题目
Oil prices have raised overall consumer prices and cut into household purchasing power. So far the higher costs haven't deterred(阻止) buying, even buying of cars and other energy-sensitive items. The major reason for the lack of reaction is that oil is less important to the economy than it once was. Oil, which produced 45% of world energy in 1971, accounted for only 35% in 2003, with increases in nuclear and natural gas use making up the difference.
GM, Ford, and Chrysler suffered as buyers shifted to more fuel-efficient vehicles from Toyota and Honda, but the shift was hot pronounced. Admittedly, light truck sales are holding up in part because manufacturers are offering large discounts to "move the metal", but the fact that buyers are responding to those incentives shows they aren't too scared of gas prices.
Americans continue to spend more than they earn, but gasoline prices will have an effect. Although the April chain store results suggest gasoline prices aren't hurting much yet, eventually Americans will be forced to realize that they have to slow down. We expect the economy to slow in the second half of the year as the impact of higher oil prices sinks in. How much the economy slows will depend on how high oil prices remain. We expect some drop in oil prices by yearend, but I have been saying that for so long even I am starting not to believe it.
The anger against the oil companies is clearly misplaced. Exxon and friends control only a small share of world oil reserves. Most are now in the hands of state-owned oil companies. The recent move by Bolivia to nationalize its industry is only the latest in a long line of similar actions. The history of these enterprises is one of severe underinvestment and mismanagement, which tends to reduce supply and keep prices high. The risk on oil prices is primarily on the high side of our forecast.
Although I think oil prices will drop back in the medium term, to address my serious worries, I'm buying my wife a bike for Mothers' Day.
The economy at the beginning of 2006 is not affected by the high oil price mainly because ______.
A.the warm winter requires less oil to run the heaters
B.the warm winter promotes consumption, across the country
C.people believe that the oil price will drop in near future
D.people don't think the high price will make much of a difference
第1题
第2题
在索洛维亚这个经济中,资本所有者得到了的国民收入,而工人得到了的国民收入。
a.索洛维亚的男人留在家里从事家务劳动,而妇女在工厂干活。如果一些男人开始走出家门去工作,以至劳动力增加了5%,这个经济可衡量的产出会发生什么变动?劳动生产率——定义为每个工人的产出——是提高了,下降了,还是保持不变?全要素增长率提高了,下降了。还是保持不变?
b.在第1年,资本存量为6,劳动投入为3,产出为12。在第2年,资本存量为7,劳动投入为4,产出为14。在这两年之间,全要素生产率发生了什么变动?
In the economy of Solovia, the owners of capital get two-thirds of national income, and the workers receive one-third.
a.The men of Solovia stay at home performing household chores, while the women work in factories. If some of the men started working outside the home so that the labor force increased by 5 percent, what would happen to the measured output of the economy? Does labor productivity-defined as output per worker-increase, decrease, or stay the same? Does total factor productivity increase, decrease, or stay the same?
b.In year 1, the capital stock was 6, the labor input was 3, and output was 12. In year 2, the capital stock was 7, the labor input was 4, and output was 14. What happened to total factor productivity between the two years?
第3题
But now the tables have turned. Today Silicon Valley executives are the ones often coming out in suits. No wonder that Fortune 500 executives are dusting off their silk ties and pants. "I would say there is a trend now toward a little more business dress," said Kennedy. "I find myself wearing suits more."
While there isn't a rush toward formal office wear, clothiers and executives say the workplace uniform. is heading that way. In many offices, men are wearing jackets, ties and pants more frequently than a year ago. Top women executives never went as casual as men, so the shift doesn't affect them as dramatically.
"Business casual" took several years to catch on. It started with casual Fridays, evolved to casual summers, then became casual everyday.
Observers mention many factors driving the trend Internet companies helped lead the dress-down movement and other industries followed suit to attract workers. But with the collapse of many dot-corns, the relaxed look is becoming a style. to avoid. Moreover, as the economy stumbles, more people are hunting for jobs or trying to keep the ones they have, and appearance counts.
U.S. President Bush wears a coat and tie in the White House office and expects his staff to dress "professionally," which some say sets a tone for the nation.
"Business casual" was prevalent several years ago because ______
A.the Manhattan law business grew very quickly
B.shaking hands with clients became popular
C.the country was fighting the conservatives
D.the Internet companies boomed then
第4题
Across generational lines, Americans continue to prize many of the same traditional milestones of a successful life, including getting married, having children, owning a home, and retiring in their sixties. But while young and old mostly agree on what constitutes the finish line of a fulfilling life, they offer strikingly different paths for reaching it. Young people who are still getting started in life were more likely than older adults to prioritize personal fulfillment in their work, to believe they will advance their careers most by regularly changing jobs, to favor communities with more public services and a faster pace of life, to agree that couples should be financially secure before getting married or having children, and to maintain that children are best served by two parents working outside the home, the survey found.
From career to community and family, these contrasts suggest that in the aftermath of the searing Great Recession, those just starting out in life are defining priorities and expectations that will increasingly spread through virtually all aspects of American life, from consumer preferences to housing patterns to politics. Young and old converge on one key point: Overwhelming majorities of both groups said they believe it is harder for young people today to get started in life than it was for earlier generations.
While younger people are somewhat more optimistic than their elders about the prospects for those starting out today, big majorities in both groups believe those “just getting started in life” face a tougher a good-paying job, starting a family, managing debt, and finding affordable housing.
Pete Schneider considers the climb tougher today. Schneider, a 27-yaear-old auto technician from the Chicago suburbs says he struggled to find a job after graduating from college. Even now that he is working steadily, he said.” I can’t afford to pay ma monthly mortgage payments on my own, so I have to rent rooms out to people to mark that happen.” Looking back, he is struck that his parents could provide a comfortable life for their?children even though neither had completed college when he was young. “I still grew up in an upper middle-class home with parents who didn’t have college degrees,” Schneider said. “I don’t think people are capable of that anymore.”
One cross-generation mark of a successful life is_____.
A.trying out different lifestyles
B.having a family with children
C.working beyond retirement age
D.setting up a profitable business
It can be learned from Paragraph 3 that young people tend to____.A.favor a slower life pace
B.hold an occupation longer
C.attach importance to pre-marital finance
D.give priority to childcare outside the home
The priorities and expectations defined by the young will____.A.become increasingly clear
B.focus on materialistic issues
C.depend largely on political preferences
D.reach almost all aspects of American life
Which of the following is true about Schneider?A.He found a dream job after graduating from college.
B.His parents believe working steadily is a must for success.
C.His parents’ good life has little to do with a college degree.
D.He thinks his job as a technician quite challenging.
Both young and old agree that____.A.good-paying jobs are less available
B.the old made more life achievements
C.housing loans today are easy to obtain
D.getting established is harder for the young
请帮忙给出每个问题的正确答案和分析,谢谢!
第5题
1930s, haven’t been seen in American skies for more than 70 years. Now, a California company plans to bring the aircraft back to the United States.
Airship Venture-the name of the zeppelin-arrived in the Bay Area on Saturday, passing over the Golden Gate Bridge on its way to the new home at Moffett Field. Fifteen feet longer than a Boeing 747, the huge aircraft will offer rides that provide a bird’s-eye view of many parts of the Bay Area on Friday. It will hold 12 passengers and two crew members. The ticket price is $495 per person for a one-hour ride. "It can help you see the world in a way that you haven’t experienced before," said Brian Hall, who started the company last year with his wife. "In the zeppelin, you’re flying low and slow. You’re going at a comfortable pace. You’re seeing things that you wouldn’t see from the road."
Zeppelins were invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin of Germany in the late 19th century to send commercial passengers. They were also used as military carriers until the start of World War II. The zeppelin’s golden age ended in 1937 when the LZ-129 Hindenburg, the largest one ever built, caught fire and burst into flames in New Jersey, killing 35 of 97 people on board.But about ten years ago, German companies began to build zeppelins and offer passenger rides. "The new type,Airship Venture, can carry more than 80,000 passengers with safety." Hall said. He and his wife came up with the business plan for Airship Venture about two years ago. Two more zeppelins, which take about 18 months to build, plan to offer tours from New York to Florida in 2010.
Despite the slumping (衰退的) economy, the company expects to sell about 15,000 tickets a year in the Bay Area, aiming to attract passengers for special days such as birthdays, anniversaries and even weddings.
1、Airship Venture will hold _____ persons for sightseeing on Friday.
A、12
B、13
C、14
D、15
2、We can infer from the passage that _____.
A、zeppelins offer a different way to see the world
B、the zeppelin flies fast at a comfortable pace
C、zeppelins were made by Brian Hall in Germany
D、the zeppelin’s golden age started in World War II
3、Zeppelins were or are used in these ways EXCEPT ______.
A、carrying people for sightseeing
B、sending commercial passengers
C、dropping bombs
D、forecasting weather
4、What happened to the LZ-129 Hindenburg?()
A、Passengers loved it most
B、Passengers were killed on it
C、It was the safest zeppelin
D、It worked as a military carrier
5、Airship Venture targets on people who plan to celebrate _____.
A、birthdays
B、anniversaries
C、weddings
D、all of the above
第6题
Black or Hispanic women are four times as likely to be low-wage workers as are white men with comparable skills and experience. White women are more than three times as likely as white men to be low-wage workers, and black or Hispanic men more than one-and-a-half times as likely. More than half of ail low-wage workers are the only wage workers in their families, or live alone.
Employment no longer provides an escape from poverty. More than eight million working adults are poor; two million of them work full-time, year-round. More than seven million poor children have at least one working parent. When that one working parent is a low-wage worker, the children have no better chance of escaping from poverty than if the parent were not working at all; more than two-fifths of such children are poor.
Even if generous income assistance were available, file wages employers pay would be held to a minimum. In addition, policies such as tax credits for working parents do nothing to increase the political power of working women and men.
Our research shows that unionization is among the most effective strategies for raising pay, especially for women and minority men. Being a union member, or being covered by a collective-bargaining agreement, raised 1984 wages by $1.79 per hour for Hispanic men, $1. 32 for black men, $1.26 for Hispanic women, $1.01 for black women, $0.68 for white women, and$ 0.41 for white men, when all other factors, such as occupation, industry, firm size, education and experience were held constant. In percentage terms, the union increase was more than 15 percent for blacks and Hispanics, 11 percent for white women, and 4 percent for white men.
During the 1980s, women started to play a more important role in ______.
A.demanding political rights.
B.improving social welfare.
C.supporting the family.
D.earning better wages.
第7题
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common phenomenon in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them -- as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents -- has produced a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago city officials make their best effort to include Chinese in their public schools. Their program has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. Supporters see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as an advantagein a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world's next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to think about their careers, The question is when, not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
(80) The number of students leaming Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French. But one report shows that before-college enrollment (报名人数) nearly quadrupled between 1992 and 2002, from 6,000 to 24,000. Despite the demand, though, developing programs isn't easy. And the No. one difficulty, everyone agrees, is having enough teachers. Finding teacher “is the challenge,” says Scott McGinnis, an academic adviser for a language institute and a Chinese teacher for 15 years at the college level. “Materials are easy comparison. Or getting schools funded.”
第11题:The best title for this passage might be_____.
A. Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese
B. Next Hot Language to Study: Spanish
C.Next Hot Language to Study: French
D. Chicago Is the Place to Learn Chinese
第8题
But after decades of hype, American offices may finally be losing their paper obsession. The demand for paper used to outstrip the growth of the US economy, but the past two or three years have seen a marked slowdown in sales—despite a healthy economic scene.
Analysts attribute the decline to such factors as advances in digital databases and communication systems. Escaping our craving for paper, however, will be anything but an easy affair.
"Old habits are hard to break," says Merilyn Dunn, a communications supplies director. "There are some functions that paper serves where a screen display doesn't work. Those functions are both its strength and its weakness. "
In the early to mid-90s, a booming economy and improved desktop printers helped boost paper sales by 6 to 7 percent each year. The convenience of desktop printing allowed office workers to indulge in printing anything and everything at very little effort or cost.
But now, the growth rate of paper sales in the United States is flattening by about half a percent each year. Between 2004 and 2005, Ms. Dunn says, plain white office paper will see less than a 4 percent growth rate, despite the strong overall economy. A primary reason for the change, says Dunn, is that for the first time ever, some 47 percent of the workforce entered the job market after computers had already been introduced to offices.
"We're finally seeing a reduction in the amount of paper being used per worker in the workplace," says John Maine, vice president of a pulp and paper economic consulting firm. "More information is being transmitted electronically, and more and more people are comfortable with the information residing only in electronic form. without printing multiple backups. "
In addition, Mr. Maine points to the lackluster employment market for white-collar workers—the primary driver of office paper consumption—for the shift in paper usage.
The real paradigm shift may be in the way paper is used. Since the advent of advanced and reliable office-network systems, data storage has moved away from paper archives. The secretarial art of "filing" is disappearing from job descriptions. Much of today's data may never leave its original digital format.
The changing attitudes toward paper have finally caught the attention of paper companies, says Richard Harper, a researcher at Microsoft. "All of a sudden, the paper industry has started thinking. 'We need to learn more about the behavioural aspects of paper use. '" he says. "They had never asked, they'd just assumed that 70 million sheets would be bought per year as a literal function of economic growth. "
To reduce paper use, some companies are working to combine digital and paper capabilities.
For example, Xerox Corp. is developing electronic paper: thin digital displays that respond to a stylus, like a pen on paper. Notations can be erased or saved digitally.
Another idea, intelligent paper, comes from Anoto Group. It would allow notations made with a stylus on a page printed with a special magnetic ink to simultaneously appear on a computer screen.
Even with such technological advances, the improved capabilities of digital storage continue to act against "paperlessness," argues Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster. In his prophetic and metaphorical 1989 essay, "The Electronic Pinata (彩罐)", he suggests that the increasing amounts of electronic data necessarily require more paper.
The information industry today is like a huge electronic pinata, composed of a thin paper crust surrounding an electronic core. " Mr. Saffo wrote. The growing paper crust "is most noticeab
A.It further explains high-tech hubris.
B.It confirms the effect of high-tech hubris.
C.It offers a cause for high-tech hubris.
D.It offers a contrast to high-tech hubris.
为了保护您的账号安全,请在“赏学吧”公众号进行验证,点击“官网服务”-“账号验证”后输入验证码“”完成验证,验证成功后方可继续查看答案!