We’ve considered several ways of paying to cut in line: hiring line standers, buying tickets from scalpers (票贩子), or purchasing line-cutting privileges directly from, say, an airline or an amusement park. Each of these deals replaces the morals of the queue (waiting your turn) with the morals of the market (paying a price for faster service).
Markets and queues — paying and waiting — are two different ways of allocating things, and each is appropriate to different activities. The morals of the queue, “First come, first served, have an egalitarian (平等主义的) appeal. They tell us to ignore privilege, power, and deep pockets.
The principle seems right on playgrounds and at bus stops. But the morals of the queue do not govern all occasions. If I put my house up for sale, I have no duty to accept the first offer that comes along, simply because it’s the first. Selling my house and waiting for a bus are different activities, properly governed by different standards.
Sometimes standards change, and it is unclear which principle should apply. Think of the recorded message you hear, played over and over, as you wait on hold when calling your bank: “Your call will be answered in the order in which it was received.” This is essential for the morals of the queue. It’s as if the company is trying to ease our impatience with fairness.
But don’t take the recorded message too seriously. Today, some people’s calls are answered faster than others. Call center technology enables companies to “score” incoming calls and to give faster service to those that come from rich places. You might call this telephonic queue jumping.
Of course, markets and queues are not the only ways of allocating things. Some goods we distribute by merit, others by need, still others by chance. However, the tendency of markets to replace queues, and other non-market ways of allocating goods is so common in modern life that we scarcely notice it anymore. It is striking that most of the paid queue-jumping schemes we’ve considered — at airports and amusement parks, in call centers, doctors’ offices, and national parks — are recent developments, scarcely imaginable three decades ago. The disappearance of the queues in these places may seem an unusual concern, but these are not the only places that markets have entered.63.According to the author, which of the following seems governed by the principle “First come, first served”?
A.Flying with an airline | B.Buying houses |
C.Taking buses | D.Visiting amusement parks |
64.The example of the recorded message in Paragraphs 4 and 5 shows ______.
A.the necessity of patience in queuing |
B.the advantage of modern technology |
C.the uncertainty of allocation principle |
D.the fairness of telephonic services |
65.The passage is meant to ______.
A.discuss the morals of allocating things |
B.justify paying for faster services |
C.analyze the reason for standing in line |
D.criticize the behavior of queue jumping |
Movies in the theater get their recognition at awards ceremonies, such as the Oscars. But how about movies for phones? They are getting their turn at MoFilm—the first mobile film festival.
The first MoFilm competition received 250 entries from more than 100 countries. Entries were restricted to films that were five minutes or less in length—ideal for viewing and sharing on mobile phones. An independent jury then selected a shortlist of five film-makers. The winner was chosen from the shortlist by an audience voting using their phones.
New Platforms
The awards highlight the increasing impact that mobile phones are making in the entertainment industry. Many grassroots filmmakers start out with short films. They are thwarted by the lack of opportunities to screen their work. Therefore, mobile phones are increasingly being seen as a new platform for these short works.
It is a good place for anyone who wants to express themselves and find a way to have that expression be seen by a wide audience. Just think about how many people have mobile phones in the world!
New Technology Advances
MoFilm is pioneering content for mobile and online services that is a world away from Hollywood. The majority of films made for mobiles are now short in length, taking into account the screen size. However this could be overcome as technology advances.
In the near future, longer films will likely be seen on the mobile phone. And there are mobile companies creating phones where users can watch movies at higher quality.
Wherever you see movies, one thing is certain: the quality of work, the simple ability at story telling, and the thing that inspires someone to tell a story can really come from anywhere At the first MoFilm, .
A.movies in the theater got their recognition |
B.more than 100 countries took part in the competition |
C.ideal films were five minutes or less in length |
D.the winner was chosen by experts' voting |
They are thwarted by the lack of opportunities to screen their work. The underlined word means “ ”.
A.disappointed | B.surprised | C.frightened | D.encouraged |
Nowadays the majority of films made for mobiles are short in length because of .
A.online services | B.the mobile phone | C.technology advances | D.the screen size |
What’s the best title for the passage?
A.Putting Movies on Mobiles |
B.Introduction of Latest Mobile Phones |
C.Mobile Phones’ Ceremonies |
D.Film Awards Broadcast on Mobile Phones |
Which statement is NOT true?
A.MoFilm is not a part of Hollywood. |
B.Mobile phones are considered to be a new platform for short films. |
C.MoFilm get their recognition through Oscars. |
D.Films made for mobiles will likely be cleaner. |
Like distance runners on a measured course, all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern.
In the first stage of our lives, we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality (活力,生气).
After we grow up, however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out.
A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality, yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging.
Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body. The lungs become less able to take in oxygen. Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength. The heart loses power and pumps less blood. Bones grow easier to break.
Finally, we meet a stress, a stress that is greater than our physical resistance. Often, it is only a minor accident or chance infection (a disease caused by virus), but this time, it brings life to an end.
In 1932, a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats, simply by cutting back the calories in their diet. The reason for the effect was then unknown.
Today, at the University of California at Berkley, Dr. Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats. The result was achieved through a special protein limited diet, which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain. Seagle showed that within the brain, specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging. By changing that chemical balance, the clock of aging can be reset.
For the first time, the mystery of why we age is being seriously challenged. Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries.
An average lifetime lasts 75 years, yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life. If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A.Physical vitality. | B.Stress. | C.Aging. | D.Physical resistance. |
Which of the following is not a change of aging?
A.The lungs become unable to take in oxygen. |
B.People gradually lose their muscle strength. |
C.The heart loses power and pumps less blood. |
D.Bones tend to break more easily. |
The author believes the following except that ________.
A.human’s life pattern is predictable |
B.physical fitness can’t stop the force of aging |
C.human’s lifetime will last longer than 75 years |
D.all of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body |
How did Dr. Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?
A.By limiting the protein in their diet. | B.By cutting the calories in their diet. |
C.By resetting their clock of aging. | D.By keeping their physical fitness. |
What is probably the best title for the article?
A.Two Great Experiments | B.The Mystery of Human Life |
C.Ways to lengthen Human Life | D.The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging |
After battling hard times and danger for over nine months, British teenager Mike Perham made history last month as the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
The 17-year-old made the record after he cleared the Panama Canal and then sailed through the Caribbean and got home across the Atlantic.
Mike is only three months younger than Zac Sunderland, the 17-year-old American boy who had taken the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor in July.
The two youngsters met in Cape Town in South Africa as they crossed the globe in different directions. Mike insisted they were not rivals(竞争对手). “No. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime,” he said.
Mike may be young, but he is no stranger to sailing adventures. He picked up the hobby at the age of 6 when his father took him out in a small boat on a local lake. Father and son sailed separate boats across the Atlantic when Mike was 14, making him the youngest person to cross that ocean solo. That record gave him the taste for this even greater challenge.
On the recent journey, the scariest moment for Mike came when his sailboat was hit by storms in the southern Indian Ocean.
“We were picked up by what felt like a 60-foot wave and threw down on our side at 90 degrees,” he said.
“It felt like I was going right over. Stuff was flying around and I just thought ‘Oh no’.”
At other times, he had to dive into the Pacific and fix problems. He tied himself to the boat, jumped into the water and went to work with a knife in 30-second dives underneath the boat to cut a rope away.
Mike said he felt proud that he made his dream come true. “You've got to have confidence in yourself that you will make it,” he said.. What's the main idea of the passage?
A.A British teenager became the youngest person to sail solo around the world. |
B.How a British teenager developed his sailing hobby. |
C.A British teenager's brave experience. |
D.A British teenager's confidence. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Mike Perham crossed the Panama Canal. |
B.Mike and Zac took the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor at the same age. |
C.The two youngsters crossed the globe in different directions. |
D.Mike was never frightened during the sailing. |
What does the underlined word “taste” in the fifth paragraph mean?
A.Flavor. | B.Preference. | C.Experience. | D.Ability. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Both Mike and Zac had adventured spirits. |
B.Mike is older than Zac. |
C.They both are brave but they have different goals. |
D.Mike took up the hobby of sailing adventures at 14. |
What did Mike believe in?
A.Having confidence in yourself will make you successful. |
B.Braveness is important in sailing. |
C.One should pick up a hobby as a child. |
D.Pride goes before a fall. |
Mr. Peter Johnson, aged twenty-three, battled for half an hour to escape from his trapped car yesterday when it landed upside down in three feet of water. Mr. Johnson took the only escape route — through the boot (行李箱).
Mr. Johnson’s car had finished up in a ditch at Romney Marsin Kent after skidding on ice and hitting a bank. “Fortunately, the water began to come in only slowly,” Mr. Johnson said. “I couldn’t force the doors open because they were jammed against the walls of the ditch and dared not open the windows because I knew water would come flooding in.”
Mr. Johnson, a sweet salesman of Sitting Home Kent, first tried to attract the attention of other motorists by sounding the horn and hammering on the roof and boot. Then he began his struggle to escape.
Later he said, “It was really a half penny that saved my life. It was the only coin I had in my pocket and I used it to unscrew the back seat to get into the boot. I hammered desperately with a hammer trying to make someone hear, but no help came.”
It took ten minutes to unscrew the seat, and a further five minutes to clear the sweet samples from the boot. Then Mr. Johnson found a wrench and began to work on the boot lock. Fifteen minutes passed by. “It was the only chance I had. Finally it gave, but as soon as I moved the boot lid, the water and mud poured in. I forced the lid down into the mud and scrambled clear as the car filled up.”
His hands and arms cut and bruised (擦伤), Mr. Johnson got to Beckett Farm nearby, where he was looked after by the farmer’s wife, Mrs. Lucy Bates. Huddled in a blanket, he said, “That thirty minutes seemed like hours.” Only the tips of the car wheels were visible, police said last night. The vehicle had sunk into two feet of mud at the bottom of the ditch. Which of the following objects is the most important to Mr. Johnson?
A.The hammer. | B.The coin. |
C.The screw. | D.The horn. |
Which statement is true according to the passage?
A.Mr. Johnson’s car stood on its boot as it fell down. |
B.Mr. Johnson could not escape from the door because it was full of sweet jam. |
C.Mr. Johnson’s car accident was partly due to the slippery road. |
D.Mr. Johnson struggled in the pouring mud as he unscrewed the back seat. |
“Finally it gave” (Paragraph 5) means that _________.
A.Luckily the door was torn away in the end |
B.At last the wrench went broken |
C.The lock came open after all his efforts |
D.The chance was lost at the last minute |
It may be inferred from the passage that _________.
A.the ditch was along a quiet country road |
B.the accident happened on a clear warm day |
C.the police helped Mr. Johnson get out of the ditch |
D.Mr. Johnson had a tender wife and was well attended |
What is the best title for this newspaper article?
A.The Story of Mr. Johnson, A Sweet Salesman |
B.Car Boot Can Serve As The Best Escape Route |
C.Driver Escapes Through Car Boot |
D.The Driver Survived A Terrible Car Accident |
Drawings of human colonies on other planets often picture the entire community under a glass or plastic bubble. The bubble is intended to create an atmosphere with adequate oxygen and other essential elements. But similar bubble-like structures have also been constructed on earth. One of the most famous, and controversial, is a site in the Arizona desert.
Biosphere 2, as it is called, was built not far from Tucson in 1984 and is now run by Columbia University. This huge(7,200,000-cubic-foot)glass and steel construction contains several separate ecosystems, including a desert, a rain forest, and a 900,000-gallon “ocean.” The climatic conditions-humidity, temperature, air quality-are regulated by sensors and can be adjusted as needed or desired. For example, a rainstorm can be created to increase the humidity. The adjustable features of Biosphere 2 make it an ideal location to perform experiments to help determine the effects of such climatic changes as global warming.
The current conditions at Biosphere 2 are vastly different from those in 1993, when eight people who had moved into the environment with great fanfare two years earlier moved out in failure. Though promising to be self-sufficient(自足的), these “colonists” had so much trouble regulating the environment that they reportedly had food smuggled into them. Oxygen levels became dangerously low; most plants and animals died. In taking over the unsuccessful site, Columbia hopes to erase its notorious past by focusing on small research projects that gradually answer some of Biosphere 1’s — that is, Earth’s most basic environment questions.This passage primarily deals with _________.
A.conditions of life in Biosphere 2 |
B.building controlled environments on other planets |
C.why Biosphere 2 failed in the past |
D.what makes a good biosphere colonist |
Biosphere 2 is now run by _________.
A.a group of eight colonists |
B.Columbia University |
C.the city of Tucson |
D.scientists who hope to establish Biosphere 3 |
The passage suggests that earlier colonists of Biosphere 2 _________.
A.did not like living in a controlled environment |
B.found it very difficult to live in a controlled environment |
C.still are involved with Biosphere 2 |
D.have now left the country in disgrace |
The writer helps you understand what Biosphere 2 is like by _________.
A.comparing its features with those of an outer space biosphere |
B.explaining the process by which it was constructed |
C.referring to an interview with one of former inhabitants |
D.describing its appearance and conditions |
In paragraph 3 the word “notorious” means _________.
A.well known for something good | B.well known for something bad |
C.very dangerous | D.quite interesting |