Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities(operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.

Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government's Public Health Service.

Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100 000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20 000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10 000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.

Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other's patients in emergencies.

Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.

According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _______.

A. a church            B. a corporation            C. a city                       D. a state

The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.

A. schooling and retraining                        B. practice in a hospital

C. facilities he or she uses                          D. education he or she receives

According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?

A. About seven years.                                B. Eight years.

C. Ten years.                                             D. About twelve years.

Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.

A. there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them

B. they can take turns to work long hours

C. facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder

D. no one wants to assume too much responsibility

Which of the following statements could fully express the author's view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?

A. For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay.

B. It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous.

C. Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions.

D. Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded.

Human Capital - How what you know shapes your life

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 20 Feb 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264029088 Price: C15 I $19 1$10

      This book explores the influence of education and learning on our societies and lives and examines what countries are doing to provide education and training to support people throughout their lives.

Economic Policy Reforms -- Going/or Growth, 2007 Edition

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 15 Feb 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264030473 Price: $60|$75|$41

      Based on a broad set of indicators of structural policies and performance, Going for Grcwth 2007 takes stock of the recent progress made in implementing policy reforms and identifies, for each OECD country, five policy priorities to lift growth.

Climate Change in the European Alps -- Adapting Winter Tourism and Natural Hazards Management

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 22 Jan 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264031685 Price: $24 $32$ 17

      The first systematic cross-country analysis of snow-reliability of Alpine ski areas under climate change for five countries in the region: France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany.

OECD in Figures 2006--2007--Statistics on the Member Countries -- OECD Observer-- Volume 2006 Supplement 1

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 05 Jan 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264022638 Price.; $15 |$20 |$10

      A handy pocket reference containing key data covering the entire range of OECD

work including the economy, employment, health, education, migration, the environment, science and technology, public finances, agriculture, trade, and development aid.

OECD Economic Outlook -- December No, 80 -- Volume 2006 Issue 2

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 26 Jan 2007

language-English ISBN: 9789264030954 Price: $80 | $97|$55

      OECD's twice yearly assessment and projections for the economies of the OECD area and selected non-members. This edition also looks at the rise in household debt.

Which of the following books was published most lately?

    A. OECD in Figures 2006-2007.   B. OECD Economic Outlook.

    C. Human Capital.              D. Climate Change in the European Alps.

We can learn from the passage that Alps is________________.

    A. an Austrian interesting place most attractive in summer seasons

    B. an European mountain belonging to three countries

    C. a stadium for skiing lovers from five European countries

    D. an European mountain famous for its winter skiing

From the book with ISBN ____ you can get a wider range of information about OECD.

    A. 9789264029088                   B. 9789264022638

    C. 9789264030954                   D. 9789264030473

You should afford  ____Euro dollars for a book to know about the recent progress in economic policies in the OECD countries.

    A. 60              B. 15           C. 55           D. 80

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.

       “It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”

       The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?

“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”

In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.

“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”

But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.

“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”

What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

A. It’s expensive but worthwhile because it works the best.

B. It confuses students because the knowledge taught in it is out of date.

C. It isn’t effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

D. It is effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A. Something that cannot help to solve problems at all.

B. Something that solves a difficult problem in an easy way.

C. Something that seems useful but has no use at all.

D. Something that encourages interest in study.

According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

A. effective in language learning but not for exams

B. effective for foreign students but not for local students

C. unnecessary in most cases and may harm the further study of students

D. unnecessary in secondary school but helpful to further study

What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A. Fleet Tutors and the Rowans School are competitors.

B. Entrance exams to schools are too difficult for most students.

C. Further study isn’t as difficult as was first thought.

D. Private tuition is worth the financial investment.

What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

       A. Critical           B. Objective         C. Supportive          D. Uninterested

I have a close friend who has a good family tradition, that is, each year after Thanksgiving dinner, all of the people sit around in the living room and each person takes a few minutes and gives thanks for what really matters and what has added value to their life over the last year. This is something I valued and followed. I have thought about a lot in the last year, and I finally came up with two things.

The first one is the healthiness of my daughter. She’s as healthy as she can be, and her weight and height are in good condition and she has no illnesses or genetic diseases. I am so thankful for having this wonderful baby in my life, and thankful that she has the gift of good health.

Secondly, I am thankful for the discovery of the value of writing in my life. A year ago, my website. The simple Dollar was only a few weeks old and was far from popular, but on Thanksgiving Day Last year it had about three score readers who ordered it in advance. The process of writing was bringing me enjoyment, but I hadn’t yet realized that I could be successful in it and attract many readers. This past year showed me a lot and I am deeply thankful for it.

After thinking for a while, I began to realize that it was a very powerful and wonderful positive exercise. You spend time reflecting deeply on the positive things in your life, and you often realize that even when things are bad, you do have a lot to be thankful for because there is lots of good in your life, and it can shine a bright light even in a dark spot in your life.

What is the good family tradition of the author’s friend’s?

       A．Learning from the past and planning for the future.

       B．Taking about the things that are most worth appreciation.

       C．Learning from the strong points of other family members.

       D．Having Thanks giving dinner together with family members.

The author is thankful for all the following thins EXCEPT      .

       A．her success with writing  B．the enjoyment in writing

       C．the healthiness of her daughter       D．the founding of a magazine

How many people had ordered The simple Dollar by Thanksgiving Day last year?

       A．About 30. B．About 20. C．About 60. D．About 40.

What’s the purpose of this passage? It tells us that people should         .

       A．hold a positive attitude    B．reflect on their mistakes

       C．have low expectations of life   D．neglect their disadvantages

    The purpose of a letter of application ( 求职信 ) is to help you to “sell” yourself. It should state ___21___the job you want, and should tell what your abilities are and you have ___22___. It should be simple, human, personal and brief without ___23___out any necessary fact.

   In writing a letter of application, keep in ___24___that the things a possible employer is most___25___ to want to know about are your qualifications and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part.___26___the first few sentences fail to___27___ the reader’s attention, the rest of the letter may not be ___28___at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer not___29___your own need or desires. For example, instead of beginning with “ I saw your___30___in today’s paper,” you might say “I have made a careful___31___of your advertising during the past six months” or “I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives___32___your product and why they like it.”

   Try to___33___generalities. Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now ___34___. College graduates looking for their first positions often ask “What can I___35___in a letter? Employers want experience---which, naturally, no___36___has.” The answer is that everything you have ever done is ___37___.

   It is important to write a good strong closing for your letter.___38___a  specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. An excellent___39___ is to enclose ( 内附 ) a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it___40___ for a possible employer to get in touch with you.

21. A. clearly                      B. carefully                 C. obviously                     D. easily

22. A. found               B. done                      C. known                     D. heard

23.A. sending           B. taking               C. leaving                    D. picking

24. A. brain            B. sight                 C. order                     D. mind

25. A. probable         B. possible              C. likely                      D. able

26. A. White            B. Although             C. As                        D. If

27. A. pay              B. win                 C. show                      D. fix

28. A. kept             B. continued            C. written                     D. read

29. A. to              B. for                  C. into                       D. from

30. A. advertisement    B. report                C. article                      D. introduction

31. A. watch           B. search               C. study                      D. discussion

32. A. change          B. make                C. sell                        D. use

33. A. avoid           B. remember            C. protect                     D. gain

34. A. losing           B. applying             C. preparing                   D. fitting

35. A. offer            B. supply              C. mean                         D. provide

36. A. worker             B. beginner                   C. owner                          D. manager

37. A. success             B. development         C. practice                           D. experience

38. A. Make                 B. Ask                          C. State                               D. Get

39. A. result                 B. decision                C. promise                          D. idea

40. A. happier             B. easier                             C. cheaper                           D. safer