U1 Free Falling1.What is the main subject introduced in paragraph one?It is the description of the effect of saying farewell to his parents, friends and folks on the author.2.How is the story organized?The story is chronologically organized (following the time sequence in which the event unfolded itself).3.How did Weckerly feel before the day of his departure?He felt eager and excited to wait for the day to come.4.How did his mood change when the day had really come?At the very beginning he became sentimental about saying good-bye to many people around him. Facing the reality of becoming independent, he began to feel afraid and uncertain .5.What do you think about the ending of the story?It is very impressive. Weckerly ends the story with a metaphor which catches the essence of the particular moment accurately. He compares himself to a rookie skydiver preparing for his first plunge, which leads to possible outcomes: sheer excitement or eventual death. The last sentence "He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and jumps" symbolizes the fact that from that day on the author jumps into the future of being independent no matter how long and complicated the road to it is.U6 The myth of the paperless office1. What are the disadvantages of paper according to the author?Paper takes up precious space, can be in only one place at a time, is extremely hard to index or search through, and lacks all the interactivity and linking ability of hypertext.2. What are the major categories of files in an office?In the office, files can be mainly classified into hot files, documents to be acted on immediately; warm files, still active but of less urgency and cold files, docements that don’t need immediate attention.3. Why is it unpleasant to read something on a computer screen?Because there are such annoyances as the relatively fuzzy type, glare, the need to scrollrepeatedly, the screen’s relatively fixed position and so forth.4. What are the essential problems in using computers in polices departments?First, the police found they spent so much time dealing with the computer interface that they fell short in listening and talking to victims, an essential activity both for offering comfort and for picking up subtle clues to what exactly had happened. Second, the goal of prompt reporting was compromised by the fact that police kept revising their reports after filing them.5. What are the reasons for people’s chimera of going paperless according to the author? Firstly, people who can profit from the idea keep selling it to us. Secondly, all technologies come down to our trying to get what we want, what we desire. And much of what we desire comes down to taking control of ourlives, doing what we please without being overwhelmed by what we don’t please.6.Why cannot computers replace paper in an office?First, paper has some hidden advantages over computers especially in the following three aspects—reading, writing and personal satisfaction in delivery. Furthermore, computers can’t replace paper completely in some activities such as air-traffic control and writing up police reports.U7 Competition is destructive1. Why is competition destructive according to the author? (para. 3)According to the author, competition is destructive because it undermines self-esteem, poisons relationships and holds us back from doing our best.2. What are the purposes of the games devised or collected by Orlick and others? (para.6)The idea of the games devised or collected by Orlick and others is for each person on the field to make a specified contribution to the goal, or for all the players to reach a certain score, or f or everyone to work with their partners against a time limit.3. What is the difference between teamwork and team competition? (para. 8)The difference between teamwork and team competition is that in teamwork everyone on the field is working together for a common goal, while in team competition a given player works with and is encouraged to feel warmly toward only half of those present.4. Why do most kinds of fun require competition? (para. 10, 11, 12)First of all, people don't know any other way or people have never tasted the alternative. Secondly, we overlook the psychological costs of competition: it causes self-doubt and feelings of self-worth become dependent on external sources of evaluation.5. Who is to blame for competition?It is the structure of the game itself thatis to blame rather than the individuals, since it sets competition at the very beginning.U10 Why we strive for status1. What is the writer's attitude in the sentence "The drive for dominance skews our perception, colors our friendships, shapes our moods and affects our health"? (para. 2) The author takes a negative attitude. Usually, the verbs color, shape and affect are neutral in indicating meanings, but in this context they express negative meanings.2. How do you understand the sentence "If the tendency showed up only in certain societies, it would be easier to dismiss as something we learn"? (para. 4)If the relentless one-upmanship were only limited within very few sample groups, it would be easily neglected because we could only regard that as an exception.3. In which way do zoologists support the anthropological point on the biologically endowed one-upmanship?Anthropologists point out that the same pattern can be seen everywhere while the zoologists show a wide variety of animals inferior and superior which illustrate the same pattern too.4. What are the differences between men being powerful and powerless?Men who achieve high status enjoy more sex with more partners wheresas men who are just u nemployed may lose their marriages as well as self-esteem.5. In which ways are modern men the same as, and also different from Genghis Khan? Modern men are the same as Genghis Khan in that they all strive for high status, but different in that modern men tend to rule by consent and try to avoid fighting.6. Do males always have to fight for power? Why or why not?Not necessarily, for the most durable leaders are the ones who govern by consent and try to av oid fighting.U13 Giving credit where debt is due1. How many credit cards does the average American have?4.2. What is a "sub-prime" borrower?People who have a bad credit history.3. What were the spending habits of people in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuri es?People regarded debt in a very negative way. They always tried to pay off their debts in a tim ely manner.4. How has credit card spending changed in the United States since the 1960s?In the 1960s most borrowers paid off their credit card balances monthly. Since then, many pe ople have amassed credit card debt.1.Only twenty-seven new members had been ____________ since the Leeds Congress, and the total member ship still stood at less than one hundred. (B) B. enrolled2.You could go for advertising ____________, the catchy floor displays or the flashy packagi ng. (C) C. hype3.The desk was ____________ with files, but the chair behind it was vacant. (A) A. cluttered4.____________ is a meal typically eaten late in the morning as a combination of a late break fast and an early lunch. (B) B. Brunch5.The improvement of the highway will _________pressure on the trains to some extent. (B)B. relieve6.John's hands were ____________ as he put down his papers and started his speech at the fir st time. (A) A. quivering7.His mood was an explosive mixture of ____________ self-pity and forced gaiety, the latter predominating as he got drunk. (A) A. maudlin8.Because of the economic slowdown, the government changed its policy to ____________ re venue by limiting commerce. (C) C. diminish9.In women's magazines and educational material the apple ____________ good food and health. (B) B. conjures10.It is the opinion of a(n) ____________ tourist that no price would be too great to pay, the n ovelist declared. (D) D. sentimental1.According to the opinion poll, the Socialists were predominant in the last parliament. (D)D. dominant2.He exerted himself, during his sojourn among this simple and well-disposed people, to inculcate, as far as he was able, the gentle and humanizing precepts of the Christian faith. (B)B. infuse3.A domestic unit consists of the members of a household who live together along with non-relatives such as servants. (A) A. family4.It was clear that a man after seventeen years of wedlock did not leave his wife without certa in occurrences which must have led her to suspect that all was not well with their married life.(B) B. marriage5.Several common reasons that lead couples to decide to cohabit: wanting to test compatibilit y or establish financial security before marrying. (A) A. live together6.The studies show that most delinquent boys have a non-conventional orientated self-concept, while other boys who are not involved in the peer group, have a school orientated sel f-concept. (C) C. offensive7.They are a fierce and intractable people, though capable of forming most devoted friendshi ps when their confidence has once been gained. (C) C. unmanageable8."Your religion," says he, "serves you only for an excuse for your faults, but is no incentive t o your virtue." (B) B. inducement9.The real estate investors have tempered to meet the investor's needs. (A) A. adjusted10.To penalize a yacht in proportion to the fineness of her performance is unfair to the craft a nd to her men. (D) D. punish1. Advocates of organic foods frequently proclaim that such products are safer and more nutritious than others. (A) A. announce2. If I may venture an opinion, I’d say the plan needs closer examination. (C) C. express3. These photographs capture the essence of working-class life at the turn of the century. (A)A. describe4. There was a preponderance of female teachers in the English department. (B)B. dominance5. Clarence had only a few fuzzy memories of his grandparents. (C) C. obscure6. What he has achieved is an extraordinary feat that would be impossible to duplicate. (B)B. equal7. He’s stopped taking drugs now, but he may revert to taking them again. (C) C. restore8. As often as not, people tend to scream under such circumstances. (D) D. quite often9. What is even more important is the fact that the astronauts’ photographs have uncovered many things not evident at close range. (D) D. revealed10. The disposition of the troops on the battlefield is of paramount importance. (A)A. arrangement1. In particular, the relationship is becoming increasingly bedeviled by the issue of anti-missile defence. (C) C. plagued2. The universe offers no such categories or simplifications; only flux and infinite variety. (B)B. change3. The news of the wedding was plastered all over the morning papers. (A) A. covered4. Perhaps you should tweak that line or paragraph that throws the structure off before sending in the report. (C) C. revise5. The daily news stories of the worsening economy unnerved the nation. (A)A. discouraged6. She allowed her steady gaze to flicker from the glass which she had been holding for hours.(C) C. shine unsteadily7. Self-awareness of roles and of the feelings evoked in interpersonal encounters is increasingly critical for the nimble entrepreneur. (B) B. agile8. I have always tried to live by my faith but it’s sometimes unexpectedly difficult to achieve.(C) C. act on9. What we’ve got here is a half-baked proposal that still needs a great deal of work. (D)D. unthoughtful10. For the next four years they defied convention by living as man and wife when they were not. (A) A. tradition1.She has been eliminated from the swimming race because she did not win any of the practice races. (C) C. got rid of2.One of the major flaws in the existing system is that the prosecutor has immunity from law suits claiming malicious prosecution. (B) B. spiteful3.They define a good patient as one who accepts their statements and their actions uncritically and unquestioningly. (A) A. characterize4.Roberts' poor physical condition combined with nagging injuries prevented him from playi ng more than 51 games in the past four seasons. (A) A. troubling5.Constant correction by a teacher is often counterproductive, as the student may become afr aid to speak at all. (C) C. unfavorable6.For centuries we women have gloated over the one negative aspect of aging more evident i n men than women: balding. (B) B. felt maliciously satisfied with7.In the conducive atmosphere around the fort, General Bradley immediately found out about the plot. (D) D. favorable8.It's a story of a harmful dynamic between white prejudice and black autonomy. (C)C. competing or conflicting system9.Gandhi rejects outright claims made concerning the superior or inferior status of religions.(B) B. direct10.My first boss was a really nasty person, who seemed to enjoy making life difficult for ever yone. (C) C. ugly1.To put a kid like Delia in eight-hour isolation for accepting a cigarette from a friend is bizarre and outrageous. (B) B. violen t2.Depression remains one of the most prevalent health disorders in the US. (A) A. common3.The next version of the software will have the edge over its competitors. (C)C. advantage4.He's managed to create a niche for himself in local politics. (B) B. right position5.There is nothing in the intrinsic nature of the work that makes it more suitable for women.(C) C. essential6.She addressed her young guest with civilities suitable for a personage of advanced years and uncertain appetite. (D) D. politeness7.That cannot be promised here, though a holistic perspective is taken on literary stylistics inaddressing science fiction. (C) C. overall8.Many observers suggest that this transfer has had mainly adverse effects on the population concerned. (D) D. unfavorable9.Instead, justice is a commodity designed by a hierarchy of judges still dedicated to the inter ests of Power. (B) B. devoted10.The university suspended the club for two years, during which it could not hold social or a thletic activities. (A) A. stopped1.The man amassed a great fortune during the war, but later lost all of it almost overnight.(A)A. collected2.Ten federal researchers were listed as contributors, but seven of them quickly disavowed an y connection with it. (D) D. denied3.Industrial labour was at last being regulated, water supplies purified, hospitals sanitised and prisons reformed. (D) D. controlled4.The investment remains beyond reach for many, but the choices today are much broader and more viable than 10 years ago. (D) D. feasible5.There is no resolution to this conflict and two sides seem to go to war. (B) B. disagreement6.The small island is now visited by millions of tourists for its natural endowments of white s andy beaches and clean water. (C) C. gifts7.Indeed, the logic of commercialism may lead the enterprise to pursue activities at odds with other government objectives. (B) B. run after8.First introduced in 1989, Adopt-a-Pet aims to highlight the plight of abandoned animals and encourage more responsible pet o wnership.(B) B. deserted9.As the King got older, he became convinced that his family were scheming against him. (A)A . plotting10.The Chinese football team outscored its opponent by two balls. (A) A. overcame1.Clinton also asked Glickman to report back within 30 days with recommendations to help alleviate debt problems afflicting cattle producers. (A) A. ease2.There was plenty to do on your own doorstep-to look further was a cop-out. (B)B. avoiding responsibility3.Then, too, repeated visits to cultural monuments doubtless palled in time, natural curiosity withered by sheer surfeit. (C) C. over-doing4.For example, Wilson wanted new recipients to be eligible for aid or only one year, but Democrats wanted two years. (B) B. qualified to be chosen5.It's up to him to show some grit in an uncertain world. (D) D. firm courage6.You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down. (C)C. making you depressed7.Farmers still have the problem of overcoming the stigma which all too often young people attach to working on the land. (A) A. deep feeling of losing face8.At decision-making time these consequences are simply left unmentioned, allowing organizational leaders to feign surprise when qualitative costs finally assert themselves. (A)A. give a false appearance of9.Anything less than this is a measure of the extent to which the research falls short of scienti fic standards. (B) B.is less than10.The second was that its atoms of uranium were transmuting themselves into atoms of a di fferent element whose atomic mass was lower. (D) D. changing themselves completely1.For these the primary schools provided a gentle haven before they transferred to the local se condary modern school. (D) D. sanctuary2.It also makes specialty parts and accessories, which can be used to spruce up the performan ce and appearance of existing automobiles. (B) B. smarten up3.I knew that faking the tears would make her get a sense of gratification and end the punish ment, but I refused. (A) A. satisfaction4.The stigma may not result from associating her language with ignorance, but the unkindnes s is just as real. (C) C. disgrace5.Her eyebrow had received the blow from the torch and had begun to throb; she could feel a trickle of blood. (B) B. movement6.You should not tell your client to expect that they will automatically experience an aversion response to the imagery of drinking. (D) D. antipathy7.Some economists are now predicting the danger of runaway inflation and they see it as a force that human can no longer control. (C) C. uncontrolled8.Anyone who studied at the college joined an elite band of well-connected lawyers, doctors and businessmen. (A) A. excellent9.Liz had a more robust notion of the self, and took another line on the individual's place in t he structure. (D) D. potent10.His friendship with Fujimori gives him unusual access to a president with a tiny circle of a dvisers and a penchant for secrecy. (B) B. preference1.Firstly, we need to ease the problems of cash shortage and credit crunch to maintain a stable banking system. (B) B. deficiency2.Wholesale markets for agricultural products shall have transaction regulations. (C)C. dealing3.The board has decided to withhold part of their grant money from certain students. (B)B. reserve4.The remainder of their school time is devoted to music theory, instrumental lessons and pr actice. (D) D. residue5.We will reimburse the expenses of the advertising for the representative. (A) A. recoup6.Any application for such extension of contract period shall be made six months before the expiration of the contract. (C) C. termination7.If you work in a company, you usually don't have to go to the tax bureau because your com pany will deduct it from your salary. (A) A. subtract8.What he said and did involved the bystanders in his dispute with the police. (D)D. disagreement9.You are advised to deposit your valuables in the hotel safe. (C) C. lodge10.She fumbled her purse which contained the address slip. (D) D. paper。
