Why do women earn less than men?

Women earn less than men. For example, in 1988 the hourly wages of women in the U.S. were 16% less than those of men. The gap between male and female incomes varies with age. The gap between the labor incomes of young women and young men is much smaller than that between middle-aged women and men. It is also clear that jobs in which women are concentrated pay less. The larger the number of workers in an industry who are women, the lower the average wages.

Why do women earn less than men? Are the differences explained by the fact that women are looked down upon? If so, the government has to intervene, to force the employers to pay equal wages to equal jobs. however, there is no agreement among economists about the causes of the gap. One view argues that women on the average have chosen low-paying jobs in which workers enjoy the freedom of entering and leaving the labor force, which reduces their years of experience relative to men. Other people say the gap can also be explained by the difference in educational background which is shown in the difference in the marginal product between men and women.

Much of the gap, however, has not been fully explained. It might be the result of some bias against women. It is this part that has produced calls for government action. What would happen if the government did intervene to increase the wages paid to women? One possibility is that incomes for women as a group might actually decline. An increase in wage decreases the quantity of labor input demanded, resulting in decreased employment as the rate of hiring new workers declines. The result will be a surplus of labor. Those who can find jobs might be better off while those who had jobs might find themselves out of work.

The difference in labor incomes is most obvious between _______.

A. young men and young women

B. young women in the same industry

C. middle-aged men and middle-aged women

D. middle-aged women in the same industry

Some economists believe women earn less than men partly because ______.

A. women are less experienced than men

B. women are only provided with low-paying jobs

C. women have much freedom in selecting their jobs

D. there is more than enough women in the labor force

Which of the following cannot be inferred from the second paragraph?

A. Women receive less education than men.

B. Women are not as productive as men.

C. Levels of education are closely related to productivity.

D. Goods produced by women are not as good as those by men.

What does the author suggest that the government should do for women workers?

A. To ensure equal pay for women.

B. To explain why women are paid less.

C. To force employers to hire more women.

D. No solution is clearly suggested.

What would happen if women’s wages were raised?

A. Input of capital would be increased.

B. The unemployment rate would go up.

C. Those that have jobs would become better off.

D. Women as a group would earn more than before.

It is impossible not to make a mistake at some points in your life. We may as well accept that something will go wrong and we will be to blame. It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing, and the best way to apologize is by letter. This way you can take care over every work you write— which you can’t do if you say sorry to someone in person.

We all say or do something that we wish we hadn’t said or done. You may say something that accidentally hurts someone, or you may provide a service which doesn’t come up to the standards that a client or customer expected.

You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn’t be avoided. Rather than dwell on the mistake, you should quickly try to remedy（修补）the problem. An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process.

For the contents of the letter, just remember TABS—Timing, Action, Brevity, Sincerity.

The timing of a letter of apology is essential—it must be sent as soon as possible. Any delay in our sending the letter will only compound the problem. In this case “Better late than never” is not the best motto! The longer you wait before you wait before writing a letter of apology, the more it will seem that you have been coerced（被迫）into writing it.

Although it is important to recognize what has gone before, it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to rectify whatever it was you did wrong. Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received.

A letter of apology should be brief and the word “sorry” should appear no more than twice. Indicate that you are aware using it a second time—“once again, I am so sorry for…” or “as I said earlier, I am really sorry about…”. Finally, the tone of the letter has to be sincere. In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect.

And don’t think that letters are out of date in the email—oriented 21st century. An apology email can be worse than no apology at all!

What kind of advice does the text suggest about apologizing?

A. It’s a good idea to write a letter of apology as soon as something has gone wrong.     

B. It’s a good idea to send several emails to apologize.

C. Write a long letter apologizing several times to make your point. 

D. Wait to see how they react to your letter before planning to do anything.

What kind of things do you NOT apologize for?

A. A service that is not as good as it should be.

B. Genuine mistakes.

C. Car accidents.

D. Causing offence or hurt.

The underlined expression “Rather than dwell on the mistake” in the third paragraph means you _____.

A. should not waste time worrying about what happened.  

B. should consider the problem

C. should forget about what happened.

D. should analyse who was at fault.

How can timing compound problems?

A. If you write immediately, they will be suspicious. 

B. If you leave it for a few days, they will know it is your idea to write.

C. Waiting for a few days before you write will show your sincerity.       

D. Waiting too long will make it worse because they won’t believe you mean it.

Connecting with Patients

       Dr. Paris often treats several generations of a family over many years. “He’s seen us through two births, one operation, multiple earaches, a broken wrist and a recovery from a serious traffic crash,” says Jill Farrow, a 43-year-old lawyer whose first visit to Dr. Paris was as a teenager. During the birth of her younger son, Farrow began bleeding badly. Dr. Paris managed to solve the problem in a delicate procedure. “Twenty years ago, she probably would have died,” he says. Today, when he performs school sports physical examinations for the Farrow boys, 10 and 11, he is always reminded that lives are changed forever by doctors just doing their jobs.

       To be a mix of country doc and somewhat adventurer, the 55-year-old family physician moved to Hailey after completing his residency（医生实习期）. He hoped to practice medicine there and ski at nearby Sun Valley. Unfortunately, the only job opening was for an emergency-room doctor in Missoula, Montana, 300 miles away. Dr. Paris took it. "I'd ski all day and then drive all night to be in Missoula for a 48-hour shift," he recalls. "I'm lucky to be alive." Knowing he couldn't keep up with his eight-hour commute（通勤）, he began taking flying lessons.

In 1981, Dr. Paris joined a small medical practice in Hailey, a former mining town with a population at the time of 2,109. As Hailey grew in the shadow of Sun Valley's booming popularity, Dr. Paris's own practice expanded to seven physicians, including his wife, Kathryn Woods, who is also a family doctor. They met in 1986 at a certification exam in Denver when, in a room full of men in stodgy suits, Woods arrived wearing a Lycra biking outfit and carrying the front wheel of her bicycle (which she couldn't lock up outside). Dr. Paris asked her out on the spot. In 1989, they married.

What Jill Farrow says is to indicate ________.

       A. how weak the bodies of her family 

B. how hard it is to be a doctor

       C. how brilliant the physician’s skill is 

D. how easy it is to deal with such problems

Dr. Paris often reminds himself that ________.

       A. lives of people should not always stay the same

       B. people can rely on themselves to change their life

       C. doctors should change their own life

       D. it is the duty of a doctor to heal the patients

Why did Dr. Paris move to Hailey?

       A. Because he can be a doctor and an adventurer there.

B. Because he has to finish his residency there.   

       C. Because his children are fond of skiing at nearby Sun Valley.

       D. Because he has to be an emergency-room doctor there.

We can infer the doctor got married probably at the age of ________.

       A. 27.                   B. 37.                   C. 17.                          D. 47.

This passage is intended to ________.

       A. introduce Dr. Paris   

B. praise the doctor’s excellent medical art

       C. describe the doctor’s adventurous experience  

D. tell the doctor’s love affairs

Surfing—the art of riding a wave on a pointed board—is the wildest, fastest natural water sport known to man. In recent years, it has developed into a major sport around the world, from Australia to South Africa. Australians brave(挑战) men—eating sharks to ride the green waves Down Under, Hawaiian experts risk(冒…之险) their lives on huge, thirty foot swells(浪涛) against the wind of Oahu; Californians of all ages go out the year-round. In the winter, surf-riders put on life-suits to ride grave waves so cold that their flesh turns blue.

Surfing is no sport for weak persons. Swimming a quarter of a mile or more, and pushing a surfboard out to where the swells are just right for riding, can be real work. Then, at exactly the right moment, you climb up the wave and go fast across the face of a powerful swell with the white water jumping at your feet. The huge wave bites at your shoulder, threatening(威胁) at any moment to smash your flat. In the next several seconds, a cool head and lightning—quick action back to the pressure of the attacking wave will bring your board under control for that great ride down the back of the great, green mountain of water. Once on the beach, you know why surfing is growing in popularity as an international sport, and you’re glad to be a member of this new water world.

The first paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A. people around the world go surfing all the year round

B. the definition(定义) of the sport

C. how to surf in the sea

D. where to surf around the world

The author believes that surfing _______.

A. is not an easy sport    B. can be done by anyone

C. should be done by everyone     D. does not require courage

In order to experience what real surfing is, _______.

A. you must first swim a quarter of a mile to warm your body

B. you will first ride on a board to reach the swells

C. you must first put on your life-suits before doing surfing

D. you must first swim to the swells with your board

On Saturday August 12, 2000, during Northern Fleet training exercises in the Barents Sea, the Russian nuclear submarine(潜水艇) Kursk sank in about 100 meters of water with some 118 sailors aboard. It's known later that several officers were also aboard, observing the training exercises. The Kursk is lying on the ocean floor in the Barents Sea. The Russian Navy said that it was listing 30 degrees to port. Other sources reported it was listing as much 60 as degrees. According to a Russian newspaper, when the submarine Kursk failed to make contact with the naval command at the right time later that day, Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Vyachesav Popov ordered rescue ships into the area. It took hours to find the submarine, as it didn't launch(发射) a marking buoy(浮) before sinking.

Russian Navy Chief insisted that the submarine Kursk had been involved(卷入) in a major collision(碰撞), but a great deal of information shows that this is not true. Up till now, it's believed that an explosion in the torpedo compartment(鱼雷舱) in the nose of the Kursk was the likely cause. Now Russian government officially asked Norway for help in recovering of sailors' bodies first of all, and Norway has agreed to offer all help. But Russian insisted that only Russians work inside the submarine Kursk and that the work last for about 10～18 working days. It is expected to recover only 25～35 bodies from the Kursk.

It was not until October 25, when a team of Russian divers entered the submarine Kursk, some 350 feet below the surface, that truth became clear. On November 7, in the morning, owing to(由于)  the icy and the cold weather, a special rescue meeting held on Murmansk decided to stop the whole bodies recovering operation.

From the text we can infer that _______ led to the sinking of the submarine Kursk.

A. a small fighting with another foreign submarine

B. an explosion inside the submarine Kursk

C. a great collision inside the submarine Kursk

D. an attack from another foreign submarine

After Kursk accident occurred, Northern Fleet Commander Popov _______.

A. decided to recover all the sailors' bodies immediately

B. went to apply to Norway for help at once

C. decided to find out the real cause of sinking at once

D. sent several rescue ships into the Barents Sea

Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A. The Norwegians were willing to offer all help.

A. If the rescue work did within 10～18 days, there would be about 30 sailors to be recovered.

B. It was not believed that there were many unclear weapons inside the Kursk.

C. A team of divers from Norway entered the submarine Kursk successfully on Oct. 25

D. It's reported that a major collision was unlikely to cause the sinking of the Kursk.

Why did Russia insist that only Russian divers can work inside the submarine Kursk?

A. Because the Barents Sea is very icy and the weather is too cold.

B. Because Russia feared that the top secrets inside the Kursk will be let out.

C. Because Russian divers are much more skilled than those from Norway.

D. Because Russian government wants to bring the cost down to the lowest degree.

The underlined words “make contact with” in the first paragraph refers to the idea that the submarine Kursk can't_______.

A. get in touch after much effort with the naval command

B. send up the nuclear weapons in the training exercises

C. get the naval officers to return to the Northern Fleet

D. get in touch after much effort with Russian government

As we know, it is very important that a firm should pay attention to the training of its staff as there exist many weak points in its various departments. Staff training must have a purpose, which is defined when a firm considers its training needs, which are in turn based on job descriptions and job specifications(规范).

   A job description should give details of the performance that is required for a particular job, and a job specification should give information about the behaviour, knowledge and skills that are expected of an employee who works in the position. When all of this has been collected, it is possible to make a training specification. This specifies(详细说明) that the training department must teach for the successful performance of the job, and also the best methods to use in the training period.

   There are many different training methods, and there are advantages and disadvantages in all of them. Successful training performances depend on an understanding of the difference between learning about skills and training in using them. It is frequently said that learning about skills takes place “off the job” in classroom, but training in using these skills takes place “on the job,” by means of such activities as practice in the workshop.

   It’s always difficult to evaluate the costs of a training programme. The success of such a programme depends not only on the methods used but also on the quality of the staff who do the training. A company can often check savings in time and cost by examining the work performed by the workers and technicians who have completed a training programme. The evaluation of management training is much more complex than that.

     The writer mainly wants to tell us_____by the passage.

A.    Why firms should pay attention to staff training

B.    Staff training must have a purpose

C.    Purposes and methods are most important in staff training

D.    How to evaluate a training programme

A training specification specifies_____

A.    the training contents and methods

B.    the cost and savings of the programme

C.    the performance required for a certain job

D.    the behaviour, knowledge and skills expected of an employee

To be successful in training programmes, we must understand the difference between_____

A.    the purposes and the methods

B.    job description and job specification

C.    what is taught and how it is taught

D.    learning about skills and training in using them

The underlined word “evaluate”means_____

A. find out the price of          B. judge the value of

C. deal with                   D. expect and believe

When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive, people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.

 Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their livestock（家畜）.During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.

 People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun’s rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy saving.

 House building becomes a great challenge（挑战）to building designers and energy engineers. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy saving houses.

What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?

   A．The climate of their areas.

   B．The energy for their houses.

   C．The fashions for their houses.

   D．The building materials for their houses.

People in some areas gain a source of heat by _________.

   A．keeping their livestock downstairs

   B．protecting their livestock from the cold

   C．sharing their houses only with their cows

   D．living on the second floor with their livestock

The underlined words “natural law” in the third paragraph refer to the fact that ________.

   A．heat raises the temperature in the houses

   B．heat goes in the upward direction

   C．heat goes up if temperature is raised

   D．heat increases the temperature of rocks

From the passage, we can conclude that __________.

   A．people will no longer consider building materials in the future

   B．energy saving buildings will become more popular in the future

   C．almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks

  D．energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology.         

Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, is more than once described as having “fat little hands.’’ Nor does he “sit well or firmly on the horse.’’ He is said to be “undersized.’’ With “short legs’’ and a “round stomach”. The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy’s description--it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts：other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy’s Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose—and that is the point.

It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three of War and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812,Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar(沙皇), who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry：doesn’t he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. “That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!” he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon “walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly.’’

Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. “He raised his hand to the Russian’s…face,” Tolstoy writes, and “taking him by the ear pulled it gently….” To have one’s ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. “Well, well, why don’t you say anything?’’ said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.

Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own.

Tolstoy’s description of Napoleon in War and Peace is _________.

A. far from the historical facts

B. based on the Russian history

C. based on his selection of facts

D. not related to historical details

Napoleon was angry when receiving the Russian representative because _________.

A. he thought he should be the one to make the peace terms

B. the Tsar's peace terms were hard to accept

C. the Russians stopped his military movement

D. he didn’t have any more army to fight with

What did Napoleon expect the Russian representative to do?

A. To walk out of the room in anger.

B. To show agreement with him.

C. To say something about the Tsar.

D. To express his admiration.

Tolstoy intended to present Napoleon as a man who is _________.

A. ill-mannered in dealing with foreign guests

B. fond of showing off his iron will

C. determined in destroying all of Europe

D. crazy for power and respect

What does the last sentence of the passage imply?

A. A writer doesn’t have to be faithful to his findings.

B. A writer may write about a hero in his own way.

C. A writer may not be responsible for what he writes.

D. A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings.

There are robots all around us. Some do very complicated jobs like flying airplanes and driving subway trains. and some do one simple job. When an automatic washing machine is switched on, water pours in. The machine waits until the water is warm enough for washing clothes. It does this by “feedback”(反馈). Information about what is happening is feedback into the robot to tell what to do next. Our eyes, ears and other senses are our feedback. They tell us what is going on around us. So robots are like human beings in two ways.

They work and they have feedback.

In some ways robots are better than human beings. They work quickly and do not make mistakes. They do not get bored doing the same job over and over again. And they never get tired. So robots are very useful in factories. They can be taught to do many different jobs. First their electronic brain must be shown how the job is done. A person moves the robot’s “arms” and “hands” through each part of the job.

The most intelligent robots can move and see. Their eyes are cameras. Their fingers can feel shapes and sizes of the objects. These robots have computer brains linked to their eyes and fingers, which control their actions. The expensive robots are used in scientific research. They do such job as handling radioactive materials.

In this passage the author tells us that ________.

A. robots are very popular

B. there are various kinds of robots

C. we see robots only at certain times

D. robots can be easily controlled

What does the author seem to inform you about robots?

A. They should be greatly improved.

B. They will probably take over in the future.

C. They are very helpful and useful to humans.

D. They are machines that break down a lot.

The author says that in industry ________.

A. robots break down a lot    

B. robots can do many jobs

C. robots only get in the way

D. robots sometimes cause troubles

The fact that a robot never gets bored doing the same job means that _______.

A. it is very much like human beings

B. it can do boring jobs for people

C. it will never bore people

D. it will work much better than human beings

The robots used for scientific research _______.

A. are not very clever     

B. are very cheap

C. are very big

D. are very costly

Everyone has good days and bad days.

Sometimes, you feel as if you’re on top of the world. But occasionally you feel horrible, and you lose things and you cannot focus on your schoolwork.

For more than 20 years, scientists have suggested that high self-esteem (自尊) is the key to success. Now, new research shows that focusing just on building self-esteem may not be helpful. In some cases, having high self-esteem can bring bad results if it makes you less likeable or more upset when you fail at something.

“Forget about self-esteem,” says Jennifer Crocker, a psychologist (心理学家) at the University of Michigan, US. “It’s not the important thing.”

Feeling good

Crocker’s advice may sound a bit strange because it is good to feel good about yourself.

Studies show that people with high self-esteem are less likely to be depressed, anxious, shy, or lonely than those with low self-esteem.

But, after reviewing about 18,000 studies on self-esteem, Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has found that building up your self-esteem will not necessarily make you a better person.

He believes that violent and wicked people often have the highest self-esteem of all. He also said: “There’s no evidence that kids with high self-esteem do better in school.”

Problems

All types of people have problems. People with high self-esteem can have big egos (自我) that can make them less likeable to their peers(同龄人), said Kathleen Vohs, a psychology professor at Columbia University.

People with high self-esteem tend to think more of themselves, Vohs says. People with low self-esteem are more likely to rely on their friends when they need help.

What to do

Researchers say it is best to listen to and support other people. Find positive ways to contribute to society. If you fail at something try to learn from the experience. “The best therapy (药方) is to recognize your faults,” Vohs says. “It’s OK to say, ‘I’m not so good at that,’ and then move on.”

The new research comes to the conclusion that high self-esteem ________.

A. is not important at all                     B. has taken on a different meaning

C. may not be the key to success         D. does not help you do better at school

One of the conclusions of the new research is that ________.

A. feeling good about oneself doesn’t mean you lead a happier life

B. people with high esteem usually do not seek other’s help

C. people with high esteem tend to be proud

D. people with low esteem are often more popular

The underlined part “a better person” in the passage probably means a person who is ________.

A. helpful and supportive                    B. gentle and modest

C. likable and successful                     D. friendly and kind

From the text, we can infer the best therapy mentioned in the last paragraph is mainly for people ________.

A. with high self-esteem                B. with low self-esteem

C. of all kinds                      D. who are focusing on building self-esteem