-
Text 2
Do you
remember all those years when scientists argued
that smoking would kill us but
thedoubters insisted that we didn‘t
know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive,
the
scienceuncertain?
That
the
antismoking
lobby
was
out
to
destroy
our
way
of
life
and
the
government shouldstay out of the way?
Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over
three decades, some 10million smokers
went to early graves.
There are
upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one
wave after another try to awaken
us
tothe
growing
threat
of
global
warming.
The
latest
was
a
panel
from
the
National
Academy ofSciences,
enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the
Earth‘s atmosphere is
definitely
warmingand that the problem is largely man-made.
The clear message is that we
should
get
moving
to
protectourselves.
The
president
of
the
National
Academy,
Bruce
Alberts, added this
key point in the prefaceto the panel‘s report:
―Science never has all the
answers.
But
science
does
provide
us
with
the
bestavailable
guide
to
the
future,
and
it
is
critical
that
our
nation
and
the
world
base
important
policieson
the
best
judgments
that
science can provide concerning the
future consequences of presentactions.‖
Just
as
on
smoking,
voices
now
come
from
many
quarters
insisting
that
the
science
about
globalwarming is incomplete, that it‘s OK to keep
pouring fumes into the air until we
know for sure. Thisis a dangerous game:
by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it
may
be
too
late.
With
the
risksobvious
and
growing,
a
prudent
people
would
take
out
an
insurance policy now.
Fortunately,
the
White
House
is
starting
to
pay
attention.
But
it‘s
obvious
that
a
majority
of
thepresident‘s
advisers
still
don‘t
take
global
warming
seriously.
Instead
of
a
plan
of
action,
theycontinue
to
press
for
more
research
—
a
classic
case
of
―paralysis
by
analysis.‖
To
serve
as
responsible
stewards
of
the
planet,
we
must
press
forward
on
deeper
atmosphericand
oceanic
research.
But
research
alone
is
inadequate.
If
the
Administration
won‘t
take
thelegis
lative
initiative,
Congress
should
help
to
begin
fashioning
conservation
1
measures.
A
bill
byDemocratic
Senator
Robert
Byrd
of
West
Virginia,
which
would
offer
financial
incentives
forprivate
industry,
is
a
promising
start.
Many
see
that
the
country
is
getting ready to build
lots of newpower plants to meet our energy needs.
If we are ever going
to protect the
atmosphere, it is crucialthat those new plants be
environmentally sound.
26.
An argument made by supporters of smoking was that
________.
[A] there was no scientific
evidence of the correlation between smoking and
death
[B] the number of early deaths of
smokers in the past decades was insignificant
[C] people had the freedom to choose
their own way of life
[D] antismoking
people were usually talking nonsense
27. According to Bruce Alberts, science
can serve as ________.
[A] a protector
[B] a judge
[C] a critic
[D] a guide
28. What does the author
mean by “paralysis by analysis” (Last line,
Paragraph 4)?
[A] Endless
studies kill action. [B] Careful investigation
reveals truth.
[C] Prudent planning
hinders progress. [D] Extensive research helps
decision-making.
29. According to the
author, what should the Administration do about
global warming?
[A] Offer aid to build
cleaner power plants.
[B]
Raise public awareness of conservation.
[C] Press for further scientific
research.
[D] Take some legislative
measures.
30. The author associates the
issue of global warming with that of smoking
because __.
[A] they both suffered from
the government‘s negligence
[B] a lesson from the latter is
applicable to the former
[C] the
outcome of the latter aggravates the former
[D] both of them have turned from bad
to worse
2
Text 4
Americans
no
longer
expect
public
figures,
whether
in
speech
or
in
writing,
to
command
theEnglish
language
with
skill
and
gift.
Nor
do
they
aspire
to
such
command
themselves.
In
his
latestbook,
Doing
Our
Own
Thing:
The
Degradation
of
Language
and
Music and Why We Should, Like,Care,
John McWhorter, a linguist and controversialist of
mixed
liberal
and
conservative
views,
seesthe
triumph
of
1960s
counter-
culture
as
responsible for
the decline of formal English.
Blaming
the
permissive
1960s
is
nothing
new,
but
this
is
not
yet
another
criticism
against thedecline in education. Mr.
McWhorter
’
s academic
speciality is language history
and
change, and he
sees the gradual
disappearance of ―whom,‖ for example, to be
natural and
no more regrettable thanthe
loss of the case-endings of Old English.
But
the
cult
of
the
authentic
and
the
personal,
―doing
our
own
thing,‖
has
spelt
the
death offormal speech,
writing, poetry and music. While even the modestly
educated sought
an elevatedtone when
they put pen to paper before the 1960s, even the
most well regarded
writing since
thenhas sought to capture spoken English on the
page. Equally, in poetry, the
highly
personal,performative genre is the only form that
could claim real liveliness. In both
oral and written English,talking is
triumphing over speaking, spontaneity over craft.
Illustrated with an entertaining array
of examples from both high and low culture, the
trendthat Mr. McWhorter documents is
unmistakable. But it is less clear, to take the
question
of hissubtitle, why we should,
like, care. As a linguist, he acknowledges that
all varieties of
humanlanguage,
including
non-standard
ones
like
Black
English,
can
be
powerfully
expressive
—
thereexists
no
language
or
dialect
in
the
world
that
cannot
convey
complex
ideas. He is not arguing, asmany do,
that we can no longer think straight because we do
not
talk proper.
Russians
have a deep love for their own language and carry
large chunks of memorized
poetryin
their
heads,
while
Italian
politicians
tend
to
elaborate
speech
that
would
seem
old-fashioned tomost
English-speakers. Mr. McWhorter acknowledges that
formal language
3
is not
strictly necessary,and proposes no radical
education reforms
—
he is
really grieving
over the loss of
somethingbeautiful more than useful. We now take
our English ―on paper
plates instead of
china.‖ A shame,perhaps, but probably an
inevitable one.
36. According to McWhorter, the decline
of formal English ________.
[A] is
inevitable in radical education reforms
[B] is but all too natural in language
development
[C] has caused the
controversy over the counter-culture
[D] brought about changes in public
attitudes in the 1960s
37. The word
“talking” (Line 6, Paragraph 3) denotes
________.
[A] modesty [B]
personality
[C] liveliness
[D] informality
38. To which of the
following statements would McWhorter most likely
agree?
[A] Logical thinking is not
necessarily related to the way we talk.
[B] Black English can be more
expressive than standard English.
[C]
Non-standard varieties of human language are just
as entertaining.
[D] Of all the
varieties, standard English can best convey
complex ideas.
39. The
description of Russians’ love of
memorizing poetry shows the author’s
_____
_.
[A] interest in
their language [B] appreciation of their efforts
[C] admiration for their memory [D]
contempt for their old-fashionedness
40. According to the last paragraph,
“paper plates” is to “china” as
________.
[A] ―temporary‖ is
to ―permanent‖
[B]
―radical‖ is to ―conservative‖
[C] ―functional‖ is to ―artistic‖
[D] ―humble‖ is to
―noble
4
2006
Text 1
In
spite
of
―endless
talk
of
difference,‖
American
society
is
an
amazing
machinefor
homogenizing
people. There is ―the democratizing uniformity of
dress anddiscourse, and the
casualness
and absence of deference‖ characteristic of
popularculture. People are absorbed
into ―a culture of consumption‖
launched by the 19thcen
tury department
stores that offered
―vast
arrays
of
goods
in
an
elegant
d
of
intimate
shops
catering
to
a
knowledgeable
elite,‖
these
were
stores
―anyonecould
enter,
regardless
of
class
or
background.
This
turned
shopping
into
a
public
and
democratic
act.‖
The
mass
media,
advertising and
sports are other forces forhomogenization.
Immigrants are quickly fitting into
this common culture, which may not be altogether
elevatingbut
is
hardly
poisonous.
Writing
for
the
National
Immigration
Forum,
Gregory
Rodriguez reportsthat today‘s
immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor
resistant to
assimilation.
In
1998immigrants
were
9.8
percent
of
population;
in
1900, 13.6
percent.
In
the 10 years prior to
1990, 3.1immigrants arrived for every 1,000
residents; in the 10 years
prior to
1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now,consider three
indices of assimilation
—
language,
home ownership and
intermarriage.
The
1990
Census
revealed
that
―a
majority
of
immigrants
from
each
of
the
fifteen
mostcommon
countries
o
f
origin
spoke
English
?well‘
or
?very
well‘
after
ten
years
of
residence.‖ Thechildren of immigrants
tend to be bilingual and proficient in English.
―By the
third generation, theoriginal
language is lost in the majority of immigrant
families.‖ Hence
the
d
escription of Americaas a ―graveyard‖
for languages. By 1996 foreign
-born
immigrants
who had arrived before 1970
hada home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher
than the 69.8
percent rate among
native-bornAmericans.
Foreign-
born
Asians
and
Hispanics
―have
higher
rates
of
intermarriage
than
do
U.S.-
bornwhites
and
blacks.‖
By
the
third
generation,
one
third
of
Hispanic
women
are
married
to
nonHispanics,
and
41
percent
of
Asian-American
women
are
married
to
non-Asians.
5
Rodriguez notes that children in remote
villages around the world are fans of superstars
likeArnold
Schwarzenegger
and Garth
Brooks,
yet
―some
Americans
fear
that
immigrants
living withinthe
United States remain somehow immune to the
nation‘s assimilative power.‖
Are there divisive
issues
and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed.
It is big
enough tohave a bit of
everything. But particularly when viewed against
America‘s turbulent
past, today‘ssocial
indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating
social environment.
21. The word
“
hom
ogenizing
”
(Line
2, Paragraph 1) most probably means ________.
[A] identifying [B] associating
[C] assimilating [D]
monopolizing
22. According to the
author, the department stores of the 19th century
________.
[A] played a role in the
spread of popular culture
[B] became
intimate shops for common consumers
[C]
satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite
[D] owed its emergence to the culture
of consumption
23. The text suggests
that immigrants now in the U.S. ________.
[A] are resistant to homogenization
[B] exert a great influence on American
culture
[C] are hardly a threat to the
common culture
[D] constitute the
majority of the population
24. Why are
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned
in Paragraph 5?
[A] To prove their
popularity around the world.
[B] To
reveal the public‘s fear of immigrants.
[C] To give examples of successful
immigrants.
[D] To show the powerful
influence of American culture.
25. In
the author’s opinion, the absorption of
immigrants
into American society is
___.
[A] rewarding [B] successful
[C] fruitless [D] harmful
Text 4
6
Many things make people
think artists are weird. But the weirdest may be
this: artists‘
only jobis to explore
emotions, and yet they choose to focus on the ones
that feel bad.
This wasn‘t always so.
The
earliest forms of art, like
painting and music, are those best
suitedfor expressing joy. But somewhere
from the 19th century onward, more artists began
seeinghappiness
as
meaningless,
phony
or,
worst
of
all,
boring,
as
we
went
from
Wordsworth‘s daffodilsto
Baudelaire‘s flowers of
evil.
You
could
argue
that
art
became
more
skeptical
of
happiness
because
modern
times
have
seenso much misery. But it‘s not as if earlier
times didn‘t know perpetual war, disaster
and
the
massacreof
innocents.
The
reason,
in
fact,
may
be
just
the
opposite:
there
is
too
much damn
happiness in theworld today.
After all,
what is the one
modern form of
expression almost completely dedicated to
depictinghappiness?
Advertising.
The
rise
of
anti-
happy
art
almost
exactly
tracks
the
emergence of massmedia,
and with it, a commercial culture in which
happiness is not just an
ideal but an
ideology.
People
in
earlier
eras
were
surrounded
by
reminders
of
misery.
They
worked
until
exhausted,lived
with
few
protections
and
died
young.
In
the
West,
before
mass
communication
and
literacy,the
most
powerful
mass
medium
was
the
church,
which
reminded worshippers that their souls
werein danger and that they would someday be meat
for worms. Given all this, they did not
exactly needtheir art to be a bummer too.
Today
the
messages
the
average
Westerner
is
surrounded
with
are
not
religious
but
commercial,and forever happy. Fast-food
eaters, news anchors, text messengers, all
smiling,
smiling,
magazines
feature
beaming
celebrities
and
happy
families
in
perfect
homes. And since
thesemessages have an agenda
—
to lure us to open our
wallets
—
they
make
the
very
idea
ofhappiness
seem
unreliable.
―Celebrate!‖
commanded
the
ads
for
the
arthritis drug Celebrex,
beforewe found out it could increase the risk of
heart attacks.
But what we forget
—
what our economy depends
on us forgetting
—
is that
happiness
ismore than pleasure without
pain. The things that bring the greatest joy carry
the greatest
7
potentialfor
loss and disappointment. Today, surrounded by
promises of easy happiness, we
need
art
to
tellus,
as
religion
once
did,
Memento
mori:
remember
that
you
will
die,
that
everything
ends,
and
thathappiness
comes
not
in
denying
this
but
in
living
with
it.
It‘s
a
message even more bitter than aclove
cigarette, yet, somehow, a breath of fresh air.
36. By citing the examples
of poets Wordsworth and Baudelaire, the author
intends to
show that________.
[A] poetry is not as expressive of joy
as painting or music
[B] art grows out
of both positive and negative feelings
[C] poets today are less skeptical of
happiness
[D] artists have changed
their focus of interest
37. The word
“bummer” (Line 5, paragraph 5) most probably means
something ___.
[A]religious
[B] unpleasant
[C]
entertaining [D] commercial
38. In the
author
’s opinion, advertising
________.
[A] emerges in the
wake of the anti-happy art
[B] is a
cause of disappointment for the general public
[C] replaces the church as a major
source of information
[D] creates an
illusion of happiness rather than happiness itself
39. We can learn from the last
paragraph that the author believes ________.
[A] happiness more often than not ends
in sadness
[B] the anti-happy art is
distasteful but refreshing
[C] misery
should be enjoyed rather than denied
[D] the anti-happy art flourishes when
economy booms
40. Which of the
following is true of the text?
[A]
Religion once functioned as a reminder of misery.
[B] Art provides a balance between
expectation and reality.
[C] People
feel disappointed at the realities of modern
society.
[D] Mass media are inclined to
cover disasters and deaths.
2007
Text 1
8
If
you
were
to
examine
the
birth
certificates
of
every
soccer
player
in
2006‘s
World
Cuptournament,
you
would
most
likely
find
a
noteworthy
quirk:
elite
soccer
players
are
more
likely tohave been born in the earlier months of
the year than in the later months. If
you
then
examined
theEuropean
national
youth
teams
that
feed
the
World
Cup
and
professional ranks, you would find
thisstrange phenomenon to be even more pronounced.
What
might
account
for
this
strange
phenomenon?
Here
are
a
few
guesses:
a)
certainastrological
signs
confer
superior
soccer
skills;
b)
winter-born
babies
tend
to
have
higher
oxygencapacity,
which
increases
soccer
stamina;
c)
soccer-mad
parents
are
more
likely to conceive childrenin
springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania; d)
none of the
above.
Anders
Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at
Florida State University, says
hebelieves
strongly
in
―none
of
the
above.‖
Ericsson
grew
up
in
Sweden,
and
studied
nuclearengineering
until
he
realized
he
would
have
more
opportunity
to
conduct
his
own
research
if
heswitched
to
psychology.
His
first
experiment,
nearly
30
years
ago,
involved
memory: training aperson to hear and
then repeat a random series of numbers.
―
With the first
subject,
after
about
20hours
of
training,
his
digit
span
had
risen
from
7
to
20,‖
Ericsson
recalls.
―He
kept
improving,
andafter
about
200
hours
of
training
he
had
risen
to over
80
numbers.‖
This
success,
coupled
with
later
research
showing
that
memory
itself
is
not
geneticallydetermined,
led
Ericsson
to
conclude
that
the
act
of
memorizing
is
more
of
a
cognitive
exercise
thanan
intuitive
one.
In
other
words,
whatever
inborn
differences
two
people may exhibit in their abilitiesto
memorize, those differences are swamped by how
well
each person ―encodes‖ the the
best way to learn how to encode information
meaningfully,
Ericsson
determined,
was
aprocess
known
as
deliberate
practice.
Deliberate
practice entails
more than simply repeating a , it involves setting
specific goals,
obtaining immediate
feedback and concentrating as muchon technique as
on outcome.
Ericsson
and
his
colleagues
have
thus
taken
to
studying
expert
performers
in
a
wide
9
range ofpursuits,
including soccer. They gather all the data they
can, not just performance
statistics
andbiographical
details
but
also
the
results
of
their
own
laboratory
experiments
with high work
makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we
commonly call
talent
is
highly
,
put
another
way,
expert
performers
–
whether
in
memory
or
surgery, ballet or computerprogramming
–
are nearly
always made, not born.
21.
The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players
is mentioned to
[A] stress the
importance of professional training.
[B] spotlight the soccer superstars in
the World Cup.
[C] introduce the topic
of what makes expert performance.
[D]
explain why some soccer teams play better than
others.
22. The word “mania” (Line 4,
Paragraph 2) most probably means
[A] fun. [B] craze.
[C] hysteria. [D] excitement.
23. According to Ericsson, good memory
[A] depends on meaningful processing of
information.
[B] results from intuitive
rather than cognitive exercises.
[C] is
determined by genetic rather than psychological
factors.
[D] requires immediate
feedback and a high degree of concentration.
24. Ericsson and his colleagues believe
that
[A] talent is a dominating factor
for professional success.
[B]
biographical data provide the key to excellent
performance.
[C] the role of talent
tends to be overlooked.
[D] high
achievers owe their success mostly to nurture.
25. Which of the following proverbs is
closest to the message the text tries to convey?
[A] ―Faith will move mountains.‖
[B] ―One reaps what one
sows.‖
[C] ―Practice makes
perfect.‖
[D] ―Like father,
like son.‖
10
Text 4
It
never
rains
but
it
pours.
Just
as
bosses
and
boards
have
finally
sorted
out
their
worstaccounting and compliance
troubles, and improved their feeble corporation
governance,
a
newproblem
threatens
to
earn
them
－
especially
in
America
－
the
sort
of
nasty
headlines
thatinevitably
lead
to
heads
rolling
in
the
executive
suite:
data
insecurity.
Left,
until
now,
to
odd,
lowlevel
IT
staff
to
put
right,
and
seen
as
a
concern
only
of
data-rich
industries such as banking,telecoms and
air travel, information protection is now high on
the
boss‘s agenda in businesses ofevery
variety.
Several
massive
leakages
of
customer
and
employee
data
this
year
－
from
organizations
asdiverse
as
Time
Warner,
the
American
defense
contractor
Science
Applications
International Corpand even the University of
California, Berkeley
－
have
left
managers hurriedly peering into
theirintricate IT systems and business processes
in search of
potential vulnerabilities.
“
Data is becoming an
asset which needs to be guarded as much
as any other asset,‖
says
HaimMendelson
of
Stanford
University‘s
business
school.
―The
ability
to
guard
customer
data
is
the
keyto
market
value,
which
the
board
is
responsible
for
on
behalf
of
shareholders.‖
Indeed,
just
as
thereis
the
concept
of
Generally
Accepted
Accounting
Principles
(GAAP),
perhaps
it
is
time
for
GASP,Generally
Accepted
Security
Practices,
suggested
Eli
Noam
of
New
York‘s
Columbia
BusinessSchool.
―Setting
the
proper
investment
level
for
security,
redundancy,
and
recovery
is
a
managementissue,
not
a
technical
one,‖ he says.
The
mystery
is
that
this
should
come
as
a
surprise
to
any
boss.
Surely
it
should
be
obvious tothe dimmest
executive that trust, that most valuable of
economic assets, is easily
destroyed
andhugely expensive to restore
－
and that few things are
more likely to destroy
trust than a
companyletting sensitive personal data get into
the wrong hands.
The current state of
affairs may have been encouraged
－
though not justified
－
by the
lackof
legal penalty (in America, but not Europe) for
data leakage. Until California recently
11
passed alaw, American
firms did not have to tell anyone, even the
victim, when data went
astray.
That
maychange
fast:
lots
of
proposed
data-security
legislation
is
now
doing
the
rounds
in
Washington,
ile,
the
theft
of
information
about
some
40
million
credit-card accounts in
America,disclosed on June 17th, overshadowed a
hugely important
decision
a
day
earlier
by
America‘sFederal
Trade
Commission
(FTC)
that
p
uts
corporate
America on notice
that regulators will act iffirms fail to provide
adequate data security.
36.
The statement “It never rains but it pours” is
used to introduce
[A] the
fierce business competition. [B] the feeble boss-
board relations.
[C] the threat from
news reports. [D] the severity of data leakage.
37. According to Paragraph 2, some
organizations check their systems to find out
[A] whether there is any weak point.
[B] what sort of data has been stolen.
[C] who is responsible for the leakage.
[D] how the potential spies can be located.
38. In bringing up the concept of GASP
the author is making the point that
[A]
shareholders‘ interests should be properly
attended to.
[B] information
protection should be given due attention.
[C] businesses should enhance their
level of accounting security.
[D] the
market value of customer data should be
emphasized.
39. According to Paragraph
4, what puzzles the author is that some bosses
fail to
[A] see the link between trust
and data protection.
[B] perceive the
sensitivity of personal data.
[C]
realize the high cost of data restoration.
[D] appreciate the economic value of
trust.
40. It can be inferred from
Paragraph 5 that
[A] data leakage is
more severe in Europe.
[B] FTC‘s
decision is essential to data s
ecurity.
[C] California takes the lead in
security legislation.
[D] legal penalty
is a major solution to data leakage.
12
2008
Text 4
In
1784,
five
years
before
he
became
president
of
the
United
States,
George
Washington, 52,was
nearly toothless. So he hired a dentist to
transplant nine teeth into his
jaw
—
having extractedthem from
the mouths of his slaves.
That‘s
a
far
different
image
from
the
cherry
-tree-chopping
George
most
people
remember fromtheir
history books. But recently, many historians have
begun to focus on the
roles slavery
playedin the lives of the founding generation.
They have been spurred in part
by DNA
evidence madeavailable in 1998, which almost
certainly proved Thomas Jefferson
had
fathered at least one childwith his slave Sally
Hemings. And only over the past 30 years
have scholars examined history fromthe
bottom up. Works of several historians reveal the
moral compromises made by the nation‘s
earlyleaders and the fragile nature of the
country‘s
infancy. More significantly,
they argue that many ofthe Founding Fathers knew
slavery was
wrong
—
and yet most did little to
fight it.
More than anything, the
historians say, the founders were hampered by the
culture of
their Washington and
Jefferson privately expressed distaste for
slavery, they also
understood thatit
was part of the political and economic bedrock of
the country they helped
to create.
For
one
thing,
the
South
could
not
afford
to
part
with
its
slaves.
Owning
slaves
was
―like
havinga
large
bank
account,‖
says
Wiencek,
author
of
An
Imperfect
God:
George
Washington,
His Slaves,and
the
Creation
of America.
The
southern
states
would
not
have
signed the Constitution
withoutprotections for the ―peculiar institution,‖
including a clause
that counted a slave
as three fifths of aman for purposes of
congressional representation.
And
the
statesmen‘s
political
lives
depended
on
slavery.
The
three
-fifths
formula
handedJefferson his
narrow victory in the presidential election of
1800 by inflating the votes
of
the
southernstates
in
the
Electoral
College.
Once
in
office,
Jefferson
extended
slavery
with the LouisianaPurchase in 1803; the
new land was carved into 13 states, including
three
slave states.
13
Still,
Jefferson
freed
Hemings‘s
children
—
though
not
Hemings
herself
or
his
approximately150
other
slaves.
Washington,
who
had
begun
to
believe
that
all
men
were
created equal afterobserving the
bravery of the black soldiers during the
Revolutionary War,
overcame the
strongopposition of his relatives to grant his
slaves their freedom in his will.
Only
a decade earlier, suchan act would have required
legislative approval in Virginia.
36. George Washington’s dental surgery
is mentioned to
[A] show the
primitive medical practice in the past.
[B] demonstrate the cruelty of slavery
in his days.
[C] stress the role of
slaves in the U.S. history.
[D] reveal
some unknown aspect of his life.
37. We
may infer from the second paragraph that
[A] DNA technology has been widely
applied to history research.
[B] in its
early days the U.S. was confronted with delicate
situations.
[C] historians deliberately
made up some stories of Jefferson‘s
life.
[D] political
compromises are easily found throughout the U.S.
history.
38. What do we learn about
Thomas Jefferson?
[A] His political
view changed his attitude towards slavery.
[B] His status as a father made him
free the child slaves.
[C] His attitude
towards slavery was complex.
[D] His
affair with a slave stained his prestige.
39. Which of the following is true
according to the text?
[A] Some
Founding Fathers benefit politically from slavery.
[B] Slaves in the old days did not have
the right to vote.
[C] Slave owners
usually had large savings accounts.
[D]
Slavery was regarded as a peculiar institution.
40. Washington’s decision to free
slaves originated from h
is
[A] moral considerations. [B] military
experience.
[C] financial conditions.
[D] political stand.
14
2009
Text 1
Habits are a funny thing. We reach for
them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot
andrelaxing
into
the
unconscious
comfort
of
familiar
routine.
―Not
choice, but
habit
rules
theunreflecting
herd,‖
William
Wordsworth
said
in
the
19th
century.
In
the
ever
-changing
21st century,even the word ―habit‖
carries a negative connotation.
So
it
seems
antithetical
to
talk
about
habits
in
the
same
context
as
creativity
and
brain
researchers
have
discovered
that
when
we
consciously
develop
new
habits, we
createparallel synaptic paths, and even entirely
new brain cells, that can jump our
trains of thought ontonew, innovative
tracks.
Rather
than
dismissing
ourselves
as
unchangeable
creatures
of
habit,
we
can
instead
direct ourown change
by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the
more new things
we
try
—
the
morewe
step
outside
our
comfort
zone
—
the
more
inherently
creative
we
become, both in theworkplace and in our
personal lives.
But don‘t bother trying
to kill off old habits; once those ruts of
procedure are worn into
thebrain,
they‘re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we
deliberately ingrain into ourselves
createparallel pathways that can bypass
those old roads.
“
The
first
thing
needed
for
innovation
is
a
fascination
with
wonder,‖
says
Dawna
Markova,author
of
The
Open
Mind.
―But
we
are
taught
instead
to
?decide,‘
just
as
our
president calls
himself
‘
the Decider.‘‖ She
adds, however, that ―to decide is to kill off all
possibilities
but
one.
A
goodinnovational
thinker
is
always
exploring
the
many
other
possibilities.‖
All
of
us
work
through
problems
in
ways
of
which
we‘re
unaware,
she
says.
Researchers
in
thelate
1960
covered
that
humans
are
born
with
the
capacity
to
approach
challenges
in
four
primaryways:
analytically,
procedurally,
relationally
(or
collaboratively)
and
innovatively. At puberty,however, the brain shuts
down half of that capacity, preserving
only those modes of thought thathave
seemed most valuable during the first decade or so
of
life.
15
The
current
emphasis
on
standardized
testing
highlights
analysis
and
procedure,
meaning
thatfew
of
us
inherently
use
our
innovative
and
collaborative
modes
of
thought.
―This brea
ks the majorrule
in the American belief system
—
that anyone can
do anything,‖
explains M. J. Ryan,
author ofthe 2006 book This Year I Will... and Ms.
Markova‘s business
partner.
―That‘s
a
lie
that
we
haveperpetuated,
and
it
fosters
commonness.
Knowing
wha
t
you‘ re good
at and doing even more of itcreates excellence.‖
This is where developing new
habits
comes in.
21. The view of
Wordsworth habit is claimed by being ________.
[A] casual [B] familiar
[C] mechanical [D] changeable
22. The researchers have discovered
that the formation of habit can be ________
[A] predicted [B] regulated
[C] traced [D] guided
23.
The word “ruts” (in line one, paragraph 3) has
closest meaning to ________
[A] tracks [B] series
[C] characteristics [D] connections
24. Dawna Markova would most probably
agree that ________.
[A] ideas are born
of a relaxing mind
[B] innovativeness
could be taught
[C] decisiveness
derives from fantastic ideas
[D]
curiosity activates creative minds
25.
Ryan’s comments suggest that the practice of
standard testing________.
[A] prevents new habits form being
formed
[B] no longer emphasizes
commonness
[C] maintains the inherent
American thinking model
[D] complies
with the American belief system
16
Text 3
The relationship
between formal education and economic growth in
poor countries is
widelymisunderstood
by
economists
and
politicians
alike
progress
in
both
area
is
undoubtedly necessaryfor the social,
political and intellectual development of these
and all
other
societies;
however,
theconventional
view
that
education
should
be
one
of
the
very
highest
priorities for promoting rapideconomic development
in poor countries is wrong. We
are
fortunate
that
is
it,
because
neweducational
systems
there
and
putting
enough
people
through them to improve
economicperformance would require two or three
generations. The
findings of a research
institution haveconsistently shown that workers in
all countries can be
trained
on
the
job
to
achieve
radical
higherproductivity
and,
as
a
result,
radically
higher
standards of living.
Ironically, the first evidence for this
idea appeared in the United States. Not long ago,
with thecountry entering a recessing
and Japan at its pre-bubble peak. The U.S.
workforce
was
derided
aspoorly
educated
and
one
of
primary
cause
of
the
poor
U.S.
economic
performance. Japan
was, andremains, the global leader in automotive-
assembly productivity.
Yet the research
revealed that theU.S. factories of Honda Nissan,
and Toyota achieved about
95 percent of
the productivity of theirJapanese counterparts
—
a result of the training
that
U.S. workers received on the job.
More
recently,
while
examining
housing construction,
the
researchers
discovered
that
illiterate,non-English-
speaking
Mexican
workers
in
Houston,
Texas,
consistently
met
best-practice
laborpr
oductivity
standards
despite
the
complexity
of
the
building
industry‘s
work.
What is the real relationship between
education and economic development? We have
tosuspect
that
continuing
economic
growth
promotes
the
development
of
education
even
whengovernme
nts
don‘t
force
it.
After
all,
that‘s
how
education
got
started.
When
our
ancestors
werehunters
and
gatherers
10,000
years
ago,
they
didn‘
t
have
time
to
wonder
much about
anythingbesides finding food. Only when humanity
began to get its food in a
17
more productive way was theretime for
other things.
As education improved,
humanity
’
s productivity
potential, they could in turn afford
moreeducation. This increasingly high
level of education is probably a necessary, but
not a
sufficient,condition
for
the
complex
political
systems
required
by
advanced
economic
performance.
Thus
poorcountries
might
not
be
able
to
escape
their
poverty
traps
without
political changes
that may bepossible only with broader formal
education. A lack of formal
education,
however,
doesn‘t
constrainthe
ability
of
the
developing
world‘s
workforce
to
substantially
improve
productivity
for
the
forestedfuture.
On
the
contrary,
constraints
on
improving productivity explain why
education isn‘tdeveloping more quickly there than
it is.
31. The
author holds in paragraph 1 that the important of
education in poor countries_
[A] is
subject groundless doubts [B] has fallen victim of
bias
[C] is conventional downgraded [D]
has been overestimated
32. It is stated
in paragraph 1 that construction of a new
education system _______.
[A]
challenges economists and politicians [B] takes
efforts of generations
[C] demands
priority from the government [D] requires
sufficient labor force
33. A major
difference between the Japanese and U.S workforces
is that ______.
[A] the Japanese
workforce is better disciplined
[B] the Japanese workforce is more
productive
[C] the U.S workforce has a
better education
[D] the
U.S workforce is more organized
34. The
author quotes the example of our ancestors to show
that education emerged __.
[A] when
people had enough time [B] prior to better ways of
finding food
[C] when people on longer
went hung [D] as a result of pressure on
government
35. According to the last
paragraph , development of education _____.
[A] results directly from competitive
environments
[B] does not depend on
economic performance
[C] follows
improved productivity
[D] cannot afford
political changes
18
2010
Text 1
Of
all
the
changes
that
have
taken
place
in
English-language
newspapers
during
the
pastquarter-century,
perhaps
the
most
far-
reaching
has
been
the
inexorable
decline
in
the
scope andseriousness of their arts
coverage.
It is difficult to the point
of impossibility for the average reader under the
age of forty
toimagine
a
time
when
high-
quality
arts
criticism
could
be
found
in
most
big-city
newspapers.
Yet
aconsiderable
number
of
the
most
significant
collections
of
criticism
published
in
the
20th
centuryconsisted
in
large
part
of
newspaper
reviews.
To
read
such
books today is to
marvel at the fact thattheir learned contents were
once deemed suitable for
publication in
general-circulation dailies.
We
are
even
farther
removed
from
the
unfocused
newspaper
reviews
published
in
Englandbetween the turn
of the 20th century and the eve of World War II,
at a time when
newsprint
was
dirtcheap
and
stylish
arts
criticism
was
considered
an
ornament
to
the
publications
in
which
it
those
far-off
days,
it
was
taken
for
granted
that
the
critics
of
major
papers
would
write
in
detailand
at
length
about
the
events
they
covered.
Theirs was a
serious business. and even those reviewswho wore
their learning lightly, like
George
Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted
toknow what they were about.
These men
believed in journalism as a calling , and were
proud to bepublished in the daily
press. ―So few authors have brains
enough or literary gift enough to keep theirown
end up in
journalism,‖ Newman wrote,
―that I am tempted to define ?journalism‘ as ?a
term ofcontempt
applied by writers who
are not read
to writers who
are‘.‖
Unfortunately,
these
critics
are
virtually
forgotten.
Neville
Cardus,
who
wrote
for
theManchester
Guardian
from
1917
until
shortly
before
his
death
in
1975,
is
now
known
solely as awriter of
essays on the game of cricket. During his
lifetime, though, he was also
one
of
England‘
sforemost classical
-music
critics,
and a
stylist
so
widely
admired
that
his
Autobiography (1947)became a best-
seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music
critic to
be so honored. Yet only oneof
his books is now in print, and his vast body of
writings on
19
music is
unknown save to specialists.
Is
there
any
chance
that
Cardus‘s
criticism
will
enjoy
a
revival?
The
prospect
seems
listic tastes had
changed long before his death, and postmodern
readers have
little use for therichly
upholstered Vicwardian prose in which he
specialized. Moreover, the
amateur
tradition inmusic criticism has been in headlong
retreat.
21. It is
indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 that
[A] arts criticism has disappeared from
big-city newspapers.
[B] English-
language newspapers used to carry more arts
reviews.
[C] high-quality newspapers
retain a large body of readers.
[D]
young readers doubt the suitability of criticism
on dailies.
22. Newspaper reviews in
England before World War 2 were characterized by
[A] free themes.
[B] casual
style.
[C] elaborate layout.
[D] radical viewpoints.
23. Which of the following would Shaw
and Newman most probably agree on?
[A]
It is writers‘ duty to fulfill journalistic
goals.
[B] It is
contemptible for writers to be journalists.
[C] Writers are likely to be tempted
into journalism.
[D] Not all writers
are capable of journalistic writing.
24. What can be learned about Cardus
according to the last two paragraphs?
[A] His music criticism may not appeal
to readers today.
[B] His reputation as
a music critic has long been in dispute.
[C] His style caters largely to modern
specialists.
D His writings fail to
follow the amateur tradition.
25. What
would be the best title for the text?
[A] Newspapers of the Good Old Days
[B] The Lost Horizon in Newspapers
[C] Mournful Decline of Journalism
[D] Prominent Critics in Memory
20
Text 2
Over
the
past
decade,
thousands
of
patents
have
been
granted
for
what
are
called
businessmethods.
received
one
for
its
―
one-
click‖
online
payment
system.
Merrill
Lynch
gotlegal
protection
for
an
asset
allocation
strategy.
One
inventor
patented
a
technique for lifting a
box.
Now
the
nation‘s
top
patent
court
appears
completely
ready
to
scale
back
on
business-
methodpatents, which have been controversial ever
since they were first authorized
10
years
ago.
In
a
movethat
has
intellectual-property
lawyers
abuzz
the
U.S.
court
of
Appeals for the federal circuit said
itwould use a particular case to conduct a broad
review of
business-
method
patents. In re Bilski , asthe case is known , is
―a very big deal‖, says Dennis
D.
Crouch of the University of Missouri Schoolof law.
It ―has the potential to eliminate an
entire class of patents.‖
Curbs on business-method claims would
be a dramatic about-face, because it was the
federalcircuit itself that introduced
such patents with is 1998 decision in the so-
called state
Street
Bankcase,
approving
a
patent
on
a
way
of
pooling
mutual-fund
assets.
That
ruling
produced
an
explosionin
business-method
patent
filings,
initially
by
emerging
internet
companies trying to
stake outexclusive rights to specific types of
online transactions. Later,
move
established
companies
raced
toadd
such
patents
to
their
files,
if
only
as
a defensive
move against rivals that might beat
them to thepunch. In 2005, IBM noted in a court
filing
that
it
had
been
issued
more
than
300
business-methodpatents
despite
the
fact
that
it
questioned
the
legal
basis
for
granting
them.
Similarly,
some
WallStreet
investment
films
armed
themselves
with
patents
for
financial
products,
even
as
they
tookpositions
in
court
cases opposing the
practice.
The Bilski case involves a
claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the
energy
Federal circuit issued an
unusual order stating that the case would be heard
by
all 12 of thecourt‘s judges, rather
than a typical panel of three, and that one issue
it wants to
evaluate is whetherit
should‖ reconsider‖ its state street Bank
ruling.
21
The
Federal Circuit‘s action comes in the wake of a
serie
s of recent decisions by the
supremeCount that has narrowed the
scope of protections for patent holders. Last
April, for
example thejustices signaled
that too many patents were being upheld for
―inventions‖ that
are
obvious.
Thejudges
on
the
Federal
circui
t
are
―reacting
to
the
anti
-patent
trend
at
the
supreme
court‖,
says
,
a
patent
attorney
and
professor
at
George
Washington University
Law School.
26. Business-
method patents have recently aroused concern
because of
[A] their limited value to
business
[B] their
connection with asset allocation
[C]
the possible restriction on their granting
[D] the controversy over
authorization
27. Which of the
following is true of the Bilski case?
[A] Its ruling complies with the court
decisions
[B] It involves a very big
business transaction
[C] It has been
dismissed by the Federal Circuit
[D] It
may change the legal practices in the U.S.
28. The word
“about
-
face” (Line 1, Para
3) most probably means
[A]
loss of good will[B] increase of hostility
[C] change of attitude [D] enhancement
of dignity
29. We learn from the last
two paragraphs that business-method patents
[A] are immune to legal challenges
[B] are often unnecessarily
issued
[C] lower the esteem for patent
holders
[D] increase the
incidence of risks
30. Which of the
following would be the subject of the text?
[A] A looming threat to business-method
patents
[B] Protection for business-
method patent holders
[C] A legal case
regarding business-method patents
[D] A
prevailing trend against business-method patents
22
Text 3
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm
Gladwell argues that ―social epidemics‖ are
driven
inlarge
part
by
the
acting
of
a
tiny
minority
of
special
individuals,
often
called
influentials,
who
areunusually
informed,
persuasive,
or
well-connected.
The
idea
is
intuitively compelling, but it
doesn‘texplain how ideas actually
spread.
The supposed
importance of influentials derives from a
plausible sounding but largely
untestedtheory
called
the
―two
step
flow
of
communication‖:
Inform
ation
flows
from
the
media
to
theinfluentials
and
from
them
to
everyone
else.
Marketers
have
embraced
the
two-
step
flow
because
itsuggests
that
if
they
can
just
find
and
influence
the
influentials,
those selected
people will do mostof the work for them. The
theory also seems to explain the
sudden
and unexpected popularity ofcertain looks, brands,
or neighborhoods. In many such
cases,
a
cursory
search
for
causes
finds
thatsome
small
group
of
people
was
wearing,
promoting,
or
developing
whatever
it
is
before
anyoneelse
paid
attention.
Anecdotal
evidence
of
this
kind
fits
nicely
with
the
idea
that
only
certain
specialpeople
can
drive
trends.
In
their
recent
work,
however,
some
researchers
have
come
up
with
the
finding
that
influentialhave far
less impact on social epidemics than is generally
supposed. In fact, they
don‘t seem to
berequired of all.
The
researchers‘ argument stems from a simple
observing about social influence, with
theexception of a few celebrities like
Oprah Winfrey
—
whose outsize
presence is primarily a
functionof
media,
not
interpersonal,
influence
—
even
the
most
influential
members
of
a
population
simplydon‘t interact with that many others. Yet it
is precisely these non
-celebrity
influentials
who,according
to
the
two-step-
flow
theory,
are
supposed
to
drive
social
epidemics by
influencing theirfriends and colleagues directly.
For a social epidemic to occur,
however,
each
person
so
affected,must
then
influence
his
or
her
own
acquaintances,
who
must in turn influence theirs, and so
on; andjust how many others pay attention to each
of
these
people
has
little
to
do
with
the
initial
people
in
the
network
just
two
23
degrees
removed
from
the
initial
influential
prove
resistant,
forexample,
the
cascade
of
change won‘t propagate very far or
affect many people.
Building
on
the
basic
truth
about
interpersonal
influence,
the
researchers
studied
the
dynamicsof
populations
manipulating
a
number
of
variables
relating
of
populations,
manipulating a numberof variables
relating to people‘s ability to
influence others and their
tendency to be influenced. Ourwork
shows that the principal requirement for what we
call
―global
cascades‖
—
the
widespreadpropagation
of
influence
through
networks
—
is
the
presence
not of a few influentials but, rather,of a
critical mass of easily influenced people,
each of whom adopts, say, a look or a
brand afterbeing exposed to a single adopting
neighbor.
Regardless
of
how
influential
an
individual
is
locally,he
or
she
can
exert
global
influence
only if this
critical mass is available to propagate a chain
reaction.
citing the book
The Tipping Point, the author intends to
[A]analyze the consequences of social
epidemics
[B]discuss influentials‘
function in spreading ideas
[C]exemplify people‘s intuitive
response to social
epidemics
[D]describe the essential
characteristics of influentials.
author suggests that the
“two
-step-
flow
theory”
[A]serves as a
solution to marketing problems[B]has helped
explain certain prevalent trends
[C]has
won support from influential[D]requires solid
evidence for its validity
the
researchers have observed recently shows that
[A] the power of influence goes with
social interactions
[B] interpersonal
links can be enhanced through the media
[C] influentials have more channels to
reach the public
[D] most celebrities
enjoy wide media attention
underlined
phrase “these people” in paragraph 4 refers to the
ones who
[A] stay outside
the network of social influence
[B]
have little contact with the source of influence
[C] are influenced and then influence
others[D] are influenced by the initial
influential
is the essential element
in the dynamics of social influence?
[A]The eagerness to be accepted [B]The
impulse to influence others
[C]The
readiness to be influenced [D]The inclination to
rely on others
24
Text 4
Bankers have been blaming themselves
for their troubles in public. Behind the scenes,
theyhave
been
taking
aim
at
someone
else:
the
accounting
standard-setters.
Their
rules,
moan
the banks,have forced them to report
enormo
us losses, and it‘s just not
fair. These rules
say they must
valuesome assets at the price a third party would
pay, not the price managers
and
regulators would likethem to fetch.
Unfortunately,
banks‘
lobbying
now
seems
to
be
working.
The
details
may
be
unknowable, butthe independence of
standard-setters, essential to the proper
functioning of
capital
markets,
is
beingcompromised.
And,
unless
banks
carry
toxic
assets
at
prices
that
attract buyers,
reviving the bankingsystem will be difficult.
After a bruisi
ng encounter
with Congress, America‘s
Financial
Accounting Standards
Board(FASB) rushed
through rule changes. These gave banks more
freedom to use models
to value
illiquidassets and more flexibility in recognizing
losses on long-term assets in their
income
statement.
BobHerz,
the
FASB‘s
chairman,
cried
out
against
those
who
―question
our motives.‖ Yet
bank sharesrose and the changes enhance what one
lobby group politely
calls ―the use of
judgment bymanagement.‖
European
ministers
instantly
demanded
that
the
International
Accounting
Standards
Board(IASB) do
likewise. The IASB says it does not want to act
without overall planning,
but the
pressureto fold when it completes it
reconstruction of rules later this year is strong.
Charlie
McCreevy,
aEuropean
commiss
ioner,
warned
the
IASB
that
it
did
―not
live
in
a
political vacuum‖ but ―in
thereal word‖ and that Europe could yet develop
different rules.
It was
banks that were on the wrong planet, with accounts
that vastly overvalued assets.
Todaythey
argue
that
market
prices
overstate
losses,
because
they
largely
reflect
the
temporary
illiquidityof
markets,
not
the
likely
extent
of
bad
debts.
The
truth
will
not
be
known for years. But
bank‘sshares trade below their book value,
suggesting that investors
are
skeptical. And dead markets partlyreflect the
paralysis of banks which will not sell assets
for fear of booking losses, yet are
reluctantto buy all those supposed bargains.
25
To get the system working
again, losses must be recognized and dealt with.
America‘s
newplan
to
buy
up
toxic
assets
will
not
work
unless
banks
mark
assets
to
levels
which
buyers
findattractive.
Successful
markets
require
independent
and
even
combative
standard-setters.
The
FASBand
IASB
have
been
exactly
that,
cleaning
up
rules
on
stock
options and pensions, for
example,against hostility form special interests.
But by giving in to
critics now they
are inviting pressure tomake more concessions.
36. Bankers complained that
they were forced to
[A] follow
unfavorable asset evaluation rules
[B]collect payments from third parties
[C]cooperate with the price managers
[D]reevaluate some of their
assets.
ing to the author , the rule
changes of the FASB may result in
[A]the diminishing role of management
[B]the revival of the
banking system
[C]the
banks‘
long
-term asset losses
[D]the weakening of its independence
ing to Paragraph 4, McCreevy objects to
the IASB’s attempt to
[A]keep away from political influences.
[B]evade the pressure from
their peers.
[C]act on their own in
rule-setting.
[D]take
gradual measures in reform.
author
thinks the banks were “on the wrong planet ”in
that they
[A]misinterpreted
market price indicators
[B]exaggerated
the real value of their assets
[C]neglected the likely existence of
bad debts.
[D]denied booking losses in
their sale of assets.
author’s
attitude towards standard
-setters is
one of
[A]satisfaction. [B]skepticism.
[C]objectiveness [D]sympathy
26
Part C
One basic weakness in a conservation
system based wholly on economic motives is that
mostmembers
of
the
land
community
have
no
economic
value.
Yet
these
creatures
are
members of thebiotic community and, if
its stability depends on its integrity, they are
entitled
to continuance.
When
one
of
these
noneconomic
categories
is
threatened
and,
if
we
happen
to
love
it .We
invertexcuses to give it economic importance. At
the beginning of century songbirds
were
supposed to bedisappearing. (46) Scientists jumped
to the rescue with some distinctly
shaky evidence to the effectthat
insects would eat us up if birds failed to control
them. the
evidence had to be economic
in orderto be valid.
It is painful to
read these round about accounts today. We have no
land ethic yet, (47)
but wehave at
least drawn near the point of admitting that birds
should continue as a matter
of
intrinsicright, regardless of the presence or
absence of economic advantage to us.
A
parallel
situation
exists
in
respect
of
predatory
mammals
and
fish-
eating
birds.
(48)
Timewas when biologists somewhat over
worded the evidence that these creatures preserve
the
health
ofgame
by
killing
the
physically
weak,
or
that
they
prey
only
on
species.
Some
species
of
tree
have
been
read
out
of
the
party
by
economics-minded
forestersbecause they grow too slowly,
or have too low a sale vale to pay as timber
crops.
(49)
In
Europe,where
forestry
is
ecologically
more
advanced,
the
non-commercial
tree
species
are
recognized
asmembers
of
native
forest
community,
to
be
preserved
as
such,
within reason.
To
sum
up:
a
system
of
conservation
based
solely
on
economic
self-interest
is
hopelesslylopsided. (50)
It tends to ignore, and thus eventually to
eliminate, many elements
in
the
landcommunity
that
lack
commercial
value,
but
that
are
essential
to
its
healthy
functioning.
It
assumes,falsely,
I
think,
that
the
economic
parts
of
the
biotic
clock
will
function without the uneconomic parts.
27
2011
Text 1
The
decision
of
the
New
York
Philharmonic
to
hire
Alan
Gilbert
as
its
next
music
director hasbeen the
talk of the classical-music world ever since the
sudden announcement
of
his
appointmentin
2009. For
the
most
part,
the
response
has
been
favorable,
to
say
the
least. ―Hooray! At last!‖wrote Anthony
Tommasini, a sober
-sided classical-
music critic.
One
of
the
reasons
why
the
appointment
came
as
such
a
surprise,
however,
is
that
Gilbert
iscomparatively
little
known.
Even
Tommasini,
who
had
advocated
Gilbert‘s
appointment in
theTimes,calls him ―an unpretentious musician with
no air of the formidable
conductor
about
him.‖
Asa
description
of
the
next
music
dire
ctor
of
an orchestra
that
has
hitherto
been
led
by
musicians
likeGustav
Mahler
and Pierre Boulez,
that
seems
likely
to
have struck at least some Times readers
asfaint praise.
For my part, I have no
idea whether Gilbert is a great conductor or even
a good one. To
be sure,he performs an
impressive variety of interesting compositions,
but it is not necessary
for me to
visitAvery Fisher Hall, or anywhere else, to hear
interesting orchestral music. All I
have
to
do
is
to
goto
my
CD
shelf,
or
boot
up
my
computer
and
download
still
more
recorded music from
iTunes.
Devoted concertgoers who reply
that recordings are no substitute for live
performance
aremissing
the
point.
For
the
time,
attention,
and
money
of
the
art-loving
public,
classicalinstrumentalists
must
compete
not
only
with
opera
houses,
dance
troupes,
theater
companies,
andmuseums,
but
also
with
the
recorded
performances
of
the
great
classical
musicians
of
the
recordings
are
cheap,
available
everywhere,
and
very
often much higher in
artist
ic qualitythan today‘s live
performances; moreover, they can be
―consumed‖
at
a
time
and
place
of
thelistener‘s
choosing.
The
widespread
availability
of
such recordings has thus
brought about a crisisin the institution of the
traditional classical
28
concert.
One possible
response is for classical performers to program
attractive new music that
is
notyet
available
on
record.
Gilbert‘s
own
interest
in new
music
has
been
widely
noted:
Alex Ross, aclassical-music critic, has
described him as a man who is capable of turning
the
Philharmonic
into
“
a markedly different,
more vibrant organization.‖ But what will be the
nature of that difference?Merely
expanding the orchestra‘s repertoire will not be
enough. If
Gilbert and the Philharmonic
areto succeed, they must first change the
relationship between
America‘s oldest
orchestra and the newaudience it hops to
attract.
21. We
learn from Para.1 that
Gilbert
’
s appointment has .
[A]incurred criticism.
[B]raised suspicion.
[C]received acclaim.
[D]aroused curiosity.
22.
Tommasini regards Gilbert as an artist who is .
[A]influential.
[B]modest.
[C]respectable.
[D]talented.
23. The author
believes that the devoted concertgoers .
[A]ignore the expenses of live
performances.
[B]reject most kinds of
recorded performances.
[C]exaggerate
the variety of live performances.
[D]overestimate the value of live
performances.
24. According to the
text, which of the following is true of
recordings?
[A]They are often inferior
to live concerts in quality.
[B]They
are easily accessible to the general public.
[C]They help improve the quality of
music.
[D]They have only covered
masterpieces.
25. Regarding Gilbert’s
role in revitalizing the Philharmonic, the author
feels .
[A]doubtful.
29
[B]enthusiastic.
[C]confident.
[D]puzzled.
Text 2
When
Liam
McGee
departed
as
president
of
Bank
of
America
in
August,
his
explanation
wassurprisingly
straight
up.
Rather
than
cloaking
his
exit
in
the
usual
vague
excuses, he came right
outand said he was leaving ―to pursue my goal of
running a company.‖
Broadcasting his
ambition was
“
very much my
decision,‖ McGee says. Within two weeks, he
was
talking
for
the
first
time
with
theboard
of
Hartford
Financial
Services
Group,
which
named him CEO and
chairman on September29.
McGee says
leaving without a position lined up gave him time
to reflect on what kind
ofcompany
he
wanted
to
run.
It
also
sent
a
clear
message
to
the
outside
world
about
his
McGee
isn‘t
alone.
In
recent
weeks
the
No.2
executives
at
Avon
and
American
Express
quitwith
the
explanation
that
they
were
looking
for
a
CEO
post.
As
boards scrutinize succession plansin
response to shareholder pressure, executives who
don‘t
get
the
nod
also
may
wish
to
move
on.
Aturbulent
business
environment
also
has
senior
managers cautious of letting vague
pronouncementscloud their reputations.
As the first signs of recovery begin to
take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to
makethe jump without a net. In the
third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a
year
ago as nervousboards stuck with
the leaders they had, according to Liberum
Research. As
the economy picks
up,opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders.
The decision
to
quit
a
senior
position
to
look
for
a
better
one
is
unconventional.
For
yearsexecutives
and
headhunters
have
adhered
to
the
rule
that
the
most
attractive
CEO
candidates
are
theones
who
must
be
poached.
Says
Korn/Ferry
senior
partner
Dennis
Carey:‖I can‘t think
of a singlesearch I‘ve done where a board has not
instructed me to look
at sitting CEOs
first.‖
30
Those
who jumped witho
ut a job haven‘t always
landed in top positions quickly. Ellen
Marramquit as chief of Tropicana a
decade age, saying she wanted to be a CEO. It was
a
year
before
shebecame
head
of
a
tiny
Internet-
based
commodities
exchange.
Robert
Willumstad left
Citigroup in2005 with ambitions to be a CEO. He
finally took that post at a
major
financial institution threeyears later.
Many recruiters say the old disgrace is
fading for top performers. The financial crisis
has madeit more acceptable to be
between jobs or to lea
ve a bad one.
―The traditional rule
was
it‘s
safer
tostay
where
you
are,
but
that‘s
been
fundamentally
inverted,‖
says
one
headhunter. ―The peoplewho‘ve been hurt
the worst are those who‘ve stayed too
long.‖
26. When
McGee announced his departure, his manner can best
be described as being .
[A]arrogant.
[B]frank.
[C]self-centered.
[D]impulsive.
27. According
to Paragraph 2, senior executives’ quitting may be
spurred by .
[A]their
expectation of better financial status.
[B]their need to reflect on
their private life.
[C]their strained
relations with the boards.
[D]their pursuit of new career goals.
28. The word “poached” (Line 3,
Paragraph 4) most probably means .
[A]approved of. [B]attended to.
[C]hunted for. [D]guarded
against.
29. It can be inferred from
the last paragraph that .
[A]top
performers used to cling to their posts.
[B]loyalty of top performers is getting
out-dated.
[C]top performers care more
about reputations.
[D]it‘s safer to
stick to the traditional rules.
30. Which of the following is the best
title for the text?
[A]CEOs: Where to
Go?
[B]CEOs: All the Way
Up?
31