Formuchofthepastyear,PresidentBushcampaignedtomoveSocialSecuritytoasaving-accountmodel,withretireestradingmuchoralloftheirguaranteedpaymentsforpaymentsdependingoninvestmentreturns.

newlyfashionablehealth-savingsplansarespreadingfromlegislativehallstoWal-Martworkers,withmuchhigherdeductiblesandalargenewdoseofinvestmentriskforfamilies’futurehealthcare

第五課

Q1.AsaresultofPresidentBush’sreform,retiredpeoplemayhave

a higher sense ofsecurity.

less securedpayments.

lesschancetoinvest.

aguaranteedfuture.

Q2.Accordingtotheauthor,health-savingsplanswill

helpreducethecostofhealthcare.

popularizeamongthemiddleclass.

compensateforthereducedpensions.

increasethefamilies’

investmentrisk.

掃碼購買秋季強化課

Peopleinearliererasweresurroundedbyremindersofmisery.Theyworkeduntilexhausted,livedwithfewprotectionsanddiedyoung.IntheWest,beforemasscommunicationandliteracy,themostpowerfulmassmediumwasthechurch,whichremindedworshippersthattheirsoulswereinperilandthattheywouldsomedaybemeatforworms.Givenallthis,theydidnotexactlyneedtheirarttobeabummertoo.

Intheidealizedversionofhowscienceisdone,factsabouttheworldarewaitingtobeobservedandcollectedbyobjectiveresearcherswhousethescientificmethodtocarryouttheirwork.Butintheeverydaypracticeofscience,discoveryfrequentlyfollowsanambiguousandcomplicatedroute.Weaimtobeobjective,butwecannotescapethecontextofouruniquelifeexperience.Priorknowledgeandinterestsinfluencewhatweexperience,whatwethinkourexperiencesmean,andthesubsequentactionswetake.Opportunitiesformisinterpretation,error,andself-deceptionabound.

Q3.Theword“bummer”(Line5.paragraph5)mostprobablymeanssomething

religious

unpleasant

entertaining

commercial

Q4.Accordingtothefirstparagraph,theprocessofdiscoveryischaracterizedbyits

uncertainty andcomplexity

misconception anddeceptiveness

logicality andobjectivity

systematisms andregularity

掃碼購買秋季強化課

Unfortunately,thesecriticsarevirtuallyforgotten.NevilleCardus,whowrotefortheManchesterGuardianfrom1917untilshortlybeforehisdeathin1975,isnowknownsolelyasawriterofessaysonthegameofcricket.Duringhislifetime,though,hewasalsooneofEngland’sforemostclassical-musiccritics,astylistsowidelyadmiredthathisAutobiography(1947)becameabest-seller.Hewasknightedin1967,thefirstmusiccritictobesohonored.Yetonlyoneofhisbooksisnowinprint,andhisvastbodyofwritingsonmusicisunknownsavetospecialists.

IsthereanychancethatCardus’scriticismwillenjoyarevival?Theprospectseemsremote.Journalistictasteshadchangedlongbeforehisdeath,andpostmodernreadershavelittleusefortherichlyupholsteredVicwardianproseinwhichhespecialized.Moreover,theamateurtraditioninmusiccriticismhasbeeninheadlongretreat.

Q5.Whatcanbelearnedabout Cardus accordingtothelasttwoparagraphs?[A]Hismusiccriticismmaynot appeal to readerstoday.

[B]Hisreputationasamusiccritichaslongbeenindispute.

[C]Hisstylecaterslargelytomodernspecialists.[D]His writings fail tofollow the amateurtradition.

掃碼購買秋季強化課

Intheearly1960sWiltChamberlainwasoneofonlythreeplayersintheNationalBasketballAssociation(NBA)listedatoversevenfeet.Ifhehadplayedlastseason,however,hewouldhavebeenoneof42.Thebodiesplayingmajorprofessionalsportshavechangeddramaticallyovertheyears,andmanagershavebeenmorethanwillingtoadjustteamuniformstofitthegrowingnumbersofbigger,longerframes.

In1784,fiveyearsbeforehebecamepresidentoftheUnitedStates,GeorgeWashington,52,wasnearlytoothless.Sohehiredadentisttotransplantnineteethintohisjaw--havingextractedthemfromthemouthsofhisslaves.

That’safardifferentimagefromthecherry-tree-choppingGeorgemostpeoplerememberfromtheirhistorybooks.Butrecently,manyhistorianshavebeguntofocusontherolesslaveryplayedinthelivesofthefoundinggeneration.

Q6.WiltChamberlainiscitedasanexampleto

illustratethechangeofheightofNBAplayers.

showthepopularityofNBAplayersintheU.S.

comparedifferentgenerationsofNBAplayers.

assess theachievementsoffamousNBAplayers.

Q7.GeorgeWashington’sdentalsurgeryismentionedto

showtheprimitivemedicalpracticeinthepast.

demonstratethecrueltyofslaveryinhisdays.

stresstheroleofslavesintheU.S.history.

revealsomeunknownaspectofhislife.

掃碼購買秋季強化課

Reformhasbeenvigorouslyopposed,perhapsmostegregiouslyineducation,wherecharterschools,academiesandmeritpayallfaceddrawn-outbattles.Eventhoughthereisplentyofevidencethatthequalityoftheteachersisthemostimportantvariable,teachers’unionshavefoughtagainstgettingridofbadonesandpromotinggoodones.

Asthecosttoeveryoneelsehasbecomeclearer,politicianshavebeguntoclampdown.InWisconsintheunionshaveralliedthousandsofsupportersagainstScottWalker,thehardlineRepublicangovernor.Butmanywithinthepublicsectorsufferunderthecurrentsystem,too.

Q8.Theexampleoftheunions in Wisconsinshowsthatunions[A]oftenrunagainstthecurrentpoliticalsystem.[B]can change people’spoliticalattitudes.

[C]maybeabarriertopublic-sectorreforms.[D]aredominantinthegovernment.

掃碼購買秋季強化課

Ifthathappens,passionateconsumerswouldtrytopersuadeotherstoboycottproducts,puttingthereputationofthetargetcompanyatrisk.Insuchacase,thecompany‘sresponsemaynotbesufficientlyquickorthoughtful，andthelearningcurvehasbeensteep.ToyotaMotor，forexample，alleviatedsomeofthedamagefromitsrecallcrisisearlierthisyearwitharelativelyquickandwell-orchestratedsocial-mediaresponsecampaign,whichincludedeffortstoengagewithconsumersdirectlyonsitessuchasTwitterandthesocial-newssiteDigg.

Q9.Toyota Motor’sexperienceiscitedasanexampleof

respondingeffectivelytohijackedmedia

persuadingcustomersintoboycottingproducts

cooperating withsupportiveconsumers

takingadvantageofhijackedmedia

掃碼購買秋季強化課

Weshouldnotforget,however,thatmostNewEnglanderswerelesswelleducated.Whilefewcraftsmenorfarmers,letalonedependentsandservants,leftliterarycompositionstobeanalyzed,itisobviousthattheirviewswerelessfullyintellectualized.Theirthinkingoftenhadatraditionalsuperstitiousquality.AtailornamedJohnDane,whoemi