consumer products become similar. Already English and a few other major tongues have emerged as global languages of commerce and communication. For many of the world’s peoples, learning one of these languages is viewed as the key to education, economic opportunity, and a better way of life.
Only about 3,000 languages now in use are expected to survive the coming century. Are most of the rest doomed in the century after that?
Whether most of these languages survive will probably depend on how strongly cultural groups wish to keep their identity alive through a native language. To do so will require an emphasis on bilingualism（mastery of two languages）. Bilingual speakers could use their own language in smaller spheres---at home, among friends, in community settings---and a global language at work, in dealings with government, and in commercial spheres. In this way, many small languages could sustain their cultural and linguistic integrity alongside global languages, rather than yield to the homogenizing（同化的）forces of globalization.
Ironically, the trend of technological innovation that has threatened minority languages could also help save them. For example, some experts predict that computer software translation tools will one day permit minority language speakers to browse the Internet using their native tongues. Linguists are currently using computer—aided learning tools to teach a variety of threatened languages.
For many endangered languages, the line between revival and death is extremely thin. Language is remarkably resilient（有活力的）,however. It is not just a tool for communicating, but also a powerful way of separating different groups, or of demonstrating group identity. Many indigenous（原生的,土著的）communities have shown that it is possible to live in the modern world while reclaiming their unique identities through language. 41.Minority languages can be best preserved in __________.
A.an increasingly interconnected world B.maintaining small numbers of speakers C.relatively isolated language communities D.following the tradition of the 20th century 42.According to Paragraph 2, that the world can maintain its linguistic diversity in the future is _______. A.uncertain B.unrealistic C.foreseeable D.definite 43.According to the author, bilingualism can help_________.
A.small languages become acceptable in work places B.homogenize the world’s languages and cultures C.global languages reach home and community settings D.speakers maintain their linguistic and cultural identity 44.Computer technology is helpful for preserving minority languages in that it_________.
A.makes learning a global language unnecessary B.facilitates the learning and using of those languages C.raises public awareness of saving those languages D.makes it easier for linguists to study those languages
45.In the author’s view, many endangered languages are________.
A.remarkably well-kept in this modern world B.exceptionally powerful tools of communication C.quite possible to be revived instead of dying out D.a unique way of bringing different groups together Passage Two
Everyone, it seems, has a health problem. After pouring billions into the National Health Service, British people moan about dirty hospitals, long waits and wasted money. In Germany the new chancellor, Angela Merkel, is under fire for suggesting changing the financing of its health system. Canada’s new Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, made a big fuss during the election about reducing the country’s lengthy medical queues. Across the rich world, affluence, ageing and advancing technology are driving up health spending faster than income.
But nowhere has a bigger health problem than America. Soaring medical bills are squeezing wages, swelling the ranks of the uninsured and pushing huge firms and perhaps even the government towards bankruptcy. Ford’s announcement this week that it would cut up to 30.000 jobs by 2012 was as much a sign of it’s “legacy ” health –care costs as of the ills of the car industry. Pushed by polls that show health care is one of his main domestic problems and by forecasts showing that the retiring baby-boomers (生育高峰期出生的人) will crush the government’s finances, George Bush is to unveil a reform ;plan in next week’s state-of –the –union address.
America’s health system is unlike any other. The Unite States spends 16% of its GDP on health, around twice the rich-country average, equivalent to $6,280 for every American each year. Yet it is the only rich country that does not guarantee universal health coverage. Thanks to an accident of history, most Americans receive health insurance through their employer, with the government picking up the bill for the poor and the elderly.
This curious hybrid（混合物） certainly has its strengths. Americans have more choice than anybody else, and their health-care system is much more innovative. Europeans’ bills could be much higher if American medicine were not doing much of their Research and Development（R&D）for them. But there are also huge weaknesses. The one most often cited—especially by foreigners—is the army of uninsured. Some 46 million Americans do not have cover. In many cases that is out of choice and ,if they fall seriously ill, hospitals have to treat them. But it is still deeply unequal. And there are also shocking inefficiencies: by some measures,30% of American health spending is wasted.
Then there is the question of state support. Many Americans disapprove of the “socialized medicine” of Canada and Europe. In fact, even if much of the administration is done privately, around 60% of America’s heath-care bill ends up being met by the government. Proportionately, the American state already spends as much on health as the OECD（Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development）average, and that share is set to grow as the baby-boomers run up their Medicare bills and ever more employers avoid providing health-care coverage. America is , in effect,
heading towards a version of socialized medicine by default.
46.Health problems mentioned in the passage include all the following EXCEPT_________. A. poor hospital conditions in U.K. B. Angela Merkel under attack C. health financing in Germany D. long waiting lines in Canada
47.Ford’s announcement of cutting up to 30,000 jobs by 2012 indicates that Ford_________.
A. has the biggest health problem of the car industry B. has made profits from its health-care legacy C. has accumulated too heavy a health-care burden D. owes a great deal of debt to its employees 48.In the author’s opinion, America’s health system is _________.
A. inefficient B. feasible C. unpopular D. successful 49.It is implied in the passage that_________.
A. America’s health system has its strengths and weaknesses B. the US government pays medical bills for the poor and the elderly C. some 46 million Americans do not have medical insurance D. Europeans benefit a lot from America’s medical research
50.from the last paragraph we may learn that the “socialized medicine” is____________. A. a practice of Canada and Europe B. a policy adopted by the US government C. intended for the retiring baby-boomers D. administered by private enterprises Passage Three
When Thomas Keller, one of America’s foremost chefs, announced that on Sept. I he would abolish the practice of tipping at Per Se. his luxury restaurant in New York City, and replace it with European-style service charge, I knew three groups would be opposed: customers, servers and restaurant owners. These three groups are all committed to
tipping——as they quickly made clear on Web sites. To oppose tipping , it seems, is to be anticapitalist, and maybe even a little French..
But Mr. Keller is right to move away from tipping—and it’s worth exploring why just about everyone else in the restaurant world is wrong to stick with the practice.
Customers believe in tipping because they think it makes economic sense. “Waiters know that they won’t get paid if they don’t do a good job” is how most advocates of the system would put it. To be sure, this is a tempting, apparently rational statement about economic theory, but it appears to have little applicability to the real world of restaurants. Michael Lynn, an associate professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, has conducted dozens of students of tipping and has concluded that consumers assessments of the
quality of service correlate weakly to the amount they tip.
Rather, customers are likely to tip more in response to servers touching them lightly and leaning forward next to the table to make conversation than to how often their water glass is refilled——in other words, customers tip more when they like the server, not when the service is good. Mr. Lynn’s studies also indicate that male customers increase their tips for female servers while female customers increase their tips for male servers,.
What’s more,. consumers seem to forget that the tip increases as the bill increases. Thus, the tipping system is an open invitation to what restaurant professionals call “upwelling”: every bottle of imported water, every espresso and every cocktail is extra money in the server’s pocket. Aggressive upwelling for tips is often rewarded while low-key, quality service often goes unrecognized.
In addition , the practice of tip pooling , which is the norm in fine-dining restaurants and is becoming more in every kind of restaurant above the level of a greasy spoon , has ruined whatever effect voting with your tip might have had on an individual waiter . In an unreasonable outcome , you are punishing the good waiters in the restaurant by not tipping the bad one . Indeed , there appear to be little connection between tipping and good service . 51.It may be inferred that a European-style service______.
A . is tipping-free B .charges little tip C .is the author’s initiative D .is offered at Per-se 52.Which of the following is NOT true according to the author .
A .Tipping is a common practice in the restaurant world. B .Waiters don’t care about tipping
C .Customers generally believe in tipping. D .Tipping has little connection with the quality of service. 53.According to Michael Lynn’s studies, waiters will likely get more tips if they______
A. have performed good service B. frequently refill customers’ water glass C. win customers’ favor D. serve customers of the same sex 54.We may infer from the context that “upwelling”(Line 2, Para 6) probably means ________ A. selling something up B. selling something fancy
C. selling something unnecessary D. selling something more expensive 55.This passage is mainly about __________
A. reasons to abolish the practice of tipping B. economic sense of tipping C. consumers’ attitudes towards tipping D. tipping for good service Passage Four
“I promise.” “ I swear to you it’ll never happen again.” “I give you my word.” “Honestly. Believe me.” Sure, I trust. Why not? I teach English composition at a private college. With a certain excitement and intensity. I read my students’