered said,“Science is built with facts just as a house is built with bricks, but a collection of facts cannot becalled science any more than a pile of bricks can be called a house.”Most scientists start an investigation by finding out what other scientists have learned about aparticular problem. After known facts have been gathered, the scientist comes to the part of theinvestigation that requires considerable imagination. Possible solutions to the problem areformulated. These possible solutions are called hypotheses.In a way, any hypothesis is a leap into the unknown. It extends the scientist’s thinking beyond theknown facts. The scientist plans experiments, performs calculations, and makes observations to testhypotheses. For without hypotheses, further investigation lacks purpose and direction. Whenhypotheses are confirmed, they are incorporated into theories.Bricks are mentioned in the third paragraph to indicate how _____.