Accordingtothelatestresearchinthe'UnitedStatesofAmerica,menandwomentalksuchdifferentlanguagesthatitislikepeoplefromtwodifferentculturestryingtocommunicate.ProfessorDeborahTannenofGeorgetownUniversity,hasnoticedthedifferenceinthestyleofboy'sandgirl'sconversationsfromanearlyage.Shesaysthatlittlegirls'conversationislessdefinitethanboys'andexpressesmoredoubts.Littleboysuseconversationtoestablishstatuswiththeirlisteners.

Thesedifferencescontinueintoadultlife,shesays.Inpublicconversations,mentalkmostandinterruptotherspeakersmore.Inprivateconversations,menandwomenspeakinequalamounts—althoughtheysaythingsinadifferentstyle.ProfessorTannenbelievesthat,forwoman,privatetalkingisawaytoestablishandtestintimacy.Formen,privatetalkingisawaytoexplorethepowerstructureofarelationship.

Teachingisonejobwherethedifferencesbetweenmen'sandwomen'swaysoftalkingshow.Whenamanteachesawoman,saysProfessorTannen,hewantstoshowthathehasmoreknowledge,andhencemorepowerinconversation.Whenawomanteachesanotherwoman,however,sheismorelikelytotakeasharingapproachandtoencourageherstudenttojoinin.

ButProfessorTannendoesnotbelievethatwomenarenaturallymorehelpful.Shesayswomenfeeltheyachievepowerbybeingabletohelpothers.Althoughtheresearchsuggestsmentalkandinterruptpeoplemorethanwomen,ProfessorTannensays,womenactuallyencouragethistohappenbecausetheybelieveitwillleadtomoreintimacyandhelptoestablisharelationship.

Somescientistswhoarestudyingspeechthinkthatthebrainispre?programmedforlanguage.Asweareusuallytaughttospeakbywomen,itseemslikelythatthebrainmusthaveasexualbias(傾向性)initsprogramming,

otherwisemalespeechpatternswouldnotariseatall.

1.Intheopinionofthewriter,womenencouragementotalkbecause

A.itwillleadtomoreintimacyandhelptoestablisharelationship

B.itwillhelptoestablishstatuswiththeirlisteners

C.itwillhelptoexpressmoreclearly

D.itwillhelptocommunicatebetter

2.Thereare_______inlittlegirls'conversationthaninboys'.

A.fewerdoubtsB.moredemands

C.moredoubtsD.feweruncertainties

3.Somescientistsbelievethatbrainispre-programmedforlanguage.Theword"preprogrammed"means_______.

A.programmedalreadyB.programmedbeforeoneisborn

C.programmedearlyD.programmedbywomen

4.Inprivateconversation,womenspeak

A.thesamethingsasmenB.lessthanmen

C.morethanmenD.asmuchasmen

5.Thethemeofthisarticleis_______.

A.womenarenaturallymorehelpful

B.menandwomentalkdifferentlanguages

C.mentalkmostandinterruptotherspeakersmore

D.littlegirls'conversationislessdefinite

Inthelasttwohundredyearstherehavebeengreatchangesinthemethodofproductionofgoods.Thisisnowalsotrueofthebuildingindustry;formechanizationhasbeenintroduced.Systembuildingcansavebothtimeandmoney.Theprincipleofsystembuildingisthatthebuildingismadefromasetofstandardunits.Theseareeithermadeatthebuilding-siteoratafactory.Somedesigners,infact,arestandardizingthedimensionsofrooms.Theyaremadeinmultiplesofasinglefixedlength,usuallytencentimeters.Thisiscalledamodular(原則件旳)system,anditmeansthatmanufacturescanproducestandardizedfittingsatalowercost.Themostimportantfactaboutsystembuildingisitsspeed.Aten-storeyflat,forexample,canbecompletedinfourmonths.

Thereareseveralnewmethodsofsystembuilding.Oneisthepanelmethod.Inthiscase,theconstructioncompanysometimeserectsafactoryonthesite.Thewallsandfloorsofthebuilding,calledpanels,arecastinahorizontalorverticalposition.Conduitsforelectricalwiresandsleevesforpipesarecastinthepanelswhentheyarebeingmade.Themouldsformakingthesecastingsaresituatedallaroundthebuilding.

Aftertheconcretepanelsarecast,theyareallowedtosetandhardenforaweek.Nexttheyareliftedbyatowercraneontoanysectionofthebuilding.Therethepanelsarecementedtogetherattheirjointsandthefloorcoveringislaid.

Afterthepanelshavebeencementedtogether,thecraneliftsacaseintothearea.Itcontainsallthefittingstobeinstalled,suchaswash-basins,radiatorsandpipes.Finishingtradesmen,suchasplumbers,plasterers,paintersandelectricians,followbehindtocompletethework.

Insomebuildingdevelopments,insomecountries,wholeflatswithinternalfeaturesliketheirbathrooms,bedroomsandconnectingstairs,andweighingasmuchastwentytons,arecarriedtothebuilding-siteready-made.Agiantoverheadcraneisusedtoliftthemintoposition.Inthefuture,thismethodmaybecomemorewidespread.

1.Themaindifferencebetweenpanelmethodandthemethoddiscussedinthelastparagraphis_______.

A.thelatterusesready-madeinternalfeatures

B.panelsarecastinalevelposition

C.theformerisusedtobuildwallsandfloorswhilethelattertoconstructbathroomsorbedrooms

D.theformerismoreexpensivethanthelatter

2.WhichofthesestatementsisTRUEofsystembuilding?

A.Itemploysmoremen.B.Itisdifficultanddangerous.

C.Itcansavebothtimeandmoney.D.Itmeanslessmechanization.

3.Accordingtothepassage,theprincipleofsystembuildingisthat_______.

A.constructionmethodsaresafer

B.buildingsaremadefromasetofstandardizedunits

C.similarbuildingscanbeproduced

D.allunitsareproducedonthesite

4.Theusualfixedlengthinthemodularsystemis_______.

A.twentycentimetersB.tenmillimeters

C.fiftycentimetersD.tencentimeters

5.Whatliftstheconcretepanelsontothebuilding?

A.Cranes.B.Man-power.

C.Pulleys.D.Hydraulicjacks.

1.A2.C3.B4.D5.B1.A2.C3.B4.D5.A

The"standardofliving"ofanycountrymeanstheaverageperson'sshareofthegoodsandserviceswhichthecountryproduces.Acountry'sstandardofliving,therefore,dependsfirstandforemostonitscapacitytoproducewealth."Wealth"inthissenseisnotmoney,forwedonotliveonmoneybutonthingsthatmoneycanbuy:"goods"suchasfoodandclothing,and"services"suchastransportandentertainment.

Acountry'scapacitytoproducewealthdependsuponmanyfactors,mostofwhichhaveaneffectononeanother.Wealthdependstoagreatextentuponacountry'snaturalresources,suchascoal,gold,andotherminerals,watersupplyandsoon.Someregionsoftheworldarewellsuppliedwithcoalandminerals,andhaveafertilesoilandafavorableclimate;otherregionspossessperhapsonlyoneofthesethings,andsomeregionspossessnoneofthem.TheU.S.Aisoneofthewealthiestregionsoftheworldbecauseshehasvastnaturalresourceswithinherborders,hersoilisfertile,andherclimateisvaried.TheSaharaDesert,ontheotherhand,isoneoftheleastwealthy.

Nexttonaturalresourcescomestheabilitytoturnthemtouse.ChinaisperhapsaswelloffastheU.S.A.innaturalresources,butsufferedformanyyearsfromcivilandexternalwars,andforthisandotherreasonswas.unabletodevelopherresources.Soundandstablepoliticalconditions,andfreedomfromforeigninvasion,enableacountrytodevelopitsnaturalresourcespeacefullyandsteadily,andtoproducemorewealththananothercountryequallywellservedbynaturebutlesswellordered.Anotherimportantfactoristhetechnicalefficiencyofacountry'speople.Oldcountriesthathave,throughmanycenturies,trainedupnumerousskilledcraftsmenandtechniciansarebetterplacedtoproducewealththancountrieswhoseworkersarelargelyunskilled.Wealthalsoproduceswealth.Asacountrybecomeswealthier,itspeoplehavealargemarginforsaving,andcanputtheirsavingsintofactoriesandmachineswhichwillhelpworkerstoturnoutmoregoodsintheirworkingday.

1.Acountry'swealthdependsupon______.,

A.itsstandardofliving

B.itsmoney

C.itsabilitytoprovidegoodsandservices

D.itsabilitytoprovidetransportandentertainment

2.Theword"foremost"means______.

A.mostimportantlyB.firstly

C.largelyD.forthemostpart

3.Themainideaofthesecondparagraphisthat______.

A.acountry'swealthdependsonmanyfactors

B.theU.S.A.isoneofthewealthiestcountriesintheworld

C.theSaharaDesertisaverypoorregion

D.naturalresourcesareanimportantfactorinthewealthorpovertyofacountry

4.Thethirdparagraphmentionssomeoftheadvantageswhichonecountrymayhaveoveranotherinmakinguseofitsresources.Howmanysuchadvantagesarementionedinthisparagraph?

A.2B.3

C.4D.5

5.Thesecondsentence.inParagraph3is______.

A.themainideaoftheparagraph

B.anexamplesupportingthemainideaoftheparagraph

C.theconclusionoftheparagraph

D.notrelatedtotheparagraph

TheproductivityofAmericansemployedinprivatebusinesseshasdeclined.TheproductivityofworkersincountriessuchasJapanandGermanyisincreasing.Americanmachinetools,onaverage,areold,relativelyinefficient,andrapidlybecomingobsolete,whereasthoseofourcompetitorsoverseas,incomparison,arenewerandmoreefficient.Wearenolongerthemostproductiveworkersintheworld.Wearenolongertheleadersinindustrialinnovation(革新).Weareanimmensely

wealthynationofeducatedmenandwomenwhoseemtohavelostsightofthefactthateverything—fromthesimplestnecessitiestothefinestluxuries—mustbeproducedthroughourowncollectivehardwork.Wehavecometoexpectautomaticincreasesinourcollectivestandardofliving,butweseemtohaveforgottenthattheseincreasesarepossibleonlywhenourproductivitycontinuestogrow.

Onethingthatmustchangeistherateatwhichwesubstitutecapitalequipmentforhumanlabor.Simplyput,ourlaborforcehasincreasedatafargreaterratethanhasourstockofcapitalinvestment.Weseemtohaveforgottenthatourpastproductivitygains,toalargeextent,wererealizedfromsubstitutionsofcapitalforhumanlabor.Today,3timesasmanyrobotsarelistedascapitalassetsbyJapanesefirmsasbyUnitedStatesfirms.

ThereisnodoubtthatrobotswillbecomeacommonsightinAmericanfactories.Representinganewgenerationoftechnology,robotswillreplacefactorylabormuchasthefarmtractorreplacedthehorse.Robottechnologyhasmuchtooffer.Itoffershigherlevelsofproductivityandqualityatlowercosts;inpromisestofreemenandwomenfromthedull,repetitioustoilofthefactory,itislikelytohaveanimpactonsocietycomparabletothatmadebythegrowthofcomputertechnology.

1.Theword"obsolete"(Para.1)mostprobablymeans_______.

A.weakB.old

C.newD.outofdate

2.Theauthorisanxiousabout_______.

A.hi