2004 -Text 1

Less than 40 years ago in the United States, it was common to change a one-dollar bill for a dollar's worth of silver. That is because the coins were actually made of silver. But those days are gone. There is no silver in today's coins. When the price of the precious metal rises above its face value as money, the metal will become more valuable in other uses. Silver coins are no longer in circulation because the silver in coins is worth much more than their face value. A silver firm could find that it is cheaper to obtain silver by melting down coins than by buying it on the commodity markets. Coins today are made of an alloy of cheaper metals.

Gresham's Law, named after Sir Thomas Gresham, argues that "good money" is driven out of circulation by "bad money". Good money differs from bad money because it has higher commodity value.

Gresham lived in the 16^th century in England where it was common for gold and silver coins to be debased. Governments did this by mixing cheaper metals with gold and silver. The governments could thus make a profit in coinage by issuing coins that had less precious metal than the face value indicated. Because different mixings of coins had different amounts of gold and silver, even though they bore the same face value, some coins were worth more than others as commodities. People who dealt with gold and silver could easily see the difference between the "good" and the "bad" money. Gresham observed that coins with a higher content of gold and silver were kept rather than being used in exchange, or were melted down for their precious metal. In the mid-1960s when the U.S. issued new coins to replace silver coins, Gresham's law went right in action.

51. Why was it possible for Americans to use a one-dollar bill for a dollar's worth of silver?

    A. Because there was a lot of silver in the United States.

    B. Because money was the medium of payment.

    C. Because coins were made of silver.

    D. Because silver was considered worthless.

52. Today's coins in the United States are made of ______.

A. some precious metals             

B. silver and some precious metals

C. various expensive metals           

D. some inexpensive metals

53. What is the difference between "good money" and "bad money"?

    A. They are circulated in different markets.

    B. They are issued in different face values.

    C. They are made of different amounts of gold and silver.

    D. They have different uses.

54. What was the purpose of the governments issuing new coins by mixing cheaper metals with gold and silver in the 16^th century?

    A. They wanted to reserve some gold and silver for themselves.

    B. There was neither enough gold nor enough silver.

    C. New coins were easier to be made.

D. They could make money.

2004 -Text 2

By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "ice-box" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns, and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern refrigerator, had been invented.

Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary. The commonsense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.

But as early as 1803, an ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks.

One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool.

55. What is the main idea of this passage?

   A. The influence of ice on the diet.

   B. The transportation of goods to market.

   C. The development of refrigeration.

   D. Sources of the term "ice-box".

56. According to the passage, when did the word "icebox" become part of the American language?

   A. In 1803.

   B. Around 1850.

   C. During the Civil War.

   D. Before 1880.

57. The word "rudimentary" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to__________

   A. basic

   B. sufficient

   C. necessary

   D. undeveloped

58. The sentence "Thomas Moore had been on the right track" (para.3) indicates that__________

   A. Moore's farm was not far away from Washington

   B. Moore's farm was on the right road

   C. Moore's design was completely successful

D. Moore was suitable for the job

2004 -Text 3

Today, the computer has taken up appliance status in more than 42 percent of households across the United States. And these computers are increasingly being wired to the Internet. Online access was up more than 50 percent in just the past year. Now, more than one quarter of all U.S. households can surf in cyberspace.

Mostly, this explosive growth has occurred democratically. The online penetration and computer ownership increases extend across all the demographic levels—by race, geography, income, and education.

We view these trends as favorable without the slightest question because we clearly see computer technology as empowering. In fact, personal growth and a prosperous U.S. economy are considered to be the long-range rewards of individual and collective technological power.

Now for the not-so-good news. The government's analysis spells out so-called digital divide. That is, the digital explosion is not booming at the same pace for everyone. Yes, it is true that we are all plugged in to a much greater degree than any of us have been in the past. But some of us are more plugged in than others and are getting plugged in far more rapidly. And this gap is widening even as the pace of the information age accelerates through society.

Computer ownership and Internet access are highly classified along lines of wealth, race, education, and geography. The data indicates that computer ownership and online access are  growing more rapidly among the most prosperous and well-educated: essentially, wealthy white people with high school and college diplomas and who are part of stable, two-parent households.

The highest income bracket households, those earning more than $75,000 annually, are 20 times as likely to have access to the Internet as households at the lowest income levels, under $10,000 annually. The computer penetration rate at the high-income level is an amazing 76.56 percent, compared with 8 percent at the bottom end of the scale.

Technology access differs widely by educational level. College graduates are 16 times as likely to be Internet surfers at home as are those with only elementary-school education. If you look at the differences between these groups in rural areas, the gap widens to a twenty-six-fold advantage for the college-educated.

From the time of the last study, the information access gap grew by 29 percent between the highest and lowest income groups, and by 25 percent between the highest and lowest education levels.

In the long run, participation in the information age may not be a zero sum game, where if some groups win, others must lose. Eventually, as the technology matures we are likely to see penetration levels approach all groups equally. This was true for telephone access and television ownership, but eventually can be cold comfort in an era when tomorrow is rapidly different from today and unrecognizable compared with yesterday.

59. How many U.S. households have linked to Internet today?

   A. More than 25 percent.

   B. By 29 percent.

   C. More than 42 percent.

   D. More than 50 percent.

60. According to the text, the computer use by the high-income level is __________ that by the lowest income levels.

   A. 8 percent more than

   B. 76.56 percent more than

   C. nearly 10 times as many as

   D. about 20 times as many as

61. According to the author, which of the following prevents people from gaining access to the Internet?

   A. Income level.

   B. Poor education and low-income level.

   C. Participation in the information age.

   D. Telephone access and television ownership.

62. Judging from the context, what does "digital divide" (Para.4) probably mean?

   A. The government's analysis.

B. The divide between the poor and the rich.

  C. The pace of the information age.

D. The gap between people's access to the computer.

2005 -Text 1

Working at nonstandard times－evenings, nights, or weekends－is taking its toll on American families. One-fifth of all employed Americans work variable or rotating shifts, and one-third work weekends, according to Harriet B. Presser, sociology professor at the University of Maryland. The result is stress on familial relationships, which is likely to continue in coming decades.

The consequences of working irregular hours vary according to gender, economic level, and whether or not children are involved. Single mothers are more likely to work nights and weekends than married mothers. Women in clerical, sales, or other low-paying jobs participate disproportionately in working late and graveyard shifts.

Married-couple households with children are increasingly becoming dual-earner households, generating more split-shift couples. School-aged children, however, may benefit from parents’ nonstandard work schedules because of the greater likelihood that a parent will be home before or after school. On the other hand, a correlation exists between nonstandard work schedules and both marital instability and a decline in the quality of marriages.

Nonstandard working hours mean families spend less time together for diner but more time together for breakfast. One-on-one interaction between parents and children varies, however, based on parent, shift, and age of children. There is also a greater reliance on child care by relatives and by professional providers.

Working nonstandard hours is less a choice of employees and more a mandate of employer. Presser believes that the need for swing shifts and weekend work will continue to rise in the coming decades. She reports that in some European countries there are substantial salary premiums for employees working irregular hours—sometimes as much as 50% higher. The convenience of having services available 24 hours a day continues to drive this trend.

Unfortunately, says Presser, the issue is virtually absent from public discourse. She emphasizes the need for focused studies on costs and benefits of working odd hours, the physical and emotional health of people working nights and weekends, and the reasons behind the necessity for working these hours. “Nonstandard work schedules not only are highly prevalent among American families but also generate a level of complexity in family functioning that needs greater attention,” she says.  （360 words ）

36．Which of the following demonstrates that working at nonstandard times is taking its toll on American families？

A．Stress on familial relationships．

B．Rotating shifts.

C．Evenings，nights，or weekends.

D．Its consequences.

37．Which of the following is affected most by working irregular hours？

A．Children.      B．Marriage.   C．Single mothers.    D．Working women.

38．Who would be in favor of the practice of working nonstandard hours？

A．Children.       B．Parents.     C．Employees.      D．Professional child providers.

39．It is implied that the consequences of nonstandard work schedules are       .

A．emphasized     B．absent      C．neglected        D．prevalent

40．What is the author’s attitude towards working irregular hours？

A．Positive.       B．Negative.    C．Indifferent.       D．Objective.

2005 -Text 2

Most human beings actual1y decide before they think. When any human being－executive, specialized expert, or person in the street－encounters a complex issue and forms an opinion, often within a matter of seconds, how thoroughly has he or she explored the implications of the various courses of action? Answer: not very thoroughly. Very few people, no matter how inte1ligent or experienced, can take inventory of the many branching possibilities, possible outcomes, side effects, and undesired consequences of a policy or a course of action in a matter of seconds. Yet, those who pride themse1ves on being decisive often try to do just that. And once their brains lock onto an opinion, most of their thinking thereafter consists of finding support for it.

A very serious side effect of argumentative decision making can be a lack of support for the chosen course of action on the pat of the “losing” faction. When one faction wins the meeting and the others see themselves as losing, the battle often doesn’t end when the meeting ends. Anger, resentment, and jealousy may lead them to sabotage the decision later, or to reopen the debate at later meetings.

There is a better. As philosopher Aldous Huxley said, “It isn’t who is right, but what is right, that counts.”

The structured-inquiry method offers a better alternative to argumentative decision making by debate. With the help of the Internet and wireless computer technology the gap between experts and executives is now being dramatically closed. By actually putting the brakes on the thinking process, slowing it down, and organizing the flow of logic, it’s possible to create a level of clarity that sheer argumentation can never match.

The structured-inquiry process introduces a level of conceptual clarity by organizing the contributions of the experts, then brings the experts and the decision makers closer together. Although it isn’t possible or necessary for a president or prime minister to listen in on every intelligence analysis meeting, it’s possible to organize the experts’ information to give the decision maker much greater insight as to its meaning. This process may somewhat resemble a marketing focus group; it’s a simple, remarkably clever way to bring decision makers closer to the source of the expert information and opinions on which they must base their decisions.

4l．From the first paragraph we can learn that       .

A．executive, specialized expert, are no more clever than person in the street

B．very few people decide before they think

C．those who pride themselves on being decisive often fail to do so

D．people tend to consider carefully before making decisions

42．Judging from the context, what does the word “them” (line 4, paragraph 2) refer to?

A．Decision makers. 

B．The “losing” faction.

C．Anger, resentment, and jealousy.

D．Other people.

43．Aldous Huxley’s remark (Paragraph 3) implies that       .

A．there is a subtle difference between right and wrong

B．we cannot tell who is right and what is wrong

C．what is right is more important than who is right

D．what is right accounts for the question who is right

44．According to the author, the function of the structured-inquiry method is       .

A．to make decision by debate

B．to apply the Internet and wireless computer technology.

C．to brake on the thinking process, slowing it down

D．to create a level of conceptual clarity

45．The structured-inquiry process can be useful for       .

A．decision makers                     

B．intelligence analysis meeting

C．the experts’ information               

D．marketing focus groups

2005 -Text 3

Sport is heading for an indissoluble marriage with television and the passive spectator will enjoy a private paradise. All of this will be in the future of sport. The spectator (the television audience) will be the priority and professional clubs will have to readjust their structures to adapt to the new reality: sport as a business.

The new technologies will mean that spectators will no longer have to wait for broadcasts by the conventional channels. They will be the ones who decide what to see. And they will have to pay for it. In the United States the system of the future has already started: pay-as-you-view. Everything will be offered by television and the spectator will only have to choose. The review Sports Illustrated recently published a full profile of the life of the supporter at home in the middle of the next century. It explained that the consumers would be able to select their view of the match on a gigantic, flat screen occupying the whole of one wall, with images of a clarity which cannot be foreseen at present; they could watch from the trainer’s stands just behind the batter in a game of baseball or from the helmet of the star player in an American football game. And at their disposal will be the same options the producer of the recorded programmer has: to select replays, to choose which camera to me and to decide on the sound whether to hear the public, the players, the trainer and so on.

Many sports executives, largely too old and too conservative to feel at home with the new technologies will believe that sport must control the expansion of television coverage in order to survive and ensure that spectators attend matches. They do not even accept the evidence which contradicts their view while there is more basketball than ever on television, for example, it is also certain that basketball is more popular than ever.

It is also the argument of these sports executives that television harming the modest team. This is true, but the future of those teams is also modest. They have reached their ceiling . It is the law of the market. The great events continually attract larger audience.

The world is being constructed on new technologies so that people can make the utmost use of their time and, in their home have access to the greatest possible range of recreational activities. Sport will have to adapt itself to the new world.

The most visionary executives go further. That philosophy is: rather than see television take over sport why not have sports taken over television?  ( 439 words )

46．What does the writer mean by use of the phrase “an indissoluble marriage” in the first paragraph?

A．Sport is combined with television.

B．Sport controls television.

C．Television dictates sports.

D．Sport and television will go their own ways

47．What does “they” in line 2 paragraph 2 stand for?

A．Broadcasts        B．Channels       C．Spectators     D．Technologies

48．How do many sports executives feel with the new technologies?

A．They are too old to do anything.    

B．They feel ill at ease.

C．They feel completely at home.       

D．Technologies can go hand in hand with sports.

49．What is going to be discussed in the following paragraphs?

A．The philosophy of visionary executives.

B．The process of television taking over sport.

C．Television coverage expansion.

D．An example to show how sport has taken over television.

50．What might be the appropriate title of this passage?

A．The arguments of sports executives.

B．The philosophy of visionary executives.

C．Sports and television in the 21st century.

D．Sports: a business.

2005 -Text 4

Convenience food helps companies by creating growth, but what is its effect on people? For people who think cooking was the foundation of civilization, the microwave is the last enemy. The communion(共享) of eating together is easily broken by a device that liberates households citizens from waiting for mealtimes. The first great revolution in the history of food is in danger of being undone. The companionship of the campfire, cooking pot and common table, which have helped to bond humans in collaborative living for at least 150000 years could be destroyed.

Meals have certainly suffered from the rise of convenience food. The only meals regularly taken together in Britain these days are at the weekend, among rich families struggling to retain something of the old symbol of togetherness. Indeed, the day’s first meal has all but disappeared. In the 20^th century the leisure British breakfast was undermined by the corn flake; in the 21^st breakfast is vanishing altogether, a victim of the quick cup of coffee in Starbucks and the cereal bar.

Convenience food has also made people forget how to cook. One of the apparent paradoxes of modern food is that while the amount of time spent cooking meals has fallen from 60 minutes a day in 1980 to 13M a day in 2002, the number of cooks and television programmer on cooking has multiplied. But perhaps this isn’t a paradox. Maybe it is because people can’t cook anymore, so they need to be told how to do it, or maybe it is because people buy books about hobbies—golf, yachting—not about chores. Cooking has ceased to be a chore and has become a hobby.

Although everybody lives in the kitchen, its facilities are increasingly for display rather than for use. Mr. Silverstein’s new book, “Trading up”, looks at mid-range consumer’s willingness now to splash out. He says that industrial-style Viking cook pots, with nearly twice the heat output of other ranges, have helped to push the “kitchen as theater” trend in home goods. They cost from $1000 to $9000. Some 75% of them are never used.

Convenience also has an impact on the healthiness, or otherwise, of food, of course there is nothing bad about ready-to-eat food itself. You don’t get much healthier than an apple, and supermarkets sell a better-for-you range of ready-meals. But there is a limit to the number of apples people want to eat; and these days it is easier for people to eat the kind of food that makes them fat

The three Harvard economists in their paper “Why have Americans become more obese?” point out that in the past, if people wanted to eat fatty hot food, they had to cook it. That took time and energy —a good chip needs frying twice, once to cook the potato and once to get it crispy（脆）—which discouraged consumption of that sort of food. Mass preparation of food took away that constraint. Nobody has to cut and double-cook their own fries these days. Who has the time?   （512 words ）

51．What might the previous paragraphs deal with?

A．The relationship between meals and convenience food.

B．The importance of convenience food in people’s life.

C．The rise of convenience food.

D．The history of food industry.

52．What is the paradox in the third paragraph?

A．People don’t know how to cook.                 B．The facilities in the kitchen are not totally used.

C．People are becoming more obses, thus unhealthy.

D．Convenience food actually does not save people time.

53．What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．The bad effects of convenience food

B．Mr. Silverstein’s new book

C．People’s new hobby                           D．Disappearance of the old symbol of togetherness.

54．Why has American become more obese?

A．Because of eating chips.            

B．Because of being busy.

C．Because of being lazy.             

D．B and C.

55．Which of the following might the author mostly agree with?

A．There is nothing bad about convenience food.

B．Convenience food makes people lazy.

C．Convenience food helps companies grow.

D．Convenience food is a revolution in cooking

2006 年阅读理解

Passage 1

Office jobs are among the positions hardest hit by compumation (计 算 机 自 动 化). Word processors and typists will lose about 93,000 jobs over the next few years, while 57,000 secretarial jobs will vanish. Blame the PC: Today, many executives type their own memos and carry their：“secretaries”in the palms of their hands. Time is also hard for stock clerks, whose ranks are expected to decrease by 68,000. And employees in manufacturing firms and wholesalers are being replaced with computerized systems.

But not everyone who loses a job will end up in the unemployment line. Many will shift to growing positions within their own companies. When new technologies shook up the telecomm business, telephone operator Judy Dougherty pursued retraining. She is now a communications technician, earning about $ 64,000 per year. Of course, if you've been a tollbooth collector for the past 30 years, and you find yourself replaced by an E­-ZPass machine, it may be of little consolation(安慰) to know that the telecomm field is booming.

And that's just it: The service economy is fading; welcome to the expertise(专门知识) economy. To succeed in the new job market, you must be able to handle complex problems. Indeed, all but one of the 50 highest-paying occupations—air-traffic controller—demand at least a bachelor’s degree.

For those with just a high school diploma(毕业证书),It's going to get tougher to find a well-paying job. Since fewer factory and clerical jobs will be available, what's left will be the jobs that compumation can’t kill: Computers can’t clean offices ,or care for Alzheimer's patients(老年痴呆 病  人). But ,since most people have the skills to fill those positions, the  wages stay painfully low, meaning compumation could drive an even deeper wedge  (楔子) between the rich and poor. The best advice now: Never stop learning, and keep up with new technology.

For busy adults, of course, that can be tough. The good news is that the very technology that's reducing so many jobs is also making it easier to go back to school without having to sit in a classroom. So-called Internet distance learning is hot, with more than three million students currently enrolled, and it’s gaining credibility with employers.

Are you at risk of losing your job to a computer? Check the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is available online at bls. gov.

41. From the first paragraph we can infer that all of the following persons are easily thrown into unemployment EXCEPT         .

   A. secretaries         B. stock clerks        C. managers      D. wholesalers 

42. In the second paragraph the author mentions the tollbooth collector to         .

A. mean he will get benefits from the telecomm field

B. show he is too old to shift to a new position

C. console him on having been replaced by a machine

D. blame the PC for his unemployment

43. By saying “… compumation could drive an even deeper wedge between the rich and poor ”(line 5, Para. 4) the  author means         .

   A. people are getting richer and richer

   B. there will be a small gap between rich and poor

   C. the gap between rich and poor is getting larger and larger

   D. it’s time to close up the gap between the rich and poor

44. What is the author's attitude towards computers? __________

A. positive        B. negative           C. neutral          D. prejudiced

45. Which of the following might serve as the best title of passage?

A. Blaming the PC                  

B. The booming telecomm field 

C. Internet distance learning          

D. Keeping up with compumation

Passage 2

Tens of thousands of 18-year-olds will graduate this year and be handed meaningless diplomas. These diplomas won't look any different from those awarded their luckier classmates. Their validity will be questioned only when their employers discover that these graduates are semiliterate(半文盲) 

Eventually a fortunate few will find their way into educational-repair shops—adult-literacy programs, such as the one where I teach basic grammar and writing. There, high-school graduates and high-school dropouts pursuing graduate-equivalency certificates will learn the skills they should have learned in school. They will also discover they have been cheated by our educational system.

I will never forget a teacher who got the attention of one of my children by revealing the trump card of failure. Our youngest, a world-class charmer, did little to develop his intellectual talents but always got by. Until Mrs. Stifter.

Our son was high-school senior when he had her for English. “He sits in the back of the room talking to his friends.” she told me, “Why don't you move him to the front row? ” I urged, believing the embarrassment would get him to settle down. Mrs. Stifter said, "I don't move seniors. I flunk (使┅不及格) them. " Our son's academic life flashed before my eyes. No teacher had ever threatened him. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty good about this .It was a radical approach for these times, but, well, Why not? “She's going to flunk you.” I told my son. I did not discuss it any further. Suddenly English became a priority (头等重要) in his life. He finished out the semester with an A.

   I know one example doesn't make a case, but at night I see a parade of students who are angry for having been passed along until they could no longer even pretend to keep up. Of average intelligence or better, they eventually quit school, concluding they were too dumb to finish.” I should have been held back,” is a comment I hear frequently. Even sadder are those students who are high-school graduates who say to me after a few weeks of class.” I don’t know how I ever got a high-school diploma.”

   Passing students who have not mastered the work cheats them and the employers who expect graduates to have basic skills. We excuse this dishonest behavior by saying kids can't learn if they come from terrible environments. No one seems to stop to think that most kids don't put school first on their list unless they perceive something is at risk. They'd rather be sailing.

   Many students I see at night have decided to make education a priority. They are motivated by the desire for a better job or the need to hang on to the one they've got. They have a healthy fear of failure.

   People of all ages can rise above their problems, but they need to have a reason to do so. Young people generally don't have the maturity to value education in the same way my adult students value it. But fear of failure can motivate both.

46.What is the subject of this essay?

  A. view point on learning             

B. a qualified teacher

  C. the importance of examination     

 D. the generation gap

47.How did Mrs. Stifter get the attention of one of the author’s children?

  A. flunking him                    

B. moving his seat

  C. blaming him                    

D. playing card with him

48.The author believes that the most effective way for a teacher is to         .

  A. purify the teaching environments

  B. set up cooperation between teachers and parents

  C. hold back student

  D. motivate student

49. From the passage we can draw the conclusion that the authors’ attitude toward flunking is         .

  A. negative          B. positive        C. biased          D. indifferent

50. Judging from the content, this passage is probably written for         .

A. administrators      B. students       C. teachers         D. parents

Passage 3

    Names have gained increasing importance in the competitive world of higher education. As colleges strive for market share, they are looking for names that project the image they want or reflect the changes they hope to make. Trenton State College, for example, became the College of New Jersey nine years ago when it began raising admissions standards and appealing to students from throughout the state.

   “All I hear in higher education is, ‘Brand, brand, brand,’” said Tim Westerbeck, who specializes in branding and is managing director of Lipman Hearne, a marketing firm based in Chicago that works with universities and other nonprofit organizations. “There has been a sea change over the last 10 years. Marketing used to be almost a dirty word in higher education.”

   Not all efforts at name changes are successful, of course. In 1997, the New School for Social Research became New School University to reflect its growth into a collection of eight colleges, offering a list of majors that includes psychology, music, urban studies and management. But New Yorkers continued to call it the New School.

Now, after spending an undisclosed sum on an online survey and a marketing consultant’s creation of “naming structures.” “brand architecture” and “ identity systems,” the university has come up with a new name: the New School. Beginning Monday, it will adopt new logos (标 识)， banners, business cards and even new names for the individual colleges, all to include the words “the New School.”

Changes in names generally reveal significant shifts in how a college wants to be perceived. In altering its name from Cal State, Hayward, to Cal State, East Bay, the university hoped to project its expanding role in two mostly suburban countries east of San Francisco.

The University of Southern Colorado, a state institution, became Colorado State University at Pueblo two years ago, hoping to highlight many internal changes, including offering more graduate programs and setting higher admissions standards.

Beaver College turned itself into Arcadia University in 2001 for several reasons: to break the connection with its past as a women’s college, to promote its growth into a full-fledged(完 全 成 熟 的) university and officials acknowledged, to eliminate some jokes about the college’s old name on late-night television and “morning zoo” radio shows.

Many college officials said changing a name and image could produce substantial results. At Arcadia, in addition to the rise in applications, the average student's test score has increased by 60 points, Juli Roebeck, an Arcadia spokeswoman, said.

51. Which of the following is NOT the reason for colleges to change their names?

A. They prefer higher education competition

B. They try to gain advantage in market share.

C. They want to project their image.

D. They hope to make some changes.

52. It is implied that one of the most significant changes in higher education in the past decade is          .

   A. the brand                         

B. the college names

C. the concept of marketing             

D. list of majors.

53. The phrase " come up with"(Line 3, Para. 4) probably means         .

A. catch up with                      

B. deal with

C. put forward                        

D. come to the realization

54.The case of name changing from Cal State, Hayward, to Cal State indicates that the university         .

   A. is perceived by the society

B. hopes to expand its influence

C. prefers to reform its reaching programs

D. expects to enlarge its campus

55. According to the spokeswoman, the name change of Beaver College         .

A. turns out very successful               

B. fails to attain its goal

C. has eliminated some jokes              

D. has transformed its status

Passage 4

It looked just like another aircraft from the outside .The pilot told his young passengers that it was built in 1964.But appearances were deceptive, and the 13 students from Europe and the USA who boarded the aircraft were in for the flight of their lives.

Inside, the area that normally had seats had become a long white tunnel. Heavily padded(填塞) from floor to ceiling ,it looked a bit strange. There were almost no windows, but lights along the padded walls illuminated it. Most of the seats had been taken out apart from a few at the back where the young scientists quickly took their places with a look of fear.

For 12 months, science students from across the continents had competed to win a place on the flight at the invitation of the European Space Agency. The challenge had been to suggest imaginative experiments to be conducted in weightless conditions.

For the next two hours, the flight resembled that of an enormous bird which had lost its reason, shooting upwards towards the heavens before rushing towards Earth. The invention was to achieve weightlessness for a few seconds.

The aircraft took off smoothly enough, but any feelings that I and the young scientists had that we were on anything like a scheduled passenger service were quickly dismissed when the pilot put the plane into a 45 degree climb which lasted around 20 seconds. Then the engines cut out and we became weightless. Everything became confused and left or right, up or down no longer had any meaning. After ten seconds of free-fall descent (下降) the pilot pulled the aircraft out of its nosedive. The return of gravity was less immediate than its loss, but was still sudden enough to ensure that some students came down with a bump.

Each time the pilot cut the engines and we became weightless, a new team conducted its experiment. First it was the Dutch who wanted to discover how it is that cats always land on their feet. Then the German team who conducted a successful experiment on a traditional building method to see if it could be used for building a future space station. The Americans had an idea to create solar sails that could be used by satellites.

After two hours of going up and down in the plane doing their experiments, the predominant feeling was one of excitement rather than sickness. Most of the students thought it was an unforgettable experience and one they would be keen to repeat.

56. What did the writer say about the plane?.

A. It had no seats.                    

B. It was painted white.

C. It had no windows.                 

D. The outside was misleading.

57.According to the writer, how did the young scientists feel before the flight？

A. sick     B. keen      C. nervous       D. impatient

58. What did the pilot do with the plane after it took off？

A. He quickly climbed and then stopped the engines.

B. He climbed and then made the plane fall slowly.

C. He took off normally and then cut the engines for 20 seconds.

D. He climbed and then made the plane turn over.

59.Acoording to the passage, the purpose of being weightless was to         .

A. see what conditions are like in space

B. prepare the young scientists for future work in space

C. show the judges of the competition what they could do

D. make the teams try out their ideas

60.This passage was written to         .

A. encourage young people to take up science 

B. describe the process of a scientific competition

C. show scientists what young people can do

D. report on a new scientific technique

2007 年阅读理解

Passage 1

Prior to the 20th century, many languages with small numbers of speakers survived for centuries. The increasingly interconnected modern world makes it much more difficult for small language communities to live in relative isolation, a key factor in language maintenance and preservation.

 It remains to be seen whether the world can maintain its linguistic and cultural diversity in the centuries ahead. Many powerful forces appear to work against it: population growth, which pushes migrant populations into the world’s last isolated locations; mass tourism; global telecommunications and mass media; and the spread of gigantic global corporations. All of these forces appear to signify a future in which the language of advertising, popular culture, and consumer products become similar. Already English and a few other major tongues have emerged as global languages of commerce and communication. For many of the world’s peoples, learning one of these languages is viewed as the key to education, economic opportunity, and a better way of life.

Only about 3 000 languages now in use are expected to survive the coming century. Are most of the rest doomed in the century after that?

Whether most of these languages survive will probably depend on how strongly cultural groups wish to keep their identity alive through a native language. To do so will require an emphasis on bilingualism (mastery of two languages). Bilingual speakers could use their own language in smaller spheres —at home, among  friends, in community settings — and a global language at work, in dealings with government, and in commercial spheres. In this way, many small languages could sustain their cultural and linguistic integrity alongside global languages, rather than yield to the homogenizing(同化的)forces of globalization.

Ironically, the trend of technological innovation that has threatened minority languages could also help save them. For example, some experts predict that computer software translation tools will one day permit minority language speakers to browse the Internet using their native tongues. Linguists are currently using computer-aided learning tools to teach a variety of threatened languages.

For many endangered languages, the line between revival and death is extremely thin. Language is remarkably resilient(有活力的), however. It is not just a tool for communicating, but also a powerful way of separating different groups, or of demonstrating group identity. Many indigenous (原生的，土著的) communities have shown that it is possible to live in the modern world while reclaiming their unique identities through language.

41. Minority languages can be best preserved in_______

    A. an increasingly interconnected world

    B. maintaining small numbers of speakers

    C. relatively isolated language communities

    D. following the tradition of the 20th century

42. According to Paragraph 2，that the world can maintain its linguistic diversity in the future is______

    A. uncertain        B. unrealistic         C. foreseeable        D. definite

43. According to the author，bilingualism can help_______

    A. small languages become acceptable in work places

    B. homogenize the world’s languages and cultures

    C. global languages reach home and community settings

    D. speakers maintain their linguistic and cultural identity

44. Computer technology is helpful for preserving minority 1anguages in that it_______

    A. makes learning a global language unnecessary

    B. facilitates the learning and using of those languages

    C. raises public awareness of saving those languages

    D. makes it easier for linguists to study those languages

45. In the author’s view，many endangered languages are________

  A. remarkably well—kept in this modern world

B. exceptionally powerful tools of communication

C. quite possible to be revived instead of dying out

D. an unique way of bringing different groups together

Passage 2

   Everyone, it seems, has a health problem. After pouring billions into the National Health Service, British people moan about dirty hospitals, long waits and wasted money. In Germany the new chancellor, Angela Merkel, is under fire for suggesting changing the financing of its health system. Canada’s new Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, made a big fuss during the election about reducing the country’s lengthy medical queues. Across the rich world, affluence, ageing and advancing technology are driving up health spending faster than income.

But nowhere has a bigger health problem than America. Soaring medical bills are squeezing wages, swelling the ranks of the uninsured and pushing huge firms and perhaps even the government towards bankruptcy. Ford’s announcement this week that it would cut up to 30 000 jobs by 2012 was as much a sign of its“legacy”health-care costs as of the ills of the car industry. Pushed by polls that show health care is one of his main domestic problems and by forecasts showing that the retiring baby-boomer(生育高峰期出生的人)will crush the government’s finances, George Bush is expected to unveil a reform plan in next week’s state-of-the-union address.

America’s heath system is unlike any other. The United States speeds l 6％of its GDP on health, around twice the rich-country average, equivalent to$6, 280 for every American each year. Yet it is the only rich country that does not guarantee universal health coverage. Thanks to an accident of history, most Americans receive health insurance through their employer, with the government picking up the bill for the poor and the elderly.

This curious hybrid(混合物)certainly has its strengths. Americans have more choice than anybody else, and their health-care system is much more innovative. Europeans’ bills could be much higher if American medicine were not doing much of their Research and development (R＆D)for them. But there are also huge weaknesses. The one most often cited——especially by foreigners——is the army of uninsured. Some 46 million Americans do not have cover. In many cases that is out of choice and, if they fail seriously ill, hospitals have to treat them. But it is still deeply unequal. And there are also shocking inefficiencies: by some measures, 30％ of American health spending is wasted.

Then there is the question of state support. Many Americans disapprove of the “Socialized medicine” of Canada and Europe. In fact, even if much of the administration is done privately, around 60％of America’s health-care bill ends up being met by the government. Proportionately, the American state already speeds as much on health as the 0ECD(Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development)average, and that share is set to grow as the baby-boomers run up their Medicare bills and ever more employers avoid providing health-care coverage．America is，in effect，heading towards a version of socialized medicine by default.

46. Health problems mentioned in the passage include all the following EXCEPT           .

   A. poor hospital conditions in U．K．

   B. Angela Merkel under attack  

   C. health financing in Germany

   D. 1ong waiting lines in Canada

47. Ford’s announcement of cutting up to 30 000 jobs by 20 l 2 indicates that Ford           .

   A. has the biggest health problem of the car industry

   B. has made profits from its health-care legacy

   C. has accumulated too heavy a health-care burden

   D. owes a great deal of debt to its employees

48. In the author’s opinion，America’s health system is             

A. inefficient    B. feasible    C. unpopular    D. successful

49. It is implied in the passage that             .

A. America’s health system has its strengths and weaknesses

B. the US government pays medical bills for the poor and the elderly

   C. some 46 million Americans do not have medical insurance

   D. Europeans benefit a lot from America’s medical research

50. From the last paragraph we may learn that the“Socialized medicine”is             

   A. a practice of Canada and Europe

   B. a policy adopted by the US government

   C. intended for the retiring baby-boomers

   D. administered by private enterprises

Passage 3

When Thomas Keller，one of America’s foremost chefs, announced that on Sept. 1 he would abolish the practice of tipping at Per Se，his luxury restaurant in New York City, and replace it with a European-style service charge, I knew three groups would be opposed: customers, servers and restaurant owners. These three groups are all committed to tipping —as they quickly made clear on Web sites. To oppose tipping, it seems, is to be anticapitalist，and maybe even a little French.

But Mr. Keller is right to move away from tipping--and it’s worth exploring why just about everyone else in the restaurant world is wrong to stick with the practice.

Customers believe in tipping because they think it makes economic sense. “Waiters know that they won’t get paid if they don’t do a good job” is how most advocates of the system would put it. To be sure, this is a tempting, apparently rational statement about economic theory, but it appears to have little applicability to the real world of restaurants.

Michael Lynn, an associate professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, has conducted dozens of studies of tipping and has concluded that consumers’ assessments of the quality of service correlate weakly to the amount they tip.

Rather, customers are likely to tip more in response to servers touching them lightly and leaning forward next to the table to make conversation than to how often their water glass is refilled — in other words, customers tip more when they like the server, not when the service is good. Mr. Lynn’s studies also indicate that male customers increase their tips for female servers while female customers increase their tips for male servers.

What’s more, consumers seem to forget that the tip increases as the bill increases. Thus, the tipping system is an open invitation to what restaurant professionals call “upselling ”: every bottle of imported water，every espresso and every cocktail is extra money in the server’s pocket. Aggressive upselling for tips is often rewarded while low-key, quality service often goes unrecognized.

In addition, the practice of tip pooling, which is the norm in fine-dining restaurants and is becoming more  common in every kind of restaurant above the level of a greasy spoon, has ruined whatever effect voting with your tip might have had on an individual waiter. In an unreasonable outcome，you are punishing the good waiters in the restaurant by not tipping the bad one. Indeed, there appears to be little connection between tipping and good service.

51. It may be inferred that a European-style service       .

A. is tipping-free

B. charges little tip

C. is the author’s initiative

D. is offered at Per Se

52. Which of the following is NOT true according to the author?

  A. Tipping is a common practice in the restaurant world.

  B. Waiters don’t care about tipping.

  C. Customers generally believe in tipping.

  D．Tipping has little connection with the quality of service．

53. According to Michael Lynn’s studies，waiters will likely get more tips if they      .

  A. have performed good service              B. frequently refill customers’ water glass

  C. win customers’ favor                    D. serve customers of the same sex

54. We may infer from the context that“upselling”(Line 2, Para. 6) probably means     .

  A. selling something up                      B. selling something fancy

  C. selling something unnecessary              D. selling something more expensive

55. This passage is mainly about        .

A. reasons to abolish the practice of tipping     B. economic sense of tipping

C. consumers’ attitudes towards tipping        D. tipping for good service

Passage 4

“I promise.” “I swear to you it’ll never happen again.” “I give you my word.” “Honestly. Believe me.” Sure, I trust. Why not? I teach English composition at a private College. With a certain excitement and intensity, I read my students’ essays, hoping to find the person behind the pen. As each semester progresses, plagiarism(剽窃) appears. Not only is my intelligence insulted as one assumes I won’t detect a polished piece of prose from another wise-average writer, but I feel a sadness that a student has resorted to buying a paper from a peer. Writers have styles like fingerprints and after several assignments, I can match a student’s work with his or her name even if it’s missing from the upper left-hand corner.

Why is learning less important than a higher grade-point average (GPA)? When we’re threatened or sick, we make conditional promises. “If you let me pass math I will…” “Lord, if you get me over this before the big homecoming game I’ll…” Once the situation is behind us, so are the promises. Human nature? Perhaps, but we do use that cliché(陈词滥调)to get us out of uncomfortable bargains. Divine interference during distress is asked; gratitude is unpaid. After all, few fulfill the contract, so why should anyone be the exception. Why not?

Six years ago, I took a student before the dean. He had turned in an essay with the vocabulary and sentence structure of a PHD thesis. Up until that time, both his out-of-class and in-class work were borderline passing. I questioned the person regarding his essay and he swore it was his own work. I gave him the identical assignment and told him to write it in class, and that I’d understand this copy would not have the time and attention an out-of-class paper is give, but he had already a finished piece so he understood what was asked. He sat one hour, then turned in part of a page of unskilled writing and faulty logic. I confronted him with both essays. “I promise…, I’m not lying. I swear to you that I wrote the essay. I’m just nervous today. ”

The head of the English department agreed with my findings, and the meeting with the dean had the boy’s parents present. After an hour of discussion, touching on eight of the boy’s previous essays and his grade-point average, which indicated he was already on academic probation(留校察看)，the dean agreed that the student had plagiarized. His parents protested, “He’s only a child” and we instructors are wiser and should be compassionate. College people are not really children and most times would resent being labeled as such… except in this uncomfortable circumstance.

56. According to the author，students commit plagiarism mainly for      .

    A. money         B. degree           C. higher GPA         D. reputation

57. The sentence “Once the situation is behind us, so are the promises” implies that       .

    A. students usually keep their promises

    B. some students tend to break their promises

    C. the promises are always behind the situation

    D. we cannot judge the situation in advance，as we do to the promises

58. The phrase“borderline passing”(Line 3, Para. 3) probably means       .

    A. fairly good    B. extremely poor    C. above average     D. below average

59. The boy’s parents thought their son should be excused mainly because________.

 A. teachers should be compassionate

 B. he was only a child

    C. instructors were wiser

    D. he was threatened

60. Which of the following might serve as the title of this passage?

    A. Human Nature              B. Conditional Promises

C. How to Detect Cheating      D. The Sadness of Plagiarism

2008 年阅读理解

Passage 1

Last weekend Kyle MacDonald in Montreal threw a party to celebrate the fact that he got his new home in exchange for a red paper clip. Starting a year ago, MacDonald bartered the clip for increasingly valuable stuff, including a camp stove and free rent in a Phoenix flat. Having announced his aim (the house) in advance, MacDonald likely got a boost from techies eager to see the Internet pass this daring test of its networking power. “My whole motto (座右铭) was ‘Start small, think big, and have fun’, ” says MacDonald, 26, “I really kept my effort on the creative side rather than the business side.”

Yet as odd as the MacDonald exchange was, barter is now big business on the Net. This year more than 400,000 companies worldwide will exchange some $10 billion worth of goods and services on a growing number of barter sites. These Web sites allow companies to trade products for a virtual currency, which they can use to buy goods from other members. In Iceland, garment-maker Kapusalan sells a third of its output on the booming Vidskiptanetid exchange, earning virtual money that it uses to buy machinery and pay part of employee salaries. The Troc-Services exchange in France offers more than 4,600 services, from math lessons to ironing.

This is not a primitive barter system. By creating currencies, the Internet removes a major barrier — what Bob Meyer, publisher of BarterNews, calls “the double coincidence of wants.” That is, two parties once not only had to find each other, but also an exchange of goods that both desired. Now, they can price the deal in virtual currency.

Barter also helps firms make use of idle capacity. For example, advertising is “hugely bartered” because many media, particularly on the Web, can supply new ad space at little cost. Moreover, Internet ads don’t register in industry-growth statistics, because many exchanges are arranged outside the formal exchanges.

Like eBay, most barter sites allow members to “grade” trading partners for honesty, quality and so on. Barter exchanges can allow firms in countries with hyperinflation or nontradable currencies to enter global trades. Next year, a nonprofit exchange called Quick Lift Two (QL2) plans to open in Nairobi, offering barter deals to 38,000 Kenyan farmers in remote areas. Two small planes will deliver the goods. QL2 director Gacii Waciuma says the farmers are excited to be “liberated from corrupt middlemen.” For them, barter evokes a bright future, not a precapitalist past.

41. The word “techies” (Line 4, Para.1) probably refers to those who are        .

   A. afraid of technology

   B. skilled in technology

   C. ignorant of technology

   D. incompetent in technology

42. Many people may have deliberately helped Kyle because they        .

   A. were impressed by his creativity

   B. were eager to identify with his motto

   C. liked his goal announced in advance

   D. hoped to prove the power of the Internet

43. The Internet barter system relies heavily on        .

   A. the size of barter sites

   B. the use of virtual currency

   C. the quality of goods or services

   D. the location of trading companies

44. It is implied that Internet advertisement can help        .

   A. companies make more profit

   B. companies do formal exchanges

   C. media register in statistics

   D. media grade barter sites

45. Which of the following is true of QL2 according to the author?

A. It is criticized for doing business in a primitive way.

   B. It aims to deal with hyperinflation in some countries.

   C. It helps get rid of middlemen in trade and exchange.

   D. It is intended to evaluate the performance of trading partners.

Passage 2

   The lives of very few Newark residents are untouched by violence: New Jersey’s biggest city has seen it all. Yet the murder of three young people, who were forced to kneel before being shot in the back of the head in a school playground on August 4^th, has shaken the city. A fourth, who survived, was stabbed and shot in the face. The four victims were by all accounts good kids, all enrolled in college, all with a future. But the cruel murder, it seems, has at last forced Newarkers to say they have had enough.

  Grassroots organizations, like ‘Stop Shooting’, have been flooded with offers of help and support since the killings. Yusef Ismail, its co-founder, says the group has been going door-to-door asking people to sign a pledge of non-violence. They hope to get 50,000 to promise to “’stop shooting’, ‘start thinking’, and ‘keep living’.” The Newark Community Foundation, which was launched last month, announced on August 14^th that it will help pay for Community Eye, a surveillance (监视) system tailored towards gun crime.

  Cory Booker, who became mayor 13 months ago with a mission to revitalize the city, believes the surveillance program will be the largest camera and audio network in any American city. More than 30 cameras were installed earlier this summer and a future 50 will be installed soon in a seven-square-mile area where 80% of the city’s recent shootings have occurred. And more cameras are planned.

  When a gunshot is detected, the surveillance camera zooms in on that spot. Similar technology in Chicago has increased arrests and decreased shootings. Mr. Booker plans to announce a comprehensive gun strategy later this week.

  Mr. Booker, as well as church leader and others, believes (or hopes) that after the murder the city will no longer stand by in coldness. For generations, Newark has been paralyzed by poverty — almost one in three people lives below the poverty line — and growing indifference to crime.

  Some are skeptical. Steve Malanga of the conservative Manhattan Institute notes that Newark has deep social problems: over 60% of children are in homes without fathers. The school system, taken over by the state in 1995, is a mess. But there is also some cause for hope. Since Mr. Booker was elected, there has been a rise in investment and re-zoning for development. Only around 7% of nearby Newark airport workers used to come from Newark; now, a years later, the figure is 30%. Mr. Booker has launched a New York-style war on crime. So far this year, crime has fallen 11% and shootings are down 30% (though the murder rate looks likely to match last year’s high).

46. What happened in Newark, New Jersey on August 4^th?

   A. The Newark residents witnessed a murder.

   B. Four young people were killed in a school playground.

   C. The new mayor of Newark took office.

   D. Four college students fell victim to violence.

47. Judging from the context, the “Community Eye” (Line 5, Para.2) is        .

   A. a watching system for gun crime

   B. a neighborhood protection organization

   C. an unprofitable community business

   D. a grassroots organization

48. We learn from the passage that Newark has all the following problem EXCEPT        .

   A. violence

   B. flood

   C. poverty

   D. indifference

49. Mayor Booker’s efforts against crime seem to be        .

   A. idealistic

   B. impractical

   C. effective

   D. fruitless

50. The best title for the passage may be        .

   A. ‘Stop shootin’, ‘Start thinkin’, and ‘Keep livin’

   B. Efforts to Fight against Gun Crimes

   C. A Mission to Revitalize the City

   D. Violent Murders in Newark

Passage 3

   According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship, in truth it may just be a form of financial protection.

   With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship.

   The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an “escape fund”.

   Margaret’s story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings.

   Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-years marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension.

   Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he’d hurt and would interrupt this as a sign she wasn’t sure of the marriage. “He’d think it was my escape fund so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure.”

   Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money.

   Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen, for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. “I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day.”

   “When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund and that I feel very secure in our relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It’s sensible to build and protect your personal financial security.”

51. The trend to keep a secret bank account is growing because        .

  A. “escape fund ” helps one through rainy days

  B. days are getting harder and harder

  C. women are money sensitive

  D. financial conflicts often occur

52. The word “savvy” (Line 2, Para.2) probably means        .

  A. suspicious

  B. secure

  C. shrewd

  D. simple

53. Which inference can we make about Margaret?

  A. She is a unique woman.

  B. She was once divorced.

  C. She is going to retire.

  D. She has many children.

54. The author mentions Colleen’s example to show        .

  A. any couple can avoid marriage conflicts

  B. privacy within marriage should be respected

  C. everyone can save a fortune with a happy marriage

  D. financial disclosure is not necessarily bad

55. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

  A. Secret Savers

  B. Love Is What It’s Worth

  C. Banking Honesty

  D. Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Passage 4

“The word ‘protection’ is no longer taboo (禁忌语)”. This short sentence, uttered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy late last month, may have launched a new era in economic history. Why? For decades, Western leaders have believed that lowering trade barriers and tariffs was a natural good. Doing so, they reasoned, would lead to greater economic efficiency and productivity, which in turn would improve human welfare. Championing free trade thus became a moral, not just an economic, cause.

These leaders, of course, weren’t acting out of unselfishness. They knew their economics were the most competitive, so they’d profit most from liberalization. And developing countries feared that their economics would be swamped by superior Western productivity. Today, however, the tables have turned — though few acknowledge it. The west continues to preach free trade, but practices it less and less. Asia, meanwhile, continues to plead for special protection but practices more and more free trade.

That’s why Sarkozy’s word were so important: he finally injected some honesty into the trade debate. The truth is that large parts of the West are losing faith in free trade, though few leaders admit it. Some economists are more honest. Paul Krugman is one of the few willing to acknowledge that protectionist arguments are returning. In the short run, there will be winners and losers under free trade. This, of course, is what capitalism is all about. But more and more of these losers will be in the West. Economists in the developed world used to love quoting Joseph Schumpeter, who said that “creative destruction” was an essential part of capitalist growth. But they always assumed that destruction would happen over there. When Western workers began losing jobs, suddenly their leaders began to lose faith in their principles. Things have yet to reverse completely. But there’s clearly a negative trend in Western theory and practice.

A little hypocrisy (虚伪) is not in itself a serious problem. The real problem is that Western governments continue to insist that they retain control of the key global economic and financial institutions while drifting away from global liberalization. Look at what’s happening at the IMF (International Monetary Fund). The Europeans have demanded that they keep the post of managing director. But all too often, Western officials put their own interests above everyone else’s when they dominate these global institutions.

The time has therefore come for the Asians — who are clearly the new winners in today’s global economy —to provide more intellectual leadership in supporting free trade. Sadly, they have yet to do so. Unless Asians speak out, however, there’s a real danger that Adam Smith’s principles, which have brought so much good to the world, could gradually die. And that would leave all of us worse off, in one way or another.

56. It can be inferred that “protection” (Line1, Para.1) means        .

  A. improving economic efficiency

  B. ending the free-trade practice

  C. lowering moral standard

  D. raising trade tariffs