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[
"all the fish should go to the patient",
"the fish should go to the owner of the canoe",
"the fish should be destroyed",
"everyone involved should get a third of the fish"
] | The final judgment was the _ . | This incident occurred one morning outsideAlbert Schweizer‘s hospital in the African jungle. Apatient had gone fishing in another man‘s boat. Theowner of the boat thought he should be given all thefish that were caught. Dr. Schweizer said to the boatowner;
You are right because the other man ought tohave asked permission to use your boat. But you are wrong because you are careless andlazy. You merely twisted the chain of your canoe round a palm tree instead of fastening it witha padlock. Of laziness you are guilty because you were asleep in your hut on this moonlit nightinstead of making use of the good chance for fishing.‖
He turned to the patient: ―But you were in the wrong when you took the boat withoutasking the owner‘s permission. You were in the right because you were not so lazy as he wasand you did want to let the moonlit night go by without making some use of it.‖
Dr. Schwerzer divided the catch among the fisher-man, the boat owner, and the hospital. | 2548.txt | 3 |
[
"The Argument",
"A Wise Man‘s Decision",
"The Thief",
"Right and wrong"
] | The best title for this selection is _ . | This incident occurred one morning outsideAlbert Schweizer‘s hospital in the African jungle. Apatient had gone fishing in another man‘s boat. Theowner of the boat thought he should be given all thefish that were caught. Dr. Schweizer said to the boatowner;
You are right because the other man ought tohave asked permission to use your boat. But you are wrong because you are careless andlazy. You merely twisted the chain of your canoe round a palm tree instead of fastening it witha padlock. Of laziness you are guilty because you were asleep in your hut on this moonlit nightinstead of making use of the good chance for fishing.‖
He turned to the patient: ―But you were in the wrong when you took the boat withoutasking the owner‘s permission. You were in the right because you were not so lazy as he wasand you did want to let the moonlit night go by without making some use of it.‖
Dr. Schwerzer divided the catch among the fisher-man, the boat owner, and the hospital. | 2548.txt | 1 |
[
"its natural, crude flavor.",
"its distorted depiction of people's daily life.",
"its penetrating sight.",
"its fantastical enthusiasm."
] | The poetry of Hughes's forerunners is characteristic of _ | He emerged, all of a sudden, in 1957: the most explosive new poetic talent of the English post-war era. Poetry specialised, at that moment, in the wry chronicling of the everyday. The poetry of Yorkshire-born Ted Hughes, first published in a book called "The Hawk in the Rain" when he was 27, was unlike anything written by his immediate predecessors. Driven by an almost Jacobean rhetoric, it had a visionary fervour. Its most eye-catching characteristic was Hughes's ability to get beneath the skins of animals: foxes, otters, pigs. These animals were the real thing all right, but they were also armorial devices-symbols of the countryside and lifeblood of the earth in which they were rooted. It gave his work a raw, primal stink.
It was not only England that thought so either. Hughes's book was also published in America, where it won the Galbraith prize, a major literary award. But then, in 1963, Sylvia Plath, a young American poet whom he had first met at Cambridge University in 1956, and who became his wife in the summer of that year, committed suicide. Hughes was vilified for long after that, especially by feminists in America. In 1998, the year he died, Hughes broke his own self-imposed public silence about their relationship in a book of loose-weave poems called "Birthday Letters". In this new and exhilarating collection of real letters, Hughes returns to the issue of his first wife's death, which he calls his "big and unmanageable event". He felt his talent muffled by the perpetual eavesdropping upon his every move. Not until he decided to publish his own account of their relationship did the burden begin to lighten.
The analysis is raw, pained and ruthlessly self-aware. For all the moral torment, the writing itself has the same rush and vigour that possessed Hughes's early poetry. Some books of letters serve as a personalised historical chronicle. Poets' letters are seldom like that, and Hughes's are no exception. His are about a life of literary engagement: almost all of them include some musing on the state or the nature of writing, both Hughes's own or other people's. The trajectory of Hughes's literary career had him moving from obscurity to fame, and then, in the eyes of many, to life-long notoriety. These letters are filled with his wrestling with the consequences of being the part-private, part-public creature that he became, desperate to devote himself to his writing, and yet subject to endless invasions of his privacy.
Hughes is an absorbing and intricate commentator upon his own poetry, even when he is standing back from it and good-humouredly condemning himself for "its fantasticalia, its pretticisms and its infinite verballifications". He also believed, from first to last, that poetry had a special place in the education of children. "What kids need", he wrote in a 1988 letter to the secretary of state for education in the Conservative government, "is a headfull [sic] of songs that are not songs but blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language." When that happens, children have "the guardian angel installed behind the tongue". Lucky readers, big or small. | 3609.txt | 1 |
[
"tortured",
"harassed",
"scolded",
"tormented"
] | The word "vilified" (Line 4, Paragraph 2)most probably means _ | He emerged, all of a sudden, in 1957: the most explosive new poetic talent of the English post-war era. Poetry specialised, at that moment, in the wry chronicling of the everyday. The poetry of Yorkshire-born Ted Hughes, first published in a book called "The Hawk in the Rain" when he was 27, was unlike anything written by his immediate predecessors. Driven by an almost Jacobean rhetoric, it had a visionary fervour. Its most eye-catching characteristic was Hughes's ability to get beneath the skins of animals: foxes, otters, pigs. These animals were the real thing all right, but they were also armorial devices-symbols of the countryside and lifeblood of the earth in which they were rooted. It gave his work a raw, primal stink.
It was not only England that thought so either. Hughes's book was also published in America, where it won the Galbraith prize, a major literary award. But then, in 1963, Sylvia Plath, a young American poet whom he had first met at Cambridge University in 1956, and who became his wife in the summer of that year, committed suicide. Hughes was vilified for long after that, especially by feminists in America. In 1998, the year he died, Hughes broke his own self-imposed public silence about their relationship in a book of loose-weave poems called "Birthday Letters". In this new and exhilarating collection of real letters, Hughes returns to the issue of his first wife's death, which he calls his "big and unmanageable event". He felt his talent muffled by the perpetual eavesdropping upon his every move. Not until he decided to publish his own account of their relationship did the burden begin to lighten.
The analysis is raw, pained and ruthlessly self-aware. For all the moral torment, the writing itself has the same rush and vigour that possessed Hughes's early poetry. Some books of letters serve as a personalised historical chronicle. Poets' letters are seldom like that, and Hughes's are no exception. His are about a life of literary engagement: almost all of them include some musing on the state or the nature of writing, both Hughes's own or other people's. The trajectory of Hughes's literary career had him moving from obscurity to fame, and then, in the eyes of many, to life-long notoriety. These letters are filled with his wrestling with the consequences of being the part-private, part-public creature that he became, desperate to devote himself to his writing, and yet subject to endless invasions of his privacy.
Hughes is an absorbing and intricate commentator upon his own poetry, even when he is standing back from it and good-humouredly condemning himself for "its fantasticalia, its pretticisms and its infinite verballifications". He also believed, from first to last, that poetry had a special place in the education of children. "What kids need", he wrote in a 1988 letter to the secretary of state for education in the Conservative government, "is a headfull [sic] of songs that are not songs but blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language." When that happens, children have "the guardian angel installed behind the tongue". Lucky readers, big or small. | 3609.txt | 2 |
[
"the exact reason responsible for both his fame and notoriety.",
"personalized description of his double identity as a public and a private figure.",
"reflections of his struggle between his literary devotion and the reality.",
"his meditation and exploration on the literary world and the essence of literature."
] | According to the third paragraph, Hughes's collection of letters are _ | He emerged, all of a sudden, in 1957: the most explosive new poetic talent of the English post-war era. Poetry specialised, at that moment, in the wry chronicling of the everyday. The poetry of Yorkshire-born Ted Hughes, first published in a book called "The Hawk in the Rain" when he was 27, was unlike anything written by his immediate predecessors. Driven by an almost Jacobean rhetoric, it had a visionary fervour. Its most eye-catching characteristic was Hughes's ability to get beneath the skins of animals: foxes, otters, pigs. These animals were the real thing all right, but they were also armorial devices-symbols of the countryside and lifeblood of the earth in which they were rooted. It gave his work a raw, primal stink.
It was not only England that thought so either. Hughes's book was also published in America, where it won the Galbraith prize, a major literary award. But then, in 1963, Sylvia Plath, a young American poet whom he had first met at Cambridge University in 1956, and who became his wife in the summer of that year, committed suicide. Hughes was vilified for long after that, especially by feminists in America. In 1998, the year he died, Hughes broke his own self-imposed public silence about their relationship in a book of loose-weave poems called "Birthday Letters". In this new and exhilarating collection of real letters, Hughes returns to the issue of his first wife's death, which he calls his "big and unmanageable event". He felt his talent muffled by the perpetual eavesdropping upon his every move. Not until he decided to publish his own account of their relationship did the burden begin to lighten.
The analysis is raw, pained and ruthlessly self-aware. For all the moral torment, the writing itself has the same rush and vigour that possessed Hughes's early poetry. Some books of letters serve as a personalised historical chronicle. Poets' letters are seldom like that, and Hughes's are no exception. His are about a life of literary engagement: almost all of them include some musing on the state or the nature of writing, both Hughes's own or other people's. The trajectory of Hughes's literary career had him moving from obscurity to fame, and then, in the eyes of many, to life-long notoriety. These letters are filled with his wrestling with the consequences of being the part-private, part-public creature that he became, desperate to devote himself to his writing, and yet subject to endless invasions of his privacy.
Hughes is an absorbing and intricate commentator upon his own poetry, even when he is standing back from it and good-humouredly condemning himself for "its fantasticalia, its pretticisms and its infinite verballifications". He also believed, from first to last, that poetry had a special place in the education of children. "What kids need", he wrote in a 1988 letter to the secretary of state for education in the Conservative government, "is a headfull [sic] of songs that are not songs but blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language." When that happens, children have "the guardian angel installed behind the tongue". Lucky readers, big or small. | 3609.txt | 3 |
[
"his eager and unsatisfied passion for literature.",
"that he is a part-private, part-public creature.",
"that he is constrained by the fear of his privacy being exposed to the criticism of the public.",
"the moral torment exerted by himself."
] | From the letters, we may find the cause of Hughes's internal struggle is _ | He emerged, all of a sudden, in 1957: the most explosive new poetic talent of the English post-war era. Poetry specialised, at that moment, in the wry chronicling of the everyday. The poetry of Yorkshire-born Ted Hughes, first published in a book called "The Hawk in the Rain" when he was 27, was unlike anything written by his immediate predecessors. Driven by an almost Jacobean rhetoric, it had a visionary fervour. Its most eye-catching characteristic was Hughes's ability to get beneath the skins of animals: foxes, otters, pigs. These animals were the real thing all right, but they were also armorial devices-symbols of the countryside and lifeblood of the earth in which they were rooted. It gave his work a raw, primal stink.
It was not only England that thought so either. Hughes's book was also published in America, where it won the Galbraith prize, a major literary award. But then, in 1963, Sylvia Plath, a young American poet whom he had first met at Cambridge University in 1956, and who became his wife in the summer of that year, committed suicide. Hughes was vilified for long after that, especially by feminists in America. In 1998, the year he died, Hughes broke his own self-imposed public silence about their relationship in a book of loose-weave poems called "Birthday Letters". In this new and exhilarating collection of real letters, Hughes returns to the issue of his first wife's death, which he calls his "big and unmanageable event". He felt his talent muffled by the perpetual eavesdropping upon his every move. Not until he decided to publish his own account of their relationship did the burden begin to lighten.
The analysis is raw, pained and ruthlessly self-aware. For all the moral torment, the writing itself has the same rush and vigour that possessed Hughes's early poetry. Some books of letters serve as a personalised historical chronicle. Poets' letters are seldom like that, and Hughes's are no exception. His are about a life of literary engagement: almost all of them include some musing on the state or the nature of writing, both Hughes's own or other people's. The trajectory of Hughes's literary career had him moving from obscurity to fame, and then, in the eyes of many, to life-long notoriety. These letters are filled with his wrestling with the consequences of being the part-private, part-public creature that he became, desperate to devote himself to his writing, and yet subject to endless invasions of his privacy.
Hughes is an absorbing and intricate commentator upon his own poetry, even when he is standing back from it and good-humouredly condemning himself for "its fantasticalia, its pretticisms and its infinite verballifications". He also believed, from first to last, that poetry had a special place in the education of children. "What kids need", he wrote in a 1988 letter to the secretary of state for education in the Conservative government, "is a headfull [sic] of songs that are not songs but blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language." When that happens, children have "the guardian angel installed behind the tongue". Lucky readers, big or small. | 3609.txt | 2 |
[
"children who are imparted with the beauty and wisdom of poetry.",
"children who have a headfull of fantastic and verbally perfect songs.",
"children who own blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language.",
"children who are believed to have the guardian angel installed behind the tongue."
] | By "lucky readers" in the last sentence, the author means _ | He emerged, all of a sudden, in 1957: the most explosive new poetic talent of the English post-war era. Poetry specialised, at that moment, in the wry chronicling of the everyday. The poetry of Yorkshire-born Ted Hughes, first published in a book called "The Hawk in the Rain" when he was 27, was unlike anything written by his immediate predecessors. Driven by an almost Jacobean rhetoric, it had a visionary fervour. Its most eye-catching characteristic was Hughes's ability to get beneath the skins of animals: foxes, otters, pigs. These animals were the real thing all right, but they were also armorial devices-symbols of the countryside and lifeblood of the earth in which they were rooted. It gave his work a raw, primal stink.
It was not only England that thought so either. Hughes's book was also published in America, where it won the Galbraith prize, a major literary award. But then, in 1963, Sylvia Plath, a young American poet whom he had first met at Cambridge University in 1956, and who became his wife in the summer of that year, committed suicide. Hughes was vilified for long after that, especially by feminists in America. In 1998, the year he died, Hughes broke his own self-imposed public silence about their relationship in a book of loose-weave poems called "Birthday Letters". In this new and exhilarating collection of real letters, Hughes returns to the issue of his first wife's death, which he calls his "big and unmanageable event". He felt his talent muffled by the perpetual eavesdropping upon his every move. Not until he decided to publish his own account of their relationship did the burden begin to lighten.
The analysis is raw, pained and ruthlessly self-aware. For all the moral torment, the writing itself has the same rush and vigour that possessed Hughes's early poetry. Some books of letters serve as a personalised historical chronicle. Poets' letters are seldom like that, and Hughes's are no exception. His are about a life of literary engagement: almost all of them include some musing on the state or the nature of writing, both Hughes's own or other people's. The trajectory of Hughes's literary career had him moving from obscurity to fame, and then, in the eyes of many, to life-long notoriety. These letters are filled with his wrestling with the consequences of being the part-private, part-public creature that he became, desperate to devote himself to his writing, and yet subject to endless invasions of his privacy.
Hughes is an absorbing and intricate commentator upon his own poetry, even when he is standing back from it and good-humouredly condemning himself for "its fantasticalia, its pretticisms and its infinite verballifications". He also believed, from first to last, that poetry had a special place in the education of children. "What kids need", he wrote in a 1988 letter to the secretary of state for education in the Conservative government, "is a headfull [sic] of songs that are not songs but blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language." When that happens, children have "the guardian angel installed behind the tongue". Lucky readers, big or small. | 3609.txt | 0 |
[
"gain support from the local community",
"protect it from irresponsible development",
"make it a better home for black bears",
"provide financial security for future generations"
] | The purpose in naming the Poconos as one of America's "Last Great Places" is to _ . | Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world's largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows , mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy's bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like
Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said. "The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org. | 1546.txt | 1 |
[
"the population in the Pocono area is growing",
"wildlife in the Pocono area is dying out rapidly",
"the security of the Pocono residents is being threatened",
"farmlands in the Pocono area are shrinking fast"
] | We learn from the passage that _ . | Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world's largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows , mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy's bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like
Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said. "The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org. | 1546.txt | 0 |
[
"The setting up of an environmental protection website",
"Support from organizations like The Nature Conservancy",
"Cooperation with the local residents and business leaders",
"Inclusion of farmlands in the region's protection program"
] | What is important in protecting the Poconos according to Cook? | Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world's largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows , mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy's bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like
Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said. "The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org. | 1546.txt | 2 |
[
"Financial contributions from local business leaders",
"Consideration of the interests of the local residents",
"The establishment of a wildlife protection foundation in the area",
"The setting up of a local Nature Conservancy branch in the Pocono area"
] | What does Bud Cook mean by "having a local presence" (Line 1, Para. 5)? | Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world's largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows , mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy's bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like
Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said. "The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org. | 1546.txt | 3 |
[
"an official document",
"a news story",
"an advertisement",
"a research report"
] | The passage most probably is _ . | Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world's largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows , mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy's bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like
Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said. "The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org. | 1546.txt | 2 |
[
"Love, from Graffiti Writers to Muralists",
"MAP, a New Company in Philadelphia",
"Jane, an Excellent Mural Artist",
"Hope, One Wall at a Time"
] | What can be the best title for the text? | Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 muralshave been painted.Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffitiare now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. "When people ask me what ow program is about," she says, "I answer them with one word: hope." Each.year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community.When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been "Safe Streets," "Love and Care," and "Peace Walk."
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
"The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history" says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles. | 2452.txt | 3 |
[
"Helping the young find jobs.",
"Protecting the neighborhood.",
"Fighting against graffiti.",
"Attracting more visitors."
] | What is the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia aimed at? | Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 muralshave been painted.Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffitiare now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. "When people ask me what ow program is about," she says, "I answer them with one word: hope." Each.year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community.When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been "Safe Streets," "Love and Care," and "Peace Walk."
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
"The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history" says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles. | 2452.txt | 2 |
[
"By having discussions with people in the community.",
"By seeking advice from the city government.",
"By learning from the young graffiti writers.",
"By studying the history of the city."
] | How does the MAP decide on the message for a mural? | Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 muralshave been painted.Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffitiare now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. "When people ask me what ow program is about," she says, "I answer them with one word: hope." Each.year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community.When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been "Safe Streets," "Love and Care," and "Peace Walk."
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
"The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history" says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles. | 2452.txt | 0 |
[
"Difficult.",
"Dangerous.",
"Experimental.",
"Successful."
] | Which of the following words best describes the work of the MAP? | Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 muralshave been painted.Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffitiare now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. "When people ask me what ow program is about," she says, "I answer them with one word: hope." Each.year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community.When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been "Safe Streets," "Love and Care," and "Peace Walk."
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
"The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history" says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles. | 2452.txt | 3 |
[
"people can learn to recognize faces",
"people have different personalities",
"people have difficulty in describing the features of finger prints",
"people differ from each other in facial features"
] | By using the example of finger prints, the author tells us that _ . | Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people. Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child-or even an animal, such as a pigeon-can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for granted.
We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.
Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a "nice face" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a "nice person", you might begin to think about someone who was kind considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth.
There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people's behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-people are described with such terms.
People have always tried to "type" each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain's or the hero's role. In fact, the words "person" and "personality" come from the Latin persona, meaning "mask". Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys" because the two types differ in appearance as well as inactions. | 3106.txt | 3 |
[
"telling people apart by how they behave",
"typing each other",
"telling good people from had people",
"recognizing human faces"
] | According to this passage, some animals have the gift of _ . | Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people. Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child-or even an animal, such as a pigeon-can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for granted.
We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.
Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a "nice face" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a "nice person", you might begin to think about someone who was kind considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth.
There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people's behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-people are described with such terms.
People have always tried to "type" each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain's or the hero's role. In fact, the words "person" and "personality" come from the Latin persona, meaning "mask". Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys" because the two types differ in appearance as well as inactions. | 3106.txt | 3 |
[
"The ancient Greek audience",
"The movie actors",
"Psychologists",
"The modern TV audience"
] | Who most probably knows best how to describe people's personality? | Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people. Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child-or even an animal, such as a pigeon-can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for granted.
We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.
Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a "nice face" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a "nice person", you might begin to think about someone who was kind considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth.
There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people's behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-people are described with such terms.
People have always tried to "type" each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain's or the hero's role. In fact, the words "person" and "personality" come from the Latin persona, meaning "mask". Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys" because the two types differ in appearance as well as inactions. | 3106.txt | 2 |
[
"people differ in their behavioral and physical characteristics",
"human fingerprints provide unique information",
"people's behavior can be easily described in words",
"human faces have complex features"
] | According to the passage, it is possible for us tell one type of person from another because _ . | Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people. Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child-or even an animal, such as a pigeon-can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for granted.
We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.
Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a "nice face" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a "nice person", you might begin to think about someone who was kind considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth.
There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people's behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-people are described with such terms.
People have always tried to "type" each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain's or the hero's role. In fact, the words "person" and "personality" come from the Latin persona, meaning "mask". Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys" because the two types differ in appearance as well as inactions. | 3106.txt | 0 |
[
"Why it is necessary to identify people's personality",
"Why it is possible to describe people",
"How to get to know people",
"How best to recognize people"
] | Which of the following is the major point of the passage? | Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people. Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child-or even an animal, such as a pigeon-can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for granted.
We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.
Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a "nice face" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a "nice person", you might begin to think about someone who was kind considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth.
There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people's behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-people are described with such terms.
People have always tried to "type" each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain's or the hero's role. In fact, the words "person" and "personality" come from the Latin persona, meaning "mask". Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys" because the two types differ in appearance as well as inactions. | 3106.txt | 1 |
[
"those happy times appear still to be with us",
"there simply wasn't any crime to worry about",
"many sites are not well-protected",
"hackers try out tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in"
] | By saying "... owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors" (Lines 3-4, Para. 2), the author means that ________. | In the villages of the English countryside there are still people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn't any crime to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world's biggest community. A new study by Dan Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors.
SATAN can try out a variety of well-known hacking tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in. Farmer has made the program publicly available, amid much criticism. A person with evil intent could use it to hunt down sites that are easy to burgle (…...).
But Farmer is very concerned about the need to alert the public to poor security and, so far, events have proved him right. SATAN has done more to alert people to the risks than cause new disorder. So is the Net becoming more secure? Far from it. In the early days, when you visited a Web site your browser simply looked at the content. Now the Web is full of tiny programs that automatically download when you look at a Web page, and run on your own machine. These programs could, if their authors wished, do all kinds of nasty things to your computer.
At the same time, the Net is increasingly populated with spiders, worms, agents and other types of automated beasts designed to penetrate the sites and seek out and classify information. All these make wonderful tools for antisocial people who want to invade weak sites and cause damage.
But let's look on the bright side. Given the lack of locks, the Internet is surely the world's biggest (almost) crime-free society. Maybe that is because hackers are fundamentally honest. Or that there currently isn't much to steal. Or because vandalism ( ) isn't much fun unless you have a peculiar dislike for someone.
Whatever the reason, let's enjoy it while we can. But expect it all to change, and security to become the number one issue, when the most influential inhabitants of the Net are selling services they want to be paid for. | 4131.txt | 2 |
[
"to investigate the security of Internet sites",
"to improve the security of the Internet system",
"to prevent hackers from breaking into websites",
"to download useful programs and information"
] | SATAN, a program designed by Dan Fanner can be used ________. | In the villages of the English countryside there are still people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn't any crime to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world's biggest community. A new study by Dan Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors.
SATAN can try out a variety of well-known hacking tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in. Farmer has made the program publicly available, amid much criticism. A person with evil intent could use it to hunt down sites that are easy to burgle (…...).
But Farmer is very concerned about the need to alert the public to poor security and, so far, events have proved him right. SATAN has done more to alert people to the risks than cause new disorder. So is the Net becoming more secure? Far from it. In the early days, when you visited a Web site your browser simply looked at the content. Now the Web is full of tiny programs that automatically download when you look at a Web page, and run on your own machine. These programs could, if their authors wished, do all kinds of nasty things to your computer.
At the same time, the Net is increasingly populated with spiders, worms, agents and other types of automated beasts designed to penetrate the sites and seek out and classify information. All these make wonderful tools for antisocial people who want to invade weak sites and cause damage.
But let's look on the bright side. Given the lack of locks, the Internet is surely the world's biggest (almost) crime-free society. Maybe that is because hackers are fundamentally honest. Or that there currently isn't much to steal. Or because vandalism ( ) isn't much fun unless you have a peculiar dislike for someone.
Whatever the reason, let's enjoy it while we can. But expect it all to change, and security to become the number one issue, when the most influential inhabitants of the Net are selling services they want to be paid for. | 4131.txt | 0 |
[
"it causes damage to Net browsers",
"it can break into Internet sites",
"it can be used to cause disorder on all sites",
"it can be used by people with evil intent"
] | Fanner's program has been criticized by the public because. | In the villages of the English countryside there are still people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn't any crime to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world's biggest community. A new study by Dan Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors.
SATAN can try out a variety of well-known hacking tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in. Farmer has made the program publicly available, amid much criticism. A person with evil intent could use it to hunt down sites that are easy to burgle (…...).
But Farmer is very concerned about the need to alert the public to poor security and, so far, events have proved him right. SATAN has done more to alert people to the risks than cause new disorder. So is the Net becoming more secure? Far from it. In the early days, when you visited a Web site your browser simply looked at the content. Now the Web is full of tiny programs that automatically download when you look at a Web page, and run on your own machine. These programs could, if their authors wished, do all kinds of nasty things to your computer.
At the same time, the Net is increasingly populated with spiders, worms, agents and other types of automated beasts designed to penetrate the sites and seek out and classify information. All these make wonderful tools for antisocial people who want to invade weak sites and cause damage.
But let's look on the bright side. Given the lack of locks, the Internet is surely the world's biggest (almost) crime-free society. Maybe that is because hackers are fundamentally honest. Or that there currently isn't much to steal. Or because vandalism ( ) isn't much fun unless you have a peculiar dislike for someone.
Whatever the reason, let's enjoy it while we can. But expect it all to change, and security to become the number one issue, when the most influential inhabitants of the Net are selling services they want to be paid for. | 4131.txt | 3 |
[
"enthusiastic",
"critical",
"positive",
"indifferent"
] | The author's attitude toward SATAN is ________. | In the villages of the English countryside there are still people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn't any crime to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world's biggest community. A new study by Dan Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors.
SATAN can try out a variety of well-known hacking tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in. Farmer has made the program publicly available, amid much criticism. A person with evil intent could use it to hunt down sites that are easy to burgle (…...).
But Farmer is very concerned about the need to alert the public to poor security and, so far, events have proved him right. SATAN has done more to alert people to the risks than cause new disorder. So is the Net becoming more secure? Far from it. In the early days, when you visited a Web site your browser simply looked at the content. Now the Web is full of tiny programs that automatically download when you look at a Web page, and run on your own machine. These programs could, if their authors wished, do all kinds of nasty things to your computer.
At the same time, the Net is increasingly populated with spiders, worms, agents and other types of automated beasts designed to penetrate the sites and seek out and classify information. All these make wonderful tools for antisocial people who want to invade weak sites and cause damage.
But let's look on the bright side. Given the lack of locks, the Internet is surely the world's biggest (almost) crime-free society. Maybe that is because hackers are fundamentally honest. Or that there currently isn't much to steal. Or because vandalism ( ) isn't much fun unless you have a peculiar dislike for someone.
Whatever the reason, let's enjoy it while we can. But expect it all to change, and security to become the number one issue, when the most influential inhabitants of the Net are selling services they want to be paid for. | 4131.txt | 2 |
[
"we should make full use of the Internet before security measures are strengthened",
"we should alert the most influential businessmen to the importance of security",
"influential businessmen should give priority to the improvement of Net security",
"net inhabitants should not let security measures affect their joy of surfing the Internet"
] | The author suggests in the last paragraph that ________. | In the villages of the English countryside there are still people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn't any crime to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world's biggest community. A new study by Dan Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors.
SATAN can try out a variety of well-known hacking tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in. Farmer has made the program publicly available, amid much criticism. A person with evil intent could use it to hunt down sites that are easy to burgle (…...).
But Farmer is very concerned about the need to alert the public to poor security and, so far, events have proved him right. SATAN has done more to alert people to the risks than cause new disorder. So is the Net becoming more secure? Far from it. In the early days, when you visited a Web site your browser simply looked at the content. Now the Web is full of tiny programs that automatically download when you look at a Web page, and run on your own machine. These programs could, if their authors wished, do all kinds of nasty things to your computer.
At the same time, the Net is increasingly populated with spiders, worms, agents and other types of automated beasts designed to penetrate the sites and seek out and classify information. All these make wonderful tools for antisocial people who want to invade weak sites and cause damage.
But let's look on the bright side. Given the lack of locks, the Internet is surely the world's biggest (almost) crime-free society. Maybe that is because hackers are fundamentally honest. Or that there currently isn't much to steal. Or because vandalism ( ) isn't much fun unless you have a peculiar dislike for someone.
Whatever the reason, let's enjoy it while we can. But expect it all to change, and security to become the number one issue, when the most influential inhabitants of the Net are selling services they want to be paid for. | 4131.txt | 0 |
[
". its unbalanced budget.",
".its rigid management.",
".the cost for technical upgrading.",
". the withdrawal of bank support."
] | The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by | The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality
And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS's ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users-has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate - where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There's no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency's costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they're getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century. | 670.txt | 1 |
[
". the interference from interest groups.",
".the inadequate funding from Congress.",
".the shrinking demand for postal service.",
".the incompetence of postal unions."
] | According to Paragraph 2, the USPS fails to modernize itself due to | The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality
And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS's ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users-has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate - where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There's no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency's costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they're getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century. | 670.txt | 0 |
[
".removing its burden of retiree health care.",
".making more investment in new vehicles.",
".adopting a new rate-increase mechanism.",
". attracting more first-class mail users."
] | The long-standing complaint by the USPS and its unions can be addressed by | The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality
And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS's ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users-has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate - where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There's no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency's costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they're getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century. | 670.txt | 0 |
[
"respect.",
"tolerance.",
"discontent.",
"gratitude."
] | In the last paragraph, the author seems to view legislators with | The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality
And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS's ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users-has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate - where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There's no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency's costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they're getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century. | 670.txt | 2 |
[
".The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days",
".The Postal Service: Keep Away from My Cheese",
".The USPS: Chronic Illness Requires a Quick Cure",
".The Postal Service Needs More than a Band-Aid"
] | Which of the following would be the best title for the text? | The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality
And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS's ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users-has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate - where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There's no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency's costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they're getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century. | 670.txt | 3 |
[
"The National Academy of Design",
"Paintings that featured the Hudson River",
"North American landscape paintings",
"The training of American artists in European academies"
] | What does the passage mainly discuss? | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 1 |
[
"Figural painting",
"Landscape painting",
"Impressionistic painting",
"Historical painting"
] | Before 1870, what was considered the most representative kind of American painting? | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 1 |
[
"connection",
"distance",
"communication",
"competition"
] | The word "struggle" in line 5 is closest in meaning to | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 3 |
[
"alarmed",
"dominated",
"repelled",
"pursued"
] | The word "monopolized" in line 7 is closest in meaning to | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 1 |
[
"It mediated conflicts between artists.",
"It supervised the incorporation of new artistic techniques.",
"It determined which subjects were appropriate.",
"It supported their growth and development."
] | According to the passage , what was the function of the National Academy of Design for the painters born before 1835? | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 3 |
[
"matter",
"technique",
"patronage",
"country"
] | The word "it" in line 12 refers to | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 2 |
[
"sides",
"people",
"cities",
"images"
] | The word "factions" in line 13 is closest in meaning to | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 0 |
[
"expressive",
"serious",
"complimentary",
"flashy"
] | The word "flattering" in line 18 is closest in meaning to | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 2 |
[
"In Europe",
"In the Adirondacks",
"In Vermont",
"In New Hampshire"
] | Where did the younger generation of painters receive its artistic training? | The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth-century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self-taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school - the most representative school of American art in any genre - had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.
The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. | 2118.txt | 0 |
[
"water vapor is an air pollutant in localized areas",
"the definition of air pollution will continue to change",
"a substance becomes an air pollutant only in cities",
"most air pollutants today can be seen or smelled"
] | It can be inferred from thefirst paragraph that _ | A useful definition of an air pollutantis a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmospherein suchquantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or material adversely (.. Air pollution requires avery flexibledefinition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution lawswere established inEngland in the fourteenth century, air pollutants werelimited to compounds that could be seen or smelled-a farcry (. from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. Astechnology has developed andknowledge of the health aspects of variouschemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. Inthefuture, even water vapor (. might be consideredan air pollutant under certain conditions.
Many of the more important airpollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides,arefound in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations ( . of these pollutants were altered byvariouschemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical (. cycles. These serve as an airpurification scheme by allowing thecompounds to move from the air to the water or soil. On a global basis,nature'soutput of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities. However,human productionusually occurs in a localized area, such as a city.
In this localized region, human outputmay be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purificationscheme ofthe cycles. The result is an increased concentration of noxious ( . chemicals in the air. Theconcentrations atwhich the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations thatthe pollutants wouldhave in the absence of human activities. The actualconcentration need not be large for a substance to be apollutant; in fact thenumerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase thisrepresents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area. Forexample, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at0.08 parts per million(ppm., which is about 400 times its natural level.Carbon monoxide, however, has a naturallevel of 0.1 ppm and is not usually apollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm. | 736.txt | 1 |
[
"They function as part of a purification process.",
"They are dwarfed by the pollutants produced by human activities.",
"They are less harmful to living beings than are other pollutants.",
"They have existed since the Earth developed."
] | In what way can naturalpollutants play an important role in controlling air pollution? | A useful definition of an air pollutantis a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmospherein suchquantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or material adversely (.. Air pollution requires avery flexibledefinition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution lawswere established inEngland in the fourteenth century, air pollutants werelimited to compounds that could be seen or smelled-a farcry (. from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. Astechnology has developed andknowledge of the health aspects of variouschemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. Inthefuture, even water vapor (. might be consideredan air pollutant under certain conditions.
Many of the more important airpollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides,arefound in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations ( . of these pollutants were altered byvariouschemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical (. cycles. These serve as an airpurification scheme by allowing thecompounds to move from the air to the water or soil. On a global basis,nature'soutput of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities. However,human productionusually occurs in a localized area, such as a city.
In this localized region, human outputmay be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purificationscheme ofthe cycles. The result is an increased concentration of noxious ( . chemicals in the air. Theconcentrations atwhich the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations thatthe pollutants wouldhave in the absence of human activities. The actualconcentration need not be large for a substance to be apollutant; in fact thenumerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase thisrepresents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area. Forexample, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at0.08 parts per million(ppm., which is about 400 times its natural level.Carbon monoxide, however, has a naturallevel of 0.1 ppm and is not usually apollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm. | 736.txt | 0 |
[
"the other substances in the area are known",
"it is a localized area",
"it can be calculated quickly",
"the naturally occurring level is also known"
] | According to the passage,the numerical value Of the concentration level of a substance is only useful if | A useful definition of an air pollutantis a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmospherein suchquantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or material adversely (.. Air pollution requires avery flexibledefinition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution lawswere established inEngland in the fourteenth century, air pollutants werelimited to compounds that could be seen or smelled-a farcry (. from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. Astechnology has developed andknowledge of the health aspects of variouschemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. Inthefuture, even water vapor (. might be consideredan air pollutant under certain conditions.
Many of the more important airpollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides,arefound in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations ( . of these pollutants were altered byvariouschemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical (. cycles. These serve as an airpurification scheme by allowing thecompounds to move from the air to the water or soil. On a global basis,nature'soutput of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities. However,human productionusually occurs in a localized area, such as a city.
In this localized region, human outputmay be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purificationscheme ofthe cycles. The result is an increased concentration of noxious ( . chemicals in the air. Theconcentrations atwhich the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations thatthe pollutants wouldhave in the absence of human activities. The actualconcentration need not be large for a substance to be apollutant; in fact thenumerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase thisrepresents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area. Forexample, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at0.08 parts per million(ppm., which is about 400 times its natural level.Carbon monoxide, however, has a naturallevel of 0.1 ppm and is not usually apollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm. | 736.txt | 3 |
[
"To effectively control pollution, local government should regularlyrevise the air pollution laws.",
"One of the most important steps in preserving natural lands is tobetter enforce air pollution laws.",
"Scientists should be consulted in order to establish uniform limitsfor all air pollutants.",
"Human activities have great impact on air pollution."
] | Which of the following isbest supported by the passage? | A useful definition of an air pollutantis a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmospherein suchquantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or material adversely (.. Air pollution requires avery flexibledefinition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution lawswere established inEngland in the fourteenth century, air pollutants werelimited to compounds that could be seen or smelled-a farcry (. from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. Astechnology has developed andknowledge of the health aspects of variouschemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. Inthefuture, even water vapor (. might be consideredan air pollutant under certain conditions.
Many of the more important airpollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides,arefound in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations ( . of these pollutants were altered byvariouschemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical (. cycles. These serve as an airpurification scheme by allowing thecompounds to move from the air to the water or soil. On a global basis,nature'soutput of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities. However,human productionusually occurs in a localized area, such as a city.
In this localized region, human outputmay be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purificationscheme ofthe cycles. The result is an increased concentration of noxious ( . chemicals in the air. Theconcentrations atwhich the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations thatthe pollutants wouldhave in the absence of human activities. The actualconcentration need not be large for a substance to be apollutant; in fact thenumerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase thisrepresents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area. Forexample, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at0.08 parts per million(ppm., which is about 400 times its natural level.Carbon monoxide, however, has a naturallevel of 0.1 ppm and is not usually apollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm. | 736.txt | 3 |
[
"the economic impact on air pollution",
"how much damage air pollutants can cause",
"what constitutes an air pollutant",
"the quantity of compounds added to the atmosphere"
] | The passage mainlydiscusses _ | A useful definition of an air pollutantis a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmospherein suchquantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or material adversely (.. Air pollution requires avery flexibledefinition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution lawswere established inEngland in the fourteenth century, air pollutants werelimited to compounds that could be seen or smelled-a farcry (. from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. Astechnology has developed andknowledge of the health aspects of variouschemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. Inthefuture, even water vapor (. might be consideredan air pollutant under certain conditions.
Many of the more important airpollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides,arefound in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations ( . of these pollutants were altered byvariouschemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical (. cycles. These serve as an airpurification scheme by allowing thecompounds to move from the air to the water or soil. On a global basis,nature'soutput of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities. However,human productionusually occurs in a localized area, such as a city.
In this localized region, human outputmay be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purificationscheme ofthe cycles. The result is an increased concentration of noxious ( . chemicals in the air. Theconcentrations atwhich the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations thatthe pollutants wouldhave in the absence of human activities. The actualconcentration need not be large for a substance to be apollutant; in fact thenumerical value tells us little until we know how much of an increase thisrepresents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area. Forexample, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at0.08 parts per million(ppm., which is about 400 times its natural level.Carbon monoxide, however, has a naturallevel of 0.1 ppm and is not usually apollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm. | 736.txt | 1 |
[
"different parts of the world",
"the cold countries",
"South America and Africa",
"the countries of Africa and South-east Asia"
] | Apes live in. | An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man's brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world-tropical Africa and South-east Asia.
The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Cetral Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can.
Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom. | 1922.txt | 3 |
[
"as large as a man's brain",
"a lot smaller than a man's brain",
"larger than that of any other animal including man",
"a lot larger than a man's brain"
] | An ape's brain is. | An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man's brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world-tropical Africa and South-east Asia.
The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Cetral Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can.
Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom. | 1922.txt | 1 |
[
"stands on his legs",
"stand on his arms",
"roars",
"uses his great strength"
] | A gorilla is about six feet tall when he. | An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man's brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world-tropical Africa and South-east Asia.
The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Cetral Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can.
Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom. | 1922.txt | 0 |
[
"vegetables",
"leaves and grass",
"plants and fruit",
"rice"
] | All gorillas live on. | An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man's brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world-tropical Africa and South-east Asia.
The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Cetral Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can.
Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom. | 1922.txt | 2 |
[
"the old female gorilla",
"the old male gorilla",
"the young gorillas up to six years old",
"the baby gorillas"
] | During the night gorilla usually sleep in trees except. | An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man's brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world-tropical Africa and South-east Asia.
The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Cetral Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can.
Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom. | 1922.txt | 1 |
[
"Jack had fallen asleep while reading",
"Jack had been reading for some time",
"Jack's light was not turned off",
"Jack was ready to answer the door"
] | When he got home, Neville found that _ ? | It must have been around nine O'clock when I drove back home from work because it was already dark. As I came near to the gates I turned off the headlamps of the car so as to prevent the beam from swingingin through the window and waking Jack, who shared the house with me. But needn't have done so, I noticed that his light was still on, so he was awake anyway--- unless he had fallen asleep while reading. I put the car away and went up the steps, Then I opened the door quietly and went to Jack's room. He was in bed awake but he didn't even turn towards me.
"What's up, Jack?" I said.
"For God's sake, don't make a noise," he said.
The way he spoke reminded me of someone in pain who is afraid to talk in case he does himself a serious injury.
"Take your shoes off, Neville," Jack said.
I thought that he must be ill and that I had better humour him to keep him happy, "There's a snake here" he explained, "It's asleep between the sheets. I was lying on my back reading when I saw it. I knew that moving was out of the question. I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to." I realized that he was serious. "I was relying on you to call a doctor as soon as you came home." Jack went on." It hasn't bitten me yet but I daren't do anything to upset it. It might wake up. I'm sick of this," he said, ：" I took it for granted that you would have come home an hour ago."
There was no time to argue or apologize for being late. I looks at him as encouragingly as I could and went out to telephone the doctor. | 1358.txt | 2 |
[
"Neville and Jack lived in the same house",
"Neville thought that Jack had fallen ill",
"Neville really believed that Jack was not making a joke",
"Neville refused to argue or to make an apology for coming late"
] | Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? | It must have been around nine O'clock when I drove back home from work because it was already dark. As I came near to the gates I turned off the headlamps of the car so as to prevent the beam from swingingin through the window and waking Jack, who shared the house with me. But needn't have done so, I noticed that his light was still on, so he was awake anyway--- unless he had fallen asleep while reading. I put the car away and went up the steps, Then I opened the door quietly and went to Jack's room. He was in bed awake but he didn't even turn towards me.
"What's up, Jack?" I said.
"For God's sake, don't make a noise," he said.
The way he spoke reminded me of someone in pain who is afraid to talk in case he does himself a serious injury.
"Take your shoes off, Neville," Jack said.
I thought that he must be ill and that I had better humour him to keep him happy, "There's a snake here" he explained, "It's asleep between the sheets. I was lying on my back reading when I saw it. I knew that moving was out of the question. I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to." I realized that he was serious. "I was relying on you to call a doctor as soon as you came home." Jack went on." It hasn't bitten me yet but I daren't do anything to upset it. It might wake up. I'm sick of this," he said, ：" I took it for granted that you would have come home an hour ago."
There was no time to argue or apologize for being late. I looks at him as encouragingly as I could and went out to telephone the doctor. | 1358.txt | 3 |
[
"asked Neville to take off his shoes",
"made a gesture to show the presence of the snake",
"was afraid to upset the snake sleeping between the sheets",
"behaved strangely as if he was badly hurt"
] | The reason why Neville thought that Jack must be ill is that Jack _ . | It must have been around nine O'clock when I drove back home from work because it was already dark. As I came near to the gates I turned off the headlamps of the car so as to prevent the beam from swingingin through the window and waking Jack, who shared the house with me. But needn't have done so, I noticed that his light was still on, so he was awake anyway--- unless he had fallen asleep while reading. I put the car away and went up the steps, Then I opened the door quietly and went to Jack's room. He was in bed awake but he didn't even turn towards me.
"What's up, Jack?" I said.
"For God's sake, don't make a noise," he said.
The way he spoke reminded me of someone in pain who is afraid to talk in case he does himself a serious injury.
"Take your shoes off, Neville," Jack said.
I thought that he must be ill and that I had better humour him to keep him happy, "There's a snake here" he explained, "It's asleep between the sheets. I was lying on my back reading when I saw it. I knew that moving was out of the question. I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to." I realized that he was serious. "I was relying on you to call a doctor as soon as you came home." Jack went on." It hasn't bitten me yet but I daren't do anything to upset it. It might wake up. I'm sick of this," he said, ：" I took it for granted that you would have come home an hour ago."
There was no time to argue or apologize for being late. I looks at him as encouragingly as I could and went out to telephone the doctor. | 1358.txt | 3 |
[
"7p. m",
"8p. m",
"9p. m",
"midnight"
] | According to the passage, Neville should have been home at _ . | It must have been around nine O'clock when I drove back home from work because it was already dark. As I came near to the gates I turned off the headlamps of the car so as to prevent the beam from swingingin through the window and waking Jack, who shared the house with me. But needn't have done so, I noticed that his light was still on, so he was awake anyway--- unless he had fallen asleep while reading. I put the car away and went up the steps, Then I opened the door quietly and went to Jack's room. He was in bed awake but he didn't even turn towards me.
"What's up, Jack?" I said.
"For God's sake, don't make a noise," he said.
The way he spoke reminded me of someone in pain who is afraid to talk in case he does himself a serious injury.
"Take your shoes off, Neville," Jack said.
I thought that he must be ill and that I had better humour him to keep him happy, "There's a snake here" he explained, "It's asleep between the sheets. I was lying on my back reading when I saw it. I knew that moving was out of the question. I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to." I realized that he was serious. "I was relying on you to call a doctor as soon as you came home." Jack went on." It hasn't bitten me yet but I daren't do anything to upset it. It might wake up. I'm sick of this," he said, ：" I took it for granted that you would have come home an hour ago."
There was no time to argue or apologize for being late. I looks at him as encouragingly as I could and went out to telephone the doctor. | 1358.txt | 1 |
[
"poor bargaining skill.",
"insensitivity to fashion.",
"obsession with high fashion.",
"lack of imagination."
] | Priestly criticizes her assistant for her | In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn't affect her. Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant's sweater descended over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.
This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn't be more out of date or at odds with the feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline's three-year indictment of "fast fashion." In the last decade or so, advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely. Quicker turnarounds mean less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. These labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable- meant to last only a wash or two, although they don't advertise that-and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks. By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.
The victims of this revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. For H&M to offer a $5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2,300-plus stores around the world, it must rely on low-wage overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural resources, and use massive amounts of harmful chemicals.
Overdressed is the fashion world's answer to consumer-activist bestsellers like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. "Mass-produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable, and wasteful," Cline argues. Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year-about 64 items per person-and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.
Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes-and beautifully. But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can't be knocked off.
Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment-including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection line-Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer. She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. Vanity is a constant; people will only start shopping more sustainably when they can't afford not to. | 848.txt | 1 |
[
"combat unnecessary waste.",
"shut out the feverish fashion world.",
"resist the influence of advertisements.",
"shop for their garments more frequently."
] | According to Cline, mass-market labels urge consumers to | In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn't affect her. Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant's sweater descended over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.
This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn't be more out of date or at odds with the feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline's three-year indictment of "fast fashion." In the last decade or so, advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely. Quicker turnarounds mean less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. These labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable- meant to last only a wash or two, although they don't advertise that-and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks. By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.
The victims of this revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. For H&M to offer a $5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2,300-plus stores around the world, it must rely on low-wage overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural resources, and use massive amounts of harmful chemicals.
Overdressed is the fashion world's answer to consumer-activist bestsellers like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. "Mass-produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable, and wasteful," Cline argues. Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year-about 64 items per person-and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.
Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes-and beautifully. But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can't be knocked off.
Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment-including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection line-Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer. She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. Vanity is a constant; people will only start shopping more sustainably when they can't afford not to. | 848.txt | 3 |
[
"accusation.",
"enthusiasm.",
"indifference.",
"tolerance."
] | The word "indictment" (Line 2, Para.2) is closest in meaning to | In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn't affect her. Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant's sweater descended over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.
This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn't be more out of date or at odds with the feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline's three-year indictment of "fast fashion." In the last decade or so, advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely. Quicker turnarounds mean less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. These labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable- meant to last only a wash or two, although they don't advertise that-and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks. By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.
The victims of this revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. For H&M to offer a $5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2,300-plus stores around the world, it must rely on low-wage overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural resources, and use massive amounts of harmful chemicals.
Overdressed is the fashion world's answer to consumer-activist bestsellers like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. "Mass-produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable, and wasteful," Cline argues. Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year-about 64 items per person-and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.
Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes-and beautifully. But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can't be knocked off.
Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment-including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection line-Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer. She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. Vanity is a constant; people will only start shopping more sustainably when they can't afford not to. | 848.txt | 0 |
[
"Vanity has more often been found in idealists.",
"The fast-fashion industry ignores sustainability.",
"People are more interested in unaffordable garments.",
"Pricing is vital to environment-friendly purchasing."
] | Which of the following can be inferred from the last paragraph? | In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn't affect her. Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant's sweater descended over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.
This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn't be more out of date or at odds with the feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline's three-year indictment of "fast fashion." In the last decade or so, advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely. Quicker turnarounds mean less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. These labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable- meant to last only a wash or two, although they don't advertise that-and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks. By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.
The victims of this revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. For H&M to offer a $5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2,300-plus stores around the world, it must rely on low-wage overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural resources, and use massive amounts of harmful chemicals.
Overdressed is the fashion world's answer to consumer-activist bestsellers like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. "Mass-produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable, and wasteful," Cline argues. Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year-about 64 items per person-and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.
Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes-and beautifully. But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can't be knocked off.
Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment-including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection line-Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer. She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. Vanity is a constant; people will only start shopping more sustainably when they can't afford not to. | 848.txt | 3 |
[
"Satire on an extravagant lifestyle.",
"Challenge to a high-fashion myth.",
"Criticism of the fast-fashion industry.",
"Exposure of a mass-market secret."
] | What is the subject of the text? | In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn't affect her. Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant's sweater descended over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.
This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn't be more out of date or at odds with the feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline's three-year indictment of "fast fashion." In the last decade or so, advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely. Quicker turnarounds mean less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. These labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable- meant to last only a wash or two, although they don't advertise that-and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks. By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.
The victims of this revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. For H&M to offer a $5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2,300-plus stores around the world, it must rely on low-wage overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural resources, and use massive amounts of harmful chemicals.
Overdressed is the fashion world's answer to consumer-activist bestsellers like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. "Mass-produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable, and wasteful," Cline argues. Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year-about 64 items per person-and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.
Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes-and beautifully. But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can't be knocked off.
Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment-including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection line-Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer. She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. Vanity is a constant; people will only start shopping more sustainably when they can't afford not to. | 848.txt | 2 |
[
"The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.",
"Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.",
"The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.",
"The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending."
] | What does the author mainly discuss in the passage? | In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries' consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. "Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidiesfor their consumers."
But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as they used to.
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest. | 2212.txt | 2 |
[
"Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.",
"Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.",
"Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.",
"Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities."
] | Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy? | In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries' consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. "Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidiesfor their consumers."
But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as they used to.
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest. | 2212.txt | 3 |
[
"They suspend import of necessities from overseas.",
"They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.",
"They use their money reserves to back up consumption.",
"They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall."
] | What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down? | In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries' consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. "Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidiesfor their consumers."
But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as they used to.
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest. | 2212.txt | 2 |
[
"It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.",
"Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.",
"It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.",
"Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws."
] | How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge? | In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries' consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. "Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidiesfor their consumers."
But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as they used to.
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest. | 2212.txt | 1 |
[
"People are not spending all the money they save on gas.",
"The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.",
"Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.",
"People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices."
] | Why haven't falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before? | In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries' consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. "Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidiesfor their consumers."
But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as they used to.
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest. | 2212.txt | 0 |
[
"Normally",
"slowly",
"faster",
"well"
] | When the viruses attack the computers, the computers will work _ . | On October 12, 1989, some British scientists were working at the computers to look for the information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright points crossing the computers screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses! Clearly all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions, damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Friday and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that were attacked by computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem. | 634.txt | 1 |
[
"damage the computers",
"test their ability",
"tell people that they were intelligent",
"play a trick on users of the computers"
] | The group of young men created the viruses to _ . | On October 12, 1989, some British scientists were working at the computers to look for the information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright points crossing the computers screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses! Clearly all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions, damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Friday and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that were attacked by computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem. | 634.txt | 2 |
[
"have been in nature for years",
"stay in any computers",
"be difficult to get rid of at present",
"be able to be got rid of in the near future"
] | According to the passage, computer viruses seem to _ . | On October 12, 1989, some British scientists were working at the computers to look for the information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright points crossing the computers screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses! Clearly all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions, damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Friday and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that were attacked by computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem. | 634.txt | 2 |
[
"Last year four countries found their computer were infected by viruses.",
"The viruses will come to a new computer after staying in the old one for some time.",
"Scientists are trying to find a way to get rid of the viruses.",
"The Jerusalem Viruses are dangerous to human health."
] | According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? | On October 12, 1989, some British scientists were working at the computers to look for the information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright points crossing the computers screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses! Clearly all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions, damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Friday and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that were attacked by computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem. | 634.txt | 2 |
[
"Tokyo",
"a small town",
"a city of middle site",
"a big city"
] | From the passage we know in Japan the write likes to jive in _ . | Getting paid to talk about the World Cup is a great job. I'm not a football commentator,though-just an English teacher in Japan.
I came to Japan two years ago, and didn't think I would stay, but Japan has that effect on you. People often end up living here longer than they planned. I think it's best to teach in a biggest city where there are other foreigners to mix with. Rather than a small town where English teachers often complain of feeling like a goldfish in a bowl. Many people choose to live in Tokyo, of course, which is good for the nightlife factor. But I'd say that for general quality of living, cities of neither too large nor too small, like Sapporo where I live, are better choices.
I teach English privately, which means I'm my own boss. If you want to devote yourself to private teaching, it's well worth doing a TEFL course first. Because your lessons will be much better for it. The problem with private teaching is finding students; it took me a year to build up a full scheduleof private lessons, so I started out teaching in schools part time.
Most of my foreign friends here work full-time for big English conversation schools. The salary is fine to live on. But whether you can save money depends on how much going out and traveling you do here.
The schools are reluctant to take time off-even teachers with tickets for the England-Argentina game had trouble getting the day off. | 3311.txt | 2 |
[
"take a TEFL course",
"decide his or her own lessons",
"find students",
"build up a full schedule"
] | According to the writer, one had better _ first to do private teaching better. | Getting paid to talk about the World Cup is a great job. I'm not a football commentator,though-just an English teacher in Japan.
I came to Japan two years ago, and didn't think I would stay, but Japan has that effect on you. People often end up living here longer than they planned. I think it's best to teach in a biggest city where there are other foreigners to mix with. Rather than a small town where English teachers often complain of feeling like a goldfish in a bowl. Many people choose to live in Tokyo, of course, which is good for the nightlife factor. But I'd say that for general quality of living, cities of neither too large nor too small, like Sapporo where I live, are better choices.
I teach English privately, which means I'm my own boss. If you want to devote yourself to private teaching, it's well worth doing a TEFL course first. Because your lessons will be much better for it. The problem with private teaching is finding students; it took me a year to build up a full scheduleof private lessons, so I started out teaching in schools part time.
Most of my foreign friends here work full-time for big English conversation schools. The salary is fine to live on. But whether you can save money depends on how much going out and traveling you do here.
The schools are reluctant to take time off-even teachers with tickets for the England-Argentina game had trouble getting the day off. | 3311.txt | 0 |
[
"English people, like most people in other countries, dislike living in flats",
"people in most countries of the world today are not opposed to living in flats",
"people in Britain are forced to move into high blocks of flats",
"modern flats still fail to provide the necessary facilities for living"
] | We can infer from the passage that _ . | Britain almost more than any other country in the world must seriously face the problem of building upwards, that is to say, of accommodating a considerable proportion of its population in high blocks of flats. It is said that the English man objects to this type of existence, but if the case is such, he does in fact differ from the inhabitants of most countries of the world today. In the past our own blocks of flats have been associated with the lower-income groups and they have lacked the obvious provisions, such as central heating, constant hot water supply, electrically operated lifts from top to bottom, and so on, as well as such details, important notwithstanding, as easy facilities for disposal of dust and rubbish and storage places for baby carriages in the ground floor, playgrounds for children on the top of the buildings, and drying grounds for washing. It is likely that the dispute regarding flats versus individual houses will continue to rage on for a long time as far as Britain is concerned. And it is unfortunate that there should be hot feelings on both sides whenever this subject is raised. Those who oppose the building of flats base their case primarily on the assumption that everyone prefers an individual home and on the high cost per unit of accommodation. The latter ignores the higher cost of providing full services to a scattered community and the cost in both money and time of the journeys to work for the suburban resident. | 3134.txt | 1 |
[
"They were mostly inhabited by people who did not earn much.",
"They were usually not large enough to accommodate big families.",
"They were sold to people before necessary facilities were installed.",
"They provided playgrounds for children on the top of the buildings."
] | What is said about blocks of flats built in the past in Britain? | Britain almost more than any other country in the world must seriously face the problem of building upwards, that is to say, of accommodating a considerable proportion of its population in high blocks of flats. It is said that the English man objects to this type of existence, but if the case is such, he does in fact differ from the inhabitants of most countries of the world today. In the past our own blocks of flats have been associated with the lower-income groups and they have lacked the obvious provisions, such as central heating, constant hot water supply, electrically operated lifts from top to bottom, and so on, as well as such details, important notwithstanding, as easy facilities for disposal of dust and rubbish and storage places for baby carriages in the ground floor, playgrounds for children on the top of the buildings, and drying grounds for washing. It is likely that the dispute regarding flats versus individual houses will continue to rage on for a long time as far as Britain is concerned. And it is unfortunate that there should be hot feelings on both sides whenever this subject is raised. Those who oppose the building of flats base their case primarily on the assumption that everyone prefers an individual home and on the high cost per unit of accommodation. The latter ignores the higher cost of providing full services to a scattered community and the cost in both money and time of the journeys to work for the suburban resident. | 3134.txt | 0 |
[
"be ignored",
"develop with great force",
"encourage people greatly",
"be in fashion"
] | The word "rage" (Line 9) means _ . | Britain almost more than any other country in the world must seriously face the problem of building upwards, that is to say, of accommodating a considerable proportion of its population in high blocks of flats. It is said that the English man objects to this type of existence, but if the case is such, he does in fact differ from the inhabitants of most countries of the world today. In the past our own blocks of flats have been associated with the lower-income groups and they have lacked the obvious provisions, such as central heating, constant hot water supply, electrically operated lifts from top to bottom, and so on, as well as such details, important notwithstanding, as easy facilities for disposal of dust and rubbish and storage places for baby carriages in the ground floor, playgrounds for children on the top of the buildings, and drying grounds for washing. It is likely that the dispute regarding flats versus individual houses will continue to rage on for a long time as far as Britain is concerned. And it is unfortunate that there should be hot feelings on both sides whenever this subject is raised. Those who oppose the building of flats base their case primarily on the assumption that everyone prefers an individual home and on the high cost per unit of accommodation. The latter ignores the higher cost of providing full services to a scattered community and the cost in both money and time of the journeys to work for the suburban resident. | 3134.txt | 1 |
[
"the living expenses for each individual family are higher",
"it involves higher cost compared with the building of houses",
"they believe people like to live in houses with gardens",
"the disposal of rubbish remains a problem for those living in flats"
] | Some people oppose the building of flats because _ . | Britain almost more than any other country in the world must seriously face the problem of building upwards, that is to say, of accommodating a considerable proportion of its population in high blocks of flats. It is said that the English man objects to this type of existence, but if the case is such, he does in fact differ from the inhabitants of most countries of the world today. In the past our own blocks of flats have been associated with the lower-income groups and they have lacked the obvious provisions, such as central heating, constant hot water supply, electrically operated lifts from top to bottom, and so on, as well as such details, important notwithstanding, as easy facilities for disposal of dust and rubbish and storage places for baby carriages in the ground floor, playgrounds for children on the top of the buildings, and drying grounds for washing. It is likely that the dispute regarding flats versus individual houses will continue to rage on for a long time as far as Britain is concerned. And it is unfortunate that there should be hot feelings on both sides whenever this subject is raised. Those who oppose the building of flats base their case primarily on the assumption that everyone prefers an individual home and on the high cost per unit of accommodation. The latter ignores the higher cost of providing full services to a scattered community and the cost in both money and time of the journeys to work for the suburban resident. | 3134.txt | 2 |
[
"do not have access to easy facilities because they live away from the city",
"have to pay a lot of money to employ people to do service work",
"take longer time to know each other because they are a scattered community",
"have to spend more money and time travelling to work every day"
] | The author mentions that people who live in suburban houses _ . | Britain almost more than any other country in the world must seriously face the problem of building upwards, that is to say, of accommodating a considerable proportion of its population in high blocks of flats. It is said that the English man objects to this type of existence, but if the case is such, he does in fact differ from the inhabitants of most countries of the world today. In the past our own blocks of flats have been associated with the lower-income groups and they have lacked the obvious provisions, such as central heating, constant hot water supply, electrically operated lifts from top to bottom, and so on, as well as such details, important notwithstanding, as easy facilities for disposal of dust and rubbish and storage places for baby carriages in the ground floor, playgrounds for children on the top of the buildings, and drying grounds for washing. It is likely that the dispute regarding flats versus individual houses will continue to rage on for a long time as far as Britain is concerned. And it is unfortunate that there should be hot feelings on both sides whenever this subject is raised. Those who oppose the building of flats base their case primarily on the assumption that everyone prefers an individual home and on the high cost per unit of accommodation. The latter ignores the higher cost of providing full services to a scattered community and the cost in both money and time of the journeys to work for the suburban resident. | 3134.txt | 3 |
[
"wish to make alterations",
"can fit into the sizes",
"want to make it better",
"will spend less money"
] | According to the passage, people who buy ready-made clothing _ . | Department stores sell ready-to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, people do not fit exactly into a producer's size. Their clothing must be alteredto make it fit better, However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.
Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made. The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment.
Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments, quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production. It may or may not give them high quality. | 3277.txt | 3 |
[
"specially made",
"fashionably designed",
"chosen by few people",
"made with difficulties"
] | We can learn from the passage that custom-made clothing is _ . | Department stores sell ready-to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, people do not fit exactly into a producer's size. Their clothing must be alteredto make it fit better, However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.
Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made. The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment.
Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments, quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production. It may or may not give them high quality. | 3277.txt | 0 |
[
"It is of poor quality.",
"It suits all people.",
"It takes more time to make it.",
"It is labor-saving to make it."
] | Which of the following is true about ready-made clothing? | Department stores sell ready-to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, people do not fit exactly into a producer's size. Their clothing must be alteredto make it fit better, However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.
Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made. The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment.
Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments, quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production. It may or may not give them high quality. | 3277.txt | 3 |
[
"to explain why custom-made clothing costs more",
"to show the advantages of mass production",
"to provide information about different kind-of clothing",
"to tell readers how to make money from ready-made clothing"
] | The purpose of the writer is _ . | Department stores sell ready-to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, people do not fit exactly into a producer's size. Their clothing must be alteredto make it fit better, However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.
Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made. The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment.
Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments, quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production. It may or may not give them high quality. | 3277.txt | 2 |
[
"Rally support to pass the stalled bills.",
"Lobby the lawmakers of the California Assembly.",
"Lay down relevant local regulations themselves.",
"Exert pressure on manufacturers of electronic devices."
] | What step were Bay Area officials going to take regarding e-waste disposal? | Frustrated with delays in Sacramento, Bay Area officials said Thursday they planned to take matters into their own hands to regulate the region's growing pile of electronic trash.
A San Jose councilwoman and a San Francisco supervisor said they would propose local initiatives aimed at controlling electronic waste if the California law-making body fails to act on two bills stalled in the Assembly. They are among a growing number of California cities and counties that have expressed the same intention.
Environmentalists and local governments are increasingly concerned about the toxic hazard posed by old electronic devices and the cost of safely recycling those products. An estimated 6 million televisions and computers are stocked in California homes, and an additional 6,000 to 7,000 computers become outdated every day. The machines contain high levels of lead and other hazardous substances, and are already banned from California landfills .
Legislation by Senator Byron Sher would require consumers to pay a recycling fee of up to $30 on every new machine containing a cathode ray tube. Used in almost all video monitors and televisions, those devices contain four to eight pounds of lead each. The fees would go toward setting up recycling programs, providing grants to non-profit agencies that reuse the tubes and rewarding manufacturers that encourage recycling.
A separate bill by Los Angeles-area Senator Gloria Romero would require high-tech manufacturers to develop programs to recycle so-called e-waste.
If passed, the measures would put California at the forefront of national efforts to manage the refuse of the electronic age.
But high-tech groups, including the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the American Electronics Association, oppose the measures, arguing that fees of up to $30 will drive consumers to online, out-of-state retailers.
"What really needs to occur is consumer education. Most consumers are unaware they're not supposed to throw computers in the trash," said Roxanne Gould, vice president of government relations for the electronics association.
Computer recycling should be a local effort and part of residential waste collection programs, she added.
Recycling electronic waste is a dangerous and specialized matter, and environmentalists maintain the state must support recycling efforts and ensure that the job isn't contracted to unscrupulous junk dealers who send the toxic parts overseas.
"The graveyard of the high-tech revolution is ending up in rural China," said Ted Smith, director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. His group is pushing for an amendment to Sher's bill that would prevent the export of e-waste. | 521.txt | 2 |
[
"the reprocessing of the huge amounts of electronic waste in the state",
"regulations on dumping hazardous substances into landfills",
"the funding of local initiatives to reuse electronic trash",
"the sale of used electronic devices to foreign countries"
] | The two bills stalled in the California Assembly both concern ________. | Frustrated with delays in Sacramento, Bay Area officials said Thursday they planned to take matters into their own hands to regulate the region's growing pile of electronic trash.
A San Jose councilwoman and a San Francisco supervisor said they would propose local initiatives aimed at controlling electronic waste if the California law-making body fails to act on two bills stalled in the Assembly. They are among a growing number of California cities and counties that have expressed the same intention.
Environmentalists and local governments are increasingly concerned about the toxic hazard posed by old electronic devices and the cost of safely recycling those products. An estimated 6 million televisions and computers are stocked in California homes, and an additional 6,000 to 7,000 computers become outdated every day. The machines contain high levels of lead and other hazardous substances, and are already banned from California landfills .
Legislation by Senator Byron Sher would require consumers to pay a recycling fee of up to $30 on every new machine containing a cathode ray tube. Used in almost all video monitors and televisions, those devices contain four to eight pounds of lead each. The fees would go toward setting up recycling programs, providing grants to non-profit agencies that reuse the tubes and rewarding manufacturers that encourage recycling.
A separate bill by Los Angeles-area Senator Gloria Romero would require high-tech manufacturers to develop programs to recycle so-called e-waste.
If passed, the measures would put California at the forefront of national efforts to manage the refuse of the electronic age.
But high-tech groups, including the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the American Electronics Association, oppose the measures, arguing that fees of up to $30 will drive consumers to online, out-of-state retailers.
"What really needs to occur is consumer education. Most consumers are unaware they're not supposed to throw computers in the trash," said Roxanne Gould, vice president of government relations for the electronics association.
Computer recycling should be a local effort and part of residential waste collection programs, she added.
Recycling electronic waste is a dangerous and specialized matter, and environmentalists maintain the state must support recycling efforts and ensure that the job isn't contracted to unscrupulous junk dealers who send the toxic parts overseas.
"The graveyard of the high-tech revolution is ending up in rural China," said Ted Smith, director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. His group is pushing for an amendment to Sher's bill that would prevent the export of e-waste. | 521.txt | 0 |
[
"this is banned by the California government",
"some parts may be recycled for use elsewhere",
"unscrupulous dealers will retrieve them for profit",
"they contain large amounts of harmful substances"
] | Consumers are not supposed to throw used computers in the trash because ________. | Frustrated with delays in Sacramento, Bay Area officials said Thursday they planned to take matters into their own hands to regulate the region's growing pile of electronic trash.
A San Jose councilwoman and a San Francisco supervisor said they would propose local initiatives aimed at controlling electronic waste if the California law-making body fails to act on two bills stalled in the Assembly. They are among a growing number of California cities and counties that have expressed the same intention.
Environmentalists and local governments are increasingly concerned about the toxic hazard posed by old electronic devices and the cost of safely recycling those products. An estimated 6 million televisions and computers are stocked in California homes, and an additional 6,000 to 7,000 computers become outdated every day. The machines contain high levels of lead and other hazardous substances, and are already banned from California landfills .
Legislation by Senator Byron Sher would require consumers to pay a recycling fee of up to $30 on every new machine containing a cathode ray tube. Used in almost all video monitors and televisions, those devices contain four to eight pounds of lead each. The fees would go toward setting up recycling programs, providing grants to non-profit agencies that reuse the tubes and rewarding manufacturers that encourage recycling.
A separate bill by Los Angeles-area Senator Gloria Romero would require high-tech manufacturers to develop programs to recycle so-called e-waste.
If passed, the measures would put California at the forefront of national efforts to manage the refuse of the electronic age.
But high-tech groups, including the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the American Electronics Association, oppose the measures, arguing that fees of up to $30 will drive consumers to online, out-of-state retailers.
"What really needs to occur is consumer education. Most consumers are unaware they're not supposed to throw computers in the trash," said Roxanne Gould, vice president of government relations for the electronics association.
Computer recycling should be a local effort and part of residential waste collection programs, she added.
Recycling electronic waste is a dangerous and specialized matter, and environmentalists maintain the state must support recycling efforts and ensure that the job isn't contracted to unscrupulous junk dealers who send the toxic parts overseas.
"The graveyard of the high-tech revolution is ending up in rural China," said Ted Smith, director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. His group is pushing for an amendment to Sher's bill that would prevent the export of e-waste. | 521.txt | 3 |
[
"hesitate to upgrade their computers",
"abandon online shopping",
"buy them from other states",
"strongly protest against such a charge"
] | High-tech groups believe that if an extra $30 is charged on every TV or computer purchased in California, consumers will ________. | Frustrated with delays in Sacramento, Bay Area officials said Thursday they planned to take matters into their own hands to regulate the region's growing pile of electronic trash.
A San Jose councilwoman and a San Francisco supervisor said they would propose local initiatives aimed at controlling electronic waste if the California law-making body fails to act on two bills stalled in the Assembly. They are among a growing number of California cities and counties that have expressed the same intention.
Environmentalists and local governments are increasingly concerned about the toxic hazard posed by old electronic devices and the cost of safely recycling those products. An estimated 6 million televisions and computers are stocked in California homes, and an additional 6,000 to 7,000 computers become outdated every day. The machines contain high levels of lead and other hazardous substances, and are already banned from California landfills .
Legislation by Senator Byron Sher would require consumers to pay a recycling fee of up to $30 on every new machine containing a cathode ray tube. Used in almost all video monitors and televisions, those devices contain four to eight pounds of lead each. The fees would go toward setting up recycling programs, providing grants to non-profit agencies that reuse the tubes and rewarding manufacturers that encourage recycling.
A separate bill by Los Angeles-area Senator Gloria Romero would require high-tech manufacturers to develop programs to recycle so-called e-waste.
If passed, the measures would put California at the forefront of national efforts to manage the refuse of the electronic age.
But high-tech groups, including the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the American Electronics Association, oppose the measures, arguing that fees of up to $30 will drive consumers to online, out-of-state retailers.
"What really needs to occur is consumer education. Most consumers are unaware they're not supposed to throw computers in the trash," said Roxanne Gould, vice president of government relations for the electronics association.
Computer recycling should be a local effort and part of residential waste collection programs, she added.
Recycling electronic waste is a dangerous and specialized matter, and environmentalists maintain the state must support recycling efforts and ensure that the job isn't contracted to unscrupulous junk dealers who send the toxic parts overseas.
"The graveyard of the high-tech revolution is ending up in rural China," said Ted Smith, director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. His group is pushing for an amendment to Sher's bill that would prevent the export of e-waste. | 521.txt | 2 |
[
"dumped into local landfills",
"exported to foreign countries",
"collected by non-profit agencies",
"recycled by computer manufacturers"
] | We learn from the passage that much of California's electronic waste has been ________. | Frustrated with delays in Sacramento, Bay Area officials said Thursday they planned to take matters into their own hands to regulate the region's growing pile of electronic trash.
A San Jose councilwoman and a San Francisco supervisor said they would propose local initiatives aimed at controlling electronic waste if the California law-making body fails to act on two bills stalled in the Assembly. They are among a growing number of California cities and counties that have expressed the same intention.
Environmentalists and local governments are increasingly concerned about the toxic hazard posed by old electronic devices and the cost of safely recycling those products. An estimated 6 million televisions and computers are stocked in California homes, and an additional 6,000 to 7,000 computers become outdated every day. The machines contain high levels of lead and other hazardous substances, and are already banned from California landfills .
Legislation by Senator Byron Sher would require consumers to pay a recycling fee of up to $30 on every new machine containing a cathode ray tube. Used in almost all video monitors and televisions, those devices contain four to eight pounds of lead each. The fees would go toward setting up recycling programs, providing grants to non-profit agencies that reuse the tubes and rewarding manufacturers that encourage recycling.
A separate bill by Los Angeles-area Senator Gloria Romero would require high-tech manufacturers to develop programs to recycle so-called e-waste.
If passed, the measures would put California at the forefront of national efforts to manage the refuse of the electronic age.
But high-tech groups, including the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the American Electronics Association, oppose the measures, arguing that fees of up to $30 will drive consumers to online, out-of-state retailers.
"What really needs to occur is consumer education. Most consumers are unaware they're not supposed to throw computers in the trash," said Roxanne Gould, vice president of government relations for the electronics association.
Computer recycling should be a local effort and part of residential waste collection programs, she added.
Recycling electronic waste is a dangerous and specialized matter, and environmentalists maintain the state must support recycling efforts and ensure that the job isn't contracted to unscrupulous junk dealers who send the toxic parts overseas.
"The graveyard of the high-tech revolution is ending up in rural China," said Ted Smith, director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. His group is pushing for an amendment to Sher's bill that would prevent the export of e-waste. | 521.txt | 1 |
[
"The Contradiction between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.",
"On China's entry into WTO.",
"Clinton was right.",
"Business Lobbyists Control Capitol Hill."
] | The main idea of this passage is | President Clinton's decision on Apr.8 to send Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji packing without an agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization seemed to be a massive miscalculation. The President took a drubbing from much of the press, which had breathlessly reported that a deal was in the bag. The Cabinet and Whit House still appeared divided, and business leaders were characterized as furious over the lost opportunity. Zhu charged that Clinton lacked "the courage" to reach an accord. And when Clinton later telephoned the angry Zhu to pledge a renewed effort at negotiations, the gesture was widely portrayed as a flip-flop.
In fact, Clinton made the right decision in holding out for a better WTO deal. A lot more horse trading is needed before a final agreement can be reached. And without the Administration's goal of a "bullet-proof agreement" that business lobbyists can enthusiastically sell to a Republican Congress, the whole process will end up in partisan acrimony that could harm relations with China for years.
THE HARD PART. Many business lobbyists, while disappointed that the deal was not closed, agree that better terms can still be had. And Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, National Economic Council Director Gene
B. Sperling, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and top trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky all advised Clinton that while the Chinese had made a remarkable number of concessions, " we're not there yet," according to senior officials.
Negotiating with Zhu over the remaining issues may be the easy part. Although Clinton can signal U.S. approval for China's entry into the WTO himself, he needs Congress to grant Beijing permanent most- favored-nation status as part of a broad trade accord. And the temptation for meddling on Capital Hill may prove over-whelming. Zhu had barely landed before Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) declared himself skeptical that China deserved entry into the WTO. And Senators Jesse A. Helms (R-N.C.) and Emest F. Hollings (D-S.
C.) promised to introduce a bill requiring congressional approval of any deal.
The hidden message from these three textile-state Southerners: Get more protection for the U. S. clothing industry. Hoping to smooth the way, the Administration tried, but failed, to budge Zhu on textiles. Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, and Detroit. Zhu refused to open up much of the lucrative Chinese securities market and insisted on "cultural" restrictions on American movies and music. He also blocked efforts to allow U. S. auto makers to provide fleet financing.
BIG JOB. Already, business lobbyists are blanketing Capitol Hill to presale any eventual agreement, but what they've heard so far isn't encouraging. Republicans, including Lott, say that "the time just isn't right" for the deal. Translation: We're determined to make it look as if Clinton has capitulated to the Chinese and is ignoring human, religious, and labor rights violations; the theft of nuclear-weapons technology; and the sale of missile parts to America's enemies. Beijing's fierce critics within the Democratic Party, such as Senator Paul
D. Wellstone of Minnesota and House Minority leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, won't help, either.
Just how tough the lobbying job on Capitol Hill will be become clear on Apr. 20, when Rubin lectured 19chief executives on the need to discipline their Republican allies. With business and the White House still trading charges over who is responsible for the defeat of fast-track trade negotiating legislation in 1997, working together won't be easy. And Republicans-with a wink-say that they'll eventually embrace China's entry into the WTO as a favor to Corporate America. Though not long before they torture Clinton. But Zhu is out on a limb, and if Congress overdoes the criticism, he may be forced by domestic critics to renege. Business must make this much dear to both its GOP allies and the White House: This historic deal is too important to risk losing to any more partisan squabbling | 279.txt | 2 |
[
"Premier Zhu rejected their requirements.",
"The three places overdid criticism.",
"They wanted more protection.",
"They are in trouble."
] | What does the sentence "Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, Detroit" convey? | President Clinton's decision on Apr.8 to send Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji packing without an agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization seemed to be a massive miscalculation. The President took a drubbing from much of the press, which had breathlessly reported that a deal was in the bag. The Cabinet and Whit House still appeared divided, and business leaders were characterized as furious over the lost opportunity. Zhu charged that Clinton lacked "the courage" to reach an accord. And when Clinton later telephoned the angry Zhu to pledge a renewed effort at negotiations, the gesture was widely portrayed as a flip-flop.
In fact, Clinton made the right decision in holding out for a better WTO deal. A lot more horse trading is needed before a final agreement can be reached. And without the Administration's goal of a "bullet-proof agreement" that business lobbyists can enthusiastically sell to a Republican Congress, the whole process will end up in partisan acrimony that could harm relations with China for years.
THE HARD PART. Many business lobbyists, while disappointed that the deal was not closed, agree that better terms can still be had. And Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, National Economic Council Director Gene
B. Sperling, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and top trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky all advised Clinton that while the Chinese had made a remarkable number of concessions, " we're not there yet," according to senior officials.
Negotiating with Zhu over the remaining issues may be the easy part. Although Clinton can signal U.S. approval for China's entry into the WTO himself, he needs Congress to grant Beijing permanent most- favored-nation status as part of a broad trade accord. And the temptation for meddling on Capital Hill may prove over-whelming. Zhu had barely landed before Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) declared himself skeptical that China deserved entry into the WTO. And Senators Jesse A. Helms (R-N.C.) and Emest F. Hollings (D-S.
C.) promised to introduce a bill requiring congressional approval of any deal.
The hidden message from these three textile-state Southerners: Get more protection for the U. S. clothing industry. Hoping to smooth the way, the Administration tried, but failed, to budge Zhu on textiles. Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, and Detroit. Zhu refused to open up much of the lucrative Chinese securities market and insisted on "cultural" restrictions on American movies and music. He also blocked efforts to allow U. S. auto makers to provide fleet financing.
BIG JOB. Already, business lobbyists are blanketing Capitol Hill to presale any eventual agreement, but what they've heard so far isn't encouraging. Republicans, including Lott, say that "the time just isn't right" for the deal. Translation: We're determined to make it look as if Clinton has capitulated to the Chinese and is ignoring human, religious, and labor rights violations; the theft of nuclear-weapons technology; and the sale of missile parts to America's enemies. Beijing's fierce critics within the Democratic Party, such as Senator Paul
D. Wellstone of Minnesota and House Minority leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, won't help, either.
Just how tough the lobbying job on Capitol Hill will be become clear on Apr. 20, when Rubin lectured 19chief executives on the need to discipline their Republican allies. With business and the White House still trading charges over who is responsible for the defeat of fast-track trade negotiating legislation in 1997, working together won't be easy. And Republicans-with a wink-say that they'll eventually embrace China's entry into the WTO as a favor to Corporate America. Though not long before they torture Clinton. But Zhu is out on a limb, and if Congress overdoes the criticism, he may be forced by domestic critics to renege. Business must make this much dear to both its GOP allies and the White House: This historic deal is too important to risk losing to any more partisan squabbling | 279.txt | 0 |
[
"Contradictory.",
"Appreciative.",
"Disapproving.",
"Detestful."
] | What was the attitude of the Republican Party toward China's entry into the WTO? | President Clinton's decision on Apr.8 to send Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji packing without an agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization seemed to be a massive miscalculation. The President took a drubbing from much of the press, which had breathlessly reported that a deal was in the bag. The Cabinet and Whit House still appeared divided, and business leaders were characterized as furious over the lost opportunity. Zhu charged that Clinton lacked "the courage" to reach an accord. And when Clinton later telephoned the angry Zhu to pledge a renewed effort at negotiations, the gesture was widely portrayed as a flip-flop.
In fact, Clinton made the right decision in holding out for a better WTO deal. A lot more horse trading is needed before a final agreement can be reached. And without the Administration's goal of a "bullet-proof agreement" that business lobbyists can enthusiastically sell to a Republican Congress, the whole process will end up in partisan acrimony that could harm relations with China for years.
THE HARD PART. Many business lobbyists, while disappointed that the deal was not closed, agree that better terms can still be had. And Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, National Economic Council Director Gene
B. Sperling, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and top trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky all advised Clinton that while the Chinese had made a remarkable number of concessions, " we're not there yet," according to senior officials.
Negotiating with Zhu over the remaining issues may be the easy part. Although Clinton can signal U.S. approval for China's entry into the WTO himself, he needs Congress to grant Beijing permanent most- favored-nation status as part of a broad trade accord. And the temptation for meddling on Capital Hill may prove over-whelming. Zhu had barely landed before Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) declared himself skeptical that China deserved entry into the WTO. And Senators Jesse A. Helms (R-N.C.) and Emest F. Hollings (D-S.
C.) promised to introduce a bill requiring congressional approval of any deal.
The hidden message from these three textile-state Southerners: Get more protection for the U. S. clothing industry. Hoping to smooth the way, the Administration tried, but failed, to budge Zhu on textiles. Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, and Detroit. Zhu refused to open up much of the lucrative Chinese securities market and insisted on "cultural" restrictions on American movies and music. He also blocked efforts to allow U. S. auto makers to provide fleet financing.
BIG JOB. Already, business lobbyists are blanketing Capitol Hill to presale any eventual agreement, but what they've heard so far isn't encouraging. Republicans, including Lott, say that "the time just isn't right" for the deal. Translation: We're determined to make it look as if Clinton has capitulated to the Chinese and is ignoring human, religious, and labor rights violations; the theft of nuclear-weapons technology; and the sale of missile parts to America's enemies. Beijing's fierce critics within the Democratic Party, such as Senator Paul
D. Wellstone of Minnesota and House Minority leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, won't help, either.
Just how tough the lobbying job on Capitol Hill will be become clear on Apr. 20, when Rubin lectured 19chief executives on the need to discipline their Republican allies. With business and the White House still trading charges over who is responsible for the defeat of fast-track trade negotiating legislation in 1997, working together won't be easy. And Republicans-with a wink-say that they'll eventually embrace China's entry into the WTO as a favor to Corporate America. Though not long before they torture Clinton. But Zhu is out on a limb, and if Congress overdoes the criticism, he may be forced by domestic critics to renege. Business must make this much dear to both its GOP allies and the White House: This historic deal is too important to risk losing to any more partisan squabbling | 279.txt | 0 |
[
"White House .",
"Republicans.",
"The Democratic Party.",
"Businessmen."
] | Who plays the leading part in the deal in America? | President Clinton's decision on Apr.8 to send Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji packing without an agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization seemed to be a massive miscalculation. The President took a drubbing from much of the press, which had breathlessly reported that a deal was in the bag. The Cabinet and Whit House still appeared divided, and business leaders were characterized as furious over the lost opportunity. Zhu charged that Clinton lacked "the courage" to reach an accord. And when Clinton later telephoned the angry Zhu to pledge a renewed effort at negotiations, the gesture was widely portrayed as a flip-flop.
In fact, Clinton made the right decision in holding out for a better WTO deal. A lot more horse trading is needed before a final agreement can be reached. And without the Administration's goal of a "bullet-proof agreement" that business lobbyists can enthusiastically sell to a Republican Congress, the whole process will end up in partisan acrimony that could harm relations with China for years.
THE HARD PART. Many business lobbyists, while disappointed that the deal was not closed, agree that better terms can still be had. And Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, National Economic Council Director Gene
B. Sperling, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and top trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky all advised Clinton that while the Chinese had made a remarkable number of concessions, " we're not there yet," according to senior officials.
Negotiating with Zhu over the remaining issues may be the easy part. Although Clinton can signal U.S. approval for China's entry into the WTO himself, he needs Congress to grant Beijing permanent most- favored-nation status as part of a broad trade accord. And the temptation for meddling on Capital Hill may prove over-whelming. Zhu had barely landed before Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) declared himself skeptical that China deserved entry into the WTO. And Senators Jesse A. Helms (R-N.C.) and Emest F. Hollings (D-S.
C.) promised to introduce a bill requiring congressional approval of any deal.
The hidden message from these three textile-state Southerners: Get more protection for the U. S. clothing industry. Hoping to smooth the way, the Administration tried, but failed, to budge Zhu on textiles. Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, and Detroit. Zhu refused to open up much of the lucrative Chinese securities market and insisted on "cultural" restrictions on American movies and music. He also blocked efforts to allow U. S. auto makers to provide fleet financing.
BIG JOB. Already, business lobbyists are blanketing Capitol Hill to presale any eventual agreement, but what they've heard so far isn't encouraging. Republicans, including Lott, say that "the time just isn't right" for the deal. Translation: We're determined to make it look as if Clinton has capitulated to the Chinese and is ignoring human, religious, and labor rights violations; the theft of nuclear-weapons technology; and the sale of missile parts to America's enemies. Beijing's fierce critics within the Democratic Party, such as Senator Paul
D. Wellstone of Minnesota and House Minority leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, won't help, either.
Just how tough the lobbying job on Capitol Hill will be become clear on Apr. 20, when Rubin lectured 19chief executives on the need to discipline their Republican allies. With business and the White House still trading charges over who is responsible for the defeat of fast-track trade negotiating legislation in 1997, working together won't be easy. And Republicans-with a wink-say that they'll eventually embrace China's entry into the WTO as a favor to Corporate America. Though not long before they torture Clinton. But Zhu is out on a limb, and if Congress overdoes the criticism, he may be forced by domestic critics to renege. Business must make this much dear to both its GOP allies and the White House: This historic deal is too important to risk losing to any more partisan squabbling | 279.txt | 3 |
[
"America will make concessions.",
"America will hold out for a better WTO",
"Clinton has the right to signal U. S. approval for China's entry.",
"Democratic party approve China's entry into the WTO."
] | It can be inferred from the passage that | President Clinton's decision on Apr.8 to send Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji packing without an agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization seemed to be a massive miscalculation. The President took a drubbing from much of the press, which had breathlessly reported that a deal was in the bag. The Cabinet and Whit House still appeared divided, and business leaders were characterized as furious over the lost opportunity. Zhu charged that Clinton lacked "the courage" to reach an accord. And when Clinton later telephoned the angry Zhu to pledge a renewed effort at negotiations, the gesture was widely portrayed as a flip-flop.
In fact, Clinton made the right decision in holding out for a better WTO deal. A lot more horse trading is needed before a final agreement can be reached. And without the Administration's goal of a "bullet-proof agreement" that business lobbyists can enthusiastically sell to a Republican Congress, the whole process will end up in partisan acrimony that could harm relations with China for years.
THE HARD PART. Many business lobbyists, while disappointed that the deal was not closed, agree that better terms can still be had. And Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, National Economic Council Director Gene
B. Sperling, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and top trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky all advised Clinton that while the Chinese had made a remarkable number of concessions, " we're not there yet," according to senior officials.
Negotiating with Zhu over the remaining issues may be the easy part. Although Clinton can signal U.S. approval for China's entry into the WTO himself, he needs Congress to grant Beijing permanent most- favored-nation status as part of a broad trade accord. And the temptation for meddling on Capital Hill may prove over-whelming. Zhu had barely landed before Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) declared himself skeptical that China deserved entry into the WTO. And Senators Jesse A. Helms (R-N.C.) and Emest F. Hollings (D-S.
C.) promised to introduce a bill requiring congressional approval of any deal.
The hidden message from these three textile-state Southerners: Get more protection for the U. S. clothing industry. Hoping to smooth the way, the Administration tried, but failed, to budge Zhu on textiles. Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, and Detroit. Zhu refused to open up much of the lucrative Chinese securities market and insisted on "cultural" restrictions on American movies and music. He also blocked efforts to allow U. S. auto makers to provide fleet financing.
BIG JOB. Already, business lobbyists are blanketing Capitol Hill to presale any eventual agreement, but what they've heard so far isn't encouraging. Republicans, including Lott, say that "the time just isn't right" for the deal. Translation: We're determined to make it look as if Clinton has capitulated to the Chinese and is ignoring human, religious, and labor rights violations; the theft of nuclear-weapons technology; and the sale of missile parts to America's enemies. Beijing's fierce critics within the Democratic Party, such as Senator Paul
D. Wellstone of Minnesota and House Minority leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, won't help, either.
Just how tough the lobbying job on Capitol Hill will be become clear on Apr. 20, when Rubin lectured 19chief executives on the need to discipline their Republican allies. With business and the White House still trading charges over who is responsible for the defeat of fast-track trade negotiating legislation in 1997, working together won't be easy. And Republicans-with a wink-say that they'll eventually embrace China's entry into the WTO as a favor to Corporate America. Though not long before they torture Clinton. But Zhu is out on a limb, and if Congress overdoes the criticism, he may be forced by domestic critics to renege. Business must make this much dear to both its GOP allies and the White House: This historic deal is too important to risk losing to any more partisan squabbling | 279.txt | 0 |
[
"Libraries are eager to keep relationship with publishers.",
"Several publishers have sold e-books to most libraries.",
"Libraries care too much about piracy and book sales.",
"Most publishers hesitate to cooperate with libraries."
] | What can be inferred from the fast paragraph? | Uke a tired marriage. the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been reassuringly dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache.
Libraries know they need digital wares if they are to remain relevant, but many publishers are too careful about piracy and lost sales to c0. operate. Among the big six. only Random
House and HarperCollins license e-books with most libraries. The others have either denied requests or are reluctantly experimenting.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e. readers are exactly the customers they need：book-lovers with money-neither the devices nor broadband connections come cheap. If these wonderful people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then?
Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books. which must be checked out and
returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. Digital library catalogues are often browsed at night. from a comfortable sofa. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
Awkwardly for publishers, buying an e-book costs more than renting one but offers little extra value.
You cannot resell it. lend it to a friend or burn it to stay warm. Owning a book is useful if you want to savor it repeatedly, but who reads" Fifty Shades of Grey" twice?
E-1ending is not simple. however. There are lots of different and often incompatible e-book formats, devices and licences. Most libraries use a company called Over Drive, a global distributor that secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by Over Drive's market dominance, as the company can increasingly dictate fees and conditions.
Library boosters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers, and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were. cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with Horary cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. But the report also noted that few people know that e-books are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may be what inspires people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in：search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.
Hachita is engaged in some secret experiments, and the others are watching with held breath. In Britain the government will soon announce a review of the matter. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter. | 865.txt | 3 |
[
"It call help save readers'expenses on devices and broadband connections.",
"It needs checking out and returning to the library via the Intemet.",
"It enables readers to resell the book files or lend them to friends.",
"It has a time limit for the book files downloader on the device."
] | What does the author say about electronic borrowing? | Uke a tired marriage. the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been reassuringly dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache.
Libraries know they need digital wares if they are to remain relevant, but many publishers are too careful about piracy and lost sales to c0. operate. Among the big six. only Random
House and HarperCollins license e-books with most libraries. The others have either denied requests or are reluctantly experimenting.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e. readers are exactly the customers they need：book-lovers with money-neither the devices nor broadband connections come cheap. If these wonderful people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then?
Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books. which must be checked out and
returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. Digital library catalogues are often browsed at night. from a comfortable sofa. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
Awkwardly for publishers, buying an e-book costs more than renting one but offers little extra value.
You cannot resell it. lend it to a friend or burn it to stay warm. Owning a book is useful if you want to savor it repeatedly, but who reads" Fifty Shades of Grey" twice?
E-1ending is not simple. however. There are lots of different and often incompatible e-book formats, devices and licences. Most libraries use a company called Over Drive, a global distributor that secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by Over Drive's market dominance, as the company can increasingly dictate fees and conditions.
Library boosters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers, and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were. cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with Horary cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. But the report also noted that few people know that e-books are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may be what inspires people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in：search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.
Hachita is engaged in some secret experiments, and the others are watching with held breath. In Britain the government will soon announce a review of the matter. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter. | 865.txt | 3 |
[
"It has the privilege to offer readers various brands of e-readers.",
"It distributes e-books and audio files to publishers.",
"Its market dominance threatens publishers and libraries.",
"It devotes itself to improving conditions of e. book market."
] | What do we learn about Over Drive? | Uke a tired marriage. the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been reassuringly dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache.
Libraries know they need digital wares if they are to remain relevant, but many publishers are too careful about piracy and lost sales to c0. operate. Among the big six. only Random
House and HarperCollins license e-books with most libraries. The others have either denied requests or are reluctantly experimenting.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e. readers are exactly the customers they need：book-lovers with money-neither the devices nor broadband connections come cheap. If these wonderful people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then?
Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books. which must be checked out and
returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. Digital library catalogues are often browsed at night. from a comfortable sofa. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
Awkwardly for publishers, buying an e-book costs more than renting one but offers little extra value.
You cannot resell it. lend it to a friend or burn it to stay warm. Owning a book is useful if you want to savor it repeatedly, but who reads" Fifty Shades of Grey" twice?
E-1ending is not simple. however. There are lots of different and often incompatible e-book formats, devices and licences. Most libraries use a company called Over Drive, a global distributor that secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by Over Drive's market dominance, as the company can increasingly dictate fees and conditions.
Library boosters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers, and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were. cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with Horary cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. But the report also noted that few people know that e-books are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may be what inspires people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in：search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.
Hachita is engaged in some secret experiments, and the others are watching with held breath. In Britain the government will soon announce a review of the matter. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter. | 865.txt | 2 |
[
"more than half of Americans choose e-books over physical copies",
"people with library cards advocate borrowing rather than buying books",
"people with library cards have to wait to borrow popular e-books",
"the desire to collect a popular book inspires people to buy it"
] | According to the recent Pew survey, _ . | Uke a tired marriage. the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been reassuringly dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache.
Libraries know they need digital wares if they are to remain relevant, but many publishers are too careful about piracy and lost sales to c0. operate. Among the big six. only Random
House and HarperCollins license e-books with most libraries. The others have either denied requests or are reluctantly experimenting.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e. readers are exactly the customers they need：book-lovers with money-neither the devices nor broadband connections come cheap. If these wonderful people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then?
Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books. which must be checked out and
returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. Digital library catalogues are often browsed at night. from a comfortable sofa. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
Awkwardly for publishers, buying an e-book costs more than renting one but offers little extra value.
You cannot resell it. lend it to a friend or burn it to stay warm. Owning a book is useful if you want to savor it repeatedly, but who reads" Fifty Shades of Grey" twice?
E-1ending is not simple. however. There are lots of different and often incompatible e-book formats, devices and licences. Most libraries use a company called Over Drive, a global distributor that secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by Over Drive's market dominance, as the company can increasingly dictate fees and conditions.
Library boosters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers, and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were. cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with Horary cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. But the report also noted that few people know that e-books are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may be what inspires people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in：search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.
Hachita is engaged in some secret experiments, and the others are watching with held breath. In Britain the government will soon announce a review of the matter. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter. | 865.txt | 2 |
[
"it's urgent for Librairies to cooperate with publishers",
"publishers have many secret experiments to conduct",
"it's impossible for publishers to distribute e-books to libraries",
"many problems about e-book lending need to be solved"
] | By " a nail-biter" (Line 4, Para. 7), the author suggests that _ . | Uke a tired marriage. the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been reassuringly dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache.
Libraries know they need digital wares if they are to remain relevant, but many publishers are too careful about piracy and lost sales to c0. operate. Among the big six. only Random
House and HarperCollins license e-books with most libraries. The others have either denied requests or are reluctantly experimenting.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e. readers are exactly the customers they need：book-lovers with money-neither the devices nor broadband connections come cheap. If these wonderful people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then?
Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books. which must be checked out and
returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. Digital library catalogues are often browsed at night. from a comfortable sofa. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
Awkwardly for publishers, buying an e-book costs more than renting one but offers little extra value.
You cannot resell it. lend it to a friend or burn it to stay warm. Owning a book is useful if you want to savor it repeatedly, but who reads" Fifty Shades of Grey" twice?
E-1ending is not simple. however. There are lots of different and often incompatible e-book formats, devices and licences. Most libraries use a company called Over Drive, a global distributor that secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by Over Drive's market dominance, as the company can increasingly dictate fees and conditions.
Library boosters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers, and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were. cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with Horary cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. But the report also noted that few people know that e-books are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may be what inspires people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in：search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.
Hachita is engaged in some secret experiments, and the others are watching with held breath. In Britain the government will soon announce a review of the matter. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter. | 865.txt | 3 |
[
"London is enjoying its best time of economic development since 1990s.",
"The growth rate of London is doubled since the beginning of the 1990s.",
"The growth rate started to boost since the end of the dotcom era.",
"The current economy of London is mostly driven by its legal instead of financial market."
] | Which one of the following is TURE of the status quo of London's economy? | Boosted by booming international financial markets, the City of London has not had it so good since the end of the dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s. Basking in double-digit growth rates, London's law firms have both contributed to that success and benefited from it. The earnings of top City lawyers can now exceed £2m a year.
Having opted to expand and go global ahead of most others, Britain's leading law firms tend to be bigger than their American rivals. Indeed, according to a survey of the world's top 50 law firms, compiled by Legal Business, a British trade paper, five of the world's top six law firms-in terms of turnover-are now British (if DLA Piper, the result of an Anglo-American merger, is includeD. But they have tended to lag behind in terms of their profitability. That is now changing.
The profit margins of the City's five "magic circle" firms-Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Freshfields-have soared in recent years and are now comparable with, if not higher than, those of New York's "white shoe" elite. Slaughter and May, the only one of the five not to have gone global, has the joint second-highest profit margin among the top 50.
Not so long ago, a London surgeon could expect to earn as much as a City lawyer. But even the recent big rises in hospital consultants' earnings pall in comparison with those enjoyed by London lawyers. At Slaughter and May, for example, average profits per equity partner (PEP) jumped by almost a third (in dollar terms) last year to $2.75m-more than at any other of the top 50 law firms bar two in New York where PEP averaged $2.8m and $3.0m respectively. Some senior partners get a lot more of course.
Competition for the best lawyers is fierce and poaching frequent. Hence the need to keep headline PEP figures up-even at the cost of getting rid of equity partners, leaving a bigger share of the bounty for the remaining ones. Freshfields is in the process of shedding around 100 of its equity partners. Other leading firms are also undertaking painful restructuring.
Newly qualified lawyers' salaries have also been shooting up in the search for the best talent. Both Freshfields and Allen & Overy now pay their first-year associates £65,000, rising to around £90,000 after three years. (First-year associates at America's top law firms get the equivalent of £80,000.)
But, as many other top-rank City employers have discovered, big earnings do not necessarily guarantee big satisfaction. According to a YouGov poll, published by the Lawyer earlier this month, a quarter of Britain's lawyers (including a fifth of law-firm partners) would like to leave the profession. The disgruntled complained about cripplingly long hours, intense competition and the impersonality of the biggest firms (some with more than 3,000 lawyers). So why don't they quit? Because, say three-quarters, of the pay. | 3511.txt | 0 |
[
"their annual margin.",
"their profitability.",
"their sale volume.",
"their quantity of business."
] | The world's top 50 law firms are graded according to _ | Boosted by booming international financial markets, the City of London has not had it so good since the end of the dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s. Basking in double-digit growth rates, London's law firms have both contributed to that success and benefited from it. The earnings of top City lawyers can now exceed £2m a year.
Having opted to expand and go global ahead of most others, Britain's leading law firms tend to be bigger than their American rivals. Indeed, according to a survey of the world's top 50 law firms, compiled by Legal Business, a British trade paper, five of the world's top six law firms-in terms of turnover-are now British (if DLA Piper, the result of an Anglo-American merger, is includeD. But they have tended to lag behind in terms of their profitability. That is now changing.
The profit margins of the City's five "magic circle" firms-Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Freshfields-have soared in recent years and are now comparable with, if not higher than, those of New York's "white shoe" elite. Slaughter and May, the only one of the five not to have gone global, has the joint second-highest profit margin among the top 50.
Not so long ago, a London surgeon could expect to earn as much as a City lawyer. But even the recent big rises in hospital consultants' earnings pall in comparison with those enjoyed by London lawyers. At Slaughter and May, for example, average profits per equity partner (PEP) jumped by almost a third (in dollar terms) last year to $2.75m-more than at any other of the top 50 law firms bar two in New York where PEP averaged $2.8m and $3.0m respectively. Some senior partners get a lot more of course.
Competition for the best lawyers is fierce and poaching frequent. Hence the need to keep headline PEP figures up-even at the cost of getting rid of equity partners, leaving a bigger share of the bounty for the remaining ones. Freshfields is in the process of shedding around 100 of its equity partners. Other leading firms are also undertaking painful restructuring.
Newly qualified lawyers' salaries have also been shooting up in the search for the best talent. Both Freshfields and Allen & Overy now pay their first-year associates £65,000, rising to around £90,000 after three years. (First-year associates at America's top law firms get the equivalent of £80,000.)
But, as many other top-rank City employers have discovered, big earnings do not necessarily guarantee big satisfaction. According to a YouGov poll, published by the Lawyer earlier this month, a quarter of Britain's lawyers (including a fifth of law-firm partners) would like to leave the profession. The disgruntled complained about cripplingly long hours, intense competition and the impersonality of the biggest firms (some with more than 3,000 lawyers). So why don't they quit? Because, say three-quarters, of the pay. | 3511.txt | 2 |
[
"white collars.",
"first-class law firms.",
"financial agencies.",
"international banks."
] | The phrase "white shoe" (Line 3, Paragraph 3) most probably means _ | Boosted by booming international financial markets, the City of London has not had it so good since the end of the dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s. Basking in double-digit growth rates, London's law firms have both contributed to that success and benefited from it. The earnings of top City lawyers can now exceed £2m a year.
Having opted to expand and go global ahead of most others, Britain's leading law firms tend to be bigger than their American rivals. Indeed, according to a survey of the world's top 50 law firms, compiled by Legal Business, a British trade paper, five of the world's top six law firms-in terms of turnover-are now British (if DLA Piper, the result of an Anglo-American merger, is includeD. But they have tended to lag behind in terms of their profitability. That is now changing.
The profit margins of the City's five "magic circle" firms-Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Freshfields-have soared in recent years and are now comparable with, if not higher than, those of New York's "white shoe" elite. Slaughter and May, the only one of the five not to have gone global, has the joint second-highest profit margin among the top 50.
Not so long ago, a London surgeon could expect to earn as much as a City lawyer. But even the recent big rises in hospital consultants' earnings pall in comparison with those enjoyed by London lawyers. At Slaughter and May, for example, average profits per equity partner (PEP) jumped by almost a third (in dollar terms) last year to $2.75m-more than at any other of the top 50 law firms bar two in New York where PEP averaged $2.8m and $3.0m respectively. Some senior partners get a lot more of course.
Competition for the best lawyers is fierce and poaching frequent. Hence the need to keep headline PEP figures up-even at the cost of getting rid of equity partners, leaving a bigger share of the bounty for the remaining ones. Freshfields is in the process of shedding around 100 of its equity partners. Other leading firms are also undertaking painful restructuring.
Newly qualified lawyers' salaries have also been shooting up in the search for the best talent. Both Freshfields and Allen & Overy now pay their first-year associates £65,000, rising to around £90,000 after three years. (First-year associates at America's top law firms get the equivalent of £80,000.)
But, as many other top-rank City employers have discovered, big earnings do not necessarily guarantee big satisfaction. According to a YouGov poll, published by the Lawyer earlier this month, a quarter of Britain's lawyers (including a fifth of law-firm partners) would like to leave the profession. The disgruntled complained about cripplingly long hours, intense competition and the impersonality of the biggest firms (some with more than 3,000 lawyers). So why don't they quit? Because, say three-quarters, of the pay. | 3511.txt | 1 |
[
"dismissing equity partners.",
"carrying out restructuring.",
"having their best lawyers turn more competitive.",
"raising salaries for recruiting talents."
] | In order to be competitive, the law firms take the following measures except _ . | Boosted by booming international financial markets, the City of London has not had it so good since the end of the dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s. Basking in double-digit growth rates, London's law firms have both contributed to that success and benefited from it. The earnings of top City lawyers can now exceed £2m a year.
Having opted to expand and go global ahead of most others, Britain's leading law firms tend to be bigger than their American rivals. Indeed, according to a survey of the world's top 50 law firms, compiled by Legal Business, a British trade paper, five of the world's top six law firms-in terms of turnover-are now British (if DLA Piper, the result of an Anglo-American merger, is includeD. But they have tended to lag behind in terms of their profitability. That is now changing.
The profit margins of the City's five "magic circle" firms-Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Freshfields-have soared in recent years and are now comparable with, if not higher than, those of New York's "white shoe" elite. Slaughter and May, the only one of the five not to have gone global, has the joint second-highest profit margin among the top 50.
Not so long ago, a London surgeon could expect to earn as much as a City lawyer. But even the recent big rises in hospital consultants' earnings pall in comparison with those enjoyed by London lawyers. At Slaughter and May, for example, average profits per equity partner (PEP) jumped by almost a third (in dollar terms) last year to $2.75m-more than at any other of the top 50 law firms bar two in New York where PEP averaged $2.8m and $3.0m respectively. Some senior partners get a lot more of course.
Competition for the best lawyers is fierce and poaching frequent. Hence the need to keep headline PEP figures up-even at the cost of getting rid of equity partners, leaving a bigger share of the bounty for the remaining ones. Freshfields is in the process of shedding around 100 of its equity partners. Other leading firms are also undertaking painful restructuring.
Newly qualified lawyers' salaries have also been shooting up in the search for the best talent. Both Freshfields and Allen & Overy now pay their first-year associates £65,000, rising to around £90,000 after three years. (First-year associates at America's top law firms get the equivalent of £80,000.)
But, as many other top-rank City employers have discovered, big earnings do not necessarily guarantee big satisfaction. According to a YouGov poll, published by the Lawyer earlier this month, a quarter of Britain's lawyers (including a fifth of law-firm partners) would like to leave the profession. The disgruntled complained about cripplingly long hours, intense competition and the impersonality of the biggest firms (some with more than 3,000 lawyers). So why don't they quit? Because, say three-quarters, of the pay. | 3511.txt | 2 |
[
"this profession is far from satisfactory.",
"most lawyers will leave the profession sooner or later.",
"most lawyers are satisfied with the profession because of the fat pay.",
"high salary is always contradictory to big satisfaction."
] | From the YouGov poll, it can be inferred that _ | Boosted by booming international financial markets, the City of London has not had it so good since the end of the dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s. Basking in double-digit growth rates, London's law firms have both contributed to that success and benefited from it. The earnings of top City lawyers can now exceed £2m a year.
Having opted to expand and go global ahead of most others, Britain's leading law firms tend to be bigger than their American rivals. Indeed, according to a survey of the world's top 50 law firms, compiled by Legal Business, a British trade paper, five of the world's top six law firms-in terms of turnover-are now British (if DLA Piper, the result of an Anglo-American merger, is includeD. But they have tended to lag behind in terms of their profitability. That is now changing.
The profit margins of the City's five "magic circle" firms-Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Freshfields-have soared in recent years and are now comparable with, if not higher than, those of New York's "white shoe" elite. Slaughter and May, the only one of the five not to have gone global, has the joint second-highest profit margin among the top 50.
Not so long ago, a London surgeon could expect to earn as much as a City lawyer. But even the recent big rises in hospital consultants' earnings pall in comparison with those enjoyed by London lawyers. At Slaughter and May, for example, average profits per equity partner (PEP) jumped by almost a third (in dollar terms) last year to $2.75m-more than at any other of the top 50 law firms bar two in New York where PEP averaged $2.8m and $3.0m respectively. Some senior partners get a lot more of course.
Competition for the best lawyers is fierce and poaching frequent. Hence the need to keep headline PEP figures up-even at the cost of getting rid of equity partners, leaving a bigger share of the bounty for the remaining ones. Freshfields is in the process of shedding around 100 of its equity partners. Other leading firms are also undertaking painful restructuring.
Newly qualified lawyers' salaries have also been shooting up in the search for the best talent. Both Freshfields and Allen & Overy now pay their first-year associates £65,000, rising to around £90,000 after three years. (First-year associates at America's top law firms get the equivalent of £80,000.)
But, as many other top-rank City employers have discovered, big earnings do not necessarily guarantee big satisfaction. According to a YouGov poll, published by the Lawyer earlier this month, a quarter of Britain's lawyers (including a fifth of law-firm partners) would like to leave the profession. The disgruntled complained about cripplingly long hours, intense competition and the impersonality of the biggest firms (some with more than 3,000 lawyers). So why don't they quit? Because, say three-quarters, of the pay. | 3511.txt | 0 |
[
"I was angry about my parents' quarrel",
"I found nobody to share my feelings with",
"I wanted to escape from the dark house",
"I planned to tell my friend about my trouble"
] | I wished to get out of the house because _ . | My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn't know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend's house. Though I knew I wouldn't tell her about my parents' situation, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.
I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I'd stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said, "Great opportunity."
"What is?" I asked.
"To talk, you and I," he said. "To hold a private little meeting about what we're going to do with your mom and dad, and what we're going to do with ourselves now that we're in the situation we are in."
"But we can't do anything about it, Grandpa," I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same"boat" as I was.
And that's how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandfather and me started. Sitting there in the dark, we talked about our feeling and fears of life---from how fast things change, to how they sometimes don't change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talked about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be.
Suddenly, the lights all came back on. "Well," he said, "I guess that means you'll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!" | 973.txt | 1 |
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