increase to $17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the company's rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992, when Time Wa arner was under fire for releasing Ice- T's violent rap song Cop Killer Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet. The test of any democratic society, " he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, "lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We won' t retreat in the face of any threats Levin would not comment on the debate last week but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard-line stand, at least to some extent. During the discussion of rock singing verses at last month's stockholders meeting Levin asserted that"music is not the cause of society's ills"and even cited his son, a teacher in the bronx, New York, who uses rap to communicate with students. But he talked as well about the "balanced struggle"between creative freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music The 15-member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy. But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. "Some of us have known for many, many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited, "says Luce. "I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this 13. Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for [A] its rising of the corporate stock price [B its self-examination of soul [C] its neglect of social responsibility [D] its emphasis on creative freedom 14. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? [AJ Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner [B] Gerald Levin is liable to compromise C] Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate [D] Steve Ross is no longer aliv 15. In face of the recent attacks on the company, the chairman [A] stuck to a strong stand to defend freedom of expression [B]softened his tone and adopted some new policy [C]changed his attitude and yielded to objection [D] received more support from the 15-member board 16. The best title for this passage could be [AJA Company under Fire [B A Debate on Moral Decline C]A Lawful Outlet of Street Culture
20 increase to $17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently. The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the company's rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992, when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice-T's violent rap song Cop Killer, Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet. "The test of any democratic society," he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, "lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We won't retreat in the face of any threats." Levin would not comment on the debate last week, but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard-line stand, at least to some extent. During the discussion of rock singing verses at last month's stockholders meeting, Levin asserted that "music is not the cause of society's ills" and even cited his son, a teacher in the Bronx, New York, who uses rap to communicate with students. But he talked as well about the "balanced struggle" between creative freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music. The 15-member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy. But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. "Some of us have known for many, many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited," says Luce. "I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this." 13. Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for ________. [A] its rising of the corporate stock price [B] its self-examination of soul [C] its neglect of social responsibility [D] its emphasis on creative freedom 14. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? [A] Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner. [B] Gerald Levin is liable to compromise. [C] Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate. [D] Steve Ross is no longer alive. 15. In face of the recent attacks on the company, the chairman ________. [A] stuck to a strong stand to defend freedom of expression [B] softened his tone and adopted some new policy [C] changed his attitude and yielded to objection [D] received more support from the 15-member board 16. The best title for this passage could be ________. [A] A Company under Fire [B] A Debate on Moral Decline [C] A Lawful Outlet of Street Culture
[D A Form of Creative Freedom 5 Much of the language used to describe monetary policy, such as"steering the economy to a soft landing"or"a touch on the brakes", makes it sound like a precise science. Nothing could be further from the truth. The link between interest rates and inflation is uncertain. And there are long, variable lags before policy changes have any effect on the economy Hence the analogy that likens the conduct of monetary policy to driving a car with a blackened windscreen, a cracked rearview mirror and a faulty steering wheel Given all these disadvantages, central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late. Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3% last year, close to its lowest level in 30 years, before rising slightly to 2.5% this July. This is a long way below the double-digit rates which many countries experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s It is also less than most forecasters had predicted In late 1994 the panel of economists which The Economist polls each month said that Americas inflation rate would average 3. 5% in 1995. In fact. it fell to 2. 6% in august. and expected to average only about 3% for the year as a whole. In Britain and Japan inflation is running half a percentage oint below the rate predicted at the end of last year. This is no flash in the pan; over the past couple of years, inflation has been consistantly lower than expected in Britain and America Economists have been particularly surprised by favourable inflation figures in Britain and the United State, since conventional measures suggest that both economies, and especially Americas, have little productive slack. America,'s capacity utilisation, for example, hit historically high levels earlier this year, and its jobless rate (5.6% in August)has fallen below most estimates of the natural rate of unemployment the rate below which inflation has taken off in the ast Why has inflation proved so mild? The most thrilling explanation is, unfortunately, a little defective, Some economists argue that powerful structural changes in the world have upended the old economic models that were based the historical link between growth and inflation 17. From the passage we learn that [A]there is a definite relationship between inflation and interest rates [B]economy will always follow certain models [C] the economic situation is better than expecte [D] economists had foreseen the present economic situation 18. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? [A] Making monetary policies is comparable to driving a car [B]An extremely low jobless rate will lead to inflation. [C] A high unemployment rate will result from inflation [D] Interest rates have an immediate effect on the economy 19. The sentence"This is no flash in the pan"(Line 5, Paragraph 3)means that [A] the low inflation rate will last for some time [B] the inflation rate will soon rise
21 [D] A Form of Creative Freedom Passage 5 Much of the language used to describe monetary policy, such as "steering the economy to a soft landing" or "a touch on the brakes", makes it sound like a precise science. Nothing could be further from the truth. The link between interest rates and inflation is uncertain. And there are long, variable lags before policy changes have any effect on the economy. Hence the analogy that likens the conduct of monetary policy to driving a car with a blackened windscreen, a cracked rearview mirror and a faulty steering wheel. Given all these disadvantages, central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late. Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3% last year, close to its lowest level in 30 years, before rising slightly to 2.5% this July. This is a long way below the double-digit rates which many countries experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s. It is also less than most forecasters had predicted. In late 1994 the panel of economists which The Economist polls each month said that America's inflation rate would average 3.5% in 1995. In fact, it fell to 2.6% in August, and is expected to average only about 3% for the year as a whole. In Britain and Japan inflation is running half a percentage point below the rate predicted at the end of last year. This is no flash in the pan; over the past couple of years, inflation has been consistantly lower than expected in Britain and America. Economists have been particularly surprised by favourable inflation figures in Britain and the United State, since conventional measures suggest that both economies, and especially America's, have little productive slack. America's capacity utilisation, for example, hit historically high levels earlier this year, and its jobless rate (5.6% in August) has fallen below most estimates of the natural rate of unemployment — the rate below which inflation has taken off in the past. Why has inflation proved so mild? The most thrilling explanation is, unfortunately, a little defective, Some economists argue that powerful structural changes in the world have upended the old economic models that were based upon the historical link between growth and inflation. 17. From the passage we learn that ________. [A] there is a definite relationship between inflation and interest rates [B] economy will always follow certain models [C] the economic situation is better than expected [D] economists had foreseen the present economic situation 18. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? [A] Making monetary policies is comparable to driving a car. [B] An extremely low jobless rate will lead to inflation. [C] A high unemployment rate will result from inflation. [D] Interest rates have an immediate effect on the economy. 19. The sentence "This is no flash in the pan" (Line 5, Paragraph 3) means that ________. [A] the low inflation rate will last for some time [B] the inflation rate will soon rise
[C] the inflation will disappear quickly [D] there is no inflation at present 20. The passage shows that the author is the present situation [A] critical of B puzzled by C] disappoi mazed at Unit 5 Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams. Perhaps it is humankinds long suffering at he mercy of flood and drought that makes the idea of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating. But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind. Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good The lesson from dams is that big is not al ways beautiful. It doesn't help that building a big, powerful dam has become a symbol of achievement for nations and people striving to assert themselves. Egypt,'s leadership in the Arab world was cemented by the Aswan High Dam. Turkey's bid for First World status includes the giant Ataturk Dam But big dams tend not to work as intended. The Aswan Dam, for example, stopped the nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity And yet, the myth of controlling the waters persists. This week, in the heart of civillized Europe, Slovaks and Hungarians stopped just short of sending in the troops in their contention over a dam on the danube. The huge complex will probably have all the usual problems of big dams. But Slovakia is bidding for independence from the Czechs, and now needs a dam to prove itself. Meanwhile, in India, the World Bank has given the go-ahead to the even more wrong-headed Narmada Dam. And the bank has done this even though its advisors say the dam will cause hardship for the powerless and environmental destruction. The benefits are for the powerful, but they are far from guaranteed Proper, scientific study of the impacts of dams and of the cost and benefits of controlling water can help to resolve these conflicts. Hydroelectric power and flood control and irrigation are possible without building monster dams. But when you are dealing with myths, it is hard to be either proper, or scientific. It is time that the world learned the lessons of aswan You don' t need a dam to be saved 1. The third sentence of paragraph I implies that [A] people would be happy if they shut their eyes to reality [B]the blind could be happier than the sighted [C]over-excited people tend to neglect vital things [D] fascination makes people lose their eyesight 2. In paragraph 5, "the powerless"probably refers [A] areas short of electricity [B] dams without power stations IC poor countries around India
22 [C] the inflation will disappear quickly [D] there is no inflation at present 20. The passage shows that the author is the present situation. [A] critical of [B] puzzled by [C] disappointed at [D] amazed at Unit 5 Passage 1 Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams. Perhaps it is humankind's long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the idea of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating. But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind. Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good. The lesson from dams is that big is not always beautiful. It doesn't help that building a big, powerful dam has become a symbol of achievement for nations and people striving to assert themselves. Egypt's leadership in the Arab world was cemented by the Aswan High Dam. Turkey's bid for First World status includes the giant Ataturk Dam. But big dams tend not to work as intended. The Aswan Dam, for example, stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left — all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity. And yet, the myth of controlling the waters persists. This week, in the heart of civillized Europe, Slovaks and Hungarians stopped just short of sending in the troops in their contention over a dam on the Danube. The huge complex will probably have all the usual problems of big dams. But Slovakia is bidding for independence from the Czechs, and now needs a dam to prove itself. Meanwhile, in India, the World Bank has given the go-ahead to the even more wrong-headed Narmada Dam. And the bank has done this even though its advisors say the dam will cause hardship for the powerless and environmental destruction. The benefits are for the powerful, but they are far from guaranteed. Proper, scientific study of the impacts of dams and of the cost and benefits of controlling water can help to resolve these conflicts. Hydroelectric power and flood control and irrigation are possible without building monster dams. But when you are dealing with myths, it is hard to be either proper, or scientific. It is time that the world learned the lessons of Aswan. You don't need a dam to be saved. 1. The third sentence of paragraph 1 implies that ________. [A] people would be happy if they shut their eyes to reality [B] the blind could be happier than the sighted [C] over-excited people tend to neglect vital things [D] fascination makes people lose their eyesight 2. In paragraph 5, "the powerless" probably refers to ________. [A] areas short of electricity [B] dams without power stations [C] poor countries around India
[D] common people in the Narmada Dam area 3. What is the myth concerning giant dams? [A]They bring in more fertile soil [B] They help defend the country IC] They strengthen international ties [D They have universal control of the waters 4. What the author tries to suggest may best be interpreted [A]It's no use crying over spilt milk B]"More haste, less speed [C]"Look before you leap [D]"He who laughs last laughs best 2 Well, no gain without pain, they say. But what about pain without gain? Everywhere you go in America, you hear tales of corporate revival. What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are pre-siding over is for real The official statistics are mildly discouraging. They show that, if you lump manufacturing and services together productivity has grown on average by 1. 2% since 1987. That is somewhat faster than the average during the previos decade. And since 1991, productivity has increased by about 2% a year, which is more than twice the 1978-1987 average The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend. There is, as Robert rubin, the treasury secretary says, a"disjunction" between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics Some of this can be easily explained. New ways of organizing the workplace all that re-engineering and downsizing are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training Moreover, most of the changes that companies make are intended to keep them profitable, and this need not always mean increasing productivity: switching to new markets or improving quality can matter just as much Two other explanations are more speculative. First, some of the business restructuring of recent years may have been ineptly done. Second, even if it was well done, it may have spread much less widely than people suppose Leonard Schlesinger, a Harvard academic and former chief executive of Au Bon Pain, a rapidly growing chain of bakery cafes, says that much"re-engineering"has been crude. In many cases, he believes, the loss of revenue has been greater than the reductions in cost. His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied re-engineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficent thought to long-term profitabili BBDO,s Al Rosenshine is blunter. He dismisses a lot of the work of re-engineering consultants as mere rubbish worst sort of ambulance-chasing " 5. According to the author. the American economic situation is [A] not as good as it seems B at its turning point
23 [D] common people in the Narmada Dam area 3. What is the myth concerning giant dams? [A] They bring in more fertile soil. [B] They help defend the country. [C] They strengthen international ties. [D] They have universal control of the waters. 4. What the author tries to suggest may best be interpreted as ________. [A] "It's no use crying over spilt milk" [B] "More haste, less speed" [C] "Look before you leap" [D] "He who laughs last laughs best" Passage 2 Well, no gain without pain, they say. But what about pain without gain? Everywhere you go in America, you hear tales of corporate revival. What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are pre-siding over is for real. The official statistics are mildly discouraging. They show that, if you lump manufacturing and services together, productivity has grown on average by 1.2% since 1987. That is somewhat faster than the average during the previous decade. And since 1991, productivity has increased by about 2% a year, which is more than twice the 1978-1987 average. The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend. There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a "disjunction" between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics. Some of this can be easily explained. New ways of organizing the workplace — all that re-engineering and downsizing — are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training. Moreover, most of the changes that companies make are intended to keep them profitable, and this need not always mean increasing productivity: switching to new markets or improving quality can matter just as much. Two other explanations are more speculative. First, some of the business restructuring of recent years may have been ineptly done. Second, even if it was well done, it may have spread much less widely than people suppose. Leonard Schlesinger, a Harvard academic and former chief executive of Au Bon Pain, a rapidly growing chain of bakery cafes, says that much "re-engineering" has been crude. In many cases, he believes, the loss of revenue has been greater than the reductions in cost. His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied re-engineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficent thought to long-term profitability. BBDO's Al Rosenshine is blunter. He dismisses a lot of the work of re-engineering consultants as mere rubbish — "the worst sort of ambulance-chasing." 5. According to the author, the American economic situation is ________. [A] not as good as it seems [B] at its turning point
[C] much better than it seems D] near to complete recover 6. The official statistics on productivity growth [A]exclude the usual rebound in a business cycle B fall short of businessmen s anticipation IC] meet the expectation of business people [ D] fail to reflect the true state of economy 7. The author raises the question"what about pain without gain? because [A] he questions the truth of"no gain without pain b he does not think the productivity revolution works [C] he wonders if the official statistics are misleading [D he was conclusive evidence for the revival of businesses 8. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage? [A] Radical reforms are essential for the increase of productivity [B New ways of organizing workplaces may help to increase productivity C] The reduction of costs is not a sure way to gain long-term profitability [D] The consultants are a bunch of good-for-nothings Passage 3 Science has long had an uneasy relationship with other aspects of culture. Think of Gallileo's 17th-century trial for his rebelling belief before the Catholic Church or poet William Blake's harsh remarks against the mechanistic worldview of Isaac Newton. The schism between science and the humanities has, if anything, deepened in this century Until recently, the scientific community was so powerful that it could afford to ignore its critics but no longer As funding for science has declined, scientists have attacked"antiscience"in several books, notably Higher Superstition, by Paul R. Gross, a biologist at the University of Virginia, and Norman Levitt, a mathematician at Rutgers University and The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan of Cornell University Defenders of science have also voiced their concerns at meetings such as"The Flight from Science and Reason, held in New York City in 1995, and"Science in the Age of (Mis)information, "which assembled last June near Buffalo Antiscience clearly means different things to different people. Gross and Levitt find fault primarily with sociologists, philosophers and other academics who have questioned science's objectivity Sagan is more concerned with those who believe in ghosts, creationism and other phenomena that contradict the scientific worldview A survey of news stories in 1996 reveals that the antiscience tag has been attached to many other groups as well from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research Few would dispute that the term applies to the Unabomber, whose manifesto, published in 1995, scorns science and longs for return to a pretechnological utopia. But surely that does not mean environmentalists concerned about uncontrolled industrial growth are antiscience, as an essay in US News &e World Report last May seemed to suggest The environmentalists, inevitably, respond to such critics. The true enemies of science, argues Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, a pioneer of environmental studies, are those who question the evidence supporting global warming
24 [C] much better than it seems [D] near to complete recovery 6. The official statistics on productivity growth ________. [A] exclude the usual rebound in a business cycle [B] fall short of businessmen's anticipation [C] meet the expectation of business people [D] fail to reflect the true state of economy 7. The author raises the question "what about pain without gain?" because ________. [A] he questions the truth of "no gain without pain" [B] he does not think the productivity revolution works [C] he wonders if the official statistics are misleading [D] he was conclusive evidence for the revival of businesses 8. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage? [A] Radical reforms are essential for the increase of productivity. [B] New ways of organizing workplaces may help to increase productivity. [C] The reduction of costs is not a sure way to gain long-term profitability. [D] The consultants are a bunch of good-for-nothings. Passage 3 Science has long had an uneasy relationship with other aspects of culture. Think of Gallileo's 17th-century trial for his rebelling belief before the Catholic Church or poet William Blake's harsh remarks against the mechanistic worldview of Isaac Newton. The schism between science and the humanities has, if anything, deepened in this century. Until recently, the scientific community was so powerful that it could afford to ignore its critics — but no longer. As funding for science has declined, scientists have attacked "antiscience" in several books, notably Higher Superstition, by Paul R. Gross, a biologist at the University of Virginia, and Norman Levitt, a mathematician at Rutgers University; and The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan of Cornell University. Defenders of science have also voiced their concerns at meetings such as "The Flight from Science and Reason," held in New York City in 1995, and "Science in the Age of (Mis) information," which assembled last June near Buffalo. Antiscience clearly means different things to different people. Gross and Levitt find fault primarily with sociologists, philosophers and other academics who have questioned science's objectivity. Sagan is more concerned with those who believe in ghosts, creationism and other phenomena that contradict the scientific worldview. A survey of news stories in 1996 reveals that the antiscience tag has been attached to many other groups as well, from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research. Few would dispute that the term applies to the Unabomber, whose manifesto, published in 1995, scorns science and longs for return to a pretechnological utopia. But surely that does not mean environmentalists concerned about uncontrolled industrial growth are antiscience, as an essay in US News & World Report last May seemed to suggest. The environmentalists, inevitably, respond to such critics. The true enemies of science, argues Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, a pioneer of environmental studies, are those who question the evidence supporting global warming