2022-2023年甘肅省白銀市大學(xué)英語6級(jí)大學(xué)英語六級(jí)學(xué)校:________班級(jí):________姓名:________考號(hào):________

一、2.ReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(20題)1.

Therecentspateofmergersand______couldinfluencejobstabilityinthefieldofmedicalsalesrepresentatives.

2.

Accordingtosometheory,weonlyneedbreakfast,lunchandsuppereverydaybutnomorebecausewhilesleeping,wecanconsume______.

3.

Hisjokesoftenledtoviolencewhenhewasaboy.

A.YB.NC.NG

4.

GrowingpainsareespeciallydestructiveinAustralia,wherepeoplehave______.

5.

WhichofthefollowinggraphmostaccuratelydescribesCanadiancodcatchesfrom1950to19927______.

A.

B.

C.

D.

6.

Themostcommonfaultamongpoorreadersistilehabitualmakingoftoomany______.

7.AccordingtoLegato,prescriptiondrugshaveplayedanimportantroleintheextensionoflifeexpectancysince______.

8.

Whomayhavesufferedfromtheearliestrecordedcaseofantisocialpersonalitydisorder?

A.VincentVanGogh.B.JohnNash.C.Samson.D.RobertSchumann.

9.

Incompatiblecommunicationsisacountry-wideproblemintheU.S.becauseofthe______whichshouldbeconvertedorreplaced.

10.GetPaidforTeachinginChina

IamaforeignerlivinginChengdu,andIhavebeenteachingEnglishforoverthreeyearsnow.Anyonewhodoesn'tknow—LISTENUP!!Iwasgetting3,000yuanpermonthwhenIfirstarrivedanddidn'tknowJackaboutcontracts.IthoughtIwasgettingaprettygooddeal.Mostfirstyearteachersthinkthisway.Now,Igetnolessthan5,500yuanpermonthfora12hourworkweekplusalltheotherbenefits(ex.airtravel--10,000yuanperyear).

Don'tlettheirgripingandcomplainingabouthowmuchforeignersgetpaidversuswhattheygetpaiddissuadeYOUfromgettingpaid.Feelfreetoe-mailmeandaskformy"BargainingPoints"aswellasasamplecontractfromtheschoolIamnowworkingat.The"BargainingPoints"iswritteninMSWordFormatsoIcanattachitandsendittoyou,oryoucansimplyaskmetocopythemtoareplyTHEYincludeallthethingsyoushouldwatchoutfor(likethefactthatnocontractIeverheardofincludesa"PersonalIncomeTaxBenefit"wheretheschoolpaysfortaxesonincomeover4,000yuanpermonth.Getcaughtwithyourpantsdownonthisoneandjustsmileaswideasyoucanwhileyoubendover.)

Theonlywaythesystemwillchangeisifeveryone(meaningallforeigners)startsdemandingthesamethingandstartssaying"NO"totheridiculouslylowoffersoutthere.

ThebestscenarioforanyonewantingtoworkinChinaistogetthemostmoneyyoucanfortheleasthours,whateverthatmightturnouttobe,andthentofarmyourselfouthourlytootherschools,ffyoudon'tdoityourself,theschoolswillfindawaytodoitforyouandinawaythattheygetthemajorityoftheprofits.Iwasdoingthisfor125yuanperhourwhenIfoundoutthathereinChengdu,175yuanperhouristhenorm.Startat200andletthembargainyoudownto175.Inall,mysituationhasturnedouttobeveryprofitable.Iliveina225sqmeterapartmentandpayallmyownbillswhilelivingoffcampus.LastmonthImade12,300yuanworkingforthreedifferentschoolsanddoingpart-timetutoringwork.Partofitwasduetomyavailabilitytootherschoolsonanhourlybasisbecauseofthelowhoursofmyoriginalcontract.

Thislevelofinvolvementalsorequiresamoreexperiencedindividualwhoreallyknowstheircityandhasmadesomefewrelationshipstobeabletomakeitworkoutproperlytohis/herownadvantagewithoutgainingtheire(憤怒)ofthewrongpeople.Itisalittleriskyatfirst,butoncethingsaredoneproperlyintheChinesewayitisrathersimplerthanitseems.

MOSTIMPORTANTISTOSHARETHISINFORMATION!!HELPINGOTHERSHELPSYOURSELF!!IfyouhaveANYquestionsatANYtime,feelfreetoe-mailme—I'dbealltoohappytohelp.

AsIsaid,juste-mailmeandaskfor"AcopyoftheMSWorddocumentswhichcontaintheNegotiatingPointsandthemostrecentcontract"whichIsignedtobeginthespringsemesterof2006.Pleasenote,whenyoureadthis,thatthelinesinBOLDtextwerethechangesImadetotheoriginalcontract.SometimesIoverwrotewhattheyhad,othertimesIadded.Othersectionswereentirelymyownadditionsresultinginthecontractlengtheningsomewhat.Inall,therearestillsomethingsIfeellikeIshouldhaveadded-likegettingpaidvacationsforforeignholidays(paidleaveforChristmasandThanksgivingforexample)-butwillhavetoremembertoaddthoselaterinthenextcontract.ThesearenotmentionedinmyoriginalNegotiatingPoints,butthenagain,livinginChinaandnotgettingpaidleaveforthosetwoholidaysisnotTHATbigadealanyway.

OnelastpieceofadviceBeingabletomakesuchchangesusuallyrequiresaface-to-face,sodon'texpecttoomuchifyou'rebargainingovertheinternetorthephone.So,thatsaid,youcansignwhatevercontractyouwant,bu

A.YB.NC.NG

11.

Thewriterproposestousethesamerateforalltypesofmaterialandforallreadingpurposes.

A.YB.NC.NG

12.

ChinesearethemostsuccessfulbusinessgroupinAsia.

A.YB.NC.NG

13.

ThestrongenvironmentalsentimentsthatledtoEarthDayyieldeddramaticchangesinAmericanlegislationandreflected______.

14.

Nexttocoal-burningpowerplants,______arethesecondlargestU.S.sourceofcarbondioxidepollution.

15.

Accordingtoahoaxannouncement,theTacoBellCorporationboughttheLibertyBellandmovedittoIrvinetohelp______.

16.

O'Donnellthinksthatthecauseofher22-year-oldson'ssuicideis______.

17.

WhendopeoplewhoretirestartcollectingSocialSecuritybenefits?

A.Immediatelyaftertheyretire.

B.2monthsaftertheyretire.

C.2yearsafterthenormalretiringage.

D.2yearsbeforetheyretire.

18.

Vioxxshowednoconnectiontoheartproblemsinitsclinicaltrial.

A.YB.NC.NG

19.

Waterclocksweremostlyusedtodetermine______.

20.

Ifyouwanttogetofftothefightstart,youshouldtreatthereceptionistsasyourpotentialbosses.

A.YB.NC.NG

二、3.ListeningComprehension(20題)21.(26)

A.Avoidthedifficultpartinthejob.

B.Askthecompanyforhelp.

C.Learnhardbyworkingextrahours.

D.Findamoreexperiencedcounselor.

22.聽力原文：W:Goodmorning.I'mheretoseeMr.Addison.

M:Mr.AddisonwenttoWashingtonlastMondayforaconference,andwillbebackonThursdaynight.Ifyoulike,maycomeagainonFridaymorning.

Q:WhenwillMr.Addisonreturn?

(13)

A.Trytohelphimfromroomsinanotherhotel.

B.Checktoseeifthereareanyvacanciesinherehotel.

C.Lethimmovetoaroomwithtwosinglebeds.

D.ShowhimthewayImperialHotel.

23.聽力原文：Italy'scapitalRomeisafamoustouristattraction,butthereareswarmsof'birdsthatcrowdinRome'shistoricpublicsquaresandchurcheseverywinter,forcingtouristsandpassers-bytoseekrefugeunderumbrellas.Recently,scientistshavefoundoutagoodwaytosolvethisproblem.TheItalianLeaguefortheProtectionofBirdswillbroadcastbird"distresscalls"overloudspeakersinthehistoriccenters,usingatechnology'ithastriedinRome'soutskirtstoscarethebirdsaway.Thescientistshaverecordedthesoundthatthesebirdsmakewhenthereisdangerandtheywillplayitovermegaphonesatduskwhenthebirdsarestartingtonestdown.Theywanttochasethebirdsoutofconcentratedurbancenterswithdistresscallsandspotlights.Thenthebirdswillheadtooutlyingparksandsuburbs.Thismethodhasbeenprovedveryefficientandthereisnocrueltytobirdsinvolvedsincetheyjustmigratetoparksandwoodsoutsidethecity.BetweenOctoberandFebruarysomefourmillionbirdsmigratetotheItaliancapitalfromGermany,PolandandRussia,darkeningthehorizonandpaintingabstractshapesintheskythatcapturetheimaginationofonlookers.Thehugeflocksalsocoatcars,buildingsandanyonewhohasnotfoundcoverwithbirddroppings.Touristsareadvisedtocarryumbrellasorraincoatsatduskandresidentshavetoputupwiththeterriblesmellformonthsatatime.

(33)

A.Beggingfoodfromthetourists.

B.Attackingthetourists.

C.Droppingwastesonthetourists.

D.Makingloudnoisetodisturbthetourists.

24.(14)

A.Itneedstobepainted.

B.Itisn'tbeautifullypainted.

C.Hehiredapersontopaintit.

D.Hepaintedthehousebyhimself.

25.聽力原文：W：(19)Youareanexpertonurbanproblem.Mr.Cross.Iwonderhowyouwoulddescribethecharacteristicsoftheseenormouscities．

M：ThefirstpointtomakeisthattheyaredifferentfromlargecitiesinEuropeandAmerica.

W：Surlyalllargecitiesareessentiallysimilar．

M：It'struethatalllargecitiesexperiencesimilarproblemsprovisioninghousingandservices，butthedifferenceliesinthetimefactor．

W：Surlysomeofthecitiesweareconsideringarejustasoldand,insomecases，mucholder,thancitiesintheUnitedStates，forinstance.

M：Verytrue,butthelargecitiesofEuropeandtheUnitedStatesgrewrelativelyslowly．(21)Londonhadapopulationofmorethanamillionatthebeginningofthenineteenthcenturyandthisnumberofmorethaneightmillion.Andthisgrowthwasparalleltoindustrialgrowththroughoutthecountry．ThesameistrueofNewYork,forexample．

W：ButthisisnottrueofMexicocityorBuenosAires?

M：No，itisnot．(20)ThroughoutLatinAmericaandinpartsofAsia,citieshavegrownmuchfasterthanindustry，oragricultureforthatmatter．Someofthesecitieshavequadrupledinsizeinlessthantwodecades，whileindustrialgrowthoverthesameperiodmayhaveonlyreachedthirtytofortypercent．

W：Whatdoesthismean?

M:Essentiallythepopulationgrowthisnotequaltothenumberofemploymentopportunities.Muchoftheincreaseisduetoimmigrationfromthecountryside,amovementofpeopleinsearchofbetterconditions.

(20)

A.Thetouristandtheguide.

B.Thestudentandtheteacher.

C.Thereporterandtheurbanexpert.

D.Theworkerandthemanager.

26.聽力原文：W:NowMr.Gates,letscontinueourtalkaboutyourproposalaboutthewasterecyclingproject.

M:Well,(23)it'sarathersimpleprojectatthebeginning.Itwouldconsistofonlyoneproductionline,butwecouldexpanditafterwards.

W:Howmuchisthefinancialinvestment?

M:Includingloans?IwouldsayintheareaoftwomillionUSdollars.

W:Isee.

M:Howmuchwouldyouliketoinvestinthisproject?

W:(24)Asageneralpracticewelayout51percentoftheoverallinvestment.Thisincludes,ofcourse,capital,factory,buildingsandequipments,thingslikethat.

M:Thatseemsreasonable.Nowlet'scometothetimeframe.Howlongdoestheventurerun?

W:Howlongwouldyouwant?

M:Asit'sasmallventure,Iwouldsuggest5yearstostartwith.

W:Thecontractisrenewableandcanbeextendedifbothsidesagreed.

M:Howlongdotheboardmembersserve?

W:IwouldsayFiveyears.

M:(25)Thechairmanwouldbethelegalrepresentative.

W:Yes.Amanagementofficewouldbebroughtforthandwouldberesponsibleforthedaytodayrunningofthejointventure.Sofarasthemanagementisconcerned,youmightappointthemanagerandthechiefengineeroftheproject.Andwemightappointtheirdeputies.

M:Ok,soundsgood.

(20)

A.Theproductioncost.

B.Thefinancialoutlay.

C.Thebankloans.

D.Theproductionline.

27.(31)

A.Quietplants.

B.Well-wateredplants.

C.Healthyplants.

D.Thirstyplants.

28.(18)

A.Shedoesn'tremembermuchaboutthecity.

B.She'sneverbeentothecity.

C.Shewouldfindsomeoneelsetohelp.

D.Shewouldtalktothemanlater.

29.(36)

A.TheroleofChinainthespreadofthenationalflag.

B.Thesecondancestorofthenationalflag.

C.TheuseofmodernflagsinEurope.

D.Theimportanceofmodernflags.

30.(15)

A.Themancanhavehispantsattheendoftheday.

B.Cleaningthepantswilltakelongerthanusual.

C.Shedoesn'tthinkthestaincanberemoved.

D.Themanshouldgotoadifferentlocation.

31.(25)

A.Theyjustlivedinthefirstfloor.

B.Theirapartmentbuildingislowerthannormal.

C.Thefloorbelowtheirapartmentwastotallyflattened.

D.Thegroundwasheightenedbecauseoftheearthquake.

32.聽力原文：It'sgenerallyagreedthatserious,violentcrimehasreachedalarminglaroportionsintheUnitedStates.AsurveybytheLawEnforcementAssistanceAdministrationfoundthat61%ofallwomenfeelunsafeintheirownneighborhoodsatnight;that45%ofthepopulationisafraidtowalkaloneatnightneartheirownhomes;andthat47%ownguns,largeforself-protection.

Thosearrestedforcrimesanddisproportionatelylikelytobemale,young,amemberofaracialminority,andacityresident.Malesarearrestedaboutfourtimesasoftenasfemales.Onlyinjuvenilerunawaycasesandprostitutionarefemalesmoreoftenarrested.Oneisthesexrolestereotypingwhichencouragesmalestobemoreaggressiveanddaring,whilefemalesareencouragedtobemorepassiveandconformingtotherulesandnorms.Thesecondreasonisthetendencyofpoliceofficersandthecourtstodealmorekindlywithfemaleoffenders.However,itshouldbenoted,inthepastdecade,crimeamongfemaleshasbeenincreasingatmuchfasterratethanamongmales,anegativesideeffectwhichhasbeenattributedtowomenchallengingthetraditionalsexroleofpassivityandconformity.

Youngpeopleappeartocommitfarmorethantheirshareofcrime,includingthecrimesthatareclassifiedbytheFBIasmostserious-rape,murder,robbery,arson,burglary,aggravatedassault,autotheft.In1985,31%ofallarrestswereofpersonundertheageof21,and50%ofallarrestswereofpersonsunder25.

(30)

A.Forhunting.

B.Forprotectinghimself.

C.Forstimulation.

D.Forprotectingthecountry.

33.

【B4】

34.聽力原文：W:IthinkTomlefthisumbrellaonthebus.

M:Whyhe'ssoirresponsibleisbeyondme.

Q:WhatdoesthewomansayaboutTom?

(15)

A.Hegotoffthebusatthewrongstop.

B.Hehasagoodreasontobeangry.

C.Heisn'tcarefulwithhisbelongings.

D.Hedoesn'thaveanextraumbrella.

35.聽力原文：M:Mary,Iwishyou'daskedmebeforeyouborrowedmydictionary.Iwantedtolookupawordinthatdictionary,butIcouldn'tfindit.

W:I'mreally.sorryaboutthat.Tom,Ididn'tthinkyou'dmind.

Q:Whatdoesthe.manimply?

(19)

A.HeissatisfiedwithwhatMarydid.

B.Hedoesn'tmindwhatMarydid.

C.HehasforgottenthatMaryborrowedhisdictionaryoncebefore.

D.HeisdissatisfiedwithwhatMarydid.

36.聽力原文：W:Inthesummer,Andrewplaystennisorthegolfalmosteverydayandinthewinterhegoesskiingeverychancehegets.

M:He'salwaysbeenveryenthusiasticaboutsports.

Q:WhatcanbeconcludedaboutAndrew?

(13)

A.Winterishisfavoritetimeforsports.

B.Sportsarequiteimportanttohim.

C.Heshouldbemoreenthusiastic.

D.Heplaysbetterthanheusedto.

37.聽力原文：W:Ohmygoodness,it'salreadyfouro'clock.I'vegotanappointmentwithmyfriendatfiveandIhaven'tgotmycarfromthegarage.

M:That'sjustlikeyou.Okay,don'tworry.Youcanusemycarinstead.

Q:Howwillthewomangotoseeherfriend?

(13)

A.Shewillusetheman'scar.

B.Shewilluseherowncar.

C.Shewillgoonfoot.

D.Shewillrentacarfromthegarage.

38.(43)

39.

【B3】

40.聽力原文：W:Oh,itisterrible!AbroadAerolinesArgentina'sflight386.386passengersweregivenpreparedfoodontheirway(20)fromBuenosAirestoLosAngeles.

M:Thenwhathappened?

W:AfewdaysafterarrivinginLosAngeles.(19)onepassengerdied,and74otherswereseriouslyill.

M:Whatisthereasonforthat?

W:AccordingtoDr.Phillips,itwasthehighestsingleoutbreakofcholeraintheUnitedStatesthiscentury,andtheairlinepassengerswerethevictimsofthisnewepidemicofcholera,adiseasenotseeninLatinAmericasince1895.theywerejustafewofthemorethanonemillionpeopleaffectedinthe20thcenturies,includingatleast10,000whodiedinthefollowingthreeyearsafter1991.

M:(19)Cholera?Tothebestofmyunderstanding,thatdiseasehasbeendeadforsometimenow.

W:(19)Butithascomeback.Dr.Phillipssaysthatcholeraisbynomeanstheonlyoldinfectionsonthecomeback,anditisjustoneofthemajorinfectionsthatarefightingbackfiercelyagainstman'sattemptstocontrolthem.

M:(19)Butwhatarethereasonsforthecomebackofsomanydeaddiseases?

W:Phillipssaysasinglereasoncan'texplainwhyanewdiseaseappearsoranoldonereturns,andusuallyacombinationoffactorsareinvolved.

M:Whatkindofspecificfactors?

W:InhisbookPlaguesonOurDoorstepDr.Phillipspresentssomereasons.

M:Whatarethey?

W:First,(21)internationaltravelandcommerce.Thecholeraabroadflight386andmosquitoeslivinginimportedtriesareexamplesofthese.Second,(21)technologyandindustry.Forexample,thetechnologyinBritain'sprocessingindustrywasalikelycontributortotheemergenceofmadcowdisease.Third,(21)thebreakdownofpublichealthmeasures.Declininghealthresourceshaveresultedintheerosionofoncehighly-valuedhealthservice.

M:Well,that'sjustunbelievable!

(20)

A.AnaircrashtoLosAngeles.

B.Abookwrittenbyadoctor.

C.Adiseaseonthecomebackanditsreasons

D.Man'sefforttopreventdisease.

三、4.ReadingComprehension(ReadinginDepth)(20題)41.

Thefrownemotionfromtheuseofthediscussionforumillustratesthe______.

42.

Theauthorseemstodisapproveof______.

A.politicalleaders'attitudetocivildefense

B.citizens'awarenessofself-protection

C.businesses'emergencyplan

D.preparationsmadeforthetimesofcrisis

43.

Supposeyouareoneemployeethatreceivesfixedincome,whenyoucanbenefitmost?.

A.atimeofdeflation.

B.atimeofinflation.

C.whenallpricesarefixed

D.Whenthesocietyisunstable.

44.Inrecentdecades,thereisaphenomenonwhichmakesusgivesomeattention,theso-calledSoutheastAsian"tigers"haverivaledthewestern"lions"forstockclichesthatmakeeconomicheadlines.ThemythofAmericaneconomichegemony(霸權(quán))overAsiaintheimposingandpatriarchalfigureofUncleSamhasprovidedfrequentpoliticalgrist(政治上可以利用的資本)forSoutheastAsianpoliticalleaders,particularlyMalaysia'sPrimeMinisterMahathir.Hehasattemptedtoforgeaninternationalreputationasasnarlingtiger,butlatelysoundsmorelikeabarnyarddoggroaningatshadows.WithoutdemeaninginanywaytheremarkableachievementsofthenewlydevelopingeconomiesofMalaysia,ThailandandIndonesia,thesenationsattimesappeartobetheirownworstenemies.ThisisoftenexemplifiedbyDr.Maflathir,whorailsatWesternevilwheneveraninternationalordomesticcrisisprovidesanopportunity.

Tobemorespecific,therecentdevaluationofthePhilippineandThaicurrencies,andthesubsequentpressureontheMalaysiancurrencyhasinspiredDr.Mahathirtolaunchanall-outattackontheWestasthesourceoftheproblem.HeevenallegesthattheUnitedStateshasdeli-beratelydestabilizedSoutheastAsianeconomiesinrevengeforthesenations,supportingthebrutalmilitaryruleinMyanmar,anactionwhichtheUnitedStatesseemstowantinspectedratherthanrewarded.Butbyresortingtosuchscapegoat(替罪羊),insteadofacceptingevenabitresponsibility,thePrimeMinistermayunderminethefuturesuccessoftheregionandMalaysiainparticular.

Uponfurtherquestioning,Dr.Matlathirnarrowedhisattacktoonewealthyindividual,thewell-knownphilanthropist(慈善家),Mr.GeorgeSoros,whoseoppositiontoMyanmar'sadmissiontoASEAN(AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations)Mahathirfoundparticularity,irritating.ThelogicalmistakesthatunderliesuchconspiracytheoriesdonothelpMalaysiaaddresstheseriousissuesofeconomicoverheatingthatexpertshavebeenwarningaboutforallthesedifficultperiods,whichincludelargedeficitsandlowsavingstodebtratios.Infact,therecentdramaticdropinMalaysia'sstockmarketandcurrencyhasledDr.Mahathirtoreversehisinitialapproachtothecrisis.Heevenannouncesmeasuresthatatleastimplyheisquiteawareofexcessesinhisownadministration'sspendingpoliciesthathavecontributedtothiscrisisofconfidence.Intheend,thiskindofreactionunderminestheesteemthatDr.Mahathir'senlightenedleadershiphasjustlyearned.

ItisimpliedinthefirstparagraphthatDr.Mahathir______.

A.hascorrectlyidentifiedthefinancialprobleminAsia

B.triestomanipulateanti-Westernactionsforpoliticalgains

C.deteststheUSA'scontrollingovertheregionaleconomies

D.believesintheeffectoftheghostlyinfluencefromthewest

45.

【C2】

46.Tosolvethepresentsocialproblemstheauthorsuggeststhatweshould______.

A.enablemantofullydevelophispotentialities

B.offerhigherwagestotheworkersandemployees

C.resorttotheproductionmodeofourancestors

D.takethefundamentalrealitiesforgranted

47.

Theobservationofweatherconditionsbysatellitesisadvantageousbecauseit______.

A.useselectronicinstruments

B.enablesmantoaltertheweather

C.makesweatherpredictioneasier

D.givesthescientistinformationnotobtainedreadilyotherwise

48.

TheauthorimpliesthatwhilespeakingR.DLaing________.

A.wasbothtoocasualandauthentic

B.wasactinglikeaperformer

C.waskeepingagoodbalance

D.wasawareofhisaudience

49.

Ridingbicyclesiswellacceptedbythelocalpeopleandmeanwhileitalsoenjoys______.

50.Accordingtothepassage,paymentscanbedoneinmonthly______withasmallservicecharge.

51.

Whoarethekindsofreportersthewriterseemstoadmiremost?

A.Reporterswhoknowhowtosiftthroughalotofinformation.

B.Reporterswhoarewillingtosacrificetochaseafterastory.

C.Reporterswhowon'tsullythemselves.

D.Reporterswhoarehighlytrained.

52.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.

Rememberthedrinkingf0untain,thatonceubiquitous,andfree,sourceofH2O?Itseemsquaintnow.Instead,bottledwateriseverywhere.It'srefreshing,calorie-free,convenienttocarryaround,tastierthansometapwaterandalothealthierthansugarysodas.Butmoreandmore,peoplearequestioningwhetherthewater,andthepackageitcomes.in,issafe,oratleastsaferthantapwaterandiftheconvenienceisworththeenvironmentalimpact.

Evocativenamesandlabelsdepictingpastoralsceneshaveconvincedpeoplethattheliquidisthepurestdrinkaround.Yes,somebottledwatercomesfromsparklingspringsandotherpristine(清新潔凈)sources.Butmorethan25percentofitcomesfromamunicipalsupply.Thewateristreated,purifiedandsoldtous,oftenatathousand-foldincreaseinprice.Mostpeoplearesurprisedtolearnthatthey'redrinkingglorifiedtapwater,butbottlersaren'trequiredtolistthesourceonthelabel.

Thecontroversyisn'tsimplyabouttapvsbottledwater;mostpeopledrinkboth,knowingtheimportanceofplentyofwater.Whattheymaynotknowisthatsomebottledwatermaynotbeaspureastheyexpect.In1999theNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil(NRDC)testedmorethan1,000bottlesof103brandsofwater,whichisthemostrecentmajorreportonbottledwatersafety.Whilenotingthatmostbottledwaterissafe,theorganizationfoundthatatleastonesampleofathirdofthebrandscontainedbacterialorchemicalcontaminants,includingcarcinogens(致癌物質(zhì)),inlevelsexceedingstateorindustrystandards.Sincethereport,nomajorregulatorychangeshavebeenmadeandbottlershaven'tdrasticallyalteredtheirprocedures,sotheriskislikelystillthere.

Besides,bottledwateralsoaffectsthehealthoftheplanet.Abigpartoftheappealofbottledwateristhoseconvenientsingle-servingbottles.Yetfewerthan20percentofthemevermakeittoasecondlife,accordingtoestimatesbytheContainerRecyclingInstitute.Therestaretossedontobeachesandroadsidesandintolandfills,wheretheycouldbearoundforathousandyears.NestleWatersandotherbottlersaretryingtobegreener,introducinglighter-weightbottlesthatuseupto30percentlessplastic.It'sagoodstart,butmoreneedstobedone.

Whathavemadepeoplecertainofthepurityofbottledwater?

53.Scholarsandstudentshavealwaysbeengreattravelers.Theofficialcasefor"academicmobility"isnowoftenstatedinimpressivetermsasafundamentalnecessityforeconomicandsocialprogressintheworld,anddebatedinthecorridorsofEurope;butitiscertainlynothingnew.Seriousstudentswerealwaysreadytogoabroadinsearchofthemoststimulatingteachersandthemostfamousacademies;insearchofthepurestphilosophy,themosteffectivemedicine,thelikeliestroadtogold.

Mobilityofthiskindmeantalsomobilityofideas,theirtransferenceacrossfrontiers,andtheirsimultaneousimpactuponmanygroupsofpeople.Thepointoflearningistoshareit,whetherwithstudentsorwithcolleagues.Onepresumesthatonlyeccentricshavenointerestinbeingcreditedwithastartlingdiscovery,oranewtechnique.Itmustalsohavebeanreassuringtoknowthatotherpeopleinotherpartsoftheworldwereabouttomakethesamediscoveryorwerethinkingalongthesamelines,andthatonewasnotquitealone,confrontedbyinquisition,ridiculeorneglect.

Inthetwentiethcentury,andparticularlyinthelast20years,theoldfootpathsofthewanderingscholarshavebecomevasthighways.Thevehiclewhichhasmadethispossiblehasofcoursebeentheaeroplane,makingcontactbetweenscholarseveninthemostdistantplacesimmediatelyfeasible,andprovidingfortheveryrapidtransmissionofknowledge.

Apartfromthevehicleitself,itisfairlyeasytoidentifythemainfactorswhichhavebroughtabouttherecentexplosioninacademicmovement.Someofthesearepurelyquantitativeandrequirenofurthermention:therearefarmorecentersoflearning,andafargreaternumberofscholarsandstudents.

Inadditiononemustrecognizetheveryconsiderablemultiplicationofdisciplines,particularlyinthesciences,whichbywideningthetotalareaofadvancedstudieshasproducedanenormousnumberofspecialistswhoseparticularinterestsarepreciselydefined.Thesepeoplewouldworkinsomeisolationiftheywerenotabletokeepintouchwithsimilarisolatedgroupsinothercountries.

Frequentlythesespecializationslayinareaswhereveryrapi