1. Why won't oil prices rise at all over the long time?
Firstly, because producers need the cash from oil too much to let their supply be interrupted for long. Secondly, and more important, because demand growth can't push prices upward as long as it is balanced by supply growth. 2. Why can't the members of the OPEC raise oil prices?
Because if they do, non-OPEC sources will grab market share by developing fields where technology has made production affordable. 3. Why have most majors cut their costs on oil?
Because technology lets the companies maintain healthy earnings at steadily lower oil prices.
4. Who takes a lead in the oil companies?
Those that master technology and efficiency, such as Shell, Exxon, and British Petroleum.
U6 The myth of the paperless office
1. What are the disadvantages of paper according to the author?
Paper takes up precious space, can be in only one place at a time, is extremely hard to index or search through, and lacks all the interactivity and linking ability of hypertext. 2. What are the major categories of files in an office?
In the office, files can be mainly classified into hot files, documents to be acted on immediately; warm files, still active but of less urgency and cold files, documents that don’t need immediate attention.
3. Why is it unpleasant to read something on a computer screen?
Because there are such annoyances as the relatively fuzzy type, glare, the need to scroll repeatedly, the screen’s relatively fixed position and so forth.
4. What are the essential problems in using computers in polices departments? First, the police found they spent so much time dealing with the computer interface that they fell short in listening and talking to victims, an essential activity both for offering comfort and for picking up subtle clues to what exactly had happened. Second, the goal of
prompt reporting was compromised by the fact that police kept revising their reports after filing them.
5. What are the reasons for people’s chimera of going paperless according to the author? Firstly, people who can profit from the idea keep selling it to us. Secondly, all technologies come down to our trying to get what we want, what we desire. And much of what we desire comes down to taking control of our lives, doing what we please without being overwhelmed by what we don’t please.
6. Why cannot computers replace paper in an office?
First, paper has some hidden advantages over computers especially in the following three aspects—reading, writing and personal satisfaction in delivery. Furthermore, computers can’t replace paper completely in some activities such as air-traffic control and writing up police reports.
U7 Competition is destructive
1. Why is competition destructive according to the author? (para. 3)
According to the author, competition is destructive because it undermines self-esteem, poisons relationships and holds us back from doing our best.
2. What are the purposes of the games devised or collected by Orlick and others? (para. 6)
The idea of the games devised or collected by Orlick and others is for each person on the field to make a specified contribution to the goal, or for all the players to reach a certain score, or for everyone to work with their partners against a time limit.
3. What is the difference between teamwork and team competition? (para. 8) The difference between teamwork and team competition is that in teamwork everyone on the field is working together for a common goal, while in team competition a given player works with and is encouraged to feel warmly toward only half of those present. 4. Why do most kinds of fun require competition? (para. 10, 11, 12)
First of all, people don't know any other way or people have never tasted the alternative. Secondly, we overlook the psychological costs of competition: it causes self-doubt and feelings of self-worth become dependent on external sources of evaluation.
5. Who is to blame for competition?
It is the structure of the game itself that is to blame rather than the individuals, since it sets competition at the very beginning.
U10 Why we strive for status
1. What is the writer's attitude in the sentence \"The drive for dominance skews our perception, colors our friendships, shapes our moods and affects our health\"? (para. 2) The author takes a negative attitude. Usually, the verbs color, shape and affect are neutral in indicating meanings, but in this context they express negative meanings.
2. How do you understand the sentence \"If the tendency showed up only in certain societies, it would be easier to dismiss as something we learn\"? (para. 4)
If the relentless one-upmanship were only limited within very few sample groups, it would be easily neglected because we could only regard that as an exception.
3. In which way do zoologists support the anthropological point on the biologically endowed one-upmanship?
Anthropologists point out that the same pattern can be seen everywhere while the zoologists show a wide variety of animals inferior and superior which illustrate the same pattern too.
4. What are the differences between men being powerful and powerless?
Men who achieve high status enjoy more sex with more partners wheresas men who are just unemployed may lose their marriages as well as self-esteem.
5. In which ways are modern men the same as, and also different from Genghis Khan? Modern men are the same as Genghis Khan in that they all strive for high status, but different in that modern men tend to rule by consent and try to avoid fighting. 6. Do males always have to fight for power? Why or why not?
Not necessarily, for the most durable leaders are the ones who govern by consent and try to avoid fighting.
U13 Giving credit where debt is due
1. How many credit cards does the average American have? 4.
2. What is a \"sub-prime\" borrower? People who have a bad credit history.
3. What were the spending habits of people in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?
People regarded debt in a very negative way. They always tried to pay off their debts in a timely manner.
4. How has credit card spending changed in the United States since the 1960s? In the 1960s most borrowers paid off their credit card balances monthly. Since then, many people have amassed credit card debt.
Unit2 The New Economics of Oil
Text A
1. In the first year of peace, Lebanon's GDP soared by almost 40%. (C) C. increased 2. SAIC's previous skirmishes with investigators had attracted little attention. (D) D. arguments
3. The boy grabbed hold of my bag and disappeared quickly into the crowd. (C) C. snatched 4. Although Chicago has fared better than some cities, unemployment remains a problem. (A) A. got on
5. The dwarfs were devastated, because they could not figure out how to save Snow White this time. (D) D. decide
6. His distrust of the power of critics made him ready to gibe at David Sylvester. (A)A. laugh 7. Children are most vulnerable to abuse within their own home. (A)A. unprotected 8. Short of the President himself, probably no one could have put the American case more persuasively. (B)B. Other than
Text B
1. It snakes in and out of ports, along our busiest highways and through our most crowded cities. (C) C. crawls
2. She adjusted her glasses and peered at the man. (B) B. gazed 3. Southeast winds nudged the oil slick onto the shore. (A) A. pushed 4. My horse had been tethered to a post, but somehow it escaped. (B) B. tied
5. The bridge is built to withstand an earthquake of 8.3 magnitudes. (C)C. resist 6. An evaporation system is used to dissipate heat from the sun and protect the shuttle’s electronics. (D) D. disperse
7. Narcissus was a young man who spurned the nymph Echo and became enamoured of his own reflection. (A) A. refused
8. This disparity in social attitude is certainly reflected in the ambivalent feelings held by retired people. (C) C. conflicting
9. Commercial sauerkraut is very salty so there is no additional salt in the recipe. (D) D. formula
10. Retail sales of the quintessential red meats are plummeting, whilst vegetarianism has become a fashionable norm. (B) B. decreased
U6 The myth of the paperless office
Text A
1. Advocates of organic foods frequently proclaim that such products are safer and more nutritious than others. (A) A. announce
2. If I may venture an opinion, I’d say the plan needs closer examination. (C) C. express 3. These photographs capture the essence of working-class life at the turn of the century. (A) A. describe
4. There was a preponderance of female teachers in the English department. (B) B. dominance
5. Clarence had only a few fuzzy memories of his grandparents. (C) C. obscure
6. What he has achieved is an extraordinary feat that would be impossible to duplicate. (B) B. equal
7. He’s stopped taking drugs now, but he may revert to taking them again. (C) C. restore 8. As often as not, people tend to scream under such circumstances. (D) D. quite often 9. What is even more important is the fact that the astronauts’ photographs have uncovered many things not evident at close range. (D) D. revealed
10. The disposition of the troops on the battlefield is of paramount importance. (A) A. arrangement
Text B
1. In particular, the relationship is becoming increasingly bedeviled by the issue of anti-missile defence. (C) C. plagued
2. The universe offers no such categories or simplifications; only flux and infinite variety. (B) B. change
3. The news of the wedding was plastered all over the morning papers. (A) A. covered 4. Perhaps you should tweak that line or paragraph that throws the structure off before sending in the report. (C) C. revise
5. The daily news stories of the worsening economy unnerved the nation. (A)A. discouraged 6. She allowed her steady gaze to flicker from the glass which she had been holding for hours. (C) C. shine unsteadily
7. Self-awareness of roles and of the feelings evoked in interpersonal encounters is increasingly critical for the nimble entrepreneur. (B) B. agile
8. I have always tried to live by my faith but it’s sometimes unexpectedly difficult to achieve. (C) C. act on
9. What we’ve got here is a half-baked proposal that still needs a great deal of work. (D) D. unthoughtful
10. For the next four years they defied convention by living as man and wife when they were not. (A) A. tradition
U7 Competition is destructive
Text A
1. She has been eliminated from the swimming race because she did not win any of the practice races. (C) C. got rid of
2. One of the major flaws in the existing system is that the prosecutor has immunity from law suits claiming malicious prosecution. (B) B. spiteful
3. They define a good patient as one who accepts their statements and their actions uncritically and unquestioningly. (A)A. characterize
4. Roberts' poor physical condition combined with nagging injuries prevented him from playing more than 51 games in the past four seasons. (A) A. troubling
5. Constant correction by a teacher is often counterproductive, as the student may become afraid to speak at all. (C) C. unfavorable
6. For centuries we women have gloated over the one negative aspect of aging more evident in men than women: balding. (B) B. felt maliciously satisfied with
7. In the conducive atmosphere around the fort, General Bradley immediately found out about the plot. (D) D. favorable
8. It’s a story of a harmful dynamic between white prejudice and black autonomy. (C) C. competing or conflicting system
9. Gandhi rejects outright claims made concerning the superior or inferior status of religions. (B) B. direct
10. My first boss was a really nasty person, who seemed to enjoy making life difficult for everyone. (C) C. ugly
Text B
1. To put a kid like Delia in eight-hour isolation for accepting a cigarette from a friend is bizarre and outrageous. (B) B. violent
2. Depression remains one of the most prevalent health disorders in the US. (A) A. common 3. The next version of the software will have the edge over its competitors. (C)C. advantage 4. He's managed to create a niche for himself in local politics. (B) B. right position 5. There is nothing in the intrinsic nature of the work that makes it more suitable for women. (C) C. essential
6. She addressed her young guest with civilities suitable for a personage of advanced years and uncertain appetite. (D) D. politeness
7. That cannot be promised here, though a holistic perspective is taken on literary stylistics in addressing science fiction. (C) C. overall
8. Many observers suggest that this transfer has had mainly adverse effects on the population concerned. (D) D. unfavorable
9. Instead, justice is a commodity designed by a hierarchy of judges still dedicated to the interests of Power. (B) B. devoted
10. The university suspended the club for two years, during which it could not hold social or athletic activities. (A) A. stopped
U10 Why we strive for status
Text A
1. The man amassed a great fortune during the war, but later lost all of it almost overnight. (A)A. collected
2. Ten federal researchers were listed as contributors, but seven of them quickly disavowed any connection with it. (D) D. denied
3. Industrial labour was at last being regulated, water supplies purified, hospitals sanitized and prisons reformed. (D) D. controlled
4. The investment remains beyond reach for many, but the choices today are much broader and more viable than 10 years ago. (D) D. feasible
5. There is no resolution to this conflict and two sides seem to go to war. (B)B. disagreement 6. The small island is now visited by millions of tourists for its natural endowments of white sandy beaches and clean water. (C) C. gifts
7. Indeed, the logic of commercialism may lead the enterprise to pursue activities at odds with other government objectives. (B) B. run after
8. First introduced in 19, Adopt-a-Pet aims to highlight the plight of abandoned animals and encourage more responsible pet ownership. (B) B. deserted
9. As the King got older, he became convinced that his family were scheming against him. (A)A. plotting
10. The Chinese football team outscored its opponent by two balls. (A) A. overcame
Text B
1. Clinton also asked Glickman to report back within 30 days with recommendations to help alleviate debt problems afflicting cattle producers. (A) A. ease
2. There was plenty to do on your own doorstep-to look further was a cop-out. (B) B. avoiding responsibility
3. Then, too, repeated visits to cultural monuments doubtless palled in time, natural curiosity withered by sheer surfeit. (C) C. over-doing
4. For example, Wilson wanted new recipients to be eligible for aid or only one year, but Democrats wanted two years. (B) B. qualified to be chosen
5. It's up to him to show some grit in an uncertain world. (D) D. firm courage 6. You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down. (C) C. making you depressed
7. Farmers still have the problem of overcoming the stigma which all too often young people attach to working on the land. (A) A. deep feeling of losing face
8. At decision-making time these consequences are simply left unmentioned, allowing organizational leaders to feign surprise when qualitative costs finally assert themselves. (A) A. give a false appearance of
9. Anything less than this is a measure of the extent to which the research falls short of scientific standards. (B) B.is less than
10. The second was that its atoms of uranium were transmuting themselves into atoms of a different element whose atomic mass was lower. (D) D. changing themselves completely
U13 Giving credit where debt is due
Text A
1. For these the primary schools provided a gentle haven before they transferred to the local secondary modern school. (D) D. sanctuary
2. It also makes specialty parts and accessories, which can be used to spruce up the performance and appearance of existing automobiles. (B) B. smarten up 3. I knew that faking the tears would make her get a sense of gratification and end the punishment, but I refused. (A) A. satisfaction
4. The stigma may not result from associating her language with ignorance, but the unkindness is just as real. (C) C. disgrace
5. Her eyebrow had received the blow from the torch and had begun to throb; she could feel a trickle of blood. (B) B. movement
6. You should not tell your client to expect that they will automatically experience an aversion response to the imagery of drinking. (D) D. antipathy
7. Some economists are now predicting the danger of runaway inflation and they see it as a force that human can no longer control. (C) C. uncontrolled
8. Anyone who studied at the college joined an elite band of well-connected lawyers, doctors and businessmen. (A) A. excellent
9. Liz had a more robust notion of the self, and took another line on the individual's place in the structure. (D) D. potent
10. His friendship with Fujimori gives him unusual access to a president with a tiny circle of advisers and a penchant for secrecy. (B) B. preference
Text B
1. Firstly, we need to ease the problems of cash shortage and credit crunch to maintain a stable banking system. (B) B. deficiency
2. Wholesale markets for agricultural products shall have transaction regulations. (C) C. dealing
3. The board has decided to withhold part of their grant money from certain students. (B) B. reserve
4. The remainder of their school time is devoted to music theory, instrumental lessons and practice. (D) D. residue
5. We will reimburse the expenses of the advertising for the representative. (A) A. recoup 6. Any application for such extension of contract period shall be made six months before the expiration of the contract. (C) C. termination
7. If you work in a company, you usually don't have to go to the tax bureau because your company will deduct it from your salary. (A) A. subtract
8. What he said and did involved the bystanders in his dispute with the police. (D) D. disagreement
9. You are advised to deposit your valuables in the hotel safe. (C) C. lodge 10. She fumbled her purse which contained the address slip. (D) D. paper
因篇幅问题不能全部显示，请点此查看更多更全内容