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[
"Muffin Man's songs will be available if you know his online nickname",
"outsiders cannot visit darknets without the invitation from a member",
"Kazaa is to darknets what the police are to underground world",
"it's impossible for people to find out your true identity on the darknets"
]
| From the first two paragraphs, we learn that _ . | Muffin Man has more than 2,000 songs on his hard drive, and he's happy to share them. He's a big fan of bands like Pearl Jam and the White Stripes, so there's plenty of hard rock in his collection.
But chances are you'll never get to it. The 21-year-old pizza cook, who asked to be identified by his online nickname, makes his songs available only through private file-sharing networks known as darknets. Unlike such public networks as Kazaa or Morpheus, which let you share songs with anyone, private networks operate more like underground nightclubs or secret societies. To gain access, you need to know the name of the group and a password. And the only way to get that information is from another member who invites you in. Some darknets even encrypt files and mask your identity within a group to keep eavesdroppers from finding out who you are and what you are sharing.
It's a handy invention now that the recording industry has taken to suing kids who share music online. But darknets are not just for digital music files. Carving out a bit of privacy online has wide appeal; students, community groups and even political dissidents can use these hidden networks to share projects, papers and information. One part of the allure is anonymity; the other is exclusivity. Since participation is limited, file searches don't turn up a lot of junk or pornography. Darknets offer the convenience of the Web without a lot of the bad stuff.
You need special software to start a darknet of your own. The two most popular programs are Direct Connect by NeoModus（at neomodus.com）and an open-source variation of it called DC++, available at sourceforge.net. More than 800,000 copies of DC++ have been downloaded since mid-July. A third program, called Waste（also at sourceforge.net）, automatically encrypts files but is much harder to use.
There are no good estimates of how many people use darknets. Lowtec, a college sophomore studying computer engineering, figures that 10% of the students at his school（which he declined to name）share files through Direct Connect. " It's much faster than Kazaa," he says. That's because private networks typically link small, close-knit communities in which all members have superfast connections.
The recording industry so far hasn't put much effort into combatting the secret networks, but its neglect might not last long. If networks like Kazaa become too risky, darknets could quickly rise to take their place. And if that happens, the music industry could find itself chasing users who are that much harder to catch. | 477.txt | 1 |
[
"Darknets are being accused by the recording industry of allowing kids to share music online.",
"People use darknets to share music mainly.",
"One advantage of darknets is that people can avoid reading unwanted information.",
"Users of private networks are mostly students."
]
| Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text? | Muffin Man has more than 2,000 songs on his hard drive, and he's happy to share them. He's a big fan of bands like Pearl Jam and the White Stripes, so there's plenty of hard rock in his collection.
But chances are you'll never get to it. The 21-year-old pizza cook, who asked to be identified by his online nickname, makes his songs available only through private file-sharing networks known as darknets. Unlike such public networks as Kazaa or Morpheus, which let you share songs with anyone, private networks operate more like underground nightclubs or secret societies. To gain access, you need to know the name of the group and a password. And the only way to get that information is from another member who invites you in. Some darknets even encrypt files and mask your identity within a group to keep eavesdroppers from finding out who you are and what you are sharing.
It's a handy invention now that the recording industry has taken to suing kids who share music online. But darknets are not just for digital music files. Carving out a bit of privacy online has wide appeal; students, community groups and even political dissidents can use these hidden networks to share projects, papers and information. One part of the allure is anonymity; the other is exclusivity. Since participation is limited, file searches don't turn up a lot of junk or pornography. Darknets offer the convenience of the Web without a lot of the bad stuff.
You need special software to start a darknet of your own. The two most popular programs are Direct Connect by NeoModus（at neomodus.com）and an open-source variation of it called DC++, available at sourceforge.net. More than 800,000 copies of DC++ have been downloaded since mid-July. A third program, called Waste（also at sourceforge.net）, automatically encrypts files but is much harder to use.
There are no good estimates of how many people use darknets. Lowtec, a college sophomore studying computer engineering, figures that 10% of the students at his school（which he declined to name）share files through Direct Connect. " It's much faster than Kazaa," he says. That's because private networks typically link small, close-knit communities in which all members have superfast connections.
The recording industry so far hasn't put much effort into combatting the secret networks, but its neglect might not last long. If networks like Kazaa become too risky, darknets could quickly rise to take their place. And if that happens, the music industry could find itself chasing users who are that much harder to catch. | 477.txt | 2 |
[
"advantage",
"achievement",
"feature",
"appeal"
]
| The word" allure" （Line 4, Paragraph 3）most probably means _ . | Muffin Man has more than 2,000 songs on his hard drive, and he's happy to share them. He's a big fan of bands like Pearl Jam and the White Stripes, so there's plenty of hard rock in his collection.
But chances are you'll never get to it. The 21-year-old pizza cook, who asked to be identified by his online nickname, makes his songs available only through private file-sharing networks known as darknets. Unlike such public networks as Kazaa or Morpheus, which let you share songs with anyone, private networks operate more like underground nightclubs or secret societies. To gain access, you need to know the name of the group and a password. And the only way to get that information is from another member who invites you in. Some darknets even encrypt files and mask your identity within a group to keep eavesdroppers from finding out who you are and what you are sharing.
It's a handy invention now that the recording industry has taken to suing kids who share music online. But darknets are not just for digital music files. Carving out a bit of privacy online has wide appeal; students, community groups and even political dissidents can use these hidden networks to share projects, papers and information. One part of the allure is anonymity; the other is exclusivity. Since participation is limited, file searches don't turn up a lot of junk or pornography. Darknets offer the convenience of the Web without a lot of the bad stuff.
You need special software to start a darknet of your own. The two most popular programs are Direct Connect by NeoModus（at neomodus.com）and an open-source variation of it called DC++, available at sourceforge.net. More than 800,000 copies of DC++ have been downloaded since mid-July. A third program, called Waste（also at sourceforge.net）, automatically encrypts files but is much harder to use.
There are no good estimates of how many people use darknets. Lowtec, a college sophomore studying computer engineering, figures that 10% of the students at his school（which he declined to name）share files through Direct Connect. " It's much faster than Kazaa," he says. That's because private networks typically link small, close-knit communities in which all members have superfast connections.
The recording industry so far hasn't put much effort into combatting the secret networks, but its neglect might not last long. If networks like Kazaa become too risky, darknets could quickly rise to take their place. And if that happens, the music industry could find itself chasing users who are that much harder to catch. | 477.txt | 3 |
[
"darknets may become a headache of the music industry",
"the age of darknets is within reach",
"darknets may excel Kazaa in the number of its users very soon",
"the music industry will lose the battle against darknets"
]
| We can draw a conclusion from the text that _ . | Muffin Man has more than 2,000 songs on his hard drive, and he's happy to share them. He's a big fan of bands like Pearl Jam and the White Stripes, so there's plenty of hard rock in his collection.
But chances are you'll never get to it. The 21-year-old pizza cook, who asked to be identified by his online nickname, makes his songs available only through private file-sharing networks known as darknets. Unlike such public networks as Kazaa or Morpheus, which let you share songs with anyone, private networks operate more like underground nightclubs or secret societies. To gain access, you need to know the name of the group and a password. And the only way to get that information is from another member who invites you in. Some darknets even encrypt files and mask your identity within a group to keep eavesdroppers from finding out who you are and what you are sharing.
It's a handy invention now that the recording industry has taken to suing kids who share music online. But darknets are not just for digital music files. Carving out a bit of privacy online has wide appeal; students, community groups and even political dissidents can use these hidden networks to share projects, papers and information. One part of the allure is anonymity; the other is exclusivity. Since participation is limited, file searches don't turn up a lot of junk or pornography. Darknets offer the convenience of the Web without a lot of the bad stuff.
You need special software to start a darknet of your own. The two most popular programs are Direct Connect by NeoModus（at neomodus.com）and an open-source variation of it called DC++, available at sourceforge.net. More than 800,000 copies of DC++ have been downloaded since mid-July. A third program, called Waste（also at sourceforge.net）, automatically encrypts files but is much harder to use.
There are no good estimates of how many people use darknets. Lowtec, a college sophomore studying computer engineering, figures that 10% of the students at his school（which he declined to name）share files through Direct Connect. " It's much faster than Kazaa," he says. That's because private networks typically link small, close-knit communities in which all members have superfast connections.
The recording industry so far hasn't put much effort into combatting the secret networks, but its neglect might not last long. If networks like Kazaa become too risky, darknets could quickly rise to take their place. And if that happens, the music industry could find itself chasing users who are that much harder to catch. | 477.txt | 0 |
[
"positive",
"negative",
"doubtful",
"uncertain"
]
| From the text we can see that the writer seems _ . | Muffin Man has more than 2,000 songs on his hard drive, and he's happy to share them. He's a big fan of bands like Pearl Jam and the White Stripes, so there's plenty of hard rock in his collection.
But chances are you'll never get to it. The 21-year-old pizza cook, who asked to be identified by his online nickname, makes his songs available only through private file-sharing networks known as darknets. Unlike such public networks as Kazaa or Morpheus, which let you share songs with anyone, private networks operate more like underground nightclubs or secret societies. To gain access, you need to know the name of the group and a password. And the only way to get that information is from another member who invites you in. Some darknets even encrypt files and mask your identity within a group to keep eavesdroppers from finding out who you are and what you are sharing.
It's a handy invention now that the recording industry has taken to suing kids who share music online. But darknets are not just for digital music files. Carving out a bit of privacy online has wide appeal; students, community groups and even political dissidents can use these hidden networks to share projects, papers and information. One part of the allure is anonymity; the other is exclusivity. Since participation is limited, file searches don't turn up a lot of junk or pornography. Darknets offer the convenience of the Web without a lot of the bad stuff.
You need special software to start a darknet of your own. The two most popular programs are Direct Connect by NeoModus（at neomodus.com）and an open-source variation of it called DC++, available at sourceforge.net. More than 800,000 copies of DC++ have been downloaded since mid-July. A third program, called Waste（also at sourceforge.net）, automatically encrypts files but is much harder to use.
There are no good estimates of how many people use darknets. Lowtec, a college sophomore studying computer engineering, figures that 10% of the students at his school（which he declined to name）share files through Direct Connect. " It's much faster than Kazaa," he says. That's because private networks typically link small, close-knit communities in which all members have superfast connections.
The recording industry so far hasn't put much effort into combatting the secret networks, but its neglect might not last long. If networks like Kazaa become too risky, darknets could quickly rise to take their place. And if that happens, the music industry could find itself chasing users who are that much harder to catch. | 477.txt | 0 |
[
"Singapore's financial strategy in recent years.",
"conditions about the two large government funds in Singapore.",
"the transformation or evolution of Singapore's banking system.",
"the close relation between Singapore's financial system and the government."
]
| The passage mainly discusses about _ | From its birth in 1981 with just two employees, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has become one of the world's largest sovereign funds, managing more than $100 billion in assets, with 900 employees in eight offices around the world. It is larger even than Temasek Holdings, the government's better-known fund. Temasek gained attention with its $1.9 billion purchase of a controlling stake in Thailand's dominant telecommunications company from the family of the country's prime minister. That helped stir street protests that led to a coup d'etat there last year.
The stake was part of a broader expansion started in mid-2002 by the company's executive director, Ho Ching, formerly head of government-owned Singapore Technologies and wife of Singapore's primeminister, Lee Hsien Loong. Aimed at reviving Temasek's financial performance in the wake of a recession, Temasek has since taken large stakes in banks as distant as India, China and the Standard Chartered Bank of Britain. Temasek says its investments are purely for financial purposes despite its ownership by the government. Nonetheless, it has run into political headwinds in the region. An Indonesian court recently ruled that it would have to sell one of the controlling stakes it holds, one directly and the other through a subsidiary, in the country's two dominant cellular telephone companies.
Over the last few years, Singapore has embarked on an aggressive effort to court private banks and their clients as a way of diversifying the economy as manufacturing jobs were shifting to China and Vietnam, turning the country into an Asian asset base. There are already at least 40 private banks with offices in Singapore, managing assets worth at least $150 billion. With many wealthy Europeans shifting assets to Singapore from Switzerland to take advantage of rapid Asian growth and avoid new withholding taxes in Europe, the European authorities have stepped up criticism of Singapore's banking system, saying that Singapore needed to tighten controls against money laundering.
Singaporean financial authorities say they do not condone money laundering and recently stepped up fines against banks found to be involved in illicit financial activity. The Government Investment Corporation, known as G.I.C., is controlled by the state, and Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, is its chairman. His son, the current prime minister, is deputy chairman. Tony Tan, its executive director, is a former deputy prime minister.
Both Temasek and G.I.C. have aggressively recruited top international financial talent, and G.I.C. in particular has a reputation among bankers and analysts as a shrewd and powerful investor. More than 40 percent of its employees are not Singaporean. Its investment panel includes Charles Ellis, chairman of the Yale University Investment Committee, and Robert Litterman, a managing director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Despite managing public funds, G.I.C. does not publicize its holdings or returns. Last year on its 25th anniversary, Lee Kuan Yew offered the company's first financial disclosure, reporting that G.I.C. had averaged a 9.5 percent annual return in United States dollar terms over its lifetime | 3497.txt | 1 |
[
"Singaporeans are against the purchase of controlling stake in Thailand's telecommunications company.",
"Singaporeans think that Temasek's purchase is indeed a political deal.",
"Singaporeans think that Temasek's purchase will make them have a loss.",
"Thais are reluctant to let Temasek to control their telecommunications company."
]
| From the first paragraph, it can be inferred that _ | From its birth in 1981 with just two employees, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has become one of the world's largest sovereign funds, managing more than $100 billion in assets, with 900 employees in eight offices around the world. It is larger even than Temasek Holdings, the government's better-known fund. Temasek gained attention with its $1.9 billion purchase of a controlling stake in Thailand's dominant telecommunications company from the family of the country's prime minister. That helped stir street protests that led to a coup d'etat there last year.
The stake was part of a broader expansion started in mid-2002 by the company's executive director, Ho Ching, formerly head of government-owned Singapore Technologies and wife of Singapore's primeminister, Lee Hsien Loong. Aimed at reviving Temasek's financial performance in the wake of a recession, Temasek has since taken large stakes in banks as distant as India, China and the Standard Chartered Bank of Britain. Temasek says its investments are purely for financial purposes despite its ownership by the government. Nonetheless, it has run into political headwinds in the region. An Indonesian court recently ruled that it would have to sell one of the controlling stakes it holds, one directly and the other through a subsidiary, in the country's two dominant cellular telephone companies.
Over the last few years, Singapore has embarked on an aggressive effort to court private banks and their clients as a way of diversifying the economy as manufacturing jobs were shifting to China and Vietnam, turning the country into an Asian asset base. There are already at least 40 private banks with offices in Singapore, managing assets worth at least $150 billion. With many wealthy Europeans shifting assets to Singapore from Switzerland to take advantage of rapid Asian growth and avoid new withholding taxes in Europe, the European authorities have stepped up criticism of Singapore's banking system, saying that Singapore needed to tighten controls against money laundering.
Singaporean financial authorities say they do not condone money laundering and recently stepped up fines against banks found to be involved in illicit financial activity. The Government Investment Corporation, known as G.I.C., is controlled by the state, and Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, is its chairman. His son, the current prime minister, is deputy chairman. Tony Tan, its executive director, is a former deputy prime minister.
Both Temasek and G.I.C. have aggressively recruited top international financial talent, and G.I.C. in particular has a reputation among bankers and analysts as a shrewd and powerful investor. More than 40 percent of its employees are not Singaporean. Its investment panel includes Charles Ellis, chairman of the Yale University Investment Committee, and Robert Litterman, a managing director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Despite managing public funds, G.I.C. does not publicize its holdings or returns. Last year on its 25th anniversary, Lee Kuan Yew offered the company's first financial disclosure, reporting that G.I.C. had averaged a 9.5 percent annual return in United States dollar terms over its lifetime | 3497.txt | 3 |
[
"Temasek Holdings seems to be quite reluctant to interfere with in the political issue of the countries it invests into.",
"Temasek Holdings will sell one of the controlling stakes in Indonesian mobile telephone companies directly and through a subsidiary.",
"Temasek Holdings conducts such expansion in order to change its depression.",
"Temasek Holdings has not only subtle relations with Singapore's political elite, but also those of neighboring countries."
]
| Which one of the following statement is TRUE of Temasek Holdings? | From its birth in 1981 with just two employees, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has become one of the world's largest sovereign funds, managing more than $100 billion in assets, with 900 employees in eight offices around the world. It is larger even than Temasek Holdings, the government's better-known fund. Temasek gained attention with its $1.9 billion purchase of a controlling stake in Thailand's dominant telecommunications company from the family of the country's prime minister. That helped stir street protests that led to a coup d'etat there last year.
The stake was part of a broader expansion started in mid-2002 by the company's executive director, Ho Ching, formerly head of government-owned Singapore Technologies and wife of Singapore's primeminister, Lee Hsien Loong. Aimed at reviving Temasek's financial performance in the wake of a recession, Temasek has since taken large stakes in banks as distant as India, China and the Standard Chartered Bank of Britain. Temasek says its investments are purely for financial purposes despite its ownership by the government. Nonetheless, it has run into political headwinds in the region. An Indonesian court recently ruled that it would have to sell one of the controlling stakes it holds, one directly and the other through a subsidiary, in the country's two dominant cellular telephone companies.
Over the last few years, Singapore has embarked on an aggressive effort to court private banks and their clients as a way of diversifying the economy as manufacturing jobs were shifting to China and Vietnam, turning the country into an Asian asset base. There are already at least 40 private banks with offices in Singapore, managing assets worth at least $150 billion. With many wealthy Europeans shifting assets to Singapore from Switzerland to take advantage of rapid Asian growth and avoid new withholding taxes in Europe, the European authorities have stepped up criticism of Singapore's banking system, saying that Singapore needed to tighten controls against money laundering.
Singaporean financial authorities say they do not condone money laundering and recently stepped up fines against banks found to be involved in illicit financial activity. The Government Investment Corporation, known as G.I.C., is controlled by the state, and Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, is its chairman. His son, the current prime minister, is deputy chairman. Tony Tan, its executive director, is a former deputy prime minister.
Both Temasek and G.I.C. have aggressively recruited top international financial talent, and G.I.C. in particular has a reputation among bankers and analysts as a shrewd and powerful investor. More than 40 percent of its employees are not Singaporean. Its investment panel includes Charles Ellis, chairman of the Yale University Investment Committee, and Robert Litterman, a managing director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Despite managing public funds, G.I.C. does not publicize its holdings or returns. Last year on its 25th anniversary, Lee Kuan Yew offered the company's first financial disclosure, reporting that G.I.C. had averaged a 9.5 percent annual return in United States dollar terms over its lifetime | 3497.txt | 2 |
[
"they want to invest into Asia so as to gain more profits.",
"they want to conduct money laundering by tactically avoiding taxes.",
"they want to carry out illegal financial activity in Asia.",
"the investment environment in Europe is not attracting."
]
| Many Europeans shift assets to Singapore due to the following reasons except _ | From its birth in 1981 with just two employees, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has become one of the world's largest sovereign funds, managing more than $100 billion in assets, with 900 employees in eight offices around the world. It is larger even than Temasek Holdings, the government's better-known fund. Temasek gained attention with its $1.9 billion purchase of a controlling stake in Thailand's dominant telecommunications company from the family of the country's prime minister. That helped stir street protests that led to a coup d'etat there last year.
The stake was part of a broader expansion started in mid-2002 by the company's executive director, Ho Ching, formerly head of government-owned Singapore Technologies and wife of Singapore's primeminister, Lee Hsien Loong. Aimed at reviving Temasek's financial performance in the wake of a recession, Temasek has since taken large stakes in banks as distant as India, China and the Standard Chartered Bank of Britain. Temasek says its investments are purely for financial purposes despite its ownership by the government. Nonetheless, it has run into political headwinds in the region. An Indonesian court recently ruled that it would have to sell one of the controlling stakes it holds, one directly and the other through a subsidiary, in the country's two dominant cellular telephone companies.
Over the last few years, Singapore has embarked on an aggressive effort to court private banks and their clients as a way of diversifying the economy as manufacturing jobs were shifting to China and Vietnam, turning the country into an Asian asset base. There are already at least 40 private banks with offices in Singapore, managing assets worth at least $150 billion. With many wealthy Europeans shifting assets to Singapore from Switzerland to take advantage of rapid Asian growth and avoid new withholding taxes in Europe, the European authorities have stepped up criticism of Singapore's banking system, saying that Singapore needed to tighten controls against money laundering.
Singaporean financial authorities say they do not condone money laundering and recently stepped up fines against banks found to be involved in illicit financial activity. The Government Investment Corporation, known as G.I.C., is controlled by the state, and Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, is its chairman. His son, the current prime minister, is deputy chairman. Tony Tan, its executive director, is a former deputy prime minister.
Both Temasek and G.I.C. have aggressively recruited top international financial talent, and G.I.C. in particular has a reputation among bankers and analysts as a shrewd and powerful investor. More than 40 percent of its employees are not Singaporean. Its investment panel includes Charles Ellis, chairman of the Yale University Investment Committee, and Robert Litterman, a managing director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Despite managing public funds, G.I.C. does not publicize its holdings or returns. Last year on its 25th anniversary, Lee Kuan Yew offered the company's first financial disclosure, reporting that G.I.C. had averaged a 9.5 percent annual return in United States dollar terms over its lifetime | 3497.txt | 1 |
[
"encourage.",
"allow.",
"remit.",
"permit."
]
| The word "condone" (Line 1, Paragraph 4) most probably means _ | From its birth in 1981 with just two employees, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has become one of the world's largest sovereign funds, managing more than $100 billion in assets, with 900 employees in eight offices around the world. It is larger even than Temasek Holdings, the government's better-known fund. Temasek gained attention with its $1.9 billion purchase of a controlling stake in Thailand's dominant telecommunications company from the family of the country's prime minister. That helped stir street protests that led to a coup d'etat there last year.
The stake was part of a broader expansion started in mid-2002 by the company's executive director, Ho Ching, formerly head of government-owned Singapore Technologies and wife of Singapore's primeminister, Lee Hsien Loong. Aimed at reviving Temasek's financial performance in the wake of a recession, Temasek has since taken large stakes in banks as distant as India, China and the Standard Chartered Bank of Britain. Temasek says its investments are purely for financial purposes despite its ownership by the government. Nonetheless, it has run into political headwinds in the region. An Indonesian court recently ruled that it would have to sell one of the controlling stakes it holds, one directly and the other through a subsidiary, in the country's two dominant cellular telephone companies.
Over the last few years, Singapore has embarked on an aggressive effort to court private banks and their clients as a way of diversifying the economy as manufacturing jobs were shifting to China and Vietnam, turning the country into an Asian asset base. There are already at least 40 private banks with offices in Singapore, managing assets worth at least $150 billion. With many wealthy Europeans shifting assets to Singapore from Switzerland to take advantage of rapid Asian growth and avoid new withholding taxes in Europe, the European authorities have stepped up criticism of Singapore's banking system, saying that Singapore needed to tighten controls against money laundering.
Singaporean financial authorities say they do not condone money laundering and recently stepped up fines against banks found to be involved in illicit financial activity. The Government Investment Corporation, known as G.I.C., is controlled by the state, and Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, is its chairman. His son, the current prime minister, is deputy chairman. Tony Tan, its executive director, is a former deputy prime minister.
Both Temasek and G.I.C. have aggressively recruited top international financial talent, and G.I.C. in particular has a reputation among bankers and analysts as a shrewd and powerful investor. More than 40 percent of its employees are not Singaporean. Its investment panel includes Charles Ellis, chairman of the Yale University Investment Committee, and Robert Litterman, a managing director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Despite managing public funds, G.I.C. does not publicize its holdings or returns. Last year on its 25th anniversary, Lee Kuan Yew offered the company's first financial disclosure, reporting that G.I.C. had averaged a 9.5 percent annual return in United States dollar terms over its lifetime | 3497.txt | 2 |
[
"superficial",
"remarkable",
"debatable",
"essential"
]
| The word "imperative" (Line 5, Para. 1) most probably refers to something _ . | It's very interesting to note where the debate about diversity is taking place. It is taking place primarily in political circles. Here at the College Fund, we have a lot of contact with top corporate leaders; none of them is talking about getting rid of those instruments that produce diversity. In fact, they say that if their companies are to compete in the global village and in the global market place, diversity is an imperative. They also say that the need for talented, skilled Americans means we have to expand the pool means promoting policies that help provide skills to more minorities, more women and more immigrants. Corporate leaders know that if that doesn't occur in our society, they will not have the engineers, the scientist, the lawyers, or the business managers they will need.
Likewise, I don't hear people in the academy saying. "Let's go backward. Let's go back to the good old days, when we had a meritocracy (which was never true-we never had a meritocracy, although we've come close to it in the last 30 years). I recently visited a great little college in New York where the campus had doubled its minority population in the last six years. I talked with an African American who has been a professor there for a long time, and she remembers that when she first joined the community, there were fewer than a handful of minorities on campus. Now, all of us feel the university is better because of the diversity. So where we hear this debate is primarily in political circles and in the media-not in corporate board rooms or on college campuses. | 3044.txt | 3 |
[
"Minorities.",
"Politicians.",
"Professors.",
"Managers."
]
| Which of the following groups of people still differ in their views on diversity? | It's very interesting to note where the debate about diversity is taking place. It is taking place primarily in political circles. Here at the College Fund, we have a lot of contact with top corporate leaders; none of them is talking about getting rid of those instruments that produce diversity. In fact, they say that if their companies are to compete in the global village and in the global market place, diversity is an imperative. They also say that the need for talented, skilled Americans means we have to expand the pool means promoting policies that help provide skills to more minorities, more women and more immigrants. Corporate leaders know that if that doesn't occur in our society, they will not have the engineers, the scientist, the lawyers, or the business managers they will need.
Likewise, I don't hear people in the academy saying. "Let's go backward. Let's go back to the good old days, when we had a meritocracy (which was never true-we never had a meritocracy, although we've come close to it in the last 30 years). I recently visited a great little college in New York where the campus had doubled its minority population in the last six years. I talked with an African American who has been a professor there for a long time, and she remembers that when she first joined the community, there were fewer than a handful of minorities on campus. Now, all of us feel the university is better because of the diversity. So where we hear this debate is primarily in political circles and in the media-not in corporate board rooms or on college campuses. | 3044.txt | 1 |
[
"lower the rate of unemployment",
"win equal political rights for minorities",
"be competitive in the world market",
"satisfy the demands of a growing population"
]
| High corporate leaders seem to be in favor of promoting diversity so as to _ . | It's very interesting to note where the debate about diversity is taking place. It is taking place primarily in political circles. Here at the College Fund, we have a lot of contact with top corporate leaders; none of them is talking about getting rid of those instruments that produce diversity. In fact, they say that if their companies are to compete in the global village and in the global market place, diversity is an imperative. They also say that the need for talented, skilled Americans means we have to expand the pool means promoting policies that help provide skills to more minorities, more women and more immigrants. Corporate leaders know that if that doesn't occur in our society, they will not have the engineers, the scientist, the lawyers, or the business managers they will need.
Likewise, I don't hear people in the academy saying. "Let's go backward. Let's go back to the good old days, when we had a meritocracy (which was never true-we never had a meritocracy, although we've come close to it in the last 30 years). I recently visited a great little college in New York where the campus had doubled its minority population in the last six years. I talked with an African American who has been a professor there for a long time, and she remembers that when she first joined the community, there were fewer than a handful of minorities on campus. Now, all of us feel the university is better because of the diversity. So where we hear this debate is primarily in political circles and in the media-not in corporate board rooms or on college campuses. | 3044.txt | 2 |
[
"meritocracy can never be realized without diversity",
"American political circles will not accept diversity",
"it is unlikely that diversity will occur in the U.S. media",
"minorities can only enter the fields where no debate is heard about diversity"
]
| It can be inferred from the passage that _ . | It's very interesting to note where the debate about diversity is taking place. It is taking place primarily in political circles. Here at the College Fund, we have a lot of contact with top corporate leaders; none of them is talking about getting rid of those instruments that produce diversity. In fact, they say that if their companies are to compete in the global village and in the global market place, diversity is an imperative. They also say that the need for talented, skilled Americans means we have to expand the pool means promoting policies that help provide skills to more minorities, more women and more immigrants. Corporate leaders know that if that doesn't occur in our society, they will not have the engineers, the scientist, the lawyers, or the business managers they will need.
Likewise, I don't hear people in the academy saying. "Let's go backward. Let's go back to the good old days, when we had a meritocracy (which was never true-we never had a meritocracy, although we've come close to it in the last 30 years). I recently visited a great little college in New York where the campus had doubled its minority population in the last six years. I talked with an African American who has been a professor there for a long time, and she remembers that when she first joined the community, there were fewer than a handful of minorities on campus. Now, all of us feel the university is better because of the diversity. So where we hear this debate is primarily in political circles and in the media-not in corporate board rooms or on college campuses. | 3044.txt | 0 |
[
"expanding the pool of potential employees",
"promoting policies that provide skills to employees",
"training more engineers, scientists lawyers and business managers",
"providing education for all regardless of race or sex"
]
| According to the passage diversity can be achieved in American society by _ . | It's very interesting to note where the debate about diversity is taking place. It is taking place primarily in political circles. Here at the College Fund, we have a lot of contact with top corporate leaders; none of them is talking about getting rid of those instruments that produce diversity. In fact, they say that if their companies are to compete in the global village and in the global market place, diversity is an imperative. They also say that the need for talented, skilled Americans means we have to expand the pool means promoting policies that help provide skills to more minorities, more women and more immigrants. Corporate leaders know that if that doesn't occur in our society, they will not have the engineers, the scientist, the lawyers, or the business managers they will need.
Likewise, I don't hear people in the academy saying. "Let's go backward. Let's go back to the good old days, when we had a meritocracy (which was never true-we never had a meritocracy, although we've come close to it in the last 30 years). I recently visited a great little college in New York where the campus had doubled its minority population in the last six years. I talked with an African American who has been a professor there for a long time, and she remembers that when she first joined the community, there were fewer than a handful of minorities on campus. Now, all of us feel the university is better because of the diversity. So where we hear this debate is primarily in political circles and in the media-not in corporate board rooms or on college campuses. | 3044.txt | 3 |
[
"It went bankrupt all of a sudden.",
"It is approaching its downfall.",
"It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.",
"It is playing the dominant role in the film market."
]
| What do we learn about Kodak? | Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (. protection is a sad, though notunexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumerphotography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to thedigital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( )," thatexplanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself.Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact,Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose toshelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind tothe future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that itfailed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, itwas too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt,and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have adifficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets intothe new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary tofullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important tothem. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decadeswas dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese filmcompany Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photosupplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los AngelesOlympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploiteditssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. | 2204.txt | 1 |
[
"To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.",
"To show its effort to overcome complacency.",
"To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.",
"To show its will to compete with Japan's Fuji Photo."
]
| Why does the author mention Kodak's Invention of the first digital camera? | Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (. protection is a sad, though notunexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumerphotography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to thedigital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( )," thatexplanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself.Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact,Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose toshelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind tothe future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that itfailed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, itwas too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt,and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have adifficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets intothe new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary tofullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important tothem. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decadeswas dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese filmcompany Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photosupplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los AngelesOlympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploiteditssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. | 2204.txt | 0 |
[
"They find it costly to give up their existing assets.",
"They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.",
"They are unwilling to invest in new technology.",
"They are deeply stuck in their glorious past."
]
| Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets? | Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (. protection is a sad, though notunexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumerphotography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to thedigital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( )," thatexplanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself.Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact,Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose toshelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind tothe future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that itfailed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, itwas too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt,and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have adifficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets intothe new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary tofullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important tothem. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decadeswas dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese filmcompany Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photosupplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los AngelesOlympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploiteditssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. | 2204.txt | 3 |
[
"A burden.",
"A mirror.",
"A joke.",
"A challenge."
]
| What does the author say Kodak's history has become? | Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (. protection is a sad, though notunexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumerphotography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to thedigital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( )," thatexplanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself.Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact,Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose toshelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind tothe future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that itfailed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, itwas too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt,and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have adifficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets intothe new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary tofullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important tothem. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decadeswas dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese filmcompany Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photosupplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los AngelesOlympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploiteditssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. | 2204.txt | 0 |
[
"Its blind faith in traditional photography.",
"Its failure to see Fuji Photo's emergence.",
"Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.",
"Its overconfidence in its corporate culture."
]
| What was Kodak's fatal mistake? | Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (. protection is a sad, though notunexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumerphotography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to thedigital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( )," thatexplanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself.Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact,Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose toshelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind tothe future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that itfailed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, itwas too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt,and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have adifficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets intothe new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary tofullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important tothem. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decadeswas dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese filmcompany Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photosupplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los AngelesOlympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploiteditssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. | 2204.txt | 2 |
[
"A quarter of Americans can't afford their prescription drugs.",
"Many Americans can't afford to see a doctor when they fall ill.",
"Many Americans have to go to Canada to get medical treatment.",
"The inflation rate has been more than doubled over the years."
]
| What is said about the consequence of the rocketing drug prices in the U.S. | You're in trouble if you have to buy your own brand-name prescription drugs. Over the past decade, prices leaped by more than double the inflation rate. Treatments for chronic conditions can easily top $2,000 a month-no wonder that one in four Americans can's afford to fill their prescriptions. The solution? A hearty chorus of "O Canada." North of the border, where price controls reign, those same brand-name drugs cost 50% to 80% less.
The Canadian option is fast becoming a political wake-up call, "If our neighbors can buy drugs at reasonable prices, why can't we? Even to whisper that thought provokes anger. "Un-American!" And-the propagandists' trump card -"Wreck our brilliant health-care system." Supersize drug prices, they claim, fund the research that sparks the next generation of wonder drugs. No sky-high drug price today, no cure for cancer tomorrow. So shut up and pay up.
Common sense tells you that's a false alternative. The reward for finding, say, a cancer cure is so huge that no one's going to hang it up. Nevertheless, if Canada-level pricing came to the United States, the industry's profit margins would drop and the pace of new-drug development would slow. Here lies the American dilemma. Who is all this splendid medicine for? Should our health-care system continue its drive toward the best of the best, even though rising numbers of patients can't afford it? Or should we direct our wealth toward letting everyone in on today's level of care? Measured by saved lives, the latter is almost certainly the better course.
To defend their profits, the drug companies have warned Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies not to sell to Americans by mail, and are cutting back supplies to those who dare.
Meanwhile, the administration is playing the fear card. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration will argue that Canadian drugs might be fake, mishandled, or even a potential threat to life.
Do bad drugs fly around the Internet? Sure-and the more we look, the more we'll find, But I haven't heard of any raging epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people buying crossborder.
Most users of prescription drugs don't worry about costs a lot. They're sheltered by employee insurance, owing just a $20 co-pay. The financial blows rain, instead, on the uninsured, especially the chronically ill who need expensive drugs to live, This group will still include middle-income seniors on Medicare, who'll have to dig deeply into their pockets before getting much from the new drug benefit that starts in 2006. | 691.txt | 0 |
[
"encouraging people to buy prescription drugs online",
"extending medical insurance to all its citizens",
"importing low-price prescription drugs from Canada",
"exercising price control on brand-name drugs"
]
| It can be inferred that America can follow the Canadian model and curb its soaring drug prices by ________. | You're in trouble if you have to buy your own brand-name prescription drugs. Over the past decade, prices leaped by more than double the inflation rate. Treatments for chronic conditions can easily top $2,000 a month-no wonder that one in four Americans can's afford to fill their prescriptions. The solution? A hearty chorus of "O Canada." North of the border, where price controls reign, those same brand-name drugs cost 50% to 80% less.
The Canadian option is fast becoming a political wake-up call, "If our neighbors can buy drugs at reasonable prices, why can't we? Even to whisper that thought provokes anger. "Un-American!" And-the propagandists' trump card -"Wreck our brilliant health-care system." Supersize drug prices, they claim, fund the research that sparks the next generation of wonder drugs. No sky-high drug price today, no cure for cancer tomorrow. So shut up and pay up.
Common sense tells you that's a false alternative. The reward for finding, say, a cancer cure is so huge that no one's going to hang it up. Nevertheless, if Canada-level pricing came to the United States, the industry's profit margins would drop and the pace of new-drug development would slow. Here lies the American dilemma. Who is all this splendid medicine for? Should our health-care system continue its drive toward the best of the best, even though rising numbers of patients can't afford it? Or should we direct our wealth toward letting everyone in on today's level of care? Measured by saved lives, the latter is almost certainly the better course.
To defend their profits, the drug companies have warned Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies not to sell to Americans by mail, and are cutting back supplies to those who dare.
Meanwhile, the administration is playing the fear card. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration will argue that Canadian drugs might be fake, mishandled, or even a potential threat to life.
Do bad drugs fly around the Internet? Sure-and the more we look, the more we'll find, But I haven't heard of any raging epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people buying crossborder.
Most users of prescription drugs don't worry about costs a lot. They're sheltered by employee insurance, owing just a $20 co-pay. The financial blows rain, instead, on the uninsured, especially the chronically ill who need expensive drugs to live, This group will still include middle-income seniors on Medicare, who'll have to dig deeply into their pockets before getting much from the new drug benefit that starts in 2006. | 691.txt | 3 |
[
"Low prices will affect the quality of medicines in America.",
"High prices are essential to funding research on new drugs.",
"Low prices will bring about the anger of drug manufacturers.",
"High-price drugs are indispensable in curing chronic diseases."
]
| How do propagandists argue for the U.S. drug pricing policy? | You're in trouble if you have to buy your own brand-name prescription drugs. Over the past decade, prices leaped by more than double the inflation rate. Treatments for chronic conditions can easily top $2,000 a month-no wonder that one in four Americans can's afford to fill their prescriptions. The solution? A hearty chorus of "O Canada." North of the border, where price controls reign, those same brand-name drugs cost 50% to 80% less.
The Canadian option is fast becoming a political wake-up call, "If our neighbors can buy drugs at reasonable prices, why can't we? Even to whisper that thought provokes anger. "Un-American!" And-the propagandists' trump card -"Wreck our brilliant health-care system." Supersize drug prices, they claim, fund the research that sparks the next generation of wonder drugs. No sky-high drug price today, no cure for cancer tomorrow. So shut up and pay up.
Common sense tells you that's a false alternative. The reward for finding, say, a cancer cure is so huge that no one's going to hang it up. Nevertheless, if Canada-level pricing came to the United States, the industry's profit margins would drop and the pace of new-drug development would slow. Here lies the American dilemma. Who is all this splendid medicine for? Should our health-care system continue its drive toward the best of the best, even though rising numbers of patients can't afford it? Or should we direct our wealth toward letting everyone in on today's level of care? Measured by saved lives, the latter is almost certainly the better course.
To defend their profits, the drug companies have warned Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies not to sell to Americans by mail, and are cutting back supplies to those who dare.
Meanwhile, the administration is playing the fear card. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration will argue that Canadian drugs might be fake, mishandled, or even a potential threat to life.
Do bad drugs fly around the Internet? Sure-and the more we look, the more we'll find, But I haven't heard of any raging epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people buying crossborder.
Most users of prescription drugs don't worry about costs a lot. They're sheltered by employee insurance, owing just a $20 co-pay. The financial blows rain, instead, on the uninsured, especially the chronically ill who need expensive drugs to live, This group will still include middle-income seniors on Medicare, who'll have to dig deeply into their pockets before getting much from the new drug benefit that starts in 2006. | 691.txt | 1 |
[
"To resolve the dilemma in the health-care system.",
"To maintain America's lead in the drug industry.",
"To allow the vast majority to enjoy its benefits.",
"To quicken the pace of new drug development."
]
| What should be the priority of America's health-care system according to the author? | You're in trouble if you have to buy your own brand-name prescription drugs. Over the past decade, prices leaped by more than double the inflation rate. Treatments for chronic conditions can easily top $2,000 a month-no wonder that one in four Americans can's afford to fill their prescriptions. The solution? A hearty chorus of "O Canada." North of the border, where price controls reign, those same brand-name drugs cost 50% to 80% less.
The Canadian option is fast becoming a political wake-up call, "If our neighbors can buy drugs at reasonable prices, why can't we? Even to whisper that thought provokes anger. "Un-American!" And-the propagandists' trump card -"Wreck our brilliant health-care system." Supersize drug prices, they claim, fund the research that sparks the next generation of wonder drugs. No sky-high drug price today, no cure for cancer tomorrow. So shut up and pay up.
Common sense tells you that's a false alternative. The reward for finding, say, a cancer cure is so huge that no one's going to hang it up. Nevertheless, if Canada-level pricing came to the United States, the industry's profit margins would drop and the pace of new-drug development would slow. Here lies the American dilemma. Who is all this splendid medicine for? Should our health-care system continue its drive toward the best of the best, even though rising numbers of patients can't afford it? Or should we direct our wealth toward letting everyone in on today's level of care? Measured by saved lives, the latter is almost certainly the better course.
To defend their profits, the drug companies have warned Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies not to sell to Americans by mail, and are cutting back supplies to those who dare.
Meanwhile, the administration is playing the fear card. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration will argue that Canadian drugs might be fake, mishandled, or even a potential threat to life.
Do bad drugs fly around the Internet? Sure-and the more we look, the more we'll find, But I haven't heard of any raging epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people buying crossborder.
Most users of prescription drugs don't worry about costs a lot. They're sheltered by employee insurance, owing just a $20 co-pay. The financial blows rain, instead, on the uninsured, especially the chronically ill who need expensive drugs to live, This group will still include middle-income seniors on Medicare, who'll have to dig deeply into their pockets before getting much from the new drug benefit that starts in 2006. | 691.txt | 2 |
[
"Labeling drugs bought from Canada as being fakes.",
"Threatening to cut back funding for new drug research.",
"Reducing supplies to uncooperative Canadian pharmacies.",
"Attributing the raging epidemics to the ineffectiveness of Canadian drugs."
]
| What are American drug companies doing to protect their high profits? | You're in trouble if you have to buy your own brand-name prescription drugs. Over the past decade, prices leaped by more than double the inflation rate. Treatments for chronic conditions can easily top $2,000 a month-no wonder that one in four Americans can's afford to fill their prescriptions. The solution? A hearty chorus of "O Canada." North of the border, where price controls reign, those same brand-name drugs cost 50% to 80% less.
The Canadian option is fast becoming a political wake-up call, "If our neighbors can buy drugs at reasonable prices, why can't we? Even to whisper that thought provokes anger. "Un-American!" And-the propagandists' trump card -"Wreck our brilliant health-care system." Supersize drug prices, they claim, fund the research that sparks the next generation of wonder drugs. No sky-high drug price today, no cure for cancer tomorrow. So shut up and pay up.
Common sense tells you that's a false alternative. The reward for finding, say, a cancer cure is so huge that no one's going to hang it up. Nevertheless, if Canada-level pricing came to the United States, the industry's profit margins would drop and the pace of new-drug development would slow. Here lies the American dilemma. Who is all this splendid medicine for? Should our health-care system continue its drive toward the best of the best, even though rising numbers of patients can't afford it? Or should we direct our wealth toward letting everyone in on today's level of care? Measured by saved lives, the latter is almost certainly the better course.
To defend their profits, the drug companies have warned Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies not to sell to Americans by mail, and are cutting back supplies to those who dare.
Meanwhile, the administration is playing the fear card. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration will argue that Canadian drugs might be fake, mishandled, or even a potential threat to life.
Do bad drugs fly around the Internet? Sure-and the more we look, the more we'll find, But I haven't heard of any raging epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people buying crossborder.
Most users of prescription drugs don't worry about costs a lot. They're sheltered by employee insurance, owing just a $20 co-pay. The financial blows rain, instead, on the uninsured, especially the chronically ill who need expensive drugs to live, This group will still include middle-income seniors on Medicare, who'll have to dig deeply into their pockets before getting much from the new drug benefit that starts in 2006. | 691.txt | 2 |
[
"It is imperative to protect scientists' patents.",
"Repositories are essential to scientific research.",
"Open data sharing is most important to medical science.",
"Open data sharing is conducive to scientific advancement."
]
| What do many researchers generally accept? | Open data sharers are still in the minority in many fields. Although many researchers broadly agree that public access to raw data would accelerate science, most are reluctant to post the results of their own labors online.
Some communities have agreed to share online-geneticists, for example, post DNA sequences at the GenBank repository , and astronomers are accustomed to accessing images of galaxies and stars from, say, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a telescope that has observed some 500 million objects-but these remain the exception, not the rule. Historically, scientists have objected to sharing for many reasons: it is a lot of work; until recently, good databases did not exist; grant funders were not pushing for sharing; it has been difficult to agree on standards for formatting data; and there is no agreed way to assign credit for data.
But the barriers are disappearing, in part because journals and funding agencies worldwide are encouraging scientists to make their data public. Last year, the Royal Society in London said in its report that scientists need to "shift away from a research culture where data is viewed as a private preserve". Funding agencies note that data paid for with public money should be public information, and the scientific community is recognizing that data can now be shared digitally in ways that were not possible before. To match the growing demand, services are springing up to make it easier to publish research products online and enable other researchers to discover and cite them.
Although calls to share data often concentrate on the moral advantages of sharing, the practice is not purely altruistic . Researchers who share get plenty of personal benefits, including more connections with colleagues, improved visibility and increased citations. The most successful sharers-those whose data are downloaded and cited the most often---get noticed, and their work gets used. For example, one of the most popular data sets on multidisciplinary repository Dryad is about wood density around the world; it has been downloaded 5,700 times. Co-author Amy Zanne thinks that users probably range from climate-change researchers wanting to estimate how much carbon is stored in biomass, to foresters looking for information on different grades of timber. "I'd much prefer to have my data used by the maximum number of people to ask their own questions," she says. "It's important to allow readers and reviewers to see exactly how you arrive at your results. Publishing data and code allows your science to be reproducible."
Even people whose data are less popular can benefit. By making the effort to organize and label files so others can understand them, scientists become more organized and better disciplined themselves, thus avoiding confusion later on. | 1877.txt | 3 |
[
"Opposed.",
"Ambiguous.",
"Liberal.",
"Neutral."
]
| What is the attitude of most researchers towards making their own data public? | Open data sharers are still in the minority in many fields. Although many researchers broadly agree that public access to raw data would accelerate science, most are reluctant to post the results of their own labors online.
Some communities have agreed to share online-geneticists, for example, post DNA sequences at the GenBank repository , and astronomers are accustomed to accessing images of galaxies and stars from, say, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a telescope that has observed some 500 million objects-but these remain the exception, not the rule. Historically, scientists have objected to sharing for many reasons: it is a lot of work; until recently, good databases did not exist; grant funders were not pushing for sharing; it has been difficult to agree on standards for formatting data; and there is no agreed way to assign credit for data.
But the barriers are disappearing, in part because journals and funding agencies worldwide are encouraging scientists to make their data public. Last year, the Royal Society in London said in its report that scientists need to "shift away from a research culture where data is viewed as a private preserve". Funding agencies note that data paid for with public money should be public information, and the scientific community is recognizing that data can now be shared digitally in ways that were not possible before. To match the growing demand, services are springing up to make it easier to publish research products online and enable other researchers to discover and cite them.
Although calls to share data often concentrate on the moral advantages of sharing, the practice is not purely altruistic . Researchers who share get plenty of personal benefits, including more connections with colleagues, improved visibility and increased citations. The most successful sharers-those whose data are downloaded and cited the most often---get noticed, and their work gets used. For example, one of the most popular data sets on multidisciplinary repository Dryad is about wood density around the world; it has been downloaded 5,700 times. Co-author Amy Zanne thinks that users probably range from climate-change researchers wanting to estimate how much carbon is stored in biomass, to foresters looking for information on different grades of timber. "I'd much prefer to have my data used by the maximum number of people to ask their own questions," she says. "It's important to allow readers and reviewers to see exactly how you arrive at your results. Publishing data and code allows your science to be reproducible."
Even people whose data are less popular can benefit. By making the effort to organize and label files so others can understand them, scientists become more organized and better disciplined themselves, thus avoiding confusion later on. | 1877.txt | 0 |
[
"The fear of massive copying.",
"The lack of a research culture.",
"The belief that research data is private intellectual property.",
"The concern that certain agencies may make a profit out of it."
]
| According to the passage, what might hinder open data sharing? | Open data sharers are still in the minority in many fields. Although many researchers broadly agree that public access to raw data would accelerate science, most are reluctant to post the results of their own labors online.
Some communities have agreed to share online-geneticists, for example, post DNA sequences at the GenBank repository , and astronomers are accustomed to accessing images of galaxies and stars from, say, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a telescope that has observed some 500 million objects-but these remain the exception, not the rule. Historically, scientists have objected to sharing for many reasons: it is a lot of work; until recently, good databases did not exist; grant funders were not pushing for sharing; it has been difficult to agree on standards for formatting data; and there is no agreed way to assign credit for data.
But the barriers are disappearing, in part because journals and funding agencies worldwide are encouraging scientists to make their data public. Last year, the Royal Society in London said in its report that scientists need to "shift away from a research culture where data is viewed as a private preserve". Funding agencies note that data paid for with public money should be public information, and the scientific community is recognizing that data can now be shared digitally in ways that were not possible before. To match the growing demand, services are springing up to make it easier to publish research products online and enable other researchers to discover and cite them.
Although calls to share data often concentrate on the moral advantages of sharing, the practice is not purely altruistic . Researchers who share get plenty of personal benefits, including more connections with colleagues, improved visibility and increased citations. The most successful sharers-those whose data are downloaded and cited the most often---get noticed, and their work gets used. For example, one of the most popular data sets on multidisciplinary repository Dryad is about wood density around the world; it has been downloaded 5,700 times. Co-author Amy Zanne thinks that users probably range from climate-change researchers wanting to estimate how much carbon is stored in biomass, to foresters looking for information on different grades of timber. "I'd much prefer to have my data used by the maximum number of people to ask their own questions," she says. "It's important to allow readers and reviewers to see exactly how you arrive at your results. Publishing data and code allows your science to be reproducible."
Even people whose data are less popular can benefit. By making the effort to organize and label files so others can understand them, scientists become more organized and better disciplined themselves, thus avoiding confusion later on. | 1877.txt | 2 |
[
"The ever-growing demand for big data.",
"The advancement of digital technology.",
"The changing attitude of journals and funders.",
"The trend of social and economic development."
]
| What helps lift some of the barriers to open data sharing? | Open data sharers are still in the minority in many fields. Although many researchers broadly agree that public access to raw data would accelerate science, most are reluctant to post the results of their own labors online.
Some communities have agreed to share online-geneticists, for example, post DNA sequences at the GenBank repository , and astronomers are accustomed to accessing images of galaxies and stars from, say, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a telescope that has observed some 500 million objects-but these remain the exception, not the rule. Historically, scientists have objected to sharing for many reasons: it is a lot of work; until recently, good databases did not exist; grant funders were not pushing for sharing; it has been difficult to agree on standards for formatting data; and there is no agreed way to assign credit for data.
But the barriers are disappearing, in part because journals and funding agencies worldwide are encouraging scientists to make their data public. Last year, the Royal Society in London said in its report that scientists need to "shift away from a research culture where data is viewed as a private preserve". Funding agencies note that data paid for with public money should be public information, and the scientific community is recognizing that data can now be shared digitally in ways that were not possible before. To match the growing demand, services are springing up to make it easier to publish research products online and enable other researchers to discover and cite them.
Although calls to share data often concentrate on the moral advantages of sharing, the practice is not purely altruistic . Researchers who share get plenty of personal benefits, including more connections with colleagues, improved visibility and increased citations. The most successful sharers-those whose data are downloaded and cited the most often---get noticed, and their work gets used. For example, one of the most popular data sets on multidisciplinary repository Dryad is about wood density around the world; it has been downloaded 5,700 times. Co-author Amy Zanne thinks that users probably range from climate-change researchers wanting to estimate how much carbon is stored in biomass, to foresters looking for information on different grades of timber. "I'd much prefer to have my data used by the maximum number of people to ask their own questions," she says. "It's important to allow readers and reviewers to see exactly how you arrive at your results. Publishing data and code allows your science to be reproducible."
Even people whose data are less popular can benefit. By making the effort to organize and label files so others can understand them, scientists become more organized and better disciplined themselves, thus avoiding confusion later on. | 1877.txt | 2 |
[
"is becoming increasingly popular",
"benefits sharers and users alike",
"makes researchers successful",
"saves both money and labor"
]
| Dryad serves as an example to show how open data sharing ________. | Open data sharers are still in the minority in many fields. Although many researchers broadly agree that public access to raw data would accelerate science, most are reluctant to post the results of their own labors online.
Some communities have agreed to share online-geneticists, for example, post DNA sequences at the GenBank repository , and astronomers are accustomed to accessing images of galaxies and stars from, say, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a telescope that has observed some 500 million objects-but these remain the exception, not the rule. Historically, scientists have objected to sharing for many reasons: it is a lot of work; until recently, good databases did not exist; grant funders were not pushing for sharing; it has been difficult to agree on standards for formatting data; and there is no agreed way to assign credit for data.
But the barriers are disappearing, in part because journals and funding agencies worldwide are encouraging scientists to make their data public. Last year, the Royal Society in London said in its report that scientists need to "shift away from a research culture where data is viewed as a private preserve". Funding agencies note that data paid for with public money should be public information, and the scientific community is recognizing that data can now be shared digitally in ways that were not possible before. To match the growing demand, services are springing up to make it easier to publish research products online and enable other researchers to discover and cite them.
Although calls to share data often concentrate on the moral advantages of sharing, the practice is not purely altruistic . Researchers who share get plenty of personal benefits, including more connections with colleagues, improved visibility and increased citations. The most successful sharers-those whose data are downloaded and cited the most often---get noticed, and their work gets used. For example, one of the most popular data sets on multidisciplinary repository Dryad is about wood density around the world; it has been downloaded 5,700 times. Co-author Amy Zanne thinks that users probably range from climate-change researchers wanting to estimate how much carbon is stored in biomass, to foresters looking for information on different grades of timber. "I'd much prefer to have my data used by the maximum number of people to ask their own questions," she says. "It's important to allow readers and reviewers to see exactly how you arrive at your results. Publishing data and code allows your science to be reproducible."
Even people whose data are less popular can benefit. By making the effort to organize and label files so others can understand them, scientists become more organized and better disciplined themselves, thus avoiding confusion later on. | 1877.txt | 1 |
[
"concrete returns for gift-givers.",
"sizable gains in the form of gifts.",
"leaking secrets intentionally.",
"breaking contracts officially."
]
| According to Paragraph 4,an official act is deemed corruptive only if it involves | In a rare unanimous ruling,the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor,Robert McDonnell.But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct,which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari Automobile from a company seeking access to government.
The high court's decision said the judge in Mr.McDonnell's trail failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his"official acts,"or the former governor's decisions on "specific"and"unsettled"issues related to his duties.
Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials,unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials,is not corruption,the justices found.
The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is "distasteful"and"nasty."But under anti-bribery laws,proof must be made of concrete benefits,such as approval of a contract or regulation.Simply arranging a meeting,making a phone call,or hosting an event is not an"official act."
The court's ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal.Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution of bribery."The basic compact underlying representative government,"wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,"assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns."
But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives,not the courts,to ensure equality of access to government.Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift.This type of integrity requires will-enforced laws in government transparency,such as records of official meetings,rules on lobbying,and information about each elected leader's source of wealth.
Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption.But it is not always corruption.Rather officials must avoid double standards,or different types of access for average people and the wealthy.If connections can be bought,a basic premise of democratic society-that all are equal in treatment by government-is undermined.Good government rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
The court's ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official favoritism. | 607.txt | 1 |
[
"allowed to focus on the concerns of their supporters.",
"qualified to deal independently with bureaucratic issues.",
"justified in addressing the needs of their constituents.",
"exempt from conviction on the charge of favoritism."
]
| The court's ruling is d on the assumption that public officials are | In a rare unanimous ruling,the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor,Robert McDonnell.But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct,which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari Automobile from a company seeking access to government.
The high court's decision said the judge in Mr.McDonnell's trail failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his"official acts,"or the former governor's decisions on "specific"and"unsettled"issues related to his duties.
Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials,unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials,is not corruption,the justices found.
The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is "distasteful"and"nasty."But under anti-bribery laws,proof must be made of concrete benefits,such as approval of a contract or regulation.Simply arranging a meeting,making a phone call,or hosting an event is not an"official act."
The court's ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal.Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution of bribery."The basic compact underlying representative government,"wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,"assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns."
But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives,not the courts,to ensure equality of access to government.Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift.This type of integrity requires will-enforced laws in government transparency,such as records of official meetings,rules on lobbying,and information about each elected leader's source of wealth.
Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption.But it is not always corruption.Rather officials must avoid double standards,or different types of access for average people and the wealthy.If connections can be bought,a basic premise of democratic society-that all are equal in treatment by government-is undermined.Good government rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
The court's ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official favoritism. | 607.txt | 0 |
[
"awaken the conscience of officials.",
"guarantee fair play in official access.",
"allow for certain kinds of lobbying.",
"inspire hopes in average people."
]
| Well-enforced laws in government transparency are needed to | In a rare unanimous ruling,the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor,Robert McDonnell.But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct,which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari Automobile from a company seeking access to government.
The high court's decision said the judge in Mr.McDonnell's trail failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his"official acts,"or the former governor's decisions on "specific"and"unsettled"issues related to his duties.
Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials,unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials,is not corruption,the justices found.
The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is "distasteful"and"nasty."But under anti-bribery laws,proof must be made of concrete benefits,such as approval of a contract or regulation.Simply arranging a meeting,making a phone call,or hosting an event is not an"official act."
The court's ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal.Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution of bribery."The basic compact underlying representative government,"wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,"assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns."
But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives,not the courts,to ensure equality of access to government.Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift.This type of integrity requires will-enforced laws in government transparency,such as records of official meetings,rules on lobbying,and information about each elected leader's source of wealth.
Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption.But it is not always corruption.Rather officials must avoid double standards,or different types of access for average people and the wealthy.If connections can be bought,a basic premise of democratic society-that all are equal in treatment by government-is undermined.Good government rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
The court's ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official favoritism. | 607.txt | 1 |
[
"sarcastic.",
"tolerant.",
"skeptical.",
"supportive."
]
| The author's attitude toward the court's ruling is | In a rare unanimous ruling,the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor,Robert McDonnell.But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct,which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari Automobile from a company seeking access to government.
The high court's decision said the judge in Mr.McDonnell's trail failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his"official acts,"or the former governor's decisions on "specific"and"unsettled"issues related to his duties.
Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials,unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials,is not corruption,the justices found.
The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is "distasteful"and"nasty."But under anti-bribery laws,proof must be made of concrete benefits,such as approval of a contract or regulation.Simply arranging a meeting,making a phone call,or hosting an event is not an"official act."
The court's ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal.Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution of bribery."The basic compact underlying representative government,"wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,"assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns."
But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives,not the courts,to ensure equality of access to government.Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift.This type of integrity requires will-enforced laws in government transparency,such as records of official meetings,rules on lobbying,and information about each elected leader's source of wealth.
Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption.But it is not always corruption.Rather officials must avoid double standards,or different types of access for average people and the wealthy.If connections can be bought,a basic premise of democratic society-that all are equal in treatment by government-is undermined.Good government rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
The court's ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official favoritism. | 607.txt | 3 |
[
"To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.",
"To stress the influence of the automobile on America's standard of convenience.",
"To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.",
"To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes."
]
| What's the author's purpose in writing this passage? | Amtrak was experiencing a downswing in ridership along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.] At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers-those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers-those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented
TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route. | 1604.txt | 3 |
[
"trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportation",
"trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation",
"trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to be",
"trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience"
]
| It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that _ . | Amtrak was experiencing a downswing in ridership along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.] At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers-those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers-those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented
TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route. | 1604.txt | 1 |
[
"the freedom and convenience provided on trains",
"the practical aspects of train travel",
"the adventurous aspects of train trips",
"the safety and cleanliness of train trips"
]
| To encourage consumers to travel by train, DDB Needham emphasized _ . | Amtrak was experiencing a downswing in ridership along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.] At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers-those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers-those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented
TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route. | 1604.txt | 2 |
[
"they could focus on meaningful travel experiences",
"they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programs",
"their profits could be increased by some 15 percent",
"most travel-lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences"
]
| The train ads were placed among family-oriented TV programs involving nature and America because _ . | Amtrak was experiencing a downswing in ridership along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.] At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers-those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers-those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented
TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route. | 1604.txt | 3 |
[
"the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertised",
"it provided an exciting travel experience",
"its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoors",
"it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle"
]
| According to the passage, the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because _ . | Amtrak was experiencing a downswing in ridership along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.] At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers-those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers-those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented
TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route. | 1604.txt | 0 |
[
"the students' scores have been reduced",
"they devised the cheating program",
"they are manipulating numbers",
"the 64,000-student school district can't meet state and federal standards"
]
| Concern on school administrators has been aroused because _ . | It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students' scores on crucial exams. But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are. accused of keeping low-performing students out of classrooms altogether by improperly holding some back, accelerating others and preventing many from showing up for the tests or enrolling in school at all.
It led to a dramatic moment at the federal courthouse this month, when a former schools superintendent, Lorenzo Garcia, was sentenced to prison for his role in orchestrating the testing scandal. But for students and parents, the case did not end there. A federal investigation continues, with the likelihood of more arrests of administrators who helped Mr. Garcia. Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Garcia, 57, with devising an elaborate program to inflate test scores to improve the performance of struggling schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and to allow him to collect annual bonuses for meeting district goals.
The scheme, elements of which were carried out for most of Mr. Garcia's nearly six-year tenure, centered on a state-mandated test taken by sophomores. Known as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, it measures performance in reading, mathematics and other subjects. The scheme's objective was to keep low-performing students out of the classroom so they would not take the test and drag scores down, according to prosecutors, former principals and school advocates.
Students identified as low-performing were transferred to charter schools, discouraged from enrolling in school or were visited at home by truant officers and told not to go to school on the test day. For some, credits were deleted from transcripts or grades were changed from passing to failing or from failing to passing so they could be reclassified as freshmen or juniors.
Others intentionally held back were allowed to catch up before graduation with" turbo-mesters," in which students earned a semester's worth of credit for a few hours of computer work. A former high school principal said in an interview and in court that one student earned two semester credits in three hours on the last day of school. Still other students who transferred to the district from Mexico were automatically put in the ninth grade, even if they had earned credits for the 10th grade, to keep them from taking the test. The program was known as" the Bowie model," and Mr. Garcia had boasted of his success in raising test scores, particularly in 2008, when all of the district's eligible campuses earned a rating of" academically acceptable" or better from the state. But parents and students had another name for what was happening:" los desaparecidos," or the disappeared.
State education data showed that 381 students were enrolled as freshmen at Bowie in the fall of 2007. The following fall, the sophomore class was 170 students. Dozens of the missing students had" disappeared" through Mr. Garcia's program, said Eliot Shapleigh, a lawyer and former state senator who began his own investigation into testing misconduct and was credited with bringing the case to light. Mr. Shapleigh said he believed that hundreds of students were affected and that district leaders had failed to do enough to locate and help them. | 458.txt | 1 |
[
"Garcia felt quite regretful for his mistake.",
"It was devised to make the school famous.",
"It has been carried out for more than six years.",
"Many relevant administrators would be hurled in jail because of the scandal."
]
| Which of the following is true about the scandal? | It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students' scores on crucial exams. But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are. accused of keeping low-performing students out of classrooms altogether by improperly holding some back, accelerating others and preventing many from showing up for the tests or enrolling in school at all.
It led to a dramatic moment at the federal courthouse this month, when a former schools superintendent, Lorenzo Garcia, was sentenced to prison for his role in orchestrating the testing scandal. But for students and parents, the case did not end there. A federal investigation continues, with the likelihood of more arrests of administrators who helped Mr. Garcia. Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Garcia, 57, with devising an elaborate program to inflate test scores to improve the performance of struggling schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and to allow him to collect annual bonuses for meeting district goals.
The scheme, elements of which were carried out for most of Mr. Garcia's nearly six-year tenure, centered on a state-mandated test taken by sophomores. Known as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, it measures performance in reading, mathematics and other subjects. The scheme's objective was to keep low-performing students out of the classroom so they would not take the test and drag scores down, according to prosecutors, former principals and school advocates.
Students identified as low-performing were transferred to charter schools, discouraged from enrolling in school or were visited at home by truant officers and told not to go to school on the test day. For some, credits were deleted from transcripts or grades were changed from passing to failing or from failing to passing so they could be reclassified as freshmen or juniors.
Others intentionally held back were allowed to catch up before graduation with" turbo-mesters," in which students earned a semester's worth of credit for a few hours of computer work. A former high school principal said in an interview and in court that one student earned two semester credits in three hours on the last day of school. Still other students who transferred to the district from Mexico were automatically put in the ninth grade, even if they had earned credits for the 10th grade, to keep them from taking the test. The program was known as" the Bowie model," and Mr. Garcia had boasted of his success in raising test scores, particularly in 2008, when all of the district's eligible campuses earned a rating of" academically acceptable" or better from the state. But parents and students had another name for what was happening:" los desaparecidos," or the disappeared.
State education data showed that 381 students were enrolled as freshmen at Bowie in the fall of 2007. The following fall, the sophomore class was 170 students. Dozens of the missing students had" disappeared" through Mr. Garcia's program, said Eliot Shapleigh, a lawyer and former state senator who began his own investigation into testing misconduct and was credited with bringing the case to light. Mr. Shapleigh said he believed that hundreds of students were affected and that district leaders had failed to do enough to locate and help them. | 458.txt | 3 |
[
"the school had great concern for students",
"the school would persuade students to go back to school",
"students were persuaded not to go to this school",
"low-performing students would be expelled later"
]
| The word " discouraged" （Line 1, Para. 4）most probably indicates _ . | It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students' scores on crucial exams. But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are. accused of keeping low-performing students out of classrooms altogether by improperly holding some back, accelerating others and preventing many from showing up for the tests or enrolling in school at all.
It led to a dramatic moment at the federal courthouse this month, when a former schools superintendent, Lorenzo Garcia, was sentenced to prison for his role in orchestrating the testing scandal. But for students and parents, the case did not end there. A federal investigation continues, with the likelihood of more arrests of administrators who helped Mr. Garcia. Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Garcia, 57, with devising an elaborate program to inflate test scores to improve the performance of struggling schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and to allow him to collect annual bonuses for meeting district goals.
The scheme, elements of which were carried out for most of Mr. Garcia's nearly six-year tenure, centered on a state-mandated test taken by sophomores. Known as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, it measures performance in reading, mathematics and other subjects. The scheme's objective was to keep low-performing students out of the classroom so they would not take the test and drag scores down, according to prosecutors, former principals and school advocates.
Students identified as low-performing were transferred to charter schools, discouraged from enrolling in school or were visited at home by truant officers and told not to go to school on the test day. For some, credits were deleted from transcripts or grades were changed from passing to failing or from failing to passing so they could be reclassified as freshmen or juniors.
Others intentionally held back were allowed to catch up before graduation with" turbo-mesters," in which students earned a semester's worth of credit for a few hours of computer work. A former high school principal said in an interview and in court that one student earned two semester credits in three hours on the last day of school. Still other students who transferred to the district from Mexico were automatically put in the ninth grade, even if they had earned credits for the 10th grade, to keep them from taking the test. The program was known as" the Bowie model," and Mr. Garcia had boasted of his success in raising test scores, particularly in 2008, when all of the district's eligible campuses earned a rating of" academically acceptable" or better from the state. But parents and students had another name for what was happening:" los desaparecidos," or the disappeared.
State education data showed that 381 students were enrolled as freshmen at Bowie in the fall of 2007. The following fall, the sophomore class was 170 students. Dozens of the missing students had" disappeared" through Mr. Garcia's program, said Eliot Shapleigh, a lawyer and former state senator who began his own investigation into testing misconduct and was credited with bringing the case to light. Mr. Shapleigh said he believed that hundreds of students were affected and that district leaders had failed to do enough to locate and help them. | 458.txt | 2 |
[
"students were permitted to catch up by paying a sum of money",
"students' credits and grades were mishandled freely by administrators",
"\" the Bowie model\" is a very successful trial",
"Mr. Shapleigh condemned district leaders for misleading students"
]
| We learn from the last two paragraphs that _ . | It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students' scores on crucial exams. But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are. accused of keeping low-performing students out of classrooms altogether by improperly holding some back, accelerating others and preventing many from showing up for the tests or enrolling in school at all.
It led to a dramatic moment at the federal courthouse this month, when a former schools superintendent, Lorenzo Garcia, was sentenced to prison for his role in orchestrating the testing scandal. But for students and parents, the case did not end there. A federal investigation continues, with the likelihood of more arrests of administrators who helped Mr. Garcia. Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Garcia, 57, with devising an elaborate program to inflate test scores to improve the performance of struggling schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and to allow him to collect annual bonuses for meeting district goals.
The scheme, elements of which were carried out for most of Mr. Garcia's nearly six-year tenure, centered on a state-mandated test taken by sophomores. Known as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, it measures performance in reading, mathematics and other subjects. The scheme's objective was to keep low-performing students out of the classroom so they would not take the test and drag scores down, according to prosecutors, former principals and school advocates.
Students identified as low-performing were transferred to charter schools, discouraged from enrolling in school or were visited at home by truant officers and told not to go to school on the test day. For some, credits were deleted from transcripts or grades were changed from passing to failing or from failing to passing so they could be reclassified as freshmen or juniors.
Others intentionally held back were allowed to catch up before graduation with" turbo-mesters," in which students earned a semester's worth of credit for a few hours of computer work. A former high school principal said in an interview and in court that one student earned two semester credits in three hours on the last day of school. Still other students who transferred to the district from Mexico were automatically put in the ninth grade, even if they had earned credits for the 10th grade, to keep them from taking the test. The program was known as" the Bowie model," and Mr. Garcia had boasted of his success in raising test scores, particularly in 2008, when all of the district's eligible campuses earned a rating of" academically acceptable" or better from the state. But parents and students had another name for what was happening:" los desaparecidos," or the disappeared.
State education data showed that 381 students were enrolled as freshmen at Bowie in the fall of 2007. The following fall, the sophomore class was 170 students. Dozens of the missing students had" disappeared" through Mr. Garcia's program, said Eliot Shapleigh, a lawyer and former state senator who began his own investigation into testing misconduct and was credited with bringing the case to light. Mr. Shapleigh said he believed that hundreds of students were affected and that district leaders had failed to do enough to locate and help them. | 458.txt | 1 |
[
"resentment",
"skepticism",
"objectiveness",
"sympathy"
]
| The author's attitude towards the solutions of the scandal is one of _ . | It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students' scores on crucial exams. But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are. accused of keeping low-performing students out of classrooms altogether by improperly holding some back, accelerating others and preventing many from showing up for the tests or enrolling in school at all.
It led to a dramatic moment at the federal courthouse this month, when a former schools superintendent, Lorenzo Garcia, was sentenced to prison for his role in orchestrating the testing scandal. But for students and parents, the case did not end there. A federal investigation continues, with the likelihood of more arrests of administrators who helped Mr. Garcia. Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Garcia, 57, with devising an elaborate program to inflate test scores to improve the performance of struggling schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and to allow him to collect annual bonuses for meeting district goals.
The scheme, elements of which were carried out for most of Mr. Garcia's nearly six-year tenure, centered on a state-mandated test taken by sophomores. Known as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, it measures performance in reading, mathematics and other subjects. The scheme's objective was to keep low-performing students out of the classroom so they would not take the test and drag scores down, according to prosecutors, former principals and school advocates.
Students identified as low-performing were transferred to charter schools, discouraged from enrolling in school or were visited at home by truant officers and told not to go to school on the test day. For some, credits were deleted from transcripts or grades were changed from passing to failing or from failing to passing so they could be reclassified as freshmen or juniors.
Others intentionally held back were allowed to catch up before graduation with" turbo-mesters," in which students earned a semester's worth of credit for a few hours of computer work. A former high school principal said in an interview and in court that one student earned two semester credits in three hours on the last day of school. Still other students who transferred to the district from Mexico were automatically put in the ninth grade, even if they had earned credits for the 10th grade, to keep them from taking the test. The program was known as" the Bowie model," and Mr. Garcia had boasted of his success in raising test scores, particularly in 2008, when all of the district's eligible campuses earned a rating of" academically acceptable" or better from the state. But parents and students had another name for what was happening:" los desaparecidos," or the disappeared.
State education data showed that 381 students were enrolled as freshmen at Bowie in the fall of 2007. The following fall, the sophomore class was 170 students. Dozens of the missing students had" disappeared" through Mr. Garcia's program, said Eliot Shapleigh, a lawyer and former state senator who began his own investigation into testing misconduct and was credited with bringing the case to light. Mr. Shapleigh said he believed that hundreds of students were affected and that district leaders had failed to do enough to locate and help them. | 458.txt | 2 |
[
"Oil.",
"Technological skill.",
"Natural resources",
"Education"
]
| What is the decisive factor in future competition between nations? | Importance of a Computer
As citizens of advanced but vulnerable economies, we musteither relentlessly increase the quality of our skills or see ourstandard of living erode. For the future, competition betweennations will be increasingly based on technological skill. Oil andnatural resources will still be important, but they no longer willdetermine a nation's economic strength. This will now be amatter of the way people organize them selves and the natureand quality of their work. Japan and the "new Japans "of EastAsia are demonstrating this point in ways that are becoming painfully obvious to the older industrialcountries.
There is simply no way to rest on our past achievements. Today's competition rendersobsolete huge chunks of what we know and what forces us to innovate. For each individual.Several careers will be customary, and continuing education and retraining will be inescapable. Toattain this extraordinary level of education, government, business, schools, and even individuals willturn to technology for the answer.
In industry, processing the information and designing the changes necessary to keep up withthe market has meant the growing use of computers. The schools are now following close behind.Already some colleges in the United States are requiting a computer for each student. It isestimated that 500,000 computers are already in use in American high schools and elementaryschools. Although there is an abysmal lack of educational software, the number of computers inschools expands rapidly.
The computer is the Proteus of machines, as it takes on a thousand forms and serves athousand functions. But its truly revolutionary character can be seen in its interactive potential.With advanced computers, learning can be individualized and self-paced. Teachers can becomemore productive and the entire learning environment enriched.
It is striking how much current teaching is a product of pencil and paper technology. With thecomputer's capacity for simulation and diverse kinds of feedback, all sorts of new possibilities openup for the redesign of curriculums. Seymour Papert, the inventor of the computer languageLOGO, believes that concepts in physics and advanced mathematics can be taught in the earlygrades with the use of computers. On every-day level, word-processing significantly improves thecapacity for written expression. In terms of drill and practice, self-paced computer-assistedinstruction enables the student to advance rapidly-without being limited by the conflicting needsof the entire class. In short, once we learn to use this new brain outside the brain, education willnever be the same.
Industry, faced with the pressures of a rapidly shifting market, is already designing newmethods to retrain its workers, In the United States, a technological university has been set up toteach engineering courses by satellite. And the advances in telecommunications and computationalpower will dramatically expand the opportunities for national and international efforts in educationand training.
Without romanticizing the machine, it is clear that computers uniquely change the potential forequipping today's citizens for unprecedented tasks of the future. Particularly in Europe and theUnited States, innovation will be the basis for continued prosperity.
New competitors are emerging to challenge the old economic arrangements. How successfullywe respond will depend on how much we invest in people and how wisely we employ the learningtools of the new technology. | 223.txt | 1 |
[
"Knowledge of a Computer.",
"Importance of a Computer.",
"Function of Knowledge.",
"Function of Technology."
]
| The main idea of this passage is | Importance of a Computer
As citizens of advanced but vulnerable economies, we musteither relentlessly increase the quality of our skills or see ourstandard of living erode. For the future, competition betweennations will be increasingly based on technological skill. Oil andnatural resources will still be important, but they no longer willdetermine a nation's economic strength. This will now be amatter of the way people organize them selves and the natureand quality of their work. Japan and the "new Japans "of EastAsia are demonstrating this point in ways that are becoming painfully obvious to the older industrialcountries.
There is simply no way to rest on our past achievements. Today's competition rendersobsolete huge chunks of what we know and what forces us to innovate. For each individual.Several careers will be customary, and continuing education and retraining will be inescapable. Toattain this extraordinary level of education, government, business, schools, and even individuals willturn to technology for the answer.
In industry, processing the information and designing the changes necessary to keep up withthe market has meant the growing use of computers. The schools are now following close behind.Already some colleges in the United States are requiting a computer for each student. It isestimated that 500,000 computers are already in use in American high schools and elementaryschools. Although there is an abysmal lack of educational software, the number of computers inschools expands rapidly.
The computer is the Proteus of machines, as it takes on a thousand forms and serves athousand functions. But its truly revolutionary character can be seen in its interactive potential.With advanced computers, learning can be individualized and self-paced. Teachers can becomemore productive and the entire learning environment enriched.
It is striking how much current teaching is a product of pencil and paper technology. With thecomputer's capacity for simulation and diverse kinds of feedback, all sorts of new possibilities openup for the redesign of curriculums. Seymour Papert, the inventor of the computer languageLOGO, believes that concepts in physics and advanced mathematics can be taught in the earlygrades with the use of computers. On every-day level, word-processing significantly improves thecapacity for written expression. In terms of drill and practice, self-paced computer-assistedinstruction enables the student to advance rapidly-without being limited by the conflicting needsof the entire class. In short, once we learn to use this new brain outside the brain, education willnever be the same.
Industry, faced with the pressures of a rapidly shifting market, is already designing newmethods to retrain its workers, In the United States, a technological university has been set up toteach engineering courses by satellite. And the advances in telecommunications and computationalpower will dramatically expand the opportunities for national and international efforts in educationand training.
Without romanticizing the machine, it is clear that computers uniquely change the potential forequipping today's citizens for unprecedented tasks of the future. Particularly in Europe and theUnited States, innovation will be the basis for continued prosperity.
New competitors are emerging to challenge the old economic arrangements. How successfullywe respond will depend on how much we invest in people and how wisely we employ the learningtools of the new technology. | 223.txt | 1 |
[
"People want to so more jobs.",
"People want to attain this extraordinary level of education.",
"People would not rest on the past achievements.",
"What we know becomes obsolete."
]
| Why does further study become indispensable? | Importance of a Computer
As citizens of advanced but vulnerable economies, we musteither relentlessly increase the quality of our skills or see ourstandard of living erode. For the future, competition betweennations will be increasingly based on technological skill. Oil andnatural resources will still be important, but they no longer willdetermine a nation's economic strength. This will now be amatter of the way people organize them selves and the natureand quality of their work. Japan and the "new Japans "of EastAsia are demonstrating this point in ways that are becoming painfully obvious to the older industrialcountries.
There is simply no way to rest on our past achievements. Today's competition rendersobsolete huge chunks of what we know and what forces us to innovate. For each individual.Several careers will be customary, and continuing education and retraining will be inescapable. Toattain this extraordinary level of education, government, business, schools, and even individuals willturn to technology for the answer.
In industry, processing the information and designing the changes necessary to keep up withthe market has meant the growing use of computers. The schools are now following close behind.Already some colleges in the United States are requiting a computer for each student. It isestimated that 500,000 computers are already in use in American high schools and elementaryschools. Although there is an abysmal lack of educational software, the number of computers inschools expands rapidly.
The computer is the Proteus of machines, as it takes on a thousand forms and serves athousand functions. But its truly revolutionary character can be seen in its interactive potential.With advanced computers, learning can be individualized and self-paced. Teachers can becomemore productive and the entire learning environment enriched.
It is striking how much current teaching is a product of pencil and paper technology. With thecomputer's capacity for simulation and diverse kinds of feedback, all sorts of new possibilities openup for the redesign of curriculums. Seymour Papert, the inventor of the computer languageLOGO, believes that concepts in physics and advanced mathematics can be taught in the earlygrades with the use of computers. On every-day level, word-processing significantly improves thecapacity for written expression. In terms of drill and practice, self-paced computer-assistedinstruction enables the student to advance rapidly-without being limited by the conflicting needsof the entire class. In short, once we learn to use this new brain outside the brain, education willnever be the same.
Industry, faced with the pressures of a rapidly shifting market, is already designing newmethods to retrain its workers, In the United States, a technological university has been set up toteach engineering courses by satellite. And the advances in telecommunications and computationalpower will dramatically expand the opportunities for national and international efforts in educationand training.
Without romanticizing the machine, it is clear that computers uniquely change the potential forequipping today's citizens for unprecedented tasks of the future. Particularly in Europe and theUnited States, innovation will be the basis for continued prosperity.
New competitors are emerging to challenge the old economic arrangements. How successfullywe respond will depend on how much we invest in people and how wisely we employ the learningtools of the new technology. | 223.txt | 3 |
[
"flexibility.",
"diversity.",
"variety.",
"multiplicity."
]
| The word "Proteus" is closest in meaning to | Importance of a Computer
As citizens of advanced but vulnerable economies, we musteither relentlessly increase the quality of our skills or see ourstandard of living erode. For the future, competition betweennations will be increasingly based on technological skill. Oil andnatural resources will still be important, but they no longer willdetermine a nation's economic strength. This will now be amatter of the way people organize them selves and the natureand quality of their work. Japan and the "new Japans "of EastAsia are demonstrating this point in ways that are becoming painfully obvious to the older industrialcountries.
There is simply no way to rest on our past achievements. Today's competition rendersobsolete huge chunks of what we know and what forces us to innovate. For each individual.Several careers will be customary, and continuing education and retraining will be inescapable. Toattain this extraordinary level of education, government, business, schools, and even individuals willturn to technology for the answer.
In industry, processing the information and designing the changes necessary to keep up withthe market has meant the growing use of computers. The schools are now following close behind.Already some colleges in the United States are requiting a computer for each student. It isestimated that 500,000 computers are already in use in American high schools and elementaryschools. Although there is an abysmal lack of educational software, the number of computers inschools expands rapidly.
The computer is the Proteus of machines, as it takes on a thousand forms and serves athousand functions. But its truly revolutionary character can be seen in its interactive potential.With advanced computers, learning can be individualized and self-paced. Teachers can becomemore productive and the entire learning environment enriched.
It is striking how much current teaching is a product of pencil and paper technology. With thecomputer's capacity for simulation and diverse kinds of feedback, all sorts of new possibilities openup for the redesign of curriculums. Seymour Papert, the inventor of the computer languageLOGO, believes that concepts in physics and advanced mathematics can be taught in the earlygrades with the use of computers. On every-day level, word-processing significantly improves thecapacity for written expression. In terms of drill and practice, self-paced computer-assistedinstruction enables the student to advance rapidly-without being limited by the conflicting needsof the entire class. In short, once we learn to use this new brain outside the brain, education willnever be the same.
Industry, faced with the pressures of a rapidly shifting market, is already designing newmethods to retrain its workers, In the United States, a technological university has been set up toteach engineering courses by satellite. And the advances in telecommunications and computationalpower will dramatically expand the opportunities for national and international efforts in educationand training.
Without romanticizing the machine, it is clear that computers uniquely change the potential forequipping today's citizens for unprecedented tasks of the future. Particularly in Europe and theUnited States, innovation will be the basis for continued prosperity.
New competitors are emerging to challenge the old economic arrangements. How successfullywe respond will depend on how much we invest in people and how wisely we employ the learningtools of the new technology. | 223.txt | 0 |
[
"Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.",
"It is the biggest technology hub in the US.",
"Its fame in high technology is incomparable.",
"It leads the world in information technology."
]
| What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage? | Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub : rich people and nerds
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Cainegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention. | 2208.txt | 0 |
[
"Lack of incentive for investment.",
"Lack of the right kind of talents.",
"Lack of government support.",
"Lack of famous universities."
]
| What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley? | Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub : rich people and nerds
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Cainegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention. | 2208.txt | 1 |
[
"Its location is not as attractive to rich people.",
"Its science departments are not nearly as good.",
"It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.",
"It does not pay much attention to business startups."
]
| In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT? | Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub : rich people and nerds
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Cainegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention. | 2208.txt | 0 |
[
"It has pleasant weather all year round.",
"It produces wealth as well as high-tech.",
"It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.",
"It is an old city with many sites of historical interest."
]
| What does the author imply about Boston? | Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub : rich people and nerds
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Cainegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention. | 2208.txt | 3 |
[
"They are especially wise in making investments.",
"They have good connections in the government.",
"They can do more than providing money.",
"They are rich enough to invest in nerds."
]
| What does the author say about startup investors? | Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub : rich people and nerds
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Cainegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention. | 2208.txt | 2 |
[
"Abigail Adams' life.",
"Women historians.",
"Early sources of feminist thinking.",
"The literary ambitions of Judith Sargent Murray."
]
| What does the passage mainly discuss? | Both Mercy Warren and Abigail Adams admired Catharine Macaulay, the radical author of A history of England(1763), who supported the cause of the America n patriots. Under Macaulay's influence Warren conceived her plan to write a hist ory of the American Revolution. Living to complete it in 1805. Abigail Adams rej ected literary ambitions for herself and never lost her sense of inferiority abo ut her poor spelling and ignorance of Latin. Yet her letters, rather than Warren 's plays and verse have become the greater source in documenting signs of a dawn ing feminist consciousness.
Abigail Adams welcomed every advance for women and foresaw more than could be re alized in her lifetime. She urged her husband, the second President of the Unite d States, to "remember the ladies" in the new code of laws and to give married women protection from tyrannical husbands. As she pointed out the terrible defi ciencies in education for women at all levels, she finally made the significant request to her husband, that the new constitution "be distinguished for Learnin g and Virtue" and suggested that "if we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Phi losophers, we should have learned woman." This awareness of education's value, rooted in the Enlightenment faith in human potentiality, had feminist implicatio n before there was a feminist ideology.
A younger contemporary of similar background gave the reading public an explicit feminist argument for the education of women. The views of Judith Sargent M urray (1751-1820) reflected both personal and family experience. Murray's Cleane r essays published in the 1790's transcended the boundaries of her world in reco gnizing the need for training women to earn their own living. Although, like Mer cy Warren and Abigail Adams, she was brought up with the values of gentility, sh e knew through personal hardship that even women of her class might be forced to be selfsupporting; education could provide independence for women in need whe ther they were unmarried women or widows or wives. | 8.txt | 2 |
[
"Women should be well educated in order to support themselves.",
"Women's rights must be protected by new laws.",
"The accomplishments of women are ignored in most historical documents.",
"Women need to become more active in political affairs."
]
| Which of the following statements best expresses Judith Sargent Murra y's position? | Both Mercy Warren and Abigail Adams admired Catharine Macaulay, the radical author of A history of England(1763), who supported the cause of the America n patriots. Under Macaulay's influence Warren conceived her plan to write a hist ory of the American Revolution. Living to complete it in 1805. Abigail Adams rej ected literary ambitions for herself and never lost her sense of inferiority abo ut her poor spelling and ignorance of Latin. Yet her letters, rather than Warren 's plays and verse have become the greater source in documenting signs of a dawn ing feminist consciousness.
Abigail Adams welcomed every advance for women and foresaw more than could be re alized in her lifetime. She urged her husband, the second President of the Unite d States, to "remember the ladies" in the new code of laws and to give married women protection from tyrannical husbands. As she pointed out the terrible defi ciencies in education for women at all levels, she finally made the significant request to her husband, that the new constitution "be distinguished for Learnin g and Virtue" and suggested that "if we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Phi losophers, we should have learned woman." This awareness of education's value, rooted in the Enlightenment faith in human potentiality, had feminist implicatio n before there was a feminist ideology.
A younger contemporary of similar background gave the reading public an explicit feminist argument for the education of women. The views of Judith Sargent M urray (1751-1820) reflected both personal and family experience. Murray's Cleane r essays published in the 1790's transcended the boundaries of her world in reco gnizing the need for training women to earn their own living. Although, like Mer cy Warren and Abigail Adams, she was brought up with the values of gentility, sh e knew through personal hardship that even women of her class might be forced to be selfsupporting; education could provide independence for women in need whe ther they were unmarried women or widows or wives. | 8.txt | 0 |
[
"They all wrote books.",
"They were all responsible for the financial support of their families.",
"They were all interested in women's accomplishments.",
"They all had influential families."
]
| What did Mercy Warren, Abigail Adams and Judith Sargent Murray have in common? | Both Mercy Warren and Abigail Adams admired Catharine Macaulay, the radical author of A history of England(1763), who supported the cause of the America n patriots. Under Macaulay's influence Warren conceived her plan to write a hist ory of the American Revolution. Living to complete it in 1805. Abigail Adams rej ected literary ambitions for herself and never lost her sense of inferiority abo ut her poor spelling and ignorance of Latin. Yet her letters, rather than Warren 's plays and verse have become the greater source in documenting signs of a dawn ing feminist consciousness.
Abigail Adams welcomed every advance for women and foresaw more than could be re alized in her lifetime. She urged her husband, the second President of the Unite d States, to "remember the ladies" in the new code of laws and to give married women protection from tyrannical husbands. As she pointed out the terrible defi ciencies in education for women at all levels, she finally made the significant request to her husband, that the new constitution "be distinguished for Learnin g and Virtue" and suggested that "if we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Phi losophers, we should have learned woman." This awareness of education's value, rooted in the Enlightenment faith in human potentiality, had feminist implicatio n before there was a feminist ideology.
A younger contemporary of similar background gave the reading public an explicit feminist argument for the education of women. The views of Judith Sargent M urray (1751-1820) reflected both personal and family experience. Murray's Cleane r essays published in the 1790's transcended the boundaries of her world in reco gnizing the need for training women to earn their own living. Although, like Mer cy Warren and Abigail Adams, she was brought up with the values of gentility, sh e knew through personal hardship that even women of her class might be forced to be selfsupporting; education could provide independence for women in need whe ther they were unmarried women or widows or wives. | 8.txt | 2 |
[
"is free from traffic accidents",
"is crowded with car drivers",
"offers just a few on-line services",
"appeals to a large number of users"
]
| The Information Highway. | The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the Information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there's Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don't trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.
Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, is his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk. | 2075.txt | 3 |
[
"By storing fewer files.",
"By repair the system.",
"By buying a better computer.",
"By using a broad-band connection."
]
| How does MR. Cool manage to travel the Information Highway so fast? | The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the Information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there's Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don't trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.
Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, is his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk. | 2075.txt | 3 |
[
"There will be a book show at Grayson Hall.",
"Friedman is now studying the Great Barrier Reef.",
"There will be a talk on global warming this week.",
"Friedman is a leading expert on computer science."
]
| What can be learned from Passenger 2? | The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the Information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there's Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don't trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.
Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, is his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk. | 2075.txt | 1 |
[
"a poster about a lecture",
"an ad for a new book",
"a note to a doctor in a university",
"an introduction to a professor"
]
| Passage 2 is most probably. | The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the Information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there's Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don't trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.
Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, is his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk. | 2075.txt | 0 |
[
"is used both as a cultural and a physical object",
"serves different purposes equally well",
"is utilized by man",
"can be of use co both man and animal"
]
| A spear or a robot has the quality of technology only when it _ . | To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf's assertion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.
Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally.A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology;they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywire and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades. and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.
Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do.There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was a revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.
In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the struccure of American fife, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. n is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society. | 188.txt | 2 |
[
"if not given close examination, technology could be used to destroy our world",
"technology is a human creation, so we are responsible for it",
"technology usually goes wrong, if not controlled by man",
"being a human creation. technology is liable to error"
]
| The examples of the Challenger and Chernobyl cited by the author serve to show that _ . | To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf's assertion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.
Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally.A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology;they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywire and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades. and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.
Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do.There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was a revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.
In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the struccure of American fife, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. n is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society. | 188.txt | 3 |
[
"the computer has revolutionized the workings of the human mind",
"the computer can do the tasks that could only be done by people before",
"it has helped to switch to an information technology",
"it has a great potential impact on society"
]
| According to the author. the introduction of the computer is a revolution mainly because _ . | To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf's assertion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.
Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally.A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology;they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywire and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades. and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.
Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do.There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was a revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.
In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the struccure of American fife, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. n is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society. | 188.txt | 3 |
[
"has a great impact on human life",
"has some characteristics of human nature",
"can replace some aspects of the human mind",
"does not exist in the natural world"
]
| By using the phrase "the human quality of technology" (Line 7, Para. 2), the author refersto the fact that technology _ . | To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf's assertion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.
Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally.A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology;they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywire and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades. and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.
Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do.There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was a revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.
In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the struccure of American fife, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. n is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society. | 188.txt | 1 |
[
"keen insight into the nature of technology",
"prejudiced criticism of the role of the Industrial Revolution",
"cautious analysis of the replacement of the human mind by computers",
"exaggerated description of the negative consequences of technology"
]
| The passage is based on the author's _ . | To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf's assertion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.
Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally.A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology;they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywire and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades. and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.
Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do.There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was a revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.
In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the struccure of American fife, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. n is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society. | 188.txt | 0 |
[
"People who love Nature prefer to live outside the city.",
"All the people who work in London prefer to live in the country.",
"Some people enjoying city life prefer to work and live inside London.",
"Many nature lovers, though working in London, prefer to live outside."
]
| Which of the following statements is NOT true? | Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one‘s own.
Then, in the country one can really get away from the noise and hurry of busy working lives. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the countr y. If one likes garden, one can spend one‘s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has got the reward together with those who have shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight‘s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night. | 575.txt | 1 |
[
"getting a small flat with a garden",
"having a small flat with a garden",
"renting a small flat without a garden",
"buying a small flat without a garden"
]
| With the same money needed for _, one can buy a little house with a garden in the country. | Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one‘s own.
Then, in the country one can really get away from the noise and hurry of busy working lives. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the countr y. If one likes garden, one can spend one‘s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has got the reward together with those who have shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight‘s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night. | 575.txt | 2 |
[
"living in the country",
"having spent time working in the garden.",
"having a garden of his own.",
"having been digging, planting and watering"
]
| When the garden is in blossom, the one _ has been rewarded. | Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one‘s own.
Then, in the country one can really get away from the noise and hurry of busy working lives. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the countr y. If one likes garden, one can spend one‘s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has got the reward together with those who have shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight‘s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night. | 575.txt | 1 |
[
"their life was meaningless",
"their life was invaluable",
"they didn‘t deserve a happy life",
"they were not worthy of their happy life"
]
| People who think happiness lies in the city life would feel that _ if they had to live outside London. | Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one‘s own.
Then, in the country one can really get away from the noise and hurry of busy working lives. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the countr y. If one likes garden, one can spend one‘s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has got the reward together with those who have shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight‘s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night. | 575.txt | 0 |
[
"does not exceed that of programs",
"is greater than that of programs",
"varies over a large range than that of programs",
"is less than that of programs"
]
| According to the passage, the maximum intensity of sound coming from commercials _ . | Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the loudness of advertisements. However. federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one NBC executive. no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming. Given this information. whydo commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its peak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels.
Other "tricks of the trade" are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds. advertisers filter out any noises that may drown out the primary message. In addition, the human voice hasmore auditory impact in che middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to write the script so that lots of consonants are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel sounds. Finally, advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted to the type of sounds coming from programming. a dramatic change in sound quality draws viewer attention. For example. notice how many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore the programming. However. when a commercial comes on.their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound quality. | 187.txt | 0 |
[
"TV stations always operate at the highest sound levels",
"their sound levels are kept around peak levels",
"their sound levels are kept in the middle frequency ranges",
"unlike regular programs their intensity of sound varies over a wide range"
]
| Commercials create che sensation of loudness because _ . | Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the loudness of advertisements. However. federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one NBC executive. no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming. Given this information. whydo commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its peak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels.
Other "tricks of the trade" are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds. advertisers filter out any noises that may drown out the primary message. In addition, the human voice hasmore auditory impact in che middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to write the script so that lots of consonants are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel sounds. Finally, advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted to the type of sounds coming from programming. a dramatic change in sound quality draws viewer attention. For example. notice how many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore the programming. However. when a commercial comes on.their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound quality. | 187.txt | 1 |
[
"pop songs attract viewer attention",
"it can increase their loudness",
"advertisers want to make them sound different from regular programs",
"advertisers want to merge music with commercials"
]
| Many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some kind because _ . | Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the loudness of advertisements. However. federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one NBC executive. no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming. Given this information. whydo commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its peak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels.
Other "tricks of the trade" are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds. advertisers filter out any noises that may drown out the primary message. In addition, the human voice hasmore auditory impact in che middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to write the script so that lots of consonants are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel sounds. Finally, advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted to the type of sounds coming from programming. a dramatic change in sound quality draws viewer attention. For example. notice how many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore the programming. However. when a commercial comes on.their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound quality. | 187.txt | 2 |
[
"the human voices in commercials have more auditory impact",
"people like cheerful songs that change dramatically in sound quality",
"high-frequency sounds are used to mask sounds that drown out the primary message",
"they possess sound qualities that make the viewer feel that something unusual is happening"
]
| One of the reasons why commercials are able to attract viewer attention is that _ . | Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the loudness of advertisements. However. federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one NBC executive. no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming. Given this information. whydo commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its peak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels.
Other "tricks of the trade" are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds. advertisers filter out any noises that may drown out the primary message. In addition, the human voice hasmore auditory impact in che middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to write the script so that lots of consonants are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel sounds. Finally, advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted to the type of sounds coming from programming. a dramatic change in sound quality draws viewer attention. For example. notice how many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore the programming. However. when a commercial comes on.their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound quality. | 187.txt | 3 |
[
"how TV ads vary vocal sounds to attract attention",
"how the loudness of TV ads is overcome",
"how advertisers control the sound properties of TV ads",
"how the attention-getting properties of sounds are made use of in TV ads"
]
| In the passage, the author is trying to tell us _ . | Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the loudness of advertisements. However. federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one NBC executive. no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming. Given this information. whydo commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its peak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels.
Other "tricks of the trade" are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds. advertisers filter out any noises that may drown out the primary message. In addition, the human voice hasmore auditory impact in che middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to write the script so that lots of consonants are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel sounds. Finally, advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted to the type of sounds coming from programming. a dramatic change in sound quality draws viewer attention. For example. notice how many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore the programming. However. when a commercial comes on.their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound quality. | 187.txt | 3 |
[
"making a comparison",
"justifying an assumption",
"posing a contrast",
"explaining a phenomenon"
]
| In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by _ . | IF YOU'RE CONFUSED BY ALL the news about the health effects of eating fish, you're not alone. On one hand, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as the American Heart Association reminded us two weeks ago when it restated its recommendation that everybody eat at least two fish servings a week. On the other hand, fish that live in contaminated waterways contain high levels of mercury, which can lead to cognitive problems in developing brains. That's why pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to limit their consumption.
As if that weren't confusing enough, two new studies published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the possible effects of mercury on the heart, and they seem to have reached contradictory conclusions. One found no clear link between mercury levels and heart disease; the other found that men with high levels of mercury in their toenails were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with low levels. What are we to make of this? The first thing to remember is that this is how science proceeds, by fits and starts and seemingly contradictory results that get resolved only by further study. The second is that not all fish are created equal.
Compared with all the other things you might eat, fish are an excellent source of protein. They tend to eat algae as part of their natural life cycle, converting it into omega-3 fatty acids that can improve your cholesterol profile. But it's also true that our waterways have become increasingly contaminated with all sorts of pollutants, including mercury, and that these pollutants tend to accumulate at different levels in different species. The fish most at risk are predators high in the pelagic food chain, such as swordfish and sharks.
It was to test the effects of mercury on the heart that the two new studies compared the mercury levels in clippings from toenails, where heavy metals tend to be deposited. In one study, researchers led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar at Johns Hopkins found that European and Israeli men with the highest mercury levels were nearly 2.2 times as likely to have a heart attack as those with the lowest levels. The other study, led by Dr. Walter Willett at the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at a selection of American men and found no connection between mercury exposure and risk of heart disease, although Willett told me a" weak association" cannot be ruled out.
For most of us, eating two servings of fish a week should not pose any problems. Guallar, who hails from coastal Spain, continues to flavor his paella with salmon, which has negligible mercury levels. Willett eats swordfish only about twice a month-because of its expense, not any fear of mercury. Fish-oil supplements are high in omega-3 fatty acids and probably don't contain as much mercury as whole fish. But they don't taste nearly as good. | 581.txt | 2 |
[
"something happens smoothly",
"something keeps starting and then stops again",
"something deserves a lot of effort",
"something is troublesome"
]
| The phrase" by fits and starts" （Line 6, Paragraph 2）most probably means _ . | IF YOU'RE CONFUSED BY ALL the news about the health effects of eating fish, you're not alone. On one hand, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as the American Heart Association reminded us two weeks ago when it restated its recommendation that everybody eat at least two fish servings a week. On the other hand, fish that live in contaminated waterways contain high levels of mercury, which can lead to cognitive problems in developing brains. That's why pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to limit their consumption.
As if that weren't confusing enough, two new studies published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the possible effects of mercury on the heart, and they seem to have reached contradictory conclusions. One found no clear link between mercury levels and heart disease; the other found that men with high levels of mercury in their toenails were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with low levels. What are we to make of this? The first thing to remember is that this is how science proceeds, by fits and starts and seemingly contradictory results that get resolved only by further study. The second is that not all fish are created equal.
Compared with all the other things you might eat, fish are an excellent source of protein. They tend to eat algae as part of their natural life cycle, converting it into omega-3 fatty acids that can improve your cholesterol profile. But it's also true that our waterways have become increasingly contaminated with all sorts of pollutants, including mercury, and that these pollutants tend to accumulate at different levels in different species. The fish most at risk are predators high in the pelagic food chain, such as swordfish and sharks.
It was to test the effects of mercury on the heart that the two new studies compared the mercury levels in clippings from toenails, where heavy metals tend to be deposited. In one study, researchers led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar at Johns Hopkins found that European and Israeli men with the highest mercury levels were nearly 2.2 times as likely to have a heart attack as those with the lowest levels. The other study, led by Dr. Walter Willett at the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at a selection of American men and found no connection between mercury exposure and risk of heart disease, although Willett told me a" weak association" cannot be ruled out.
For most of us, eating two servings of fish a week should not pose any problems. Guallar, who hails from coastal Spain, continues to flavor his paella with salmon, which has negligible mercury levels. Willett eats swordfish only about twice a month-because of its expense, not any fear of mercury. Fish-oil supplements are high in omega-3 fatty acids and probably don't contain as much mercury as whole fish. But they don't taste nearly as good. | 581.txt | 1 |
[
"they are more likely to contain mercury",
"they influence a person's heart",
"they can be easily obtained",
"they are connected with the heart"
]
| Clippings from toenails were chosen for the research most probably because _ . | IF YOU'RE CONFUSED BY ALL the news about the health effects of eating fish, you're not alone. On one hand, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as the American Heart Association reminded us two weeks ago when it restated its recommendation that everybody eat at least two fish servings a week. On the other hand, fish that live in contaminated waterways contain high levels of mercury, which can lead to cognitive problems in developing brains. That's why pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to limit their consumption.
As if that weren't confusing enough, two new studies published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the possible effects of mercury on the heart, and they seem to have reached contradictory conclusions. One found no clear link between mercury levels and heart disease; the other found that men with high levels of mercury in their toenails were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with low levels. What are we to make of this? The first thing to remember is that this is how science proceeds, by fits and starts and seemingly contradictory results that get resolved only by further study. The second is that not all fish are created equal.
Compared with all the other things you might eat, fish are an excellent source of protein. They tend to eat algae as part of their natural life cycle, converting it into omega-3 fatty acids that can improve your cholesterol profile. But it's also true that our waterways have become increasingly contaminated with all sorts of pollutants, including mercury, and that these pollutants tend to accumulate at different levels in different species. The fish most at risk are predators high in the pelagic food chain, such as swordfish and sharks.
It was to test the effects of mercury on the heart that the two new studies compared the mercury levels in clippings from toenails, where heavy metals tend to be deposited. In one study, researchers led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar at Johns Hopkins found that European and Israeli men with the highest mercury levels were nearly 2.2 times as likely to have a heart attack as those with the lowest levels. The other study, led by Dr. Walter Willett at the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at a selection of American men and found no connection between mercury exposure and risk of heart disease, although Willett told me a" weak association" cannot be ruled out.
For most of us, eating two servings of fish a week should not pose any problems. Guallar, who hails from coastal Spain, continues to flavor his paella with salmon, which has negligible mercury levels. Willett eats swordfish only about twice a month-because of its expense, not any fear of mercury. Fish-oil supplements are high in omega-3 fatty acids and probably don't contain as much mercury as whole fish. But they don't taste nearly as good. | 581.txt | 0 |
[
"identical",
"similar",
"opposite",
"complementary"
]
| The views of Dr. Eliseo Guallar and Dr. Walter Willett are _ . | IF YOU'RE CONFUSED BY ALL the news about the health effects of eating fish, you're not alone. On one hand, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as the American Heart Association reminded us two weeks ago when it restated its recommendation that everybody eat at least two fish servings a week. On the other hand, fish that live in contaminated waterways contain high levels of mercury, which can lead to cognitive problems in developing brains. That's why pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to limit their consumption.
As if that weren't confusing enough, two new studies published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the possible effects of mercury on the heart, and they seem to have reached contradictory conclusions. One found no clear link between mercury levels and heart disease; the other found that men with high levels of mercury in their toenails were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with low levels. What are we to make of this? The first thing to remember is that this is how science proceeds, by fits and starts and seemingly contradictory results that get resolved only by further study. The second is that not all fish are created equal.
Compared with all the other things you might eat, fish are an excellent source of protein. They tend to eat algae as part of their natural life cycle, converting it into omega-3 fatty acids that can improve your cholesterol profile. But it's also true that our waterways have become increasingly contaminated with all sorts of pollutants, including mercury, and that these pollutants tend to accumulate at different levels in different species. The fish most at risk are predators high in the pelagic food chain, such as swordfish and sharks.
It was to test the effects of mercury on the heart that the two new studies compared the mercury levels in clippings from toenails, where heavy metals tend to be deposited. In one study, researchers led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar at Johns Hopkins found that European and Israeli men with the highest mercury levels were nearly 2.2 times as likely to have a heart attack as those with the lowest levels. The other study, led by Dr. Walter Willett at the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at a selection of American men and found no connection between mercury exposure and risk of heart disease, although Willett told me a" weak association" cannot be ruled out.
For most of us, eating two servings of fish a week should not pose any problems. Guallar, who hails from coastal Spain, continues to flavor his paella with salmon, which has negligible mercury levels. Willett eats swordfish only about twice a month-because of its expense, not any fear of mercury. Fish-oil supplements are high in omega-3 fatty acids and probably don't contain as much mercury as whole fish. But they don't taste nearly as good. | 581.txt | 2 |
[
"Fish is no threat to humans.",
"Do not be frightened by some fish.",
"Eat fish-oil supplements instead of fish.",
"Taste is more important than the safety of the food."
]
| What can we infer from the last paragraph? | IF YOU'RE CONFUSED BY ALL the news about the health effects of eating fish, you're not alone. On one hand, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as the American Heart Association reminded us two weeks ago when it restated its recommendation that everybody eat at least two fish servings a week. On the other hand, fish that live in contaminated waterways contain high levels of mercury, which can lead to cognitive problems in developing brains. That's why pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to limit their consumption.
As if that weren't confusing enough, two new studies published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the possible effects of mercury on the heart, and they seem to have reached contradictory conclusions. One found no clear link between mercury levels and heart disease; the other found that men with high levels of mercury in their toenails were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with low levels. What are we to make of this? The first thing to remember is that this is how science proceeds, by fits and starts and seemingly contradictory results that get resolved only by further study. The second is that not all fish are created equal.
Compared with all the other things you might eat, fish are an excellent source of protein. They tend to eat algae as part of their natural life cycle, converting it into omega-3 fatty acids that can improve your cholesterol profile. But it's also true that our waterways have become increasingly contaminated with all sorts of pollutants, including mercury, and that these pollutants tend to accumulate at different levels in different species. The fish most at risk are predators high in the pelagic food chain, such as swordfish and sharks.
It was to test the effects of mercury on the heart that the two new studies compared the mercury levels in clippings from toenails, where heavy metals tend to be deposited. In one study, researchers led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar at Johns Hopkins found that European and Israeli men with the highest mercury levels were nearly 2.2 times as likely to have a heart attack as those with the lowest levels. The other study, led by Dr. Walter Willett at the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at a selection of American men and found no connection between mercury exposure and risk of heart disease, although Willett told me a" weak association" cannot be ruled out.
For most of us, eating two servings of fish a week should not pose any problems. Guallar, who hails from coastal Spain, continues to flavor his paella with salmon, which has negligible mercury levels. Willett eats swordfish only about twice a month-because of its expense, not any fear of mercury. Fish-oil supplements are high in omega-3 fatty acids and probably don't contain as much mercury as whole fish. But they don't taste nearly as good. | 581.txt | 1 |
[
"pride and ambition",
"dream and fear",
"easiness and effort-saving",
"trouble-saving and release"
]
| The main reasons for the author to apply under Early Decision are _ . | When I applied under Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was motivated by two powerful emotions: ambition and fear. The ambition was to fulfill my lifelong expectation of attending an Ivy League school; the fear was that without the advantage offered by Early Decision, I wouldn't make the cut. A Penn admissions officer told me that the previous year they had accepted 45 percent of Early Decision applicants and just 29 percent of total applicants. The implication was clear: applying under Early Decision dramatically improves your chances of acceptance. At Brown University, my other favorite, applying early did not confer any advantage. While Brown was my No. 1 choice, Penn was a close second, and I desperately wanted to make sure I got into one of the two.
I applied just before the Nov. 1 deadline, and six weeks later I got my acceptance package. I was thrilled and relieved. While my friends spent winter vacation finishing as many as 18 applications each, I relaxed. On a school trip to France over spring break, I drank wine while everyone else struggled with international calling cards to phone home and find out where they'd been accepted. People cried about getting rejected, or began the difficult and agonizing process of choosing between two or more schools. Strangely, none of this made me feel better about having applied early. It made me feel worse. When a lot of people from my class got into Brown, I wondered if I, too, could have.
Penn sent a discombobulating array of material to incoming freshmen over the summer. As the pile of mail mounted, so did my concerns that I had made the wrong choice. I had been to Penn only one day, in October of my senior year. I realize now I did not know nearly enough about myself or the school. Picking classes was far more arcane than I had expected （or than it would have been at a smaller school）. And when I got to the campus, I found that fraternities and sororities were a more noticeable and obnoxious presence than the 30 percent student membership had suggested to me.
It wasn't long before I knew Penn was not right for me and I looked into transferring. For me, it was about more than just changing schools. I wanted to have the traditional application experience I'd missed out on during my first go-round. The only school on my list that allowed transfers during the second semester of freshman year was Wesleyan, so I waited out the whole year, then applied to Yale, Brown and Wesleyan. I got into Wesleyan. The irony that I could have gotten in sooner, without getting rejected by the other schools, was not lost on me. But I know I made the right decision.
To high-school seniors who want to avoid making the same mistake I did, my advice is simple: don't apply under Early Decision unless you are absolutely sure that the school is your first choice. And, just as important, don't let your parents or college-guidance counselor persuade you to apply under Early Decision. They may have their own agenda, or at least their own perception of who you are and what you want. As I discovered, no one can really know what you want better than yourself, and even you may need time to figure out what that is. | 564.txt | 1 |
[
"you can graduate from the high school earlier",
"you don't need to worry about the results",
"you needn't take the entrance examination",
"you're more likely to be accepted"
]
| It can be inferred from the text that the main advantage of Early Decision is that _ . | When I applied under Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was motivated by two powerful emotions: ambition and fear. The ambition was to fulfill my lifelong expectation of attending an Ivy League school; the fear was that without the advantage offered by Early Decision, I wouldn't make the cut. A Penn admissions officer told me that the previous year they had accepted 45 percent of Early Decision applicants and just 29 percent of total applicants. The implication was clear: applying under Early Decision dramatically improves your chances of acceptance. At Brown University, my other favorite, applying early did not confer any advantage. While Brown was my No. 1 choice, Penn was a close second, and I desperately wanted to make sure I got into one of the two.
I applied just before the Nov. 1 deadline, and six weeks later I got my acceptance package. I was thrilled and relieved. While my friends spent winter vacation finishing as many as 18 applications each, I relaxed. On a school trip to France over spring break, I drank wine while everyone else struggled with international calling cards to phone home and find out where they'd been accepted. People cried about getting rejected, or began the difficult and agonizing process of choosing between two or more schools. Strangely, none of this made me feel better about having applied early. It made me feel worse. When a lot of people from my class got into Brown, I wondered if I, too, could have.
Penn sent a discombobulating array of material to incoming freshmen over the summer. As the pile of mail mounted, so did my concerns that I had made the wrong choice. I had been to Penn only one day, in October of my senior year. I realize now I did not know nearly enough about myself or the school. Picking classes was far more arcane than I had expected （or than it would have been at a smaller school）. And when I got to the campus, I found that fraternities and sororities were a more noticeable and obnoxious presence than the 30 percent student membership had suggested to me.
It wasn't long before I knew Penn was not right for me and I looked into transferring. For me, it was about more than just changing schools. I wanted to have the traditional application experience I'd missed out on during my first go-round. The only school on my list that allowed transfers during the second semester of freshman year was Wesleyan, so I waited out the whole year, then applied to Yale, Brown and Wesleyan. I got into Wesleyan. The irony that I could have gotten in sooner, without getting rejected by the other schools, was not lost on me. But I know I made the right decision.
To high-school seniors who want to avoid making the same mistake I did, my advice is simple: don't apply under Early Decision unless you are absolutely sure that the school is your first choice. And, just as important, don't let your parents or college-guidance counselor persuade you to apply under Early Decision. They may have their own agenda, or at least their own perception of who you are and what you want. As I discovered, no one can really know what you want better than yourself, and even you may need time to figure out what that is. | 564.txt | 3 |
[
"he is satisfied with his choice",
"there are many advantages of being accepted earlier",
"less effort is needed under Early Decision",
"he is happy with but doubts about his decision"
]
| The description of the author's feelings in Paragraph 2 shows that _ . | When I applied under Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was motivated by two powerful emotions: ambition and fear. The ambition was to fulfill my lifelong expectation of attending an Ivy League school; the fear was that without the advantage offered by Early Decision, I wouldn't make the cut. A Penn admissions officer told me that the previous year they had accepted 45 percent of Early Decision applicants and just 29 percent of total applicants. The implication was clear: applying under Early Decision dramatically improves your chances of acceptance. At Brown University, my other favorite, applying early did not confer any advantage. While Brown was my No. 1 choice, Penn was a close second, and I desperately wanted to make sure I got into one of the two.
I applied just before the Nov. 1 deadline, and six weeks later I got my acceptance package. I was thrilled and relieved. While my friends spent winter vacation finishing as many as 18 applications each, I relaxed. On a school trip to France over spring break, I drank wine while everyone else struggled with international calling cards to phone home and find out where they'd been accepted. People cried about getting rejected, or began the difficult and agonizing process of choosing between two or more schools. Strangely, none of this made me feel better about having applied early. It made me feel worse. When a lot of people from my class got into Brown, I wondered if I, too, could have.
Penn sent a discombobulating array of material to incoming freshmen over the summer. As the pile of mail mounted, so did my concerns that I had made the wrong choice. I had been to Penn only one day, in October of my senior year. I realize now I did not know nearly enough about myself or the school. Picking classes was far more arcane than I had expected （or than it would have been at a smaller school）. And when I got to the campus, I found that fraternities and sororities were a more noticeable and obnoxious presence than the 30 percent student membership had suggested to me.
It wasn't long before I knew Penn was not right for me and I looked into transferring. For me, it was about more than just changing schools. I wanted to have the traditional application experience I'd missed out on during my first go-round. The only school on my list that allowed transfers during the second semester of freshman year was Wesleyan, so I waited out the whole year, then applied to Yale, Brown and Wesleyan. I got into Wesleyan. The irony that I could have gotten in sooner, without getting rejected by the other schools, was not lost on me. But I know I made the right decision.
To high-school seniors who want to avoid making the same mistake I did, my advice is simple: don't apply under Early Decision unless you are absolutely sure that the school is your first choice. And, just as important, don't let your parents or college-guidance counselor persuade you to apply under Early Decision. They may have their own agenda, or at least their own perception of who you are and what you want. As I discovered, no one can really know what you want better than yourself, and even you may need time to figure out what that is. | 564.txt | 3 |
[
"a full consideration is needed before applying",
"students should avoid the shortcut",
"a quick decision will do you no good",
"the author shouldn't apply under Early Decision"
]
| We can draw a conclusion from the text that _ . | When I applied under Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was motivated by two powerful emotions: ambition and fear. The ambition was to fulfill my lifelong expectation of attending an Ivy League school; the fear was that without the advantage offered by Early Decision, I wouldn't make the cut. A Penn admissions officer told me that the previous year they had accepted 45 percent of Early Decision applicants and just 29 percent of total applicants. The implication was clear: applying under Early Decision dramatically improves your chances of acceptance. At Brown University, my other favorite, applying early did not confer any advantage. While Brown was my No. 1 choice, Penn was a close second, and I desperately wanted to make sure I got into one of the two.
I applied just before the Nov. 1 deadline, and six weeks later I got my acceptance package. I was thrilled and relieved. While my friends spent winter vacation finishing as many as 18 applications each, I relaxed. On a school trip to France over spring break, I drank wine while everyone else struggled with international calling cards to phone home and find out where they'd been accepted. People cried about getting rejected, or began the difficult and agonizing process of choosing between two or more schools. Strangely, none of this made me feel better about having applied early. It made me feel worse. When a lot of people from my class got into Brown, I wondered if I, too, could have.
Penn sent a discombobulating array of material to incoming freshmen over the summer. As the pile of mail mounted, so did my concerns that I had made the wrong choice. I had been to Penn only one day, in October of my senior year. I realize now I did not know nearly enough about myself or the school. Picking classes was far more arcane than I had expected （or than it would have been at a smaller school）. And when I got to the campus, I found that fraternities and sororities were a more noticeable and obnoxious presence than the 30 percent student membership had suggested to me.
It wasn't long before I knew Penn was not right for me and I looked into transferring. For me, it was about more than just changing schools. I wanted to have the traditional application experience I'd missed out on during my first go-round. The only school on my list that allowed transfers during the second semester of freshman year was Wesleyan, so I waited out the whole year, then applied to Yale, Brown and Wesleyan. I got into Wesleyan. The irony that I could have gotten in sooner, without getting rejected by the other schools, was not lost on me. But I know I made the right decision.
To high-school seniors who want to avoid making the same mistake I did, my advice is simple: don't apply under Early Decision unless you are absolutely sure that the school is your first choice. And, just as important, don't let your parents or college-guidance counselor persuade you to apply under Early Decision. They may have their own agenda, or at least their own perception of who you are and what you want. As I discovered, no one can really know what you want better than yourself, and even you may need time to figure out what that is. | 564.txt | 0 |
[
"regretful",
"optimistic",
"gloomy",
"sensitive"
]
| From the text we can see that the writer seems _ . | When I applied under Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was motivated by two powerful emotions: ambition and fear. The ambition was to fulfill my lifelong expectation of attending an Ivy League school; the fear was that without the advantage offered by Early Decision, I wouldn't make the cut. A Penn admissions officer told me that the previous year they had accepted 45 percent of Early Decision applicants and just 29 percent of total applicants. The implication was clear: applying under Early Decision dramatically improves your chances of acceptance. At Brown University, my other favorite, applying early did not confer any advantage. While Brown was my No. 1 choice, Penn was a close second, and I desperately wanted to make sure I got into one of the two.
I applied just before the Nov. 1 deadline, and six weeks later I got my acceptance package. I was thrilled and relieved. While my friends spent winter vacation finishing as many as 18 applications each, I relaxed. On a school trip to France over spring break, I drank wine while everyone else struggled with international calling cards to phone home and find out where they'd been accepted. People cried about getting rejected, or began the difficult and agonizing process of choosing between two or more schools. Strangely, none of this made me feel better about having applied early. It made me feel worse. When a lot of people from my class got into Brown, I wondered if I, too, could have.
Penn sent a discombobulating array of material to incoming freshmen over the summer. As the pile of mail mounted, so did my concerns that I had made the wrong choice. I had been to Penn only one day, in October of my senior year. I realize now I did not know nearly enough about myself or the school. Picking classes was far more arcane than I had expected （or than it would have been at a smaller school）. And when I got to the campus, I found that fraternities and sororities were a more noticeable and obnoxious presence than the 30 percent student membership had suggested to me.
It wasn't long before I knew Penn was not right for me and I looked into transferring. For me, it was about more than just changing schools. I wanted to have the traditional application experience I'd missed out on during my first go-round. The only school on my list that allowed transfers during the second semester of freshman year was Wesleyan, so I waited out the whole year, then applied to Yale, Brown and Wesleyan. I got into Wesleyan. The irony that I could have gotten in sooner, without getting rejected by the other schools, was not lost on me. But I know I made the right decision.
To high-school seniors who want to avoid making the same mistake I did, my advice is simple: don't apply under Early Decision unless you are absolutely sure that the school is your first choice. And, just as important, don't let your parents or college-guidance counselor persuade you to apply under Early Decision. They may have their own agenda, or at least their own perception of who you are and what you want. As I discovered, no one can really know what you want better than yourself, and even you may need time to figure out what that is. | 564.txt | 0 |
[
"man possesses as many senses as animals",
"man possesses a few more senses than animals",
"man possesses far more senses than the five major ones",
"man has fully utilised his senses"
]
| From the passage, we realise that _ . | The world is known to us through many senses, not just hearing, smell, vision, and at close range, touch and taste.
Our skins let us know whether the air is moist or dry, whether surfaces are wet without being sticky or slippery. From the uniformity of slight pressure, we can be aware how deeply a finger is thrust into water at body temperature, even if the finger is enclosed in a rubber glove that keeps the skin completely dry. Many other animals, with highly sensitive skins, appear to be able to learn still more about their environment. Often they do so without employing any of the five senses.
By observing the capabilities of other members of the animal kingdom, we come to realise that a human being has far more possibilities than are utilised. We neglect ever so many of our senses in concentrating on the five major ones. At the same time, a comparison between animals and man draws attention to the limitations of each sense. The part of the spectrum seen by colour-conscious man as red is non-existent for honey-bees. But a bee can see far more in flowers than we, because the ultra-violet to which our eyes are blind is a stimulating part of the insect's spectrum, and, for honey-bees at least, constitutes a separate colour. | 3194.txt | 0 |
[
"The honey-bee is blind to red.",
"Man is more colour-conscious than the honey-bee.",
"The honey-bee can see far more colours than man.",
"Man is sensitive to the ultra-violet."
]
| Which of the following is TRUE? | The world is known to us through many senses, not just hearing, smell, vision, and at close range, touch and taste.
Our skins let us know whether the air is moist or dry, whether surfaces are wet without being sticky or slippery. From the uniformity of slight pressure, we can be aware how deeply a finger is thrust into water at body temperature, even if the finger is enclosed in a rubber glove that keeps the skin completely dry. Many other animals, with highly sensitive skins, appear to be able to learn still more about their environment. Often they do so without employing any of the five senses.
By observing the capabilities of other members of the animal kingdom, we come to realise that a human being has far more possibilities than are utilised. We neglect ever so many of our senses in concentrating on the five major ones. At the same time, a comparison between animals and man draws attention to the limitations of each sense. The part of the spectrum seen by colour-conscious man as red is non-existent for honey-bees. But a bee can see far more in flowers than we, because the ultra-violet to which our eyes are blind is a stimulating part of the insect's spectrum, and, for honey-bees at least, constitutes a separate colour. | 3194.txt | 1 |
[
"from the sense of direct touch",
"through skin contact",
"from the even distribution of pressure",
"through the difference in temperature"
]
| We can realise how deeply a finger is put into water at body temperature _ . | The world is known to us through many senses, not just hearing, smell, vision, and at close range, touch and taste.
Our skins let us know whether the air is moist or dry, whether surfaces are wet without being sticky or slippery. From the uniformity of slight pressure, we can be aware how deeply a finger is thrust into water at body temperature, even if the finger is enclosed in a rubber glove that keeps the skin completely dry. Many other animals, with highly sensitive skins, appear to be able to learn still more about their environment. Often they do so without employing any of the five senses.
By observing the capabilities of other members of the animal kingdom, we come to realise that a human being has far more possibilities than are utilised. We neglect ever so many of our senses in concentrating on the five major ones. At the same time, a comparison between animals and man draws attention to the limitations of each sense. The part of the spectrum seen by colour-conscious man as red is non-existent for honey-bees. But a bee can see far more in flowers than we, because the ultra-violet to which our eyes are blind is a stimulating part of the insect's spectrum, and, for honey-bees at least, constitutes a separate colour. | 3194.txt | 3 |
[
"skins that are sticky or slippery",
"skins that are delicate",
"skins that are completely dry",
"skins that are quick to feel and respond"
]
| The phrase "sensitive skins" (Para. 2 Line 6) most probably means _ . | The world is known to us through many senses, not just hearing, smell, vision, and at close range, touch and taste.
Our skins let us know whether the air is moist or dry, whether surfaces are wet without being sticky or slippery. From the uniformity of slight pressure, we can be aware how deeply a finger is thrust into water at body temperature, even if the finger is enclosed in a rubber glove that keeps the skin completely dry. Many other animals, with highly sensitive skins, appear to be able to learn still more about their environment. Often they do so without employing any of the five senses.
By observing the capabilities of other members of the animal kingdom, we come to realise that a human being has far more possibilities than are utilised. We neglect ever so many of our senses in concentrating on the five major ones. At the same time, a comparison between animals and man draws attention to the limitations of each sense. The part of the spectrum seen by colour-conscious man as red is non-existent for honey-bees. But a bee can see far more in flowers than we, because the ultra-violet to which our eyes are blind is a stimulating part of the insect's spectrum, and, for honey-bees at least, constitutes a separate colour. | 3194.txt | 0 |
[
"All senses have their limitations.",
"Man has not fully utilized all his senses.",
"Insects are more sensitive to colours than man.",
"Man is not as good as animals in learning about the environment."
]
| What is the main idea of the passage? | The world is known to us through many senses, not just hearing, smell, vision, and at close range, touch and taste.
Our skins let us know whether the air is moist or dry, whether surfaces are wet without being sticky or slippery. From the uniformity of slight pressure, we can be aware how deeply a finger is thrust into water at body temperature, even if the finger is enclosed in a rubber glove that keeps the skin completely dry. Many other animals, with highly sensitive skins, appear to be able to learn still more about their environment. Often they do so without employing any of the five senses.
By observing the capabilities of other members of the animal kingdom, we come to realise that a human being has far more possibilities than are utilised. We neglect ever so many of our senses in concentrating on the five major ones. At the same time, a comparison between animals and man draws attention to the limitations of each sense. The part of the spectrum seen by colour-conscious man as red is non-existent for honey-bees. But a bee can see far more in flowers than we, because the ultra-violet to which our eyes are blind is a stimulating part of the insect's spectrum, and, for honey-bees at least, constitutes a separate colour. | 3194.txt | 2 |
[
"People live in an era of change and mobility.",
"People should act of their own free will.",
"Relaxation is indispensable for sound health.",
"Relaxation means slowing down the pace of living."
]
| What does the author want to convey in the first paragraph? | As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. (2) A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it. | 2801.txt | 2 |
[
"to be dangerous to health",
"to give stimulation to life",
"to be vital to good performance",
"to lead to high responsibility"
]
| Stress is generally believed _ . | As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. (2) A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it. | 2801.txt | 0 |
[
"his taking control over his performance",
"his responding to stress",
"his knowing the art of relaxation",
"his facing up to stress"
]
| According to the writer, the most important qualification for a good manager is _ . | As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. (2) A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it. | 2801.txt | 3 |
[
"life and death",
"chemical reaction and physical reaction",
"fight and flight",
"short-term reaction and long-term reaction"
]
| The extreme crises people met in more primitive days are the choices between _ . | As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. (2) A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it. | 2801.txt | 0 |
[
"Intelligent people can deal with large amounts of stress.",
"Stress will bring harm to health when it lasts long-time and gets out of control.",
"Stress in life cannot be eliminated, but utilized appropriately can enhanced life.",
"People are finding less time for relaxation because they are occupied with their routine businesses."
]
| Which of the following is implied but NOT stated directly by the author? | As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. (2) A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it. | 2801.txt | 2 |
[
"a strange man",
"an unusual party",
"how roller skating began",
"how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century"
]
| The text is mainly about _ . | Today, roller skating is easy and fun, and it is popular throughout the world. People roller skate outside on paths and roads, and inside in rinks. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man full of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself fool. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking into pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time! | 645.txt | 2 |
[
"often gave others surprises",
"was a gifted musician",
"invented the roller skates",
"was full of imagination"
]
| People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he _ . | Today, roller skating is easy and fun, and it is popular throughout the world. People roller skate outside on paths and roads, and inside in rinks. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man full of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself fool. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking into pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time! | 645.txt | 3 |
[
"draw the guests' attention",
"arrive at the party sooner",
"test his invention",
"show his skill in walking on wheels"
]
| Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to . | Today, roller skating is easy and fun, and it is popular throughout the world. People roller skate outside on paths and roads, and inside in rinks. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man full of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself fool. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking into pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time! | 645.txt | 0 |
[
"The roller skates needed further improvement.",
"The party guests took Merlin for a fool.",
"Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.",
"Merlin got himself into trouble."
]
| What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph? | Today, roller skating is easy and fun, and it is popular throughout the world. People roller skate outside on paths and roads, and inside in rinks. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man full of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself fool. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking into pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time! | 645.txt | 2 |
[
"mass-killing.",
"disaster.",
"tragedy.",
"accident."
]
| The word " massacre" in line 3 paragraph one means _ | The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows essentially from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others. So the massacre on the road may be regarded as a social problem.
In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people or ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one's actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even beyond carelessness to total negligence.
Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 per cent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can distort drivers' reactions, slow their judgment, and blind them to dangers that might otherwise be evident. The experts warn that it is vital for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep one's emotions under control.
Yet the irresponsibility that accounts for much of the problem is not confined to drivers. Street walkers regularly violate traffic regulations; they are at fault in most vehicle walker accidents. And many cyclists even believe that they are not subject to the basic rules of the road.
Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicle have been raised both at the point of manufacture and through periodic road-worthiness inspections. In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to convince people that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things pose a threat to those with whom they share the road. | 4100.txt | 0 |
[
"To show that the motor vehicle is a very dangerous invention.",
"To promote understanding between careless drivers and street walkers.",
"To discuss traffic problems and propose possible solutions.",
"To warn drivers of the importance of safe driving."
]
| What is the author's main purpose in writing the passage? | The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows essentially from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others. So the massacre on the road may be regarded as a social problem.
In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people or ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one's actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even beyond carelessness to total negligence.
Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 per cent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can distort drivers' reactions, slow their judgment, and blind them to dangers that might otherwise be evident. The experts warn that it is vital for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep one's emotions under control.
Yet the irresponsibility that accounts for much of the problem is not confined to drivers. Street walkers regularly violate traffic regulations; they are at fault in most vehicle walker accidents. And many cyclists even believe that they are not subject to the basic rules of the road.
Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicle have been raised both at the point of manufacture and through periodic road-worthiness inspections. In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to convince people that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things pose a threat to those with whom they share the road. | 4100.txt | 2 |
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