The US ranks 3rd in terms of population.

Which of the following records of the US football team is true？

A．First place in the 3rd world Cup.

B．Second place in the 4th World Cup.

C．Third place in the 1st World Cup.

D．Fourth place in the 2nd World Cup.

thousands, in a useful way." This sentence in the 3rd paragraph tells us that ______.

A．other search engines are less convenient in use

B．Google is the best search engine

C．there are too many search engine

D．all the search engines are basically the same

听力原文：M: Lily, are you interested in traveling？

W: Yes, why？

M: The school Travel Association is planning for a trip to Guilin.

W: Oh, Guilin is a beautiful place.

M: Do you like to join us？

W: When will you set out？

M: We are thinking of the National Day Holiday. Will you be free then？

W: Unfortunately, I'll take part in the 3rd Spoken English Competition in Beijing at that time.

M: Oh, what a pity! Hope you a success in your competition.

W. Thank you. I'll try my best.

(8)

A．The boy's association.

B．The girl's competition.

C．The trip to Beijing.

D．The trip to Guilin.

me at work than at any time since World WarⅡ. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other【3】country. Today, it【4】every country but Japan, where industrial employees log 2,155 hours a year compared【5】1,951 in the US and 1,603【6】West employees. Between 1969 and 1989, employed American【7】an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The work-week【8】at about 40 hours, but people are working more weeks each year.【9】, paid time off — holidays, vacations, sick leave —【10】15 percent in the 1990s.

As Corporations have【11】stiffer competition and slower growth in productivity, they would【12】employees to work longer. Cost-cutting layoffs in the 1980s【13】the professional and managerial ranks, leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower-paid occupations,【14】wages have been reduced, workers have added hours【15】overtime or extra jobs to【16】their living standard. The Government estimates that more than seven million people hold a second job.

For the first time, large【17】of people say they want to cut【18】on working hours, even if it means earning less money. But most employers are【19】to let them do so. The government which has stepped back from its traditional【20】as a regulator of work time, should take steps to make shorter hours possible.

(1)

A．As regards to

B．Regardless of

C．With regard to

D．In regard to

ime at work than at any time since World War Ⅱ. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other【53】country. Today, it【54】every country but Japan, where industrial employees log 2, 155 hours a year compared【55】1, 951 in the US and 1, 603【56】West employees. Between 1969 mad 1989, employed Americans【57】an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The work-week【58】at about 40 hours, but people are working more weeks each year.【59】, paid time off-holidays, vacations, sick leave--【60】15 percent in the 1990s.

As corporations have【61】stiffer competition and slower growth in productivity, they【62】employees to work longer. Cost-cutting layoffs in the 1980s【63】the professional and managerial ranks, leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower-paid occupations【64】wages have been reduced, workers have added hous【65】over-time or extra jobs to【66】their living standard. The Government estimates that more than seven million people hold a second job.

For the first time, large【67】of people say they want to cut【68】on working hours, even if it means earning less money. But most employers are【69】to let them do so. The government, which has stepped back from its traditional【70】as a regulator of work time, should take steps to make shorter hours possible.

(46)

A．as regards to

B．regardless of

C．with regard to

D．in regard to

ime at work than at any time since World War Ⅱ. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other【53】country. Today, it【54】every country but Japan, where industrial employees log 2, 155 hours a year compared【55】1, 951 in the US and 1, 603【56】West employees. Between 1969 mad 1989, employed Americans【57】an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The work-week【58】at about 40 hours, but people are working more weeks each year.【59】, paid time off-holidays, vacations, sick leave--【60】15 percent in the 1990s.

As corporations have【61】stiffer competition and slower growth in productivity, they【62】employees to work longer. Cost-cutting layoffs in the 1980s【63】the professional and managerial ranks, leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower-paid occupations【64】wages have been reduced, workers have added hous【65】over-time or extra jobs to【66】their living standard. The Government estimates that more than seven million people hold a second job.

For the first time, large【67】of people say they want to cut【68】on working hours, even if it means earning less money. But most employers are【69】to let them do so. The government, which has stepped back from its traditional【70】as a regulator of work time, should take steps to make shorter hours possible.

(46)

A．as regards to

B．regardless of

C．with regard to

D．in regard to

听力原文： Americans suffer from an overdose of work. Regardless of who they are or what they do, Americans spend more time at work than at any time since World War Ⅱ. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other industrialized country. Today it exceeds every country but Japan, where industrial employees log 2,155 hours a year, compared with 1, 951 in the US, and 1,603 in the former West Germany. Between 1969 and 1989 employed Americans added an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The work week has remained at about 40 hours, but people are working more weeks each year. Specifically, pay time off holidays, vacations, sick leave shrank by 50% in the 1980's. As corporations have experienced stiff competition and slower growth productivity, they have pressed employees to work longer. Cost cutting lay-offs in the 1980's reduced the professional and managerial ranks leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower paid occupations,, when wages have been reduced, workers have added hours in overtime or extra jobs to preserve their living standards. The government estimates that more than 7 million people hold a second job. For the first time, large numbers of people say they want to cut back on working hours even if it means earning less money. But most employers are unwilling to let them do so. The government, which has stepped back from its traditional role as a regulator？ of work time should take steps to make shorter hours possible.

(34)

A．Germany.

B．Japan.

C．The U.S.

D．The U. K.

There are a great many reasons for studying what philosophers

have said in the past. One is that we cannot separate the

history of philosophy from which of science. Philosophy is 【M1】 ______

large discussion about matters on which few people are quite 【M2】 ______

certain, and those few hold opposite opinions. As knowledge

increases, philosophy bud off the sciences. 【M3】 ______

For an example, in the ancient world and the Middle Ages 【M4】 ______

philosophers discussed motion. Aristotle and St. Thomas

Aquinas taught that a moving body would slow down until a force 【M5】______

were constantly applied to it. They were wrong. It goes on moving

unless something slows it down. But they had good arguments on

their side, and if we study these, and the experiments

which proved them fight this will help us to distinguish troth 【M6】 ______

from false in the scientific controversies of today. 【M7】 ______

We also see how different philosopher reflects the social 【M8】 ______

life of his day. Plato and Aristotle, in the slaveowning society

of ancient Greece, thought man's highest state was contemplation

rather than activity. In the Middle Ages St. Thomas

believed a regular feudal system of nine ranks of angels. Herbert 【M9】 ______

Spencer, in the time of free competition between capitalists,

found the key to progress as the survival of the fittest. Thus 【M10】 ______

Marxism is seen to fit into its place as the philosophy for

the workers, the only class with a future.

【M1】

In early June, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)—the club of the world's wealthy and almost wealthy nations released a 208-page document perversely titled "Pensions at a Glance". Inside is a rundown of how generous OECD members are to their burgeoning ranks of retirees.

The US is near the bottom, with the average wage earner able to count on a government-mandated pension for just 52.4% of what he got (after taxes) in his working days—and higher-income workers even less. But the picture at the other end of the scale (dominated by Continental Europe) is misleading. Most of these governments haven't put aside money for pensions. As the ranks of retirees grow and workforces do not, countries will have to either renege on commitments or tax the hides off future workers.

What the OECD data seem to suggest is that you can run a retirement plan that's fiscally sound but stingy, or you can make big promises that will eventually go sour. The US fits mostly in the former category—for all the gnashing of teeth about Social Security, its funding problems are modest by global standards.

But is that really the choice？ Actually, no. At least one country appears to have found a better way. In the Netherlands—"the globe's No.1 pensions country," says influential retirement-plan consultant Keith Ambachtsheer—the average retiree can count on a pension equal to 96.8% of his working income. Ample money is set aside to fund pensions, and it is invested prudently but not timidly. Companies contribute to employees' accounts but aren't stuck with profit-killing obligations if their business shrinks or the stock market tanks.

The Dutch have steered a middle way between irresponsible Continental generosity and practical Anglo-American stinginess. They have also, to lapse into pension jargon, split the difference between DB and DC plans. In a defined-benefit (DB) plan, workers are promised a retirement income, and the sponsor—usually a corporation or government—is on the hook to provide it. In a defined-contribution (DC) plan, the worker and sometimes the employer set aside money and hope it will be enough.

The big problem with DB is that sponsors are prone to lowball or ignore the true cost. In the U. S. , where corporate pensions provide a key supplement to Social Security, Congress has felt the need to pass multiple laws aimed at preventing companies from underfunding them. In response, some companies spent billions shoring up their funds; many others simply stopped offering pensions. Just since 2004, at least 66 big companies have frozen or terminated their DB plans, estimates Barclays Global Investors. Corporate DB has given way to individual DC plans like the 401(k) and IRA, but these put too much responsibility on the shoulders of individual workers. Many don't save enough money, and those who do set aside enough earn returns that are on average much lower than those of pension funds.

The Netherlands, like the US, has long relied on workplace pensions to supplement its government plan. The crucial difference is that these pensions were mandatory. Smaller employers had to band together to make a go of it, and industry-wide funds became standard. Run more as independent cooperatives than as captive corporate divisions, the Dutch funds were less prone to underfunding than their US counterparts. When they nonetheless ran into financial trouble in 2002 after the stock market crashed and interest rates sank, the country came up with a unique response. The Dutch funds are now no longer on the hook for providing a set income in retirement no matter what happens to financial markets that is, they've gone DC—but they didn't shunt everything to individual workers. Risks are shared by all the members of a pension fund, and the money is managed by professionals.

Pension consultant Ambachtsheer argues that thi

A．the US does not have big pension problems in comparison with other countries

B．continental Europe is in fact not doing that well with retirement-related issues

C．governments are generally reneging on their promises with pension problems

D．countries are all doing pretty well with retirement issues

There are great many reasons for studying what philosophers S1.______

have said in the past. One is that we cannot separate the

history of philosophy from which of science. Philosophy is S2.______

large discussion about matters on which few people are quite S3.______

certain, and those few hold opposite opinions. As knowledge

increases, philosophy buds off the sciences.

For an example, in the ancient world and the Middle Ages S4.______

philosophers discussed motion. Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas

taught that a moving body would slow down until a force was constantly S5.______

applied to it. They were wrong. It goes on moving unless

something slows it down. But they had good arguments on their

side, and if we study these, and the experiments which proved

them right, this will help us to distinguish truth from S6.______

false in the scientific controversies of today. We also see how S7.______

different philosopher reflects the social life of his day. Plato and S8.______

Aristotle, in the slave-owning society of ancient Greece, thought

man's highest state was contemplation rather than activity. In the

Middle Ages St. Thomas believed a regular feudal system of nine S9.______

ranks of angels. Herbert Spencer, in the time of free competition

between capitalists, found the key to progress in the survival of the S10.______

fittest. Thus Marxism is seen to fit into its place as the philosophy

for the workers, the only class with a future.

【S1】